شَبيهُكَ يا مَولايَ قَد حانَ أَن يَبدو

شَبيهُكَ يا مَولايَ قَد حانَ أَن يَبدو

فَهَل لَكَ أَن تَغدو وَفي الحُزنِ أَن تَغدو

فَهَل لَكَ أَن تَغدو وَفي الحُزنِ أَن تَغدو

The time has come, my lord, for your likeness to appear.

Your likeness, o my master, it is time for it to appear

Will you go forth—and in sorrow go forth—

So would you come at dawn, though in grief you appear

عَلى قَهوَةٍ مِسكِيَّةٍ بابِلِيَّةٍ

عَلى قَهوَةٍ مِسكِيَّةٍ بابِلِيَّةٍ

لَها في أَعالي الكَأسِ مِن مَزجِها عِقدُ

لَها في أَعالي الكَأسِ مِن مَزجِها عِقدُ

To a musk-scented Babylonian wine,

Over Babylonian coffee, musky

Whose blending forms a necklace at the cup's brim?

In the top of the cup, intertwined

فَقَد أَزعَجَ الناقوسُ مَن كانَ وادِعاً

فَقَد أَزعَجَ الناقوسُ مَن كانَ وادِعاً

وَأَهدى إِلَينا طيبَ أَنفاسِها الوَردُ

وَأَهدى إِلَينا طيبَ أَنفاسِها الوَردُ

For the bell has roused those who were at rest,

For the bell has disturbed whoever was calm

And the rose has offered us the fragrance of its breath.

And the roses breathed their sweet fragrance to us

وَهَذي بَزوغى وَالغُروبُ وَطائِرٌ

وَهَذي بَزوغى وَالغُروبُ وَطائِرٌ

عَلى الغُصنِ لا يَدري أَيندُبُ أَم يَشدو

عَلى الغُصنِ لا يَدري أَيندُبُ أَم يَشدو

And here is Bazugha, and sunset, and a bird

And this is my dawn, and the sunset, and a bird

On the branch, unsure whether to lament or sing.

On the branch, not knowing whether to chirp or sing

فَقامَ وَفَضلاتُ الكَرى في جُفونِهِ

فَقامَ وَفَضلاتُ الكَرى في جُفونِهِ

وَفي بُردِهِ غُصنٌ يَتيهُ بِهِ البُردُ

وَفي بُردِهِ غُصنٌ يَتيهُ بِهِ البُردُ

Then he rose, with remnants of sleep in his eyelids,

So he got up, and the remains of worries in his eyelids

And in his cloak, a branch in which the cloak took pride.

And in his chill, a branch where the chill wanders

فَناوَلتُهُ كأساً فَأَسرَعَ شُربَها

فَناوَلتُهُ كأساً فَأَسرَعَ شُربَها

وَلَم يَكُ لي مِن أَن أُساعِدَهُ بُدُّ

وَلَم يَكُ لي مِن أَن أُساعِدَهُ بُدُّ

I handed him a cup, and he swiftly drank it,

So I handed him a cup and he hurried to drink it

And I had no choice but to join him.

And I had no choice but to help him

فَغَنّى وَقَد غابَت سَماديرُ سُكرِهِ

فَغَنّى وَقَد غابَت سَماديرُ سُكرِهِ

أَلا مَن لِصَبٍّ قَد تَحَيَّفَهُ الوَجدُ

أَلا مَن لِصَبٍّ قَد تَحَيَّفَهُ الوَجدُ

Then he sang, the haze of his drunkenness now gone:

So he sang, and the curtains of his drunkenness disappeared

Ah, who will help a lovesick man whom longing has worn away?

Oh, who can help a youth who is possessed by ecstasy?

سَقى اللَهُ أَيّامي بِرَحبَةِ هاشِمٍ

سَقى اللَهُ أَيّامي بِرَحبَةِ هاشِمٍ

إِلى دارِ شِرشيرٍ وَإِن قَدُمَ العَهدُ

إِلى دارِ شِرشيرٍ وَإِن قَدُمَ العَهدُ

May God water my days in Hashim's square,

May God water my days with the breadth of Hashim

As far as Shirshir's house, though that time is long past.

To the house of tinkling, though the time is old

فَقَصرُ اِبنِ حَمدونٍ إِلى الشارِعِ الَّذي

فَقَصرُ اِبنِ حَمدونٍ إِلى الشارِعِ الَّذي

غَنينا بِهِ وَالعَيشُ مُقتَبِلٌ رَغدُ

غَنينا بِهِ وَالعَيشُ مُقتَبِلٌ رَغدُ

And Ibn Hamdun's palace, down to the street where

For the palace of Ibn Hamdoun to the street

We dwelt, when life was young and easy—

Where we sang and life looks prosperous

مَنازِلُ كانَت بِالمِلاحِ أَنيسَةً

مَنازِلُ كانَت بِالمِلاحِ أَنيسَةً

فَأَضحَت وَما فيهِنَّ دَعدٌ وَلا هِندُ

فَأَضحَت وَما فيهِنَّ دَعدٌ وَلا هِندُ

Dwellings once enlivened by beauties,

Houses that were cozy with sailors

Now stand with neither Da'd nor Hind within them.

Have become desolate, with no intimacy or love

فَسُبحانَ مَن أَضحى الجَميعُ بِأَمرِهِ

فَسُبحانَ مَن أَضحى الجَميعُ بِأَمرِهِ

وَتَقديرِهِ أَيدي سَبا وَلَه الحَمدُ

وَتَقديرِهِ أَيدي سَبا وَلَه الحَمدُ

Glory be to Him, by whose command all have become—

So glory to Him who made everything by His command

And by whose decree—scattered like the people of Saba; to Him belongs praise.

And predestination, the hands of Sabah, and to Him be praise