مَحاسن أَبيات تَجلت بِنُورِها

مَحاسن أَبيات تَجلت بِنُورِها

عَليَّ فَعجزي لا يَقوم بِشُكرِها

عَليَّ فَعجزي لا يَقوم بِشُكرِها

The beauties of verses revealed themselves in their light

The beauties of verses shone forth with their light

to me—yet my inadequacy cannot suffice to thank them.

Upon me; my feeble powers cannot thank them enough.

صَبَوت لَها لَما رَأَيت جَمالَها

صَبَوت لَها لَما رَأَيت جَمالَها

وَعايَنت نظم الدرّ في عقد نَحرِها

وَعايَنت نظم الدرّ في عقد نَحرِها

I yearned for them when I saw their beauty

I grew enamored of them when I saw their beauty,

and beheld pearls arrayed in a necklace at their throat.

And beheld pearls strung in the necklace at their throat.

طَلاوة أَلفاظ حَوَتها تَقول لل

طَلاوة أَلفاظ حَوَتها تَقول لل

مَناظر لا تَهلك بواعر غُورها

مَناظر لا تَهلك بواعر غُورها

The sweetness of the words that hold them says to the—

The sweetness of the words they contain says to the

examiner: “Do not perish in their rugged depths.”

Disputant: “Do not perish in their rugged depths.”

فَدَيتك نَفسي مِن أَجدت بِنَظمِها

فَدَيتك نَفسي مِن أَجدت بِنَظمِها

فَلَولاك لَم تَضحَك مَباسم ثَغرِها

فَلَولاك لَم تَضحَك مَباسم ثَغرِها

My soul be your ransom, you who excelled in composing them;

I would ransom you with my soul, you who excelled in composing them;

were it not for you, their smiling lips would never have laughed.

For without you, their smiling lips would not have laughed.

يَعمّ عَلَينا مِنكَ طيّبُ نَفحها

يَعمّ عَلَينا مِنكَ طيّبُ نَفحها

وَنَقصر عَن إِدراك زاهر عطرها

وَنَقصر عَن إِدراك زاهر عطرها

From you, their sweet breath wafts over us,

From you, their sweet fragrance spreads over us,

while we fall short of grasping the splendor of their perfume.

And we fall short of grasping their radiant perfume.

سَمَت في سَماء المَجد عجباً لِأَنَّها

سَمَت في سَماء المَجد عجباً لِأَنَّها

إِذا ذكرت ماتَ الحَسود لِذكرِها

إِذا ذكرت ماتَ الحَسود لِذكرِها

They rose wondrously in glory’s sky, because they—

They soared in glory’s sky—how wondrous!—for

when mentioned—make the envious die at their mention.

Whenever they are mentioned, the envious man dies at their mention.

لَكَ الفَخر أَنتَ السَيد الماجد الَّذي

لَكَ الفَخر أَنتَ السَيد الماجد الَّذي

بَديع المَعاني أَنتَ كاشف سرها

بَديع المَعاني أَنتَ كاشف سرها

Yours is the glory: you, the noble, illustrious master who—

Yours is the glory; you are the illustrious master who

fashion wondrous meanings and reveal their secret.

Unveils the secret of wondrous meanings.

أَتيت بِأَبيات تَعاظم شَأنُها

أَتيت بِأَبيات تَعاظم شَأنُها

وَعَزت وَقَد زادَت جَلالة قَدرِها

وَعَزت وَقَد زادَت جَلالة قَدرِها

You brought forth verses whose stature grew immense;

You brought forth verses whose stature grew immense,

they became mighty, and the majesty of their worth increased.

And they grew exalted, their rank’s majesty having increased.

مَلَكتَ بِها رقي وَصرتُ بِما لَها

مَلَكتَ بِها رقي وَصرتُ بِما لَها

عليّ مِن الإفضال في قَيد أَسرِها

عليّ مِن الإفضال في قَيد أَسرِها

Through them you made me your thrall; and through the favor they have—

Through them you made me your slave, and I became, owing to their

shown me, I became bound in the fetters of their captivity.

Bounty toward me, bound in the chains of captivity to them.

هَمَمتَ إِلى العَليا بِهمة سابق

هَمَمتَ إِلى العَليا بِهمة سابق

وَصارَت بِكَ العَلياء تَزهو بِفخرها

وَصارَت بِكَ العَلياء تَزهو بِفخرها

You aimed for the heights with a forerunner’s resolve,

You aspired to the heights with a frontrunner’s resolve,

and through you, high glory itself came to exult in its pride.

And through you, the heights came to exult in their glory.