بهجةٌ في نضارةٍ في رواءِ

بهجةٌ في نضارةٍ في رواءِ

أعربت عن جمالِ هذا البناءِ

أعربت عن جمالِ هذا البناءِ

A delight, in its freshness and its splendor,

Splendor in freshness, in beauty,

has made manifest the beauty of this edifice.

proclaimed the beauty of this building.

حجرة لو رأيت فيها ذويها

حجرة لو رأيت فيها ذويها

لرأيتُ الرشيد في الزوراءِ

لرأيتُ الرشيد في الزوراءِ

A chamber—had you seen its people within,

A chamber—were I to see its occupants within it,

you would have beheld al-Rashid in al-Zawra.

I would see al-Rashid in al-Zawra.

كالفراديس كل ما يشتهيهِ

كالفراديس كل ما يشتهيهِ

في رباها وما يلذّ لرائي

في رباها وما يلذّ لرائي

Like Paradise: everything one could desire

Like paradises, all that he desires

is on its terraces, and all that delights the eye.

lies on its hills, with all that delights a beholder.

تتباهى بأنها قد أعدت

تتباهى بأنها قد أعدت

مغتذىً للرئيس والوجهاءِ

مغتذىً للرئيس والوجهاءِ

It proudly boasts that it has been prepared

It boasts that it has been prepared

as a morning gathering place for the chief and the notables.

as a dining place for the chief and the dignitaries.

فإذا أحدقوا حواليهِ فيها

فإذا أحدقوا حواليهِ فيها

خلْتهُ البدرَ في نجومِ السماءِ

خلْتهُ البدرَ في نجومِ السماءِ

And when they cluster around him there,

And when they gather all around him there,

you would take him for the full moon among the stars of heaven;

I would take him for the full moon among heaven’s stars.

أو كأن المسيح بين الحوار

أو كأن المسيح بين الحوار

يين حيَّاهُ ربهُ بالغَداءِ

يين حيَّاهُ ربهُ بالغَداءِ

or as though he were Christ among the disci—

Or as though the Messiah were among the disciples,

—ples, whom his Lord welcomed with the midday meal.

his Lord having greeted him with a midday meal.

سألوه عيداً لهم فأتتهم

سألوه عيداً لهم فأتتهم

من لدنْهِ موائدٌ في الهواءِ

من لدنْهِ موائدٌ في الهواءِ

They asked him for a feast day of their own, and there came to them

They asked him for a feast of their own, and there came to them

from His presence tables suspended in the air.

from His presence, laden tables in the air.

تتمنى الأفلاك لو أبدلتها

تتمنى الأفلاك لو أبدلتها

للدراري بالقبة الزرقاءِ

للدراري بالقبة الزرقاءِ

The celestial spheres wish it might be exchanged

The celestial spheres wish they could set this chamber

for the radiant stars in the azure dome.

in place of the azure dome for the brilliant stars.

والدراريُّ تبتغي أن تُدَلِّي

والدراريُّ تبتغي أن تُدَلِّي

في ذراها مصابحاً للضياءِ

في ذراها مصابحاً للضياءِ

And the radiant stars yearn to be lowered,

And the brilliant stars seek to hang

to hang in its heights as lamps of light;

lamps for illumination within its heights.

وتكون الأقمارُ خبزاً وتهوىَ

وتكون الأقمارُ خبزاً وتهوىَ

أن تكون الجوزاءُ دورق ماءِ

أن تكون الجوزاءُ دورق ماءِ

and that the moons might serve as baker, while they long

And the moons would become bread; and she longs—

for Orion to become a pitcher of water.

al-Jawza—to become a flask of water.

والثريا تود لو صيغ منها

والثريا تود لو صيغ منها

عنب للرئيس بعد الغِذاءِ

عنب للرئيس بعد الغِذاءِ

The Pleiades wish that from their stars might be fashioned

And the Pleiades wish that from them might be fashioned

grapes for the chief after the meal.

grapes for the chief after the meal.

حَمَلُ الأفقِ ودّ لو حملوه

حَمَلُ الأفقِ ودّ لو حملوه

في هلالِ فذاكَ خير إناءِ

في هلالِ فذاكَ خير إناءِ

The Ram of the horizon wished that they would carry it

The Ram of the horizon wished they would carry him

in a crescent—for that is the finest vessel.

in a crescent, for that is the finest vessel.

وبياض المجرّةِ ازدادَ شوقاً

وبياض المجرّةِ ازدادَ شوقاً

أن يُرى في الخوانِ مثل الغطاءِ

أن يُرى في الخوانِ مثل الغطاءِ

And the whiteness of the Milky Way grew still more eager

And the Milky Way’s whiteness grew in longing

to appear upon the dining board like a tablecloth.

to appear upon the dining table like a covering.

فكلوا واشربوا وقرّوا عيوناً

فكلوا واشربوا وقرّوا عيوناً

وأمرحوا وافرحوا بكل هناءِ

وأمرحوا وافرحوا بكل هناءِ

So eat and drink, and let your eyes be content;

So eat and drink, and let your eyes be gladdened;

make merry and rejoice in every delight.

and make merry, and rejoice in complete bliss.

واشرحوا صدركم وفيضوا سروراً

واشرحوا صدركم وفيضوا سروراً

بكريم باهي السنا والسناءِ

بكريم باهي السنا والسناءِ

Open wide your hearts and overflow with joy

Open your hearts and overflow with joy

for a noble man, resplendent in radiance and glory,

in a generous man, resplendent in radiance and eminence,

حلّ في كل مهجةٍ وتحلى

حلّ في كل مهجةٍ وتحلى

بمزايا تجلّ عن إحصاءِ

بمزايا تجلّ عن إحصاءِ

who dwells in every heart and is adorned

who has settled in every heart and adorned himself

with virtues too exalted to number.

with virtues too great to number.