مَولايَ يا بَحرَ النَدى
يا ذا الأَيادي الوافِيَه
My master, O sea of bounty,
My lord, O sea of generosity,
O you whose benefactions are abundant,
O you of unstinting favors,
يا خَيرَ حَبرٍ عالِمٍ
آراؤُهُ لِيَ كافِيَه
O finest of learned scholars,
O best of learned scholars,
whose counsels suffice me,
whose judgments suffice for me;
وَشهاب فَضلٍ ثاقِبٍ
حَلَّ المَجَرَّة سامِيَه
and piercing meteor of virtue,
and piercing meteor of excellence,
taking its lofty station in the Milky Way;
settled in the lofty Milky Way;
وَمَنِ اِغتَدَت أَنوارُهُ
لِذوي الضَلالة هادِيَه
O you whose radiances have become
and you whose lights have become
guiding lights to those astray—
guides for those in error.
وَافتكَ مِنّي قطعَةٌ
كَالرَوضِ عُلَّ بِسَارِيَه
a little poem of mine has come to you,
A short poem from me has reached you,
like a garden watered by a night-traveling cloud,
like a garden watered anew by night rain;
فَتَفَتّحَت أَنوارُهُ
كَخلائِقٍ لَكَ زاكِيَه
till all its blossoms opened,
so its blossoms have opened,
like your own pure virtues.
like your pure virtues.
وَافَت مِنَ المَملوكِ تَنحُو
نَحو بابِكَ جارِيَه
From your humble servant it has come, making its way,
It came from your servant, heading
running toward your door.
toward your door, running.
تَبغى رِضاكَ وَحَسبُها
مِنكَ الرِضا وَالعافِيَه
It seeks your favor—and sufficient for it
It seeks your approval, and needs no more
are your favor and well-being—
from you than approval and well-being.
وَتَرومُ نُجحَ القَصدِ في
أَمرٍ أَتَتهُ راجِيَه
and hopes its purpose may succeed in
And seeks fulfillment of its purpose in
a matter it approaches full of hope.
a matter it has approached in hope.
وَتَراهُ شَيئاً هَيِّناً
يا ذا العَطايا الفاشِيَه
You will deem it an easy thing,
And regards it as an easy thing,
O you whose gifts are spread abroad.
O you of far-reaching gifts.
هُوَ أَنَّ سَيِّدنا الَّذي
حازَ العُلومَ السامِيَه
It is this: our master, who
It is this: our master, who
has mastered the exalted sciences,
has mastered the lofty sciences,
النجلُ مِن فَرعِ العَلا
ءِ مِنَ الأُصُولِ الزاكِيَه
the noble scion of the branch of exalted
the scion from a branch of glory,
glory, sprung from noble roots,
from flourishing roots,
مِن دَوحَةٍ عَربِيّةٍ
لِسُمُوِّها مُتسامِيَه
from an Arabian family tree
from a spreading Arab tree,
ever soaring in its loftiness,
towering by virtue of its loftiness,
وافى لِسوقِ الكتبِ مِن
بَعدَ الصَلاةِ الثانِيَه
came to the book market
came to the book market
after the second prayer,
after the second prayer,
وَاِبتاعَ مِن لُطفٍ عَلى
شَرحِ المَواقِفِ حاشِيَه
and graciously purchased, on
and bought from Lutf, on
the Commentary on al-Mawāqif, a marginal gloss.
the Commentary on al-Mawaqif, a marginal gloss.
هِيَ بُغيةُ المَملوكِ مِن
عَصرِ الصِبا وَمَرادِيَه
It has been your servant’s quest since
It is what your servant has sought since
the days of youth, and is my desire.
the days of youth, and is my desire.
فَعَسى أعامِلُ سَيّدي
مِنهُ بِرِقَّة حاشِيَه
Perhaps I may deal with my master
So may I deal with my master
concerning it, with the delicacy of a marginal appeal.
with gentleness of disposition on his part.
خُذها إِلَيكَ وَنَظمُها
في ساعَةٍ أَو ثانِيَه
Take it unto you; its verses were composed
Accept it; its verses were composed
in an hour—or a second one.
in an hour or two.
لا زِلتُما في نِعمَةٍ
وَمَسَرّةٍ مُتَمادِيَه
May you both remain blessed
May you both ever remain in blessing
and in enduring happiness,
and enduring happiness,
ما ناحَ قُمريٌّ عَلى
فَنَن الرِياضِ الزاهِيَه
as long as a ringdove coos upon
as long as a turtledove coos mournfully on
a bough in radiant gardens,
a bough of the blooming gardens,
وَصَبا الغَريب إِلى الحِمى
بَعدَ الدِيارِ النائِيَه
and the exile yearns for the homeland
and the stranger yearns for the protected homeland
from far-distant lands.
after dwelling in far-off lands.
Sol 6.1