يانَشرَO waft عَرفِfragrance الرَوضَةِthe garden الغَنّاءِthe luxuriant
يانَشرَ عَرفِ الرَوضَةِ الغَنّاءِ
وَنَسيمَand breeze ظِلِّshade السَرحَةِthe tall tree العَيناءِthe broad-canopied
وَنَسيمَ ظِلِّ السَرحَةِ العَيناءِ
O waft of fragrance from the luxuriant garden,
O breeze of the fragrant garden and the shaded willow,
and breeze from the spreading tree's shade,
This wafts aromas and that from a flowing stream,
هَذاthis one يَهُبُّwafts مَعَwith الأَصيلِthe evening عَنِfrom الرُبىthe hills
هَذا يَهُبُّ مَعَ الأَصيلِ عَنِ الرُبى
أَرَجاًfragrantly وَذَلِكَand that one عَنfrom غَديرِa pool الماءِwater
أَرَجاً وَذَلِكَ عَن غَديرِ الماءِ
this wafts at evening from the hills,
Inclining towards the Grand Judge one morning
fragrantly, and that one from the pool of water.
Amid the scent of flowers or precious gifts,
عوجاًturn aside, you two عَلىto قاضيjudge القُضاةِthe judges غُدَيَّةًearly one morning
عوجاً عَلى قاضي القُضاةِ غُدَيَّةً
فيin وَشيِbrocade زَهرٍflowers أَوor حِلىornaments أَنداءِdewdrops
في وَشيِ زَهرٍ أَو حِلى أَنداءِ
Turn aside, you two, to the Judge of Judges one early morning,
And bear from me to him a message
in a brocade of flowers or ornaments of dew.
Of sincere devotion or a robe of praise,
وَتَحَمَّلاand carry, you two عَنّيon my behalf إِلَيهِto him أَمانَةًa trust
وَتَحَمَّلا عَنّي إِلَيهِ أَمانَةً
مِنof عِلقِa treasure صِدقٍsincerity أَوor رِداءِa mantle ثَناءِpraise
مِن عِلقِ صِدقٍ أَو رِداءِ ثَناءِ
And carry to him on my behalf a trust:
So when the dawn casts you forth from its abode
a treasure of sincerity or a mantle of praise.
Circulate in the courtyard of the exalted,
فَإِذاthen when رَمىcasts بِكُماwith you both الصَباحُmorning دِيارَهُhis dwellings
فَإِذا رَمى بِكُما الصَباحُ دِيارَهُ
فَتَرَدَّداthen range to and fro, you two فيin ساحَةِthe courtyard العَلياءِhigh glory
فَتَرَدَّدا في ساحَةِ العَلياءِ
Then, when morning casts you both into his dwellings,
Where glory has trailed the hem of its gown
then range to and fro in the courtyard of high glory,
And eminence has walked with a proud gait,
فيin حَيثُwhere جَرَّtrailed المَجدُglory فَضلَthe trailing hem إِزارِهِits waistcloth
في حَيثُ جَرَّ المَجدُ فَضلَ إِزارِهِ
وَمَشىand walked الهُوَيناgently مِشيَةَwith the gait الخُيَلاءِof swagger
وَمَشى الهُوَينا مِشيَةَ الخُيَلاءِ
there where glory trailed the long hem of its waistcloth
And excellence has illuminated the night of every calamity,
and walked gently with a swaggering gait;
The full moon of the lofty and the stars of enlightened views,
وَسَرىand traveled by night فَجَلّىthen dispelled لَيلَthe night كُلِّevery مُلِمَّةٍcalamity
وَسَرى فَجَلّى لَيلَ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ
قَمَرُthe moon العَلاءِeminence وَأَنجُمُand the stars الآراءِopinions
قَمَرُ العَلاءِ وَأَنجُمُ الآراءِ
and there traveled by night, dispelling every calamity's darkness,
From a dwelling well lit against the dark of the nights
the moon of eminence and the stars of counsel,
By that which outshone the partition of gloom,
مِنfrom مَنزِلٍa dwelling قَدhad شَبَّblazed مِنfrom نارِthe fire القِرىhospitality
مِن مَنزِلٍ قَد شَبَّ مِن نارِ القِرى
ماthat which شابَturned gray عَنهُbecause of it مَفرِقُthe hair-parting الظَلماءِdarkness
ما شابَ عَنهُ مَفرِقُ الظَلماءِ
from a dwelling where the fire of hospitality had kindled
Had I wished I could have grasped the Pleiades while seated
a blaze that turned the parting of darkness's hair gray.
