1. قَد أَسفَرَ البدرُ الظّريفُ

    وتظاهر الحسْنُ الطريف

    The graceful full moon has shone forth,

    and exquisite beauty has revealed itself.

  2. وَالضّوءُ كانَ عَلامَةً

    في أَنّه البدرُ الشَّريف

    And the light was a sign

    that he is the noble full moon.

  3. وَتَزاهَرَت زُهرُ السّما

    وَتَراقَصَت ولَها دَليف

    And the stars of heaven glittered together,

    and danced, moving gently onward.

  4. وَتَبلَّج الصّبحُ الصّبي

    حُ بِوَجهِهِ يَعلو الرّفيف

    And the fair-faced morning shone forth;

    on his face the shimmer rises.

  5. وَسَطا عَلى جَيشِ الدّجى

    فَتَلامَعَت مِنهُ السّيوف

    And he assailed the army of darkness,

    and swords flashed forth from him.

  6. وَالفجرُ قَد فَجرَ الدّجى

    فَعَنِ النّهار هوَ الكَشوف

    And dawn has split the darkness,

    for it is the revealer of the day.

  7. وَلَكم تَغَنّى بِالغصو

    نِ مِنَ الصَّبا الريحُ العَصوف

    And how often, among the boughs, sang

    the gusting wind from the east!

  8. وَتَهلّلَت بَيروتُنا

    وَتَخضَّبَت مِنها الكفوف

    And our Beirut beamed with joy,

    and palms took their dye from her.

  9. وَتَطوَّقَت عقدَ السّرو

    ر وفوقَه منه الشّنوف

    And she donned a necklace of joy,

    and above it, earrings of that same joy.

  10. وَتَشرَّفَت إذ حلَّها

    بدرٌ يناقضُه الخُسوف

    And she was honored when there arrived in her

    a full moon to whom eclipse is alien.

  11. شَمسُ المَعالي وَالكَما

    لِ وَلا مِثالَ وَلا كُسوف

    A sun of high honors and perfection,

    with neither equal nor eclipse.

  12. الجَوهَرُ الفَردُ الّذي

    سُرُرُ المعالِ لَهُ ظُروف

    The unique jewel for whom

    the thrones of high rank are settings.

  13. مَن لا تُعادِلُه الألو

    فُ فَلا تعدُّ بِهِ الأُلوف

    One whom thousands cannot equal—

    so do not count thousands as his match.

  14. ما الشَّمسُ تَعدِلُها النّجو

    مُ فَلا تَكُنْ مِمَّنْ يَحيف

    The sun is not equaled by the stars,

    so do not be among those who judge unfairly.

  15. الماجِدُ الصدرُ الرّحي

    بُ خِباؤُهُ السّامي المنيف

    The noble chief, whose spacious

    pavilion is lofty and towering.

  16. السّيّدُ العالي الذُّرى

    وَالكيِّسُ الحالي الظّريف

    The master of lofty summits,

    and the astute, adorned, graceful one.

  17. العالِمُ الفَذُّ الّذي

    فيهِ اِعتَلى الدينُ الحَنيف

    The peerless scholar in whom

    the upright faith rose high.

  18. الجَهبَذُ الحَبْرُ الإِما

    مُ مَنِ اِقْتَدَتْ فيهِ الصّفوف

    The sage, the learned scholar, the imam,

    whom the rows took as their guide.

  19. الكامِلُ البحرُ البسي

    طُ حَلا بِهِ البحرُ الخَفيف

    The perfect one, the expansive sea,

    through whom the light sea grew sweet.

  20. رَوضُ الفَضائِلِ وَالنّدى

    فَلَكَم دَنَت مِنهُ القُطوف

    A garden of virtues and generosity,

    and how often his fruit came within reach!

  21. هوَ كَعبَةُ الجودِ الّتي

    فيها يُطافُ وَلا تَطوف

    He is the Kaaba of generosity, which

    is circled, yet does not circle.

