ثَلاثُ لَيَالٍ حِينَ جَازَ يُنَيِّرُ

ثَلاثُ لَيَالٍ حِينَ جَازَ يُنَيِّرُ

يَرَى في السَّماءِ الطَّرفَ مَن كَانَ يَنظُرُ

يَرَى في السَّماءِ الطَّرفَ مَن كَانَ يَنظُرُ

When January has passed three nights,

Three nights when the moon passes, he who looks

whoever watches sees al-Tarf in the sky.

Sees in the sky the side of the one who was looking

وجبهةٌ تلفى عند سابعَ عشرةٍ

وجبهةٌ تلفى عند سابعَ عشرةٍ

وعند الثلاثينَ الخراتانِ تظهرُ

وعند الثلاثينَ الخراتانِ تظهرُ

And al-Jabhah is found on the seventeenth,

And a forehead wrapped when seventeen is past

and al-Kharatan appears on the thirtieth.

And at thirty, the two calves appear

وصرفةُ ثاني عشر فباير انتمى

وصرفةُ ثاني عشر فباير انتمى

فعن ثاني عشرَ منه لا تتأخرُ

فعن ثاني عشرَ منه لا تتأخرُ

And al-Sarfah belongs to February's twelfth,

And the second house of twelve to Taurus went

so it does not come later than that month's twelfth.

So after the twelfth do not delay

بعشرِ فيه العوا وخمس ومارسٌ

بعشرِ فيه العوا وخمس ومارسٌ

بعاشرِه يبدُو السماكُ ويظهرُ

بعاشرِه يبدُو السماكُ ويظهرُ

Al-‘Awwa appears on its fifteenth; and March—

With ten in it Al Awwa and five and March

on its tenth, al-Simak comes into view and appears.

With its tenth Samaak appears and is seen

وثالثةُ العشرينَ للغَفرِ تَنتمي

وثالثةُ العشرينَ للغَفرِ تَنتمي

بخامس إبريل الزبانانِ يُنظَرُ

بخامس إبريل الزبانانِ يُنظَرُ

And the twenty-third belongs to al-Ghafr.

And the twentieth of three to Forgiveness belongs

On April's fifth, al-Zabanan is seen;

With the fifth of April the frogs are seen

وقد يَظهَرُ الأكليل ثامن عشرِهِ

وقد يَظهَرُ الأكليل ثامن عشرِهِ

وأولى ميهٍ للقلبِ تُعزى وتذكر

وأولى ميهٍ للقلبِ تُعزى وتذكر

and al-Iklil may appear on its eighteenth.

And the crown may appear on its eighteenth

And May's first is attributed to al-Qalb and mentioned;

And the first of May to the heart is attributed and remembered

وشولةُ قد تبدو برابع عشرِه

وشولةُ قد تبدو برابع عشرِه

بِسَبع وعشرين النعائمُ تُبصَرُ

بِسَبع وعشرين النعائمُ تُبصَرُ

and al-Shawlah may appear on its fourteenth.

And As-Shawla may appear on its fourteenth

On the twenty-seventh, al-Na‘a’im is seen.

On the twenty seventh the blessings are seen

وبلدةُ قد تبدو بتاسِعِ يُنيَهٍ

وبلدةُ قد تبدو بتاسِعِ يُنيَهٍ

وثانيهِ مع عشرينَ للسعدُ مَظهَرُ

وثانيهِ مع عشرينَ للسعدُ مَظهَرُ

And al-Baldah may appear on June's ninth,

And a town may appear on the ninth of June

and its twenty-second is al-Sa‘d's time to appear.

And its second with twenty for luck has an appearance

وذُو بُلَعَ قَد يَبدُو بخامِس يُليَهٍ

وذُو بُلَعَ قَد يَبدُو بخامِس يُليَهٍ

فما إن له عنهُ يُرى مُتاخرُ

فما إن له عنهُ يُرى مُتاخرُ

And the one called Bula‘ may appear on July's fifth,

And Thul Bal'a may appear on the fifth of July

so no delay beyond that date is ever seen for it.

For from it nothing is seen delayed

وسعد السعودِ التاح ثامن عشره

وسعد السعودِ التاح ثامن عشره

بِواحدِ غُشتٍ سعد الأخبيةِ اذكروا

بِواحدِ غُشتٍ سعد الأخبيةِ اذكروا

And Sa‘d al-Su‘ud appears on its eighteenth.

And Saad As-Sudooh appeared on its eighteenth

On August's first, remember Sa‘d al-Akhbiyah.

