سلامٌ على نفسكَ الزاكيهْ

سلامٌ على نفسكَ الزاكيهْ

وشكراً لهمتِكَ العاليهْ

وشكراً لهمتِكَ العاليهْ

Peace be upon your pure soul,

Peace upon your pure soul,

and thanks for your lofty aspiration.

and thanks for your lofty resolve.

أَزَهراً أمِ الزهرَ أهديتها

أَزَهراً أمِ الزهرَ أهديتها

لعبدٍ مدامعُهُ جاريَهْ

لعبدٍ مدامعُهُ جاريَهْ

Was it blossom—or the very flower—that you gave

Was it flowers or shining stars that you gave

to a servant whose tears flow on?

to a servant whose tears flow?

بلْ الأمنَ أرسلته محسناً

بلْ الأمنَ أرسلته محسناً

أمنْتُ بهِ كيدَ أعدائيَهْ

أمنْتُ بهِ كيدَ أعدائيَهْ

No, it was safety you sent, doing good;

Rather, in kindness, you sent safety;

through it I am safe from my enemies’ plots.

through it I became safe from my enemies' plots.

كتابٌ يفوحُ شذا نشرِهِ

كتابٌ يفوحُ شذا نشرِهِ

فلي منْهُ رائحةٌ جائيَهْ

فلي منْهُ رائحةٌ جائيَهْ

A book whose unfolding breathes sweet fragrance—

A book whose unfolding breathes fragrance;

from it a breath of perfume comes to me.

from it a scent comes to me.

وسعدُ أعاديه عنْ مركزِ ال

وسعدُ أعاديه عنْ مركزِ ال

سعادةِ تلجي إلى زاويَهْ

سعادةِ تلجي إلى زاويَهْ

Its enemies’ fortune, banished from the center of—

And his foes' good fortune, from the center of

happiness, is driven into a corner.

happiness, has retreated to a corner.

إذا حمل الجديُ في نطحِهِ

إذا حمل الجديُ في نطحِهِ

ففأسٌ إلى رأسِهِ دانيَهْ

ففأسٌ إلى رأسِهِ دانيَهْ

If the young goat bears down with its horns,

If Capricorn charges to butt him,

an axe is already close to its head.

then an axe is close to its head.

وقابلَني حينَ قبَّلْتُهُ

وقابلَني حينَ قبَّلْتُهُ

منَ الطيبِ ما أرخصَ الغاليَهْ

منَ الطيبِ ما أرخصَ الغاليَهْ

When I kissed it, there greeted me

And when I kissed it, I was greeted

such fragrance as made costly perfume seem cheap.

by fragrance that made costly perfume seem cheap.

وفكَّهني في جنِي غرسِهِ

وفكَّهني في جنِي غرسِهِ

ولا سيَّما بيتُ ما النافيَهْ

ولا سيَّما بيتُ ما النافيَهْ

It delighted me as I gathered the fruit of its planting,

And it delighted me as I reaped the fruits of its planting,

above all the verse on the negative mā.

especially the verse on the negating mā.

مُقَرِّبُ إيضاحِهِ عمدةٌ

مُقَرِّبُ إيضاحِهِ عمدةٌ

معانيهِ شافيةٌ كافيَهْ

معانيهِ شافيةٌ كافيَهْ

Its exposition draws matters near—a mainstay;

What makes its explanation accessible is a mainstay;

its meanings are healing and sufficient.

its meanings are healing and sufficient.

تردُّدُ عيني به لا سُدى

تردُّدُ عيني به لا سُدى

ولكنَّها تطلبُ العافيَهْ

ولكنَّها تطلبُ العافيَهْ

My eye ranges over it repeatedly, not in vain,

My eye's repeated passage over it is not in vain;

but seeking well-being.

but it seeks well-being.

فمُهديه أفديهِ منْ سيِّدٍ

فمُهديه أفديهِ منْ سيِّدٍ

أياديهِ رائقةٌ راقيَهْ

أياديهِ رائقةٌ راقيَهْ

Its giver—may I ransom him!—what a master,

So its giver—I would ransom him—what a lord,

whose favors are radiant and exalted.

whose favors are pleasing and lofty!