And unfurled the necklace of the brilliant stars,
لَوif شِئتُI wished طُلتُI overtopped بِهِin it الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades قاعِداًseated
لَو شِئتُ طُلتُ بِهِ الثُرَيّا قاعِداً
وَنَشَرتُand I spread out عِقدَthe necklace كَواكِبَthe stars الجَوزاءِOrion
وَنَشَرتُ عِقدَ كَواكِبَ الجَوزاءِ
Had I wished, I could have towered above the Pleiades there while seated,
And kissed a hand outstretched generously
and spread out the necklace of Orion's stars.
As though I’d kissed the cheek of the heavens,
وَلَثَمتُand I kissed ظَهرَthe back يَدٍa hand تَنَدّىis dewy with bounty حُرَّةًnoble
وَلَثَمتُ ظَهرَ يَدٍ تَنَدّى حُرَّةً
فَكَأَنَّنيso as though I قَبَّلتُI kissed وَجهَthe face سَماءِa sky
فَكَأَنَّني قَبَّلتُ وَجهَ سَماءِ
And I kissed the back of a noble hand, dewy with bounty,
And filled the space between his brow and right hand
as though I had kissed the face of the sky.
With my eyelids, lights and radiance,
وَمَلَأتُand I filled بَينَbetween جَبينِهِhis brow وَيَمينِهِand his right hand
وَمَلَأتُ بَينَ جَبينِهِ وَيَمينِهِ
جَفنَيَّmy two eyelids بِالأَنوارِwith lights وَالأَنواءِand rains
جَفنَيَّ بِالأَنوارِ وَالأَنواءِ
And between his brow and his right hand I filled
Gliding between the strongly held principles
my eyes with radiance and rain,
Of his valour and the resolute hillock of his honour,
مُتَهادِياًswaying gently مابَينَbetween أَبطَحِa gravelly valley-floor شيمَةٍa disposition
مُتَهادِياً مابَينَ أَبطَحِ شيمَةٍ
دَمُثَتgrew gentle وَهَضبَةِand a height عِزَّةٍdignity قَعساءِunassailable
دَمُثَت وَهَضبَةِ عِزَّةٍ قَعساءِ
moving gently between the broad valley-floor of a nature
There a curling lock of auspiciousness
grown mild, and the unassailable height of dignity,
Woven from the yarn of joy,
كَلَفاًenamored هُناكَthere بِغُرَّةٍwith a bright brow مَيمونَةٍauspicious
كَلَفاً هُناكَ بِغُرَّةٍ مَيمونَةٍ
خُلِقَتwere fashioned أَسِرَّتُهاits brow-lines مِنَfrom السَرّاءِjoy
خُلِقَت أَسِرَّتُها مِنَ السَرّاءِ
enamored there of an auspicious brow
Had you seen me circle around it
whose lines were fashioned from joy.
You’d have seen a sun and a gleaming sword,
لَوif كُنتَyou were تُبصِرُنيseeing me أَدورُI circle إِزاءَهاbefore it
لَو كُنتَ تُبصِرُني أَدورُ إِزاءَها
لَنَظَرتَyou would surely have seen مِنof شَمسٍa sun وَمِنand of حَرباءِa chameleon
لَنَظَرتَ مِن شَمسٍ وَمِن حَرباءِ
Had you seen me circling before it,
I anchored in God with it a ship of tranquility
you would have beheld a sun and a chameleon.
And stretched the rope of hope,
أَرسىstood firm بِهِin him فيfor اللَهِGod طَودُa mountain سَكينَةٍtranquility
أَرسى بِهِ في اللَهِ طَودُ سَكينَةٍ
وَعَدالَةٍand justice وَاِمتَدَّand stretched out حَبلُthe cord رَجاءِhope
وَعَدالَةٍ وَاِمتَدَّ حَبلُ رَجاءِ
In him, for God's sake, stood firm a mountain of tranquility
Fate has robed him in the raiment of happiness
and justice, and the cord of hope stretched far.
Independent of all names,
خَلَعَbestowed القَضاءُthe judgeship عَلَيهِupon him خِلعَةَa robe of honor سُؤدُدٍeminence
خَلَعَ القَضاءُ عَلَيهِ خِلعَةَ سُؤدُدٍ
غَنِيَتhad no need بِشُهرَتِهاthrough its fame عَنِof الأَسماءِnames
غَنِيَت بِشُهرَتِها عَنِ الأَسماءِ
The judgeship robed him in a mantle of eminence
Eulogy's dew-like fragrance seems as though
whose fame left it no need of names.
