بستانa garden حسنbeauty لاnot عدمتmay I lack قطافَهُits harvest
بستان حسن لا عدمت قطافَهُ
لثماًkisses يسلّفنيlends me in advance السرورjoy سلافَهُits choicest wine
لثماً يسلّفني السرور سلافَهُ
A garden of beauty—may I never lack its harvest
A garden of beauty, may its harvest never cease
Of kisses; joy lends me its choicest wine in advance.
A kiss that lends me joy as a gift of peace
يختالhe struts فيin مرحِexuberance الشبابyouth كأنماas though
يختال في مرحِ الشباب كأنما
هزتset swaying حمائمdoves حليهhis adornments أعطافَهُhis sides
هزت حمائم حليه أعطافَهُ
He struts in the exuberance of youth, as though
Prancing in youth’s delight as though
The doves of his adornments had set his sides swaying.
Doves shook their bracelets free from their sleeves
فيin وصفهdescribing him الأغزالthe love poems خصّsingled out مديحهاtheir praise
في وصفه الأغزال خصّ مديحها
ملكking البسيطةthe earth لاnot تريدthey desire خلافَهُanyone in his place
ملك البسيطة لا تريد خلافَهُ
In describing him, the love poems reserved their praise
To describe it, gazelles vie in praise
For the king of the earth; they desire none in his place.
The King of the Plain brooks no dissent
الناصرal-Nasir ('the Victor') بنson of الناصرal-Nasir ('the Victor') بنson of قلاونQalawun المal-Man- (name fragment)
الناصر بن الناصر بن قلاون الم
نصور-sur (completing al-Mansur, 'the Victorious') جانسَwas akin to نصرهhis victory أسلافَهُhis forebears
نصور جانسَ نصره أسلافَهُ
Al-Nasir, son of al-Nasir, son of Qalawun al-Man-
Al-Nasir son of Al-Nasir son of Qalawoon
sur—his victory echoed his forebears.
Whose victorious aid his ancestors lent
خضعتbowed لعزَّتهto his might الملوكthe kings وأذعنتand submitted
خضعت لعزَّته الملوك وأذعنت
لأغرّto a radiant one أمَّلهhoped for him الزمانTime وخافَهُand feared him
لأغرّ أمَّله الزمان وخافَهُ
Kings bowed to his might and submitted
To his glory kings bowed and swore fealty
To a radiant one whom Time hoped for and feared.
For he is the hope time itself has sent
خدمتهserved him حتَّىeven أنجمstars مرِّيخهاtheir Mars
خدمته حتَّى أنجم مرِّيخها
لوif عادreturned كسرىKisra ظنَّهwould deem him سيَّافَهُhis executioner
لو عاد كسرى ظنَّه سيَّافَهُ
Even the stars served him; their Mars—
They served him until his planet Mars
Were Kisra to return, he would take him for his executioner.
Rose high, and the Sasanians repent
ولوand if أنthat ذاthe possessor of الأكتافthe shoulders سابوراًShapur عصىdisobeyed
ولو أن ذا الأكتاف سابوراً عصى
أمراًa command لقطَّعتwould cut to pieces العصاthe staff أكتافَهُhis shoulders
أمراً لقطَّعت العصا أكتافَهُ
And if Shapur, 'Lord of the Shoulders,' disobeyed
Had Sapor rebelled against his command
A command, the staff would cut his shoulders to pieces.
He'd sever the neck that dared dissent