غَنّىsang فَشاقَكَand made you yearn طائِرٌa bird غِرّيدُmelodious
غَنّى فَشاقَكَ طائِرٌ غِرّيدُ
لَمّاwhen تَرَنَّمَit trilled وَالغُصونُwhile the branches تَميدُsway
لَمّا تَرَنَّمَ وَالغُصونُ تَميدُ
A melodious bird sang and stirred your longing,
A warbling bird's trilling filled the air
When it trilled and the branches swayed.
As the branches softly swayed.
ساقٌa male dove عَلىupon ساقٍa branch دَعاhe called قُمرِيَّةًa turtledove
ساقٌ عَلى ساقٍ دَعا قُمرِيَّةً
فَدَعَتso she called تُقاسِمُهُsharing with him الهَوىlove وَتَصيدُand ensnaring
فَدَعَت تُقاسِمُهُ الهَوى وَتَصيدُ
A male dove upon a branch called to a turtledove;
A gazelle called to a moon-like belle,
She answered, sharing his love and ensnaring him.
Who shared her love though she delayed.
إِلفانِtwo mates فيin ظِلِّthe shade of الغُصونِthe branches تَأَلَّفاthe two bonded
إِلفانِ في ظِلِّ الغُصونِ تَأَلَّفا
وَاِلتَفَّand entwined بَينَهُماbetween them both هَوىًlove مَعقودُknotted
وَاِلتَفَّ بَينَهُما هَوىً مَعقودُ
Two mates grew close in the shade of the branches,
Two lovers sheltered 'neath bows that met above,
And between them love entwined, knotted fast.
And between them love tightly sewed.
يَتَطَعَّمانِthe two savor بِريقِwith the saliva of هَذاthis male هَذِهِthis female
يَتَطَعَّمانِ بِريقِ هَذا هَذِهِ
مَجعاًsipping وَذاكَand that male بِريقِwith the saliva of تِلكَthat female مُعيدُrepeating it
مَجعاً وَذاكَ بِريقِ تِلكَ مُعيدُ
They savor each other's saliva—she, his,
Each sipping from the other's lip one drops of love,
Sipping it, while he savors hers again.
Coming together, then apart they flowed.
ياO طائِرانِtwo birds تَمَتَّعاenjoy yourselves, both هُنّيتُماmay you both be happy
يا طائِرانِ تَمَتَّعا هُنّيتُما
وَعِماand may you both enjoy الصَباحَthe morning فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I مَجهودُexhausted
وَعِما الصَباحَ فَإِنَّني مَجهودُ
O two birds, enjoy yourselves; may joy be yours!
O sweet, warbling birds, enjoy yourselves,
And may your morning be happy, for I am exhausted.
But morning comes, and I'm forlorn.
آهٍah! لِوَقعِat the blow of البَينِparting ياO بنَson of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
آهٍ لِوَقعِ البَينِ يا بنَ مُحَمَّدٍ
بَينُthe parting of المُحِبِّthe lover عَلىupon المُحِبِّthe lover شَديدُgrievous
بَينُ المُحِبِّ عَلى المُحِبِّ شَديدُ
Ah, the blow of parting, O son of Muhammad!
Alas for the sorrow of parting, O son of Muhammad,
A lover's parting is grievous to the lover.
Parting's blade on lovers is worn.
أَبكيI weep وَقَدand already سَمَتِhave risen البُروقِthe lightning flashes مُضيئَةًshining
أَبكي وَقَد سَمَتِ البُروقِ مُضيئَةً
مِنfrom كُلِّall أَقطارِquarters of السَماءِthe sky رُعودُthunderclaps
مِن كُلِّ أَقطارِ السَماءِ رُعودُ
I weep, while lightning has risen, shining;
I weep, though lightning brightly cracks the gloom,
From all quarters of the sky comes thunder.
And thunder from heaven loudly booms,
وَاِهتَزَّand stirred رَيعانُthe first bloom of الشَبابِyouth فَأَشرَقَتand then shone
وَاِهتَزَّ رَيعانُ الشَبابِ فَأَشرَقَت
لِتَهَلُّلِat the radiance of الشَجَرِthe trees القَرىthe villages وَالبيدُand the deserts
لِتَهَلُّلِ الشَجَرِ القَرى وَالبيدُ
And youth's first bloom stirred; radiant grew
As youthful boughs are stirred and lit up,
The villages and deserts at the trees' rejoicing.
And towns and wilds are arrayed in blooms.
وَمَضَتand passed by طَواويسُpeacocks of العِراقِIraq فَأَشرَقَتand then shone
وَمَضَت طَواويسُ العِراقِ فَأَشرَقَت
أَذنابُtails مُشرِقَةٍradiant وَهُنَّwhile they حُفودُhurrying
أَذنابُ مُشرِقَةٍ وَهُنَّ حُفودُ
And the peacocks of Iraq passed by, and shone
The Pleiades, Iraq's adornment, shine bright,
Their radiant tails as they hurried along.
