أَعادَكَ مِن ذِكرِ الأَحِبَّةِ عائِدُ

أَعادَكَ مِن ذِكرِ الأَحِبَّةِ عائِدُ

أَجَل وَاِستَخَفَّتك الرُسومُ البَوائِدُ

أَجَل وَاِستَخَفَّتك الرُسومُ البَوائِدُ

Has a recurring sorrow visited you at the memory of loved ones?

The memory of loved ones makes you weep again

Yes, and the faded traces have unsettled you.

Though time had made you forget those tears in vain

تَذَكَّرتَ مَن تَهوى فَأَبكاكَ ذِكرُهُ

تَذَكَّرتَ مَن تَهوى فَأَبكاكَ ذِكرُهُ

فَلا الذِكرُ مَنسِيٌّ وَلا الدَمعُ جامِدُ

فَلا الذِكرُ مَنسِيٌّ وَلا الدَمعُ جامِدُ

You remembered the one you love, and his memory made you weep;

You remembered whom you love, and the thought made you cry

So the memory is not forgotten, nor are the tears stilled.

Neither the memory forgotten, nor are the tears dry

تَحِنُّ وَيَأبى أَن يُساعِدَكَ الهَوى

تَحِنُّ وَيَأبى أَن يُساعِدَكَ الهَوى

وَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن هَوىً لا يُساعِدُ

وَلَلمَوتُ خَيرٌ مِن هَوىً لا يُساعِدُ

You yearn, yet love refuses to come to your aid;

You yearn, but love won’t help though you implore

And death is surely better than a love that offers no aid.

For death is better than a love that helps no more

أَلا طالَما أَنهَبتَ دَمعَكَ طائِعاً

أَلا طالَما أَنهَبتَ دَمعَكَ طائِعاً

وَجارَت عَلَيكَ الآنِساتُ النَواهِدُ

وَجارَت عَلَيكَ الآنِساتُ النَواهِدُ

Ah, how often you have willingly let your tears be plundered,

Too long has love made you shed tears willingly

And the companionable, budding-breasted maidens have wronged you.

While the fair ladies leave you, those feathers bright

تُذَكِّرُنا أَبصارُها مُقَلَ المَها

تُذَكِّرُنا أَبصارُها مُقَلَ المَها

وَأَعناقَها أُدمُ الظِباءِ العَواقِدُ

وَأَعناقَها أُدمُ الظِباءِ العَواقِدُ

Their eyes remind us of the eyes of oryxes,

Their glances remind us of the red-lipped gazelle

And white gazelles with curving necks remind us of their necks.

Their necks adorned with chokers, clasped tight

أَلا رُبَّما غَرَّتكَ عِندَ خِطابِها

أَلا رُبَّما غَرَّتكَ عِندَ خِطابِها

وَجادَت عَلَيكَ الآنِساتُ الخَرائِدُ

وَجادَت عَلَيكَ الآنِساتُ الخَرائِدُ

Ah, often they have beguiled you in conversation,

Beware, their flirtatious talk may entrance you

And the companionable, modest maidens have been generous to you.

And the fair ladies may mock you in their spite

تَساقَطُ مِنهُنَّ الأَحاديثُ غَضَّةً

تَساقَطُ مِنهُنَّ الأَحاديثُ غَضَّةً

تَساقُطَ دُرٍّ أَسلَمَتهُ المَعاقِدُ

تَساقُطَ دُرٍّ أَسلَمَتهُ المَعاقِدُ

Words cascade from them, fresh and tender,

Their conversation drips like pearls from a necklace

As pearls fall when the necklace knots release them.

Freed by an unclasping hand in the night

إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ تَجاذَبَت

إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ تَجاذَبَت

بِنا اللَيلَ خوصٌ كَالقِسِيِّ شَوارِدُ

بِنا اللَيلَ خوصٌ كَالقِسِيِّ شَوارِدُ

Toward you, Commander of the Faithful, they raced one another,

To you, O Commander of the Faithful, we were drawn

Bearing us through the night—narrow-eyed camels, bow-like and fleet.

On a night by slender figurines, like idols slight

يَمانِيَّةٌ يَنأى القَريبُ مَحَلَّةً

يَمانِيَّةٌ يَنأى القَريبُ مَحَلَّةً

بِهِنَّ وَيَدنو الشاحِطُ المُتَباعِدُ

بِهِنَّ وَيَدنو الشاحِطُ المُتَباعِدُ

Yemeni camels: the nearby dwelling recedes

A Yemeni, shunning the near, approaches in grace

With them, while the far-off and remote draws near.

While the far neighbor stays apart in his plight

تَجَلّى السُرى عَنها وَلِلعيسِ أَعيُنٌ

تَجَلّى السُرى عَنها وَلِلعيسِ أَعيُنٌ

سَوامٍ وَأَعناقٌ إِلَيكَ قَواصِدُ

سَوامٍ وَأَعناقٌ إِلَيكَ قَواصِدُ

The night's journey has ended for them; the pale camels' eyes

The Pleiades appeared, and for the Archer eyes

Are lifted high, and their necks are directed toward you.

