تأوَّب كالبدر في جنحه

تأوَّب كالبدر في جنحه

وأين العواصم من سفحه

وأين العواصم من سفحه

He returned by night, like the full moon in night's gloom;

He rose like the full moon in its glory,

And where are the defenses against his shedding blood?

Where are the capitals compared to its base?

خيالٌ يزور أخير الدجى

خيالٌ يزور أخير الدجى

فتحسبه مبتدا صبحه

فتحسبه مبتدا صبحه

A phantom visits in the last hours of darkness,

A dream visits the darkness of night,

So you take him for the beginning of its dawn.

You'd think it the start of its dawn.

وقد ضمَّ جَفنِي بزير الكرى

وقد ضمَّ جَفنِي بزير الكرى

فيعرب في الحال عن فتحه

فيعرب في الحال عن فتحه

And my eyelid had been closed with slumber's lute-string;

My eyelids closed from the striking bells,

Then he makes its opening clear at once.

So it immediately expressed its opening.

هوى شارح لي حديث الغرام

هوى شارح لي حديث الغرام

فلا تسال القلب عن شرحه

فلا تسال القلب عن شرحه

Passion expounds love's discourse to me;

It explained to me the discourse of passion,

So do not ask the heart about its commentary.

So do not ask the heart about its explanation.

تعشقته شاهر الوجنتين

تعشقته شاهر الوجنتين

بما لقى القلب من جرحه

بما لقى القلب من جرحه

I loved him passionately, his cheeks unsheathed,

I fell in love with the one with reddened cheeks,

For what my heart suffered from his wounding.

For what the heart suffered from its wound.

له سيف لحظ أراق الدّماءَ

له سيف لحظ أراق الدّماءَ

فحمرة خدَّيهِ من نضجه

فحمرة خدَّيهِ من نضجه

He has a sword of glances that has spilled blood;

He has a glancing sword that shed blood,

So the redness of his cheeks comes from its ripening.

So the redness of his cheeks is from its heating.

كأنَّ عذاريه خط الجمال

كأنَّ عذاريه خط الجمال

تميل النفوس إلى لمحه

تميل النفوس إلى لمحه

As though his two sideburns were beauty's script,

It is as if his charm drew the line of beauty,

Souls are drawn to a glimpse of him.

Inclining souls to its glance.

رئيسٌ له في العلى منزلٌ

رئيسٌ له في العلى منزلٌ

تزلّ الكواكب عن صرحه

تزلّ الكواكب عن صرحه

A chief whose abode is in the heights,

He has in the heights a dwelling,

The stars slip from his palace.

With planets slipping from its palace.

يرجَّى وإن زاد في سخطه

يرجَّى وإن زاد في سخطه

ويخشى وإن لان في مزحه

ويخشى وإن لان في مزحه

He is looked to with hope, even when his wrath increases,

He is hoped for even if his wrath increases,

And feared, even when gentle in his jesting.

And feared even if he is gentle in jest.

ترقى به محمود مرقى الهلال

ترقى به محمود مرقى الهلال

فلاحظ الضدّ في نبحه

فلاحظ الضدّ في نبحه

Mahmud rose through him as the crescent rises,

With him the crescent moon rose to prominence,

Then he watched his adversary bark.

So note the opposite in its howling.

وأعدى على نائبات الزمان

وأعدى على نائبات الزمان

فما تشتكي الناس من فدحه

فما تشتكي الناس من فدحه

And he gave aid against the calamities of Time,

And he attacked the deputies of time,

So people do not complain of its crushing burden.

So people do not complain of his oppression.

براحته قلمٌ قد دعا

براحته قلمٌ قد دعا

شكاةَ الزمان إلى صلحه

شكاةَ الزمان إلى صلحه

In his palm is a pen that has called

In his rest, a pen which called

Those who complain of Time to reconciliation with it.

To reform the era with its appeasement.

يقول الرجاء لمتاحه

يقول الرجاء لمتاحه

طغى سيل غيثك فاستصحه

طغى سيل غيثك فاستصحه

Hope says to its generous giver:

Hope says to its attainment,

Your rain's torrent has overflowed—pray for it to clear.

Your torrent of rain has overflowed so remedy it.

ويوضح للناس نهج الثناءِ

ويوضح للناس نهج الثناءِ

فنظم القصائد من منحه

فنظم القصائد من منحه

And he shows people the path of praise,

And he clarifies for the people the approach of praise,

So composing odes is among his gifts.

So poems were composed from his bestowal.

له كتبٌ في ديار العدَى

له كتبٌ في ديار العدَى

غني بها الجيش عن كدحه

غني بها الجيش عن كدحه

He has letters in the lands of his enemies;

He has books in the lands of enemies,

Through them the army is spared its toil.

Enriching the army beyond their struggle.

تثقف مثل أعالي الشآم

تثقف مثل أعالي الشآم

بما اشتعل الدهر من لفحه

بما اشتعل الدهر من لفحه

They capture lands like the uplands of al-Sham,

Cultured like the heights of Damascus,

By the scorching blast that has set Time ablaze.

With what the ages ignited from its sparks.

لك الله من واضحٍ مجدُه

لك الله من واضحٍ مجدُه

كما اتَّضح الأفق عن صبحه

كما اتَّضح الأفق عن صبحه

God keep you, whose glory is manifest,

For you, may God grant clear glory,

As the horizon clears to reveal its dawn.

As the horizon cleared from its dawn.

وبرُّك في الفضل برٌّ رفيع

وبرُّك في الفضل برٌّ رفيع

فليس المعاند من طرحه

فليس المعاند من طرحه

And your kindness, in excellence, is lofty goodness;

And your righteousness in virtue is high righteousness,

So the adversary cannot cast it down.

So the adversary cannot reject it.

وكم لك عنديَ من منَّةٍ

وكم لك عنديَ من منَّةٍ

كما أسرف الغيث في سحه

كما أسرف الغيث في سحه

And how many favors I owe you,

And how much grace I have from you,

As rain is lavish in its downpour.

As heavy rain poured in its shower.

ينطقني جودك المرتجَى

ينطقني جودك المرتجَى

ويدعو اللسان إلى صدحه

ويدعو اللسان إلى صدحه

Your hoped-for generosity makes me speak,

Your desired generosity makes me speak,

And calls the tongue to its ringing song.

And calls the tongue to its fervor.

فاجْلب نظمي ونثري له

فاجْلب نظمي ونثري له

وأروي الصحيحين عن مدحه

وأروي الصحيحين عن مدحه

So I bring him my verse and my prose,

So inspire my prose and poetry to it,

And transmit the two Sahihs of his praise.

As I quench my thirst with its praise.