نَبِيprophet الْعُلىeminence وَالنَّدىand generosity ماwhat لِيfor me صَفَتْbecame pure وَضَفَتْand became abundant
نَبِي الْعُلى وَالنَّدى ما لِي صَفَتْ وَضَفَتْ
عِنْدِيwith me لَكُمْfor you all طُرَفُchoice pieces of الأَشْعارِpoetry وَالمُلَحُand witty gems
عِنْدِي لَكُمْ طُرَفُ الأَشْعارِ وَالمُلَحُ
O prophet of eminence and bounty, why have they grown pure and abundant for me—
O Prophet of glory and dew, my qualities have withdrawn and departed
the choice verses and witty gems I have for you?
With me are the finest verses and wit for you all
إِنِّيindeed I لَرَبُّsurely the master of الْقَوافِيrhymes فِيin زَمانِكُمُyour age
إِنِّي لَرَبُّ الْقَوافِي فِي زَمانِكُمُ
وَقَدْand indeed سَأَلْتُI asked اقْتِراحَsuggestions from الْقَوْمِthe company فاقْتَرِحُواso propose
وَقَدْ سَأَلْتُ اقْتِراحَ الْقَوْمِ فاقْتَرِحُوا
I am indeed the master of rhymes in your age.
I am the Lord of rhyme in your time
I have asked the company for suggestions, so propose:
And I have asked for your best compositions, so compose
مَعْنىًa meaning بَلِيغاًeloquent وَاَلْفاظاًand words يَرُقْنَthat delight وَأَغْand themes (first fragment)
مَعْنىً بَلِيغاً وَاَلْفاظاً يَرُقْنَ وَأَغْ
راضاًthemes (remaining fragment) يَفُقْنَthat excel وَبَحْراًand a sea لَيْسَnot يُنْتَزَحُcan be drained
راضاً يَفُقْنَ وَبَحْراً لَيْسَ يُنْتَزَحُ
An eloquent meaning, delightful words, and themes
A profound meaning and words that flow, thoughts that awaken
that excel, and a sea that cannot be drained.
A meter not forced and what thought can barely stir
وَماand not يَكادُscarcely يُدِيرُpasses around الْفِكْرُthought أَكْؤُسَهُits cups
وَما يَكادُ يُدِيرُ الْفِكْرُ أَكْؤُسَهُ
إِلاّexcept بِحَيْثُwhere يَدُورُcirculates اللُّهْوُmerriment وَالْقَدَحُand the goblet
إِلاّ بِحَيْثُ يَدُورُ اللُّهْوُ وَالْقَدَحُ
Thought scarcely passes its cups around
Except where amusement and wine cups turn
except where merriment and the goblet make their rounds.
Look, faces of life appear joyous
أَلاdo you not تَرَونَsee وُجُوهَthe faces of الْعَيْشِlife مُقْبِلَةًapproaching
أَلا تَرَونَ وُجُوهَ الْعَيْشِ مُقْبِلَةً
تُزْهىradiant وَصَدْرَand the breast of الأَمانِيhopes وَهْوَwhile it is مُنْشَرِحُopened wide
تُزْهى وَصَدْرَ الأَمانِي وَهْوَ مُنْشَرِحُ
Do you not see the faces of life approaching,
Adorning hope’s breast as it expands
radiant, and the breast of hopes opened wide?
Today the sun shows us its smiling face
وَالْيَوْمَand today يَوْمٌa day يُرِيناshows us الشَّمْسَthe sun ضاحِكَةًsmiling
وَالْيَوْمَ يَوْمٌ يُرِينا الشَّمْسَ ضاحِكَةً
طَوْراًat times وَدَمْعَand the tears of الْغَوادِيmorning rainclouds وَهْوَwhile they are مُنْسَفِحُstreaming down
طَوْراً وَدَمْعَ الْغَوادِي وَهْوَ مُنْسَفِحُ
Today is a day that shows us the sun smiling
Then weeps tears of yearning as they pour
at times, and the tears of morning clouds streaming down.
The flute is like a sigh in a lover’s heart and the strings
وَالنّايُand the flute كَالنَّأْيِlike separation فيin قَلْبِthe heart of المُحِبِّthe lover وَلِلْand for the
وَالنّايُ كَالنَّأْيِ في قَلْبِ المُحِبِّ وَلِلْ
أَوْتارِstrings فِيin كُلِّevery سَمْعٍear أَلْسُنٌtongues فُصُحُeloquent
أَوْتارِ فِي كُلِّ سَمْعٍ أَلْسُنٌ فُصُحُ
The flute is like separation in the lover's heart; and for the
In every ear have eloquent tongues
strings there are eloquent tongues in every ear.
When a melody passes the listeners
وَمُسْمِعِينَand singers إِذاwhen مَرَّتْpass لَهُمْof theirs نَغَمٌmelodies
وَمُسْمِعِينَ إِذا مَرَّتْ لَهُمْ نَغَمٌ
كادَتْalmost لَهُنَّbecause of them قُلُوبُthe hearts of القَوْمِthe company تَنْجَرِحُare wounded
كادَتْ لَهُنَّ قُلُوبُ القَوْمِ تَنْجَرِحُ
And singers whose melodies, as they pass,
Their hearts are nearly torn with rapture
almost wound the hearts of the company.
Do not blame the hedonists if they stray
لاdo not تَعْذِرَنَّever excuse بَنِيthe sons of اللَّذّاتِpleasures إِنْif نَزَعُواthey turn away
لا تَعْذِرَنَّ بَنِي اللَّذّاتِ إِنْ نَزَعُوا
عَنْهَاfrom them فَأَفْسَدُfor they are most corrupt ماwhen كانُواthey were إِذاwhen صَلُحُواthey became virtuous
عَنْهَا فَأَفْسَدُ ما كانُوا إِذا صَلُحُوا
Never excuse the sons of pleasure if they turn away
From it, corrupting what they did when upright
from it: they are at their most corrupt when they become virtuous.
