جَنَّ الظَلامُ فَمُذ بَدا مُبتَسِّماً

جَنَّ الظَلامُ فَمُذ بَدا مُبتَسِّماً

لاحَ الهُدى وَتَجَلَّتِ الظَلماءُ

لاحَ الهُدى وَتَجَلَّتِ الظَلماءُ

Darkness fell; then, when he appeared smiling,

The night wore its veil, smiling since it appeared,

Guidance shone, and the darkness cleared.

The light of guidance dawned and the darkness dissipated.

وَهَدَت مُحِبّاً ظَلَّ في لَيلِ الجَفا

وَهَدَت مُحِبّاً ظَلَّ في لَيلِ الجَفا

لَمّا هَدا وَاِمتَدَّتِ الآناءُ

لَمّا هَدا وَاِمتَدَّتِ الآناءُ

And it guided a lover who had lingered in estrangement's night,

It guided a lover who lingered in the night of estrangement,

When he grew still and the hours stretched on.

When it guided, the days stretched ahead.

رَشَأٌ غَدا مَن سُكرِ خَمرَةِ ريقِهِ

رَشَأٌ غَدا مَن سُكرِ خَمرَةِ ريقِهِ

مُتَأَوَّدا فَكَأَنَّها صَهباءُ

مُتَأَوَّدا فَكَأَنَّها صَهباءُ

A young gazelle who, drunk on the wine of his saliva, began

The morning dew from the wine of his saliva,

To sway, as though it were tawny wine.

Became intimate, as if it were mercury.

وَسَرَت بِخَدَّيهِ المُدامُ بِلُطفِها

وَسَرَت بِخَدَّيهِ المُدامُ بِلُطفِها

فَتَوَرَّدا وَكَساهُما اللَألاءُ

فَتَوَرَّدا وَكَساهُما اللَألاءُ

And the wine coursed gently through his cheeks,

The wine caressed his cheeks gently,

So both grew rosy, and radiance clothed them.

They blushed and were covered in ruby color.

وافى يُعيدُ مِنَ التَواصُلِ ضِعفَ ما

وافى يُعيدُ مِنَ التَواصُلِ ضِعفَ ما

مِنهُ بَدا إِذ صَحَّ مِنهُ وَفاءُ

مِنهُ بَدا إِذ صَحَّ مِنهُ وَفاءُ

He came, restoring twice as much closeness as

It returned double the connection that emerged from it,

He had shown, once his fidelity was proven.

When its loyalty was evident.

فَأَلَمَّ بي طَوعاً وَباتَ لِساعِدي

فَأَلَمَّ بي طَوعاً وَباتَ لِساعِدي

مُتَوَسِّدا وَفِراشُهُ الأَعضاءُ

مُتَوَسِّدا وَفِراشُهُ الأَعضاءُ

So he visited me willingly and passed the night, my forearm

It clung to me voluntarily and slept on my arm,

His pillow, and my limbs his bed.

Using it as a pillow, and my limbs as its bedding.

عانَقتُهُ مُتَرَفِّقاً وَضَمَمتُهُ

عانَقتُهُ مُتَرَفِّقاً وَضَمَمتُهُ

مُتَأَيِّداً إِذ نامَتِ الرُقَباءُ

مُتَأَيِّداً إِذ نامَتِ الرُقَباءُ

I embraced him gently and clasped him

I embraced it gently and held it closely,

Firmly, when the watchers slept.

As the necks fell asleep.

حَتّى اِغتَدى مِن ساعِدَيَّ مُوَشَّحاً

حَتّى اِغتَدى مِن ساعِدَيَّ مُوَشَّحاً

وَمُقَلَّدا وَقَدِ اِعتَراهُ حَياءُ

وَمُقَلَّدا وَقَدِ اِعتَراهُ حَياءُ

Until he wore my two forearms as a sash

Until it was adorned with my arms,

And a necklace, while bashfulness overtook him.

Wearing them as necklaces, shyness overcoming it.

وَسَطا الضِياءُ عَلى الظَلامِ وَحَبَّذا

وَسَطا الضِياءُ عَلى الظَلامِ وَحَبَّذا

لَو يُفتَدى وَلَهُ النُفوسُ فِداءُ

لَو يُفتَدى وَلَهُ النُفوسُ فِداءُ

And light assailed the darkness—would that

The light prevailed over the darkness and they wished,

It could be ransomed; souls would be its ransom.

If only it could be ransomed, the souls its ransom.

لَم أَدرِ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ أَقبَلَ جَيشُهُ

لَم أَدرِ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ أَقبَلَ جَيشُهُ

مُتَبَدِّدا وَلَهُ الشُعاعُ لِواءُ

مُتَبَدِّدا وَلَهُ الشُعاعُ لِواءُ

I could not tell: was it dawn's light, its army advancing,

I did not know if the dawn’s light advanced its army,

Spreading far and wide, with rays as its banner,

Scattering, the rays its banners.

أَو نورُ شَمسِ الدينِ قَد جَلّى الدُجى

أَو نورُ شَمسِ الدينِ قَد جَلّى الدُجى

لَمّا بَدا وَلَهُ القُلوبُ سَماءُ

لَمّا بَدا وَلَهُ القُلوبُ سَماءُ

Or had the light of Shams al-Din dispelled the gloom

Or if the light of the sun of faith illuminated the gloom,

When he appeared, with hearts as his sky?

When it appeared, and for it the hearts are the heavens.

شَمسٌ إِذا ما راحَ تَرقُبُهُ العُلى

شَمسٌ إِذا ما راحَ تَرقُبُهُ العُلى

وَإِذا غَدا فَكَأَنَّها الحِرباءُ

وَإِذا غَدا فَكَأَنَّها الحِرباءُ

A sun: glory watches him when he goes forth at evening,

A sun, when the heights keep watch over it,

And when he goes forth at dawn, it is like a chameleon.

