آمنت أن هواها في الحشا قدحا

آمنت أن هواها في الحشا قدحا

فكيف لا أبتغي من ريقها قدحا

فكيف لا أبتغي من ريقها قدحا

I believed that love for her had struck a spark within my heart.

I believed her love in the desert was a spark,

How, then, can I not seek a cup of her saliva?

How could I not seek from her lips a sip?

وكيف أعرض عنها وهي ما حضرت

وكيف أعرض عنها وهي ما حضرت

إلا نفت ترحاً واستحضرت فرحا

إلا نفت ترحاً واستحضرت فرحا

And how could I turn away from her, when she never came

How could I turn away when she attended,

Without banishing sorrow and summoning joy?

Bringing joy and taking away sorrow?

مصريةٌ ساد غيد الشام رونقها

مصريةٌ ساد غيد الشام رونقها

كما يسود بياض اللؤلؤ الوضحا

كما يسود بياض اللؤلؤ الوضحا

An Egyptian, her radiance surpassed the graceful women of the Levant,

An Egyptian whose brightness adorned Syria,

As the whiteness of pearls surpasses silver.

Like the whiteness of pearls adorns pureness.

كأنها في سواد الفرع بدر دجىً

كأنها في سواد الفرع بدر دجىً

وفي غلالتها البيضاء شمس ضحى

وفي غلالتها البيضاء شمس ضحى

Amid her hair's blackness, she seems a full moon in dark night,

She is like a full moon in the blackness of branches,

And in her white chemise, a midmorning sun.

And in her whiteness, a morning sun.

كأن فوهة فيها خرت لؤلؤةٍ

كأن فوهة فيها خرت لؤلؤةٍ

أو زر ورد بكافور الندى اصطبحا

أو زر ورد بكافور الندى اصطبحا

Her mouth's opening seems the perforation of a pearl,

As if a pearl sank into her mouth,

Or a rosebud that took its morning draught of dew's camphor.

Or a bud of roses in the dew of camphor whitened at dawn.

لا يفتح السحر من أبوابه غلقاً

لا يفتح السحر من أبوابه غلقاً

إلا إذا غض منها الطرف وانفتحا

إلا إذا غض منها الطرف وانفتحا

Magic opens none of the locks upon its doors

Magic opens no locks from its doors

Except when her eyes lower and open.

Unless she lowers her eyelids and they open.

لها فنون مجونٍ تبهَتُ الفُصَحا

لها فنون مجونٍ تبهَتُ الفُصَحا

وساحرات جفون تفتن الصُلَحا

وساحرات جفون تفتن الصُلَحا

She has arts of wanton play that bewilder the eloquent,

She has the arts of beauty that dazzle eloquence,

And bewitching eyelids that tempt the righteous.

And eyes that seduce reconciliation.

لو شامها العامري ليلاً لهام بها

لو شامها العامري ليلاً لهام بها

وملَّ ليلى وخال الصبح قد وضحا

وملَّ ليلى وخال الصبح قد وضحا

Had al-Amiri beheld her by night, he would have fallen madly for her,

If al-Amiri saw her one night, he would be obsessed,

Grown weary of Layla, and imagined dawn had brightened.

And cease loving Layla when dawn broke.

يلومني عاذلي فيها ولو بدلت

يلومني عاذلي فيها ولو بدلت

عيونه بعيوني جن وافتضحا

عيونه بعيوني جن وافتضحا

My reproacher blames me for her; yet were they exchanged—

My critic blames me for her, and if I changed

His eyes for mine—he would go mad and be disgraced.

His eyes for mine, he would go mad and be exposed.

لم أنس زورتها والشمس ما سبحت

لم أنس زورتها والشمس ما سبحت

في لجة الصبح والعصفور ما سرحا

في لجة الصبح والعصفور ما سرحا

I have not forgotten her visit, when the sun had not yet swum

I cannot forget visiting her when the sun rises

In dawn's deep waters, and the sparrow had not yet ventured out.

In the waves of dawn and the birds begin to sing.

