مَن لي بِهِ وَالسحر ملئَ جُفونِهِ

مَن لي بِهِ وَالسحر ملئَ جُفونِهِ

رشأ يغار البدر مِن تَكوينِهِ

رشأ يغار البدر مِن تَكوينِهِ

Who will bring him to me, with magic filling his eyelids—

Who is there whose beauty the night embellishes,

a young gazelle whose form the full moon envies?

Born radiant, the moon envies his features,

جَم المحاسن ما بدا في محفل

جَم المحاسن ما بدا في محفل

إِلّا وَاغضت مِنهُ أَعيُن عَينِهِ

إِلّا وَاغضت مِنهُ أَعيُن عَينِهِ

Rich in beauty, he never appears at a gathering

Perfect in grace, none in his assembly

without his wide-eyed beauties lowering their eyes before him.

But their eyes lower before his eyes,

يَكسي شَذاهُ الرَوض قَبلَ أَوانِهِ

يَكسي شَذاهُ الرَوض قَبلَ أَوانِهِ

وَيُعير لِلساري ضِياءَ جَبينِهِ

وَيُعير لِلساري ضِياءَ جَبينِهِ

His fragrance clothes the garden before its season,

His charm adorns the garden before its time,

and he lends the night-traveler the radiance of his brow.

And lends the Pleiades the light of his face,

وَيُجرد الأَرواح مِن أَجسادِها

وَيُجرد الأَرواح مِن أَجسادِها

فَكَأَنَّما الآجال طَوع يَمينِهِ

فَكَأَنَّما الآجال طَوع يَمينِهِ

And he strips souls from their bodies,

He frees souls from their bodies,

so it is as though death's appointed times obey his right hand.

As if destinies bend to his will,

يَهفو بِهِ مَرح الصِبا فَتخالَهُ

يَهفو بِهِ مَرح الصِبا فَتخالَهُ

نَشوان مِن حَرَكاتِهِ وَسُكونِهِ

نَشوان مِن حَرَكاتِهِ وَسُكونِهِ

Youth's gaiety sets him swaying, so you would think him

The carefree youth flutter around him,

intoxicated, judging by his movements and his stillness.

Lively in his motions and stillness,

عاطَيتُهُ بِنت الدَنان وَقَد شَدا

عاطَيتُهُ بِنت الدَنان وَقَد شَدا

قَمَريُّ رَوض اللَهو فَوقَ غُصونِهِ

قَمَريُّ رَوض اللَهو فَوقَ غُصونِهِ

I shared with him the daughter of wine jars, while there sang

I gifted him the daughter of the vine when she sang,

the turtledove of pleasure's garden above its boughs.

Moon of the meadow's joy over its branches,

وَاللَيل مُعتَكِرٌ وَمُعتَرك الحَيا

وَاللَيل مُعتَكِرٌ وَمُعتَرك الحَيا

يَزهو بِوَفد زذاذه وَهتونِهِ

يَزهو بِوَفد زذاذه وَهتونِهِ

And night was thick with darkness, and the battlefield of rain

The night is dark and tumultuous with life

flourished with the throng of its drizzle and downpour.

Glorious in its visitors and revelry,

وَالبَرق في حلل الغَمام كَأَنَّهُ

وَالبَرق في حلل الغَمام كَأَنَّهُ

عَضب تَقلبهُ أَكفُّ قيونِهِ

عَضب تَقلبهُ أَكفُّ قيونِهِ

And lightning, in the robes of cloud, seemed

Lightning in the garb of clouds as if

a keen sword turned by the hands of its smiths.

Anger makes his fists flash,

وَكَأَنَّما القَمَر المُنير ضِياءَهُ

وَكَأَنَّما القَمَر المُنير ضِياءَهُ

مِن وَجه مخدوم العُلى وَخَدينهِ

مِن وَجه مخدوم العُلى وَخَدينهِ

And it is as though the shining moon's radiance

As if the shining moon's glow

comes from the face of glory's master and intimate companion:

Comes from the face of the exalted and his cheeks,

مَن خَلقه الزاكي السَني وَوَصفُهُ

مَن خَلقه الزاكي السَني وَوَصفُهُ

يَزري بَريّا المسك في دارينهِ

يَزري بَريّا المسك في دارينهِ

he whose pure, splendid nature and qualities

Who created his generous self and described him

put musk's fragrance to shame in its Darin.

Goodly, musk scattering in his abodes,

مَولى إِذا اِزدَحَمَ الوُفود بِبابِهِ

مَولى إِذا اِزدَحَمَ الوُفود بِبابِهِ

يَلقاهُم وَالجود نَصب عُيونِهِ

يَلقاهُم وَالجود نَصب عُيونِهِ

A lord who, when delegations throng his gate,

My lord, when pilgrims crowd his door,

meets them with generosity before his eyes.

Welcomes them, munificence in his eyes,

أَعِني بِهِ المَولى الأَجلّ أَبا البقا

أَعِني بِهِ المَولى الأَجلّ أَبا البقا

مِن ظَنِهِ في الدَهر مثل يَقينِهِ

مِن ظَنِهِ في الدَهر مثل يَقينِهِ

I mean the most exalted lord, Abu al-Baqa,

I mean the eminent master Abu Al-Baqa’

whose surmise about Time is as sure as his certain knowledge.

