لاح في مهد المعالي والسنا

لاح في مهد المعالي والسنا

نجم سعد فاهتدينا بالسنا

نجم سعد فاهتدينا بالسنا

In the cradle of high honors and radiance there shone

A star shone in the cradle of glory and splendor,

a star of good fortune, and by its radiance we found our way.

The star of Saad guided us with splendor.

وأدار الحبّ فيما بيننا

وأدار الحبّ فيما بيننا

من طلى عذب اللمى كاس الهنا

من طلى عذب اللمى كاس الهنا

And love passed around among us

And love circulated between us,

a cup of bliss, with wine from sweet, dusky lips.

He who tasted the sweet union, the cup of delight.

يا ابن ودي عج بنا نحو الصفا

يا ابن ودي عج بنا نحو الصفا

نرتشف راح التهاني والصفا

نرتشف راح التهاني والصفا

O son of my affection, turn with us toward serenity,

O son of Wadi, hurry towards us to purity,

that we may sip the wine of congratulations and serenity,

We sip the comfort of congratulations and purity,

مع أحبابٍ لهم حسن الوفا

مع أحبابٍ لهم حسن الوفا

بعدهم ذاب فؤادي شجنا

بعدهم ذاب فؤادي شجنا

with dear friends of beautiful fidelity.

With loved ones of loyal devotion,

In their absence my heart melted with sorrow.

After them, my heart melted with yearning.

يا نيسماً في وادي الجنان

يا نيسماً في وادي الجنان

فاسترقّ الروح منا والجنان

فاسترقّ الروح منا والجنان

O breeze in the valley of gardens,

O breeze in the valley of heavens,

that took our soul and heart captive,

Steal the soul from us and the heavens.

هل تلاعبت بأصداغ الحسان

هل تلاعبت بأصداغ الحسان

إن هذا طيبها فاح لنا

إن هذا طيبها فاح لنا

have you played about the beauties’ temples?

Did you toy with the cheeks of the beautiful ones?

Indeed, this is their fragrance, wafting to us.

This is their perfume that wafted to us.

آه وشوقي إلى دار الصبا

آه وشوقي إلى دار الصبا

جادها الغيث وحياها الصبا

جادها الغيث وحياها الصبا

Ah, my longing for the home of youth!

Oh, my longing for the home of youth,

May rain shower it generously, and the east wind greet it.

Watered by rain and enlivened by youth,

وبذاك الحي من غرب الربى

وبذاك الحي من غرب الربى

ظبيةٌ قد حرمتني الوسنا

ظبيةٌ قد حرمتني الوسنا

And in that encampment, on the hills’ western side,

And in that neighborhood west of the dunes,

is a gazelle who has deprived me of sleep.

A gazelle who deprived me of intimacy.

غادةٌ همت بها والجفن صب

غادةٌ همت بها والجفن صب

وهي لم ترحم أخا وجدٍ وصب

وهي لم ترحم أخا وجدٍ وصب

A tender maiden I am mad for, my eyelid streaming tears,

Ghadah, I desired her while my eyelids shed tears,

yet she showed no mercy to one afflicted with longing and pain.

And she did not have mercy on a loving and tearful brother,

قد رماني من هواها في لهب

قد رماني من هواها في لهب

لحظها السحار لما أن رنا

لحظها السحار لما أن رنا

It has cast me, through love of her, into flame—

She threw me from her love into flames

her bewitching glance, when it gazed.

When her enchanting glance glanced at me.

كم غزت يا صاح أسداً وظبا

كم غزت يا صاح أسداً وظبا

إذ نضت أجفانها بيض الظبا

إذ نضت أجفانها بيض الظبا

How many lions and gazelles she has assailed, O friend,

How many lions and gazelles she hunted, O Saah,

when her eyelids unsheathed gleaming white blades!

When she blinked her gazelles’ eyes.

ولديها أن شكوت الوصبا

ولديها أن شكوت الوصبا

رنحت عجباً من القد القنا

رنحت عجباً من القد القنا

And before her, if I complained of suffering,

It’s her right if I complained of passion,

she proudly set the spear shafts swaying with her stature.

I was astonished by her delicate stature.

أحرقت بالوجد قلباً كان خال

أحرقت بالوجد قلباً كان خال

إذ نضت أجفانها بيض الظبا

إذ نضت أجفانها بيض الظبا

She burned with longing a heart once free of love,

She burned a heart that was free

when her eyelids unsheathed gleaming white blades.

When she blinked her gazelles’ eyes.

