وَفِي سُرَّ مَنْ رَا من مَحَلِّي مَقاصِرُ

وَفِي سُرَّ مَنْ رَا من مَحَلِّي مَقاصِرُ

تُلاعِبُ فِيهِنَّ الظِّباءَ الجآذِرُ

تُلاعِبُ فِيهِنَّ الظِّباءَ الجآذِرُ

And at my dwelling in Surra Man Ra are secluded chambers,

In the secret of whoever saw my dwellings

Within which oryx calves play with gazelles.

The gazelles play, grazing freely

وتُزْهى بِهَا من صِنْوِ دِجْلَةَ لُجَّةٌ

وتُزْهى بِهَا من صِنْوِ دِجْلَةَ لُجَّةٌ

تَحَلَّلَ منها الرَّوْضُ جارٍ وجَائرُ

تَحَلَّلَ منها الرَّوْضُ جارٍ وجَائرُ

And a deep pool from the Tigris's twin glories in them;

Adorned by the mist of the Tigris coast

From it the garden unfolds, flowing and wandering.

Through which the meadow flowed, going far and near

حَدَائِقُ جَنَّاتٍ نَضائِرُ زانَها

حَدَائِقُ جَنَّاتٍ نَضائِرُ زانَها

تَقَلُّبُ أَحْداقٍ إِلَيْها نَوَاظِرُ

تَقَلُّبُ أَحْداقٍ إِلَيْها نَوَاظِرُ

Fresh gardens of paradise, adorned

Gardens of paradise, of similar delight

By the turning of eyes gazing toward them.

The rolling of eyes towards them, of eager viewers

مشابِهُ حُسنٍ مَا لَهُنَّ مَشابِهٌ

مشابِهُ حُسنٍ مَا لَهُنَّ مَشابِهٌ

نظائِرُ شَكْلٍ مَا لَهُنَّ نَظائِرُ

نظائِرُ شَكْلٍ مَا لَهُنَّ نَظائِرُ

Likenesses of beauty, with none resembling them;

Of similar, matchless beauty

Counterparts in form, with none to match them.

Peerless forms, none can peer them

ثَلاثٌ كأَطْلاءِ الظِّباءِ رَوَائِعٌ

ثَلاثٌ كأَطْلاءِ الظِّباءِ رَوَائِعٌ

ولا شَبَهٌ إِلّا الطُّلى والنَّوَاظِرُ

ولا شَبَهٌ إِلّا الطُّلى والنَّوَاظِرُ

Three ravishing beauties, like gazelle fawns,

Three like the coats of gazelles, splendid

Yet the resemblance lies only in their necks and eyes.

No likeness but the coats and the viewers

نَماها إِلَى الأَرْءامِ رُومٌ وَجِلَّقٌ

نَماها إِلَى الأَرْءامِ رُومٌ وَجِلَّقٌ

وأَرْضَعَها منهم سُلَيْمٌ وعامِرُ

وأَرْضَعَها منهم سُلَيْمٌ وعامِرُ

Rum and Jilliq traced their lineage to white gazelles,

Raised by Romans and Ghassanids

And Sulaym and ʿAmir, from among them, suckled them,

Suleiman and Aamir nursed them

لِتَأْثُرَ عَنَّا كُلَّما فاهَ خاطِبٌ

لِتَأْثُرَ عَنَّا كُلَّما فاهَ خاطِبٌ

وأَغْرَبَ رَجَّازٌ وأَبْدَعَ شاعِرُ

وأَغْرَبَ رَجَّازٌ وأَبْدَعَ شاعِرُ

So they may transmit our words whenever an orator speaks,

To be admired whenever a suitor converses

And a rajaz poet offers novelty, and a poet creates wonders.

A composer astounds, a poet excels

إِذَا أَجْرَتِ الأَقلامُ عَنْهُمْ بِمَنْطِقٍ

إِذَا أَجْرَتِ الأَقلامُ عَنْهُمْ بِمَنْطِقٍ

أَرَتْكَ بُطُونَ الصُّحْفِ وَهْيَ أَزَاهِرُ

أَرَتْكَ بُطُونَ الصُّحْفِ وَهْيَ أَزَاهِرُ

When pens let their speech flow,

When the pens flow about them eloquently

They show you the pages' inner faces, all blossoms.

