بعثتُ بأغرَبِ الأَشياءِ طُرّاً

بعثتُ بأغرَبِ الأَشياءِ طُرّاً

وأعجبِها لِمختَبِر ومُخبِرُ

وأعجبِها لِمختَبِر ومُخبِرُ

I sent the strangest of all things,

I sent the strangest of things as a gift

and the most wondrous to one who examines it and one who tells of it:

The most wondrous of them for the experimenter and informant

بوَردٍ ناعِمٍ غَضٍّ نَضِيرٍ

بوَردٍ ناعِمٍ غَضٍّ نَضِيرٍ

يَروقُكَ ناسماً طَوراً ومُبصِر

يَروقُكَ ناسماً طَوراً ومُبصِر

a tender, fresh, radiant rose,

With soft, green, matching roses

delighting you, now as you smell it, now as you behold it.

That please you, smelling now and seeing later

أتى في المهرَجانِ فكان فَوق ال

أتى في المهرَجانِ فكان فَوق ال

بَكِيرِ غَرابَةً وَهوَ المُؤخَّر

بَكِيرِ غَرابَةً وَهوَ المُؤخَّر

It came at Mihragan, surpassing the

It came at the festival, so it was more

early one in strangeness, though it was the late one.

Wondrous than anything, though it was the last

واغرابُ المؤَخِّرِ عَن أَوانٍ

واغرابُ المؤَخِّرِ عَن أَوانٍ

يَجِيءُ بِهِ كَإِغرابِ المُبَكِّر

يَجِيءُ بِهِ كَإِغرابِ المُبَكِّر

And the strangeness of one delayed beyond the season

The strangeness of the last compared to

that brings it forth is like the strangeness of the early one.

When it should come is like the strangeness of the early

وَلمّا أن غَشِيتُ الرَوضَ منهُ

وَلمّا أن غَشِيتُ الرَوضَ منهُ

بِروضٍ فيكَ مِن مِدحي منوِّر

بِروضٍ فيكَ مِن مِدحي منوِّر

And when I clothed its garden

And when I covered the garden with it

in a flowering garden of my praise of you,

With a garden within you, my praise illuminated

وقُلتُ لَهُ استَمع لِحُلى كريمِ ال

وقُلتُ لَهُ استَمع لِحُلى كريمِ ال

سَجايا منتَقى مِن سِرّ حِميَر

سَجايا منتَقى مِن سِرّ حِميَر

and said to it, 'Hear the adornments of one noble in

And I said to it, listen to the adornments of the noble

character, chosen from Himyar's finest stock,'

Of immaculate character, the elite of secrets

تَفَتَّح مِن كمائِمِهِ وأَبدَى

تَفَتَّح مِن كمائِمِهِ وأَبدَى

مِنَ النَفَحاتِ ما قَد كانَ أَضمَر

مِنَ النَفَحاتِ ما قَد كانَ أَضمَر

it opened from its bud-sheaths and revealed

It opened from its buds and revealed

the fragrant wafts it had kept concealed.

Scents that had been concealed

فماءُ ثَنائِكَ العالي سَقاهُ

فماءُ ثَنائِكَ العالي سَقاهُ

ومِن أَخلاقِكَ العُليا تَفَطَّر

ومِن أَخلاقِكَ العُليا تَفَطَّر

For the water of lofty praise for you had watered it,

The elevated water of your praise revived it

and from your lofty virtues it burst forth.

And from your sublime morals it prospered

فأَوسِعهُ القَبُولَ ودُم عزِيزاً

فأَوسِعهُ القَبُولَ ودُم عزِيزاً

مَكِيناً ما جَرى نَجمٌ وغَوَّر

مَكِيناً ما جَرى نَجمٌ وغَوَّر

So grant it generous acceptance, and remain mighty,

So make it abundantly welcome and let it remain powerful

firmly established, as long as a star courses and sets.

Firmly established for as long as a star shines and sets