سَعدٌ حُبِيتَ بهِ وجَدٌّ مُقبِلُ

سَعدٌ حُبِيتَ بهِ وجَدٌّ مُقبِلُ

وسعادةٌ تَصفو عليك وتكمُلُ

وسعادةٌ تَصفو عليك وتكمُلُ

Good fortune bestowed upon you, and luck drawing near,

You were fortunate to be loved by him, and to meet with acceptance,

And happiness that grows unclouded for you and reaches perfection;

And happiness clears for you and completes.

ومسرَّةٌ قُرِنت بشملٍ جامعٍ

ومسرَّةٌ قُرِنت بشملٍ جامعٍ

فَسَمَت جَنوبُ رياحِه والشَّمأَلُ

فَسَمَت جَنوبُ رياحِه والشَّمأَلُ

And joy joined to a union that brings all together,

And a delight combined with an all-encompassing union,

So its south and north winds rose aloft.

So its gentle southern winds and northern breeze blew.

ظَفَرَت يداك أبا المظفر بالتي

ظَفَرَت يداك أبا المظفر بالتي

كانَ الزمانُ بها يَضَنُّ ويَبخَلُ

كانَ الزمانُ بها يَضَنُّ ويَبخَلُ

Your hands have won, Abu al-Muzaffar, her whom

Your hands were successful, Abu Al Muzaffar, in attaining that

Time had jealously hoarded and withheld.

Which time had been miserly and stingy towards.

جَاءَتك وهيَ عَقيلةُ الصَّدَفِ التي

جَاءَتك وهيَ عَقيلةُ الصَّدَفِ التي

أضحَى لها من لُجّ بَحرٍ مَعقَلُ

أضحَى لها من لُجّ بَحرٍ مَعقَلُ

She came to you, the treasured pearl of the shell, for whom

She came to you as the precious pearl of the oyster

The depths of the sea had become a stronghold.

To whom a bay of the turbulent sea became a refuge.

زُفَّ العَفافُ إلى العَفافِ ولم يكُن

زُفَّ العَفافُ إلى العَفافِ ولم يكُن

شرفُ الفَضِيلةِ فائتاً من يَفضُلُ

شرفُ الفَضِيلةِ فائتاً من يَفضُلُ

Chastity was wedded to chastity; nor was

Chastity was wed to chastity, and the honor of virtue

The honor of virtue beyond the reach of one who excels.

Was not lost to one who excels.

كَرمٌ تَشَعَّبَ سَيلُه ثم التقَى

كَرمٌ تَشَعَّبَ سَيلُه ثم التقَى

إذ لم يكن عن مُلتقاها مَعدِلُ

إذ لم يكن عن مُلتقاها مَعدِلُ

Nobility—its stream branched out, then flowed together,

It is generosity whosetorrent diverged then converged,

For there was no turning aside from meeting her.

Since there was no one to divert it from its confluence.

وبناتُ عمِّ المرءِ خيرُ نسائِه

وبناتُ عمِّ المرءِ خيرُ نسائِه

إنَّ الكريمَ إلى الكريمةِ أَمْيَلُ

إنَّ الكريمَ إلى الكريمةِ أَمْيَلُ

And a man's paternal cousins are the best of his wives;

And the daughters of a man's uncle are the best of his women.

Indeed, the noble man inclines more toward the noble woman.

Indeed the generous man inclines towards the generous woman.

فالمجدُ عَندَهما ضَحوكٌ مُسفِرٌ

فالمجدُ عَندَهما ضَحوكٌ مُسفِرٌ

والنسلُ بينَهما مُعِمٌّ مُخوِلُ

والنسلُ بينَهما مُعِمٌّ مُخوِلُ

So glory in their presence is smiling and radiant,

Thus glory with them is a radiant smile,

And their offspring have noble paternal and maternal uncles.

And progeny between them a protected, endowed one.

فرعانِ ضَمَّهما الظَّلالُ المُرتضَى

فرعانِ ضَمَّهما الظَّلالُ المُرتضَى

في العِزِّ والشَرفُ الرفيعُ الأطولُ

في العِزِّ والشَرفُ الرفيعُ الأطولُ

Two branches joined by a worthy shade

Two branches that the blessed shade gathered together

In might, and by lofty, towering honor.

