فَدَيناهُ مِن زائِرٍ مُرتَقَب

فَدَيناهُ مِن زائِرٍ مُرتَقَب

بَدا لِلوُجودِ بِمَرأىً عَجَب

بَدا لِلوُجودِ بِمَرأىً عَجَب

We would ransom him, that awaited visitor,

We ransomed him from an awaited visitor

He appeared to the world, a wondrous sight.

He appeared to existence in amazing view

تَهُزُّ الجِبالَ تَباشيرُهُ

تَهُزُّ الجِبالَ تَباشيرُهُ

كَما هَزَّ عِطفَ الطَروبِ الطَرَب

كَما هَزَّ عِطفَ الطَروبِ الطَرَب

His glad tidings shake the mountains,

The mountains tremble with his auspices

As rapture sways the side of one enraptured.

As the flexible branch of the willow trembled

وَيُحلي البِحارَ بِلَألائِهِ

وَيُحلي البِحارَ بِلَألائِهِ

فَمِنّا الكُؤوسُ وَمِنهُ الحَبَب

فَمِنّا الكُؤوسُ وَمِنهُ الحَبَب

And he sweetens the seas with his radiance;

And he adorns the seas with his ornaments

So the cups are ours, and the bubbles his.

So from us are the cups and from him the seeds

مَنارُ الحُزونِ إِذا ما اِعتَلى

مَنارُ الحُزونِ إِذا ما اِعتَلى

مَنارُ السُهولِ إِذا ما اِنقَلَب

مَنارُ السُهولِ إِذا ما اِنقَلَب

A beacon for the rugged heights whenever he rises,

The lighthouse of the grieved when it ascends

A beacon for the plains whenever he turns back.

The lighthouse of the plains when it slopes

أَتانا مِنَ البَحرِ في زَورَقٍ

أَتانا مِنَ البَحرِ في زَورَقٍ

لُجَيناً مَجاذيفُهُ مِن ذَهَب

لُجَيناً مَجاذيفُهُ مِن ذَهَب

He came to us from the sea in a little boat,

He came to us from the sea in a boat

Of silver, its oars of gold.

Its oars adjoining from gold

فَقُلنا سُلَيمانُ لَو لَم يَمُت

فَقُلنا سُلَيمانُ لَو لَم يَمُت

وَفِرعَونُ لَو حَمَلَتهُ الشُهُب

وَفِرعَونُ لَو حَمَلَتهُ الشُهُب

So we said: Solomon, had he not died;

So we said Solomon if he did not die

And Pharaoh, had the shooting stars borne him;

And Pharaoh if old age did not burden him

وَكِسرى وَما خَمَدَت نارهُ

وَكِسرى وَما خَمَدَت نارهُ

وَيوسُفُ لَو أَنَّهُ لَم يَشِب

وَيوسُفُ لَو أَنَّهُ لَم يَشِب

And Chosroes, his fire still unquenched;

And Chosroes and his fire did not expire

And Joseph, had he not grown gray.

And Joseph if he did not grow old

وَهَيهاتَ ما تُوِّجوا بِالسَنا

وَهَيهاتَ ما تُوِّجوا بِالسَنا

وَلا عَرشُهُم كانَ فَوقَ السُحُب

وَلا عَرشُهُم كانَ فَوقَ السُحُب

But far from it! They were not crowned with radiance,

And alas they were not crowned with praise

Nor was their throne above the clouds.

Nor was their throne above the clouds

أَنافَ عَلى الماءِ ما بَينَها

أَنافَ عَلى الماءِ ما بَينَها

وَبَينَ الجِبالِ وَشُمَّ الهُضَب

وَبَينَ الجِبالِ وَشُمَّ الهُضَب

He rose above the water, between those clouds

It floated on the water between it

And the mountains and the lofty hills.

And the mountains and the slopes of the hills

فَلا هُوَ خافٍ وَلا ظاهِرٌ

فَلا هُوَ خافٍ وَلا ظاهِرٌ

وَلا سافِرٌ لا وَلا مُنتَقِب

وَلا سافِرٌ لا وَلا مُنتَقِب

So he is neither hidden nor visible,

So it’s neither fearful nor apparent

Nor unveiled—no, nor veiled.

Neither a traveler nor a passerby

وَلَيسَ بِثاوٍ وَلا راحِلٍ

وَلَيسَ بِثاوٍ وَلا راحِلٍ

وَلا بِالبَعيدِ وَلا المُقتَرِب

وَلا بِالبَعيدِ وَلا المُقتَرِب

And he is neither staying nor departing,

And it’s not still nor moving

Nor far away, nor drawing near.

Neither far nor near

تَوارى بِنِصفٍ خِلالَ السُحُب

تَوارى بِنِصفٍ خِلالَ السُحُب

وَنِصفٌ عَلى جَبَلٍ لَم يَغِب

وَنِصفٌ عَلى جَبَلٍ لَم يَغِب

He hid half of himself amid the clouds,

It disappeared halfway through the clouds

While half remained visible upon a mountain.

And halfway on a mountain unseen

يُجَدِّدُها آيَةً قَد خَلَت

يُجَدِّدُها آيَةً قَد خَلَت

وَيَذكُرُ ميلادَ خَيرِ العَرَب

وَيَذكُرُ ميلادَ خَيرِ العَرَب

He renews it—a miracle from days gone by—

Renewing a sign that has passed

And recalls the birth of the best of the Arabs.

And mentioning the birth of the best of Arabs