بَنَيتَ بِذارَةِ القَمَرَينِ دارا

بَنَيتَ بِذارَةِ القَمَرَينِ دارا

فَدَع غُمدانَ أَو إيوانَ دارا

فَدَع غُمدانَ أَو إيوانَ دارا

You built a house at Dhārat al-Qamarayn;

You built with the seeds of two moons a house

So leave Ghumdān or Dārā’s hall aside.

So leave the scabbards or the hall as a house

بِطَودٍ مُشرِفِ الجَنَباتِ عالٍ

بِطَودٍ مُشرِفِ الجَنَباتِ عالٍ

كَأَنَّ عَلى النُّجومِ لَهُ مدارا

كَأَنَّ عَلى النُّجومِ لَهُ مدارا

On a lofty mountain whose sides rise high,

With a towering side overlooking high

As though it had an orbit above the stars.

As if it has an orbit among the stars

وَقَد غَرَسَت أَياديكَ المَعالي

وَقَد غَرَسَت أَياديكَ المَعالي

حَفافَيهِ وَأَعبُدُكَ الثِّمارا

حَفافَيهِ وَأَعبُدُكَ الثِّمارا

And your hands have planted noble deeds

And your hands have planted glories

Along its two sides, and your slaves have planted fruit.

Its banks, and I worship you for the fruits

فَمَن يَكُ سائِلاً عَنّي فَإِنّي

فَمَن يَكُ سائِلاً عَنّي فَإِنّي

نَزَلتُ بِأَكرَمِ الثَّقَلَينِ جارا

نَزَلتُ بِأَكرَمِ الثَّقَلَينِ جارا

So, if anyone asks about me, I

So whoever asks about me, I

Have lodged as a neighbor of the noblest of humans and jinn:

Settled in the most generous of the two burdens as a neighbor

أَبي الحَسَنِ بنِ حَسُّونَ الَّذي لا

أَبي الحَسَنِ بنِ حَسُّونَ الَّذي لا

يُجارَى في السَّماحِ ولا يُبَارى

يُجارَى في السَّماحِ ولا يُبَارى

Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Ḥassūn, who cannot

My father Al-Hasan ibn Hassoun, whom

Be matched in generosity or rivaled.

None can compete with in generosity or vie against

وَقامَ لَنا مَقامَ البَدرِ ظَبيٌ

وَقامَ لَنا مَقامَ البَدرِ ظَبيٌ

رَآهُ البَدرُ فَاِلتَزَمَ السِّرارا

رَآهُ البَدرُ فَاِلتَزَمَ السِّرارا

And a gazelle took the full moon’s place for us;

And he took the place of the full moon, a gazelle

The full moon saw him and clung to its dark phase.

The full moon saw him so it hid in darkness

قَضَى قاضِي هَواهُ عَلى فُلانٍ

قَضَى قاضِي هَواهُ عَلى فُلانٍ

وَقالَ لَهُ فُلانٌ لا اِنتِصارا

وَقالَ لَهُ فُلانٌ لا اِنتِصارا

The judge of his passion ruled against so-and-so,

The judge of his passion ruled against so-and-so

And so-and-so said to him, ‘No redress.’

And so-and-so told him no victory

صَغيرٌ هامَ فيهِ كَبيرُ قَومٍ

صَغيرٌ هامَ فيهِ كَبيرُ قَومٍ

وَمَن عَرَفَ الهَوى عَشِقَ الصِّغارا

وَمَن عَرَفَ الهَوى عَشِقَ الصِّغارا

A youth with whom a chieftain was madly in love;

A little one in whom a great one of a people became infatuated

And whoever knows passion falls in love with the young.

And whoever knows passion falls for the little ones

وَفَوقَ الدَّوحَةِ الغَنّا غَديرٌ

وَفَوقَ الدَّوحَةِ الغَنّا غَديرٌ

تَلَألَأَ صَفحَةً وَصَفا قَرارا

تَلَألَأَ صَفحَةً وَصَفا قَرارا

And above the luxuriant tree lies a pool,

And above the pond the singing bird

Its surface glittered, and its depths were clear.

Glittered across a page and stilled waters

إِذا ما اِنصَبَّ أَزرَقَ مُستَقيماً

إِذا ما اِنصَبَّ أَزرَقَ مُستَقيماً

تَدَوَّمَ في البُحَيرَةِ وَاِستَدارا

تَدَوَّمَ في البُحَيرَةِ وَاِستَدارا

When it pours down, blue and straight,

When the blue water flows straight

It swirls in the little lake and turns in circles.

It eddies in the lake and rounds

يُجَرِّدُهُ فَمُ الأُنبوبِ صَلتاً

يُجَرِّدُهُ فَمُ الأُنبوبِ صَلتاً

حُساماً ثُمَّ يَفتِلُهُ سِوارا

حُساماً ثُمَّ يَفتِلُهُ سِوارا

The mouth of the pipe unsheathes it, bare,

The pipe’s mouth strips it as a pendant

As a keen sword, then twists it into a bracelet.

A sword and then undresses it as a bracelet