وَفَدَ الرَّبيعُ فَقُم لِحَثِّ الكاسِ

وَفَدَ الرَّبيعُ فَقُم لِحَثِّ الكاسِ

وَذَرِ المقام بِأَربُعٍ أَدراسِ

وَذَرِ المقام بِأَربُعٍ أَدراسِ

Spring has arrived; rise and hurry the cup along.

Spring has come, so rise to pour the cup

And leave dwelling among weathered ruins.

And leave the abode with four tent pegs

وَاِنهَض إِلى الوادي السَعيد وَمائِهِ ال

وَاِنهَض إِلى الوادي السَعيد وَمائِهِ ال

عذب الفُراة وَظَلَّ ذاكَ الآس

عذب الفُراة وَظَلَّ ذاكَ الآس

And rise to the happy valley and its water—

And set out to the blessed valley and its

sweet and fresh—and the shade of that myrtle.

Sweet, pure water and shaded trees

هَذي الجِنان تَنفست في أَوجُه ال

هَذي الجِنان تَنفست في أَوجُه ال

خُضر الرِياض بِأَطيَب الأَنفاس

خُضر الرِياض بِأَطيَب الأَنفاس

These gardens have breathed upon the faces of

These gardens have breathed out on the

the green meadows with the sweetest breaths.

Green meadows with the sweetest breath

وَمَشى النَسيم مُصحِحاً ما اِعتَلَّ مِن

وَمَشى النَسيم مُصحِحاً ما اِعتَلَّ مِن

أَدواحِها فَهُوَ العَليل الآسي

أَدواحِها فَهُوَ العَليل الآسي

And the breeze wandered, healing whatever ailed among

And the breeze blows healing what was distorted

their spreading trees—for it is the ailing healer.

Of its rhythms, so it is the afflicted healer

وَالقَطر مُنتَثر عَلى جَنباتِها

وَالقَطر مُنتَثر عَلى جَنباتِها

كَاللؤلؤ المُتَناسق الأَجناس

كَاللؤلؤ المُتَناسق الأَجناس

And raindrops are scattered along their sides,

And drops sprinkled on its hillsides

like pearls of matching kinds.

Like orderly, varied pearls

وَالعَندَليب مُصفق يَشدو عَلى

وَالعَندَليب مُصفق يَشدو عَلى

تِلكَ الهِضاب وَغُصنِها المَياس

تِلكَ الهِضاب وَغُصنِها المَياس

And the nightingale beats his wings, singing upon

And the nightingale clapping, singing

those hills and their swaying bough.

On those plateaus and swaying branches

وَكَأَنَّما الأَزهار قَد صيغت لَهُ

وَكَأَنَّما الأَزهار قَد صيغت لَهُ

قَفَصاً مِن الياقوت وَالأَلماس

قَفَصاً مِن الياقوت وَالأَلماس

And it is as though the flowers had been fashioned for him

As though the flowers were cast for it

into a cage of rubies and diamonds.

A cage of rubies and diamonds

مُتَطَوِقاً بِسَحيق مسك جيدُهُ

مُتَطَوِقاً بِسَحيق مسك جيدُهُ

مُتَلَفِحاً في عَنبَريّ لباس

مُتَلَفِحاً في عَنبَريّ لباس

His neck encircled with powdered musk,

Collared with powdered excellent musk

wrapped in ambergris raiment.

Pervading with an ambergris garment

يَملي عَلى عَذب الغُصون الوكةً

يَملي عَلى عَذب الغُصون الوكةً

مِن مُغرَم لِلعَهد لَيسَ بِناسي

مِن مُغرَم لِلعَهد لَيسَ بِناسي

He dictates to the tips of the boughs a message

Spending the night drunk on the soft branches

from a lover who has not forgotten the pledge.

Of one enamored, not forgetful of the past

يَقضي الدجا مُتَوحِشاً مُتَأسِفاً

يَقضي الدجا مُتَوحِشاً مُتَأسِفاً

مِن بَعد ذاكَ القُرب وَالإِيناس

مِن بَعد ذاكَ القُرب وَالإِيناس

He spends the dark night lonely and sorrowful,

Spending the dark nights lonely and regretful

after that closeness and companionship.

After that closeness and intimacy

وَيَظَل مِن فَرط الغِواية في الهَوى

وَيَظَل مِن فَرط الغِواية في الهَوى

مُتَقَسِماً بَينَ الرَجا وَالياس

مُتَقَسِماً بَينَ الرَجا وَالياس

And, through excessive waywardness in love, he remains

And remain, from the excess of passion and love

divided between hope and despair.

