لَعَمري سُليمان الزّمان لَقَد بَنى

لَعَمري سُليمان الزّمان لَقَد بَنى

بِعَكّاءَ صرْحاً قَد تَوطَّنهُ الفخرُ

بِعَكّاءَ صرْحاً قَد تَوطَّنهُ الفخرُ

By my life, Sulayman of this age has indeed built

By my life, Sulayman of the age has built

in Acre a lofty citadel where glory has made its home.

in Acre a lofty palace where glory has made its home.

بَناهُ مِنَ العَلياءِ في حُسنِ رَونَقٍ

بَناهُ مِنَ العَلياءِ في حُسنِ رَونَقٍ

وَتَرصينِ بُنيانٍ يَتيهُ بِهِ الفِكرُ

وَتَرصينِ بُنيانٍ يَتيهُ بِهِ الفِكرُ

He built it from lofty splendor, amid beauty and radiance,

He built it from sublimity, in beautiful splendor,

and the strength of its construction leaves the mind wandering in wonder.

and solid masonry in which the mind takes pride.

فَجُدرانُهُ مَجدٌ وَعِزٌّ وَسَقفُهُ

فَجُدرانُهُ مَجدٌ وَعِزٌّ وَسَقفُهُ

هُوَ الشّرَفُ الأَعلى وَمِن دونِهِ البدرُ

هُوَ الشّرَفُ الأَعلى وَمِن دونِهِ البدرُ

Its walls are glory and might, and its roof

Its walls are glory and might, and its roof

is the loftiest honor, while the full moon lies below it.

is the highest honor, with the full moon beneath it.

تَنَوَّعَتِ الأَحجارُ فيهِ كَأَنَّها

تَنَوَّعَتِ الأَحجارُ فيهِ كَأَنَّها

عَقيقٌ وَياقوتٌ وَمَرمرُه درُّ

عَقيقٌ وَياقوتٌ وَمَرمرُه درُّ

Its stones are so varied that they seem to be

Its stones are varied, as though they were

carnelian and ruby, while its marble is pearls:

agate and rubies, and its marble pearls.

فَمِن أَحمَرٍ قانٍ وَأَبيضَ مُزهِرٍ

فَمِن أَحمَرٍ قانٍ وَأَبيضَ مُزهِرٍ

وَمِن أخضرٍ زاهٍ به الجَوُّ يَخضرُّ

وَمِن أخضرٍ زاهٍ به الجَوُّ يَخضرُّ

some are deep crimson, and some radiant white,

Thus some are deep crimson, others gleaming white,

and some a brilliant green that turns the very air green.

and some bright green, turning the air around them green.

فَلَو نَظَرَ الرّاؤونَ حُسنَ بَلاطِهِ

فَلَو نَظَرَ الرّاؤونَ حُسنَ بَلاطِهِ

لَقالوا يَقيناً ها هُنا الأَنجُمُ الزُّهرُ

لَقالوا يَقيناً ها هُنا الأَنجُمُ الزُّهرُ

If those who gaze upon it saw the beauty of its pavement,

If onlookers beheld the beauty of its paving,

they would surely say, “Behold—the shining stars are here!”

they would surely say, "Look, here are the radiant stars!"

تَرَقرَقَ ماءٌ راقَ سَكباً وَمَنظَراً

تَرَقرَقَ ماءٌ راقَ سَكباً وَمَنظَراً

وَلَم يَحْكِهِ في طَعمِهِ الشَّهدُ وَالقطرُ

وَلَم يَحْكِهِ في طَعمِهِ الشَّهدُ وَالقطرُ

Water shimmered there, delightful in its pouring and its appearance—how lovely a sight!

Water shimmered, delightful in flow and appearance,

Neither honey nor syrup can rival its taste.

and neither honey nor sugar syrup could match its taste.

وَرَقَّ هواءً صارَ لِلرّوحِ روحَها

وَرَقَّ هواءً صارَ لِلرّوحِ روحَها

فَمَن يَنتَشِقْ مِنه يُوسّع لَهُ العمرُ

فَمَن يَنتَشِقْ مِنه يُوسّع لَهُ العمرُ

Its air grew so delicate that it became the spirit’s own spirit;

And its air grew gentle, becoming the soul's very breath,

whoever breathes it has his life prolonged.

so whoever inhales it has his life prolonged.

وَتُربَتُه مِسكٌ شَذيٌّ وَفَرشُهُ

وَتُربَتُه مِسكٌ شَذيٌّ وَفَرشُهُ

سُرورٌ وَأَفراحٌ يُسالِمُها الدّهرُ

سُرورٌ وَأَفراحٌ يُسالِمُها الدّهرُ

Its soil is fragrant musk, and its furnishings

Its soil is fragrant musk, and its furnishings

are joys and delights that Time leaves undisturbed.

are joy and delights, with which time stays at peace.

وَإِن يَكُ نَهراً ماؤُه سالَ فِضَّةً

وَإِن يَكُ نَهراً ماؤُه سالَ فِضَّةً

فَبانيهِ للإِقدامِ ثمّ النَّدى بَحرُ

فَبانيهِ للإِقدامِ ثمّ النَّدى بَحرُ

And if it is a river whose water flows like silver,

Though its water be a river flowing as silver,

its builder is a sea in courage and, moreover, in generosity.

its builder is a sea of valor, and then of generosity.

وَكَم جاءَ فَتحُ اللَّهِ في فَتحِ بابِهِ

وَكَم جاءَ فَتحُ اللَّهِ في فَتحِ بابِهِ

وَخَفقٍ في راياتِهِ عندهُ النّصرُ

وَخَفقٍ في راياتِهِ عندهُ النّصرُ

How many a God-given victory came at the opening of its gate,

How often God's victory has come at the opening of his gate,

while triumph fluttered there among its banners!

and in his banners' fluttering—victory is with him.

