يا دار جد ثراك كل سحاب

يا دار جد ثراك كل سحاب

دان عليك لذيله سحاب

دان عليك لذيله سحاب

O abode, may every cloud water your soil,

O home of my ancestors, every cloud rains down upon you,

hanging low above you, dragging its hem;

And clouds trail their hems above you.

وحبيت ربك من حبي باكر

وحبيت ربك من حبي باكر

زجل الرواعد ضاحك صخاب

زجل الرواعد ضاحك صخاب

and may your Lord favor you with an early, massed raincloud [wording uncertain],

And I loved your Lord more than I loved dawn,

roaring with thunder, laughing and clamorous.

With thunder laughing and clouds clapping.

فلقد قسمت العيش فيك معدلا

فلقد قسمت العيش فيك معدلا

قسمين بين صبابة وتصابي

قسمين بين صبابة وتصابي

For I divided life within you evenly

So I shared living in you equally

into two portions: ardent longing and youthful dalliance;

Between youth and companionship.

أيام أوقفني الهوى بك وقفة

أيام أوقفني الهوى بك وقفة

أفضي العتاب بها إلى الأعتابِ

أفضي العتاب بها إلى الأعتابِ

in the days when passion made me halt beside you,

Days when passion stopped me in my tracks in you

and there I confided my reproaches to the thresholds;

And I poured out rebuke that reached even doorsteps.

أيام فودي فأحم يصبي الدمى

أيام فودي فأحم يصبي الدمى

جون وبازي ما أطار غرابي

جون وبازي ما أطار غرابي

when my temple-locks were coal-black, enchanting statue-like beauties,

Days when I bid farewell and tears streamed

dark, and my hawk had not driven away my raven;

While my companion soared not like my raven.

أيام لا طرف المشيب مردد

أيام لا طرف المشيب مردد

نحوي ولا طرف الشبيبة كأبي

نحوي ولا طرف الشبيبة كأبي

when the steed of gray hair was not turned

Days when neither the gray hair turned back toward me

toward me, nor had youth's steed stumbled;

Nor did the curls of youth return like my father.

أيام زرت الخمر في حاناتها

أيام زرت الخمر في حاناتها

وغدوت زير كواعب أترابِ

وغدوت زير كواعب أترابِ

when I visited wine in its taverns

Days when I visited wine in its taverns

and became the lover of budding-breasted maidens of equal age—

And wandered, drunk, among charming companions.

من كل من لولا عذوبة ثغرها

من كل من لولا عذوبة ثغرها

لم أستطب فيها أَليم عذابي

لم أستطب فيها أَليم عذابي

each one such that, but for her mouth's sweetness,

From each one, were it not for the sweetness of her mouth,

I would not have relished my painful torment for her.

I would not have endured the pain of my torment.

محجوبة لم تنتقب وجناتها

محجوبة لم تنتقب وجناتها

إذ هن من ورد الحيا بنقابِ

إذ هن من ورد الحيا بنقابِ

Secluded, her cheeks wore no veil,

Unveiled ones who wore no scarf, their cheeks

for their veil was made of the roses of bashfulness;

Were like rose blossoms peeking out from a veil.

كالظبية الجيداء لولا ما بها

كالظبية الجيداء لولا ما بها

من صمت خلخال ونطق حقابِ

من صمت خلخال ونطق حقابِ

like a long-necked gazelle, except for

Like a beautiful gazelle, were it not for her

her silent anklet and speaking girdle.

Bracelets' silence and anklets' murmuring.

جمعت لنا من خدها وبنانها

جمعت لنا من خدها وبنانها

بين الشقيق الغض والعنابِ

بين الشقيق الغض والعنابِ

In her cheek and fingertips she brought together for us

She brought together on her cheek and mouth

the fresh anemone and the jujube.

Scarlet flowers and violets.

لله سرب مها شجاني بعده

لله سرب مها شجاني بعده

فبكيته بمدامع أسرابِ

فبكيته بمدامع أسرابِ

How wondrous a herd of oryx, whose absence grieved me!

When her gazelle glance led my loved ones away,

So I wept for it with tears flowing in streams.

I wept for them with floods of tears.

لما سللن ظبي اللحاظ ظباؤه

لما سللن ظبي اللحاظ ظباؤه

وقصدن قتلي كن غير نوابي

وقصدن قتلي كن غير نوابي

When its gazelles drew the blades of their glances

When they passed by softly glancing

and aimed to kill me, they never missed;

And aimed to slay me, I had no other desire.

فكأنهن صاء رأي محمد

فكأنهن صاء رأي محمد

مجد الملوك الماجد الوهابِ

مجد الملوك الماجد الوهابِ

as though they were the [unclear word] of Muhammad's judgment—

As if they were lightning that made vanish

the glory of kings, the noble, lavish giver,

The glory of kings, the glorious, the Bestower.

المستضاء برايه وروائِهِ

المستضاء برايه وروائِهِ

في كل خطب حالك الجلبابِ

في كل خطب حالك الجلبابِ

whose counsel and splendid presence lend their light

Illuminated by his banner and his visions

in every calamity clad in a pitch-black cloak.

In every grave event when you donned the mantle.

أثرى الورى في الفخر تربة منصب

أثرى الورى في الفخر تربة منصب

زاك وأجرى الناس سيل شعابِ

زاك وأجرى الناس سيل شعابِ

Richest of mortals in glory, in the soil of a lineage

He enriched the earth with pride in his office

that flourishes, and most copious of men in his ravines' torrents;

And caused floods of people to pour forth.

