للِه أيامٌ معَ الأحبَاب

للِه أيامٌ معَ الأحبَاب

مرَّت كطيفٍ أو كومضِ شِهَابِ

مرَّت كطيفٍ أو كومضِ شِهَابِ

How wondrous the days with loved ones!

Allah has days with loved ones

They passed like a phantom or the flash of a shooting star.

That passed like a phantom or a shooting star

لله هاتِيك المجالسُ عُطِّرت

لله هاتِيك المجالسُ عُطِّرت

بفرَائٍدٍ مَوصولةِ الأسبابِ

بفرَائٍدٍ مَوصولةِ الأسبابِ

How wondrous those gatherings, perfumed

By Allah those gatherings were fragrant

with rare gems of verse, their threads linked together.

With continuous pleasures

قَسَماً بها وبحُسنِها مازانَها

قَسَماً بها وبحُسنِها مازانَها

إلاَّ مدائحُ سيدِ الأترَابِ

إلاَّ مدائحُ سيدِ الأترَابِ

I swear by them and their beauty: nothing adorned them

I swear by them and their beauty they were unparalleled

except praises of the master of his peers—

Except for the praise of the Master of Arabs

لو كان مِن تربٍ هُنالك للتِّها

لو كان مِن تربٍ هُنالك للتِّها

مي الفَذِّ في الأعجام والأعرَابِ

مي الفَذِّ في الأعجام والأعرَابِ

if any peer existed there for

If the soil there was made of the essence

al-Tihami, unrivaled among non-Arabs and Bedouin Arabs.

Of the most eloquent in prose and verse

لم تَخلُ هاتيكِ المجَالسُ لحظَةً

لم تَخلُ هاتيكِ المجَالسُ لحظَةً

من ذِكرِه بالفخرِ والإعجَابِ

من ذِكرِه بالفخرِ والإعجَابِ

Not for a moment were those gatherings devoid

Those gatherings would not be devoid a moment

of mention of him with pride and admiration.

Of praise for Him, pride and fascination

تُتلَى بها آيُ المحَامدِ والثَّنَا

تُتلَى بها آيُ المحَامدِ والثَّنَا

فتَميلُ كالصَّهبَاء بالألبَاب

فتَميلُ كالصَّهبَاء بالألبَاب

Verses of praise and acclaim are recited there,

His verses of praise and glory are recited

and, like tawny wine, they make minds reel.

Bending minds like a hot wind carrying sparks

والقومُ بين مُرَدِّدٍ أو حافِظٍ

والقومُ بين مُرَدِّدٍ أو حافِظٍ

أو نَاسخٍأو مُستَبينِ صوابِ

أو نَاسخٍأو مُستَبينِ صوابِ

And the company includes those repeating or memorizing,

Among repeater, memorizer, copier and discerner

or copying, or discerning what is sound.

Of propriety, from every man of dignity, his forehead yields

مِن كُلِّ ذي أدَبٍ يَدلُّ جبينُه

مِن كُلِّ ذي أدَبٍ يَدلُّ جبينُه

عمَّالَهُ مِن رقَّةِ الآدابِ

عمَّالَهُ مِن رقَّةِ الآدابِ

Each a cultivated man, his brow revealing

Showing his gentleness and manners

the refinement of the manners he possesses.

Poetry being the door, and His abundant praise the beautiful house, so entering is by the door

والشعرُ مثلُ البابِ والذِّكرُ الجمي

والشعرُ مثلُ البابِ والذِّكرُ الجمي

لُ كَمنزلٍ فَدخولُه مِن بَابِ

لُ كَمنزلٍ فَدخولُه مِن بَابِ

And poetry is like a door, and fair renown

Especially when praising the most wondrous, gestures introduce orations

is like a house, which one enters through a door.

Bestowing without reckoning, would you deny His unlimited giving?

