مَضى المُحبون مِن قَبلي عَلى سِنَنِ

مَضى المُحبون مِن قَبلي عَلى سِنَنِ

وَفي الهَوى عَملوا بِالفَرض وَالسِنَنِ

وَفي الهَوى عَملوا بِالفَرض وَالسِنَنِ

The lovers before me followed a set path,

The lovers before me have passed away following precedents,

And in love they observed the obligatory and customary rites.

And in passion they followed religious duties and traditions.

لَكنني بَعدَهُم قَد نلت مَنزلة

لَكنني بَعدَهُم قَد نلت مَنزلة

ما أَدرَكوا شَأوَها في السرّ وَالعَلَن

ما أَدرَكوا شَأوَها في السرّ وَالعَلَن

But after them I have attained a station

But after them I have attained a status—

Whose height they never reached, in private or in public.

Its stature they never realized, neither in secret nor openly.

بِاللَه يا أَيُّها المياس صِل دنفاً

بِاللَه يا أَيُّها المياس صِل دنفاً

لَم تَدرِ مُقلتُه ما لذة الوَسَن

لَم تَدرِ مُقلتُه ما لذة الوَسَن

By God, O gracefully swaying one, grant union to a lovesick man

By Allah, O she camel be gentle with him

Whose eye has never known the pleasure of drowsiness.

Who has never known the pleasure of intimacy.

وَاعطف عَلَيهِ فَذاك النفس مِن رَشأٍ

وَاعطف عَلَيهِ فَذاك النفس مِن رَشأٍ

عَهدي بِهِ أَنَّهُ في الوَعد لَم يَمِن

عَهدي بِهِ أَنَّهُ في الوَعد لَم يَمِن

And be tender toward him: that soul comes from a gazelle-fawn,

And be kind to him, for that soul is noble,

Who, as I know him, has never lied in a promise.

My experience with him is that he never breaks a promise.

فَأَنتَ لِلحُسن يا شَمس الضُحى ملكٌ

فَأَنتَ لِلحُسن يا شَمس الضُحى ملكٌ

بَل أَنتَ رُوحٌ وَذاكَ الحسن كَالبَدَن

بَل أَنتَ رُوحٌ وَذاكَ الحسن كَالبَدَن

For you, O sun of forenoon, are beauty's king;

You are the sovereign of beauty, O sun of the morning,

Rather, you are a soul, and that beauty is like the body.

Rather you are a spirit and that beauty is like a body.

وَلائِمي فيكَ ما أَجدت مَلامتُه

وَلائِمي فيكَ ما أَجدت مَلامتُه

وَلا صغَت لعذول في الهَوى أُذُني

وَلا صغَت لعذول في الهَوى أُذُني

And my reproacher for loving you—his reproach availed nothing,

And my critic of you—I have not found fault with him,

Nor did my ear heed a censor in love.

Nor have I listened to a slanderer in love or lent him my ear.

صَبا إِلَيك فُؤادي مُذ سكنت بِهِ

صَبا إِلَيك فُؤادي مُذ سكنت بِهِ

فَهَل يَخون وَإِني خَير مؤتمن

فَهَل يَخون وَإِني خَير مؤتمن

My heart has yearned for you since you dwelt within it;

My heart inclined to you since it dwelt in me,

Would it betray you, when I am the best of those entrusted?

Will it then betray me though I am the best trustee?

هَيهات أَسلو وَذُلي في الصَبابة لي

هَيهات أَسلو وَذُلي في الصَبابة لي

عزٌّ لَهُ يَتَمنَّى كُلُّ مفتتن

عزٌّ لَهُ يَتَمنَّى كُلُّ مفتتن

Far be it that I forget! My abasement in longing is, to me,

Far from it! I have glory and humility in my youth,

A glory for which every enraptured lover yearns.

Pride enough for him who covets it though broken inside.

وَإِنَّني فيكَ أَحييتُ النَسيب كَما

وَإِنَّني فيكَ أَحييتُ النَسيب كَما

أمتني أَنتَ بِالهجران وَالشجن

أمتني أَنتَ بِالهجران وَالشجن

And I have revived love poetry about you, just as

And in you I have revived an estranged love

You have killed me with estrangement and grief.

As you made me experience estrangement and passion.

فَلا تُعنِّف إِذا ما عَنهُ ملت إِلى

فَلا تُعنِّف إِذا ما عَنهُ ملت إِلى

مَدح الشريعيِّ كَهف الملتجي حسن

مَدح الشريعيِّ كَهف الملتجي حسن

So do not rebuke me if ever I turn away from it to

So do not be harsh if I turn from it to praise

Praise of Hasan al-Shari‘i, the refuge of the suppliant,

The noble character—a shelter for the refugee.

تاج الإِمارة أَسنى من لَهُ رفعت

تاج الإِمارة أَسنى من لَهُ رفعت

رايات مكرمةٍ مِن سالف الزَمَن

رايات مكرمةٍ مِن سالف الزَمَن

Crown of rulership, most illustrious of those for whom were raised

The crown of rule is more radiant for one whom

Banners of honor since ages past.