غيث تقهقه للعفاة رعوده

غيث تقهقه للعفاة رعوده

ليت تقمهقر عنه ليث الغابِ

ليت تقمهقر عنه ليث الغابِ

a raincloud whose thunder laughs aloud for seekers of bounty;

A pouring rain whose thunder terrified the sinful—

would that the lion of the thicket recoiled from him.

Would that a lion might roar and frighten them away!

طلق اليدين سلاحه وسماحه

طلق اليدين سلاحه وسماحه

هلك البغاة وبغية الطلابِ

هلك البغاة وبغية الطلابِ

Open-handed: his weapon and his generosity

Freehanded with weapons and forgiveness,

are the ruin of rebels and the desire of seekers.

He destroyed the rebels and the rebellious ones' rebellion.

ندب فريد السخط مشفوع الرضا

ندب فريد السخط مشفوع الرضا

عاري أديم العرض من أندابِ

عاري أديم العرض من أندابِ

A valiant man, his anger single, his favor doubled,

Matchless in wrath but compliant in pleasure,

the skin of his honor free of scars;

Bare of pretense's garb, free of fingernails.

في الحرب فتاك فإن سكن الوغى

في الحرب فتاك فإن سكن الوغى

لاحت عليه سكينة الأوابِ

لاحت عليه سكينة الأوابِ

deadly in war, yet when battle falls still,

In war a slayer, but if turmoil stilled,

a penitent's serenity shines upon him.

The peace of contentment shone upon him.

ولاح أندية المكارم والندى

ولاح أندية المكارم والندى

فراج خطب فادح بخطابِ

فراج خطب فادح بخطابِ

And he shone in assemblies of noble deeds and bounty,

The refinement of perfections and compassion

dispelling grievous calamity with a speech.

Radiated in weighty speeches.

لا سر به يوم الحفاظ مروع

لا سر به يوم الحفاظ مروع

كلا ولا جدواه لمع سرابِ

كلا ولا جدواه لمع سرابِ

None in his care is frightened when honor is defended [wording uncertain];

He had no secrets on the day the virtuous were terrified,

no indeed, nor is his bounty a mirage's gleam.

No, nor did his reality shine like a mirage.

هذا ورب كتيبة ملومة

هذا ورب كتيبة ملومة

شعواء فرق شملها بكتابِ

شعواء فرق شملها بكتابِ

Such is he—and many a blamed battalion [reading uncertain],

By a heavenly script he divided a band

fierce, he scattered with a letter.

Of long-haired rebels with a decree.

يقظان تلحقه بآجال العدا

يقظان تلحقه بآجال العدا

قب البطون لواحق الأقرالبِ

قب البطون لواحق الأقرالبِ

Ever watchful, he is borne to his foes' appointed ends

Wakeful, he dispatched them to appointed deaths

by slender-bellied steeds with tucked-in flanks.

With swords cleaving bellies and napes.

ومبيدهم قسرا بكل مهند

ومبيدهم قسرا بكل مهند

يعري فيغمد في طلي ورقابِ

يعري فيغمد في طلي ورقابِ

And he destroys them by force with every Indian-steel sword,

Signs of one who continually destroys and annihilates

which he bares, then sheathes in throats and necks—

Between pardon that knows no bounds and punishment.

آيات من يقني ويفني دائما

آيات من يقني ويفني دائما

ما بين عفو لا يني وعقابِ

ما بين عفو لا يني وعقابِ

signs of one who continually enriches and annihilates,

The meadow is not flooded with its light,

between unceasing pardon and punishment.

And the kidneys are weak, feeble, and timid.

ما الروض مطلول أربَّ بنوره

ما الروض مطلول أربَّ بنوره

واهي الكلى ذو هيدب وربابِ

واهي الكلى ذو هيدب وربابِ

No dew-drenched garden—its blossoms lingered over

The moist breeze traced the water of its pool

by a weak-kidneyed cloud with trailing rain-fringes and cloudlets,

And I saw you: the cool, flowing pool.

رقم النسيم الرطب ماء غديره

رقم النسيم الرطب ماء غديره

فأراك بُرد الأرقم المنسابِ

فأراك بُرد الأرقم المنسابِ

its pool's water embroidered by the moist breeze,

The mouths of tumbler doves opened with love,

showing you the mantle of a gliding speckled serpent,

And I recalled the smile of Zainab and Rabab.

وافتر ثغر الأقحوان بجوه

وافتر ثغر الأقحوان بجوه

فذكرت مبسم زينب وربابِ

فذكرت مبسم زينب وربابِ

the chrysanthemum's mouth opening in a smile within it,

One day, in you the best of all supporters of right guidance

so that you recall the smiling mouth of Zaynab and Rabab—

And religion, branch and towering pillar.

يوما بأطيب منك يا عضد الهدى

يوما بأطيب منك يا عضد الهدى

والدين فرع أرومة ونصابِ

والدين فرع أرومة ونصابِ

is ever sweeter than you, O arm of guidance

O son of the victorious, your blood thus prepared

and faith, a branch of ancestral root and stock.

By night vigil, yes, and by decades of wakefulness.

يا ابن المظفر دم كذا مستعدا

يا ابن المظفر دم كذا مستعدا

بالشهر بل بالسهر والأحقابِ

بالشهر بل بالسهر والأحقابِ

O son of al-Muzaffar, remain thus ready,

And greet in spite of the envious, lasting,

through the month—nay, through sleeplessness and ages.

Pure water untroubled and unstirred.

واسلم على رغم الحسود مخلدا

واسلم على رغم الحسود مخلدا

جم الندى ضربا بلا إضرابِ

جم الندى ضربا بلا إضرابِ

And remain safe despite the envier, enduring forever,

abundant in bounty, striking without ever desisting.