كِلانا جَنى هَذا الهَوى وَاِصطَلَيتُهُ

كِلانا جَنى هَذا الهَوى وَاِصطَلَيتُهُ

فَناظِرُهُ أَصلُ الغَرامِ وَناظِري

فَناظِرُهُ أَصلُ الغَرامِ وَناظِري

Both of us brought on this love, and I burned in its fire;

We both reaped this passion and I made it my companion

For his eye and mine are the source of passion.

Its beholder is the origin of love, and my beholder

أُراقِبُ وَجهَ الأُفقِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

أُراقِبُ وَجهَ الأُفقِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

أُحاوِلُكُم بَينَ النُجومِ الزَواهِرِ

أُحاوِلُكُم بَينَ النُجومِ الزَواهِرِ

I watch the horizon's face until it seems

I observe the horizon’s face as if

I am seeking you among the radiant stars.

I seek you among the shining stars

أَمَنّا عَلى المُلكِ اللَيالِيَ بَعدَما

أَمَنّا عَلى المُلكِ اللَيالِيَ بَعدَما

أُمِدَّ بِسَعدِ الناصِرِ المُتَناصِرِ

أُمِدَّ بِسَعدِ الناصِرِ المُتَناصِرِ

We trusted the nights with the kingdom, after

We secured the kingdom’s nights, after

It was strengthened by al-Nasir's ever-reinforcing good fortune.

It was supported by Sa’d al-Nasir’s aid

إِمامٌ أَقَرّوا جَوهَرَ المُلكِ عِندَهُ

إِمامٌ أَقَرّوا جَوهَرَ المُلكِ عِندَهُ

وَلا عَجَبٌ لِلبَحرِ صَونُ الجَواهِرِ

وَلا عَجَبٌ لِلبَحرِ صَونُ الجَواهِرِ

An imam with whom they lodged the jewel of kingship;

An imam whom the essence of the kingdom settled with him

And it is no wonder that the sea safeguards jewels.

And it is no wonder that the sea guards gems

دِيارُ العِدى مِن نَقعِهِ وَدِمائِهِم

دِيارُ العِدى مِن نَقعِهِ وَدِمائِهِم

كَرَبعِ الهَوى ما بَينَ سافٍ وَماطِرِ

كَرَبعِ الهَوى ما بَينَ سافٍ وَماطِرِ

The foes' lands, from his battle-dust and their blood,

The enemies’ lands because of his attacks and their blood

Are like love's dwelling, between a sand-scattering wind and a rain-bearing cloud.

Like the abode of love between a torrential rain and a drizzle

يُلاقيهِمُ بِالسَيفِ وَالطَيرِ طاعِماً

يُلاقيهِمُ بِالسَيفِ وَالطَيرِ طاعِماً

فَهُم مِنهُما بَينَ الرَدى وَالمَقابِرِ

فَهُم مِنهُما بَينَ الرَدى وَالمَقابِرِ

He meets them with the sword and with birds feasting;

He meets them with the sword and the birds, satiating

Thus, through the two, they lie between death and graves.

And they are between perdition and graves

وَلَمّا اِنثَنَت مِنّا عَلَيهِ خَناصِرٌ

وَلَمّا اِنثَنَت مِنّا عَلَيهِ خَناصِرٌ

جَعَلنا حُلى تَختيمِنا لِلخَناصِرِ

جَعَلنا حُلى تَختيمِنا لِلخَناصِرِ

And when our little fingers bent to count him foremost,

When supple spears recoiled upon him

We fashioned our ring-adornments for those little fingers.

We made our seal rings the adornment for the spears

لَأَفنَت ظُباكُم في الوَغى وَصِفاتُها

لَأَفنَت ظُباكُم في الوَغى وَصِفاتُها

دِماءَ الأَعادي أَو دِماءَ المَحابِرِ

دِماءَ الأَعادي أَو دِماءَ المَحابِرِ

Your blade-edges in battle, and their descriptions, have surely exhausted

Your hyenas would have perished in the fray and their qualities

The blood of enemies or the blood of inkwells.

The enemies’ blood or the coward’s blood

فَيا عَجَباً لِلمُلكِ قَرَّ قَرارُهُ

فَيا عَجَباً لِلمُلكِ قَرَّ قَرارُهُ

بِمُختَلِفاتٍ مِن قَناكَ الشَواجِرِ

بِمُختَلِفاتٍ مِن قَناكَ الشَواجِرِ

How wondrous that kingship's footing has become firm

So wondrous is the kingdom whose abode settled

Through your diverging, interlacing spears.

With different strokes of your raging camels

طَواعِنُ أَسرارِ القُلوبِ نَواظِرٌ

طَواعِنُ أَسرارِ القُلوبِ نَواظِرٌ

كَأَنَّكَ قَد نَصَّلتَها بِنَواظِرِ

كَأَنَّكَ قَد نَصَّلتَها بِنَواظِرِ

They are eyes that pierce the secrets of hearts,

The gazes that unveil the hearts' secrets are obedient

As though you had tipped them with eyes.

As if you assembled them with gazes

تَمُدُّ إِلى الأَعداءِ مِنها مَعاصِماً

تَمُدُّ إِلى الأَعداءِ مِنها مَعاصِماً

فَتَرجِعُ مِن ماءِ الكُلى بِأَساوِرِ

فَتَرجِعُ مِن ماءِ الكُلى بِأَساوِرِ

You stretch out their wrists toward the foes,

They extend protections to the enemies through them

And they return with bracelets of the kidneys' fluid.

And return from the kidneys’ water with bracelets

لَها غُرَرٌ يَستَضحِكُ النَصرُ وَجهَها

لَها غُرَرٌ يَستَضحِكُ النَصرُ وَجهَها

وَتَفهَمُ مِنها العَينُ مَعنى البَشائِرِ

وَتَفهَمُ مِنها العَينُ مَعنى البَشائِرِ

They have radiant brows; victory makes their faces smile,

They have coquetries that make victory laugh in its face

And the eye reads in them the meaning of glad tidings.

And the eye understands the meaning of good news from them

إِذا ما أَتَت تَختالُ بَينَ سُطورِها

إِذا ما أَتَت تَختالُ بَينَ سُطورِها

فَهُنِّئتَها عَذراءَ ذاتَ ضَفائِرِ

فَهُنِّئتَها عَذراءَ ذاتَ ضَفائِرِ

When she comes, strutting between her lines,

When they come swaying between its lines

Then may you be congratulated on her—a virgin maiden with braids.

You congratulate them, maidens with braids

هِيَ السائِراتُ الخالِداتُ بِمَجدِهِ

هِيَ السائِراتُ الخالِداتُ بِمَجدِهِ

وَسائِرُ ما يُؤتى بِهِ غَيرُ سائِرِ

وَسائِرُ ما يُؤتى بِهِ غَيرُ سائِرِ

They are the verses that travel, immortal through his glory;

They are the everlasting ones who march with his glory

While all the rest that is brought forth does not travel.

And the rest of what is brought is not lasting