واعمُرْ بقصرِ المُلْك ناديكَ الذي

واعمُرْ بقصرِ المُلْك ناديكَ الذي

أضحى بمجدك بيته معمورا

أضحى بمجدك بيته معمورا

And enliven your court in the royal palace, whose

And inhabit your royal palace, your court which

house now flourishes through your glory.

Has become populated through your glory,

قصرٌ لوَ انَّكَ قد كحلتَ بنوره

قصرٌ لوَ انَّكَ قد كحلتَ بنوره

أعمى لعادَ إلى المقام بصيرا

أعمى لعادَ إلى المقام بصيرا

A palace: had you applied its light as kohl

A palace which even if you adorned with its light

to a blind man, he would return to his place with sight.

A blind man, he would return seeing,

واشتقّ من معنى الحياة نسيمه

واشتقّ من معنى الحياة نسيمه

فيكادُ يُحْدِثُ للعظام نُشورا

فيكادُ يُحْدِثُ للعظام نُشورا

And its breeze is drawn from the very meaning of life,

And derive from the meaning of life its breeze

almost bringing resurrection to the bones.

Which almost revives bones back to life,

نُسيَ الصبيحُ مع المليح بذكره

نُسيَ الصبيحُ مع المليح بذكره

وسما ففاقَ خورنقاً وسديرا

وسما ففاقَ خورنقاً وسديرا

Al-Sabih and al-Malih are forgotten at its mention;

Morning forgot, with the beautiful, to mention it

and it rose high, surpassing Khawarnaq and Sudayr.

And soared, surpassing peaks and Sadir,

ولوَ اَنَّ بالألوان قوبلَ حسنُهُ

ولوَ اَنَّ بالألوان قوبلَ حسنُهُ

ما كان شيءٌ عنده مذكورا

ما كان شيءٌ عنده مذكورا

And if its beauty were compared with colors,

And if its beauty was faced with colors

nothing beside it would merit mention.

Nothing would be mentioned next to it,

أعيت مصانعه على الفُرْسِ الألى

أعيت مصانعه على الفُرْسِ الألى

رفعوا البناء وأحكموا التدبيرا

رفعوا البناء وأحكموا التدبيرا

Its structures baffled the Persians who

Its manufacturers failed, for the noble horses

raised buildings and perfected their planning.

They built and perfected management,

ومضَتْ على الرّومْ الدهورُ وما بنوْا

ومضَتْ على الرّومْ الدهورُ وما بنوْا

لملوكهم شَبَهاً له ونظيرا

لملوكهم شَبَهاً له ونظيرا

Ages passed over the Romans, yet they never built

And time passed on Rome, and they did not build

for their kings its like or its equal.

For their kings anything similar or comparable to it,

أذكرْتَنَا الفرْدوْس حينَ أرَيْتَنَا

أذكرْتَنَا الفرْدوْس حينَ أرَيْتَنَا

غُرَفاً رفعتَ بناءَها وقصورا

غُرَفاً رفعتَ بناءَها وقصورا

You reminded us of Paradise when you showed us

You reminded us of Paradise when we saw

chambers you built high, and palaces.

Chambers you built, erecting its structures,

فالمحسنون تَزَيّدوا أعمالهمْ

فالمحسنون تَزَيّدوا أعمالهمْ

وَرَجَوْا بذلك جَنّةً وحريرا

وَرَجَوْا بذلك جَنّةً وحريرا

So the virtuous increased their deeds,

So the benefactors increased their deeds

and hoped thereby for Paradise and silk.

And hoped through that for Paradise and silk,

والمذنبون هُدوا الصراطَ وَكفّرَتْ

والمذنبون هُدوا الصراطَ وَكفّرَتْ

حسناتُهُمْ لذنوبهم تكفيرا

حسناتُهُمْ لذنوبهم تكفيرا

And sinners were guided onto the path, and

And the sinners were guided to the path - and forgiven

their good deeds fully atoned for their sins.

Their sins by its good deeds abundantly,

فَلَكٌ من الأفلاكِ إلّا أنّهُ

فَلَكٌ من الأفلاكِ إلّا أنّهُ

حَقَرَ البدورَ فأطلعَ المنصورا

حَقَرَ البدورَ فأطلعَ المنصورا

A sphere among the celestial spheres, except that it

It is a planet, except it disdained

scorned the full moons and made al-Mansur rise.

The orbits, so the Mansour appeared,

أبصرتُهُ فرأيتُ أبدعَ منظرٍ

أبصرتُهُ فرأيتُ أبدعَ منظرٍ

ثم انثنيتُ بناظري محسورا

ثم انثنيتُ بناظري محسورا

I beheld it and saw the most wondrous sight;

I saw it and I saw the most amazing view

then turned away with my gaze exhausted.

