أَيُّها الظافِرُ أَبشِر بِالظَفَر

أَيُّها الظافِرُ أَبشِر بِالظَفَر

وَاِجتَلِ التَأييدَ في أَبهى الصوَّر

وَاِجتَلِ التَأييدَ في أَبهى الصوَّر

O al-Zafir, rejoice in victory!

O victor, rejoice in victory

And behold support in its most splendid forms.

And don the finest garb of support

وَتَفَيَّأَ ظِلَّ سَعدٍ تَجتَني

وَتَفَيَّأَ ظِلَّ سَعدٍ تَجتَني

فيهِ مِن غَرسِ المُنى أَحلى الثَمَر

فيهِ مِن غَرسِ المُنى أَحلى الثَمَر

And take shelter in good fortune's shade, gathering

And enjoy the shade of auspice bearing

there the sweetest fruit from the plantings of hope.

The sweetest fruit from the tree of desire

وَرِدِ الصُبحَ فَكَم مُستَوحِشٍ

وَرِدِ الصُبحَ فَكَم مُستَوحِشٍ

غَرِضٍ مِنكَ إِلى أُنُسِ الصَدَر

غَرِضٍ مِنكَ إِلى أُنُسِ الصَدَر

And arrive at dawn, for many a lonely soul

Return at dawn, after many a lonely night

yearns, apart from you, for the solace of return.

Spent yearning for the joy of your company

كانَ مِن قُربِكَ في عَيشٍ نَدٍ

كانَ مِن قُربِكَ في عَيشٍ نَدٍ

عَطِرِ الآصالِ وَضّاحِ البُكَر

عَطِرِ الآصالِ وَضّاحِ البُكَر

Through nearness to you, he once lived a dew-fresh life,

When you were near, living was sweet

with fragrant evenings and radiant mornings.

Fragrant with friendship, radiant each dawn

كُلَّما شاءَ تَأَتّى أَن يَرى

كُلَّما شاءَ تَأَتّى أَن يَرى

خُلُقَ البِرجيسِ في خَلقِ القَمَر

خُلُقَ البِرجيسِ في خَلقِ القَمَر

Whenever he wished, he could behold

Whenever he wished, he could behold

Jupiter's character in the moon's form.

A moon's nature in a Perseus' form

فَثَوى دونَكَ مَثوى قَلِقٍ

فَثَوى دونَكَ مَثوى قَلِقٍ

يَشتَكي مِن لَيلِهِ مَطلَ السَحَر

يَشتَكي مِن لَيلِهِ مَطلَ السَحَر

So he dwells apart from you, a restless lodger,

While without you he restless lies

complaining that his night withholds the dawn.

Complaining to the lingering night

قُل لِساقينا يَحُز أَكؤُسَهُ

قُل لِساقينا يَحُز أَكؤُسَهُ

وَلِشادينا يَصِل قَطعَ الوَتَر

وَلِشادينا يَصِل قَطعَ الوَتَر

Tell our cupbearer to gather up his cups,

Tell our cupbearer to fill our cups

and our singer to keep the string severed.

And our singer to string his tune

حَسبُنا سُكرٌ جَنَتهُ ذِكَرٌ

حَسبُنا سُكرٌ جَنَتهُ ذِكَرٌ

دونَهُ السُكرُ الَّذي يَجني السَكَر

دونَهُ السُكرُ الَّذي يَجني السَكَر

Enough for us is the intoxication memories yield,

Drunken, we are, on the wine of your name

beside which the drunkenness that wine yields falls short.

Not the drunkenness that makes one reel

لَم يُغادِر لي سَقامي جَلَداً

لَم يُغادِر لي سَقامي جَلَداً

مَعَ أَنّي لَم أَزَل ثَبتَ المِرَر

مَعَ أَنّي لَم أَزَل ثَبتَ المِرَر

My sickness has left me no endurance,

My sickness has left me no respite

though I have always been steadfast in resolve.

Though I have remained stoic throughout

أَيُّها الماشي البَرازَ المُنبَري

أَيُّها الماشي البَرازَ المُنبَري

لِزَماني إِن مَشى نَحوي الخَمَر

لِزَماني إِن مَشى نَحوي الخَمَر

O you who walk in the open, who stand forth

O walker of the eloquent pulpit

against my fate if it stalks toward me under cover;

Accompany the season if it turns to wine

وَالَّذي إِن سيمَ ما فَوقَ الرِضى

وَالَّذي إِن سيمَ ما فَوقَ الرِضى

وُجِدَ الأَلوى البَعيدَ المُستَمَرّ

وُجِدَ الأَلوى البَعيدَ المُستَمَرّ

and you who, if pressed beyond your consent,

By the one whom if he were to allow

are found unyielding, with a course far beyond reach;

Continued joy found far and wide

وَإِذا أَعتَبَ في مَعتَبَةٍ

وَإِذا أَعتَبَ في مَعتَبَةٍ

لانَ مِنهُ جانِبُ السَمحِ اليَسَر

لانَ مِنهُ جانِبُ السَمحِ اليَسَر

and when you make amends for a grievance,

And when he reproached for a fault

your gracious, easygoing side grows gentle.

His side of tolerance bent easy

نَظمِيَ المُهدى إِلى أَبرَعِ مَن

نَظمِيَ المُهدى إِلى أَبرَعِ مَن

نَظَمَ السِحرَ بَياناً أَو نَثَر

نَظَمَ السِحرَ بَياناً أَو نَثَر

My verse, offered to the most accomplished of those

My verse offered to the most eloquent

who fashion eloquence's magic in verse or prose—

Who has crafted magic in prose or poem

لي فيهِ المَثَلُ السائِرُ عَن

لي فيهِ المَثَلُ السائِرُ عَن

جالِبِ التَمرِ إِلى أَرضِ هَجَر

جالِبِ التَمرِ إِلى أَرضِ هَجَر

in this, I fit the well-known proverb about

For him the example forever remains

one who brings dates to the land of Hajar.

