يا ديار الانس من وادي الطرب

يا ديار الانس من وادي الطرب

هاج لي منك صبا شوق وهب

هاج لي منك صبا شوق وهب

O abodes of delight in the valley of rapture,

O abodes of fellowship in the valley of rapture!

From you a zephyr of longing stirred within me and blew;

A zephyr of longing stirred from you and blew upon me.

وروى عرفك أخبار اللقا

وروى عرفك أخبار اللقا

راويا حر فؤادي الملتهب

راويا حر فؤادي الملتهب

Your fragrance told the tidings of reunion,

And your fragrance recounted tidings of reunion,

Recounting the ardor of my blazing heart.

Quenching the heat of my blazing heart.

فتذكرت أو يقاتا مضت

فتذكرت أو يقاتا مضت

ولويلات بها نلنا الأرب

ولويلات بها نلنا الأرب

Then I remembered times gone by,

So I remembered brief moments gone by,

And sweet little nights in which we attained our desire,

And little nights when we attained our desire,

وحبيبا زارني مستترا

وحبيبا زارني مستترا

بدجى الشعر يراعي من رقب

بدجى الشعر يراعي من رقب

And a beloved who visited me in secret,

And a beloved who visited me concealed

Veiled in the darkness of his hair, wary of any watcher.

In the darkness of his hair, wary of whoever watched.

ان رآه الغصن يصبو مائلا

ان رآه الغصن يصبو مائلا

أو رآه البدر يوما لاحتجب

أو رآه البدر يوما لاحتجب

Had the branch seen him, it would have yearned and bent;

If a bough saw him, it would lean in longing;

Or had the full moon seen him one day, it would have veiled itself.

Or if the full moon ever saw him, it would hide.

قمر فيه فؤادي مقمر

قمر فيه فؤادي مقمر

وهو لاه لا يراعي مكتئب

وهو لاه لا يراعي مكتئب

A moon through whom my heart shines radiant,

A moon through whom my heart is moonlit,

Yet heedless, he shows no concern for one sorrow-stricken—

Yet he is carefree, heedless of one who grieves.

فاتك الألحاظ معسول اللمى

فاتك الألحاظ معسول اللمى

لؤلوئيّ الثغر برّاق الشنب

لؤلوئيّ الثغر برّاق الشنب

Deadly in his glances, honey-sweet and dark-lipped,

Deadly of glance, with honeyed, dusky lips,

Pearly-mouthed, with gleaming, fresh-bright teeth.

His mouth pearl-like, his teeth gleaming white.

فعلت مقلته في كبدي

فعلت مقلته في كبدي

فوق ما تفعله سمر العطب

فوق ما تفعله سمر العطب

His eye has wrought upon my inmost heart

His eye did to my liver

More than death-dealing brown spears ever could.

More than tawny, death-dealing spears could do.

قد روى الخمري عن مبسمه

قد روى الخمري عن مبسمه

أنه درّ وشهد وحبب

أنه درّ وشهد وحبب

The wine-lover has said of his smiling mouth

The wine-red one (al-Khamri) told of his smiling mouth,

That it is pearls, honey, and wine-bubbles;

That it is pearls, honey, and bubbles.

وروى الدري عن ريقته

وروى الدري عن ريقته

أنها برء لصبّ ذي وصب

أنها برء لصبّ ذي وصب

And the radiant one has said of his saliva

And the pearl-bright one (al-Durri) told of his saliva,

That it is a cure for a passionate lover stricken with pain.

That it is a cure for a lovesick lover beset by illness.

رشأ فيه غرامي عجب

رشأ فيه غرامي عجب

وهو لا ينفك من قيد العجب

وهو لا ينفك من قيد العجب

A fawn—my passion for him is a wonder—

A gazelle-fawn—my passion for him is a marvel,

Who never slips free of the fetter of conceit.

Yet he never escapes the fetters of conceit.

لاحظت لحظاه لبي تلفا

لاحظت لحظاه لبي تلفا

ورمى بالوجد قلبي فالتهب

ورمى بالوجد قلبي فالتهب

His glances marked my reason for ruin,

His two glances eyed my reason to its ruin,

And shot longing into my heart, so it caught fire.

And he struck my heart with longing, so it blazed.

سلب الألباب لما ان دنا

سلب الألباب لما ان دنا

ليته أوجب لما ان سلب

ليته أوجب لما ان سلب

He stole every heart when he drew near—

He stole minds the moment he drew near;

If only, when he robbed, he had incurred restitution!

Would that he had given assent when he stole!

وعلى منبر خديه استوى

وعلى منبر خديه استوى

خاله الزنجي بالحسن خطب

خاله الزنجي بالحسن خطب

Upon the pulpit of his cheeks arose

And upon the pulpit of his cheeks took its place

His Zanj-black mole, preaching eloquently of beauty.

His Zanj-black mole, preaching of beauty.

نصبت أجفانه لي شركا

نصبت أجفانه لي شركا

ونصيبي منه كدٌّ ونصب

ونصيبي منه كدٌّ ونصب

His eyelids set a snare for me,

His eyelids set a snare for me,

And all my portion from him is toil and weariness.

And my lot from it is toil and weariness.

الهبت كاس الطلا وجناته

الهبت كاس الطلا وجناته

وعجيبي من لهيب في رُطب

وعجيبي من لهيب في رُطب

The wine-cup set his cheeks ablaze,

The cup of wine set his cheeks aflame,

And I marvel at flame amid such dewy softness.

