1. أَبْشرْ فقد نِلْتَ مَا تَرْجُو عَلَى عَجَلِ

    وَيَسَّر اللهُ مَا تَبْغِيهِ مِنْ أَمَلِ

    Rejoice, for you have swiftly attained what you hope for.

    And God has made easy what you seek in hope.

  2. وَسَاعَدَتْكَ الدُّنَا فِيمَا تُؤَمَّلُهُ

    فَاهْنَأَ بِسَعْدٍ عَلَى الأيَّامِ مُتَّصِلِ

    And the worlds have aided you in what you hope for.

    So enjoy good fortune unbroken through the days.

  3. وَاحْكُمْ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ وَافْعَلْ مَا تَشَاءُ بِهِ

    فَالدَّهْرُ طَوْعُكَ وَالأَيَّامُ كَالْخَوَلِ

    And rule over time; do with it whatever you wish.

    For time obeys you, and the days are like servants.

  4. فَمَا دَعَوْتَ بِبَدْرٍ غَيْرَ مُبْتَدِرٍ

    وَلاَ أَمَرْتَ بِأَمْرٍ غَيْرِ مُحْتَمَلِ

    For no full moon you summoned failed to hasten.

    Nor did you give a command that was not accepted.

  5. مَا لَذَّةُ الْعَيْشِ إِلاَّ فِي طَلاَوَ طِلاً

    أَوْ وَصْلِ حِبً بِلاَ صَدً وَلاَ مَلَلِ

    Life's delight lies only in a fawn and wine,

    Or union with a beloved, without rejection or weariness.

  6. خُذْهَا كَمِثْلِ شُعَاعِ الشَّمْسِ صَافِيَةً

    حَمْرَاءَ لاَ تَسْتَمِعْ فِيِهَا إِلَى عَذَلِ

    Take it, clear as a ray of the sun,

    Red—heed no reproach concerning it—

  7. مِنْ كَفِّ سَاحِرَةِ الألْحَاظِ فَاتِنَةٍ

    حَسْنَاء تَخْتَالُ بَيْنَ الْحَلْيِ وَالْحُلَلِ

    From the hand of a captivating woman with bewitching glances,

    A beauty who sways proudly amid jewels and fine robes.

  8. إِذَا رَنَتْ أَوْ ثَنَتْ أَعْطَافَهَا مَرَحاً

    فَالظَّبْيُ فِي نَظَرٍ وَالْغُصْنُ فِي مَيَلِ

    When she gazes or bends her body playfully,

    She is a gazelle in her glance, a bough in her sway.

  9. وَأَنْضَرُ الَّرْوضِ أَضْحَى وَهْوَ مُصْطَبِحٌ

    وَالْغُصْنُ قَدْ مَالَ مَيْلَ الشَّارِبِ الثَّمِلِ

    And the lushest of gardens passed the morning drinking,

    And the bough leaned like a drunken drinker.

  10. حَتَّى إِذَا الشَّمْسُ مَالَتْ نَحْوَ مَغْرِبِهَا

    كَأَنَّهَا عَاشِقٌ يَبْكِي عَلَى طَلَلِ

    Until, when the sun inclined toward its setting,

    As though it were a lover weeping over a ruined dwelling,

  11. وَحَجَّبَ اللَّيْلُ عَنَّا حُسْنَ مَنْظَرهِ

    بِسِتْرِ جُنْحٍ مِنَ الظَّلْمَاءِ مُنْسَدِلِ

    And night hid from us the beauty of the scene,

    With a hanging veil of night's darkness,

  12. لاَ حَتْ إِلَيْنَا شُمُوسُ الْحُسْنِ سَاطِعَةً

    وَلاَ سَمَاءَ سِوَى الأَسْتَارِ وَالْكِلَلِ

    The suns of beauty appeared to us, shining,

    With no sky but curtains and canopies.

  13. وَفِي الْوُجُوهِ لَنَا رَوْضٌ أَزَاهِرُهُ

    مِنْ وَرْدَةِ الْخَدِّ أَوْ مِنْ نَرْجِسِ الُمُقَلِ

    And in their faces we had a garden, its blossoms

    From the cheek's rose or the eyes' narcissus.

  14. وَخَيْرُ مَا ظَفِرَتْ كَفٌّ الْمُحِبِّ بِهِ

    خَمْرٌ مَنَ الِّريقِ أَوْ نَقْلٌ مِنَ الْقُبَلِ

    And the best the lover's hand has won

    Is wine from saliva, or sweetmeats of kisses.

  15. فَاسْتَغْنِمِ الأنْسَ يَوْماً إِنْ ظَفِرْتَ بِهِ

    فِي دَوْلَةٍ أَصْبَحَتْ مِنْ أَسْعَدِ الدٌّوَلِ

    So seize a day of companionship, if you find it,

    In a reign now among the most fortunate of reigns.

  16. أَيَّامُ يُوسُفَ أَعْيَادٌ مُجَدَّدَةٌ

    وَلَّى عَنِ الْخَلْقِ فِيهَا الْهَمَّ يَوْمَ وَلِي

    Yusuf's days are festivals ever renewed;

    He banished care from mankind in them, the day he assumed rule.

  17. وَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالرَّبِيعِ الطَّلْقِ ضَاحِكَةً

    إِذْ حَلَّ فِيهَا حُلُولَ الشَّمْسِ فِي الحَمَلِ

    And they became smiling like a bright spring,

    When he entered them as the sun enters Aries.

  18. فَسَارَ بِالْعَدْلِ فِي وِرْدٍ وَفِي صَدرِ

    وَرَاقَبَ اللهَ فِي قَوْلٍ وَفِي عَمَلِ

    So he proceeded with justice in coming and going,

    And was mindful of God in word and deed.

  19. أَنْوَارُهُ فِي سَمَاءِ الْعَدْلِ نَيّرَةٌ

    تَبْدُو وَآثارُهُ أَسْرَى مِنَ الْمَثَلِ

    His lights are radiant in the sky of justice;

    They shine forth, and his deeds spread farther than a proverb.

  20. لاَزَالَ فِي عِزَّةٍ تَصْفُو مَوَارِدُهَا

    مُبَلَّغاً كُلَّ مَا يَرْجُوهُ مِنْ أَمَلِ

    May he ever remain in glory whose wellsprings are clear,

    Granted every hope he longs to attain.