سَلِ البَانَةَ الغَينَاءَ عن مَلْعَبِ الجُرْدِ

سَلِ البَانَةَ الغَينَاءَ عن مَلْعَبِ الجُرْدِ

ورَوْضَتَها الغَنَّاءَ عن رَشَإِ الأَسْدِ

ورَوْضَتَها الغَنَّاءَ عن رَشَإِ الأَسْدِ

Ask the leafy ban-tree about the sleek steeds' playing ground,

Ask the alluring doe about the foals' playground,

and its lush garden about the fawn of al-Asd,

And her melodious meadow, about the lion's den,

وسَجْسَجَ ذاكَ الظِّلِّ عن مُلْهِبِ الحَشَا

وسَجْسَجَ ذاكَ الظِّلِّ عن مُلْهِبِ الحَشَا

وسَلْسَلَ ذاكَ الماءِ عن مُضْرِمِ الوَجْدِ

وسَلْسَلَ ذاكَ الماءِ عن مُضْرِمِ الوَجْدِ

and that mild shade about the one who sets the heart aflame,

And the rustling of that shade, about the flaming embers,

and that sweet-flowing water about the one who kindles longing.

And the clanking of that water, about the kindling passion.

فَعَهْدِي به في ذلك الدَّوْحِ كَانِساً

فَعَهْدِي به في ذلك الدَّوْحِ كَانِساً

ومَنْ ليَ بالرُّجْعَى إلى ذلك العَهْدِ

ومَنْ ليَ بالرُّجْعَى إلى ذلك العَهْدِ

For I remember him sheltering in that grove,

My promise to him in that valley was to visit frequently,

and who can return me to that time?

But who will lead me back to that promise?

وفي الجنَّةِ الألْفَافِ أَحْوَرُ أَزْهَرٌ

وفي الجنَّةِ الألْفَافِ أَحْوَرُ أَزْهَرٌ

تُلاعِبُ قُضْبَ الرَّنْدِ فيه قَنَا الهِنْدِ

تُلاعِبُ قُضْبَ الرَّنْدِ فيه قَنَا الهِنْدِ

And in the tangled garden is a radiant, dark-eyed beauty;

In the thickets of Paradise are the most fragrant blossoms,

there Indian spears play with laurel boughs.

Sporting with the twigs of the trees and the stalks of Indian cane,

فأيُّ جَنَانٍ لم يُدَعْ نَهْبَ لَوْعَةٍ

فأيُّ جَنَانٍ لم يُدَعْ نَهْبَ لَوْعَةٍ

وقد لاحَ من تلك المحاسِنِ في جُنْدِ

وقد لاحَ من تلك المحاسِنِ في جُنْدِ

What heart, then, was not left prey to burning anguish,

So what garden was not ravaged by overwhelming desire

when he appeared amid a host of those charms?

When that beauty appeared among the hosts?

وفي صُدْغِهِ اللَّيْليِّ نارُ حُبَاحِبٍ

وفي صُدْغِهِ اللَّيْليِّ نارُ حُبَاحِبٍ

مِنَ القُرْطِ يَصْلاَهَا حَبَابٌ من العِقْدِ

مِنَ القُرْطِ يَصْلاَهَا حَبَابٌ من العِقْدِ

And in his night-dark sidelock is Hubahib's fire,

In his dark cheek is the fire of flashes

from the earring; pearls of the necklace bask in its heat.

From ear-rings that are lit by strings of pearls.

وفي زَنْدِهِ الرَّيَّانِ سُوْرٌ تَعَضُّهُ

وفي زَنْدِهِ الرَّيَّانِ سُوْرٌ تَعَضُّهُ

فَيَدْمَى كما ثَارَ الشَّرارُ من الزَّنْدِ

فَيَدْمَى كما ثَارَ الشَّرارُ من الزَّنْدِ

And on his plump wrist are bracelets that bite it,

In his supple waist are images that provoke him

so it bleeds, as sparks flare from a fire-stick.