And I marvel at a flame in fresh dates.

ينسب الحسن إليه مثلما

ينسب الحسن إليه مثلما

كل فخر لابن ناصيف انتسب

كل فخر لابن ناصيف انتسب

Beauty traces its lineage to him, just as

Beauty is ascribed to him, just as

Every glory claims descent from Ibn Nasif.

Every glory traces its lineage to Ibn Nasif.

وهمام ذو اياد خلتها

وهمام ذو اياد خلتها

فيض بحر او سحابا قد سكب

فيض بحر او سحابا قد سكب

A magnanimous lord, possessed of favors I imagined

And a noble man whose favors I deemed

To be a sea’s overflow, or a cloud that had poured forth.

An ocean's flood, or clouds that had poured down.

قربت منه المعالي عندما

قربت منه المعالي عندما

كل فضل دان منه واقترب

كل فضل دان منه واقترب

Lofty honors drew near to him whenever

High honors drew near him when

Every virtue bent toward him and approached.

Every virtue came near him and approached.

وسما بالبذل كفّا حيثما

وسما بالبذل كفّا حيثما

قد سما بالمجد في أعلى الرتب

قد سما بالمجد في أعلى الرتب

His hand rose in generous giving wherever

And his hand soared in giving, wherever

Through glory he attained the highest ranks.

He rose in glory among the highest ranks.

قسور ان لاح يوما للعدى

قسور ان لاح يوما للعدى

حققوا الذلّ وفازوا بالهرب

حققوا الذلّ وفازوا بالهرب

A lion: should he appear before his foes one day,

A lion—if ever he appeared to his foes,

They accept humiliation and seek safety in flight.

They knew humiliation was certain and succeeded in escaping.

فيميس اللدن شوقا طربا

فيميس اللدن شوقا طربا

في يديه وله العضب احتسب

في يديه وله العضب احتسب

Then the supple spear sways, yearning and exultant,

So the supple spear sways in longing and rapture

In his hands, while wrath is reckoned his.

In his hands, and the keen sword is reckoned his.

يا رعى اللَه ديارا حلها

يا رعى اللَه ديارا حلها

منتهى الآمال فيها والطلب

منتهى الآمال فيها والطلب

O may God preserve the abodes where he dwelt,

O, may God guard the dwellings he inhabited,

Where hopes and aspirations attain their utmost end—

Where hopes and petitions find their utmost fulfillment.

ماجد لا الطل يحكي وبله

ماجد لا الطل يحكي وبله

لا ولا الوبل يحاكي ما وهب

لا ولا الوبل يحاكي ما وهب

A noble one: not even gentle rain can mimic his downpour,

A noble man—no drizzle can match his downpour,

Nor can the downpour rival what he has bestowed.

No, nor can a downpour equal what he bestowed.

حلّ في روض العلا مكتسبا

حلّ في روض العلا مكتسبا

كل فخر وثناء يكتسب

كل فخر وثناء يكتسب

He alighted in the meadow of glory, acquiring

He dwelt in the garden of eminence, gaining

Every honor and praise that may be acquired.

Every glory and praise that can be earned.

وبدا في الافق بدرا طالعا

وبدا في الافق بدرا طالعا

فتسامى العز فيه وانتشب

فتسامى العز فيه وانتشب

He appeared on the horizon like a rising full moon,

And appeared on the horizon as a rising full moon,

And glory rose high in him and took firm root:

So glory soared within him and took firm hold.

كوكب من آل ناصيف له

كوكب من آل ناصيف له

نسبة غراء في أبهى نسب

نسبة غراء في أبهى نسب

A star of the House of Nasif, possessing

A star of the house of Nasif, with

An illustrious kinship within the most splendid lineage.

Radiant descent within the most splendid lineage.

ساد مجدا وعلا قدرا كما

ساد مجدا وعلا قدرا كما

في حماه علم العز انتصب

في حماه علم العز انتصب

He attained mastery in glory and rose in rank, just as

He excelled in glory and rose in stature, just as

Within his domain the banner of honor stood erect.

In his domain the banner of glory stood tall.

يا حمى اللَه ثنيات الحمى

يا حمى اللَه ثنيات الحمى

وحماك الله يا روض الأدب

وحماك الله يا روض الأدب

O may God guard the passes of the beloved homeland,

O, may God guard the passes of the domain,

And may God guard you, O garden of letters.

And may God guard you, O garden of letters!

هاكها يا ذا المعالي والندى

هاكها يا ذا المعالي والندى

بنت فكر من ربيبات العرب

بنت فكر من ربيبات العرب

Take it, O lord of lofty virtues and generosity:

Take her, O man of lofty honors and bounty—

A daughter of thought, one of Arabia’s nurtured daughters.

A daughter of thought, among the Arabs' foster-daughters.

قد حباها المجد فيكم شغفا

قد حباها المجد فيكم شغفا

فاتت تسري لديكم في خبب

فاتت تسري لديكم في خبب

Glory has endowed her with ardor for you,

Glory has endowed her with ardent love for you,

So she came journeying by night to you at a quickened trot,

So she came, journeying to you by night at a trot.

ذات مدح في ثناء صدحت

ذات مدح في ثناء صدحت

يا ديار الانس من وادي الطرب

يا ديار الانس من وادي الطرب

Bearing praise and singing aloud in laudation—

Full of praise, she sang out in acclaim:

O abodes of delight in the valley of rapture!

O abodes of fellowship in the valley of rapture!