أيّ حبيب في خده شرْطَهْ

أيّ حبيب في خده شرْطَهْ

لم أتجاوزْ في حبه شرطَهْ

لم أتجاوزْ في حبه شرطَهْ

What a beloved, with a scratch on his cheek!

Any beloved whose cheek has a mole,

In loving him, I have not overstepped his condition.

I would not transgress his wish, no, not by a hair.

أحورُ أحوى أغرُّ مختصَرُ ال

أحورُ أحوى أغرُّ مختصَرُ ال

خَصْرِ يُريك الجمال كالنقطَه

خَصْرِ يُريك الجمال كالنقطَه

Dark-eyed, dark-lipped, radiant, slender of

He has a slender waist and graceful swaying gait,

waist, he shows you beauty like a dot.

Showing you beauty as if it were a dot.

سألته قبلة فغالطني

سألته قبلة فغالطني

مهدداً لي بصاحب الشرطَهْ

مهدداً لي بصاحب الشرطَهْ

I asked him for a kiss, but he quibbled with me,

I asked him for a kiss, but he refused

threatening me with the chief of police.

Threatening me with the police officer.

السحرُ في طرفه ووجنته

السحرُ في طرفه ووجنته

ورديّةُ اللون فوقها نقطَهْ

ورديّةُ اللون فوقها نقطَهْ

Magic is in his glance, and his cheek

Magic is in his glances and rosy cheeks

is rose-colored, with a dot upon it.

On which a tint, like a dot, overlays.

فديت من هجره على وجلٍ

فديت من هجره على وجلٍ

والهجر بعد الوصال كالسّخْطَه

والهجر بعد الوصال كالسّخْطَه

I would ransom him, whose desertion I dread;

I ransom the one whose estrangement pained me,

and estrangement after union is like a fit of anger.

For estrangement after union is like rage.

وشِبْتُ في حُبّه فوا سَقَمي

وشِبْتُ في حُبّه فوا سَقَمي

وها أنا الآن منه في ورطَه

وها أنا الآن منه في ورطَه

And I have grown gray in loving him—alas for my sickness!

I grew gray-haired in loving him, and here am I now

And here I am now, in a predicament because of him.

Entangled in difficulties because of him.

أقول لما بدا المشيبُ وقد

أقول لما بدا المشيبُ وقد

خطّ به وسْطَ مَفرِقي خطّهْ

خطّ به وسْطَ مَفرِقي خطّهْ

I say, when gray hair appeared, having

I say, now that grey hair has appeared

drawn its line down the middle of my hair's parting:

And marked my parting with a line.

يا قلبُ تُبْ واسألِ المهيمنَ أنْ

يا قلبُ تُبْ واسألِ المهيمنَ أنْ

يغفرَ ما قد مضى وقُلْ حِطّهْ

يغفرَ ما قد مضى وقُلْ حِطّهْ

O heart, repent, and ask the All-Watchful to

O heart, repent and ask the Almighty

forgive what has passed, and say, 'Forgiveness!'

To forgive what is past, and say: "It is enough!"

والجأ الى الحافظِ الإمام ومَنْ

والجأ الى الحافظِ الإمام ومَنْ

قد زيد في العلم والعلى بسْطَهْ

قد زيد في العلم والعلى بسْطَهْ

And seek refuge with al-Hafiz, the Imam, who

Take refuge in the Guardian, the Imam whose

has been granted abundance in learning and eminence.

Knowledge and excellence have been spread.

أكرِمْ به من مهذّبٍ فطِنٍ

أكرِمْ به من مهذّبٍ فطِنٍ

ليس له دون غيره غلطَهْ

ليس له دون غيره غلطَهْ

How noble he is, refined and discerning!

Honor him, for he is a refined and brilliant man

Unlike others, he makes no mistakes.

Who has no faults compared to others.

أروعُ فاقَ الأنامَ كلهُمُ

أروعُ فاقَ الأنامَ كلهُمُ

نرجو رضاه ونتقي سُخْطَهْ

نرجو رضاه ونتقي سُخْطَهْ

An imposing man, surpassing all humankind;

He is the most remarkable, surpassing all people.

we hope for his favor and guard against his wrath.

We hope for his pleasure and fear his rage.

كم نعمةٍ قادها إليّ وكمْ

كم نعمةٍ قادها إليّ وكمْ

عبءٍ ثقيلٍ عليّ قد حطّهْ

عبءٍ ثقيلٍ عليّ قد حطّهْ

How many a blessing he has brought me, and how many

How many blessings has he brought me! How many

a heavy burden upon me he has lifted!

Heavy burdens has he removed from me!

ذو قلمٍ لم يزل يقُطُّ به

ذو قلمٍ لم يزل يقُطُّ به

رؤوسَ أعدائِهِ إذا قطّهْ

رؤوسَ أعدائِهِ إذا قطّهْ

He has a pen with which he never ceases to cut off

He whose pen ceaselessly cuts off

his enemies' heads whenever he trims its nib.

The heads of his enemies when he swings it.

الوزرا والملوكُ تُكْبِرُه

الوزرا والملوكُ تُكْبِرُه

والأمرا ثمّ صاحبُ الشرطَه

والأمرا ثمّ صاحبُ الشرطَه

The viziers and kings revere him,

The ministers and kings esteem him greatly,

and the princes, then the chief of police.

As do the princes, and the police officer.

يا أيها الحافظُ الإمام ومن

يا أيها الحافظُ الإمام ومن

قد شرّف الله ربنا خطّهْ

قد شرّف الله ربنا خطّهْ

O al-Hafiz, the Imam, you whose

O Guardian, Imam whom our Lord

handwriting God, our Lord, has ennobled:

Has honored with his line of descent.

عبدُك نصْرٌ وأنت تعرفُهُ

عبدُك نصْرٌ وأنت تعرفُهُ

ما عنده فضّةٌ ولا حِنْطَهْ

ما عنده فضّةٌ ولا حِنْطَهْ

Your servant is Nasr, and you know him:

Your servant is Nasr, whom you know

he has neither silver nor wheat.

Has neither money nor wheat.

وبطّةُ الزيتِ بعد ما ملئت

وبطّةُ الزيتِ بعد ما ملئت

تفرّغَتْ ثم بيعَتِ البطّه

تفرّغَتْ ثم بيعَتِ البطّه

And the oil flask, after it was filled,

The oil jar after it was filled

was emptied; then the flask was sold.

Emptied out, then the jar was sold.

هذا وكل الفئرانِ قد نفروا

هذا وكل الفئرانِ قد نفروا

جوعاً وفرّتْ من جوعِها القطّهْ

جوعاً وفرّتْ من جوعِها القطّهْ

And besides this, all the mice have fled

The mice have all fled in hunger,

from hunger, and the cat has fled from her hunger.

And the cat has run from its hunger.

فخُذْ عليه بما تشاءُ فلا

فخُذْ عليه بما تشاءُ فلا

برِحْتَ في نعمة وفي غِبطَهْ

برِحْتَ في نعمة وفي غِبطَهْ

So hold him to whatever you wish; may you never

So do with him as you wish, may you never

cease to enjoy blessings and happiness!

Cease to enjoy favor and fortune!

وكل من شكّ في محبّتِه

وكل من شكّ في محبّتِه

حلّت بأعلى سِباله ضرْطَهْ

حلّت بأعلى سِباله ضرْطَهْ

And whoever doubts his love,

And whoever doubts his love of you

may a fart land atop his mustache!

Will get fleas in the upper part of his robe.