أنسمةٌ فاحَت بِنَشر الخزام

أنسمةٌ فاحَت بِنَشر الخزام

عاطرة الردنِ كَذات الخزام

عاطرة الردنِ كَذات الخزام

Is it a breeze wafting lavender's scent,

A breeze blew, spreading the aroma of flowers,

fragrant of sleeve, like a woman with a nose-ring,

Fragrant like the blossoms of the vine.

أم رَوضة وَشّى حلاها الحَيا

أم رَوضة وَشّى حلاها الحَيا

كَأَنَّها الجَنّة دار السَلام

كَأَنَّها الجَنّة دار السَلام

or a garden whose charms the rain has embroidered,

Is it a garden adorned with vitality?

as though it were Paradise, the abode of peace,

As if it were Paradise, abode of peace.

أَم بِبَديع الطِرس قَد سطّرت

أَم بِبَديع الطِرس قَد سطّرت

رِسالة مَحكمة الإِنسِجام

رِسالة مَحكمة الإِنسِجام

or, upon an exquisite page, has there been inscribed

Or with eloquent prose did it pen

a treatise of flawless harmony?

A coherent epistle, profound and sage.

حازَت عَلى ما اِعتمدتهُ الأُلى

حازَت عَلى ما اِعتمدتهُ الأُلى

مَضوا عَلى سنّة خَير الأَنام

مَضوا عَلى سنّة خَير الأَنام

It encompasses what was relied upon by those

It attained what the eminent have endorsed,

who followed the way of the best of mankind,

Following the way of the best of mankind.

مِن مَذهب النُعمان شمس الهُدى

مِن مَذهب النُعمان شمس الهُدى

وَمَن لهُ بِالفَضل أَعلى مقام

وَمَن لهُ بِالفَضل أَعلى مقام

from the school of al-Nuʿmān, the sun of guidance,

Of the doctrine of al-Nu‘man, sun of guidance,

and he who holds the highest station in excellence.

And the one of highest stature in merit.

فَيا لَها عقداً تَحلّت بِهِ

فَيا لَها عقداً تَحلّت بِهِ

أَحكامهُ الغُرُّ فَزادَ اِنتِظام

أَحكامهُ الغُرُّ فَزادَ اِنتِظام

Oh, what a necklace, with which

So excellent a necklace it donned,

his radiant rulings were adorned, their order enhanced!

Its ingenious laws increased its coherence.

كَم ذات خدرٍ قَد جَلا حُسنهُ

كَم ذات خدرٍ قَد جَلا حُسنهُ

مِنها وَعَنها قَد أَزاح اللِثام

مِنها وَعَنها قَد أَزاح اللِثام

How many a secluded maiden its beauty has brought forth

What a blushing cheek revealed its beauty—

from it, and lifted the veil away from her!

It removed the veil over it and about it.

كَأَنَّهُ عقد الثُرَيّا إِذا

كَأَنَّهُ عقد الثُرَيّا إِذا

حَلّى ثَناه جيد بَدر التَمام

حَلّى ثَناه جيد بَدر التَمام

It is like a necklace of the Pleiades when

As if it were a choker of gems when

its praise adorns the neck of the full moon.

It adorned a neck like the full moon.

يُعزى لِأَعلام الهُدى نَقلها

يُعزى لِأَعلام الهُدى نَقلها

مَن كُلّ مِفضال وَحيد إِمام

مَن كُلّ مِفضال وَحيد إِمام

Its transmission is traced to the luminaries of guidance,

It is ascribed to the guides of Truth—their transmission—

each a generous, peerless imam,

From every virtuous and peerless imam.

إِذ صحّة المَنقول تَمحو دجا ال

إِذ صحّة المَنقول تَمحو دجا ال

وهم كنور الشَمس يَمحو الظَلام

وهم كنور الشَمس يَمحو الظَلام

for the soundness of transmitted learning dispels the darkness of

For the soundness of transmission erases the darkness of doubt,

delusion, as sunlight dispels darkness.

As the light of sun erases darkness.

لا رَيب إِن دلّت عَلى فَضل مَن

لا رَيب إِن دلّت عَلى فَضل مَن

أَلّفَها ذاكَ الفَريد الهمام

أَلّفَها ذاكَ الفَريد الهمام

No wonder if it reveals the excellence of him

There is no doubt it indicates the merit of the one

who composed it—that peerless, noble-minded man,

Who compiled it—that outstanding sage:

العالم العامل برّ التُقى

العالم العامل برّ التُقى

وَالجَهبذ الكامل خدن الكِرام

وَالجَهبذ الكامل خدن الكِرام

the scholar who lives his learning, righteous in piety,

The scholar who acts with true piety

and the consummate sage, companion of the noble.

And the perfect hero of generosity.

عنيت عَبد القادر المُنتَمي

عنيت عَبد القادر المُنتَمي

دُرّة تيجان ذَوي الإِحترام

دُرّة تيجان ذَوي الإِحترام

I mean ʿAbd al-Qādir, the scion,

I mean ‘Abd al-Qadir who belongs

a pearl in the crowns of those held in esteem,

To the elite family of highest prestige.

وَمَن نَجا إِذ لَقَّبوه نَجا

وَمَن نَجا إِذ لَقَّبوه نَجا

بِجدّهِ طَه عَلَيهِ السَلام

بِجدّهِ طَه عَلَيهِ السَلام

and he who was saved when they called him Najā,

And the one named Deliverance for his ancestry

through his forefather Ṭāhā—peace be upon him.