And when it rises, it is as if it were the full moon.

وَإِذا تَدَرَّعَ فَالسَماحَةُ دِرعُهُ

وَإِذا تَدَرَّعَ فَالسَماحَةُ دِرعُهُ

وَإِذا اِرتَدى فَلَهُ الجَمالُ رِداءُ

وَإِذا اِرتَدى فَلَهُ الجَمالُ رِداءُ

And when he dons armor, generosity is his armor;

When it is armored, gentleness is its armor,

And when he robes himself, beauty is his robe.

And when it is clothed, beauty is its cloak.

مِن آلِ عَبسونَ الَّذينَ إِذا اِنتَمَوا

مِن آلِ عَبسونَ الَّذينَ إِذا اِنتَمَوا

عَبَسَ الرَدى وَتَوَلَّتِ اللَأواءُ

عَبَسَ الرَدى وَتَوَلَّتِ اللَأواءُ

From the house of ʿAbsūn, who, when they proclaim their lineage,

Of the tribe of Abs, who when they are enraged,

Make Death frown and hardship turn away.

The valleys frown and the winds howl.

وَإِذا سَطوا بَكَتِ السُيوفُ وَإِن سَخوا

وَإِذا سَطوا بَكَتِ السُيوفُ وَإِن سَخوا

ضَحِكَ النَدى وَتَجَلَّتِ الغَمّاءُ

ضَحِكَ النَدى وَتَجَلَّتِ الغَمّاءُ

And when they strike, swords weep; and if they give generously,

And if they are lenient, the swords weep, and if they pardon,

Bounty laughs, and dark distress is dispelled.

The dew laughs and the clouds disperse.

قَومٌ بِهُم تُجلى الكُروبُ ومِنهُم

قَومٌ بِهُم تُجلى الكُروبُ ومِنهُم

يُرجى الجَدا إِن ضَنَّتِ الأَنواءُ

يُرجى الجَدا إِن ضَنَّتِ الأَنواءُ

A people through whom troubles are dispelled, and from whom

A people through whom troubles are removed, and from them,

Bounty is hoped for if the rain-bearing stars withhold.

Generosity is hoped for, even if times are hard.

فَنداهُمُ قَبلَ السُؤالِ وُجودُهُم

فَنداهُمُ قَبلَ السُؤالِ وُجودُهُم

قَبلَ النَدى وَكَذَلِكَ الكُرَماءُ

قَبلَ النَدى وَكَذَلِكَ الكُرَماءُ

So their bounty precedes asking, and their generosity

Their munificence preceded requests,

Precedes the dew—such are the generous.

Preceding generosity, and so are the generous.

وَهُمُ مُنىً لِمَنِ اِعتَفى وَمَنِيَّةٌ

وَهُمُ مُنىً لِمَنِ اِعتَفى وَمَنِيَّةٌ

لِمَنِ اِعتَدى فَسَعادَةٌ وَشَقاءُ

لِمَنِ اِعتَدى فَسَعادَةٌ وَشَقاءُ

And they are hopes fulfilled for those who seek their gifts, and death

They are the refuge for one who seeks protection, and demise,

For those who transgress—happiness and misery.

For one who transgresses - so bliss and misery.

مَولايَ شَمسَ الدينِ يا مَن كَفُّهُ

مَولايَ شَمسَ الدينِ يا مَن كَفُّهُ

يَروي الصَدى وَبِها العُداةُ ظِماءُ

يَروي الصَدى وَبِها العُداةُ ظِماءُ

My lord Shams al-Din, you whose hand

My master, sun of the faith, O you whose palm,

Quenches thirst, while through it enemies go thirsty.

Quenches thirst, and with it the enemies are thirsty.

أَشكو إِلَيكَ غَريمَ شَوقٍ قَد غَدا

أَشكو إِلَيكَ غَريمَ شَوقٍ قَد غَدا

مُتَمَرِّدا ماعِندَهُ إِغضاءُ

مُتَمَرِّدا ماعِندَهُ إِغضاءُ

I complain to you of longing, a creditor that has grown

I complain to you of a creditor of longing that has become,

Rebellious, with no forbearance.

Rebellious, with no consideration.

شَوقي إِلى عَلياكَ أَعظَمُ أَن يُرى

شَوقي إِلى عَلياكَ أَعظَمُ أَن يُرى

مُتَعَدِّدا وَيَعُمَّهُ الإِحصاءُ

مُتَعَدِّدا وَيَعُمَّهُ الإِحصاءُ

My longing for your eminence is too great to be considered

My longing for your eminence is too great to be,

Countable, or encompassed by reckoning.

Enumerated and quantified.

فَاِسلَم فَإِنَّكَ خَيرُ مَولىً يُرتَجى

فَاِسلَم فَإِنَّكَ خَيرُ مَولىً يُرتَجى

أَو يُجتَدى وَلَكَ اليَدُ البِيضاءُ

أَو يُجتَدى وَلَكَ اليَدُ البِيضاءُ

So may you remain safe, for you are the best lord to hope in

So submit, for you are the best master to be hoped for,

Or seek bounty from, and yours is the white hand of favor.

Or sacrificed to, and for you are the white hands.

لا زالَ غَيثُ نَداكَ يُمطِرُ فِضَّةً

لا زالَ غَيثُ نَداكَ يُمطِرُ فِضَّةً

أَو عَسجَدا تَغنى بِهِ الفُقَراءُ

أَو عَسجَدا تَغنى بِهِ الفُقَراءُ

May the rain of your bounty never cease showering silver

The rain of your munificence still pours silver,

Or gold, through which the poor grow rich.

Or gold, satisfying the poor.