Then I glanced away, dazzled,

وظننتُ أني حالمٌ في جَنّةٍ

وظننتُ أني حالمٌ في جَنّةٍ

لمّا رأيتُ الملكَ فيه كبيرا

لمّا رأيتُ الملكَ فيه كبيرا

And I thought I was dreaming in a garden of Paradise,

And I thought I was dreaming in a Paradise

when I saw the vast dominion within it.

When I saw the great king in it,

وإذا الولائدُ فَتّحَتْ أبوابَهُ

وإذا الولائدُ فَتّحَتْ أبوابَهُ

جَعَلَتْ ترحّبُ بالعُفاةِ صريرا

جَعَلَتْ ترحّبُ بالعُفاةِ صريرا

And when the maidservants throw its doors open,

And if its gates opened

the doors begin welcoming suppliants with a creak.

They would welcome guests with creaking,

عَضّتْ على حلقاتهنّ ضراغمٌ

عَضّتْ على حلقاتهنّ ضراغمٌ

فَغَرَتْ بها أفواهَها تكسيرا

فَغَرَتْ بها أفواهَها تكسيرا

Lions bit down upon their rings,

Biting on their rings, scabbards

their mouths gaping around them as though to crush them.

Opening their mouths with a crashing,

فكأنّها لَبَدَتْ لتهصرَ عندها

فكأنّها لَبَدَتْ لتهصرَ عندها

من لم يكنْ بدخوله مأمورا

من لم يكنْ بدخوله مأمورا

As though they crouched there to maul

As if they growled to deter

anyone whose entry had not been authorized.

Anyone not ordered to enter,

تجري الخواطرُ مطلقاتِ أعنةٍ

تجري الخواطرُ مطلقاتِ أعنةٍ

فيه فتكبو عن مداه قصورا

فيه فتكبو عن مداه قصورا

Thoughts run with their reins let loose

Thoughts flow, released,

through it, then stumble, falling short of its reach.

In it, thus exceeding its palaces,

بمرخَّم الساحاتِ تحسبُ أنّهُ

بمرخَّم الساحاتِ تحسبُ أنّهُ

فُرِشَ المَها وتَوَشّحَ الكافورا

فُرِشَ المَها وتَوَشّحَ الكافورا

With its marble-paved courtyards, you would think it

With its paved courtyards, you'd think

carpeted with crystal and mantled in camphor.

It was carpeted with silk and sprinkled with camphor,

ومحصَّبٍ بالدرّ تحسبُ تربَهُ

ومحصَّبٍ بالدرّ تحسبُ تربَهُ

مسكاً تَضَوّعَ نشره وعبيرا

مسكاً تَضَوّعَ نشره وعبيرا

And pebbled with pearls, you would think its soil

And supported by pearls you'd think its soil

musk exhaling its scent, and fragrant perfume.

Was musk whose fragrance spread and aroma wafted,

يستخلفُ الإصباحُ منه إذا انقضى

يستخلفُ الإصباحُ منه إذا انقضى

صبحاً على غَسَقِ الظلام منيرا

صبحاً على غَسَقِ الظلام منيرا

Dawn, when it departs, appoints from the palace a successor:

Morning derives from it, when it's over

a morning shining upon the blackness of night.

A morning illuminating the darkness of night,

وضراغمٌ سَكَنَتْ عرينَ رئاسةٍ

وضراغمٌ سَكَنَتْ عرينَ رئاسةٍ

تركتْ خريرَ الماء فيه زئيرا

تركتْ خريرَ الماء فيه زئيرا

And lions have settled in the lair of sovereignty,

And scabbards settled in the lair of leadership

turning the water's murmur there into a roar.

Leaving the murmur of water in it growling,

فكأنّما غَشّى النّضارُ جُسومَهَا

فكأنّما غَشّى النّضارُ جُسومَهَا

وأذابَ في أفواهِها البلّورا

وأذابَ في أفواهِها البلّورا

As though gold had covered their bodies

As if liveliness covered their bodies

and melted crystal within their mouths.

And melted in their mouths the crystal,

أُسْدٌ كأنّ سكونَها متحرّكٌ

أُسْدٌ كأنّ سكونَها متحرّكٌ

في النفس لو وجدتْ هناك مثيرا

في النفس لو وجدتْ هناك مثيرا

Lions whose stillness seems in motion

A lion, as if its stillness was moving

to the mind, could they find there something to rouse them.

In the soul if it found a motivator there,

وتذكّرَتْ فتكاتها فكأنّما

وتذكّرَتْ فتكاتها فكأنّما

أقعتْ على أدبارها لتثورا

أقعتْ على أدبارها لتثورا

And they recall their deadly assaults, as though

And it recalled its victories, as if

crouching on their haunches to spring.