لَهُ السّعدُ خَدّامٌ بِهِ اليُمنُ ساكِن

لَهُ السّعدُ خَدّامٌ بِهِ اليُمنُ ساكِن

بِهِ الأُنسُ بسّامٌ يُقارِنُه البِشْرُ

بِهِ الأُنسُ بسّامٌ يُقارِنُه البِشْرُ

Good fortune is ever his servant, and blessing dwells within it;

Good fortune is his devoted servant; blessing dwells there,

fellowship smiles there, accompanied by good cheer.

and there companionship smiles, attended by cheer.

تَسامَى عَلى رَأسِ السِّماكِ بِناؤُهُ

تَسامَى عَلى رَأسِ السِّماكِ بِناؤُهُ

إِلى أَن بَدت مِن دونِهِ الشَّمسُ وَالنّسرُ

إِلى أَن بَدت مِن دونِهِ الشَّمسُ وَالنّسرُ

Its edifice rose above the head of al-Simāk,

Its structure soared above the head of al-Simak,

until the sun and the Eagle-star appeared below it.

until the sun and al-Nasr, the Eagle, appeared beneath it.

لَعَمريَ ما إِيوانُ كِسرى وَحسنهُ

لَعَمريَ ما إِيوانُ كِسرى وَحسنهُ

وَأَنّى سَديرٌ أَن يَكونَ لَهُ ذِكرُ

وَأَنّى سَديرٌ أَن يَكونَ لَهُ ذِكرُ

By my life, the Iwan of Khosrow, for all its beauty, is nothing—

By my life, what are Kisra's hall and its beauty?

and where is al-Sadīr, that it should have any mention beside it?

And how could Sadir merit any mention?

وَما عِندَهُ يَبدو الخَوَرْنَقُ إِذ بَدا

وَما عِندَهُ يَبدو الخَوَرْنَقُ إِذ بَدا

وَلا فَخرَ بِالقَصرينِ لَو فَخرت مِصرُ

وَلا فَخرَ بِالقَصرينِ لَو فَخرت مِصرُ

Nor does al-Khawarnaq amount to anything beside it when it comes into view;

Al-Khawarnaq is lost beside it, now that it has appeared,

nor is there glory in the Two Palaces, even if Egypt boasts of them.

nor have the Two Palaces any glory, though Egypt might boast.

وَمِن جَنّةِ الفِردَوسِ لا بِدْعَ أنّه

وَمِن جَنّةِ الفِردَوسِ لا بِدْعَ أنّه

لَقَد كانَ ذاكَ القصرُ فَليَجزِم الفِكرُ

لَقَد كانَ ذاكَ القصرُ فَليَجزِم الفِكرُ

That it is from the Garden of Paradise is no wonder:

And part of the Garden of Paradise—no wonder—

it surely is that very palace—let the mind be certain.

that palace surely was; let the mind be certain.

فَوَيحَ دِمَشق الشّام لَم تَحوِ مِثلَهُ

فَوَيحَ دِمَشق الشّام لَم تَحوِ مِثلَهُ

فَلَم تَحوِهِ الدّنيا وَهَذا هوَ الفَخرُ

فَلَم تَحوِهِ الدّنيا وَهَذا هوَ الفَخرُ

Alas for Damascus of Syria, that it did not contain its like!

So alas for Damascus of Syria: she has never held its like!

The world itself did not contain it—and this is true glory.

For the world itself has never held its like, and this is glory.

وَقَد غَبطت عَكّاءَ في حُسنِ قَصرِها

وَقَد غَبطت عَكّاءَ في حُسنِ قَصرِها

فَوَدَّت وَأرِّخ أَنْ بِها ذَلكَ القصرُ

فَوَدَّت وَأرِّخ أَنْ بِها ذَلكَ القصرُ

Damascus indeed envied Acre the beauty of her palace,

She has indeed envied Acre the beauty of its palace,

so she wished for it and dated it with the words, “That palace is within her.”

so she wished—mark the date—to have that palace within her.

فَلا بَرِحَت فيهِ السّعودُ خَوادِماً

فَلا بَرِحَت فيهِ السّعودُ خَوادِماً

وَثَغرُ الهَنا فيهِ فَلا زالَ يَفترُّ

وَثَغرُ الهَنا فيهِ فَلا زالَ يَفترُّ

May good fortunes never cease to serve within it,

May good fortunes never cease to serve within it,

and may the mouth of happiness there never cease smiling.

and may the mouth of joy there never cease to smile.

وَلا زالَ بانيهِ بِهِ مُتهنِّئاً

وَلا زالَ بانيهِ بِهِ مُتهنِّئاً

مَدى الدَّهرِ ما قَد بانَ مِن شَرقِهِ الفجرُ

مَدى الدَّهرِ ما قَد بانَ مِن شَرقِهِ الفجرُ

May its builder never cease enjoying bliss within it,

And may its builder ever take pleasure in it

through all time, so long as dawn appears from its east,

for all time, as long as dawn appears from its east,

وَما قَد شَدا طَيرٌ وَما لاحَ كَوكَبٌ

وَما قَد شَدا طَيرٌ وَما لاحَ كَوكَبٌ

وَما قَد بَدا بَرقٌ وَما قَد هَمى القطرُ

وَما قَد بَدا بَرقٌ وَما قَد هَمى القطرُ

so long as a bird sings and a star gleams,

and as long as a bird sings and a star shines,

so long as lightning flashes and rain pours down.

and as long as lightning flashes and rain pours down.