لم يَدرِ أنّ ملامَه أَغراكا

لم يَدرِ أنّ ملامَه أَغراكا

إذ لجَّ في بُهتانه وَنَهاكا

إذ لجَّ في بُهتانه وَنَهاكا

He did not know that his reproach had spurred you on,

He knew not that blaming you made him fall,

when he persisted in his slander and forbade you.

When he plunged into false accusations against you.

يا حبّذا عَذلُ العذولِ لو انه

يا حبّذا عَذلُ العذولِ لو انه

داواكَ من أَلم الهوى فَشَفاكا

داواكَ من أَلم الهوى فَشَفاكا

How welcome the censurer's reproach would be, if it

If only blame would heal me

treated you for the pain of love and healed you!

And cure the pain of love that afflicts me.

قِف بِالدِيار وحيِّ رَبعاً دارِساً

قِف بِالدِيار وحيِّ رَبعاً دارِساً

لو يَستَطيع إجابَةً حيّاكا

لو يَستَطيع إجابَةً حيّاكا

Stand at the dwellings and greet a ruined homestead;

Stand at the abode and roam around it,

if it could answer, it would greet you.

If it could respond and greet you.

وَاِنثُر دموعَك في ثَراه صبابَةً

وَاِنثُر دموعَك في ثَراه صبابَةً

علَّ البكاءَ يُزيلُ بعضَ جواكا

علَّ البكاءَ يُزيلُ بعضَ جواكا

And scatter your tears upon its soil out of longing,

And shed your tears generously upon its soil,

perhaps weeping will ease some of your burning grief.

Perhaps weeping will relieve some of your agony.

وَاِنشُد فُؤادا ضلَّ في عَرَصاتهِ

وَاِنشُد فُؤادا ضلَّ في عَرَصاتهِ

إن كانَ يَرضى عن ذَراهُ فكاكا

إن كانَ يَرضى عن ذَراهُ فكاكا

And seek a heart that strayed within its courtyards,

And call out to a heart that strayed in its meadows,

if it will accept release from its shelter.

If it would accept its scattered remains as ransom.

أَتُرى تَنال من البَخيلَة نَظرَة

أَتُرى تَنال من البَخيلَة نَظرَة

تَأسو جراحَك أَو وَتَبُلّ صداكا

تَأسو جراحَك أَو وَتَبُلّ صداكا

Do you think you will gain a glance from the grudging one

Will you get an affectionate glance from the one who's stingy,

that heals your wounds or quenches your thirst?

That would heal your wounds or sweeten your echo?

كَم ذا تَحِنَّ لها وَحظُّك عندها

كَم ذا تَحِنَّ لها وَحظُّك عندها

دلٌّ يُقابِل بِالمِطال هَواكا

دلٌّ يُقابِل بِالمِطال هَواكا

How long will you yearn for her, when your lot with her is

How much do you yearn for her while your share with her

coquetry that meets your love with delay?

Is but evidence that meets your passion with rejection?

مَهلاً أَبا العَباس في طلبِ العُلا

مَهلاً أَبا العَباس في طلبِ العُلا

وَاِستَبِق منها فَضلةً لِسواكا

وَاِستَبِق منها فَضلةً لِسواكا

Go gently, Abu al-Abbas, in pursuit of lofty rank,

Wait, O Abu Al-Abbas, in seeking exaltation,

and reserve some of it for others besides you.

And precede her in giving away your provisions.

هَل في السماءِ فَضيلَةٌ لم تَحوِها

هَل في السماءِ فَضيلَةٌ لم تَحوِها

تَبغى لأَجل منالِها الأَفلاكا

تَبغى لأَجل منالِها الأَفلاكا

Is there a virtue in heaven you have not acquired,

Is there any virtue in the heavens she does not possess,

for whose attainment you seek the celestial spheres?

That you seek to attain like the planets?