It fell on its heels to revolt,

وتخالُها والشمسُ تجلو لونَها

وتخالُها والشمسُ تجلو لونَها

ناراً وألسُنَها اللواحسَ نورا

ناراً وألسُنَها اللواحسَ نورا

You would think them, as the sun reveals their color,

You imagine it and the sun revealing its color

fire, and their licking tongues light.

Fire and its tongues flames,

فكأنّما سُلّتْ سيوفُ جداولٍ

فكأنّما سُلّتْ سيوفُ جداولٍ

ذابتْ بلا نارٍ فَعُدْنَ غديرا

ذابتْ بلا نارٍ فَعُدْنَ غديرا

As though the swords of streams had been drawn,

As if the swords of streams melted

melted without fire, and become a pool.

Without fire, so they became a pond,

وكأنما نسج النسيم لمائه

وكأنما نسج النسيم لمائه

درعاً فقدر سردها تقديرا

درعاً فقدر سردها تقديرا

And as though the breeze had woven for its water

And as if the breeze wove its water

a coat of mail, gauging its links precisely.

A coat, measuring to detail its shearing,

وبديعةِ الثّمَرَاتِ تعبُرُ نحوها

وبديعةِ الثّمَرَاتِ تعبُرُ نحوها

عينايَ بحرَ عجائبٍ مسجورا

عينايَ بحرَ عجائبٍ مسجورا

And toward a marvel of fruit there pass

And the amazing fruits pass towards it -

my eyes, across a sea brimming with wonders:

My eyes see a boiling sea of wonders,

شجريةٍ ذهبيةٍ نزعتْ إلى

شجريةٍ ذهبيةٍ نزعتْ إلى

سحر يؤثّر في النهى تأثيرا

سحر يؤثّر في النهى تأثيرا

a golden tree, aspiring to

A golden tree, it pulled towards

magic that exerts its influence upon the mind.

Magic influencing the forbidden alluringly,

قد صَوْلَجَتْ أغصانَها فكأنّما

قد صَوْلَجَتْ أغصانَها فكأنّما

قَنَصَتْ لهنّ من الفضاء طيورا

قَنَصَتْ لهنّ من الفضاء طيورا

It has curved its branches like polo-sticks, as though

Its branches seemed to have hunted

it had caught birds from the open sky for them.

Birds for them from the sky's expanse,

وكأنّما تأبى لواقع طيرها

وكأنّما تأبى لواقع طيرها

أن تستقلّ بنهضها وتطيرا

أن تستقلّ بنهضها وتطيرا

And as though it would not permit its perched birds

And as if, defying the landing of its birds

to lift themselves up and fly.

Insisting on straightening up and flying,

من كلّ واقعةٍ ترَى منقارها

من كلّ واقعةٍ ترَى منقارها

ماءً كسلسال اللجين نميرا

ماءً كسلسال اللجين نميرا

From every perched bird, you see its beak

From every scene you see its beak

pour pure, sweet water like flowing silver.

Water like pouring smooth pearls,

خُرْسٌ تُعدّ من الفصَاح فإن شدَتْ

خُرْسٌ تُعدّ من الفصَاح فإن شدَتْ

جعلتْ تغرّدُ بالمياه صفيرا

جعلتْ تغرّدُ بالمياه صفيرا

Mute, yet counted among the eloquent; when they sing,

Mutes that count eloquence - if they chirp

they warble with water in a whistling song.

They make the water warble with tweeting,

وكأنّما في كلّ غصنٍ فضةٌ

وكأنّما في كلّ غصنٍ فضةٌ

لانتْ فأُرسِلَ خيطها مجرورا

لانتْ فأُرسِلَ خيطها مجرورا

And as though in each branch there were silver

And as if each branch was silver

softened, its thread let loose and trailing.

Which melted, sending its threads trailing,

وتريكَ في الصّهريج موقعَ قَطْرِهَا

وتريكَ في الصّهريج موقعَ قَطْرِهَا

فوْقَ الزّبَرْجَدِ لؤلؤاً منثورا

فوْقَ الزّبَرْجَدِ لؤلؤاً منثورا

And it shows you where its drops fall in the cistern:

You see in the pond where its drops fall

scattered pearls upon chrysolite.

Above the turquoise scattered pearls,

ضحكتْ محاسنُهُ إليك كأنّما

ضحكتْ محاسنُهُ إليك كأنّما

جُعلتْ لها زُهرُ النجوم ثغورا

جُعلتْ لها زُهرُ النجوم ثغورا

Its beauties smile upon you, as though

Its beautiful features smiled at you as if

the radiant stars had been made their mouths.

