سَل عَن فُؤادي بِسلعٍ أَيّةً ذَهَبا

سَل عَن فُؤادي بِسلعٍ أَيّةً ذَهَبا

وَعُج بِها تَرَ مِن سُكّانِها عَجَبا

وَعُج بِها تَرَ مِن سُكّانِها عَجَبا

Ask at Salʿ about my heart: which way has it gone?

Ask about my heart with whatever goods you may,

And turn aside there; among its inhabitants you will see a marvel.

And hurry there with them, for you'll find its dwellers filled with wonder.

هُناكَ كُلُّ فَتاةٍ كَالمَهاةِ مَتى

هُناكَ كُلُّ فَتاةٍ كَالمَهاةِ مَتى

رَنَت رَمَت أُسُداً مِن قَبل أَن تَثِبا

رَنَت رَمَت أُسُداً مِن قَبل أَن تَثِبا

There every maiden is like an oryx; whenever

There, every maiden is like a wild cow that if

she gazes, she strikes lions before they spring.

She moos, she would fell a lion before it could pounce.

بَيضاءُ كَالشَمسِ قُلنا نُورها شَفَقٌ

بَيضاءُ كَالشَمسِ قُلنا نُورها شَفَقٌ

فَأَشبَهَت فِضَّةً قَد أُشرِبَت ذَهَبا

فَأَشبَهَت فِضَّةً قَد أُشرِبَت ذَهَبا

Fair as the sun—we said her radiance was the sunset glow—

White like the sun, we said her brilliance was the dawn’s light,

so she resembled silver suffused with gold.

So she resembled silver imbued with gold.

حَلَّت بِنَجدٍ وَحَلَّ الوَجدُ في كَبِدي

حَلَّت بِنَجدٍ وَحَلَّ الوَجدُ في كَبِدي

لِلَّهِ نَجدٌ إِذا أَهدَت نَسيمَ صَبا

لِلَّهِ نَجدٌ إِذا أَهدَت نَسيمَ صَبا

She settled in Najd, and longing settled in my liver.

She arrived in Najd and passion arrived in my liver,

God bless Najd when it sends the east wind's breeze!

By God, Najd when she sends the breeze of morning!

ما لاحَ لِي البَرقُ مِن تِلقاءِ كاظِمَةٍ

ما لاحَ لِي البَرقُ مِن تِلقاءِ كاظِمَةٍ

إِلّا وَأَضرَمَ في أَحشائِيَ اللَهَبا

إِلّا وَأَضرَمَ في أَحشائِيَ اللَهَبا

Never did lightning flash before me from the direction of Kazimah

Lightning did not flash from Kadhimah’s direction

without kindling a flame within my entrails.

Except it kindled flames in my guts.

وَلا تَذَكَّرتُ حُزوى وَالغَويرَ وَلا

وَلا تَذَكَّرتُ حُزوى وَالغَويرَ وَلا

آرامَ رامَةَ إِلّا صِحتُ وا حَرَبا

آرامَ رامَةَ إِلّا صِحتُ وا حَرَبا

Nor did I recall Huzwa or al-Ghuwayr, nor

I remembered no Huzwa or Ghawir or

the gazelles of Ramah, without crying, 'Oh, my woe!'

Rama’s Aram except I roared for war.

أَمسَيتُ أَهوى عَنِ الأَلحاظِ مُحتَجِباً

أَمسَيتُ أَهوى عَنِ الأَلحاظِ مُحتَجِباً

وَشَخصُهُ عَن ضَميري قَلَّ ما اِحتَجَبا

وَشَخصُهُ عَن ضَميري قَلَّ ما اِحتَجَبا

I have come to love one concealed from sight,

I fell in love glancing furtively, hiding,

while his form has seldom been concealed from my mind.

While he is seldom hidden from my conscience.

