سَلِ العرصات والبانا
عنِ الظبيِ الّذي بانا
Ask the caravans and travelers
About the gazelle that has passed,
وقُل هل جاوزَ الأحبا
ب في الركبان ركبانا
And say: Has he gone beyond the loved ones
In a caravan with caravans?
وَهل قاضتهم الرحلا
ت بالخودانِ خودانا
Have the journeys forced them
To abandon their lovers?
لَقد تَركوا القلوبَ لهم
وَللأوطانِ أوطانا
They have left their hearts for them
And homelands for homelands.
ربوع كم بها جرّر
تُ أذيالاً وأردانا
How many meadows have they dragged
Their robes and veils over!
وصدتُ جآذراً من سر
بِ ساكنها وغزلانا
I have repelled invaders from a land
Whose people and gazelles dwell in it.
وَباعثة جيوش الحب
بِ ألحاظاً وأجفانا
She rouses armies of love
With glances and eyelids,
تُقاضيني بصفوِ الود
دِ إعراضاً وهجرانا
Contesting me with intimacy
Turning away and estranging.
فَقَلبي لا يزالُ لخص
رِها الظمآن ظمآنا
So my thirsty heart still thirsts
For her gathering.
تهزّ إِذا مَشت غُصناً
بِماءِ الحسن ريّانا
She sways a branch as she walks
Sprinkling the water of beauty.
وتَحلو حين تبسمُ مث
ل سمط الدرِّ أَسنانا
Her smile is as sweet
As the juice of ripened fruits.
ووجهاً كلّما صدّت
بهِ في حسنهِ زانا
Her face beautifies, whenever she turns it away,
In its beauty without decrease,
كمثلِ البدرِ إلّا أن
نها لم تَخش نُقصانا
Like the full moon except
It fears no loss.
يظلُّ إِزارها من رد
فها الملآن ملآنا
The hem of her gown is always filled
From her abundance.
تُريني بالرِضا والسخ
طِ جنّات ونيرانا
She shows me consent and disdain,
Heavens and hellfire.
وتبدي لي من الإدلا
لِ طاعات وعصيانا
She reveals to me from coquetry
Obedience and disobedience.
أَلا يا طالباً في سع
يهِ يُسراً وإمكانا
Oh you who seek ease and ability -
Ask the sultan the giver of bounty
سلِ السلطان محي الجو
د يعرب نجل سلطانا
An offspring of sultan.
A king whose nobility
مليكٌ لا تقس شرفاً
بهِ سيفاً وعرّانا
Is not measured by sword and spear.
The pride scattered by his head
يعير الفخر مفرق رأ
سهِ بيضاً وتيجانا
Whiteness and crown.
The mention of his conquest makes one forget
وَينسي ذكرهُ الفتح اِب
نَ خاقان بن خاقانا
The son of Khāqān son of Khāqān.
He possesses might that shakes
لهُ بأسٌ يزلزل أه
لَ كحلان وكحلانا
The people of Kohlān and Kohlān.
When his politics are mentioned,
إِذا ذُكرت سياستهُ
فما عثمانُ عثمانا
‘Uthmān is not ‘Uthmān.
Neither is Qābūs, Qābūs,
وَلا قابوس قابوساً
ولا حسّان حسّانا
Nor Ḥassān, Ḥassān.
As if his palms for generosity
كأنّ أكفّه للجو
دِ سيحان وجيحانا
Are rains and downpours.
And if they found him a raincloud
وَلَو جَدواه غيثاً كا
نَ كالطوفانِ طوفانا
He would be a deluge.
But his palms' clouds have vanished
وَلكن سحب كفّيه
هَمت ورقاً وغفيانا
Becoming paper and sleep.
With him, palm trees have excelled
لَقد فضلت به نخلٌ
عِراقاً بل خُراسانا
Iraq, no - Khorasan.
And his virtue has surpassed
وَجاوزَ فضلها في شأ
وهِ حلباً ونجرانا
Aleppo and Najrān.
Oh you who has followed kindness with kindness endlessly
أَلا يا مَن لَنا قد أت
بعَ الإحسانَ إحسانا
And who is with dew in the duration of times, a time!
You have been given command and glory
وَمَن هو بالندى في مد
دةِ الأحيانِ أحيانا
Over the kingdom of servants.
And your lofty glory
لَقد أُعطيت في ملك ال
عبادِ الأمرَ والشانا
Has become universal.
وَأَصبحَ مجدُك العالي
على كيوان كيوانا
