ولَربَّ ليلٍ نلتُ فيه مَقصِدي

ولَربَّ ليلٍ نلتُ فيه مَقصِدي

ما شِمْتُ وقتاً مثلَه من مَولِدي

ما شِمْتُ وقتاً مثلَه من مَولِدي

Many a night have I attained my heart’s desire,

And many a night have I attained my aim;

yet never since my birth have I beheld an hour like it.

I have never beheld a time like it since my birth.

فَغَدَوتُ أَشدو مِن فُؤادي المُمكدِ

فَغَدَوتُ أَشدو مِن فُؤادي المُمكدِ

يا لَيلةً سَمَحت بِرؤيةِ سَيّدِ

يا لَيلةً سَمَحت بِرؤيةِ سَيّدِ

Then I began to sing from my careworn heart:

So I began to sing from my careworn heart:

O night that granted me the sight of a master

O night that granted the sight of a master

مِن أَهلِ بَحرٍ كاملينَ أكابرِ

مِن أَهلِ بَحرٍ كاملينَ أكابرِ

خُدّامُه ذا الدَّهرِ لَم يُحزِنهُمُ

خُدّامُه ذا الدَّهرِ لَم يُحزِنهُمُ

from a house ocean-vast, consummate and eminent.

from the house of Bahr, consummate and eminent men.

Throughout this age, his servants have known no grief.

This age has not saddened his servants;

وَهوَ الَّذي مِمَّنْ رَوَينا عَنهُمُ

وَهوَ الَّذي مِمَّنْ رَوَينا عَنهُمُ

حُسنَ اللَّطافَةِ في الطِّباعِ وَإِن هُمُ

حُسنَ اللَّطافَةِ في الطِّباعِ وَإِن هُمُ

He is among those from whom we have handed down

and he is among those of whom we have recounted

the beauty of graciousness in character; indeed, they

the beauty of graciousness in their natures; and indeed they

لَهمُ المُلوكُ الأَكرَمونُ وَمِنهُمُ

لَهمُ المُلوكُ الأَكرَمونُ وَمِنهُمُ

وَرِثَ المَكارِمَ كابِراً عَن كابِرِ

وَرِثَ المَكارِمَ كابِراً عَن كابِرِ

are the noblest kings, and from them

are the most generous kings, and from them

he inherited virtues—great one after great one.

he inherited noble virtues, a great man from a great forebear.

يا لَيلةً فيها تَكامُلُ فَخرِنا

يا لَيلةً فيها تَكامُلُ فَخرِنا

حَتّى عُددتِ تَنفُّساً مِن دَهرِنا

حَتّى عُددتِ تَنفُّساً مِن دَهرِنا

O night in which our glory reached perfection,

O night in which our glory reached its fullness,

until you were counted a breath of relief within our age,

so that you were reckoned a breath of relief in our age,

مُذْ فيكِ أَشرقَ شَمسُنا مع بَدرِنا

مُذْ فيكِ أَشرقَ شَمسُنا مع بَدرِنا

لا بِدْعَ إِن أَمسَيتِ ليلةَ قَدرنا

لا بِدْعَ إِن أَمسَيتِ ليلةَ قَدرنا

since within you our sun rose beside our full moon.

since in you our sun shone beside our full moon.

No wonder you became the Night of our Destiny.

No wonder if you became our Night of Power;

فيكِ السّرورُ يَحِلّ قَلبَ الذاكِرِ

فيكِ السّرورُ يَحِلّ قَلبَ الذاكِرِ

قرّي عُيوناً في الدُّنى وَتَعطَّري

قرّي عُيوناً في الدُّنى وَتَعطَّري

In you, joy alights in the heart of one who remembers.

in you, joy dwells in the heart of one who remembers.

Gladden eyes throughout this world, and perfume yourself

Let your eyes rejoice throughout the worlds, and perfume yourself

مِن طيبهِ الذّاكي الشّذى العَنبَري

مِن طيبهِ الذّاكي الشّذى العَنبَري

وَإِذا أَردتِ تَباهِياً مَع مَفخَرٍ

وَإِذا أَردتِ تَباهِياً مَع مَفخَرٍ

with his sweet perfume, fragrant and amber-scented.

with his perfume's keen, ambergris fragrance.

And if you wish to vaunt yourself in splendor,

And if you wish to boast with a source of pride,

تيهي عَلى كُلّ اللّيالي وَاِفخَري

تيهي عَلى كُلّ اللّيالي وَاِفخَري

بِالمُصطَفى مِن نَسلِ عبدِ القادرِ

بِالمُصطَفى مِن نَسلِ عبدِ القادرِ

exult above every other night, and glory

exult above all the nights, and take pride

in al-Mustafa, descended from ʿAbd al-Qadir.

in Mustafa, of the lineage of Abd al-Qadir.