Torn between hope and despair

فَقَد الخَليط فَأَصبَحَت آراؤُهُ

فَقَد الخَليط فَأَصبَحَت آراؤُهُ

نَهباً بِأَيدي الوَهم وَالوَسواس

نَهباً بِأَيدي الوَهم وَالوَسواس

He lost his companions, and his thoughts became

So it lost moderation, and its opinions became

prey in the hands of illusion and obsessive doubt.

Prey to delusions and obsessions

لا زالَ يَندب في الزَمان وَيَشتَكي

لا زالَ يَندب في الزَمان وَيَشتَكي

مِن جورِهِ اللأوي بِغَير قِياس

مِن جورِهِ اللأوي بِغَير قِياس

He never ceased lamenting the age and complaining

It still laments time and complains

of its tyranny and hardship beyond measure,

Of its cruel injustice without measure

حَتّى أَراهُ اللَهُ أَحمَد ماجد

حَتّى أَراهُ اللَهُ أَحمَد ماجد

مُحيي المَمالك قامع الأَرجاس

مُحيي المَمالك قامع الأَرجاس

until God showed him Ahmad, the noble,

Until God showed it Ahmad Majeed

reviver of kingdoms, subduer of the vile,

Reviver of kingdoms, breaker of bells

كافي الكفاة المُنعم الزخار في

كافي الكفاة المُنعم الزخار في

يَوم الفَخار المُستَجار الكاسي

يَوم الفَخار المُستَجار الكاسي

the ablest of the able, the benefactor, overflowing on

Self-sufficient, blessed in generosity

the day of glory, the refuge sought, the giver of clothing.

On days of pride, protected, well-attired

لا حلم أَحنَف عِندَ مادِحِهِ يَرى

لا حلم أَحنَف عِندَ مادِحِهِ يَرى

شَيئاً يَعد وَلا ذَكاء إِياس

شَيئاً يَعد وَلا ذَكاء إِياس

Ahnaf’s forbearance, in his praiser’s eyes, is not

No milder dream in the eyes of its praiser

anything of account, nor is Iyas’s intelligence.

Who sees anything promised or despairing wisdom

قاض نَود لَو أَنَّها فَرشت لَهُ

قاض نَود لَو أَنَّها فَرشت لَهُ

عِندَ القُدوم كَواكب الأَغلاس

عِندَ القُدوم كَواكب الأَغلاس

A judge—we wish there could be spread before him,

A judge wishes that the stars themselves

at his arrival, the stars of the predawn darkness.

Spread as a carpet for him when he arrives

بِيديهِ حَلُّ المُشكِلات وَكَشفِها

بِيديهِ حَلُّ المُشكِلات وَكَشفِها

وَذُؤابَة الجَلى وَدَفع الباس

وَذُؤابَة الجَلى وَدَفع الباس

In his hands lie the solving of difficulties and their unraveling,

In his hands are unravelling problems and unveiling

and the pinnacle of great affairs, and the averting of harm.

Secrets of majesty and dispelling harm

وَلَهُ سِهام عَدالة إِن فَوّقت

وَلَهُ سِهام عَدالة إِن فَوّقت

تَرَكت مُتون الجور كَالأَقواس

تَرَكت مُتون الجور كَالأَقواس

And he has arrows of justice which, if nocked,

And he has arrows of justice, which if loosed

leave the backs of tyranny bent like bows.

Would leave the bastions of injustice like bows

لَما سَهِرَت عَلى مَدائِحِهِ الَّتي

لَما سَهِرَت عَلى مَدائِحِهِ الَّتي

جَعَلَت عدايَ مِن الرَدى حُراسي

جَعَلَت عدايَ مِن الرَدى حُراسي

When I kept vigil over his praises, which

When I stayed up late praising him in poetry

made my enemies my guards against death,

Which made my missteps guards of chastity

ودٌ الهلال لَو اِستَقام وَأَنَّهُ

ودٌ الهلال لَو اِستَقام وَأَنَّهُ

أَمسى لَدَيهِ مَكانة النِبراس

أَمسى لَدَيهِ مَكانة النِبراس

the crescent wished it could straighten, and that it

The crescent wishes that it would straighten

might take a lamp’s place beside him at evening.

For with him it holds the place of a guiding lamp