سَلاها كَيفَ ضَيَّعتِ الوِصالا

سَلاها كَيفَ ضَيَّعتِ الوِصالا

وَبَطَّت مِن مَوَدَّتِنا الجِبالا

وَبَطَّت مِن مَوَدَّتِنا الجِبالا

Ask her, you two, how she squandered our union,

I asked her how she wasted our union,

And cleft the mountains of our affection.

And the mountains crumbled from our affection.

وَأَضحَت بِالشَآمِ تَرى حَراماً

وَأَضحَت بِالشَآمِ تَرى حَراماً

مُواصَلَتي وَهِجراني حَلالا

مُواصَلَتي وَهِجراني حَلالا

And now, in al-Sham, she deems it forbidden

She now sees as forbidden in Damascus

To keep ties with me, but lawful to forsake me.

My visit while estrangement became lawful.

هَلِ الحَسناءُ مُخبِرَتي أَهَجراً

هَلِ الحَسناءُ مُخبِرَتي أَهَجراً

أَرادَت بِالتَجَنُّبِ أَم دَلالا

أَرادَت بِالتَجَنُّبِ أَم دَلالا

Will the fair one tell me whether it was estrangement

Did the beautiful one inform me of estrangement?

She meant by shunning me, or coquetry?

Or did she want evasion or coquetry?

ذَكَرتُ بِها قَضيبَ البانِ لَمّا

ذَكَرتُ بِها قَضيبَ البانِ لَمّا

بَدَت تَختالُ في الحُسنِ اِختِيالا

بَدَت تَختالُ في الحُسنِ اِختِيالا

In her I recalled a bān-tree branch, when

I remembered her straight form when

She appeared, swaying proudly in her beauty.

She began to sway in beauty and allure.

تُشاكِلُهُ اِهتِزازاً وَاِنعِطافاً

تُشاكِلُهُ اِهتِزازاً وَاِنعِطافاً

وَتَحكيهِ قَواماً وَاِعتِدالا

وَتَحكيهِ قَواماً وَاِعتِدالا

She resembles it in swaying and bending,

She sways and bends resembling it,

And mirrors it in stature and proportion.

And describes its posture and balance.

وَلي كَبِدٌ تَلينُ عَلى التَصابي

وَلي كَبِدٌ تَلينُ عَلى التَصابي

وَتَأبى في الهَوى إِلّا اِشتِعالا

وَتَأبى في الهَوى إِلّا اِشتِعالا

And I have a liver that softens at youthful dalliance,

My liver melts at adversities,

And in passion it will do nothing but burn.

And refuses in love but inflammation.

وَعَينٌ لَيسَ تَألوني اِنسِكاباً

وَعَينٌ لَيسَ تَألوني اِنسِكاباً

وَقَلبٌ لَيسَ يَألوني خَبالا

وَقَلبٌ لَيسَ يَألوني خَبالا

And an eye that spares me no streaming tears,

An eye that does not cease shedding tears for me,

And a heart that spares me no madness.

And a heart that does not cease to ache for me.

وَقَد عَلِمَ الوُشاةُ ثَباتَ عَهدي

وَقَد عَلِمَ الوُشاةُ ثَباتَ عَهدي

إِذا عَهدُ الَّذي أَهواهُ حالا

إِذا عَهدُ الَّذي أَهواهُ حالا

And the slanderers have learned how steadfast my pledge is,

The slanderers knew my loyalty

When the pledge of the one I love has changed.

If the one I loved changed.

وَأَنّي لَم أَزَل كَلِفاً بِلَيلى

وَأَنّي لَم أَزَل كَلِفاً بِلَيلى

عَلى كُرهِ الوُشاةِ وَلَن أَزالا

عَلى كُرهِ الوُشاةِ وَلَن أَزالا

And that I have always been enamored of Layla,

I have not ceased loving Layla

Despite the slanderers' spite, and never shall I cease.

Despite the hatred of slanderers and will not cease.

وَلَم أَعدُد هَوايَ لَها سَفاهاً

وَلَم أَعدُد هَوايَ لَها سَفاهاً

وَلا وَجدي القَديمَ بِها ضَلالا

وَلا وَجدي القَديمَ بِها ضَلالا

And I have not deemed my love for her foolishness,

I did not count my love for her as frivolity,

Nor my longstanding passion for her error.

Nor did I consider my old passion for her as misguidance.

أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنتَ أَرضى

أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنتَ أَرضى

عِبادَ اللَهِ عِندَ اللَهِ حالا

عِبادَ اللَهِ عِندَ اللَهِ حالا

O Commander of the Faithful, you hold the most favored

Commander of the Faithful, and you are the most content

Station among God's servants in the sight of God.

Of God's servants in God's sight.

رَدَدتَ الدينَ مَوفوراً مَصوناً

رَدَدتَ الدينَ مَوفوراً مَصوناً

وَقَبلَكَ كانَ مُنتَقِصاً مُذالا

وَقَبلَكَ كانَ مُنتَقِصاً مُذالا

You restored the faith, whole and safeguarded,

You have restored religion intact and protected,

Whereas before you it was diminished and debased.

While before you it was deficient and disgraced.

إِذا الخُلَفاءُ عُدُّا يَومَ فَخرٍ

إِذا الخُلَفاءُ عُدُّا يَومَ فَخرٍ

وَبَرَّزَ مَجدُهُم فَسَما وَطالا

وَبَرَّزَ مَجدُهُم فَسَما وَطالا

When the caliphs are counted on a day of boasting,

When the caliphs are counted on a day of pride,

And their glory stands forth, rising high and towering,

And their glory rises high and long.

