ما بلَّغ اللَه حُسَّادي الذي طلبوا

ما بلَّغ اللَه حُسَّادي الذي طلبوا

زارَ الحبيبُ وزال الهَجرُ والغَضَبُ

زارَ الحبيبُ وزال الهَجرُ والغَضَبُ

God did not let my enviers attain what they sought.

My enviers did not attain what they sought from God

The beloved visited, and estrangement and anger vanished.

The beloved visited and anger and estrangement ceased

وبتُّ أعتِبُهُ إذ كان منقطعاً

وبتُّ أعتِبُهُ إذ كان منقطعاً

وليس يُعرف لي فيها جرَى سَبَبُ

وليس يُعرف لي فيها جرَى سَبَبُ

I spent the night reproaching him for having stayed away,

I complained to him while he was absent

though no cause for it was known to have come from me.

And no reason for it is known to me

فيا لها ليلةً ما كان أقصَرَها

فيا لها ليلةً ما كان أقصَرَها

لما تطاول فيها اللَّهوُ والطَّرَبُ

لما تطاول فيها اللَّهوُ والطَّرَبُ

Oh, what a night—how short it was,

Oh what a short night it was

as revelry and rapture stretched on through it!

When revelry and joy were prolonged

بِتنا وساقي الطَّلى بدرٌ براحته

بِتنا وساقي الطَّلى بدرٌ براحته

شمسٌ تُنَقِّطها في وجهها الشَهُبُ

شمسٌ تُنَقِّطها في وجهها الشَهُبُ

We spent the night; the wine-bearer was a full moon, holding in his palm

We stayed up and the pourer of wine had the full moon in his palm

a sun whose face was speckled by shooting stars.

A sun dripping its embers on its face

وحَثَّها خَندَرِيساً كأسُهَا فَمُهُ

وحَثَّها خَندَرِيساً كأسُهَا فَمُهُ

وثَغرُهُ كلما ضاحكتَهُ الحَبَبُ

وثَغرُهُ كلما ضاحكتَهُ الحَبَبُ

And he urged it along—aged wine, his mouth its cup,

And its cup urged it on cheekily, its mouth

and his teeth its bubbles whenever it smiled at him.

And its lips every time the loved one smiled at it

أبا الحُسينِ وحسبي أن يُلبيني

أبا الحُسينِ وحسبي أن يُلبيني

يومَ الرجاء إذا ناديتُكَ الحَسَبُ

يومَ الرجاء إذا ناديتُكَ الحَسَبُ

Abu al-Husayn, it suffices me that my call is answered

Oh Abu Al-Hussein, it suffices me that you answer my call

on the day of hope, when I call to you, by noble worth.

On the day of hope when I call upon you as my refuge

إن البرامكة الماضين ما افتخُروا

إن البرامكة الماضين ما افتخُروا

إلا بأيسَرِ ما تُعطى وما تَهَبُ

إلا بأيسَرِ ما تُعطى وما تَهَبُ

Indeed, the Barmakids of old boasted of nothing

Indeed the departed Bramkas boasted of nothing

but the least of what you are granted and what you bestow.

Except the easiest gifts given and granted

والفضلُ ما زال في الدنيا له شَرَفٌ

والفضلُ ما زال في الدنيا له شَرَفٌ

إذ كان يُعزى إلى يحيى وينتَسِبُ

إذ كان يُعزى إلى يحيى وينتَسِبُ

And al-Fadl has always held honor in this world,

Generosity always held nobility in life

since he was ascribed to Yahya and traced his lineage to him.

Since it was attributed to Yahya and traced back to him