لِلَّه ما أَهدى يَمينَك لِلنَدى

لِلَّه ما أَهدى يَمينَك لِلنَدى

وَأخفَّ في طُرُقِ الفخار خُطاكا

وَأخفَّ في طُرُقِ الفخار خُطاكا

By God, how well your right hand finds the way to generosity,

God guide your right hand away from dew,

and how light your footsteps on the paths of glory!

And lighten your steps upon the roads of glory.

أَرضَيتَ رَبَّكَ وَاِعتَصَمتَ بِأَمرِه

أَرضَيتَ رَبَّكَ وَاِعتَصَمتَ بِأَمرِه

وَتَبِعت هدي نَبيِّه فَهَداكا

وَتَبِعت هدي نَبيِّه فَهَداكا

You pleased your Lord and held fast to his command,

You made your Lord pleased and held firm to His command,

and followed his Prophet's guidance, so he guided you.

And followed the guidance of His Prophet, so He guided you.

وَقَسَمت همَّك ين رَعيِ عهودهِ

وَقَسَمت همَّك ين رَعيِ عهودهِ

وَرعايةِ المَلكِ الذي اِستَرعاكا

وَرعايةِ المَلكِ الذي اِستَرعاكا

And you divided your concern between keeping his covenants

You divided your concerns between keeping His covenants

and caring for the king who entrusted you with stewardship.

And serving the King who made you His own.

وَسَنَنت في بَذل النَوال بدائِعا

وَسَنَنت في بَذل النَوال بدائِعا

حتى اجتَنَينا العَدلَ من جَدواكا

حتى اجتَنَينا العَدلَ من جَدواكا

And you set wondrous precedents in bestowing bounty,

You exemplified generosity until we picked

until we reaped justice from your beneficence.

The fruits of justice from your palms.

وَظَلِلتَ في أَعداءِ مجدِك فاتكاً

وَظَلِلتَ في أَعداءِ مجدِك فاتكاً

حتّى عدَدنا الظُلمَ من قَتلاكا

حتّى عدَدنا الظُلمَ من قَتلاكا

And you kept striking down the enemies of your glory,

You shaded your enemies with your towering glory

until we counted injustice among your slain.

Until we counted oppression among your killings.

بُشراك بِالعيد الكَبيرِ فإنَّه

بُشراك بِالعيد الكَبيرِ فإنَّه

وافى وَغايةُ قَصدِه بُشراكا

وافى وَغايةُ قَصدِه بُشراكا

Glad tidings to you of the Great Feast, for it

I give you glad tidings of the Great Feast, for it

has arrived, and its ultimate purpose is to bring you glad tidings.

Has arrived, and its goal is to bring you joy.

وَاِهنَأ بمقَمهِ السَعيدِ فقد أَتى

وَاِهنَأ بمقَمهِ السَعيدِ فقد أَتى

وَالشَوقُ يَجذِبُه إلى لُقياكا

وَالشَوقُ يَجذِبُه إلى لُقياكا

And rejoice at its happy arrival, for it has come,

And congratulate me upon my blessed dwelling, for it has come,

while longing draws it to meet you.

While yearning pulls it towards meeting you.

وَاِبلُغ بجدِّك ما تُريد نَوالَه

وَاِبلُغ بجدِّك ما تُريد نَوالَه

فَمُنى البَرِيَّة أن تَنال مُناكا

فَمُنى البَرِيَّة أن تَنال مُناكا

And attain, through your diligence, what you wish to gain,

And take your generosity to the extent you desire its gifts,

for humankind hopes you will attain your wishes.

For the desert wishes that you attain your wishes.

وَاِسعَد فَقد قالَ الزَمان مُؤرِّخا

وَاِسعَد فَقد قالَ الزَمان مُؤرِّخا

قد تاهَ يا تَوفيقُ عيدُ فِداكا

قد تاهَ يا تَوفيقُ عيدُ فِداكا

And rejoice, for Time has said, marking the date:

Rejoice, for time has recorded, saying,

The Feast has grown proud, O Tawfiq—may it be your ransom!

Alas! O Tawfiq, your feast of sacrifice has been lost.