لعلَّ الخليلَ بَداني بهِ

لعلَّ الخليلَ بَداني بهِ

ليجعلَها كَلْمةٌ باقيَهْ

ليجعلَها كَلْمةٌ باقيَهْ

Perhaps the friend first bestowed it upon me

Perhaps al-Khalīl first approached me with it,

to make it an enduring word.

to make it an enduring word.

فيا جابراً دُمْ معاذاً وها

فيا جابراً دُمْ معاذاً وها

أنا عُمَرٌ وَهْيَ لي ساريَهْ

أنا عُمَرٌ وَهْيَ لي ساريَهْ

O Jābir, remain protected—and behold,

So, Jābir, remain protected; and here

I am ʿUmar, and it is my Sāriya.

I am, ʿUmar, and it is my Sāriyah.

لأقلامِكَ الرفعُ تُبنى بها

لأقلامِكَ الرفعُ تُبنى بها

على الفتحِ أفعالُكَ الماضيَهْ

على الفتحِ أفعالُكَ الماضيَهْ

To your pens belongs the nominative’s elevation; by them are built

Elevation belongs to your pens; by them are built

upon fatḥ—opening and victory—your verbs of the past.

upon victory your deeds of the past.

ولوْ لمْ يكنْ قدْ سَبا نورُها

ولوْ لمْ يكنْ قدْ سَبا نورُها

كَما حملَ الحاسدُ الغاشيَهْ

كَما حملَ الحاسدُ الغاشيَهْ

Even if its light had not already captivated,

And even if their light had not already captivated,

as the envier bore the overwhelming calamity—

just as the envious man bore the saddlecloth.

فإنْ أهلكَ الناسَ جهلٌ بهمْ

فإنْ أهلكَ الناسَ جهلٌ بهمْ

فأنتَ منَ الفرقةِ الناجيَهْ

فأنتَ منَ الفرقةِ الناجيَهْ

if ignorance among them has destroyed the people,

For if ignorance among them destroys people,

you belong to the company of the saved.

then you belong to the saved sect.

فكمْ بابِ قصرٍ تبوأته

فكمْ بابِ قصرٍ تبوأته

فأفهامُنا منهُ كالجابيَهْ

فأفهامُنا منهُ كالجابيَهْ

How many a palace gate have you made your dwelling,

How many a palace gate you have made your own!

while our understandings, drawing from it, are like a cistern.

So our minds are like a cistern fed by it.

رَضِيَ بكَ عن دهرِهِ ساخِطٌ

رَضِيَ بكَ عن دهرِهِ ساخِطٌ

فلا زلتَ في عيشةٍ راضيَهْ

فلا زلتَ في عيشةٍ راضيَهْ

Through you, one angry with his age becomes content;

Through you, one discontented with his age has grown content;

may you remain in a life well pleased.

may you always enjoy a contented life.

وإني لفي خجلٍ منكَ إذْ

وإني لفي خجلٍ منكَ إذْ

أجبتُكَ في الوزنِ والقافيَهْ

أجبتُكَ في الوزنِ والقافيَهْ

Truly I am abashed before you, since

And I am indeed ashamed before you, since

I answered you in meter and rhyme.

I answered you in the same meter and rhyme.

فعفواً وصفحاً ولا تنتقدْ

فعفواً وصفحاً ولا تنتقدْ

ويا بحرُ مالكَ والساقيَهْ

ويا بحرُ مالكَ والساقيَهْ

So pardon and forgive; do not criticize—

So pardon and forgive, and do not criticize;

O sea, what have you to do with a little watercourse?

and, O sea, what have you to do with a watercourse?

ليهنكَ أنَّكَ عينُ الزمانِ

ليهنكَ أنَّكَ عينُ الزمانِ

فليتَ على عينِهِ الواقيَهْ

فليتَ على عينِهِ الواقيَهْ

May it delight you that you are the eye of the age;

May you rejoice that you are the eye of the age;

would that protection might ever rest upon its eye.

would that its eye had a protective covering!