لعب الكرى بجفونه فتصاحى

لعب الكرى بجفونه فتصاحى

وجلا لنا من مقلتيه الراحا

وجلا لنا من مقلتيه الراحا

Slumber toyed with his eyelids, so he feigned wakefulness,

The wine played with his eyelids, so he woke

and revealed wine to us from his eyes.

And smiled at us with delight from his eyes,

قمرٌ رنا ريماً وماج نقاً وفا

قمرٌ رنا ريماً وماج نقاً وفا

ح طلاً ولاح بهاً وماس رداحا

ح طلاً ولاح بهاً وماس رداحا

A moon: he gazed like a gazelle, swayed like a sand dune, and exhaled

A moon sang softly, calm and bright,

wine's fragrance, shone with beauty, and swayed, full-hipped.

Radiant, shining, and gleaming radiance.

ملأت ملاحته العيون وإنما

ملأت ملاحته العيون وإنما

ملأت لواحظه القلوب جراحا

ملأت لواحظه القلوب جراحا

His beauty filled the eyes, but it was only

His glances filled the eyes, though

his glances that filled hearts with wounds.

His gazes filled the hearts with wounds.

ماخلت قبل أرى الكؤوس بكفه

ماخلت قبل أرى الكؤوس بكفه

أن الشموس تزورنا أقداحا

أن الشموس تزورنا أقداحا

Before I saw the cups in his hand, I had never imagined

Before I saw the cups in his hand,

that suns would visit us as goblets.

I thought the suns were visiting us with drinks.

قال ادن بالمصباح نشرب قلت ما

قال ادن بالمصباح نشرب قلت ما

هذا المزاح قم اطفئ المصباحا

هذا المزاح قم اطفئ المصباحا

He said, “Bring the lamp near; let us drink.” I said, “What

He said, bring the lamp closer, we'll drink

is this jest? Rise and put out the lamp,

I said, what is this jest? Stand up and put out the lamp,

وخذ الصبوح فما الصباح بغائبٍ

وخذ الصبوح فما الصباح بغائبٍ

مادام صبحي للشآم صباحا

مادام صبحي للشآم صباحا

and take the morning draught: dawn is not absent

And take the morning, for the dawn is not absent

so long as Subhi is a dawn for al-Sham.”

As long as my dawn is a morning for Syria.

والٍ إذا رعت الدجنة باسمه

والٍ إذا رعت الدجنة باسمه

عزَّى الغراب بها الصدى الصياحا

عزَّى الغراب بها الصدى الصياحا

A governor—if you frighten darkness with his name,

Family, when she pastured them in his name,

the crow in it consoles the screeching owl.

The echo consoled the raven with her scream

ساس العباد سياسةً عمريةً

ساس العباد سياسةً عمريةً

أرضى بها الأرواح والأشباحا

أرضى بها الأرواح والأشباحا

He ruled the people with Umar-like governance,

He ruled the servants with Umar's policy,

pleasing both souls and bodies.

Pleasing spirits and ghosts.

ونفى الفساد عن البلاد فأخصبت

ونفى الفساد عن البلاد فأخصبت

وذكت وضاعف ريعها الأرباحا

وذكت وضاعف ريعها الأرباحا

He banished corruption from the land, and it became fertile;

And he banished corruption from the country, so it flourished

it flourished, and its yield multiplied the profits.

And lived, and its yields doubled profits.

فدنا يقول وقد تلون خده

فدنا يقول وقد تلون خده

حتى تمثل ورده تفاحا

حتى تمثل ورده تفاحا

Then he drew near, speaking, his cheek changing color

He says, as his cheek changed color,

until its rose took the form of an apple:

Until his rose complexion resembled an apple:

إن الوزير وزير جلق راحل

إن الوزير وزير جلق راحل

عنها ليملأ غيرها إصلاحا

عنها ليملأ غيرها إصلاحا

“Indeed, the minister—the minister of Jilliq—is departing

"The minister is the minister of Jelq departing,

from it, to fill another place with reform.”

To fill another place with reform."

فبكيت حتى خلت أن مدامعي ال

فبكيت حتى خلت أن مدامعي ال

راح التي أبعدت عنها الراحا

راح التي أبعدت عنها الراحا

Then I wept until I thought my tears were the

So I cried until I thought my tears would not stop,

wine from which I had withdrawn my hands.

The comfort that was taken away from it.

وعلمت أن البر آن بواره

وعلمت أن البر آن بواره

والشؤم أصبح للشآم وشاحا

والشؤم أصبح للشآم وشاحا

And I knew that the time for goodness to perish had come,

And I knew that righteousness in its absence

and ill fortune had become a sash for al-Sham.

Became inauspicious for Syria and misfortune.

اللَه يشهد أن يوم بعاده

اللَه يشهد أن يوم بعاده

عني أحد من الحمام سلاحا

عني أحد من الحمام سلاحا

God bears witness that the day of his departure

God knows that the day he went away from me

from me has a sharper weapon than death.

Became for the doves a weapon.

إذ أن جلق لا تشاهد بعد را

إذ أن جلق لا تشاهد بعد را

حته لأبواب الندى مفتاحا

حته لأبواب الندى مفتاحا

For Jilliq will not see, once his

Since Jelq no longer beholds after its comfort

palm is gone, a key to the doors of generosity.

The keys to the doors of dew.

اللَه يوليه السلامة حاضراً

اللَه يوليه السلامة حاضراً

أو غائباً ويزيده أفراحا

أو غائباً ويزيده أفراحا

May God grant him safety, whether present

May God grant him well-being present

or absent, and increase his joys;

Or absent, and give him joys,

ويعيده كالبدر بعد أفوله

ويعيده كالبدر بعد أفوله

تم الملاحة زاهياً وضاحا

تم الملاحة زاهياً وضاحا

and bring him back like the full moon after its setting,

And return him like the moon after its setting,

perfect in beauty, radiant and bright.

Navigation prospering and shining.

سر يا ملاذ الناس سير سحابةٍ

سر يا ملاذ الناس سير سحابةٍ

تولي الندى وتبدد الأتراحا

تولي الندى وتبدد الأتراحا

Go, O refuge of the people, as a cloud goes,

Travel, O refuge of people, like a cloud

bestowing dew and dispelling sorrows,

That makes dew turn and dispels sorrows,

لتفيد كل العاصمات تمدناً

لتفيد كل العاصمات تمدناً

وتديناً وتقدماً ونجاحا

وتديناً وتقدماً ونجاحا

to bring civilization to all the capitals,

To enrich all capitals with civilization,

and piety, progress, and success.

Religion, progress and success.

فبكل أرضٍ جئتها لك صولةٌ

فبكل أرضٍ جئتها لك صولةٌ

تنضي على مهج اللئام صفاحا

تنضي على مهج اللئام صفاحا

For in every land you visit, yours is a mighty onslaught

So in every land you came to you have a raid

that unsheathes sword-blades against the hearts of the base.

That stirs up the cowardly villain's cheeks with slaps,

وبكل نادٍ أنت بادٍ حاضرٌ

وبكل نادٍ أنت بادٍ حاضرٌ

ما دام جودك عارضاً سياحا

ما دام جودك عارضاً سياحا

And in every gathering you are manifest and present,

And in every club you frequent, you are present,

so long as your bounty is a roaming raincloud.

As long as your generosity is a traveling companion.