It were a basil plant oozing moisture,
عَبِقَgrew fragrant الثَناءُpraise نَدىdew الحَياrain فَكَأَنَّهُso as though it were
عَبِقَ الثَناءُ نَدى الحَيا فَكَأَنَّهُ
رَيحانَةٌa basil sprig مَطلولَةُdew-sprinkled الأَفياءِthe shaded places
رَيحانَةٌ مَطلولَةُ الأَفياءِ
Praise grew fragrant with rain's dew, as though it were
His face in God smiles eternally
a basil sprig with dew-sprinkled shade.
And beyond the veil of the unseen is a watchful eye,
أَبَداًalways لَهُhe has فيfor اللَهِGod وَجهُa face بَشاشَةٍcheerfulness
أَبَداً لَهُ في اللَهِ وَجهُ بَشاشَةٍ
وَوَراءَand behind سِترِthe veil الغَيبِthe unseen عَينُan eye ذَكاءِkeen intelligence
وَوَراءَ سِترِ الغَيبِ عَينُ ذَكاءِ
He always has, in God's service, a cheerful face,
Eloquence and lucidity have flowed together in him
and, behind the veil of the unseen, an eye of keen discernment.
Evident to the hearing and visible to the beholder,
قَدindeed راقَdelighted بَينَbetween فَصاحَةٍeloquence وَصَباحَةٍand beauty
قَد راقَ بَينَ فَصاحَةٍ وَصَباحَةٍ
سَمعُthe ear المُصيخِthe attentive listener لَهُto him وَعَينُand the eye الرائيthe beholder
سَمعُ المُصيخِ لَهُ وَعَينُ الرائي
Between eloquence and beauty, charmed are
And it is as if he combines will in mercy,
the ear that listens to him and the beholder's eye.
Ferocity in water,
وَكَأَنَّهُand as though he were مِنfrom عَزمَةٍfirm resolve فيwithin رَحمَةٍmercy
وَكَأَنَّهُ مِن عَزمَةٍ في رَحمَةٍ
مُتَرَكِّبٌcomposed مِنof جُذوَةٍa glowing ember فيin ماءِwater
مُتَرَكِّبٌ مِن جُذوَةٍ في ماءِ
And he seems, in his resolve amid mercy,
Between spontaneity and determination he is like
composed of a glowing ember within water.
The kindler of the flame of the brown Indian blade,
بَينَbetween الطَلاقَةِgeniality وَالمَضاءِand decisiveness كَأَنَّهُas though he were
بَينَ الطَلاقَةِ وَالمَضاءِ كَأَنَّهُ
وَقّادُblazing نَصلِthe point الصَعدَةِthe spear السَمراءِthe dusky
وَقّادُ نَصلِ الصَعدَةِ السَمراءِ
Between geniality and decisiveness, he seems
If he wished he could copy the dawn to replace night
the blazing point of the dusky spear.
And erase the blackness of the dark night,
لَوif شاءَhe wished نَسَخَto replace اللَيلِnight صُبحاًwith morning لَاِنتَحىhe would surely set about it
لَو شاءَ نَسَخَ اللَيلِ صُبحاً لَاِنتَحى
فَمَحاthen erased سَوادَthe blackness اللَيلَةِthe night اللَيلاءِthe pitch-dark
فَمَحا سَوادَ اللَيلَةِ اللَيلاءِ
Had he wished to replace night with morning, he would have set about it
The wind of virtues is folded by it
and erased the blackness of the pitch-dark night.
Where the tongues of poets chime,
تُثنيbends بِهِin him ريحُthe wind المَكارِمِnoble virtues خوطَةًa tender bough
تُثني بِهِ ريحُ المَكارِمِ خوطَةً
فيin حَيثُwhere تَسجَعُwarble أَلسُنُthe tongues الشُعَراءِthe poets
في حَيثُ تَسجَعُ أَلسُنُ الشُعَراءِ
In him, the wind of noble virtues bends a tender bough,
And it is as if his chanting
where the tongues of poets warble.
Were the chapter of spring and the coo of the dove,
وَكَأَنَّهُand as though he were وَكَأَنَّand as though رَجعَthe echo نَشيدِهِhis song
وَكَأَنَّهُ وَكَأَنَّ رَجعَ نَشيدِهِ
فَصلُthe season الرَبيعِspring وَرِنَّةُand the ringing call المُكّاءِthe lark
فَصلُ الرَبيعِ وَرِنَّةُ المُكّاءِ
And he seems—and his song's echo seems—
springtime and the ringing call of the lark.
Partial English translation: 46 of 48 Arabic lines translated.