بَدا وَسقاة الراحِ تجلى بدورُها

بَدا وَسقاة الراحِ تجلى بدورُها

وَشَمس الطلا يَمحو دَجا الهمّ نورها

وَشَمس الطلا يَمحو دَجا الهمّ نورها

He appeared, and the wine-bearers’ full moons shone forth,

The butlers of comfort have appeared in their abodes

and the light of wine’s sun dispels the darkness of care.

And the sun of radiance has erased the gloom with its light

وَحَيّا الندامى بِالحميّا وَإِنَّما

وَحَيّا الندامى بِالحميّا وَإِنَّما

بِباهي المحيّا قامَ يَسعى مُديرها

بِباهي المحيّا قامَ يَسعى مُديرها

And he greeted the drinking companions with potent wine; and it was only

It greeted the repentants with affection as only

with a radiant countenance that its cupbearer rose to serve.

The most beautiful of greetings, from its leader, makes its way

غَزال بِأَلحاظ المَها قَد غَزا النُهى

غَزال بِأَلحاظ المَها قَد غَزا النُهى

مغازلة وَالقَلب مِنّي أَسيرها

مغازلة وَالقَلب مِنّي أَسيرها

A gazelle, with oryx glances, has conquered reason

A gazelle with the glances of allure has trespassed prohibitions

through flirtation, and my heart is their captive.

Flirting while my heart is its prisoner

عُيون لَها تَعنو مِن الحور عينها

عُيون لَها تَعنو مِن الحور عينها

إِذا ما بِها حارَت مِن العين حورها

إِذا ما بِها حارَت مِن العين حورها

Eyes before which the wide-eyed houris bow,

Eyes that shy away, more bashful than a houri’s eyes

when the dark-eyed among the wide-eyed are bewildered by them.

When perplexed by a stare from those eyes and their splendor

حذار مِن الأَجفان إِن جالَ سحرها

حذار مِن الأَجفان إِن جالَ سحرها

فَفتّانها الفَتّاك مِنها فتورها

فَفتّانها الفَتّاك مِنها فتورها

Beware the eyelids if their magic roams,

Beware of the eyelids when their sorcery moves

for the deadly seducer among them is their languor.

For their captivating coquetry is their weakness

فَلا غروَ أَن تغرى الأَنام عَلى الهَوى

فَلا غروَ أَن تغرى الأَنام عَلى الهَوى

فَبالغرّة الغَرّاء كانَ غُرورها

فَبالغرّة الغَرّاء كانَ غُرورها

No wonder, then, that she lures mankind into love,

No wonder they make people crave passion

for it was her radiant brow that beguiled them.

For with a crafty coyness was their deception

وَبي ظبية السرب التي حَول حَيِّها

وَبي ظبية السرب التي حَول حَيِّها

أسودٌ يَردّ الزائِرين زَئيرها

أسودٌ يَردّ الزائِرين زَئيرها

And I am smitten with the herd’s doe, around whose camp

I have a gazelle among a herd that surrounds her abode

are lions whose roaring repels visitors.

Lions that scare off visitors with their roaring

يَغار قَضيب البان مِن قَدّها كَما

يَغار قَضيب البان مِن قَدّها كَما

يَغار عَلَيها إِن تثنّت غيورها

يَغار عَلَيها إِن تثنّت غيورها

The bān tree’s bough envies her figure, just as

The staff of the full moon envies her stature

her jealous lover grows jealous over her when she sways.

As does the jealous one if she sways her hips

أَقول إِذا ما البَدر قيس بِوجهها

أَقول إِذا ما البَدر قيس بِوجهها

كَفى البَدر حُسناً أَن يُقال نَظيرها

كَفى البَدر حُسناً أَن يُقال نَظيرها

I say, when the full moon is compared with her face:

I say, when the full moon is compared to her face

‘It is beauty enough for the full moon to be called her equal.’

The perfection of the moon's beauty is to be called her peer

عَلى الوَجنة الحَمراء جَنّة حُسنِها

عَلى الوَجنة الحَمراء جَنّة حُسنِها

وَفي الكَبد الحرّى يَشبّ سَعيرها

وَفي الكَبد الحرّى يَشبّ سَعيرها

Upon the red cheek lies the paradise of her beauty,

On her rosy cheek is the garden of her beauty

and in the burning liver her blaze flares up.

And in the fiery liver burns its blaze

فُؤادي كَليم الوَجد آنس نارها

فُؤادي كَليم الوَجد آنس نارها

فَخرّ وَأَطواد القوى دكَّ طورها

فَخرّ وَأَطواد القوى دكَّ طورها

My heart, the Moses of longing, glimpsed her fire,

My heart is a lover consumed by passion, intimate with its fire

so it fell, and the Sinai of strength’s mountains was shattered.

It fell and the mountains of strength crumbled

فَيا عاذِلي كُن عاذِري لَستُ قائِلاً

فَيا عاذِلي كُن عاذِري لَستُ قائِلاً

خَليليّ هَل مِن رَقدة أَستعيرها

خَليليّ هَل مِن رَقدة أَستعيرها

So, you who blame me, excuse me; I am not saying:

So my critic, be forgiving, I cannot say

‘My two friends, is there a slumber I might borrow?’

My friend, might I borrow a rest?

