طابَhas become delightful الغبوقُthe evening drink فهاتِهاso bring it ياO ساقيcupbearer
طابَ الغبوقُ فهاتِها يا ساقي
تحكيresembles شعاعَthe ray of الشمسِthe sun بالإِشراقِin brilliance
تحكي شعاعَ الشمسِ بالإِشراقِ
The evening draught is sweet; bring it, O cupbearer.
The goblet gleams, so bring it here, cupbearer,
It mirrors the sun's ray in its brilliance.
Relating the radiance of sunrise at daybreak.
جذلىjoyful تخفُّhastens إلىto الكؤوسِthe cups نشيطةًenergetically
جذلى تخفُّ إلى الكؤوسِ نشيطةً
فعلthe action of الأَسيرِthe captive يفوزُwins بالاعتاقِwith release
فعل الأَسيرِ يفوزُ بالاعتاقِ
Joyful and lively, it hastens to the cups,
My hands reach for it briskly and eagerly
As a captive does when he wins release.
As the act of a captive who gains his freedom.
ماscarcely توشكُare about to الأَفواهُthe mouths تحجبُconceal ضوءَهاits light
ما توشكُ الأَفواهُ تحجبُ ضوءَها
حتىuntil يبينappears سناهُits radiance فيin الأَحداقِthe pupils
حتى يبين سناهُ في الأَحداقِ
Scarcely do mouths begin to veil its light
The mouths have scarcely concealed their brilliance
Before its radiance appears in the eyes.
Before their teeth shine forth in smiles.
ياO للقويةِwhat a mighty one! وهيthough it is أَضعفthe frailest ماthat which يرىis seen
يا للقويةِ وهي أَضعف ما يرى
خلقاًin form يُريناshows us قدرةَthe power of الخلاقِthe Creator
خلقاً يُرينا قدرةَ الخلاقِ
How mighty it is, though the frailest thing seen
How weak is the strongest wine we see,
In form—it shows us the Creator's power.
A creation that shows the power of the Creator!
ماwhatever شئتِyou wish منof أموالناour wealth وجسومِناand our bodies
ما شئتِ من أموالنا وجسومِنا
إِلاexcept العلىhigh honor ومكارمَand noble qualities of الأَخلاقِcharacter
إِلا العلى ومكارمَ الأَخلاقِ
Take what you wish of our wealth and our bodies,
Take what you wish of our souls and bodies
Except our high honor and noble character.
Except for dignity and noble deeds.
إِنيindeed I لأَشربُهاsurely drink it علىin ذكرِremembrance of الذيthe one who
إِني لأَشربُها على ذكرِ الذي
أَحيىrevived البلادَthe land بجودهِthrough his generosity المغداقِlavish
أَحيى البلادَ بجودهِ المغداقِ
Indeed, I drink it as I recall the one
I drink it remembering him
Who revived the land with his lavish generosity.
Who revived the land with his copious generosity.
لمdid not يُصبنيtouch me وحديme alone هواهُlove for him بلrather أرىI see
لم يُصبني وحدي هواهُ بل أرى
كلَّall الكرامِthe noble-hearted لهfor him منamong العشاقِthe lovers
كلَّ الكرامِ له من العشاقِ
Love for him has not touched me alone; rather, I see
Not I alone am captive to his love; rather I see
All the noble-hearted among those who love him.
All the noble ones his passionate lovers.
لبنانُLebanon يقدِّرُهُesteems him ومصرُand Egypt تُجلُّهُreveres him
لبنانُ يقدِّرُهُ ومصرُ تُجلُّهُ
والشامُand al-Sham ترقبُawaits رِقبةَthe watchfulness of المشتاقِone who longs
والشامُ ترقبُ رِقبةَ المشتاقِ
Lebanon esteems him, and Egypt reveres him;
Lebanon appreciates him, Egypt esteems him,
And al-Sham waits with the watchfulness of one who longs.
And Syria awaits the return of the ardent lover.
زعمواthey alleged لهhe had فيin الحاكميةِrulership مأرباًan ambition
زعموا له في الحاكميةِ مأرباً
يبغيهhe seeks it بالزُلفىby courting favor وبالانفاقِand by spending
يبغيه بالزُلفى وبالانفاقِ
They alleged that he had an ambition to rule,
They claimed he had found favor and intimacy
Which he seeks through courting favor and spending.
In governance, which he seeks through courtesy and discretion.
ولتلكand that indeed وأَيمُand, by الحقِّthe Truth قولةُan utterance كاشحٍa spiteful foe
ولتلك وأَيمُ الحقِّ قولةُ كاشحٍ
كُسِيتwas clothed بنسجيin the twin fabrics of خِسَّةٍbaseness ونفاقand hypocrisy
كُسِيت بنسجي خِسَّةٍ ونفاق
And that, by the Truth, is indeed a spiteful foe's claim,
As for that, by the truth of the word of a truthful one, Kaashif,
Clothed in the twin fabrics of baseness and hypocrisy.
I am clothed in the meanness and hypocrisy I have woven.
