نَعَمْ هَذِه دَارُ النَّعيم المُعَجَّلِ

تُذكِّرُني دَارَ النَّعيمِ المؤجَّل

Yes, this is the abode of instant bliss

Reminding me of the deferred blissful abode

فأَرتَعُ في الدَّارَينِ في زَمَن معاً

بعيني وعَيْنَيْ فِكرتِي وتَخيُّلي

So I graze in both abodes at one time

With my eyes, mind and imagination

أَلا فاجلَسا فيها سُروراً بها ولا

قِفَا نبك من ذِكْرَى حَبيبٍ ومَنزلِ

Oh, reside in it happily without

Standing weeping from memories of a beloved and home

ولا تَعْبُرا بالله بالقَصْرِ بَعْدَها

فما عِنْدَ رَسْمٍ دارسٍ مِنْ مُعَوَّل

And do not, by God, after it censure the palace

For nothingness exists in drawing for one to rely on

لقد قَصَّرتْ عن شَأؤِهَا كُلُّ روضةٍ

وقصَّر عن أَملاكِها كُلُّ أَفْضَلِ

Every garden falls short compared to its magnificence

And all excellences fall short of its possessions

وأَنْسَى بها بَيْنَ الوَرى ذِكْر جَعْفرِ الرَّ

شيدِ فأَنى جَعْفرُ المُتَوكِّل

And in it between all people I forget mention of Ja’far al Rashid

So where is Ja’far al-Mutawakkil?

يُرى الضَّيْفُ فيها وهْوَ ضَيْفٌ لحاتِم

كما الجارُ فيها وهْو جَارُ السَمَوْءَل

The guest is seen in it as a guest of Hatim

As the neighbor is in it - a neighbor of loftiness

سماءُ نُضَارٍ تحتها أَرْضُ فضَّةٍ

يفرّع مَاءُ الوَرْدِ فيها بَجَدْولِ

A clear sky under which silver earth

Where water of roses flows in a stream

وفي الصَدْرِ شَاذرْوَانُهَا جَفنُ ملْعَب

لعُفْرِيَّةٍ آثارُ طَيْفٍ وأَيْطَل

And in the breast are its galleries - an eye of a playground

For bands of nymphs - traces of ghosts and specters

وكم طائرٍ من رأْسِهِ الماءُ طَائِرٌ

على أَنَّهُ في وَكْرِه كالمُكبَّل

And however many birds from whose heads water is flying

As if captive in its lair tied up

وكم أَسدِ ولماءُ من فيه وَاثِبٌ

وإِن كَان لَمْ يَنْهَضْ ولَم يَتَحَلْحَل

And however many lions from which escaped water leaps

Though it hasn't risen or moved

أُعِيدَ مُلُوكُ الأَرض فيها ليَعْلَمُوا

بأَنَّ الذي شَادُوهُ غَيْرُ مُكَمَّلِ

The kings of earth were revived in it to know

That what they built is imperfect

يقابِلُ كِسْرى قيصراً وكلاهما

يُقَلِّب طَرْف الباهتِ المتَأَمِّل

Chosroes faces Caesar and both

Flip looks of the wide-eyed observer

فكسرى يرى الإِيوانَ كِسْراً وقَيْصرٌ

يرى القَصْر خُصَّ الناسك المتبتِّلِ

So Chosroes sees the hall imperfect and Caesar

Sees the palace - deprived of all but the devoted worshipper

وصُوِّرَ في أَرْجَائِها كُلُّ عاشقٍ

يرى العِشْقَ فَرضاً في الكتابِ المنزَّلِ

And in its corners every lover is depicted

Who sees passion an obligation in the descended book

جَمِيلُ بُثَيْنٍ مَعْ كُثَيِّرٍ عزَّةٍ

يَصُوغَانِ أَشعارَ الهوى والتَغَزُّلِ

Beautiful Buthaina with glorious Kuthaiyir

Composing love poems and amorous overtures

وقد عرِضَت فيها الجنودُ فجحفَلٌ

يمرُّ على آثارهِ أَلفُ جَحْفَل

And in it the armies were presented so hosts

Pass by their vestiges, a thousand hosts

كأَنَّهمُ في يوم عيد فقُمْصُهم

من الوَشْي لا قُمص الحديدِ المسَرْبَل

As if on feast day their attire

Is of brocade, not iron coats of mail

وقد أَينَعَتْ فيها الرياضُ فكَمْ بها

لمخترِفٍ من كل عِذْقٍ مُذَلَّلِ

And in it gardens bore fruit so how many

For the amusing picker from each hanging cluster

وقد بَعُدَتْ لكِنْ على كَفِّ مجْتَنٍ

وقد قَرُبَتْ لكن إِلى عينِ مُجْتَلي

And it was distant but on the palm of a gift-bearer

And was brought near to the eye of a beholder

فقد بان منها للورى فَضْل آخرٍ

كما بان منها عندهم نَقْضُ أَوَّلِ

So its special favor over people was made clear

As was its flaw to them from the first