غَدَوتَ أَجَلَّهُم خَطَراً وَذِكراً

غَدَوتَ أَجَلَّهُم خَطَراً وَذِكراً

وَأَعلاهُم وَأَشرَفَهُم فَعالا

وَأَعلاهُم وَأَشرَفَهُم فَعالا

You prove the greatest of them in stature and renown,

You are the greatest of them in prestige and remembrance,

And the highest and noblest of them in deeds.

And the highest and most noble in deeds.

وَما حَسُنَت نَواحي الأَرضِ حَتّى

وَما حَسُنَت نَواحي الأَرضِ حَتّى

مَلَكتَ السَهلَ مِنها وَالجِبالا

مَلَكتَ السَهلَ مِنها وَالجِبالا

And the earth's regions did not grow fair until

The regions of earth did not beautify

You ruled its plains and mountains,

Until you possessed its plains and mountains.

بِوَجهٍ يَملَأُ الدُنيا ضِياءَ

بِوَجهٍ يَملَأُ الدُنيا ضِياءَ

وَكَفٍّ تَملَأُ الدُنيا نَوالا

وَكَفٍّ تَملَأُ الدُنيا نَوالا

With a face that fills the world with light,

With a face that fills the world with light,

And a palm that fills the world with bounty.

And a palm that fills the world with bounty.

أَرى الحَولَ الجَديدَ جَرى بِسَعدٍ

أَرى الحَولَ الجَديدَ جَرى بِسَعدٍ

وَحالِ بِأَنعُمٍ لَكَ حينَ حالا

وَحالِ بِأَنعُمٍ لَكَ حينَ حالا

I see the new year has run with good fortune,

I see the new year passing with prosperity,

And come round with blessings for you as it turned.

And a condition of bliss for you as time passed.

فُتوحٌ يَدَّرِكنَ مِنَ النَواحي

فُتوحٌ يَدَّرِكنَ مِنَ النَواحي

كَما اِدَّرَكَ السَحابُ إِذا تَوالى

كَما اِدَّرَكَ السَحابُ إِذا تَوالى

Conquests follow one another from the regions,

Conquests will reach you from all regions

As clouds overtake one another when they come in succession.

As clouds gather when they follow one another.

وَجاءَكَ بِالرَغائِبِ مالُ مِصرٍ

وَجاءَكَ بِالرَغائِبِ مالُ مِصرٍ

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَها ظَفَراً وَمالا

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَها ظَفَراً وَمالا

And Egypt's wealth came to you with precious gifts;

And it will bring you the desires of Egypt,

So I have seen nothing like it in triumph and wealth.

So I have not seen the like of its triumph and wealth.

يُحَسِّنُ مِن مَديحي فيكَ أَنّي

يُحَسِّنُ مِن مَديحي فيكَ أَنّي

مَتى أَعدُد عُلاكَ أَجِد مَقالا

مَتى أَعدُد عُلاكَ أَجِد مَقالا

What lends beauty to my praise of you is that I,

It improves my praise of you that whenever

Whenever I recount your greatness, find words to say.

I recount your ascendance, I find words lacking.

وَلَستُ أُلامُ في تَقصيرِ شُكري

وَلَستُ أُلامُ في تَقصيرِ شُكري

وَقَد حَمَّلتَني المِنَنَ الثِقالا

وَقَد حَمَّلتَني المِنَنَ الثِقالا

And I am not to be blamed for falling short in thanks,

I am not blamed for falling short in gratitude,

For you have laden me with weighty favors.

Since you have burdened me with significant favors.

لَقَد نَوَّهتَ بي شَرقاً وَغَرباً

لَقَد نَوَّهتَ بي شَرقاً وَغَرباً

وَقَد خَوَّلتَني جاهاً وَمالا

وَقَد خَوَّلتَني جاهاً وَمالا

You have indeed raised my name in East and West,

You have lauded me in East and West,

And you have bestowed on me prestige and wealth.

And you have given me prestige and wealth.

وَما أَلفٌ بِأَكثَرِ ما أُرَجّي

وَما أَلفٌ بِأَكثَرِ ما أُرَجّي

وَآمَلُ مِن نَداكَ إِذا تَوالى

وَآمَلُ مِن نَداكَ إِذا تَوالى

And a thousand is not the utmost I expect

A thousand is not greater than what I wish for

And hope for from your bounty when it flows on.

And hope from your continuous generosity.

إِذا سَبَقَت يَداكَ إِلى عَطاءٍ

إِذا سَبَقَت يَداكَ إِلى عَطاءٍ

أَمِنّا الخُلفَ عِندَكَ وَالمِطالا

أَمِنّا الخُلفَ عِندَكَ وَالمِطالا

When your two hands hasten to give,

When your hands precede giving,

We are safe with you from broken promises and delay.

We are secure from privation with you.

وَإِن يَسَّرتَ لِلمَعروفِ قَولاً

وَإِن يَسَّرتَ لِلمَعروفِ قَولاً

فَإِنَّكَ تُتبَعُ القَولَ الفَعالا

فَإِنَّكَ تُتبَعُ القَولَ الفَعالا

And if you readily offer a promise of kindness,

And if you pave the way for kindness in words,

Then you follow your words with deeds.

Then you follow words with action.

رَأَيتُ اليُمنَ وَالبَرَكاتِ لَمّا

رَأَيتُ اليُمنَ وَالبَرَكاتِ لَمّا

رَأَيتَ بَياضَ وَجهِكَ وَالهِلالا

رَأَيتَ بَياضَ وَجهِكَ وَالهِلالا

I saw good fortune and blessings when

I saw blessings when I saw

You saw the whiteness of your face and the crescent moon.

The whiteness of your face and the crescent.