هذاthis حديثُthe tale of نداهُhis bounty منsince عهدِthe days of الصباyouth
هذا حديثُ نداهُ من عهدِ الصبا
سالتflowed بهwith it الأَقلامُthe pens فيacross الأَوراقِthe pages
سالت به الأَقلامُ في الأَوراقِ
This is the tale of his bounty since his youth;
This is talk whose echo lingers from the days of youth,
Pens have flowed with it across the pages.
Penned by pens in pages.
ماnot غيرتaltered منهanything in him السنونُthe years بلrather أنهاthat they
ما غيرت منه السنونُ بل أنها
زادتهُincreased him إِشفاقاًin compassion علىupon إِشفاقِcompassion
زادتهُ إِشفاقاً على إِشفاقِ
The years have not altered him; rather, they
The years have not changed it; rather they
Have added compassion to his compassion.
Have increased it with more ardent longing.
فكأنهُso it is as though he والرزقُwhile sustenance قسمةُis the allotment of ربهِhis Lord
فكأنهُ والرزقُ قسمةُ ربهِ
وُكِلَتwas entrusted إِليهِto him كفالةُthe provision of الأَرزاقِlivelihoods
وُكِلَت إِليهِ كفالةُ الأَرزاقِ
So it is as though—sustenance being his Lord's allotment—
So it is as if he and sustenance were a gift of his Lord,
The provision of livelihoods had been entrusted to him.
And providing livelihoods was entrusted to him.
دارhouse of النجيبNajib سُقيتِmay you be watered غاديةَa morning cloud of الحياrain
دار النجيب سُقيتِ غاديةَ الحيا
ووقاكِand may he protect you منfrom لحظِthe gaze of المهيمنِthe All-Watchful واقِa guardian
ووقاكِ من لحظِ المهيمنِ واقِ
O house of Najib, may a morning raincloud water you,
O house of the noble one, blessed with the water of life,
And may a guardian from the All-Watchful's gaze protect you.
And protected from the glance of the Disposer!
العرسُthe wedding فيin ناديكyour assembly hall منبلجُshining forth السناradiance
العرسُ في ناديك منبلجُ السنا
زاهٍresplendent مثالَlike الكوكبِthe star البراقِthe glittering
زاهٍ مثالَ الكوكبِ البراقِ
The wedding in your hall shines in clear radiance,
The wedding in your club glistens, brilliant,
Resplendent like a glittering star.
An exemplar of the shining star.
عرسٌa wedding علىover الأسكندريَّةِAlexandria ضوؤُهُits light
عرسٌ على الأسكندريَّةِ ضوؤُهُ
وشعاعُهُand its radiance يمتدُّextends فيacross الآفاقِthe horizons
وشعاعُهُ يمتدُّ في الآفاقِ
A wedding whose light falls upon Alexandria,
A wedding whose light stretches across Alexandria,
And whose radiance stretches across the horizons.
Its rays extending into the horizons.
ياO ابنson of النجيبNajib ومنand whoever دعاكcalls upon you فإِنماthen only
يا ابن النجيب ومن دعاك فإِنما
يدعوcalls upon كريماًa generous man طيِّبَnoble in الأعراقِlineage
يدعو كريماً طيِّبَ الأعراقِ
O son of Najib, whoever calls upon you is but
O son of the noble one, he who calls you
Calling upon a generous man of noble lineage.
Calls one generous and purebred.
إِهنأrejoice بعرسِكَin your wedding واغتبِطand take delight بحليلةٍin a wife
إِهنأ بعرسِكَ واغتبِط بحليلةٍ
هيshe فيamong الحسانِbeautiful women أميرةُthe princess of الأَذواقِtastes
هي في الحسانِ أميرةُ الأَذواقِ
Rejoice in your wedding, and take delight in a wife
Congratulations on your wedding, and delight in a bride
Who, among beauties, is the princess of taste.
Who is foremost in beauty and refinement of taste.
هذاthis أَبوكَyour father أبوfather of المكارمِnoble deeds فاقتبسso draw inspiration
هذا أَبوكَ أبو المكارمِ فاقتبس
ماwhatever شئتyou wish منof أدبٍgood manners وخُلقand character راقِrefined
ما شئت من أدبٍ وخُلق راقِ
This is your father, father of noble deeds; so draw
Whatever manners and morals you wish.
Whatever you wish of good manners and refined character.
And follow his exemplary ways, that you may be like him,
وأنهجand follow مناهجَهُhis paths يكنwill be لكyours مثلهُlike his
وأنهج مناهجَهُ يكن لك مثلهُ
شرفٌhonor علىthrough مرِّthe passing of اللياليthe nights باقِenduring
شرفٌ على مرِّ الليالي باقِ
And follow his paths; yours, like his, will be
An enduring honor throughout the nights.
An honor enduring through the passing nights.
Or, among men, a son and father superior,
أَوor فيamong الرجالِmen ابناًas a son وأَفضلهمand the best of them أَباًas a father
أَو في الرجالِ ابناً وأَفضلهم أَباً
وأَعفهمand the chastest of them زوجاًas a husband علىin الإِطلاقِabsolute terms
وأَعفهم زوجاً على الإِطلاقِ
Or, among men, as a son—and their finest as a father,
And husband kindest and most chivalrous.
And their chastest as a husband, without exception.
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.