Honorable banners from days gone by have raised.

بَيت السِيادة عَن جدٍّ لَهُ وَأَبٍ

بَيت السِيادة عَن جدٍّ لَهُ وَأَبٍ

قَد عمّ مِن قَبله العافين بِالمنن

قَد عمّ مِن قَبله العافين بِالمنن

A house of lordship, inherited from his grandfather and father,

The house of authority—his forefathers and father

Had, before him, bestowed favors on all who sought bounty.

Had already overwhelmed the most excellent in favors.

فَيا لَهُ مِن رَئيسٍ لا يُقاس بِهِ

فَيا لَهُ مِن رَئيسٍ لا يُقاس بِهِ

سِواه ذي همة في خدمة الوَطَن

سِواه ذي همة في خدمة الوَطَن

What a leader he is, unequalled by

What a remarkable leader he is, none compares,

Any other—a man of resolve in serving the homeland!

Of lofty ambition in serving the nation.

فَكَم لَهُ مِن تَدابير مؤيدة

فَكَم لَهُ مِن تَدابير مؤيدة

لِلحَق مُدحِضةٍ لِلزور وَالفتن

لِلحَق مُدحِضةٍ لِلزور وَالفتن

For how many measures of his uphold

How many effective policies confirming the truth,

The truth, refuting falsehood and strife!

Annulling falsehood and discord.

وَكَم لَهُ صدحت بِالشُكر ساجِعَةٌ

وَكَم لَهُ صدحت بِالشُكر ساجِعَةٌ

مِن الحَمائم في رَوض عَلى فنن

مِن الحَمائم في رَوض عَلى فنن

And how many a cooing bird has sung in thanks to him,

And how many doves cooing thanks—

Among the doves in a garden, upon a bough!

In a garden of branches—for his kindness.

وَكَم لَهُ مِن أَياد ماءُ مزنتها

وَكَم لَهُ مِن أَياد ماءُ مزنتها

لازالَ يَنهلّ مثلَ العارض الهتن

لازالَ يَنهلّ مثلَ العارض الهتن

And how many favors are his! The water of their raincloud—

And how much water have his hands poured forth

May it ever pour like a cloud of copious rain!

From which one may drink endlessly like rainclouds.

فَيَرتوي الحُزن مِن أَنهاره وَبِهِ

فَيَرتوي الحُزن مِن أَنهاره وَبِهِ

يُطهَّر السهل مِن رجس وَمِن دَرَن

يُطهَّر السهل مِن رجس وَمِن دَرَن

So the rugged upland drinks its fill from its rivers, and by it

Grief finds solace in his rivers and through him

The plain is cleansed of impurity and grime.

The land is cleansed of filth and thorns.

وَهَذِهِ بكرُ فكرٍ بنتُ ساعتِها

وَهَذِهِ بكرُ فكرٍ بنتُ ساعتِها

تُجلَى عَليك بِلا مَهر وَلا ثَمَن

تُجلَى عَليك بِلا مَهر وَلا ثَمَن

And this is a virgin of thought, a daughter of her hour,

And this is an early fruit of a tree, born in its time,

Unveiled before you without dower or price.

Appearing before you without dowry or price.

لَعَلَّها مِنكَ تَحظى بِالقبول عَلى

لَعَلَّها مِنكَ تَحظى بِالقبول عَلى

رَغم الضرائر ذات الحقد وَالإحن

رَغم الضرائر ذات الحقد وَالإحن

Perhaps she will win your acceptance, despite

Perhaps through you it will find acceptance

Her rival wives, full of rancor and grudges.

Despite envious enemies full of malice.

فلا تُقابل مُحيّاها سِوى برضاً

فلا تُقابل مُحيّاها سِوى برضاً

فَإِنَّني في الهَوى عَما سِواه غِني

فَإِنَّني في الهَوى عَما سِواه غِني

So greet her face with nothing but approval,

So meet its greeting with nothing but pleasure,

For in love I have no need of anything beyond it.

For in passion I am needless of all else.

لا زلت في دَولة الإِقبال مُبتهجاً

لا زلت في دَولة الإِقبال مُبتهجاً

بِطالع في العُلا بِالسَعد مُقترن

بِطالع في العُلا بِالسَعد مُقترن

May you ever rejoice in the reign of prosperity,

I remain enjoying the state of favor, delighted

With an ascendant in the heights, conjoined with good fortune,

By an ascendant star marked with good fortune.

ما قالَ ناظمُها في حسن مطلعها

ما قالَ ناظمُها في حسن مطلعها

مَضى المُحبون مِن قَبلي عَلى سنن

مَضى المُحبون مِن قَبلي عَلى سنن

As long as her composer says in her lovely opening:

The composer said nothing in the beauty of its opening verse:

The lovers before me followed a set path.

“The lovers before me have passed away following precedents.”