لا تلمها ما على أهل الجمال

لا تلمها ما على أهل الجمال

حرجٌ فيما رأوه حسنا

حرجٌ فيما رأوه حسنا

Do not blame her; the beautiful incur no

Do not blame her, it is the way of the beautiful,

blame for what they deem good.

No shame in what they see as beautiful.

فادر لي ذكرها واملا القدح

فادر لي ذكرها واملا القدح

أن زند الشوق في الاحشا قدح

أن زند الشوق في الاحشا قدح

So pass around her remembrance for me, and fill the goblet,

Pour me her memory and fill the cup,

for longing’s firestick has struck sparks in my depths.

That longing may grow in desolation, the cup,

وحديث الحب بالأسناد صح

وحديث الحب بالأسناد صح

ان من يعشق فلا يشكو الضنا

ان من يعشق فلا يشكو الضنا

And love’s saying is sound by its chain of transmission:

And the talk of love with proven chains

that whoever loves does not complain of wasting sickness.

Whoever loves cannot complain of stinginess.

أتراها ذكرت عهد الهوى

أتراها ذكرت عهد الهوى

حينما الجيد على الجيد هوى

حينما الجيد على الجيد هوى

Has she, I wonder, remembered the pledge of love,

Do you think she recalled the days of love,

when neck fell upon neck?

When the neck fell on the neck?

وبروحي قولها يوم النوى

وبروحي قولها يوم النوى

يا حبيبي مثلما أنت أنا

يا حبيبي مثلما أنت أنا

And my soul be ransom for her words on the day of parting:

By my soul, her words the day of intimacy,

“O my beloved, as you are, so am I.”

“My beloved, just as you are, so am I.”

ذكر هاتيك الليالي الماضيه

ذكر هاتيك الليالي الماضيه

في فؤادي كسيوفٍ ماضيه

في فؤادي كسيوفٍ ماضيه

The memory of those bygone nights

The memory of those bygone nights

is like keen-edged swords in my heart.

Like unsheathed swords in my heart,

هل على العهد تراها باقيه

هل على العهد تراها باقيه

بعدنا أم هل أضاعت عهدنا

بعدنا أم هل أضاعت عهدنا

Does she, I wonder, still keep the pledge

Does she still uphold that vow between us,

after our departure, or has she forsaken our pledge?

Or has she lost our bond?

يا لخودٍ ترتعي القلب الكريم

يا لخودٍ ترتعي القلب الكريم

وأذلت بالهوى كل كريم

وأذلت بالهوى كل كريم

Ah, what a tender maiden, grazing upon the noble heart,

Oh cheek that grazes the generous heart,

and humbling every noble man through love!

And has humbled with love every generous one.

وقد اعتزّ بها الحسن الوسيم

وقد اعتزّ بها الحسن الوسيم

كاعتزاز الدهر في رب الثنا

كاعتزاز الدهر في رب الثنا

And comely beauty has gained glory through her,

The beautiful one was proud of it,

as the age glories in the lord of praise:

Like the pride of eternity in the Lord of glory.

البشير المرتضى السامي على

البشير المرتضى السامي على

كل ذي فضلٍ وعزٍّ وعلى

كل ذي فضلٍ وعزٍّ وعلى

Bashir, the chosen one, exalted above

Al-Bashir Al-Murtada Al-Sami Ali

all who possess merit, might, and eminence.

Every man of merit, honor, and height

سيد قلد أجياد الملا

سيد قلد أجياد الملا

والمعالي من نداه مننا

والمعالي من نداه مننا

A lord who has garlanded the necks of the people

The master who commanded the brave ones,

and of high honors with favors from his bounty.

And the glories from his light we sought.

ماجد أصبح بالجود علم

ماجد أصبح بالجود علم

مشرقاً كالبدر في راس علم

مشرقاً كالبدر في راس علم

A noble man who became a banner through generosity,

Majid became through his generosity a shining

shining like the full moon at a mountain’s summit,

Star at the top of the banner,

وشهاباً تستضي أهل الهمم

وشهاباً تستضي أهل الهمم

بسناه من تناءى ودنا

بسناه من تناءى ودنا

and a meteor, the high-spirited taking their light

And a flame that guides the ambitious

from his radiance, both the far-off and the near.

With his brilliance from afar we leaned.

كم خميس في الوغى اضحى خليل

كم خميس في الوغى اضحى خليل

من رديني نجله المولى الخليل

من رديني نجله المولى الخليل

How many an army in battle has been pierced through

How many a companion in the fray became a friend

by the Rudaynian spear of his son, Lord Khalil!

