اِفتَرَّ ثَغرُكَ لي أَم بارِقٌ لَمَعا

اِفتَرَّ ثَغرُكَ لي أَم بارِقٌ لَمَعا

فَكادَ يَخطِفُ طَرفي وَالفُؤادَ مَعا

فَكادَ يَخطِفُ طَرفي وَالفُؤادَ مَعا

Did your mouth part in a smile for me, or did lightning flash?

Your smiling mouth feigned for me a lightning flash that beamed,

So it nearly snatched away my sight and my heart together.

And nearly snatched away both my glances and heart together.

وَهَل قَوامُكَ غُصنُ البانِ مُعتَدِلاً

وَهَل قَوامُكَ غُصنُ البانِ مُعتَدِلاً

عَلى كَثيبٍ عَلَيهِ البَدرُ قَد طَلَعا

عَلى كَثيبٍ عَلَيهِ البَدرُ قَد طَلَعا

And is your figure an upright branch of the bān tree,

Is your slender shape a gently swaying branch of acacia

Upon a sand dune above which the full moon has risen?

On a sandy hillock where the full moon has just arisen?

بَخِلتَ حَتّى بِطَيفٍ مِنكَ يَطرُقُني

بَخِلتَ حَتّى بِطَيفٍ مِنكَ يَطرُقُني

هَل يَطرُقُ الطَيفُ طَرَفاً قَلَّما هَجَعا

هَل يَطرُقُ الطَيفُ طَرَفاً قَلَّما هَجَعا

You begrudged even a dream-image of you that might visit me by night;

You were so miserly that you grudged me even a phantom of you to visit me.

Can a dream-image visit an eye that scarcely ever sleeps?

Does a phantom visit a glance that has rarely slept?

يا قَلب حَتّامَ لا تُصغي إِلى عَذَلٍ

يا قَلب حَتّامَ لا تُصغي إِلى عَذَلٍ

فيمن مَتى قيلَ فيكَ الباطِلُ اِستَمَعا

فيمن مَتى قيلَ فيكَ الباطِلُ اِستَمَعا

O heart, how long will you refuse to heed reproach

O heart that is filled with passion, do not listen to any censure

About one who listens whenever falsehood is spoken about you?

About her whom falsehood was never heard to repeat.

أَصغى إِلى كَذِبِ الواشي فَصَدَّقَهُ

أَصغى إِلى كَذِبِ الواشي فَصَدَّقَهُ

يا بِئسَ ما صَنَعَ الواشي وَما نَصَعا

يا بِئسَ ما صَنَعَ الواشي وَما نَصَعا

He heeded the slanderer's lie and believed him.

It listened to the slanderer’s lies and believed him.

Ah, how vile the slanderer's deed—and he was not sincere!

Oh, wretched is what the slanderer did and how he gained nothing!

إِنّي لأَعجَبُ مِن قَلبٍ يُحِبُّكِ يا

إِنّي لأَعجَبُ مِن قَلبٍ يُحِبُّكِ يا

سَلمى يَهيمُ وَقَد قَطَّعتِهِ قِطَعا

سَلمى يَهيمُ وَقَد قَطَّعتِهِ قِطَعا

Indeed, I marvel at a heart that loves you, O

Indeed I wonder at a heart that loves you, O Salma,

Salma, mad with love though you have cut it to pieces.

Roaming distraught though you have cut it to pieces.

دَبَّت إِلى حُسنِ ظَنّي فيكِ أَلسِنَةُ ال

دَبَّت إِلى حُسنِ ظَنّي فيكِ أَلسِنَةُ ال

واشينَ عَنّي بِقُبحِ المَينِ فَاِنقَطَعا

واشينَ عَنّي بِقُبحِ المَينِ فَاِنقَطَعا

Into my good opinion of you crept the tongues of the

The tongues of slanderers have crept into my good opinion of you

Slanderers, with foul lies about me, and so that trust was broken.

To defame me with the ugliness of disgrace, and so have been cut off.

وَما شَفى كَبِدي مِمّا أُكابِدُهُ

وَما شَفى كَبِدي مِمّا أُكابِدُهُ

إِلّا البَشيرُ بِبَدرِ الدينِ إِذ طَلَعا

إِلّا البَشيرُ بِبَدرِ الدينِ إِذ طَلَعا

And nothing healed my liver of what I endure

And nothing has healed my liver from what I suffer

Except the bearer of glad tidings of Badr al-Din, when he rose.

Except the good tidings when the full moon of the faith arose.

فَأَوضَحَ الأنس إيضاحاً لَهُ جُمَلٌ

فَأَوضَحَ الأنس إيضاحاً لَهُ جُمَلٌ

مُفَصَّلاتٌ تَلَت مِن نَشرِهِ لُمَعا

مُفَصَّلاتٌ تَلَت مِن نَشرِهِ لُمَعا

So he made joy manifest in an account whose passages,

So he made the intimacy clear in a way that brilliant,

Set out in detail, recited gleams of his renown.

Articulated lines followed, gleaming in its diffusion.