كأنها جنة قد فاح من فمها ال

كأنها جنة قد فاح من فمها ال

نوار والديك من خلخالها صدحا

نوار والديك من خلخالها صدحا

She seemed a garden: from her mouth wafted the fragrance of the

She is like a garden, and from her mouth comes

Blossoms, and from her anklet the cock crowed.

Light, and from her anklets the cock crows at dawn.

عانقت شمس الضحى منها وما أفلت

عانقت شمس الضحى منها وما أفلت

شهب الدجى وإناء الصبح ما رشحا

شهب الدجى وإناء الصبح ما رشحا

I embraced in her the midmorning sun; not yet had set

The morning sun embraced her and did not set;

The stars of night, nor had dawn's vessel yet dripped.

The stars of night and the vessel of dawn did not spill.

ورحت للمهد باليعفور مؤتزراً

ورحت للمهد باليعفور مؤتزراً

والبدر مختمراً والغصن متشحا

والبدر مختمراً والغصن متشحا

And I went to bed with the fawn as my girdle,

I went to the cradle, my waist wrapped,

The full moon as my veil, and the bough as my cloak.

The full moon fermenting, the branch adorned.

وكان ما كان حتى لم يعد سرقٌ

وكان ما كان حتى لم يعد سرقٌ

يحول ما بيننا إلا وقد برحا

يحول ما بيننا إلا وقد برحا

And what happened happened, until no silk cloth remained

What happened happened until no longer

To stand between us; it had all been cast aside.

Did anything come between us that did not pass.

وعندما سبح الداعي وقد نهضت

وعندما سبح الداعي وقد نهضت

تقل في جيدها من مدمعي سبحا

تقل في جيدها من مدمعي سبحا

And when the caller glorified God, she had risen,

When the caller cried out and I got up

Bearing about her neck prayer beads made from my tears.

My tears flowed over her cheeks like pearls.

ودعت غصن الندى منها ولذت بمن

ودعت غصن الندى منها ولذت بمن

أحيى الندى وأمات الشح والترحا

أحيى الندى وأمات الشح والترحا

I bade farewell to her dewy bough and sought refuge with one

She bid farewell to the branch of dew, and joyed in the one

Who brought generosity to life and put avarice and sorrow to death.

Who revived the dew and killed aridity and consolation.

جم الرماد ذكي الدنيا محمد مو

جم الرماد ذكي الدنيا محمد مو

لانا الذي يكرم المدّاح والمِدَحا

لانا الذي يكرم المدّاح والمِدَحا

Rich in ashes, the world's keen mind, Muhammad, our mas-

The ashes of the world's fire darkened,

ter, who honors panegyrists and praises.

Our master Muhammad, the one who honors the praiser and the praised.

قطب الكمال رحى الأشغال ناظرها ال

قطب الكمال رحى الأشغال ناظرها ال

مفضال خير رجال الدولة الصُلَحا

مفضال خير رجال الدولة الصُلَحا

The pivot of perfection, the millstone of affairs, their overseer, the

The axis of perfection, millstone of burdens, its overseer,

Munificent one, best of the state's righteous men.

Preferring the best of the men of the state of integrity.

سامي العماد الذي لو يستجير به ال

سامي العماد الذي لو يستجير به ال

نوّار من حر نار الصيف ما مصحا

نوّار من حر نار الصيف ما مصحا

Lofty of pillar: were refuge sought with him by the

The sublime pillar, if the shining stars seek refuge in him

Blossoms from summer's fiery heat, they would not wither.

From the heat of the summer fire, they will not burn.

فهو الوزير الذي تعنو الرقاب له

فهو الوزير الذي تعنو الرقاب له

إذا قضى ومضى أو غض أو سمعا

إذا قضى ومضى أو غض أو سمعا

For he is the minister before whom necks bow,

He is the minister, for whom necks yearn,

When he decrees and proceeds, or lowers his gaze, or listens.

When he judges, and goes, and frowns, and hears.

وهو الذي طاول السبع الطباق علاً

وهو الذي طاول السبع الطباق علاً

وما ترنح تيهاً أو مشى مرحا

وما ترنح تيهاً أو مشى مرحا

And he is the one who rivaled the seven layered heavens in loftiness,

He is the one who reached the highest heaven,

Yet never swayed in conceit or walked in arrogance.