On the first of August, remember Saad Al-Akhbiyah

يَرابِعَه والعشرين فرغٌ مقدمٌ

يَرابِعَه والعشرين فرغٌ مقدمٌ

وفي السبع والعشرين فرعٌ مؤخر

وفي السبع والعشرين فرعٌ مؤخر

On its twenty-fourth comes Fargh al-Muqaddam,

Its fourth and twenty fourth an early Faragh

and on the twenty-seventh, Fargh al-Mu’akhkhar.

And on the twenty seventh a late Far'

وذو الحوتِ في تسعٍ يُرى من شنبرٍ

وذو الحوتِ في تسعٍ يُرى من شنبرٍ

وناطِحُ في ثانٍ وعشرينَ يُذكَرُ

وناطِحُ في ثانٍ وعشرينَ يُذكَرُ

And the one of the Fish is seen on September's ninth,

And Thul Hoot on the ninth is seen of September

and al-Natih is mentioned on the twenty-second.

And An-Naatiĥ on the twenty second is mentioned

كذا اكتوبرُ يبدو البُطينث بخمسهِ

كذا اكتوبرُ يبدو البُطينث بخمسهِ

وثامنَ عشرٍ للثريا محررُ

وثامنَ عشرٍ للثريا محررُ

Likewise, in October, al-Butayn appears on its fifth,

And October Al-Butayn appears on its fifth

and the eighteenth is fixed for al-Thurayya.

And the eighteenth for Ath-Thurayya freed

وإدباره فيه بدا دبرانهُ

وإدباره فيه بدا دبرانهُ

وهقعةُ تبدُو حين أمضى نُونبَرُ

وهقعةُ تبدُو حين أمضى نُونبَرُ

And as that month wanes, its Dabaran appears.

And its passing in it Dabrana appeared

And al-Haq‘ah appears when November has passed

And Al-Haq'ah appears when November has passed

ثلاثَ ليالٍ بعد عشرو هنعةٌ

ثلاثَ ليالٍ بعد عشرو هنعةٌ

بسبٍ وعشرين يرى المتبصرُ

بسبٍ وعشرين يرى المتبصرُ

three nights beyond ten; and al-Han‘ah—

Three nights after ten Huna'a

on the twenty-seventh, the discerning observer sees it.

On the sixth and twentieth the observant see

دُ جَنبَرُ قَد لاَح الذِّرَاعَانُ تِسعَهُ

دُ جَنبَرُ قَد لاَح الذِّرَاعَانُ تِسعَهُ

وفي أثنَينِ مَع عِشرِينَ نَثرَةُ تَظهَرُ

وفي أثنَينِ مَع عِشرِينَ نَثرَةُ تَظهَرُ

In December, al-Dhira‘an appears on its ninth,

January Thul Yadayn on the ninth appeared

and on the twenty-second, al-Nathrah appears.

And on the twenty second An-Nathra is seen

وقد نَظَمَ الأستاذُ مَا قَد نَظَمتُهُ

وقد نَظَمَ الأستاذُ مَا قَد نَظَمتُهُ

إِمَامُ الوَرَى السَّامِى السَّرِى المُتَبَحِّرُ

إِمَامُ الوَرَى السَّامِى السَّرِى المُتَبَحِّرُ

And the master has already versified what I have versified—

And the professor composed what I composed

the exalted, noble, deeply learned imam of humankind,

The Imam Al-Warra the lofty, the elite, the seasoned

جَلِيمُ الدُّجَى شَمسُ الهُداةِ ابنُ عَبدَم

جَلِيمُ الدُّجَى شَمسُ الهُداةِ ابنُ عَبدَم

ولَكِنَّ نَظمِى فِيهِ دُرٌّ وَجَوهَرُ

ولَكِنَّ نَظمِى فِيهِ دُرٌّ وَجَوهَرُ

the dispeller of night's darkness, the sun of guides, Ibn ‘Abdam.

Galim Ad-Duja sun of the guides, son of ‘Abdam

But my verse on this is pearls and jewels,

But my composition has pearls and gems in it

وَفِيهِ اختِصَارٌ لَم يَكُن بِسَوائِهِ

وَفِيهِ اختِصَارٌ لَم يَكُن بِسَوائِهِ

عَلَى مَا سَوَاهُ قَد يَطُولُ ويَقصُرُ

عَلَى مَا سَوَاهُ قَد يَطُولُ ويَقصُرُ

and it has a brevity not found in any other,

And summarization in it not in anything else

though compared with other verse it may be longer or shorter.

