عَرَّسَ بالتوفيقِ والسَّعْدِ

عَرَّسَ بالتوفيقِ والسَّعْدِ

أَبو الوفاءِ بْنُ أَبي سَعْدِ

أَبو الوفاءِ بْنُ أَبي سَعْدِ

With success and good fortune, he wed—

Abu al-Wafa ibn Abi Sa'd was wed

Abū al-Wafāʾ ibn Abī Saʿd.

With good fortune and happiness ahead

بَدْرٌ حوى شَمْسًا تُجَلِّي الدُّجَى

بَدْرٌ حوى شَمْسًا تُجَلِّي الدُّجَى

ما لم يكُنْ من فاحم جعْدِ

ما لم يكُنْ من فاحم جعْدِ

A full moon embraced a sun that dispels darkness,

A full moon that illuminates the gloom

unless it comes from jet-black curls.

With unmatched splendor and éclat

كريمَةُ المَنْصِبِ قد حازَها

كريمَةُ المَنْصِبِ قد حازَها

مِثالُها في رُتَبِ المَجْدِ

مِثالُها في رُتَبِ المَجْدِ

Noble in lineage, she has been won

She holds a noble status indeed

by her equal in the ranks of glory.

A paragon of virtue and rectitude

أَلْبَسَهُ حَمْدِي ومن ذا الذي

أَلْبَسَهُ حَمْدِي ومن ذا الذي

أَلْبَسَهُ مفتخراً حَمْدي

أَلْبَسَهُ مفتخراً حَمْدي

My praise has clothed him—and who is he

I clothed him in praise, for who else

whom my praise has clothed, full of pride?

Could I praise so proudly?

ولم أَزَلْ أَنْظِمُ في وَصْفِهِ

ولم أَزَلْ أَنْظِمُ في وَصْفِهِ

فرائدَ الأَمداحِ كالعِقْدِ

فرائدَ الأَمداحِ كالعِقْدِ

And I have never ceased, in describing him, to string

I compose for him still

choice pearls of praise, like a necklace.

Refined eulogies like a necklace

من آلِ موسى عبدوا ربَّهُمْ

من آلِ موسى عبدوا ربَّهُمْ

ووَحَّدُوهُ غايَةَ الجُهْدِ

ووَحَّدُوهُ غايَةَ الجُهْدِ

Of Moses's people, who worshiped their Lord

The family of Moses worshipped their Lord

and affirmed His oneness with their utmost effort.

And devoted themselves fully

ليس من العُبَّاد للعِجْلِ في

ليس من العُبَّاد للعِجْلِ في

ما قد مَضَى من لا ولا البُدِّ

ما قد مَضَى من لا ولا البُدِّ

He is not among those who worshiped the calf in

None of His servants worshipped the calf

times past—no, nor among worshipers of the idol;

In times gone by, no, never

ولا الذين اتَّخذوا نارَهُمْ

ولا الذين اتَّخذوا نارَهُمْ

ربًّا كما يُحْكَى عن الهِنْدِ

ربًّا كما يُحْكَى عن الهِنْدِ

nor those who made their fire

Nor those who took fire as their lord

a lord, as is told of India.

As told of India

لكنهم أَهلُ كتابٍ قَضَى

لكنهم أَهلُ كتابٍ قَضَى

بالفَصْلِ بين الحُرِّ والعَبْدِ

بالفَصْلِ بين الحُرِّ والعَبْدِ

But they are people of a scripture that ruled

But they are People of the Book

decisively between the free man and the slave.

Whose affairs the Judge has settled

جاءَتْهُمُ التوراةُ وهي التي

جاءَتْهُمُ التوراةُ وهي التي

كانَتْ إِلى سُبْلِ الهُدَى تَهْدي

كانَتْ إِلى سُبْلِ الهُدَى تَهْدي

The Torah came to them, and it was the one

Between the free and the bound

that guided them to the paths of right guidance.

The Torah came to guide

ونُزِّلَ المَنُّ عليهم مع السَّ

ونُزِّلَ المَنُّ عليهم مع السَّ

لْوَى كما اختاروا من القصدِ

لْوَى كما اختاروا من القصدِ

And manna was sent down upon them, along with

Manna and quails they were given

quails, as they chose the course of moderation.

As they chose the path of reason

يا من حوى فضلاً ونبلاً ومَنْ

يا من حوى فضلاً ونبلاً ومَنْ

إِليه فيما قُلْتُهُ قصدي

إِليه فيما قُلْتُهُ قصدي

O you who possess excellence and nobility, and you

O you whose nobility I extol

to whom the words I spoke are directed:

My ode is meant for you

اِهْنَأْ بعُرْسٍ قد غدا يُوْمُهُ

اِهْنَأْ بعُرْسٍ قد غدا يُوْمُهُ

عيداً لأَهلِ الغَوْرِ والنَّجْدِ

عيداً لأَهلِ الغَوْرِ والنَّجْدِ

Rejoice in a wedding whose day has become

Rejoice in a wedding whose day

a festival for the people of the lowlands and uplands.

Is a feast for the valley's people

أَقبَلَ والإِقبالُ قد حاطهُ

أَقبَلَ والإِقبالُ قد حاطهُ

حِياطَةَ الخَلْخَالِ بالزَّنْدِ

حِياطَةَ الخَلْخَالِ بالزَّنْدِ

It arrived, with good fortune enfolding it

Good fortune has come to you

as an anklet encircles a wrist.

Like a bracelet clasping your wrist

وعندك الحَلْواءُ معقودَةً

وعندك الحَلْواءُ معقودَةً

أَحْكَمها الصّانِعُ في العِقْدِ

أَحْكَمها الصّانِعُ في العِقْدِ

And you have a confection, set firm,

The sweetest is by you

whose setting the maker has perfected.

Made firm by the Artisan's hand

أَحْلى من الأَمْنِ ولكنَّها

أَحْلى من الأَمْنِ ولكنَّها

أَفْوَحُ في الطِّيبِ منَ النَّدِّ

أَفْوَحُ في الطِّيبِ منَ النَّدِّ

Sweeter than safety, yet it is

Sweeter than safety but

more fragrant in scent than blended incense.

More fragrant than musk

فجُدْ على الشاعِرِ منها فما

فجُدْ على الشاعِرِ منها فما

يُعِيدُه عنكَ وما يُبْدِي

يُعِيدُه عنكَ وما يُبْدِي

So give the poet some of it, for what

Reward the poet, do not

he repeats about you and what he proclaims.

Deny or hesitate

وعَجَّلِ الجائزةَ الآنَ لي

وعَجَّلِ الجائزةَ الآنَ لي

فإِنَّني أَصْبحْتُ في جَهْدِ

فإِنَّني أَصْبحْتُ في جَهْدِ

And hasten the reward to me now,

Give me the prize at once

for I have come to be in hardship.

For I am in dire need

لا زِلْتَ في عِزٍّ وفي نِعْمةٍ

لا زِلْتَ في عِزٍّ وفي نِعْمةٍ

ما غَرَّدَ الطيرُ على الرَّنْدِ

ما غَرَّدَ الطيرُ على الرَّنْدِ

May you ever remain in honor and blessing,

May you remain in glory and bounty

as long as birds sing upon the bay laurel.

As long as birds sing on the branch