Never stumbling confusedly or walking frivolously.

قد قصر اللَه أعمار الهموم به

قد قصر اللَه أعمار الهموم به

وراش كل جناحٍ نحوه جنحا

وراش كل جناحٍ نحوه جنحا

God has shortened the lifespans of cares through him,

God has shortened the life of worries through him

And feathered every wing that inclined toward him.

And every wing stretches happily toward him.

براه برّاً متى فاضت مكارمه

براه برّاً متى فاضت مكارمه

أراك بحراً طمى أو عارضاً سبحا

أراك بحراً طمى أو عارضاً سبحا

God fashioned him benevolent; whenever his noble gifts overflow,

He showed righteousness when his virtues overflowed.

He shows you a sea in flood, or a raincloud swimming by.

I see you as a sea that swelled or a swimmer who floated.

يُعلي ويرفع من والاه من نصبٍ

يُعلي ويرفع من والاه من نصبٍ

عانٍ ويخفض من نحو الفساد نحا

عانٍ ويخفض من نحو الفساد نحا

He exalts and lifts whoever befriends him from toil

He raises and lifts those loyal to him from adversity,

That is grievous; and he brings low whoever turns toward corruption.

And lowers and degrades those inclined to corruption.

أصبحت في ظله الميمون مصطبحاً

أصبحت في ظله الميمون مصطبحاً

بالفوز مغتبطاً بالأمن منشرحا

بالفوز مغتبطاً بالأمن منشرحا

I wake in his blessed shade, taking a morning draught

In his shadow, blessings have dawned,

Of triumph, rejoicing in safety, my heart at ease.

Triumphant, content, relaxed.

أتيه تيه غزالٍ بات في كنف ال

أتيه تيه غزالٍ بات في كنف ال

بيت العتيق الذي من زاره نجحا

بيت العتيق الذي من زاره نجحا

I glory like a proud gazelle that spent the night in the shelter of the

To him I come wandering like a gazelle who spent the night

Ancient House, where whoever visits finds success.

In the bosom of the ancient house, all who visit it succeed.

مولاي لا زلت في ظل المعظم تو

مولاي لا زلت في ظل المعظم تو

فيق العزيز عزيزاً فاضلاً سمحا

فيق العزيز عزيزاً فاضلاً سمحا

My master, may you ever remain in the shade of the exalted Taw-

My lord, I remain in the shadow of the magnificent,

fiq the mighty, honored, virtuous, and generous.

Blessed, virtuous, generous.

شهر الصيام الذي نلت الثواب به

شهر الصيام الذي نلت الثواب به

ولى وهذا هلال العيد قد سنحا

ولى وهذا هلال العيد قد سنحا

The month of fasting, in which you earned reward,

The month of fasting in which I gained reward is over,

Has passed, and now the crescent of the feast has appeared.

And this is the crescent of Eid, it has appeared.

فقابل العيد بالوجه السعيد فإن

فقابل العيد بالوجه السعيد فإن

لم يدن نورك من نواره برحا

لم يدن نورك من نواره برحا

So greet the feast with your happy face; for if

So meet the Eid with a joyful face, for if

Your light does not draw near its blossoms, it will depart.

Your light does not come close to its illumination, it has missed.

وافطر وفطر قلوب الحاسدين بمر

وافطر وفطر قلوب الحاسدين بمر

آك الوسيم وزد أشباحهم كلحا

آك الوسيم وزد أشباحهم كلحا

And break your fast, and break the hearts of the envious at your appear-

Break your fast, and break the hearts of the envious with your sight,

ance, so handsome, and make their forms still more grim.

Increase their phantoms with bitterness.

واسلم لنا عيد مجدٍ لا زوال له

واسلم لنا عيد مجدٍ لا زوال له

يا عيد أكرم عيدٍ بالصفا طفحا

يا عيد أكرم عيدٍ بالصفا طفحا

And remain safe for us, a feast of glory that never fades,

Grant us an Eid of eternal glory,

O feast, noblest of feasts, overflowing with serenity!

O most generous Eid of purity that overflows.