يا هاروتيّ الطَّرْفِ تُرى

يا هاروتيّ الطَّرْفِ تُرى

كم لكَ نَفَثَاتٌ في العُقَدِ

كم لكَ نَفَثَاتٌ في العُقَدِ

O you with a Hārūt-like gaze, I wonder:

O you with the bewitching glance of Harut, do you see?

how many spells have you breathed into knots?

How many spells you cast by blowing upon the knots!

فطعنتَ الأُسْدَ بلا أَسَلٍ

فطعنتَ الأُسْدَ بلا أَسَلٍ

عَبَثاً وقتَلْتَ بلا قَوَدِ

عَبَثاً وقتَلْتَ بلا قَوَدِ

So you pierced the lions without spears,

You pierced the lions without the need for spears,

for sport, and killed without retribution.

Doing so in jest, and slaying without retribution due.

رَشَأٌ يصْطادُ الأُسْدَ وكمْ

رَشَأٌ يصْطادُ الأُسْدَ وكمْ

رامَتْهُ الأسْدُ فلم تَصِدِ

رامَتْهُ الأسْدُ فلم تَصِدِ

A young gazelle hunts lions—and how often

A young gazelle that hunts the lions, though how often

the lions sought him, yet failed to catch him!

The lions sought him out, yet failed to capture him.

وَاهاً لجديدٍ منك وَهَى

وَاهاً لجديدٍ منك وَهَى

وشبابٍ بانَ فلم يَعُدِ

وشبابٍ بانَ فلم يَعُدِ

Alas for your freshness that faded,

Alas for a youthfulness from you that has frayed,

and youth that departed and never returned.

And a prime of life that departed, never to return.

رُضْتُ الأَيّامَ جَوامحَها

رُضْتُ الأَيّامَ جَوامحَها

وكففتُ اللُّدَّ عن اللَّدَدِ

وكففتُ اللُّدَّ عن اللَّدَدِ

I tamed the days, their headstrong ones,

I have tamed the wild, recalcitrant days,

and kept the quarrelsome from quarrelling.

And restrained the fiercest adversaries from their hostility.

وَبَلَوْتُ النَّاس فلستُ أَرَى

وَبَلَوْتُ النَّاس فلستُ أَرَى

كبني عبَّادٍ من أَحَدِ

كبني عبَّادٍ من أَحَدِ

And I have tested people; I do not see

I have tested mankind, yet I do not see

anyone like the sons of ʿAbbād.

Anyone who compares to the Sons of Abbad.

القومُ بحار مَسجورا

القومُ بحار مَسجورا

تٌ مَحْفُوفَاتٌ بالزَّبَدِ

تٌ مَحْفُوفَاتٌ بالزَّبَدِ

These men are brimming seas,

These people are swelling, overflowing seas,

surrounded by foam.

Edged all around with surging foam.

لم يِعدِم وارِدُهَا دُرَرَ ال

لم يِعدِم وارِدُهَا دُرَرَ ال

آدابِ ولا دُرَرَ الصَّفَدِ

آدابِ ولا دُرَرَ الصَّفَدِ

Whoever comes to them lacks neither pearls of

He who approaches them never lacks the pearls of

learning nor pearls of bounty.

Refined culture, nor the pearls of generous gifts.

أَبنِي عبَّاد ما حَسُنَتْ

أَبنِي عبَّاد ما حَسُنَتْ

إِلّا بِكمُ الدُّنيا فَقَدِ

إِلّا بِكمُ الدُّنيا فَقَدِ

O sons of ʿAbbād, the world has grown fair

O Sons of Abbad, the world has not found beauty

only through you, and you alone.

Except through you; for indeed,

نَقَدَ الكُرَماءَ الدّهرُ معي

نَقَدَ الكُرَماءَ الدّهرُ معي

فَتَخَيَّرَكُمْ في المُنْتَقَدِ

فَتَخَيَّرَكُمْ في المُنْتَقَدِ

Time assayed the generous with me,

Fate has examined the noble ones alongside me,

then chose you from among those assayed,

And chose you alone from among the select.

وقضى لَكُمُ بالفَضْل على

وقضى لَكُمُ بالفَضْل على

من في أدنَى أو فِي البُعُدِ

من في أدنَى أو فِي البُعُدِ

and pronounced you superior to

It has decreed your superiority over

those near at hand or far away.

All those nearby and those far away.

دانَتْ بغدادُ لقُرْطُبَةٍ

دانَتْ بغدادُ لقُرْطُبَةٍ

وخَلائِفُها للمُعْتَمدِ

وخَلائِفُها للمُعْتَمدِ

Baghdad bowed to Córdoba,

Baghdad has submitted to Cordoba,

and its caliphs to al-Muʿtamid.

And its Caliphs bow to Al-Mu'tamid.

