لاNo وخمرby wine بابليَّهBabylonian
لا وخمر بابليَّه
فيin ثناياfront teeth لؤلؤيَّهpearl-like
في ثنايا لؤلؤيَّه
No, by Babylonian wine
No wine or Babylon crystals
amid pearl-like front teeth,
In the folds of its pearl essence
لاmay not رقىcease flowing سفحoutpouring; mountain slope دموعيmy tears
لا رقى سفح دموعي
فيin هوىpassionate love تلكthat الثنيَّهfront tooth; mountain pass
في هوى تلك الثنيَّه
may the torrent of my tears never cease
My tears won't soothe down the slope
for love of that tooth, that mountain pass.
Of passion for those curves
ربعthe abode سلوانيmy solace خرابruined
ربع سلواني خراب
وشجونيand my sorrows عامريَّهʿAmiri; flourishing
وشجوني عامريَّه
The abode of my solace lies ruined,
My dwelling is in ruins
while my griefs are ʿAmiri—flourishing.
While my grief makes it prosper
حرَبيmy misery منfrom ذاتa woman possessing حسنbeauty
حرَبي من ذات حسن
باسمٍsmiling تبكيmakes weep البريَّهhumankind
باسمٍ تبكي البريَّه
My misery comes from a beauty,
My war with the essence of beauty
smiling, yet making all creation weep.
In a name that makes the land weep
غادةa tender maiden يرويnarrates لماهاher lips' dark tint
غادة يروي لماها
عنfrom صحاحٍsound accounts; Ṣiḥāḥ جوهريَّهal-Jawhari's; gemlike
عن صحاحٍ جوهريَّه
A maiden whose dark-tinted lips recite
Ghada quenches what he craves
from al-Jawhari's gemlike Ṣiḥāḥ.
From a crystal-clear fount
منfrom بيوتthe houses التركthe Turks ترميshe shoots
من بيوت الترك ترمي
عنfrom قسيٍّbows عربيَّهArabian
عن قسيٍّ عربيَّه
From the houses of the Turks, she shoots
He casts from Turkish homes
with Arabian bows.
An arrow from an Arab bow
رحلَّتنيshe banished me عنfrom سلويmy solace
رحلَّتني عن سلوي
بلغاتٍwith utterances فارسيَّهPersian
بلغاتٍ فارسيَّه
She banished me from my solace
It took me away from Sulayy
with Persian words.
In Persian languages
لستُI am not أرضىcontent ياO عذوليmy reproacher
لستُ أرضى يا عذولي
فيin هواهاlove for her بالتقيَّهwith dissimulation
في هواها بالتقيَّه
I will not accept, O my reproacher,
I'm not pleased, O fawn eyes
dissimulation in my love for her.
To be chaste in her passion
ولقدand indeed أبذلI offer روحيmy soul
ولقد أبذل روحي
فيfor معانيهاher qualities السنيَّهexalted
في معانيها السنيَّه
And indeed I offer my soul
And I would give my soul
for her exalted qualities.
For her radiant meanings
لمI did not أخفfear فيfor عبلةfull-fleshed الساthe calf (first part)
لم أخف في عبلة السا
قcalf (completion) وفاهاand her mouth العنبريَّهambergris-scented
ق وفاها العنبريَّه
I feared nothing for the maiden with a plump
I feared not in the night’s gloom
calf and an ambergris-scented mouth.
And her amber-scented loyalty
لاNo ولاnor أخشىI fear منfrom الدنthe world (first part)
لا ولا أخشى من الدن
ياworld (completion) عواديهاits assaults الجريَّهbold
يا عواديها الجريَّه
No, nor do I fear the
Nor do I dread this world’s
world's brazen assaults.
Fickle turn of events
حجبتنيshielded me يدthe hand إسماIsmail (first part)
حجبتني يد إسما
عيلIsmail (completion) عنfrom كلِّevery بليَّهaffliction
عيل عن كلِّ بليَّه
I have been shielded by the hand of
Isma’il’s hand has veiled me
Ismail from every affliction.
From all tribulation
ملكa king أغنىmade independent عنof السحthe clouds (first part)
ملك أغنى عن السح
بِclouds (completion) بجدواهthrough his bounty المليَّهabundant
بِ بجدواه المليَّه
A king who leaves no need for
A king who has no need of youth
clouds, through his abundant bounty.
With his natural glory
حاتميِّHatim-like الكفthe hand يثنيturns back
حاتميِّ الكف يثني
منfrom أذىharm الدهرtime عديَّهits aggression; ʿAdi wordplay
من أذى الدهر عديَّه
Hatim-handed, he checks
My people of glorious descent
cruel time's aggression—its ʿAdi.