Among the heirs of glory, a prince in kings' crown
وَفِيand on ذُرىthe summits of الْمَجْدِglory مِنْfrom تاجِthe crown of الْمُلُوكِthe kings فَتىًa youth
وَفِي ذُرى الْمَجْدِ مِنْ تاجِ الْمُلُوكِ فَتىً
بِالْعِزِّwith honor مُغْتَبِقٌdrinking at evening بِالسَّعْدِwith good fortune مُصْطَبِحُdrinking at dawn
بِالْعِزِّ مُغْتَبِقٌ بِالسَّعْدِ مُصْطَبِحُ
And on glory's heights there is, in Taj al-Muluk, a youth
Embracing honor, fortunate and greeted by joy
who drinks honor at evening and good fortune at dawn.
Today my praise fortified after its humiliation
الْيَوْمَtoday حَصَّنَfortified مَدْحِيmy praise بَعْدَafter بِذْلَتِهِits debasement
الْيَوْمَ حَصَّنَ مَدْحِي بَعْدَ بِذْلَتِهِ
مَلْكٌa king بِهِin him تَفْخَرُtake pride الأَيّامُthe days وَالْمِدَحُand the panegyrics
مَلْكٌ بِهِ تَفْخَرُ الأَيّامُ وَالْمِدَحُ
Today my praise has been fortified, after its debasement,
A kingdom which days and eulogies will boast
by a king in whom days and panegyrics take pride.
A king when he surges in valor and pours glory
مَلْكٌa king إِذاwhen انْهَلَّpours forth فِيin بَأْسٍmight وَفَيْضِand a flood of نَدىًgenerosity
مَلْكٌ إِذا انْهَلَّ فِي بَأْسٍ وَفَيْضِ نَدىً
فَاللَّيْثُthen the lion مُهْتَصِرٌcrushed والْغَيْثُand the rain مُفْتَضِحُput to shame
فَاللَّيْثُ مُهْتَصِرٌ والْغَيْثُ مُفْتَضِحُ
A king—when he pours forth in might and a flood of bounty,
The lion bewildered, the rain pouring
the lion is crushed, and the rain is put to shame.
A full moon whose brightness matches the horizon’s moon
بَدْرٌa full moon لَوَانَّif indeed لِبَدْرِfor the full moon of الأُفْقِthe horizon بَهْجَتَهُhis splendor
بَدْرٌ لَوَانَّ لِبَدْرِ الأُفْقِ بَهْجَتَهُ
أَضْحىwould become بِهِthrough it اللَّيْلُthe night مِثْلَlike الصُّبْحِthe morning يَتَّضِحُgrows clear
أَضْحى بِهِ اللَّيْلُ مِثْلَ الصُّبْحِ يَتَّضِحُ
A full moon—if the horizon's full moon had his splendor,
He makes the night like the dawning growing bright
night would become, through it, as clear as morning.
Praise wanders not knowing its limits
حارَwas bewildered الثُّناءُpraise فَماso it does not يَدْرِيknow أَغايَتُهُis its aim?
حارَ الثُّناءُ فَما يَدْرِي أَغايَتُهُ
أَعْراقُهُhis ancestral roots الْبِيضُwhite (unblemished) أَمْor أَخْلاقُهُhis character traits السُّجُحgentle
أَعْراقُهُ الْبِيضُ أَمْ أَخْلاقُهُ السُّجُح
Praise is bewildered: it does not know whether its aim
Are his virtues white or his nature worshipful?
is his spotless ancestry or his gentle character.
If he were not best of all people
لَوْif لَمْnot تَكُنْyou were أَوْحَدَpeerless among الأَقْوامِthe peoples كُلِّهِمِall of them
لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ أَوْحَدَ الأَقْوامِ كُلِّهِمِ
لَقُلْتُI would say إِنَّthat indeed الْمَعالِيlofty virtues وَالنَّدىand generosity مِنَحُgifts
لَقُلْتُ إِنَّ الْمَعالِي وَالنَّدى مِنَحُ
If you were not peerless among all peoples,
I would say glory and dew are granted to him
I would say that lofty virtues and generosity are gifts.
As for time, his state has become verdant
أَمّاas for الزَّمانُthe age فَقَدْso indeed أَضْحىhas become بِدَوْلَتِهِunder his rule
أَمّا الزَّمانُ فَقَدْ أَضْحى بِدَوْلَتِهِ
نَضْراًlush حَكىresembled الرَّوْضَthe garden وَالطُّلابُand the petitioners قَدْalready نَجَحُواthey succeeded
نَضْراً حَكى الرَّوْضَ وَالطُّلابُ قَدْ نَجَحُوا
As for the age, under his rule it has become
Depicting a garden, and students successful
lush, resembling a garden; and petitioners have succeeded.
Life is expansive, safety ahead
وَالْعَيْشُand life مُتَّسِعٌample وَالأَمْنُand security مُقْتَبَلٌnewly begun
وَالْعَيْشُ مُتَّسِعٌ وَالأَمْنُ مُقْتَبَلٌ
وَاللَّهْوُand pleasure مُسْتَخْلَصٌunalloyed والْهَمُّand worry مُطَّرَحُcast aside
وَاللَّهْوُ مُسْتَخْلَصٌ والْهَمُّ مُطَّرَحُ
Life is ample, and security newly begun;
Joy purified, worry discarded
pleasure is unalloyed, and worry cast aside.
Partial English translation: 33 of 34 Arabic lines translated.