So they blaze as the sparks fly from flint.

أُحاذِرُ أنْ يَنْقَدَّ لِيْناً فأَنْثَنِي

أُحاذِرُ أنْ يَنْقَدَّ لِيْناً فأَنْثَنِي

بِقَلْبٍ شَفِيقٍ من تَثَنِّيْهِ مُنْقَدِّ

بِقَلْبٍ شَفِيقٍ من تَثَنِّيْهِ مُنْقَدِّ

I fear he may split from sheer softness, so I turn away,

I fear he may gently incline towards me

with a tender heart, split by his swaying.

With a compassionate heart as he turns.

وقد جَرَحَتْ عَيْنَايَ صَفْحَةَ خَدِّهِ

وقد جَرَحَتْ عَيْنَايَ صَفْحَةَ خَدِّهِ

على خَطَإٍ فاختار قَتْلِي على عَمْدٍ

على خَطَإٍ فاختار قَتْلِي على عَمْدٍ

And my eyes have wounded the surface of his cheek

His cheek wounded my eyes

by mistake, so he chose to kill me deliberately.

Though he chose to murder me deliberately.

وآمُلُ من دَمعِي إلاَنَةَ قَلْبِهِ

وآمُلُ من دَمعِي إلاَنَةَ قَلْبِهِ

ولا أَثَرٌ لِلْغَيْثِ في الحَجَرِ الصَّلْدِ

ولا أَثَرٌ لِلْغَيْثِ في الحَجَرِ الصَّلْدِ

And I hope my tears will soften his heart,

I hope my tears will soften his heart,

but rain has no effect on hard stone.

Though rain has no effect on solid rock.

وإنِّي بذاتِ الأَيْكِ أُسْعِدُ وُرْقَةُ

وإنِّي بذاتِ الأَيْكِ أُسْعِدُ وُرْقَةُ

فهل عند ذاتِ الطَّوْقِ ما لِلْهَوَى عِنْدِي

فهل عند ذاتِ الطَّوْقِ ما لِلْهَوَى عِنْدِي

And in the grove I join a gray dove's lament;

With that glorious being I am the happiest leaf,

does the collared one feel what love makes me feel?

Does one with such a necklace have any passion for me?

ولكَ مِنْ نَهْرٍ صَؤوْلٍ مُجَلْجِلٍ

ولكَ مِنْ نَهْرٍ صَؤوْلٍ مُجَلْجِلٍ

كأنَّ الثَّرَى مُزْنٌ به دائمُ الرَّعْدِ

كأنَّ الثَّرَى مُزْنٌ به دائمُ الرَّعْدِ

And what a raging, thunderous river you have!

You have a tumbling, roaring river

As though the earth were a raincloud whose thunder never ceases.

Where the ground always thunders.

إذا صافَحَتْهُ الرِّيْحُ تَصْقُلُ مَتْنَهُ

إذا صافَحَتْهُ الرِّيْحُ تَصْقُلُ مَتْنَهُ

وتَصْنَعُ فيه صُنْعَ داودَ في السَّرْدِ

وتَصْنَعُ فيه صُنْعَ داودَ في السَّرْدِ

When the wind shakes hands with it, it polishes its back

When the wind caresses its surface it polishes its course

and works upon it as David did in linking mail.

And fashions it as David did his chainmail.

كأنَّ يَدَ المَلْك ابنِ مَعْنٍ مُحَمَّدٍ

كأنَّ يَدَ المَلْك ابنِ مَعْنٍ مُحَمَّدٍ

تُفَجِّرُهُ مِنْ مَنْبَعِ الجُوْدِ والرِّفْدِ

تُفَجِّرُهُ مِنْ مَنْبَعِ الجُوْدِ والرِّفْدِ

It is as though the hand of King Muhammad ibn Ma'n

It is as if the hand of Ma’n’s son Muhammad

were making it gush from the wellspring of generosity and bounty.