Clear-faced and bright complexion
معرقdeep-rooted الآباءforefathers باهيsplendid الشthe person (first part)
معرق الآباء باهي الش
خصperson (completion) وضَّاحradiant السجيَّهinborn nature
خص وضَّاح السجيَّه
Deep-rooted in ancestry, a splendid
May God protect his reign
person, with a radiant nature.
And these subjects of his
قدindeed رعىcared for اللهGod ببقياthrough the continuance
قد رعى الله ببقيا
ملكهhis reign هذيthese الرعيَّهthe subjects
ملكه هذي الرعيَّه
Indeed, God has cared, through the continuance
Blessed be the sea of his palms
of his reign, for these subjects.
And the wishes they hold
حبَّذاhow splendid بحرa sea بكفَّيin the two palms
حبَّذا بحر بكفَّي
هِhis الأمانيhopes والمنيهand death
هِ الأماني والمنيه
How splendid a sea, in whose two hands
With a sword that parts the fog
lie hopes and death!
With its keen vision
ذوpossessor of حسامٍa sharp sword يكشفdispels الخطcalamity (first part)
ذو حسامٍ يكشف الخط
بcalamity (completion) برؤياهby its appearance المضيَّهradiant
ب برؤياه المضيَّه
A wielder of a sword that dispels
A just one who shares out equally
calamity by its radiant appearance.
In the manner of even scales
عادلjust يقسمapportions فيin ناa crisis (first part)
عادل يقسم في نا
زلةcrisis (completion) قسمan apportionment السويَّهequality
زلة قسم السويَّه
Just, he distributes, in a
He brings honor to swords
crisis, equal shares.
Named the Glorious
شرَّفennobled الأسيافthe swords حتَّىuntil
شرَّف الأسياف حتَّى
سمِّيتthey were named بالمشرفيَّهas Mashrafiyya swords
سمِّيت بالمشرفيَّه
He ennobled the swords until
Regarding his fine body
they were called Mashrafiyya blades.
He has a sturdy spirit
ويراعand a reed pen ناحلslender الجسthe body (first part)
ويراع ناحل الجس
مbody (completion) لهit has نفسa soul قويَّهstrong
م له نفس قويَّه
And a reed pen, slender in
Wakeful in the dark of destiny
body, has a mighty soul.
To shelter the people
ساهرwakeful فيin ظلمdarkness الخgoodness (first part)
ساهر في ظلم الخ
يرgoodness (completion) لتأمينto keep safe البريَّهhumankind
ير لتأمين البريَّه
Wakeful in the darkness of
Combining generosity and knowledge
goodness, to keep humankind safe.
Planetary attributes
جامعcombining فيin الجودِgenerosity والعand knowledge (first part)
جامع في الجودِ والع
لمknowledge (completion) صفاتqualities كوكبيَّهstar-like
لم صفات كوكبيَّه
Combining, in generosity and
Thus are glories built
knowledge, star-like qualities.
With geometric qualities
هكذاthus تبنىis built المعاليgreatness
هكذا تبنى المعالي
بمزاياwith virtues هندسيَّهgeometrical
بمزايا هندسيَّه
Thus is greatness built
O king endowed by God
with geometrical virtues.
With brilliant traits
ياO مليكاًa king خصَّهsingled him out اللGod (first part)
يا مليكاً خصَّه الل
هGod (completion) بأوصافٍwith attributes سنيَّهexalted
ه بأوصافٍ سنيَّه
O king, singled out by
For you I have sincerities
God with exalted attributes,
And hidden benefits
لكto your credit عندِيwith me صدقاتcharitable gifts
لك عندِي صدقات
وإفاداتand benefits خفيَّهhidden
وإفادات خفيَّه
you have bestowed on me charitable gifts
Requiring praise, though I have no need
and favors granted in secret,
To praise
تقتضيcall for المدحpraise وإنand even though كاwas (first part)
تقتضي المدح وإن كا
نتwas (completion) عنof المدحِpraise غنيَّهfree of need
نت عن المدحِ غنيَّه
which call for praise, even though
So remain lord of the headbands
they have no need of praise.
With amber scents
فابْقso live on مخدومserved السجاياinborn qualities
فابْق مخدوم السجايا
بتحاياwith salutations عنبريَّهambergris-scented
بتحايا عنبريَّه
So live on, your virtues served
And join the rule for eternal
with ambergris-scented salutations.
Reasons of Saud
واصلsustain الملكthe kingship بأسباthrough means (first part)
واصل الملك بأسبا
بِmeans (completion) السعودgood fortunes الأبديَّهeverlasting
بِ السعود الأبديَّه
Sustain your kingship through the means
of everlasting good fortune.
Partial English translation: 56 of 58 Arabic lines translated.