بناصِرِ الدّين مَولَى الخلْقِ لي شرفُ

بناصِرِ الدّين مَولَى الخلْقِ لي شرفُ

فليسَ عنّي للأبْصارِ مُنصَرَفِ

فليسَ عنّي للأبْصارِ مُنصَرَفِ

Through Nasir al-Din, lord of creation, I have honor;

With the defender of the faith, patron of mankind, I have honor

so no gaze can turn away from me.

My gaze does not turn away from him for other sights

للهِ منّيَ مبْنىً حُسْنُ بهْجَتِهِ

للهِ منّيَ مبْنىً حُسْنُ بهْجَتِهِ

لكُلِّ قلبٍ إذا حيّا بهِ شَغَفُ

لكُلِّ قلبٍ إذا حيّا بهِ شَغَفُ

By God, what an edifice I am! Its radiant beauty

To God I am a beautiful manifestation of his splendor

inspires passion in every heart that greets it.

To every heart when greeted with it, passion stirs

ومصْنَعٌ معْجِبٌ بالصّنْعِ مُتّصلٌ

ومصْنَعٌ معْجِبٌ بالصّنْعِ مُتّصلٌ

بالعزِّ منفَرِدٌ بالحُسْنِ متّصِفُ

بالعزِّ منفَرِدٌ بالحُسْنِ متّصِفُ

And a wondrous structure in its workmanship, bound

A wondrous edifice, marveling at the workmanship, connected

to glory, peerless, endowed with beauty.

To glory, singular in beauty, endowed with nobility

كأنّ من جنّةِ الفردَوْسِ منشأَهُ

كأنّ من جنّةِ الفردَوْسِ منشأَهُ

فهذهِ غُرَفٌ من فوقِها غُرَفُ

فهذهِ غُرَفٌ من فوقِها غُرَفُ

As though its origin were in the Garden of Firdaws;

As though originating from the gardens of Paradise

so these are chambers, with chambers above them.

These are chambers, above them chamber upon chamber

كالرّوضِ لو لمْ يكُنْ تَذْوى أزاهِرُه

كالرّوضِ لو لمْ يكُنْ تَذْوى أزاهِرُه

والبدْرِ لو لمْ يلُحْ في وَجْهِهِ كلَفُ

والبدْرِ لو لمْ يلُحْ في وَجْهِهِ كلَفُ

Like a garden, if its blossoms did not wither,

Like a garden whose blossoms would not wither

and the full moon, if no dark spots appeared upon its face.

Or the full moon whose face would not fade

لدَى ارتِفاعيَ معْنى الحسْنِ متّفقٌ

لدَى ارتِفاعيَ معْنى الحسْنِ متّفقٌ

لكِن بساحَتي الأنظارُ تخْتَلِفُ

لكِن بساحَتي الأنظارُ تخْتَلِفُ

At my lofty height, all agree on beauty's meaning,

In exalting the meaning of beauty, agreed

yet in my courtyard, gazes differ.

But in my courtyard the sights differ

أستَقْبِلُ الرّوْضَ إن هبّت نواسِمُه

أستَقْبِلُ الرّوْضَ إن هبّت نواسِمُه

والقُضْبُ حوْليَ بالأزهارِ تنعَطِفُ

والقُضْبُ حوْليَ بالأزهارِ تنعَطِفُ

I face the garden when its gentle breezes blow,

I face the garden when its breezes blow

and the boughs around me bend with blossoms.

And the branches around me bend with flowers

وأستقِلُّ وفي أفْقي نُجومُ هُدىً

وأستقِلُّ وفي أفْقي نُجومُ هُدىً

فهذه تُجْتَلى أو تلكَ تُقْتَطَفُ

فهذه تُجْتَلى أو تلكَ تُقْتَطَفُ

And I rise, with stars of guidance on my horizon;

I stand alone while in my horizon are guiding stars

so these are beheld, or those are plucked.

Some unveiled, others to be plucked

تحارُ في وصْفيَ الأوهامُ ذاهبةً

تحارُ في وصْفيَ الأوهامُ ذاهبةً

لا تسْتَقِلْ ولا الأبصارُ تنْصَرِفُ

لا تسْتَقِلْ ولا الأبصارُ تنْصَرِفُ

Imaginations wander, bewildered in describing me;

Perplexed in describing me, minds wander

they cannot do it justice, nor can eyes turn away.