Whose resolve time cannot change,

شَرس يَقدُّ الخَطبَ لينُ خِطابِهِ

شَرس يَقدُّ الخَطبَ لينُ خِطابِهِ

وَالنَصلَ شدّةُ بَأسِهِ في لينِهِ

وَالنَصلَ شدّةُ بَأسِهِ في لينِهِ

He is fierce, yet the gentleness of his speech cleaves calamity,

Fierce, leading glorious enterprises, gentle of speech,

and the force of his might cleaves the blade even in his gentleness.

Steel the might of his gentleness,

قَد أَودَع اللَهُ السِيادة وَالتُقى

قَد أَودَع اللَهُ السِيادة وَالتُقى

في بُردتيهِ وَآدم في طِينِهِ

في بُردتيهِ وَآدم في طِينِهِ

God had already lodged lordship and piety

God deposited sovereignty and piety

within his two mantles while Adam was still clay.

In his cloak, and man in his clay,

مَن ذا يَقيس بِهِ البَرية رفعَةً

مَن ذا يَقيس بِهِ البَرية رفعَةً

أَن الزَمان وَأَهلَهُ مِن دُونِهِ

أَن الزَمان وَأَهلَهُ مِن دُونِهِ

Who could compare creation with him in eminence,

Who can measure among mortals his loftiness,

when Time and its people are beneath him?

That time and its people are less than him,

يَفنى الزَمان وَلَيسَ يَبلغ وَصفَهُ

يَفنى الزَمان وَلَيسَ يَبلغ وَصفَهُ

شعرٌ وَلَو بالغت في تَحسينِهِ

شعرٌ وَلَو بالغت في تَحسينِهِ

Time will perish, yet his qualities remain beyond the reach

Time passes but cannot describe him,

of verse, however far you go in perfecting it.

Not even poetry excelling in his praise,

يا أَيُّها الباني دَعائم سوددٍ

يا أَيُّها الباني دَعائم سوددٍ

سامي الذَرى كَالطود في تَمكينِهِ

سامي الذَرى كَالطود في تَمكينِهِ

O you who build the pillars of eminence,

O architect of the pillars of Suddad,

lofty of summit, firm as a mountain in its foundations!

Lofty as mountains in their standing,

لَكَ عَزمة في النائِبات وَسودد

لَكَ عَزمة في النائِبات وَسودد

كَعُلى الكِرار في صَفينِهِ

كَعُلى الكِرار في صَفينِهِ

You have resolve amid calamities, and eminence

You have resolve in adversities, and Suddad

like al-Karrar's lofty glory at his Siffin.

Like a sublime fortress,

وَلَدَيك مِن تِلكَ المَآثر وَالعُلى

وَلَدَيك مِن تِلكَ المَآثر وَالعُلى

ما أَعجَز الفَصحاءِ عَن تَبيينِهِ

ما أَعجَز الفَصحاءِ عَن تَبيينِهِ

And you possess such noble deeds and lofty honors

Of those glories and heights you have

as leave the eloquent powerless to express them.

What exhausts eloquence to convey,

أَسويت بَحراً بِالنَدى مُتَدفِقاً

أَسويت بَحراً بِالنَدى مُتَدفِقاً

وَبَدوت تَحكي البَدر غب دُجونِهِ

وَبَدوت تَحكي البَدر غب دُجونِهِ

You have matched a sea overflowing with generosity,

I surveyed a sea surging with dew

and appeared like the full moon after its gloom.

And you seemed to tell the moon to set,

فَسَكنت مِن طَرفي سَواد سَوادِهِ

فَسَكنت مِن طَرفي سَواد سَوادِهِ

وَحَلَلت مِن قَلبي مَحَل ظُنونِهِ

وَحَلَلت مِن قَلبي مَحَل ظُنونِهِ

So you dwelt in the very heart of my eye's pupil,

So I settled the darkness of his darkness,

and settled in my heart, where its thoughts reside.

And removed from my heart the place of doubts,

أَقسَمت بِالبَيت العَتيق وَما حَوَت

أَقسَمت بِالبَيت العَتيق وَما حَوَت

بَطحاؤُهُ مِن حَجرِهِ وَحُجونِهِ

بَطحاؤُهُ مِن حَجرِهِ وَحُجونِهِ

I swore by the Ancient House and all that is held

I swear by the Ancient House and its terrain,

in its stony valley, its stone and its Hajun:

Its stones and walls,

ما ضَمت الدُنيا كَقَصرك مَنزِلاً

ما ضَمت الدُنيا كَقَصرك مَنزِلاً

كَلا وَلا سَمحت بِمثل قَطينِهِ

كَلا وَلا سَمحت بِمثل قَطينِهِ

the world has never held a dwelling like your palace,

The world contained no palace like yours,

no, nor has it yielded anyone like its resident.

No, nor its equal in its splendor,

أَبقاكِ رَب العالَمين لِخَلقِهِ

أَبقاكِ رَب العالَمين لِخَلقِهِ

كَهفاً وَصَمصاماً لِنَصرة دِينِهِ

كَهفاً وَصَمصاماً لِنَصرة دِينِهِ

May the Lord of all worlds preserve you for His creatures,

May you remain for people, Lord of the Worlds,

a refuge and a keen sword in defense of His faith.

A refuge, stronghold to aid His religion,

وَأَراك في النَجل السَعيد كَما أَرى

وَأَراك في النَجل السَعيد كَما أَرى

هَرونَ في مَأمونِهِ وَأَمينِهِ

هَرونَ في مَأمونِهِ وَأَمينِهِ

And may He show you in your fortunate son what He showed

And I see you in the auspicious lineage like

Harun in his Ma'mun and his Amin.

Harun in his succession and trustee.