Beyond it, it may be long or short

تَقَفَّيتُ مَجدَ الدِّينِ في ضَبطِ كُلِّ مَا

تَقَفَّيتُ مَجدَ الدِّينِ في ضَبطِ كُلِّ مَا

أتَيتُ بِهِ مِن مَنزِلٍ فَهوَ أشهَرُ

أتَيتُ بِهِ مِن مَنزِلٍ فَهوَ أشهَرُ

I followed Majd al-Din in precisely recording all that

I followed the glory of Al-Deen in the regulation of all

I set forth of lunar mansions, for he is better known.

That I came with, so it is more famous

وقَلَّدتُه عَن مَن سِوَاهُ لأنَّهُ

وقَلَّدتُه عَن مَن سِوَاهُ لأنَّهُ

مُقَلِّدُهُ في كُلِّ مَا قَالَ يُعذَرُ

مُقَلِّدُهُ في كُلِّ مَا قَالَ يُعذَرُ

And I followed his authority rather than another's, because

And I imitated him over all others because he

whoever follows him in all he says is excused.

Is imitated in all he says is excused

ضَبَطتُ بِتصحِيحٍ مَنَازَلَ لَم يَكُن

ضَبَطتُ بِتصحِيحٍ مَنَازَلَ لَم يَكُن

بِضَابِطِها مَن هُو بِالضَّبطِ أجدَرُ

بِضَابِطِها مَن هُو بِالضَّبطِ أجدَرُ

I correctly recorded mansions that had not been

I regulated with correction the stations that none

recorded by one better suited to precision.

Regulating them is more deserving of regulation

فَجئتُ بِهِ كَالتِّبرِ لاَ مُتُعَسِّفاً

فَجئتُ بِهِ كَالتِّبرِ لاَ مُتُعَسِّفاً

ولَكِن بِهِ قَد جَادَ فِكرٌ مُنَوَّرُ

ولَكِن بِهِ قَد جَادَ فِكرٌ مُنَوَّرُ

So I brought it forth like raw gold, without forcing it;

So I came with it like ingots, not arbitrarily

rather, an enlightened mind generously bestowed it,

But with it a luminous thought flowed

يُمَدُّ بِفَيضٍ صَادِرٍ عَن بِصَيرَةٍ

يُمَدُّ بِفَيضٍ صَادِرٍ عَن بِصَيرَةٍ

سَجَنجَلُهَا صَافٍ مُضِىءٌ ومُقمِرُ

سَجَنجَلُهَا صَافٍ مُضِىءٌ ومُقمِرُ

sustained by an outpouring issuing from insight,

Extending with an outpouring from insight

whose mirror is clear, luminous, and moonlit.

Whose essence is pure, luminous and mooned

وَلاَ تُنكِرُوا فضل الإله فَإِنَّهُ

وَلاَ تُنكِرُوا فضل الإله فَإِنَّهُ

جَزِيلُ العَطَايَا فَضلُه لَيسَ يُنكَرُ

جَزِيلُ العَطَايَا فَضلُه لَيسَ يُنكَرُ

And do not deny God's bounty, for He is

And do not deny the favor of God, for it is

lavish in gifts; His bounty is not denied.

Abundant in gifts, its favor is not denied

صَلاَةُ عَلَى المُختَارِ مَاهَبَّت الصَّبَا

صَلاَةُ عَلَى المُختَارِ مَاهَبَّت الصَّبَا

وَمَا الصَّبُّ مِن سَجعِ الحَمَائِمِ يَسهَرُ

وَمَا الصَّبُّ مِن سَجعِ الحَمَائِمِ يَسهَرُ

Blessings upon the Chosen One as long as the east wind blows,

Prayer upon the Chosen One for as long as the morning blew

and as long as the lovesick lover stays awake at the doves' cooing.

And the dawn does not cease the warbling of doves

يُتَمِّمُهَا أزكَى سَلاَمٍ مُتَمَّمٍ

يُتَمِّمُهَا أزكَى سَلاَمٍ مُتَمَّمٍ

مَدَى الدَّهرِ لاَ يَفنى وَلاَ يَتَغَيَّرُه

مَدَى الدَّهرِ لاَ يَفنى وَلاَ يَتَغَيَّرُه

The purest, perfected salutation completes it,

Completing them is the purest perfect peace

through all time, never fading or changing.

For the length of time, it does not fade or change