Unable to grasp or sights turn away

يا مُبْصراً من جمالي ما يَروقُ حُلىً

يا مُبْصراً من جمالي ما يَروقُ حُلىً

أقْصِرْ فحُسْنُ صفاتي فوق ما تصِفُ

أقْصِرْ فحُسْنُ صفاتي فوق ما تصِفُ

O you who see in my beauty ornaments that delight,

Oh you who see of my beauty what captivates as adornment

desist, for the beauty of my qualities exceeds what you describe.

Restrain yourself, for the beauty of my traits surpasses description

حللْتُ من بابِ دارِ المُلْكِ منزلةً

حللْتُ من بابِ دارِ المُلْكِ منزلةً

من دونِها الشُهْبُ في علْيائِها تقِفُ

من دونِها الشُهْبُ في علْيائِها تقِفُ

I have taken a station at the gate of the royal palace,

I have taken residence in the gateway of the King’s abode

beneath which the bright stars halt in their lofty heights.

Below it, glories stand still

موْلايَ جدَّد آثاري وأكمَلَ ما

موْلايَ جدَّد آثاري وأكمَلَ ما

قد كان أغْفَلَهُ من قبْلِه السّلَفُ

قد كان أغْفَلَهُ من قبْلِه السّلَفُ

My lord renewed my structures and completed what

My Master renewed my relics and perfected

those before him had neglected.

What predecessors had neglected before him

هذا وناصرُ دينِ الله أبدَعني

هذا وناصرُ دينِ الله أبدَعني

كما علِمْتَ وذاكَ العزُّ والشّرفُ

كما علِمْتَ وذاكَ العزُّ والشّرفُ

All this—and the champion of God's faith fashioned me,

This one made me, supporter of God's religion

as you know; and that is glory and honor.

As you know, such is the glory and honor

موْلَى الوجودِ عَميدُ المُلْكِ يوسُفُهُ

موْلَى الوجودِ عَميدُ المُلْكِ يوسُفُهُ

ومَن تلافاهُ لمّا راعَهُ التّلَفُ

ومَن تلافاهُ لمّا راعَهُ التّلَفُ

Lord of existence, pillar of kingship, its Yusuf,

Master of existence, pillar of the kingdom, his Joseph

and he who saved it when ruin terrified it.

And whoever came upon him when ruin befell him

طِيقانِيَ الغرُّ مهْما حلّ مظهرُها

طِيقانِيَ الغرُّ مهْما حلّ مظهرُها

لا قصْرَ إلا وبالتّقْصيرِ يعْترِفُ

لا قصْرَ إلا وبالتّقْصيرِ يعْترِفُ

My radiant arches—wherever their form is found—

However difficult circumstances become I endure them

no palace fails to admit that it falls short.

No palace except acknowledges its shortcomings

كأنّهُ البَدرُ من مغْنايَ هالَتُهُ

كأنّهُ البَدرُ من مغْنايَ هالَتُهُ

ولَفْظُهُ الدّرُّ موضوعي لهُ صدَفُ

ولَفْظُهُ الدّرُّ موضوعي لهُ صدَفُ

He is like the full moon, with my abode as its halo,

As if he is the full moon, his aura bewildered me

and his words are pearls, my setting their shell.

His words pearls, composed for him in a shell

قابلْتُ بحراً من الصّهْريجِ لجَّتُهُ

قابلْتُ بحراً من الصّهْريجِ لجَّتُهُ

كأنّها من ندَى كفّيهِ تغْترِفُ

كأنّها من ندَى كفّيهِ تغْترِفُ

I face a sea, the cistern its deep expanse,

I faced a sea of liquid topaz, its billows

as though it drew from the bounty of his two hands.

As if drawing from the dew of his palms

لا زال في غَبطةٍ موصولةٍ أبَداً

لا زال في غَبطةٍ موصولةٍ أبَداً

مُخلَّداً فيه حتى تُنشَرَ الصّحُفُ

مُخلَّداً فيه حتى تُنشَرَ الصّحُفُ

May he remain in unbroken bliss forever,

Remaining in endless felicity forever

made everlasting therein, until the scrolls are unfurled.

Immortalized in it until the scrolls are unfurled