عينٌ بها من دَمعهِا كُحلُ

عينٌ بها من دَمعهِا كُحلُ

يَكفَحُها عن نومِها شُغلُ

يَكفَحُها عن نومِها شُغلُ

An eye whose tears serve as its kohl;

Her eye, with the kohl of its tears,

Care keeps it from its sleep.

Is kept awake by endless cares,

أنِسَت مآقيها بعبرتِها

أنِسَت مآقيها بعبرتِها

فكأنَّ عبرتها لها شكلُ

فكأنَّ عبرتها لها شكلُ

Its inner corners have grown familiar with its tears,

Its sorrows made lovely through weeping,

As though its tears were a kindred companion to it.

As if its tears were beauty's wares.

تبكي على قلبٍ أضرَّ بهِ

تبكي على قلبٍ أضرَّ بهِ

طولُ الهوى وبيانُهُ الوَصلُ

طولُ الهوى وبيانُهُ الوَصلُ

It weeps over a heart harmed by

It weeps for a heart hurt with yearning

Love's long duration—and union is its manifestation—

Prolonged, and the meeting it forswears.

مستشعرٍ حرقاً مخيّمةً

مستشعرٍ حرقاً مخيّمةً

بين الضلوعِ كأنها النبلُ

بين الضلوعِ كأنها النبلُ

Inwardly feeling burning pangs encamped

Scorched by a fire smouldering, lurking,

Between the ribs, as though they were arrows;

Between the ribs, like burning coals.

حيرانَ من شوقٍ الي رشأ

حيرانَ من شوقٍ الي رشأ

يحظى به الإخلاف والمطلُ

يحظى به الإخلاف والمطلُ

Bewildered by longing for a gazelle-fawn,

Bewildered by longing for a fawn

With whom broken promises and delay find favor.

Won by betrayal and distance and loss.

ملكَ القلوبَ بطرفِ ساحرةٍ

ملكَ القلوبَ بطرفِ ساحرةٍ

حوراءَ صنعةُ لحظِها الخَبلُ

حوراءَ صنعةُ لحظِها الخَبلُ

He captured hearts with an enchantress's gaze,

It captured hearts with a glance that enchants,

Dark-eyed, whose glance fashions madness.

A lovely houri, her look makes men thrall.

يرنو بها قمرٌ تضمَّنهُ

يرنو بها قمرٌ تضمَّنهُ

غصنٌ ينوءُ ببعدهِ القَتلُ

غصنٌ ينوءُ ببعدهِ القَتلُ

Through it a moon gazes, held within

The moon, smitten, looks on as she passes,

A branch beneath whose remoteness killing staggers.

A branch bowed down, as if shocked by a fall.

لَيست لِموجَعِ مغرمٍ دَنِفٍ

لَيست لِموجَعِ مغرمٍ دَنِفٍ

ما إِن يملُّ هوىً ولا يَسلو

ما إِن يملُّ هوىً ولا يَسلو

It is not for an anguished, lovesick, ailing man,

No cure avails the love-maddened lover

Who never tires of love, nor forgets it.

If passion is sated or weary or faint.

أكرمتَني وبسطتَ لي أملاً

أكرمتَني وبسطتَ لي أملاً

لم ينأ عنه نوالكَ الجَزلُ

لم ينأ عنه نوالكَ الجَزلُ

You honored me and held out hope to me;

You honoured me, gave me high hopes now fulfilled,

Your lavish bounty was never far from it.

Your bounty has never been scant or stint.

وبررتني عن غيرِ معرفةٍ

وبررتني عن غيرِ معرفةٍ

سَلفت ومثلكَ للندَى أهلُ

سَلفت ومثلكَ للندَى أهلُ

And you were kind to me without an acquaintance

You favoured me, though we were strangers,

That had gone before; one like you is worthy of generosity.

Cloudburst, and worthy of dew's beneficence.

يَجري الجوادُ لجودِ أوَّلهِ

يَجري الجوادُ لجودِ أوَّلهِ

والفَرعُ ليسَ يخونهُ الأصلُ

والفَرعُ ليسَ يخونهُ الأصلُ

The noble steed runs through its forebear's excellence,

The steed gallops on thanks to its sire,

And the branch is not betrayed by the root.

The branch is as noble as that of the roots.

لي في قريشٍ نبعةٌ فرعَت

لي في قريشٍ نبعةٌ فرعَت

جبلاً ومغرسُ عودِها سَهلُ

جبلاً ومغرسُ عودِها سَهلُ

I have in Quraysh a nabʿ tree that has overtopped

In Quraish I have a fresh spring arising,

A mountain, while its stem is planted in level ground.

A hill is its source, though it sprouts on the flat.

يا مَن تليقُ المكرمات بهِ

يا مَن تليقُ المكرمات بهِ

وعليهِ يثني القولُ والفِعلُ

وعليهِ يثني القولُ والفِعلُ

O you whom noble deeds befit,

O he who deserves every honour and favour,

And whom both word and deed praise,

Of word and deed the most lavish recipient!

ومن السماحِ عقيدُ راحتهِ

ومن السماحِ عقيدُ راحتهِ

وإلى يديهِ ينسبُ البذلُ

وإلى يديهِ ينسبُ البذلُ

And whose palm has generosity as its sworn companion,

Bounty's his way, generosity his creed,

And to whose hands giving is ascribed;

To his hands returns all bounty spent.

وابنُ الكرامِ الأكرمينَ بنا

وابنُ الكرامِ الأكرمينَ بنا

وسميُّ من خُتِمَت به الرسلُ

وسميُّ من خُتِمَت به الرسلُ

And son of noble men most generous to us,

Son of the noblest sires of glory,

And namesake of him with whom the messengers were sealed.

Last heir of prophets and apostles saint!

ما ماتَ من أصبحت وارثَهُ

ما ماتَ من أصبحت وارثَهُ

أهلُ الندى يُحييهمُ النَّسلُ

أهلُ الندى يُحييهمُ النَّسلُ

One whose heir you have become has not died;

No man is dead whom heirs like you follow,

The generous are kept alive by their descendants.

The noble keep alive their line descent.

أحييتَ موسَى وَالذينَ بِهم

أحييتَ موسَى وَالذينَ بِهم

نيلَ النوالُ وأدركَ الذَّحلُ

نيلَ النوالُ وأدركَ الذَّحلُ

You revived Musa and those through whom

You brought Moses and his people to life,

Bounty was obtained and vengeance attained:

Won through them blessings and favours galore.

آباءُ صدقٍ لم يكن لهُم

آباءُ صدقٍ لم يكن لهُم

مثلٌ وما لكَ في الوَرى مِثلُ

مثلٌ وما لكَ في الوَرى مِثلُ

Forefathers of true worth who had no

True ancestors, matchless, unequalled,

Equal—and you have no equal among humankind.

And none can compare with you evermore!

فعمرت تَخلفهم كما عَمروا

فعمرت تَخلفهم كما عَمروا

أبداً وجدكَ بعدهم يَعلو

أبداً وجدكَ بعدهم يَعلو

So may you live long, succeeding them as they lived,

You made their legacy live for all time,

Forever, and may your fortune rise after them.

They lived their days, but you live on and soar!