In might and the most high, eminent honor.

يا غُرَّةَ الأُمَراءِ إنَّ زَمانَنا

يا غُرَّةَ الأُمَراءِ إنَّ زَمانَنا

ما عِشتَ في الدُّنيا أَغَرُّ مُحجَّلُ

ما عِشتَ في الدُّنيا أَغَرُّ مُحجَّلُ

O shining brow of princes, indeed our age,

O cream of princes, our time, as long as you lived in the world,

As long as you live in this world, is white-blazed and white-stockinged.

Is, in finery, the most beautifully adorned.

أنتَ الحَيا الجَوْدُ الذي آفاقُه

أنتَ الحَيا الجَوْدُ الذي آفاقُه

تَنهلُّ بالمعروفِ أو تَتَهَلَّلُ

تَنهلُّ بالمعروفِ أو تَتَهَلَّلُ

You are the abundant, life-giving rain, whose horizons

You are the life, the generosity, whose horizons

Pour down kindness or shine with joy.

Flow with benevolence or cascade.

عَلِمَت ربيعةُ أنَّك العَلَمُ الذي

عَلِمَت ربيعةُ أنَّك العَلَمُ الذي

يَهدي إلى سُنَنِ النَّدى من يَجْهَلُ

يَهدي إلى سُنَنِ النَّدى من يَجْهَلُ

Rabi'a has learned that you are the landmark that

Rabee'ah knew that you are the flag that

Guides the ignorant to the paths of generosity;

Guides to the ways of dew those who are ignorant.

الكوكبُ الفَرْدُ الذي يُسرَى به

الكوكبُ الفَرْدُ الذي يُسرَى به

والليلُ مُعتكِرُ الجوانبِ أَليَلُ

والليلُ مُعتكِرُ الجوانبِ أَليَلُ

The peerless star by which one journeys through the night,

The singular planet by which one steers

While the night is murky on all sides, pitch-black;

While the sides of night are covered in darkness.

والمُبتَني الشرفَ الذي لا يَنثني

والمُبتَني الشرفَ الذي لا يَنثني

الحاملُ العِبءَ الذي لا يُحمَلُ

الحاملُ العِبءَ الذي لا يُحمَلُ

And the builder of honor, who never yields,

The pillar of nobility that does not bend,

The bearer of the burden that cannot be borne.

The bearer of burdens that are not carried.

إن حلَّ فهو من الجلالةِ مَحفِلٌ

إن حلَّ فهو من الجلالةِ مَحفِلٌ

أو سار فهو من الشَّهامةِ جَحفَلُ

أو سار فهو من الشَّهامةِ جَحفَلُ

If he encamps, he is an assembly of majesty;

If he attends, he is a majestic assembly,

Or marches, he is a mighty army of valor.

Or if he proceeds, he is a brave army.

يُلحَى على البُخلِ الرجالُ وإنّما

يُلحَى على البُخلِ الرجالُ وإنّما

يُلحَى على كَرمِ الفِعالِ ويُعذَلُ

يُلحَى على كَرمِ الفِعالِ ويُعذَلُ

Men are blamed for stinginess, but he is only

People are blamed for stinginess, but

Blamed and reproached for his generous deeds.

The generous man in action is blamed and pardoned.

والجورَ يَكرهُ غيرَ أنَّ يمينَه

والجورَ يَكرهُ غيرَ أنَّ يمينَه

أبداً تجورُ على اللُّهى فتُقَبَّلُ

أبداً تجورُ على اللُّهى فتُقَبَّلُ

And he hates injustice, yet his right hand

And he hates injustice, but his hand

Forever wrongs his wealth, and so is kissed.

Forever does injustice to swords, so it is accepted.

لمَّا ذكَرتُ الحادثاتِ بذِكره

لمَّا ذكَرتُ الحادثاتِ بذِكره

جاءت إليَّ صُروفُها تَتنصَّلُ

جاءت إليَّ صُروفُها تَتنصَّلُ

When I spoke of calamities while mentioning him,

When I recalled events by mentioning him,

Their vicissitudes came to me pleading innocence.

