طَيفٌ أَلَمَّ قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ وَاِنصَرَفا

طَيفٌ أَلَمَّ قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ وَاِنصَرَفا

فَكِدتُ أَقضي عَلى فَقدي لَهُ أَسَفا

فَكِدتُ أَقضي عَلى فَقدي لَهُ أَسَفا

A phantom visited just before dawn, then departed.

An apparition pained me just before dawn then left

So I almost died of grief at losing it.

I almost succumbed to grief over losing it

وافى فَما شَكَّ صَحبِي أَنَّهُ فَلَقٌ

وافى فَما شَكَّ صَحبِي أَنَّهُ فَلَقٌ

مِنَ الصَباحِ وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ ما اِنتَصَفا

مِنَ الصَباحِ وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ ما اِنتَصَفا

It came, and my companions never doubted it was the first light

It returned, leaving no doubt for my companion that it

Of morning, though the night was not yet halfway spent.

Was a creature of the morning, when night's wings had folded

وَزارَني وَالدُجى سُودٌ ذَوائِبُهُ

وَزارَني وَالدُجى سُودٌ ذَوائِبُهُ

فَشَتَّتَ اللَيلَ حَتّى رَدَّهُ نَصَفا

فَشَتَّتَ اللَيلَ حَتّى رَدَّهُ نَصَفا

And it visited me while darkness's tresses were black;

It visited me while the darkness, its tresses disheveled

So it scattered the night until it left it middle-aged.

Scattered the night until it split it in half

أَهلاً بِهِ مِن خَيالٍ هاجَ لي شَجَناً

أَهلاً بِهِ مِن خَيالٍ هاجَ لي شَجَناً

عَلى النَوى وَأَعادَ الوَجدَ وَالكَلفا

عَلى النَوى وَأَعادَ الوَجدَ وَالكَلفا

Welcome to this apparition, which stirred sorrow in me

Greetings to it, an apparition that stirred in me passion

Over separation, and rekindled longing and ardent love.

For the beloved, and revived rapture and fervor

يا طَيفُ قَد كانَ مِن حُبّي لَكُم شَغَفٌ

يا طَيفُ قَد كانَ مِن حُبّي لَكُم شَغَفٌ

وَزِدتَني أَنتَ لَمّا زُرتَني شَغَفا

وَزِدتَني أَنتَ لَمّا زُرتَني شَغَفا

O phantom, there was already passion in my love for you;

O apparition, my love for you was ardent

And you yourself increased my passion when you visited me.

And when you visited, you increased my passion

ما كانَ أَحسَنَ دَهري قَبل نَأيِكُمُ

ما كانَ أَحسَنَ دَهري قَبل نَأيِكُمُ

لَو دامَ لي ذَلِكَ الدَهرُ الَّذي سَلَفا

لَو دامَ لي ذَلِكَ الدَهرُ الَّذي سَلَفا

How beautiful my days were before your departure!

My life was not good before you left

If only those bygone days had lasted for me!

If only that past time had lasted

ظُنُّوا جَميلاً فَإِنّي مُذ عَدِمتُكُمُ

ظُنُّوا جَميلاً فَإِنّي مُذ عَدِمتُكُمُ

ما اعتَضتُ لا عِوَضاً عَنكُم وَلا خَلَفا

ما اعتَضتُ لا عِوَضاً عَنكُم وَلا خَلَفا

Think well of me, for since I lost you,

They thought it beautiful, but since you vanished

I have accepted neither a substitute for you nor a successor,

I have found no substitute nor replacement for you

إِلّا المُعِزَّ الَّذي لَولا نَدى يَدِهِ

إِلّا المُعِزَّ الَّذي لَولا نَدى يَدِهِ

لَم أَلقَ لي عَن صُروفِ الدَهرِ مُنصَرَفا

لَم أَلقَ لي عَن صُروفِ الدَهرِ مُنصَرَفا

Except al-Muʿizz, without whose hand's bounty

Except the Helper, who had it not been for the aid of His hand

I would have found no escape from the reversals of fate.

I would have found no respite from the turns of fate

قَد كُنتُ مِن صَرفِ دَهري غَيرَ مُنتَصِفٍ

قَد كُنتُ مِن صَرفِ دَهري غَيرَ مُنتَصِفٍ

وَاليَومَ عُدتُ بِلُطفِ اللَهِ مُنتَصِفا

وَاليَومَ عُدتُ بِلُطفِ اللَهِ مُنتَصِفا

I had gained no redress against the reversals of my fate;

I had been powerless against the whims of fate

And today, by God's grace, I have gained redress.