هَلمَّ بِنا يا صاح نَسعى لِرَوضة

هَلمَّ بِنا يا صاح نَسعى لِرَوضة

عَلى عَذبات البان هاجَت طُيورها

عَلى عَذبات البان هاجَت طُيورها

Come along, my friend; let us hasten to a garden,

Come, my friend, let's head to a meadow

whose birds stir upon the bān trees’ branch-tips.

Where birds chirp over the sweet waters

تشابهُ أَعطاف الغَواني غُصونها

تشابهُ أَعطاف الغَواني غُصونها

وَتَسمو عَلى زهرِ النُجوم زُهورها

وَتَسمو عَلى زهرِ النُجوم زُهورها

Its branches resemble the curving figures of lovely women,

The branches of its trees resemble the loops of necklaces

and its blossoms surpass the bright stars.

And its flowers rise above the stars’ radiance

كَأَنّ شَذاها حينَ هَبَّت شمالها

كَأَنّ شَذاها حينَ هَبَّت شمالها

شَمائل إِسماعيل فاحَ عَبيرها

شَمائل إِسماعيل فاحَ عَبيرها

Its fragrance, when its north wind blew, was like

It's as if its aroma, when the north wind blew

Ismail’s virtues, whose perfume wafted forth.

Were the features of Ishmael diffusing its fragrance

حَليم إِذا ما الناس جَلّت خُطوبها

حَليم إِذا ما الناس جَلّت خُطوبها

لآرائهِ الحُسنى تقاد أُمورها

لآرائهِ الحُسنى تقاد أُمورها

He is forbearing: when people’s calamities grow grave,

Wise, when people face calamities,

their affairs are guided by his excellent counsels.

Through its excellent opinions their affairs are directed

كَريم لَهُ ذلّ النضار مَواهِباً

كَريم لَهُ ذلّ النضار مَواهِباً

فَلا بدع إِن عَلياه عزّ نَظيرها

فَلا بدع إِن عَلياه عزّ نَظيرها

He is generous: pure gold submits to him as gifts,

Noble, with the bloom of youth its gifts

so no marvel if his eminence has scarcely an equal.

So it’s no wonder its highness has no peer

كَفى بِبِحار الشعر عجزاً فَطالَما

كَفى بِبِحار الشعر عجزاً فَطالَما

بِبَحر ذَكاءٍ مِنهُ غاصَت بُحورها

بِبَحر ذَكاءٍ مِنهُ غاصَت بُحورها

The seas of poetry are helpless indeed; for so often

The oceans of poetry fall short, though for so long

their metres have plunged into an ocean of his intelligence.

Their depths were plunged by a sea of brilliance

إِلى سنّة المُختار كانَ اِتّباعه

إِلى سنّة المُختار كانَ اِتّباعه

فَأَضحى بِها في الناس وَهوَ وَقورها

فَأَضحى بِها في الناس وَهوَ وَقورها

His adherence was to the Chosen One’s tradition,

Following the way of the Chosen was his path

so through it he became, among the people, their dignified one,

Thus with it among people his dignity remained

بِآيات حُسن قَد تَلاها عذاره

بِآيات حُسن قَد تَلاها عذاره

عَلَينا وَفي الخَدّين يُشرق نورها

عَلَينا وَفي الخَدّين يُشرق نورها

with verses of beauty that his cheek-down has recited

With verses of beauty he recited them to us

to us, while their light shines in both cheeks.

While on the cheeks shines their light

لَها أَرّخوا أَبهى كَمال بِحُسنِها

لَها أَرّخوا أَبهى كَمال بِحُسنِها

طروس مِن البَلّور مسك سطورها

طروس مِن البَلّور مسك سطورها

For them they made a chronogram: ‘Most splendid perfection in their beauty—

To it they ascribed the epitome of perfect beauty

pages of crystal, whose lines are musk.’

Lines of pearl, musk sealed its volumes

فَيا أَيُّها الشَهم الَّذي بِرِحابِهِ

فَيا أَيُّها الشَهم الَّذي بِرِحابِهِ

شُموس الهَنا أَخفى الهُموم ظُهورها

شُموس الهَنا أَخفى الهُموم ظُهورها

So, O noble-hearted one, in whose spacious courts

So O noble one, in whose courtyard

the rising of joy’s suns has hidden cares,

The suns of bliss concealed worries

لِيَهنك عيد النَحر فاِنحر بِهِ العِدا

لِيَهنك عيد النَحر فاِنحر بِهِ العِدا

وَضحّ ضَحاياها تَنلك أُجورها

وَضحّ ضَحاياها تَنلك أُجورها

may the Feast of Sacrifice bring you joy; on it, slaughter your foes,

Celebrate Eid Al-Adha and sacrifice the enemies

and offer their victims in sacrifice, that their rewards may reach you.

Slaughter its offerings, you’ll attain their rewards

فلا بَرحت منّي التَهاني لَدَيكُم

فلا بَرحت منّي التَهاني لَدَيكُم

يُباهي سَناء النيّرين منيرُها

يُباهي سَناء النيّرين منيرُها

So may my congratulations ever remain with you,

My congratulations have not ceased for you

their shining light vying with the splendor of the two luminaries.

Outshining the radiance of lamps is its illumination