Of bringing dates to the land of dearth

غَيرَ أَنَّ العُذرَ رَسمٌ واضِحٌ

غَيرَ أَنَّ العُذرَ رَسمٌ واضِحٌ

تُنفَثُ الشَكوى إِذا الشَوقُ صَدَر

تُنفَثُ الشَكوى إِذا الشَوقُ صَدَر

Yet my excuse is this clear, established practice:

Except the excuse is clear to see

complaint is breathed out when longing wells forth.

When longing breaks out in complaint

ثُمَّ قَد وُفِّقَ عَبدٌ عَظُمَت

ثُمَّ قَد وُفِّقَ عَبدٌ عَظُمَت

نِعمَةُ المَولى عَلَيهِ فَشَكَر

نِعمَةُ المَولى عَلَيهِ فَشَكَر

Moreover, well guided was a servant: great was

Then a servant was granted success

his master's favor toward him, and he gave thanks.

As the Master's favor he did thank

لا عَدا حَظَّكَ إِقبالٌ تُرى

لا عَدا حَظَّكَ إِقبالٌ تُرى

قاضِياً أَثناءَهُ كُلَّ وَطَر

قاضِياً أَثناءَهُ كُلَّ وَطَر

May your lot never lack prosperity; may you be seen

None but your fortune determining

fulfilling every desire in its midst.

The judge of all its sides

وَاِصطَبِح كَأسَ الرِضى مِن مَلِكٍ

وَاِصطَبِح كَأسَ الرِضى مِن مَلِكٍ

سِرتَ في إِرضائِهِ أَزكى السِيَر

سِرتَ في إِرضائِهِ أَزكى السِيَر

And drink at dawn the cup of favor from a king

And sip the wine of content by a king

whose pleasure you have sought through the noblest conduct,

Whose pleasure you sought in your deeds

حينَ صَمَّمتَ إِلى أَعدائِهِ

حينَ صَمَّمتَ إِلى أَعدائِهِ

فَاِنتَحَتهُم مِنكَ صَمّاءُ الغِيَر

فَاِنتَحَتهُم مِنكَ صَمّاءُ الغِيَر

when you advanced resolutely against his enemies,

When you marched against his enemies

and through you an inexorable stroke of fortune assailed them.

Deaf to the words of detractors

فاضَ غَمرٌ لِلنَدى مِن فَوقِهِم

فاضَ غَمرٌ لِلنَدى مِن فَوقِهِم

كانَ يُروي شُربَهُم مِنهُ الغُمَر

كانَ يُروي شُربَهُم مِنهُ الغُمَر

A flood of bounty poured down upon them,

A flood poured over them from above

a mere small cup of which once quenched their thirst.

Once their drink, now their grave

سَبَقَ الناسَ فَصَلّى مِنكَ مَن

سَبَقَ الناسَ فَصَلّى مِنكَ مَن

إِن رَأى آثارَهُ الزُهرَ اِقتَفَر

إِن رَأى آثارَهُ الزُهرَ اِقتَفَر

He outstripped all men; you followed close behind,

They preceded people, so from you prayed

tracking his shining footsteps whenever you saw them.

Whoever saw their traces, desiccate

زِنتُما الأَيّامَ إِذ مُلكُكُما

زِنتُما الأَيّامَ إِذ مُلكُكُما

سالَ في أَوجُهِها سَيلَ الغُرَر

سالَ في أَوجُهِها سَيلَ الغُرَر

You two adorned the days, when your sovereignty

You two adorned the days as you reigned

flowed across their faces like a flood of white forehead-blazes.

With a torrent of boons flowing free

فَاِبقَيا في دَولَةٍ قادِرَةٍ

فَاِبقَيا في دَولَةٍ قادِرَةٍ

بَعضُ حُرّاسِ نَواحيها القَدَر

بَعضُ حُرّاسِ نَواحيها القَدَر

So may you both endure in a powerful realm,

So remain in a kingdom so empowered

with Destiny among the guardians of its borders;

Some of whose borders are decreed by fate

مُستَذِلَّي مَن طَغى مُستَأصِلَي

مُستَذِلَّي مَن طَغى مُستَأصِلَي

شَأفَةَ الباغي مُقيلَي مَن عَثَر

شَأفَةَ الباغي مُقيلَي مَن عَثَر

humbling those who transgress, uprooting

Subduing the arrogant, uprooting oppression

the aggressor's root, and helping up those who stumble;

Staying the despot, aiding the weak

عَلِّمي مَن ضَلَّ مُزنَي مَن شَكا

عَلِّمي مَن ضَلَّ مُزنَي مَن شَكا

خَلَّةَ الإِمحالِ بَدرَي مَن نَظَر

خَلَّةَ الإِمحالِ بَدرَي مَن نَظَر

two beacons for the lost, two rainclouds for those who lament

Guiding the lost, comforting the worried

drought's privation, two full moons for those who gaze.

Informing the confused, enlightening the blind

تَضحَكُ الأَزمُنُ عَن عَلياكُما

تَضحَكُ الأَزمُنُ عَن عَلياكُما

ضَحِكَ الرَوضَةِ عَن ثَغرِ الزَهَر

ضَحِكَ الرَوضَةِ عَن ثَغرِ الزَهَر

The ages smile, revealing the exalted glory of you both,

Eras smile at your heights

as a garden smiles, baring its teeth of blossom.

As a meadow does at a flower