Its circumstances came to me, picked out.

هُنِّئتَ ما أُعطيتَه من نِعمةٍ

هُنِّئتَ ما أُعطيتَه من نِعمةٍ

غَرَّاءَ تَحسُنُ في العُقولِ وتَجمُلُ

غَرَّاءَ تَحسُنُ في العُقولِ وتَجمُلُ

Congratulations on the blessing you have been given,

You were congratulated for the blessing you were given,

Radiant, lovely to the mind, and beautiful.

Radiant, virtuous in minds and beautiful.

فكأننَّي بك بين نسلٍ طاهرٍ

فكأننَّي بك بين نسلٍ طاهرٍ

تَردي أمامَك في الحديدِ وتَرفُلُ

تَردي أمامَك في الحديدِ وتَرفُلُ

So it is as though I see you amid pure offspring,

I imagine you among pure progeny,

Bounding before you in iron armor and strutting proudly;

Charging before you in iron armor and wrapped in soft silk.

كالبدرِ حفَّته كواكبُ أُفقِه

كالبدرِ حفَّته كواكبُ أُفقِه

واللَّيثِ تَخْطِرُ في حِماه الأشبُلُ

واللَّيثِ تَخْطِرُ في حِماه الأشبُلُ

Like the full moon surrounded by the stars of its horizon,

Like the full moon surrounded by the stars of its horizon,

And like the lion whose cubs strut in his protected domain.

And the lion, while its cubs bustle around its protection.

ما جَمَّلَتكَ مدائحي لكنَّها

ما جَمَّلَتكَ مدائحي لكنَّها

أضحَت بذِكركَ في الورَى تَتجمَّلُ

أضحَت بذِكركَ في الورَى تَتجمَّلُ

My praises have not adorned you; rather, they

My praises did not embellish you, but they

Have grown beautiful among mankind through mention of you.

Became, by your mention, embellished among people.

عادَت بمدحِك مَعلَماً ولقد تُرى

عادَت بمدحِك مَعلَماً ولقد تُرى

من قبلِه وكأنَّما هي مَجهَلُ

من قبلِه وكأنَّما هي مَجهَلُ

They became a landmark through praising you, though they had appeared

With your praise it returned as a landmark, and you can see

Before that as though they were a trackless wilderness.

Before it, it is as if unknown.

أنتَ الحُسامُ فِرندُهُ في مَتنِه

أنتَ الحُسامُ فِرندُهُ في مَتنِه

مُتردَّدٌ ويدُ المدائح صَيقَلُ

مُتردَّدٌ ويدُ المدائح صَيقَلُ

You are the keen sword; its watered pattern upon its blade

You are the sword, its blade within its sheathe

Ripples, and the hand of praise is its polisher.

Echoing, and the hand of praises polishing it.

فاسلَم لكلِّ فضيلةٍ تَعلو بها

فاسلَم لكلِّ فضيلةٍ تَعلو بها

ما ليس يعلوه السِّماكُ الأَعزَلُ

ما ليس يعلوه السِّماكُ الأَعزَلُ

So live unharmed for every virtue by which you rise

So it rises above every virtue,

To heights al-Simak al-A'zal cannot reach,

What the highborn scholar cannot rise above.

متجنِّباً خَطَلَ الكلامِ كأنَّما

متجنِّباً خَطَلَ الكلامِ كأنَّما

بُعِثَ البعِيثُ له وعاشَ الأخطَلُ

بُعِثَ البعِيثُ له وعاشَ الأخطَلُ

Avoiding the folly of speech, as though

Avoiding the error of words, as if

Al-Ba'ith had been resurrected for it and al-Akhtal lived again.

The resurrector was sent for it, and Al-Akhṭal lived.

فكأنَّه سيفٌ بِكَفِّك مُنتضىً

فكأنَّه سيفٌ بِكَفِّك مُنتضىً

وكأنَّه عِقدٌ عليك مُفَصَّلُ

وكأنَّه عِقدٌ عليك مُفَصَّلُ

So it is like a sword drawn in your hand,

It is as if it is a sword in your grip,

And it is like a necklace upon you, strung with alternating beads.

Unsheathed, and as if it is a necklace, strung onto you.