To Taha (Moses)—on him be peace.

فَخُذ هداك اللَه يا صاح مِن

فَخُذ هداك اللَه يا صاح مِن

ذا البَحر درّاً في بَديع النِظام

ذا البَحر درّاً في بَديع النِظام

So take—may God guide you, my friend—from

So, guided by God, take O connoisseur

this sea pearls in exquisite array.

From this ocean a unique pearl of construction.

وَاِطرب عَلى سَجع رَخيم حَلا

وَاِطرب عَلى سَجع رَخيم حَلا

مِنهُ وَلا تصغ لِسَجع الحمام

مِنهُ وَلا تصغ لِسَجع الحمام

And delight in the mellow, sweet rhymed prose

Delight in its flowing, melodious prose,

from it, and heed not the cooing of doves.

Not the cooing of doves.

أصبو لِمَعناه كَما أَنَّهَ

أصبو لِمَعناه كَما أَنَّهَ

يَصبو لِأَنفاس الصِبا المُستَهام

يَصبو لِأَنفاس الصِبا المُستَهام

I yearn for its meaning, just as

Yearn for its meaning as if

the lovesick man yearns for the east wind's breaths.

You yearn for the exhales of the passionate morning breeze.

وَأَنثني مِن لُطف أَلفاظِهِ

وَأَنثني مِن لُطف أَلفاظِهِ

كَأَنَّما أَرشف كَأس المُدام

كَأَنَّما أَرشف كَأس المُدام

And I sway with the delicacy of its words,

And relax from the subtlety of its words,

as though sipping a cup of wine.

As if you sipped the wine-cup.

يا دَوحَة العلم الَّتي لَم تَزَل

يا دَوحَة العلم الَّتي لَم تَزَل

أَغصانُها مُثمرةً لِلأَنام

أَغصانُها مُثمرةً لِلأَنام

O great tree of knowledge, which has never ceased

O palm tree of knowledge, whose branches

to bear fruit for mankind upon its branches,

Have been fruitful for mankind.

جَزاكَ باري الخَلق خَير الجزا

جَزاكَ باري الخَلق خَير الجزا

مِن فَضلِهِ حَتّى تَنال المَرام

مِن فَضلِهِ حَتّى تَنال المَرام

may the Maker of creation give you the finest reward,

May God, Creator of beings, reward you well

from His bounty, until you attain your desire,

For your merit until you attain your hopes.

ما اِفترّ ثَغر الزَهر عَن لُؤلؤٍ

ما اِفترّ ثَغر الزَهر عَن لُؤلؤٍ

رَطب إِذا ما اِنهلَّ دَمع الغَمام

رَطب إِذا ما اِنهلَّ دَمع الغَمام

as long as the blossoms' mouth smiles to reveal pearls,

No lips of blossoms would part from a moist pearl

moist, whenever the clouds' tears pour down;

When the raincloud sheds its tears.

أَو صَدح الطَير بِدَوح الربى

أَو صَدح الطَير بِدَوح الربى

فَهَيَّج الوَجد بِأَهلِ الغَرام

فَهَيَّج الوَجد بِأَهلِ الغَرام

or birds sing in the great trees of the hills,

Nor would a bird trill with joy in the valley,

thus stirring yearning among those in love;

Stirring fervor in lovers’ breasts.

أَو رَقص الغُصن بِأَيدي الصبا

أَو رَقص الغُصن بِأَيدي الصبا

حَيث غَدَت تَهصر مِنهُ القوام

حَيث غَدَت تَهصر مِنهُ القوام

or a branch dances in the hands of the east wind,

Nor would a branch dance in the hands of morning breeze

as it begins to bend its upright form;

Swaying gently through it.

أَو ما حمام الأَيك قَد أَعرَبَت

أَو ما حمام الأَيك قَد أَعرَبَت

أَلحانُهُ مَبنيَّ هَذا الهيام

أَلحانُهُ مَبنيَّ هَذا الهيام

or as long as the doves of the thicket express,

Nor would the cooing of dove in the sanctum

through their melodies, the structure of this longing;

Express with its melodies this passion.

أَو نبَّه الوَسنان في شَدوه

أَو نبَّه الوَسنان في شَدوه

حيّ عَلى نَيل المُنى يا نِيام

حيّ عَلى نَيل المُنى يا نِيام

or awaken the drowsy one in their song:

Nor would the nightingale in its song awaken

'Come to attain your wishes, O sleepers!'

The sleeper to attaining wished desires.

أَو ما عَلى الهادي وَأَنصاره

أَو ما عَلى الهادي وَأَنصاره

وَآله وَالصَحب صَلّى السَلام

وَآله وَالصَحب صَلّى السَلام

or as long as, upon the Guide and his helpers,

Nor would blessings on the Guide, his party,

and his family and companions, Peace sends blessings;

Progeny, and Companions—blessings and peace—

أَو عطّرت نَفحة إِمدادهم

أَو عطّرت نَفحة إِمدادهم

أَرّخت أَحياناً بِمسك الخِتام

أَرّخت أَحياناً بِمسك الخِتام

or a breath of their succor spreads perfume—

Or a scent of their aid ever inscribe

I have sometimes marked the date with the musk of the close.

At times in musk the seal.