وَلَستُ آمُلُ طَيفاً مِنهُ يَطرُقُني

وَلَستُ آمُلُ طَيفاً مِنهُ يَطرُقُني

أَما تَرى الطَيفَ مَن مِنهُ الكَرى سَلِبا

أَما تَرى الطَيفَ مَن مِنهُ الكَرى سَلِبا

Nor do I hope for a dream-phantom of him to visit me by night;

I do not hope for an apparition of him to visit me!

can one robbed of slumber ever see a dream-phantom?

Do you not see, the specter - who could take it away?

بانَ الحَبيبُ وَبانَ الصَبرُ يَتبَعُهُ

بانَ الحَبيبُ وَبانَ الصَبرُ يَتبَعُهُ

لا أَستَطيعُ لِصَبري بَعدَهُ طَلَبا

لا أَستَطيعُ لِصَبري بَعدَهُ طَلَبا

The beloved departed, and patience departed, following him.

The beloved left and patience follows him,

I cannot seek my patience once he has gone.

After him I cannot seek patience.

إِن يَنأَ فَالأَمجَدُ المَيمونُ طائِرُهُ

إِن يَنأَ فَالأَمجَدُ المَيمونُ طائِرُهُ

لَدَيَّ إِحسانُهُ مازالَ مُقتَرِبا

لَدَيَّ إِحسانُهُ مازالَ مُقتَرِبا

If he grows distant, then al-Amjad, blessed in his fortune—

If he spares me, his glorious, fortunate bird

his kindness has always remained close to me.

His benevolence stays always nearing me.

لِلَّهِ دَرُّ اِبنِ فَرُّخشاه مِن مَلِكٍ

لِلَّهِ دَرُّ اِبنِ فَرُّخشاه مِن مَلِكٍ

حَكا أَباهُ فَفاقَ العُجمَ وَالعَرَبا

حَكا أَباهُ فَفاقَ العُجمَ وَالعَرَبا

God bless the son of Farrukhshah—what a king!

Praise God for Ibn Furakhashah’s son, what a king!

He emulated his father and surpassed non-Arabs and Arabs.

He succeeded his father, surpassing non-Arabs and Arabs.

فَذاكَ أَسمَحُ مَن أَعطى وَأَفصَحُ مَن

فَذاكَ أَسمَحُ مَن أَعطى وَأَفصَحُ مَن

أَنشا وَأَبلَغُ مَن أَملى وَمَن كَتَبا

أَنشا وَأَبلَغُ مَن أَملى وَمَن كَتَبا

For he is the most generous giver, the most articulate of those

That is the most generous who gave, most eloquent who

who compose, and the most eloquent of those who dictate and write.

Recited, most expressive who dictated and wrote.

ما رَدَّ مِن دونِهِ الحِرمانُ سائِلَهُ

ما رَدَّ مِن دونِهِ الحِرمانُ سائِلَهُ

وَفي الهِياجِ يَرُدُّ الجَحفَل اللَّجِبا

وَفي الهِياجِ يَرُدُّ الجَحفَل اللَّجِبا

Denial has never turned his petitioner away from him,

Denial did not turn away any beseecher from him

and in battle he repels the clamorous host.

And in confusion, he returns the obstinate.

إِن يَرضَ خاطِبهُ بِالمَعروفِ تَحظَ بِهِ

إِن يَرضَ خاطِبهُ بِالمَعروفِ تَحظَ بِهِ

وَلا تُخاطِبهُ في أَمرٍ إِذا غَضِبا

وَلا تُخاطِبهُ في أَمرٍ إِذا غَضِبا

If he is pleased, address him courteously, and you will gain his favor;

If his suitor pleases him with propriety, he obliges him

but do not address him about anything when he is angry.

And do not petition him about anything when he is angry.

ما في سَلاطينِ هَذا العَصرِ كُلِّهِمِ

ما في سَلاطينِ هَذا العَصرِ كُلِّهِمِ

كَابنِ المُعِزِّ يُعِزُّ الفَضلَ وَالأَدَبا

كَابنِ المُعِزِّ يُعِزُّ الفَضلَ وَالأَدَبا

Among all the sultans of this age there is none

Of all the sovereigns of this age combined

like al-Muʿizz's son, who honors merit and literature.

