وَقاكَ اللَهُ مَجدَ الدينِ عَينَ الـ

وَقاكَ اللَهُ مَجدَ الدينِ عَينَ الـ

ـحَسودِ مَلَأتَ لي قَلبي سُرورا

ـحَسودِ مَلَأتَ لي قَلبي سُرورا

May God protect you, Majd al-Din, from the eye of the

May God protect you, glory of the faith, from the eye of

envious one; you have filled my heart with joy.

The envious, you have filled my heart with joy,

لَقَد أوتيتَ في نَظمِ القَوافي

لَقَد أوتيتَ في نَظمِ القَوافي

وَفي تَفصيلِها مُلكاً كَبيرا

وَفي تَفصيلِها مُلكاً كَبيرا

You have indeed been granted, in composing rhymes,

You have been granted mastery in composing verse

and in elaborating them, a great dominion.

And in scanning its meter a great dominion,

إِذا اِنتَسَبَت إِلَيكَ بَناتُ فِكرٍ

إِذا اِنتَسَبَت إِلَيكَ بَناتُ فِكرٍ

حَقَرنا كُلَّ ما زانَ النُحورا

حَقَرنا كُلَّ ما زانَ النُحورا

When daughters of thought trace their lineage to you,

When the daughters of thought claim you as their own

we deem paltry all that adorns necks.

We think little of whatever adorns the temples,

وَإِن جُلِيَت عَرائِسُها عَلَينا

وَإِن جُلِيَت عَرائِسُها عَلَينا

نَدينُ لَها الفَرَزدَقَ أَو جَريرا

نَدينُ لَها الفَرَزدَقَ أَو جَريرا

And if their brides are unveiled before us,

And if their brides are revealed to us

we make al-Farazdaq or Jarir submit to them.

We will credit Al-Farazdaq or Jarir,

مَعانٍ كَالأَهِلَّةِ في خَفاءٍ

مَعانٍ كَالأَهِلَّةِ في خَفاءٍ

وَلَفظٌ واضِحٌ يَحكي البُدورا

وَلَفظٌ واضِحٌ يَحكي البُدورا

Meanings like crescent moons in their concealment,

Meanings subtle as the new moon in darkness

and clear wording that resembles full moons.

And lucid words that mimic the Bedouin,

لَقَد شَرَّفتَني وَرَفَعتَ قَدري

لَقَد شَرَّفتَني وَرَفَعتَ قَدري

فَأَصبَحَتِ المجَرَّةُ لي سَريرا

فَأَصبَحَتِ المجَرَّةُ لي سَريرا

Indeed, you have honored me and raised my rank,

You have honored me and raised my worth

so the Milky Way has become my couch.

So that the galaxy has become for me a couch,

سَأَلتَ وَقَد أَجَبتُ فَإِن تَجِدني

سَأَلتَ وَقَد أَجَبتُ فَإِن تَجِدني

هَفَوتُ فَسَل تَجِد غَيري خَبيرا

هَفَوتُ فَسَل تَجِد غَيري خَبيرا

You asked, and I have answered; if you find that I

You asked and I have answered, so if you find me

have erred, then ask: you will find someone else well versed.

Lacking, ask again, you’ll not find one more skilled.