سمِعُوا برَشادِ فَتى لَخْمٍ

سمِعُوا برَشادِ فَتى لَخْمٍ

فنَفَوْا هارون عن الرَّشَدِ

فنَفَوْا هارون عن الرَّشَدِ

They heard of the sound judgment of Lakhm's young man,

They heard of the wisdom of the Lakhmid youth,

so they denied Hārūn sound judgment.

And stripped Harun of his title 'The Rightly Guided'.

قَرأوا شِعْرَ اللَّخِمِّي فلم

قَرأوا شِعْرَ اللَّخِمِّي فلم

يرْضَ المُعْتَزُّ عن الولدِ

يرْضَ المُعْتَزُّ عن الولدِ

They read the Lakhmite's verse, and

They read the poetry of the Lakhmid, and thus

al-Muʿtazz was not pleased with his son.

Al-Mu'tazz was no longer pleased with his own son.

يا فرْعَ المُنْذِرِ والنُّعْما

يا فرْعَ المُنْذِرِ والنُّعْما

نِ بلغتَ النَّجْمَ فُطلْ وَزِدِ

نِ بلغتَ النَّجْمَ فُطلْ وَزِدِ

O scion of al-Mundhir and al-Nuʿmān,

O Scion of Al-Mundhir and Al-Nu'man,

you have reached the stars; rise higher and higher.

You have reached the stars; so rise taller and exceed them!

طفِئَتْ أنوارُ أُميَّةَ فِي

طفِئَتْ أنوارُ أُميَّةَ فِي

قَصْرِ الخُلفاءِ فقلتَ قِدِ

قَصْرِ الخُلفاءِ فقلتَ قِدِ

The lights of Umayya went out in

The lights of the Umayyads have been extinguished within

the caliphs' palace; then you said, 'Blaze!'

The Palace of Caliphs, so you commanded: 'Ignite!'

نافَسْتَ بقصرِهمُ إِرَماً

نافَسْتَ بقصرِهمُ إِرَماً

فكأَنَّ أُمَيَّةَ لم تشِدِ

فكأَنَّ أُمَيَّةَ لم تشِدِ

You rivalled Iram with their palace,

You rivaled Iram of the Pillars with their palace,

so it was as though Umayya had never built.

As if the Umayyads had never built a thing.

مُرْ واِفتَح باقِيَ أنْدَلُسٍ

مُرْ واِفتَح باقِيَ أنْدَلُسٍ

ما فِي صَبَبٍ أو فِي صَعَدِ

ما فِي صَبَبٍ أو فِي صَعَدِ

Command, and conquer the rest of Andalus,

Command and conquer what remains of Andalusia,

whatever lies downhill or uphill.

Whether found in the valleys or on the heights.

عبد الرحمنِ ولِي خَمْسِي

عبد الرحمنِ ولِي خَمْسِي

نَ وأنتَ تَزيدُ على العَدَدِ

نَ وأنتَ تَزيدُ على العَدَدِ

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ruled for fifty years,

Abd al-Rahman reigned for fifty years,

and you will exceed that number.

Yet you shall exceed that number.

لو أن الأرْضَ بلا جبلٍ

لو أن الأرْضَ بلا جبلٍ

وعليها حِلْمُكَ لم تَمِدِ

وعليها حِلْمُكَ لم تَمِدِ

If the earth had no mountain,

Were the earth bereft of mountains,

and your forbearance lay upon it, it would not sway.

And carried your forbearance, it would not quake.

بشَّارٌ أمّكَ مُمتدِحاً

بشَّارٌ أمّكَ مُمتدِحاً

فَأْنَسْ بِغَرَائِبِهِ الشُّرُدِ

فَأْنَسْ بِغَرَائِبِهِ الشُّرُدِ

Bashshār has sought you out with praise,

A 'Bashar' has come to you, singing your praises,

so delight in his far-roaming marvels.

So take delight in his unique, wandering verses.

يكبو عَبُّودٌ فِي خببِي

يكبو عَبُّودٌ فِي خببِي

فالعَيرُ وَرَاءَ المُنْجَرِدِ

فالعَيرُ وَرَاءَ المُنْجَرِدِ

ʿAbbūd stumbles at my trotting pace,

Even 'Abbud stumbles trying to match my pace;

for the ass trails behind the sleek steed.

The wild donkey trails behind the swift racehorse.

ولعلَّ بلادَكَ لِي وطن

ولعلَّ بلادَكَ لِي وطن

فأَحُطَّ الرَّحْلَ عن الأُجُدِ

فأَحُطَّ الرَّحْلَ عن الأُجُدِ

And perhaps your land will be my home,

Perhaps your lands will become a homeland for me,

so I may take the saddle off the sturdy she-camel,

Where I may lift the saddle from the weary camels,

وأقابِلَ منك سنى قمرٍ

وأقابِلَ منك سنى قمرٍ

لو قابلَه الأَعمَى لهُدِي

لو قابلَه الأَعمَى لهُدِي

and behold in you the radiance of a moon—

And behold in you the brilliance of a moon,

if a blind man faced it, he would be guided.

Which, were a blind man to face it, would guide his way.