ابنُ المُبارَكِ ما زالَت مُبارَكَةً

ابنُ المُبارَكِ ما زالَت مُبارَكَةً

في الدَّهرِ طَلعَتُهُ إِن سارَ أَو رَبَعا

في الدَّهرِ طَلعَتُهُ إِن سارَ أَو رَبَعا

Ibn al-Mubarak—ever blessed has been

Son of Mubārak, his being blessed

His countenance throughout time, whether he journeys or stays.

In time has never ceased, whether he traveled or settled down.

ما قادَهُ طَبَعٌ يَوماً إِلى طَمَعٍ

ما قادَهُ طَبَعٌ يَوماً إِلى طَمَعٍ

وَلا رَعى الناسَ إِلّا اِستَشعَرَ الوَرَعا

وَلا رَعى الناسَ إِلّا اِستَشعَرَ الوَرَعا

No natural inclination ever led him toward greed,

No natural inclination ever led him one day into greed,

Nor did he tend the people without inwardly embracing piety.

And he never pastured the people, unless he felt religious scruples.

مَودودُ ما زلتَ مَودودَ المَآثِرِ في ال

مَودودُ ما زلتَ مَودودَ المَآثِرِ في ال

أَنامِ لَم تَألُ بِالعَلياءِ مُضطَلِعا

أَنامِ لَم تَألُ بِالعَلياءِ مُضطَلِعا

Mawdud, you have ever been beloved for your noble deeds among the

Wadūd, you have never ceased being endowed with glorious qualities among men.

People, never faltering as you shoulder greatness.

You did not aspire to high office, bearing its burdens.

فَكُلُّ مُفتَرِقٍ في الناسِ مِن شِيَمٍ

فَكُلُّ مُفتَرِقٍ في الناسِ مِن شِيَمٍ

حَميدَةِ الذِّكرِ أَضحى فيكَ مُجتَمِعا

حَميدَةِ الذِّكرِ أَضحى فيكَ مُجتَمِعا

Thus all the virtues scattered among people,

So every fine point of character, which people

Praiseworthy in repute, have now come together in you.

Exhibit, has been united and focused in you.

إِنَّ المُلوكَ تَرى أَنَّ الَّذي مَلَكوا

إِنَّ المُلوكَ تَرى أَنَّ الَّذي مَلَكوا

مِن دونِ قَدرِكَ يا مَن قَدرُهُ اِرتَفَعا

مِن دونِ قَدرِكَ يا مَن قَدرُهُ اِرتَفَعا

Indeed, kings see that what they possess

Kings see that whatever they possess in power,

Is beneath your worth, O you whose worth has risen high.

Apart from your destiny, O you whose worth is sublime,

قالوا وَهَل تُمطِرُ الأَرضُ السَماءَ فَطِب

قالوا وَهَل تُمطِرُ الأَرضُ السَماءَ فَطِب

نَفساً وَكُن بِالَّذي أوتيتَ مُقتَنِعا

نَفساً وَكُن بِالَّذي أوتيتَ مُقتَنِعا

They said: can the earth rain upon the sky? So be glad

They said, “Does the earth rain down the sky?” So be content,

At heart, and be content with what you have been given.

O soul, with what you are given and be satisfied.

وَاِبنِ المَساجِدَ بِالجِدِّ الَّذي ضمِنَت

وَاِبنِ المَساجِدَ بِالجِدِّ الَّذي ضمِنَت

لَكَ المَساعي بِهِ أَن تَهدِمَ البِيَعا

لَكَ المَساعي بِهِ أَن تَهدِمَ البِيَعا

And build mosques with the diligence through which it was guaranteed

Build mosques assiduously, as you are guaranteed

To you, by your endeavors, that you would demolish churches.

By your efforts to demolish churches through the One with no partners.

فَأَنتَ تولي وَلا تولى الأَياديَ إِل

فَأَنتَ تولي وَلا تولى الأَياديَ إِل

لا مِن إِلَهَكَ فَاِشكُرهُ لِما اِصطَنَعا

لا مِن إِلَهَكَ فَاِشكُرهُ لِما اِصطَنَعا

For you bestow favors and receive them only

You assume authority, but hands do not support you

From your God; so thank Him for what He has bestowed.

Except those of your God, so thank Him for what He has wrought!

يَكفيكَ أَن اِبنَ أَيّوبَ الصَلاحَ رَأى

يَكفيكَ أَن اِبنَ أَيّوبَ الصَلاحَ رَأى

الصَلاحَ في أَنَّهُ وَلاكَ فَاِنتَفَعا

الصَلاحَ في أَنَّهُ وَلاكَ فَاِنتَفَعا

It suffices you that Ibn Ayyub, al-Salah, saw

It suffices you that the son of Job saw

Good in appointing you, and so benefited.

Righteousness in appointing you, so benefit from it!

لا خابَ يَوماً دُعائي لِلأَميرِ بِمَن

لا خابَ يَوماً دُعائي لِلأَميرِ بِمَن

مَن لا يُخَيِّبُ مُضطَّراً إِلَيهِ دَعا

مَن لا يُخَيِّبُ مُضطَّراً إِلَيهِ دَعا

May my prayer for the emir never fail, by the grace of

Never has my prayer failed for the Commander, with Him

Him who never disappoints one in distress who calls upon Him.

Who never disappoints one who appeals to Him.