لا سيمَا في مَدحٍ أروعَ إِن يُشر

لا سيمَا في مَدحٍ أروعَ إِن يُشر

تأتِي إشَارتُهُ بفصلِ خِطابِ

تأتِي إشَارتُهُ بفصلِ خِطابِ

Especially in praise of an awe-inspiring man: if he gestures,

Look at the peaks of glory, the most high

his gesture conveys a decisive word.

And the many merits and lineages

يُعطِي بغيرِ حسابٍ إن يَمَّمتُه

يُعطِي بغيرِ حسابٍ إن يَمَّمتُه

وَمِنِ الذي يُعطي بِغيرِ حِسابِ

وَمِنِ الذي يُعطي بِغيرِ حِسابِ

He gives without reckoning if I seek him out;

Oh Master of Grandees and Greats, you own

and who is it that gives without reckoning?

The Master of Poets and Writers

انظُر أثَيلَ المَجدِ في أوجِ العُلاَ

انظُر أثَيلَ المَجدِ في أوجِ العُلاَ

وأثَالةَ الأحسَاب والأنسَابِ

وأثَالةَ الأحسَاب والأنسَابِ

Behold the man of deep-rooted glory at the summit of greatness,

Let me chant from your praises

and the rooted nobility of ancestral honor and lineage.

Recited through days and eras

يا سيدَ الكُبرَاء والعظَماء يَم

يا سيدَ الكُبرَاء والعظَماء يَم

لِكُ سيدَ الشعراءِ والكُتَّابِ

لِكُ سيدَ الشعراءِ والكُتَّابِ

O master of the great and mighty, who commands

With eloquence transcending the clouds

the master of poets and writers,

Musk permeates in between the lines

دَعنِي أُرتِّل مِن مدائحِكَ التِي

دَعنِي أُرتِّل مِن مدائحِكَ التِي

تُتلَى مدَى الأيَّامِ والأحقَابِ

تُتلَى مدَى الأيَّامِ والأحقَابِ

let me chant some of your praises, which

No matter how much time passed, the bare branch cannot blossom on its own, it needs a grower

are recited throughout the days and ages.

And I, by your existence and generosity

ويَضُوع نشرُ المسكِ بينَ سُطورِها

ويَضُوع نشرُ المسكِ بينَ سُطورِها

بِبلاغَةٍ تسمُو سُموَّ حبَابِ

بِبلاغَةٍ تسمُو سُموَّ حبَابِ

And the fragrance of musk wafts between their lines,

Still have sublime honor

with eloquence that rises as bubbles rise.

Without you the days would have toyed with us

ما العضبُ يُفرِي وحَده مهمَا مضَى

ما العضبُ يُفرِي وحَده مهمَا مضَى

فالعَضبُ مُفتقِرٌ إلى ضرَّابِ

فالعَضبُ مُفتقِرٌ إلى ضرَّابِ

The keen sword does not cleave alone, however sharp it is;

And the cups of time would have dragged our eras

for the keen sword needs a wielder.

I still thank you for your grace and favor

وأنا الذِي بوُجودِكم وبِجودِكم

وأنا الذِي بوُجودِكم وبِجودِكم

مازِلتُ ذا عِزِّ رفيعَ جَنَابِ

مازِلتُ ذا عِزِّ رفيعَ جَنَابِ

And I am he who, through your presence and your bounty,

Until my body is buried in dust

has remained honored and exalted in standing.

لَولا كُمُ لَعَبَت بنا أيدِي الزَّما

لَولا كُمُ لَعَبَت بنا أيدِي الزَّما

نِ وجرَّ عَتنا مِن كؤوس الصَّابِ

نِ وجرَّ عَتنا مِن كؤوس الصَّابِ

Had it not been for you, the hands of time would have toyed with us

and made us drink from cups of bitter sap.

ما زلتُ أشكرُ فضلَكم وصنيعَكم

ما زلتُ أشكرُ فضلَكم وصنيعَكم

حتى تُوَارَى جُثَّتِي بتُراب

حتى تُوَارَى جُثَّتِي بتُراب

I keep thanking you for your favor and kindness,

until my body is covered with earth.