ألا مرحبا يا من ألم فراعا

ألا مرحبا يا من ألم فراعا

بغرته نفسا عليه شعاعا

بغرته نفسا عليه شعاعا

Ah, welcome, you who came and awed

O welcome, O you who brought joy

With your radiant brow a soul scattered in longing for you.

With your radiance to a soul longing for you

لقد جددت عهد الصبا لى خريدة

لقد جددت عهد الصبا لى خريدة

أتتنى فكانت للسرور جماعا

أتتنى فكانت للسرور جماعا

A fair maiden has indeed renewed for me the days of youth;

You have renewed the pact of youth for me newly

She came to me and became the sum of all joy.

You came to me and brought abundant joy

وكنت ثنيت العزم عن معهد اله

وكنت ثنيت العزم عن معهد اله

وى وان كنت عند الغانيات مطاعا

وى وان كنت عند الغانيات مطاعا

And I had turned my resolve away from the haunts of

And I had bent my will from the abode of passion

Love, though I was obeyed among fair women.

Though I was obeyed among the lovely ladies

فلما بدا لى طالع السعد بالتى

فلما بدا لى طالع السعد بالتى

حبيت بها عاد النزوع نزاعا

حبيت بها عاد النزوع نزاعا

So when the star of good fortune appeared to me through her

But when the auspicious star shone for me with her

Who was bestowed upon me, longing returned, tugging fiercely.

Whom I loved, the inclination returned insistently

ولم لا أكن فيها خليعا وانها

ولم لا أكن فيها خليعا وانها

هدية من فى المجد أطول باعا

هدية من فى المجد أطول باعا

And why should I not cast off restraint for her, when she is

Why should I not be devoted to her, though she

A gift from one whose reach in glory extends farthest?

Is a gift from one most glorious and of vast renown

أجل نعم ما قد زارنى من مهذب

أجل نعم ما قد زارنى من مهذب

فتى ذكره فى الأرض عم وشاعا

فتى ذكره فى الأرض عم وشاعا

Yes, how splendid is what has visited me from a cultivated

Yes indeed, the polite youth who visited me

Youth whose renown has spread throughout the earth, far and wide.

Whose mention on earth remains and spreads

ألا يا ابن ودى ان درا نظمته

ألا يا ابن ودى ان درا نظمته

تأرج سمط الشعر منه فضاعا

تأرج سمط الشعر منه فضاعا

Ah, son of my affection, truly the pearls you strung

O son of my love, if I compose a poem about him

Made the necklace of verse fragrant, and its scent spread.

The poetry will spread its aroma and be lost

فمن للغوانى أن يقلدن مثله

فمن للغوانى أن يقلدن مثله

وهيهات در القول ليس مباعا

وهيهات در القول ليس مباعا

Who, then, can give fair women its like to wear as a necklace?

For how can singers emulate the likes of him

Yet that is far beyond reach: the pearls of speech are not for sale.

Alas, none can equal his words in song

ملكت به منى القياد واننى

ملكت به منى القياد واننى

لاجدر من لبى المحب وطاعا

لاجدر من لبى المحب وطاعا

With it you have taken hold of my reins, and I

I am enthralled by him and indeed

Am surely the worthiest of those who heed a loving friend and obey.

I am most deserving of the lover's devotion

ومازلت حفاظا لمحض ودادكم

ومازلت حفاظا لمحض ودادكم

ولما يكن منى الوداد خداعا

ولما يكن منى الوداد خداعا

And I have always guarded your pure affection,

I still keep safeguarding your pure affection

Nor has my affection ever been deceit.

And my affection was never false

لك الله يا من قد حبانى بغادة

لك الله يا من قد حبانى بغادة

عليها كمال الحسن صار قناعا

عليها كمال الحسن صار قناعا

God bless you, you who have favored me with a graceful maiden,

May God favor you, O you who granted me a love

Upon whom beauty's perfection has become a veil.

On which the perfection of beauty became a veil

لك الله قد أوليتنى منك نعمة

لك الله قد أوليتنى منك نعمة

لها قل جهدى فى جزاك وضاعا

لها قل جهدى فى جزاك وضاعا

God bless you! You have bestowed your favor upon me,

May God favor you, for you have bestowed on me a blessing

For which my effort to repay you falls short and comes to nothing.

For which my effort to reward you was lost

فشرفت قدرى اذ عفا الدهر رسمه

فشرفت قدرى اذ عفا الدهر رسمه

ونوهت باسمى حين كان مضاعا

ونوهت باسمى حين كان مضاعا

So you exalted my standing when time had erased its trace,

You have ennobled my worth, when time effaced its law

And celebrated my name when it lay neglected.

And glorified my name when it was disgraced

وأوجدت ذكرى بعدما كان عادما

وأوجدت ذكرى بعدما كان عادما

وأسكنته بعد الوهاد تلاعا

وأسكنته بعد الوهاد تلاعا

And brought my renown into being after it had been absent,

You gave me remembrance after I had none

And lodged it on the heights after the lowlands.

And settled me after being unsettled

إلى الله أشكو ضعف عجزى عن الجزا

إلى الله أشكو ضعف عجزى عن الجزا

وهيهات لو بعت الحياة بياعا

وهيهات لو بعت الحياة بياعا

To God I lament my weakness—my inability to repay,

To God I complain of the weakness of my inability to repay

And that is far beyond reach, even were I to sell my life outright.

Alas, even if I sold my life it would not suffice

ولكن علمى أننى عنه عاجز

ولكن علمى أننى عنه عاجز

شفيعى لديكم والضعيف يراعى

شفيعى لديكم والضعيف يراعى

But my knowledge that I am incapable of it

But I know that I cannot requite you

Is my intercessor with you, and the weak are shown consideration.

So my intercession with you - and the weak are considered

فهاك مقالا من محب ملكته

فهاك مقالا من محب ملكته

وألبسته منك الثناء قناعا

وألبسته منك الثناء قناعا

So take these words from a loving friend whom you have made your own,

And whom you clothed with your praise as a veil

And clothed in your praise as a veil.

With greetings of peace, O companion of the heart after

ودم سالما يا مؤنس القلب بعدما

ودم سالما يا مؤنس القلب بعدما

غدا موحشا فى ذا الزمان مراعا

غدا موحشا فى ذا الزمان مراعا

And remain well, O comforter of the heart, after it

It became desolate in this time of pasturage

Had grown desolate and frightened in this age.