Their brilliant tails bid sadness begone.
يَرفُلنَthey strut أَمثالَlike العَذارىmaidens طُوَّفاًcircling
يَرفُلنَ أَمثالَ العَذارى طُوَّفاً
حَولَaround الدَوارِDawar وَقَدand already تَدانىhas drawn near العيدُthe festival
حَولَ الدَوارِ وَقَد تَدانى العيدُ
They strut like maidens circling
Maidens circle 'round and 'round the maypole
Around Dawar, with the festival drawing near.
As Eid draws near and sorrows are gone.
إِنّيindeed I سَأَنثُرُI shall scatter مِنfrom لِسانيmy tongue لُؤلُؤاًpearls
إِنّي سَأَنثُرُ مِن لِساني لُؤلُؤاً
يَرِدُreaches العِراقَIraq نِظامُهُits string مَعقودُknotted
يَرِدُ العِراقَ نِظامُهُ مَعقودُ
Indeed, I shall scatter pearls from my tongue,
With words like pearls I'll pave a road
That reach Iraq, their string securely knotted,
To Iraq, where glory structured lays.
حَتّىuntil يَحُلَّsettles مِنَof المُهَلَّبِal-Muhallab مَنزِلاًa dwelling
حَتّى يَحُلَّ مِنَ المُهَلَّبِ مَنزِلاً
لِلمَجدِfor glory فيin غُرُفاتِهِits upper chambers تَشييدُraising high
لِلمَجدِ في غُرُفاتِهِ تَشييدُ
Until they lodge in a dwelling of al-Muhallab,
The Caliph raised his banner, dwarfing all,
In whose upper chambers glory is raised high.
And David won undying praise.
رَفَعَhe raised الخِلافَةَthe caliphate رايَةًa banner فَتَقاصَرَتand fell short
رَفَعَ الخِلافَةَ رايَةً فَتَقاصَرَت
عَنهاof it الرِجالُthe men وَحازَهاand attained it داوودُDawud
عَنها الرِجالُ وَحازَها داوودُ
He raised the caliphate as a banner, beyond
My sir, untroubled, needs no defense,
The reach of men; yet Dawud attained it.
No lord in might with yours compares.
السَيِّدُthe lord العَتَكِيُّal-Ataki غَيرَnot مُدافَعٍchallenged
السَيِّدُ العَتَكِيُّ غَيرَ مُدافَعٍ
إِذsince لَيسَis not سُؤدُدُeminence of سَيِّدٍa lord مَوجودِto be found
إِذ لَيسَ سُؤدُدُ سَيِّدٍ مَوجودِ
The lord al-Ataki, unchallenged,
In darkness with your name I traced,
For no other lord's eminence is to be found.
My David, your deeds the best declare.
نَقَّرتُI called out بِاِسمِكَby your name فيin الظَلامِthe darkness مُسَدِّراًbewildered
نَقَّرتُ بِاِسمِكَ في الظَلامِ مُسَدِّراً
داوودُDawud إِنَّكَindeed you فيin الفَعالِdeeds حَميدُpraiseworthy
داوودُ إِنَّكَ في الفَعالِ حَميدُ
I called your name in the darkness, bewildered:
When asked where next I'll stray, I said
'Dawud, you are indeed praiseworthy in your deeds.'
"The friend ofdew, and Father Solomon for sure."
قَدindeed قيلَit was said أَينَwhere تُريدُyou intend قُلتُI said أَخاthe brother of النَدىgenerosity
قَد قيلَ أَينَ تُريدُ قُلتُ أَخا النَدى
وَأَباand father of سُلَيمانَSulayman الأَغَرَّthe illustrious أُريدُI seek
وَأَبا سُلَيمانَ الأَغَرَّ أُريدُ
I was asked, 'Where are you bound?' I said, 'Generosity's brother
Unbar my age-locked heart with your bounty,
And Abu Sulayman, the illustrious, I seek.'
Only your open hands have the cure.
فَاِفتَحso open بِجودِكَwith your generosity قُفلَthe lock of دَهريmy days إِنَّهُindeed it is
فَاِفتَح بِجودِكَ قُفلَ دَهري إِنَّهُ
قُفلٌa lock وَجودُand the generosity of يَدَيكَyour two hands ليfor me إِقليدُa key
قُفلٌ وَجودُ يَدَيكَ لي إِقليدُ
So with your bounty open the lock of my days; it is
Alive, your bounty lives, and when dead,
A lock, and the bounty of your hands is my key.
Its springs run dry, spent is your world.
فَالجودُfor generosity حَيٌّalive ماas long as حَييتَyou live وَإِنand if تَمُتyou die
فَالجودُ حَيٌّ ما حَييتَ وَإِن تَمُت
غاضَتwill dry up مَناهِلُهُits watering places وَماتَand will die الجودُgenerosity
غاضَت مَناهِلُهُ وَماتَ الجودُ
For generosity lives as long as you live; and if you die,
Its watering places will dry up, and generosity will die.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.