The blossoms of stars were made their mouths,

ومصَفَّحِ الأبوابِ تبراً نَظّروا

ومصَفَّحِ الأبوابِ تبراً نَظّروا

بالنقش بين شكوله تنظيرا

بالنقش بين شكوله تنظيرا

And its doors are plated with gold; they matched

And the studded doors, the soil glanced

their patterns to one another through engraving.

At the carvings amid its corners attentively,

تبدو مساميرُ النضارِ كما عَلَت

تبدو مساميرُ النضارِ كما عَلَت

فلك النهود من الحسان صدورا

فلك النهود من الحسان صدورا

The golden studs show, just as there rise

The nails of its decor seem to have risen

rounded breasts upon beautiful women's chests.

Above the celestial orbit of beauty chests,

خَلَعَتْ عليه غلائلاً ورسيَّةً

خَلَعَتْ عليه غلائلاً ورسيَّةً

شمسٌ تردّ الطرفَ عنه حسيرا

شمسٌ تردّ الطرفَ عنه حسيرا

Yellow-dyed robes are bestowed upon it

It bestowed on it necklaces and bracelets -

by a sun that sends the gaze back exhausted.

A sun whose glance turns away from it dazzled,

وإذا نَظَرْتَ إلى غرائبِ سَقفهِ

وإذا نَظَرْتَ إلى غرائبِ سَقفهِ

أبصرتَ روضاً في السماء نضيرا

أبصرتَ روضاً في السماء نضيرا

And when you look at the wonders of its ceiling,

And when you look at the wonders of its ceiling

you see a lush garden in the sky.

You see a garden in the sky as its peer,

وعجبتَ من خطّافِ عسجده الّتي

وعجبتَ من خطّافِ عسجده الّتي

حامتْ لتبني في ذراه وكورا

حامتْ لتبني في ذراه وكورا

And you marvel at its swallows of gold, which

And you wonder at the arcs of its courtyard which

circled to build nests upon its heights.

Flew to build peaks into its radius,

وضعتْ به صنّاعُهُ أقلامَها

وضعتْ به صنّاعُهُ أقلامَها

فأرَتْكَ كلّ طريدةٍ تصويرا

فأرَتْكَ كلّ طريدةٍ تصويرا

Its craftsmen laid their pens upon it

With it, its makers placed their pens

and showed you every game animal in painted form.

Thus showing you every detailed painting,

وكأنّما للشمس فيه ليقةٌ

وكأنّما للشمس فيه ليقةٌ

مَشَقوا بها التّزْويقَ والتشجيرا

مَشَقوا بها التّزْويقَ والتشجيرا

And as though the sun had an ink-soaked wad within it,

And as if the sun has in it a veil

with which they painted ornament and tree designs.

With which they adorned, beautifying and decorating,

وكَأنّما للأزَوَرْد مُخَرِّمٌ

وكَأنّما للأزَوَرْد مُخَرِّمٌ

بالخطّ في وَرَقِ السماءِ سطورا

بالخطّ في وَرَقِ السماءِ سطورا

And as though lapis lazuli had an engraver

And as if for turquoise a lined paper

inscribing lines upon the pages of the sky.

With lines written in the sky's leaves,

وكأنّما وَشّوْا عَلَيه ملاءَةً

وكأنّما وَشّوْا عَلَيه ملاءَةً

تركوا مكان وشاحِها مقصورا

تركوا مكان وشاحِها مقصورا

And as though they embroidered a mantle upon it,

And as if they clad it with a garment

leaving the space for its sash reserved.

Leaving a place for its train confined,

يا مالكَ الأرض الّذي أضحى له

يا مالكَ الأرض الّذي أضحى له

مَلِكُ السماءِ على العداة نصيرا

مَلِكُ السماءِ على العداة نصيرا

O lord of the earth, for whom

O owner of the earth who has become

the King of Heaven has become a helper against foes:

The king of the sky as a supporter against enemies,

كم من قصورٍ للملوك تَقَدّمَتْ

كم من قصورٍ للملوك تَقَدّمَتْ

واستوْجَبَتْ لقصورك التّأخيرا

واستوْجَبَتْ لقصورك التّأخيرا

How many palaces of kings came before,

How many palaces for kings preceded

yet deserved to fall behind your palaces!

And your palaces deemed them delayed,

فعمرتها وَملَكتَ كلّ رئاسةٍ

فعمرتها وَملَكتَ كلّ رئاسةٍ

منها ودمّرْتَ العدا تدميرا

منها ودمّرْتَ العدا تدميرا

So you built them and gained all preeminence

You built them and you owned every leadership

from them, and utterly destroyed your foes.

From them and destroyed enemies entirely,