  22. يَسعى لَها رَكبُ الوُفو

    دِ يَؤمُّ ساحَتَها الضّيوف

    Toward it hastens the caravan of delegations;

    guests make for its courtyard.

  23. وَهُناكَ طابَ عَلى المُقا

    مِ لَها الشّتاءُ كَذا المَصيف

    And there, during a stay, pleasant

    for them are winter and summertime alike.

  24. الأَهيَبُ الفَخمُ الوَقو

    رُ وَإِنّهُ الشّهمُ الرّؤوف

    The most awe-inspiring, grand, dignified one,

    and indeed he is gallant and compassionate.

  25. الأُسْدُ مِنهُ لِخَوفها

    ما بَينَ أَيديهِ وُقوفُ

    The lions, for fear of him,

    stand before him.

  26. وَهوَ الأَمينُ وَكَم بِهِ

    زالَ الخِيانةُ وَالمخيف

    And he is trustworthy; how often through him

    treachery and terror have vanished!

  27. مِن طَبعِهِ الطبعُ السّلي

    مُ وَإِنّه الطّبعُ اللّطيف

    His nature is a sound disposition,

    and indeed it is a gentle disposition.

  28. الشّاعِرُ الفَحلٌ البلي

    غُ وَمَن لَه قسٌّ وَصيف

    The masterful, eloquent poet,

    and one for whom Quss is but a page.

  29. رَبُّ القَوافي وَالبيا

    نِ وَمَن لَهُ النّظمُ الرّصيف

    Master of rhymes and eloquence,

    and one whose verse is tightly woven.

  30. لا بِدعَ لَو خَطَفَ العُقو

    لَ فَإِنّهُ السّحر الخَطوف

    No wonder if it carries minds away,

    for it is magic that snatches them away.

  31. أَقلامُهُ سُمر القَنا

    بِسنانِها تَبدو الحُروف

    His pens are dusky spear-shafts;

    from their points the letters appear.

  32. وَحُروفُها ظلّ المَعا

    نِ وَإِنّه الظلُّ الوَريف

    And their letters are the shade of meanings,

    and indeed it is luxuriant shade.

  33. وَشَرابُها مِسكُ الوِدا

    دِ وَإِنّه المِسكُ الشّريف

    And their draught is the musk of affection,

    and indeed it is noble musk.

  34. بِلِسانِها تَبدو الحتو

    فُ وفي الظُّبى تبدو الحُتوف

    Through their tongue, death appears,

    and on sword-edges, death appears.

  35. ما هَزَّها في كاغدٍ

    إِلّا وَذَلَّ لَها السّيوف

    He never brandished them on paper

    but swords were humbled before them.

  36. وَلَكَم لِشِدّةِ بَأسِها

    قَد هابَها مَتنٌ وَشوف

    And how often, because of their fierce might,

    Matn and Shuf have stood in awe of them!

  37. وَإِلَيك بِكراً غادَةً

    يا أَيّها المَولى العَطوف

    And to you, a virgin, a graceful maiden,

    O compassionate patron!

  38. أَهدَيتَني بَحرَ النّدى

    بِكراً تُزانُ بِها الشّنوف

    You gave me, O sea of generosity,

    a virgin with whom earrings are adorned.

  39. مُختالَة في مَشيِها

    مِن حُسنِها أَضحَت تزيف

    She walks with a proud gait;

    her beauty has set her strutting.

  40. أَخدَمتها بِقَصيدةٍ

    جِسم البديعِ بِها نَحيف

    I made a poem her servant,

    in which the body of poetic ornament is frail.

  41. فَاِعذُر لِفِكرٍ زَفّها

    إِذ أَنَّهُ الفِكر الضّعيف

    So pardon a mind that brought her as a bride,

    for it is a feeble mind.

  42. وَاِسلَم وَدُم بِالعزِّ ما

    قَد أَسفَرَ البدرُ الظّريف

    And stay safe, and endure in glory as long as

    the graceful full moon shines forth.