Made it burst forth from the spring of generosity and bounty,

ويَرْفُلُ في أزهارِهِ واخضرارِهِ

ويَرْفُلُ في أزهارِهِ واخضرارِهِ

كما رَفَلَتْ نُعْمَاهُ في حُلَلِ الحَمْدِ

كما رَفَلَتْ نُعْمَاهُ في حُلَلِ الحَمْدِ

And it parades in its blossoms and greenery,

It frolics amid its flowers and greenery

as his bounty has paraded in robes of praise.

As God’s blessings frolic in robes of praise.

وقد وَرَدَتْ في غَمْرِهِ نُهَّلُ القَطَا

وقد وَرَدَتْ في غَمْرِهِ نُهَّلُ القَطَا

كما ازدَحَمَتْ في كَفِّه قُبَلُ الوَفْدِ

كما ازدَحَمَتْ في كَفِّه قُبَلُ الوَفْدِ

And sandgrouse have come to drink in its deep waters,

Wild cows have come down to drink in its flood

as the envoys' kisses have thronged upon his palm.

As pledges of devotion thronged into his palm.

مَفِيْضُ الأيادِي فوقَ أَدْنَى وأَرْفَعٍ

مَفِيْضُ الأيادِي فوقَ أَدْنَى وأَرْفَعٍ

وصَوْبُ الغَوَادِي شامِلُ الغَوْرِ والنَّجْدِ

وصَوْبُ الغَوَادِي شامِلُ الغَوْرِ والنَّجْدِ

He pours out favors upon the lowest and the highest,

An outpouring of hands above the low and lofty,

and the downpour of morning clouds embraces lowland and upland.

The valley encompasses depth and elevation alike.

فَمِنْ جُوْدِهِ ما في الغَمَامةِ من حَياً

فَمِنْ جُوْدِهِ ما في الغَمَامةِ من حَياً

ومِنْ نُوْرِهِ ما في الغَزَالَةِ مِنْ وَقْدِ

ومِنْ نُوْرِهِ ما في الغَزَالَةِ مِنْ وَقْدِ

For the cloud's rain comes from his generosity,

From his generosity, what the clouds contain of life

and the sun's blaze comes from his radiance.

And from his light, what the gazelle contains of fat!

تَلأْلأ كالإِفْرِنْدِ في صَارِمِ النُّهَى

تَلأْلأ كالإِفْرِنْدِ في صَارِمِ النُّهَى

وكُرِّرَ كالإبْرِيْزِ في جَاحِمِ الوَقْدِ

وكُرِّرَ كالإبْرِيْزِ في جَاحِمِ الوَقْدِ

He gleamed like a blade's watered sheen in reason's keen sword,

He gleams like the Frankish sword in the scabbard of resolve

and was refined like pure gold in a raging blaze.

And sparks like the flint in the kindling firebrand.

وإنْ وَلِهَتْ فيه أَذَيْهانُ مَعْشَرٍ

وإنْ وَلِهَتْ فيه أَذَيْهانُ مَعْشَرٍ

فلا فَضْلَ للأنوار في مُقْلَةِ الخُلْدِ

فلا فَضْلَ للأنوار في مُقْلَةِ الخُلْدِ

And if some people's little minds are bewildered by him,

If he is obscured from some people’s minds

then light is of no avail to a mole's eye.

Light has no merit in the pupil of eternity.

ومِنْكَ أَخَذْنا القولَ فيكَ جَلاَلَةً

ومِنْكَ أَخَذْنا القولَ فيكَ جَلاَلَةً

وما طابَ ماءُ الوِرْدِ إلاَّ من الوِرْدِ

وما طابَ ماءُ الوِرْدِ إلاَّ من الوِرْدِ

And from you we took the grandeur of our words about you,

From you we took the words, you are full of grace,

and rosewater gains its sweetness only from the rose.

And rose-water is only sweetened by roses!