And today, by God's grace, I have regained my strength

روحي وَما مَلَكَت كَفِّي فِدى مَلِكٍ

روحي وَما مَلَكَت كَفِّي فِدى مَلِكٍ

سَمحٍ إِذا وَعَدَ الوَعدَ الجَميلَ وَفا

سَمحٍ إِذا وَعَدَ الوَعدَ الجَميلَ وَفا

My soul and all my hand possesses are a ransom for a king,

My soul and all my hands possess are ransom for

Generous, who fulfills every noble promise he makes.

A clement king, true to his splendid promises

يُعاوِدُ الرُمحُ يَومَ الرَوعِ في يَدِهِ

يُعاوِدُ الرُمحُ يَومَ الرَوعِ في يَدِهِ

دالاً وَكانَ إِذا عايَنتَهُ أَلِفا

دالاً وَكانَ إِذا عايَنتَهُ أَلِفا

On the day of terror, the spear in his hand turns once more

The lance, when the horses bolt, steady in his hand

Into a dāl, though when you saw it, it was an alif.

Familiar, though when you look at it, strange

وَالخَيلُ تَبني مَحارِيباً حَوافِرُها

وَالخَيلُ تَبني مَحارِيباً حَوافِرُها

وَالبِيضُ تَنشُر مِن هامٍ بِها صُحُفا

وَالبِيضُ تَنشُر مِن هامٍ بِها صُحُفا

And the horses' hooves build prayer niches,

The horses' hooves erect tabernacles

And the gleaming swords unfold pages from the heads they strike.

And the white blades unfold upon the chargers, pages

زادَت كِلابٌ بِهِ فَخراً وَأَلبَسَها

زادَت كِلابٌ بِهِ فَخراً وَأَلبَسَها

طُولَ الزَمانِ مُعِزُّ الدَولَةِ الشَرَفا

طُولَ الزَمانِ مُعِزُّ الدَولَةِ الشَرَفا

Kilāb grew in pride through him, and was clothed

The dogs at his side boast long-held honor

In honor for all time by Muʿizz al-Dawla.

And the protector of the state clothes them in nobility

يا سَيِّدَ العَرَبِ العَرباءِ قاطِبَة

يا سَيِّدَ العَرَبِ العَرباءِ قاطِبَة

وَمَن بِهِ باتَ عَنّي الضّرُّ مُنكَشِفا

وَمَن بِهِ باتَ عَنّي الضّرُّ مُنكَشِفا

O master of all the true-born Arabs,

O foremost of the noble Arabs entire

And you through whom harm has been lifted from me,

By whom the harm was lifted from me entirely

أَسرَفتُمُ في الَّذي جُدتُم عَلَيَّ بِهِ

أَسرَفتُمُ في الَّذي جُدتُم عَلَيَّ بِهِ

فَما أَرى سَرَفي في شُكرِكُم سَرَفا

فَما أَرى سَرَفي في شُكرِكُم سَرَفا

You have gone beyond measure in what you bestowed on me;

You were excessive in your generosity to me

So I do not count my excess in thanking you as excess.

And I see no excess in gratitude to you

أَغوُصُ في لُجِّ بَحرٍ مِن مَديحِكُمُ

أَغوُصُ في لُجِّ بَحرٍ مِن مَديحِكُمُ

فَما أُصادِفُ إِلّا الدُرَّ لا الصَدَفا

فَما أُصادِفُ إِلّا الدُرَّ لا الصَدَفا

I dive into the depths of a sea of praise for you,

I plunge into a sea of your praises

So I find only pearls, not shells.

Finding only pearls, no shells

لا زالَ قَدرُكُمُ في المَجدِ مُرتَفِعاً

لا زالَ قَدرُكُمُ في المَجدِ مُرتَفِعاً

وَشَملُكُم في ظِلالِ العِزِّ مُؤتَلِفا

وَشَملُكُم في ظِلالِ العِزِّ مُؤتَلِفا

May your standing in glory ever remain exalted,

Your glory still rises high

And may your circle remain united in the shade of honor.

And you remain under the shade of power, its peacemaker