كيفَ قاسوا قدَّ الحبيب بغصنٍ

كيفَ قاسوا قدَّ الحبيب بغصنٍ

ذاك يجنى وذا على الناسِ يجني

ذاك يجنى وذا على الناسِ يجني

How could they compare the beloved’s stature to a bough?

How could they compare the beloved's stature to a branch?

From that one fruit is plucked; this one preys upon mankind.

That one is plucked, while this one does people harm.

كيفَ حاكوا ألحاظه بحسامٍ

كيفَ حاكوا ألحاظه بحسامٍ

وهي تفري حدّ الحسام بجفن

وهي تفري حدّ الحسام بجفن

How could they liken his glances to a sword

How could they liken his glances to a sword,

when, with an eyelid, they cleave the sword’s own edge?

when with an eyelid they cleave the sword's edge?

حبذا عاطر اللمى والثنايا

حبذا عاطر اللمى والثنايا

فاتر المقلتين حلو التجني

فاتر المقلتين حلو التجني

How lovely: fragrant dark lips and front teeth,

How lovely he is, with fragrant dusky lips and teeth,

languid eyes, sweet even in cruelty.

languid-eyed, sweet in his unjust reproach.

كلما هزَّ بالمعاطف ريحاً

كلما هزَّ بالمعاطف ريحاً

قرعت أنمل الصبابة سني

قرعت أنمل الصبابة سني

Whenever his swaying form stirred up a breeze,

Whenever he stirred a breeze with his swaying limbs,

the fingertips of yearning struck against my teeth.

longing's fingertips struck my tooth.

يا خضوعي هلاَّ سوى الحب حتَّى

يا خضوعي هلاَّ سوى الحب حتَّى

كان جود الوزير يدفع عني

كان جود الوزير يدفع عني

Ah, my abasement! If only it were for something besides love, so

O my abasement, why not for something other than love, so that

the vizier’s bounty might have relieved me of it—

the minister's bounty could have warded it off from me?

أبسطُ العالمين بأساً وجوداً

أبسطُ العالمين بأساً وجوداً

يوم يفني العدَاة أو يوم يغني

يوم يفني العدَاة أو يوم يغني

the most far-reaching of all mankind in might and generosity,

The most lavish of all mankind in might and bounty,

whether destroying foes or enriching others;

on a day he annihilates foes or a day he enriches others.

والذي راحتاه تسري ليسرٍ

والذي راحتاه تسري ليسرٍ

يرتجى نفعها ويمنى ليمن

يرتجى نفعها ويمنى ليمن

he whose two palms—one journeys by night to a left hand

And he whose two palms move to bring ease,

whose benefit is hoped for, and a right hand that leads to good fortune.

their benefit hoped for, and his right hand bringing good fortune.

كلّ يوم له في الفضل معنى

كلّ يوم له في الفضل معنى

ساحباً ذيله على ألفِ معنِ

ساحباً ذيله على ألفِ معنِ

Each day he embodies some new excellence,

Each day he has a mark of excellence,

trailing its hem over a thousand other excellences;

trailing his hem over a thousand Ma'ns.

وسخاء على العفاة بتبرٍ

وسخاء على العفاة بتبرٍ

في زمانٍ لم يسخَ فيه بتبنِ

في زمانٍ لم يسخَ فيه بتبنِ

and he lavishes pure gold upon petitioners

And generosity in gold dust to those who seek bounty,

in an age that would not give even straw.

in an age when not even straw was given freely.

إن أردنا الهدى فأنوار شمس

إن أردنا الهدى فأنوار شمس

أو أردنا الندى فأنواء مزنِ

أو أردنا الندى فأنواء مزنِ

If we seek guidance, there are the rays of a sun;

If we seek guidance, he is a sun's radiance;

or if we seek bounty, the rainbursts of laden clouds.

or seek bounty, he is downpours from rain clouds.

أعربت ذكره مباني علاه

أعربت ذكره مباني علاه

فعجبنا لمعرب اللفظ مبني

فعجبنا لمعرب اللفظ مبني

The edifices of his grandeur made his renown eloquent,

The edifices of his eminence proclaimed his renown,

and we marveled: the inflector of speech stood built—indeclinable.

so we marveled at a fixed structure giving words inflection.

وثنى للعلى عزائم أضحت

وثنى للعلى عزائم أضحت

فوق ما يطنب البليغ ويثني

فوق ما يطنب البليغ ويثني

He directed toward the heights resolves that rose

And he directed toward glory resolves that came to stand

beyond all that the eloquent can elaborate or praise,

above what the eloquent can expound at length and praise.

وحمى الملك حين جرَّد فيه

وحمى الملك حين جرَّد فيه

همة تجعل الجبال كعهنِ

همة تجعل الجبال كعهنِ

and guarded the kingdom when, in its defense, he unsheathed

And he defended the kingdom when he unsheathed within it

a mettle that turns mountains into tufts of wool.

a resolve that makes mountains like dyed wool.

فمعاديه في سوآء جحيمٍ

فمعاديه في سوآء جحيمٍ

ومواليه في جنَّات عدنِ

ومواليه في جنَّات عدنِ

Thus his enemies dwell in the very heart of Hell,

So his foes are in the midst of blazing Hell,

and his loyal friends in the Gardens of Eden.

and his supporters in gardens of Eden.

يا وزيراً إلى حماه لجأنا

يا وزيراً إلى حماه لجأنا

فلجأنا من الخطوب بحصنِ

فلجأنا من الخطوب بحصنِ

O vizier, to your sanctuary we fled,

O minister, to whose sanctuary we fled,

and from calamities found refuge in a fortress.

and so found refuge from calamities in a fortress.

وحبانا مال الصّلات بكيلٍ

وحبانا مال الصّلات بكيلٍ

فجلبنا له المديح بوزنِ

فجلبنا له المديح بوزنِ

He bestowed upon us a wealth of gifts by the measure,

And he granted us gifts of money by measure,

and we brought him praise in measured verse.

so we brought him praise by weight—in meter.

حبذا خلعة كعرضك بيضا

حبذا خلعة كعرضك بيضا

ء بها ابيضَّ للعدى كلّ جفنِ

ء بها ابيضَّ للعدى كلّ جفنِ

How lovely, a robe of honor white as your honor—

How lovely a robe of honor, white as your honor,

through it all cowardice among the foes turned pale—

through which every enemy's eyelid turned white!

فوق خضراء كالرياض رواءً

فوق خضراء كالرياض رواءً

جملتها شمائل ذات حسنِ

جملتها شمائل ذات حسنِ

over a green robe, fresh as gardens;

Over a green one, as lovely as gardens,

noble qualities endowed with beauty adorned it.

which beautiful qualities adorned.

يا لها من شمائلٍ قائلاتٍ

يا لها من شمائلٍ قائلاتٍ

ليسَ تحتَ الخضراء أكرم مني

ليسَ تحتَ الخضراء أكرم مني

Oh, what noble qualities they are, proclaiming:

Oh, what qualities they are, proclaiming:

“Beneath the green vault, none is nobler than I!”

“None beneath the green heavens is more generous than I.”

لا عدت بابك السعود فإنا

لا عدت بابك السعود فإنا

قد وجدناه غاية المتمني

قد وجدناه غاية المتمني

May the stars of fortune never leave your door,

May good fortune never pass beyond your door, for we

for we have found it the utmost reach of desire.

have indeed found it the utmost goal of all who hope.