مَهاةً تَوَهَّمُها أَمْ غَزالا

مَهاةً تَوَهَّمُها أَمْ غَزالا

وشَمْساً تُشْبِهُها أَمْ هِلالا

وشَمْساً تُشْبِهُها أَمْ هِلالا

Do you imagine her an oryx or a gazelle?

Is she a deer imagined

And do you liken her to a sun or a crescent?

Or a crescent moon resembling the sun?

مُنَعْمَةً أَطَلَقَتْ لَحْظَها

مُنَعْمَةً أَطَلَقَتْ لَحْظَها

فَكَانَ لِعَقْلِ المُعَنّى عِقالا

فَكَانَ لِعَقْلِ المُعَنّى عِقالا

A pampered woman let loose her glance,

She glanced with languid eyes

and it became a fetter for the tormented lover's mind.

Captivating reason itself.

وشَمْسٌ تَرَجَّلُ في مَجْلِسٍ

وشَمْسٌ تَرَجَّلُ في مَجْلِسٍ

لِنَدْمانِها وتُغَنّى ارْتِجالا

لِنَدْمانِها وتُغَنّى ارْتِجالا

And a sun improvises in a gathering

A sun descends to join a gathering

for her drinking companions, and sings extempore.

Improvising song to the drummer’s delight.

ولا تَعْرِفُ اللَّحْنَ أَلْحانُها

ولا تَعْرِفُ اللَّحْنَ أَلْحانُها

إِذا ما الخِفافُ تَبِعْنَ الثِقالا

إِذا ما الخِفافُ تَبِعْنَ الثِقالا

And her melodies know no false note

Though she knows no mode or melody

when the light rhythms follow the heavy.

When the light rhymed verse follows the heavy.

شَدَتْ رَمَلاً في مَديحِ الوَزي

شَدَتْ رَمَلاً في مَديحِ الوَزي

رِ فَظَلْنا من السُّكْرِ نَحكي الرِّمالا

رِ فَظَلْنا من السُّكْرِ نَحكي الرِّمالا

She sang a ramal air in praise of the viz-

She strung pearls in praising the minister

ier, and in our drunkenness we were like the sands.

Leaving us drunk and rambling.

وهَلْ ثَمَلُ مُنْكرٌ بَعْدَ أَنْ

وهَلْ ثَمَلُ مُنْكرٌ بَعْدَ أَنْ

تَكونَ لَهُ راحَتاهُ ثِمالا

تَكونَ لَهُ راحَتاهُ ثِمالا

And is drunkenness blameworthy, once

Can any gainsayer now deny

his two palms have become its refuge?

Her rest on cushions of silk brocade?

هَنيئاً مَريئاً بِأَجْرٍ أَقام

هَنيئاً مَريئاً بِأَجْرٍ أَقام

وصَوْمِ تَرَحْلَ عَنْكَ ارْتِحالا

وصَوْمِ تَرَحْلَ عَنْكَ ارْتِحالا

May you savor in joy and health a reward that endures,

Happy New Year with blessings ever renewed

and a fast that has departed from you utterly,

As you begin a spiritual retreat.

وفِطْرٍ تَواصَلَ إِقْبالُهُ

وفِطْرٍ تَواصَلَ إِقْبالُهُ

لأَنَّ لَهُ بِالسُّعودِ اتِّصالا

لأَنَّ لَهُ بِالسُّعودِ اتِّصالا

and a feast of fast-breaking whose prosperity continues,

May your feast last as dawn greets the crescent

for it is bound to auspicious fortune.

For you are destined always to prosper.

رَأى العيدُ فِعْلَكَ عيداً لَهُ

رَأى العيدُ فِعْلَكَ عيداً لَهُ

وإِنْ كَانَ زَادَ عليهِ جَمالا

وإِنْ كَانَ زَادَ عليهِ جَمالا

The feast saw your deed as a feast for itself,

To the Feast you are a feast

though your deed surpassed it in beauty.

Even more beautiful to behold.

وكَبَّرَ حينَ رَآكَ الهِلالُ

وكَبَّرَ حينَ رَآكَ الهِلالُ

كَفِعْلِكَ حينَ رَأَيْتَ الهِلالا

كَفِعْلِكَ حينَ رَأَيْتَ الهِلالا

And the crescent proclaimed God's greatness when it saw you,

The crescent hailing you as you hailed it

as you did when you saw the crescent.

A crescent moon glowing like your radiant face.

رَأى مِنْكَ ما مِنْهُ أَبْصَرْتَهُ

رَأى مِنْكَ ما مِنْهُ أَبْصَرْتَهُ

هِلالاً أَضاءَ ووَجْهاً تَلالا

هِلالاً أَضاءَ ووَجْهاً تَلالا

It saw in you what you had seen in it:

The Lord of Heaven sponsors you

a crescent that shone, and a face that gleamed.

With sublime power and bounty everlasting.

تَوَلاَّكَ فيهِ إِلَهُ السَّماءِ

تَوَلاَّكَ فيهِ إِلَهُ السَّماءِ

بِعِزٍّ تَعالى ويُمْنٍ تَوالى

بِعِزٍّ تَعالى ويُمْنٍ تَوالى

May the God of heaven watch over you during it,

May good fortune greet you at the New Year

with ever-rising glory and unbroken good fortune.

And clarity when seasons turn.

ولُقّيتَ سَعْداً إِذا العيدُ عادَ

ولُقّيتَ سَعْداً إِذا العيدُ عادَ

ولُقّيتَ رُشْداً إِذا الحَوْلُ حالا

ولُقّيتَ رُشْداً إِذا الحَوْلُ حالا

And may you be granted good fortune when the feast returns,

Though Ramadan overturned the wine cups

and be granted right guidance when the year turns.

Shawwal sanctions: “Let them be filled!”

وإِنْ رَمَضانُ أَطاحَ الكُؤوسَ

وإِنْ رَمَضانُ أَطاحَ الكُؤوسَ

فَشَوَّالُ يَأْذَنُ في أَنْ تُشالا

فَشَوَّالُ يَأْذَنُ في أَنْ تُشالا

And though Ramadan swept the cups away,

So continue toasting with your right hand’s favor

yet Shawwal permits them to be raised.

Whether giving or receiving the cup.

فَواصِلْ بِيُمْنٍ كُؤوسَ الشُّمولِ

فَواصِلْ بِيُمْنٍ كُؤوسَ الشُّمولِ

يَميناً مُقَبَّلَةً أَوْ شِمالا

يَميناً مُقَبَّلَةً أَوْ شِمالا

So, with good fortune, keep bringing cups of wine

High office still cannot tumble

to your kissed right hand, or your left.

One so lofty as a mountain.

ولازِلْتَ عَنْ رُتَبٍ نِلْتَها

ولازِلْتَ عَنْ رُتَبٍ نِلْتَها

ومَنْ ذا رَأى جَبْلاً قَطُّ زالا

ومَنْ ذا رَأى جَبْلاً قَطُّ زالا

And may you never depart from the ranks you have attained—

and who has ever seen a mountain move?