When his son, the heir of the Master Khalil returned me.

يا لهُ من جهبذٍ نعم النبيل

يا لهُ من جهبذٍ نعم النبيل

عن ثنا أخذ المعالي ما انثنى

عن ثنا أخذ المعالي ما انثنى

What a discerning master he is, an excellent nobleman!

What a formidable and noble gentleman!

He never turned aside from praise earned by winning high honors.

Of our praise he carried the glories without bending.

ذو أيادٍ أمطرت سحب الندى

ذو أيادٍ أمطرت سحب الندى

كدم الأعداءِ في يوم الندا

كدم الأعداءِ في يوم الندا

A man whose generous hands have made clouds of bounty rain,

Of generous hands that poured the clouds of dew

like the enemies’ blood on the day of the battle cry.

Like the blood of enemies on the day of dispute

كم وحى قرماً واردى أسدا

كم وحى قرماً واردى أسدا

وكسى الفرسان أثواب العنا

وكسى الفرسان أثواب العنا

How many champions he slew, and lions he laid low,

How many spears he broke and felled lions

and clothed horsemen in the garments of suffering!

And clothed the horsemen in robes of glory.

حاز رشداً وذكاءً

حاز رشداً وذكاءً

فسما وحكى في مجده بدر السما

فسما وحكى في مجده بدر السما

He acquired sound judgment and intelligence,

He attained righteousness and intellect,

so he rose high and in his glory resembled heaven’s full moon,

Thus he ascended and narrated his glory, the full moon in the sky

وعلى كل فخارٍ حكما

وعلى كل فخارٍ حكما

وإلى غير الثنا ما ركنا

وإلى غير الثنا ما ركنا

and held sway over every glory,

And judged over every pride,

and never inclined toward anything but praise.

While to other than praise we did not incline.

تتهنى يا كريماً جدُّهُ

تتهنى يا كريماً جدُّهُ

بغلامٍ قد تسامى جدّهُ

بغلامٍ قد تسامى جدّهُ

May you rejoice, O you whose grandfather is noble,

You are congratulated, O Bountiful, his grandfather,

in a boy whose fortune has risen high.

With a lad who towered over his grandfather

قمرٌ تخت المعالي مهدهُ

قمرٌ تخت المعالي مهدهُ

بسرورٍ وسعودٍ حُضنا

بسرورٍ وسعودٍ حُضنا

A moon whose cradle is the throne of high honors,

A moon whose cradle the glories prepared

cradled in joy and good fortune.

With joy and prosperity we hugged.

جاده بالعز مولاه المجيد

جاده بالعز مولاه المجيد

لتراه نعم مسعوداً مجيد

لتراه نعم مسعوداً مجيد

May his glorious Lord lavish honor upon him,

His magnificent Lord endowed him with glory

so you may see him—excellent, fortunate, and glorious!

To make him prosperous and lauded.

دام محموداً لديكم وسعيد

دام محموداً لديكم وسعيد

كوكباً من نورهِ تزهو الدنى

كوكباً من نورهِ تزهو الدنى

May he remain praised and happy among you,

May he remain praiseworthy to you and joyful,

a star whose light makes the worlds shine.

A celestial star whose light illuminates the world.

مدَّهُ اللَه بعمرٍ جاد له

مدَّهُ اللَه بعمرٍ جاد له

فاتكاً في كل خصم جادله

فاتكاً في كل خصم جادله

May God sustain him with a life generously bestowed on him,

May God extend his life which flows to him,

deadly against every opponent who disputes with him,

Victorious in every adversary who disputed him,

ذا يمينٍ بنوالٍ كافله

ذا يمينٍ بنوالٍ كافله

خلقت كي تمنح الناس الغنى

خلقت كي تمنح الناس الغنى

with a right hand pledged to bounty,

Of helping hand and provision that sustained him

created to grant people wealth.

Created to bestow riches upon people.

يا هماماً سد بما وشحته

يا هماماً سد بما وشحته

من نظامٍ بالهنا وشحته

من نظامٍ بالهنا وشحته

O high-hearted lord, be foremost through what I have adorned,

O you who are regarded, close with what you adorned,

of verse that I have garlanded with gladness;

Of system in our delight you adorned,

وبمولودٍ لقد أرخته

وبمولودٍ لقد أرخته

دام مسعوداً بحظ ومنا

دام مسعوداً بحظ ومنا

and for a newborn I have indeed dated it:

With a newborn you recorded,

“May he remain fortunate, with luck and fulfilled hopes.”

May he remain prosperous, in fortune and from us.