And necks toward you, with purpose and delight

إِلى مَلِكٍ تَندى إِذا يَبِسَ الثَرى

إِلى مَلِكٍ تَندى إِذا يَبِسَ الثَرى

بِنائِل كَفَّيهِ الأَكُفُّ الجَوامِدُ

بِنائِل كَفَّيهِ الأَكُفُّ الجَوامِدُ

To a king who, when the earth grows dry, moistens

To a king whose palms bring life when the land is arid

The dry hands with the bounty of his two palms.

With clasped hands holding firm in their might

لَهُ فَوقَ مَجدِ الناسِ مَجدانِ مِنهُما

لَهُ فَوقَ مَجدِ الناسِ مَجدانِ مِنهُما

طَريفٌ وَعادِيُّ الجَراثيمِ تالِدُ

طَريفٌ وَعادِيُّ الجَراثيمِ تالِدُ

Above the glory of others, he has two glories, one of them

Above the glory of men he has two glories

Newly won, the other inherited, ancient in its roots.

One, piercing with arrows those germs full of blight

وَأَحواضُ عِزٍّ حَومَةُ المَوتِ دونَها

وَأَحواضُ عِزٍّ حَومَةُ المَوتِ دونَها

وَأَحواضُ عُرفٍ لَيسَ عَنهُنَّ ذائِدُ

وَأَحواضُ عُرفٍ لَيسَ عَنهُنَّ ذائِدُ

And pools of might, with death's battlefield before them,

The other, keeping death away with its basin

And pools of kindness, with none to drive anyone away from them.

Of honor none can touch, its walls glowing bright

أَيادي بَني العَبّاسِ بيضٌ سَوابِغٌ

أَيادي بَني العَبّاسِ بيضٌ سَوابِغٌ

عَلى كُلِّ قَومٍ بادِياتٌ عَوائِدُ

عَلى كُلِّ قَومٍ بادِياتٌ عَوائِدُ

The favors of the sons of al-Abbas are white and ample,

The hands of Abbas' sons are white and generous

Upon every people, manifest and recurring.

Visiting each people, their needs to requite

هُمُ يَعدِلونَ السَمكَ مِن قُبَّةِ الهُدى

هُمُ يَعدِلونَ السَمكَ مِن قُبَّةِ الهُدى

كَما تَعدِلُ البَيتَ الحَرامَ القَواعِدُ

كَما تَعدِلُ البَيتَ الحَرامَ القَواعِدُ

They hold upright the roof of the dome of guidance,

They make the faith as just as the Kaaba’s cornerstone

As foundations uphold the Sacred House.

Held straight by its pillars, upright

سَواعِدُ عِزِّ المُسلِمينَ وَإِنَّما

سَواعِدُ عِزِّ المُسلِمينَ وَإِنَّما

تَنوءُ بِصَولاتِ الأَكُفِّ السَواعِدُ

تَنوءُ بِصَولاتِ الأَكُفِّ السَواعِدُ

They are the forearms of the Muslims' might, and only

The might of Muslims rests on their sturdy arms

The forearms bear the hands' fierce assaults.

For feats of strength come from arms wielding might

يَزينُ بَني ساقي الحَجيج خَليفَةٌ

يَزينُ بَني ساقي الحَجيج خَليفَةٌ

عَلى وَجهِهِ نورٌ مِنَ الحَقِّ شاهِدُ

عَلى وَجهِهِ نورٌ مِنَ الحَقِّ شاهِدُ

A caliph adorns the sons of the pilgrims' water-giver,

A caliph adorns the Sacred Mosque’s servants

Upon his face, a light from truth bears witness.

The light of truth radiant on his face and bright

يَكونُ غِراراً نَومُهُ مِن حِذارِهِ

يَكونُ غِراراً نَومُهُ مِن حِذارِهِ

عَلى قُبَّةِ الإِسلامِ وَالخَلقِ شاهِدُ

عَلى قُبَّةِ الإِسلامِ وَالخَلقِ شاهِدُ

His sleep is scant because of his anxious concern

His sleep is a cave guarding Islam’s sanctum

For the dome of Islam and mankind; he keeps watch.

Protecting all people with his watchful sight

كَأَنَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّداً

كَأَنَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّداً

لِرَأفَتِهِ بِالناسِ لِلناسِ والِدُ

لِرَأفَتِهِ بِالناسِ لِلناسِ والِدُ

It is as though the Commander of the Faithful, Muhammad,

The Commander seems as though a doting father

In his compassion for people, were a father to them.

So tender his care for all humankind's plight

عَلى أَنَّهُ مَن خالَفَ الحَقَّ مِنهُمُ

عَلى أَنَّهُ مَن خالَفَ الحَقَّ مِنهُمُ

سَقَتهُ بِهِ المَوت الحُتوفُ القَواصِدُ

سَقَتهُ بِهِ المَوت الحُتوفُ القَواصِدُ

Yet whoever among them opposes the truth,

But those who transgress the truth, death overtakes them

Through him, the fates that seek their mark give him death to drink.

His arrows hitting their mark with precision and might