None like the son of Al-Muizz, honoring merit and literature.

مِن جودِهِ صَحَّ عِلمُ الكيمياءِ لَنا

مِن جودِهِ صَحَّ عِلمُ الكيمياءِ لَنا

وَلا نَرى الكيميا إِلا إِذا وَهَبا

وَلا نَرى الكيميا إِلا إِذا وَهَبا

Through his generosity, the science of alchemy has proved true to us,

From his munificence, the science of alchemy is validated for us

and we witness alchemy only when he gives.

And we only see alchemy when he grants it.

نُهدي إِلَيهِ بُيوتَ الشِعرِ في وَرَقٍ

نُهدي إِلَيهِ بُيوتَ الشِعرِ في وَرَقٍ

فَنَأخُذُ الوَرقَ المُختارَ وَالذَهَبا

فَنَأخُذُ الوَرقَ المُختارَ وَالذَهَبا

We offer him verses of poetry on paper,

We present to him scrolls of poetry on paper

and so receive choice silver and gold.

And we take the chosen paper and the gold.

إِلَيكَ يا أَوحَدَ الدُنيا وَأَمجَدَ مَن

إِلَيكَ يا أَوحَدَ الدُنيا وَأَمجَدَ مَن

فيها خَدَت بي عَنسٌ تَشتَكي التَعَبا

فيها خَدَت بي عَنسٌ تَشتَكي التَعَبا

To you, O peerless one of the world, and most glorious of those

To you, O unique one of the world and most glorious

in it, a sturdy she-camel sped with me, complaining of weariness.

Of those in it whose cheek plain of fatigue.

ما زِلتُ أَمدَحُ مَولانا وَأَشكُرُهُ

ما زِلتُ أَمدَحُ مَولانا وَأَشكُرُهُ

إِنَّ الدُعاءَ لَهُ في دَهرِنا وَجَبا

إِنَّ الدُعاءَ لَهُ في دَهرِنا وَجَبا

I have never ceased praising our lord and thanking him;

I never ceased praising our Mawlana and thanking him

indeed, prayer for him in our age has become a duty.

Supplication for him is obligatory in our time.

بُروقُ وَعدِكَ عِندي أَومَضَت فَمَضَت

بُروقُ وَعدِكَ عِندي أَومَضَت فَمَضَت

فَليَأتِ مِنكَ حَيا الإِنجازِ مُنسَكِبا

فَليَأتِ مِنكَ حَيا الإِنجازِ مُنسَكِبا

Your promise's lightning-flashes gleamed before me, then passed away;

The lightning of your promise shone and went

so let the rain of fulfillment come pouring down from you.

So may the downpour of fulfillment come pouring from you.

فَأَشبَهَت رَوضَةً نَجدِيَّةً بِيَدٍ

فَأَشبَهَت رَوضَةً نَجدِيَّةً بِيَدٍ

مجدِيَّةٍ أَرضُها جِلدي فَواعَجَبا

مجدِيَّةٍ أَرضُها جِلدي فَواعَجَبا

So I resembled a Najdi garden, thanks to a hand

She resembled a Najdi garden by a hand

of glory; its soil was my skin—oh, what a wonder!

Majestic making its ground my hide so it was wondrous.

لا زالَ يَرفُلُ مَن والاكَ في خِلَعٍ

لا زالَ يَرفُلُ مَن والاكَ في خِلَعٍ

وَمَن يُعاديكَ مَخلوعَ القُوى شَجَبا

وَمَن يُعاديكَ مَخلوعَ القُوى شَجَبا

May whoever is loyal to you never cease walking proudly in robes of honor,

He who allies with you continues to luxuriate in robes

and may whoever opposes you perish, stripped of strength!

While he who opposes you, his strength withers and becomes firewood.