The pages of books appear flowery

يُذَكِّرنَني ما أنْتَ عَنِّيَ مُبْلِغٌ

يُذَكِّرنَني ما أنْتَ عَنِّيَ مُبْلِغٌ

خَوَاطِبَ أَحياءٍ وَهُنَّ مَنابِرُ

خَوَاطِبَ أَحياءٍ وَهُنَّ مَنابِرُ

They remind me of what you convey on my behalf,

What you convey to me reminds me

Speakers to the living, though they are pulpits,

Of addresses of the living, though they are gone

بِتَرْجِيعِ ألْحانٍ كأَنَّ حَنِينَها

بِتَرْجِيعِ ألْحانٍ كأَنَّ حَنِينَها

لما أنا من آثارِ مَجْدِكَ ذاكِرُ

لما أنا من آثارِ مَجْدِكَ ذاكِرُ

With trilling melodies, as though their yearning

With the return of melodies, as if their yearning

Were for what I recall of the traces of your glory.

Is what I remember of the traces of your glory

ويُذْهِلُني عن سِحْرِ ما في جُفُونِها

ويُذْهِلُني عن سِحْرِ ما في جُفُونِها

بتُفَّاحِ سَواحِرُ

بتُفَّاحِ سَواحِرُ

And I am distracted from the magic within their eyelids

And distracts me from the magic that is in their eyes

By enchantresses with apples.

Chasing them in the air coquettishly, as if they are

تُطَارِدُها في الجَوِّ نَزْواً كأَنَّها

تُطَارِدُها في الجَوِّ نَزْواً كأَنَّها

نوازِعُوبَوَادِرُ

نوازِعُوبَوَادِرُ

They chase them through the air in leaps, as though they were

Doves swooping down

Darting and rushing

Cranes gliding with joy, and I

نُسورٌ تَهادى بالسُّرورِ وإنَّني

نُسورٌ تَهادى بالسُّرورِ وإنَّني

لها بالذي يهدي السرور لزاجرُ

لها بالذي يهدي السرور لزاجرُ

Vultures gliding with joy; and indeed I

Warn them against what spoils joy

Surely read their omens through what brings joy.

And if their daggers are unsheathed

وإنْ بُدِّلَتْ منها السَكاكِينُ خِلْتَها

وإنْ بُدِّلَتْ منها السَكاكِينُ خِلْتَها

غماماً صائِرُ

غماماً صائِرُ

And if knives are substituted for them, you would think them

I make them into dispersing clouds

Clouds, becoming...

And if one of their riding camel owners stands up

وإنْ قامَ باسطُرْلابِهم يَدُ بعْضِها

وإنْ قامَ باسطُرْلابِهم يَدُ بعْضِها

فكِيوانُ أو بَهْرَامُ

فكِيوانُ أو بَهْرَامُ

And if the hand of one of them rises with their astrolabe,

It is Keyvan or Bahram

Then Kiwan or Bahram

Informing me that I have realized

يُخبِّرُني أنْ قَدْ تبيَّنتُ أنَّني

يُخبِّرُني أنْ قَدْ تبيَّنتُ أنَّني

لمعروف ما تسديهِ نحويَ شاكرُ

لمعروف ما تسديهِ نحويَ شاكرُ

Tells me that I have indeed realized that I

I am grateful for the good you have done for me

Am grateful for the kindness you bestow upon me,

And you are linked to bliss

وأنك موصولُ السُّعودِ بِغِبْطَةٍ

وأنك موصولُ السُّعودِ بِغِبْطَةٍ

يُطاوِلُها في عُمْر أمْرِكَ عامِرُ

يُطاوِلُها في عُمْر أمْرِكَ عامِرُ

And that you enjoy unbroken good fortune, with felicity,

Which accompanies your prosperous command

With which ʿAmir vies in longevity during your rule.

And you are greeted by me every day

وحُيِّيتَ مِنِّي كُلَّ يومٍ تَحِيَّةً

وحُيِّيتَ مِنِّي كُلَّ يومٍ تَحِيَّةً

تسيرُ بها الرُّكُبانُ ما سارَ سائِرُ

تسيرُ بها الرُّكُبانُ ما سارَ سائِرُ

And may you receive from me each day a greeting

With a greeting the travelers use as they march on

With which riders journey as long as any traveler travels.

Signaled by a rising star in the horizon

يلوحُ بها نَجْمٌ من الأُفقِ طالِعٌ

يلوحُ بها نَجْمٌ من الأُفقِ طالِعٌ

ويُرْجِعُها لي منكَ ما غارَ غائِرُ

ويُرْجِعُها لي منكَ ما غارَ غائِرُ

A star rising from the horizon gleams with it,

And returned to me by you, whatever sets from sight

And returns it to me from you whenever a setting star sets.