تبدَّت لي وَجنحُ الليل دامِسْ نَجيّا

تبدَّت لي وَجنحُ الليل دامِسْ نَجيّا

فَغَادرَ حسنُها وَجْهَ الحنادسْ مُضِياً

فَغَادرَ حسنُها وَجْهَ الحنادسْ مُضِياً

She appeared to me in private, while the wing of night was pitch-dark;

The wings of the dark night appeared before me

so her beauty left the face of deep darkness radiant.

So its beauty left the cheeks of the pots fading away

بِقَدٍّ قَدْ تكوَّنَ من قضيبٍ

بِقَدٍّ قَدْ تكوَّنَ من قضيبٍ

وردفٍ قَدْ تألّف من كثيبِ

وردفٍ قَدْ تألّف من كثيبِ

With a figure fashioned from a slender bough,

With a body made of a stick

and hips formed from a sand dune,

And hips made of a dune

وخالٍ حازَ حَبّات القلوبِ

وخالٍ حازَ حَبّات القلوبِ

وَحُسنٍ جاءَ بالعَجَب العجيبِ

وَحُسنٍ جاءَ بالعَجَب العجيبِ

and a mole that captured the hearts’ very kernels,

And a mole that won hearts’ love

and beauty that brought the most wondrous marvel.

And beauty that came with wondrous wonder

نَظَرْتُ وخالُها للخَدِّ حارسمَلِيّا

نَظَرْتُ وخالُها للخَدِّ حارسمَلِيّا

لأقطِفُ وردَ هاتيكَ المغارسْجَنيّا

لأقطِفُ وردَ هاتيكَ المغارسْجَنيّا

I gazed long, while her mole stood guard over her cheek,

I looked and her mole was guarding her cheek intimately

to pluck the ripe roses of those planting beds.

So I would pluck the roses of those gardens amorously

أنا مالي أُعَلّلُ بالوصالِ

أنا مالي أُعَلّلُ بالوصالِ

وأسهرُ لِلقلى طولَ الليالي

وأسهرُ لِلقلى طولَ الليالي

Why am I soothed with hopes of union,

I have no need to pine for union

and stay awake from rejection throughout the nights,

And stay up late with anxiety

وأرضي في الحقيقةِ بالمحال

وأرضي في الحقيقةِ بالمحال

بودِّي لو أَرى طيفَ الخيال

بودِّي لو أَرى طيفَ الخيال

and in truth content myself with the impossible?

And be content with impossibility in truth

I wish I could see imagination’s phantom.

I wish I could see the specter of fantasy

ومالي ساهراً من لَحْظِ ناعس شَجِيّا

ومالي ساهراً من لَحْظِ ناعس شَجِيّا

فَهَلْ خَلخَالها أهدى الوساوسْإليّا

فَهَلْ خَلخَالها أهدى الوساوسْإليّا

And why am I sleepless and heartsick over a drowsy glance?

I have no need to stay up from the wink of a sleepy, desirous gaze

Has her anklet, then, bestowed anxious whispers on me?

Did her anklet instill passions into me?

إلامَ بذكرها وَجداً أُغنّي

إلامَ بذكرها وَجداً أُغنّي

وأصرفُ عن فؤادي كُلَّ حُزن

وأصرفُ عن فؤادي كُلَّ حُزن

How long shall I sing with longing at the thought of her,

Why pleasure myself with the mention of her

and banish every sorrow from my heart,

And banish all sorrow from my heart

كأني قَد سكرتُ بِكُلِّ دَنِّ

كأني قَد سكرتُ بِكُلِّ دَنِّ

وأُعطيتُ الأماني أَو كأنّي

وأُعطيتُ الأماني أَو كأنّي

as though I had grown drunk from every wine jar,

As if I was drunk on life’s pleasures

and been granted my wishes—or as though I

And was given all my wishes or as if

مدحتُ الفارسَ البطل الممارسعَلِيّا

مدحتُ الفارسَ البطل الممارسعَلِيّا

فَفَاحَ بمدحه عَرْفُ المجالسْ ذَِكيَا

فَفَاحَ بمدحه عَرْفُ المجالسْ ذَِكيَا

had praised Ali, the valiant, seasoned knight,

I praised the heroic skilled horseman

and through praise of him the assemblies’ fragrance wafted sweetly?

So the aroma of his praise filled the gatherings pleasantly

براهُ اللهُ سُلطانَ العبادِ

براهُ اللهُ سُلطانَ العبادِ

وَنَوَّهَ ذِكرُهُ في كُلِّ وادي

وَنَوَّهَ ذِكرُهُ في كُلِّ وادي

God fashioned him as sovereign of His servants,

May God aid the Sultan of servants

and exalted his renown in every valley,

And elevate his name in every valley

وأيّدَهُ على رَغمِ الأعادي

وأيّدَهُ على رَغمِ الأعادي

وأسعدَ جدَّه يومَ الولاد

وأسعدَ جدَّه يومَ الولاد

and supported him despite his enemies,

And support him against enemies

and blessed his fortune on the day of his birth.

And bless his grandfather the day he was born

فأعِطيَ قُوَّةَ البُزْلِ القناعسْفَتِيّا

فأعِطيَ قُوَّةَ البُزْلِ القناعسْفَتِيّا

وأَعِطيَ حِكمَتَيْ مِصرَ وفارسْصَبيا

وأَعِطيَ حِكمَتَيْ مِصرَ وفارسْصَبيا

So, while young, he was given the strength of massive, mature camels,

So he was given the power of irresistible speech

and, as a child, was given the wisdom of both Egypt and Persia.

And the wisdom of Egypt and Persia

تأَملْ كيفَ يُحيي الأرض عدلا

تأَملْ كيفَ يُحيي الأرض عدلا

بجود يكلأُ الثقّلينِ فَضْلا

بجود يكلأُ الثقّلينِ فَضْلا

Consider how he revives the earth with justice,

Consider how he enlivens the land with justice

with generosity that graciously shields humankind and jinn.

With generosity that shoulders both burdens graciously

وسُلطانٌ لَهُ القدحُ المعلّى

وسُلطانٌ لَهُ القدحُ المعلّى

مليكٌ لم تَزُرْهُ قَطُّ إلاَ

مليكٌ لم تَزُرْهُ قَطُّ إلاَ

And a sovereign who holds the highest-valued lot-arrow,

A sultan whose eminent lineage

a king you have never visited without

Is a king who was never visited by decline

أزالَ نوالهُ ما كانَ غارسْ رَويّا

أزالَ نوالهُ ما كانَ غارسْ رَويّا

لِكَسيْ يُمسي به ما كانَ يابِسْ نَديّا

لِكَسيْ يُمسي به ما كانَ يابِسْ نَديّا

his bounty removing what was “a well-watered planter” [wording unclear],

His gifts removed what was once infertile

so that through it what was dry becomes moist.

To grow what was once withered generously

وقائلةٍ شكوتُ لها الصُّدودا

وقائلةٍ شكوتُ لها الصُّدودا

وَقَد بَلغَتْ بهِ أَمداً بعيدا

وَقَد بَلغَتْ بهِ أَمداً بعيدا

And a woman to whom I complained of rejection said—

And a woman I complained to about rejection

though she had carried it to a far extreme—

After she had reached an extended separation

إذا لم تُمسِ للبلوى جَليدا

إذا لم تُمسِ للبلوى جَليدا

فَلا تهوى السّوالِفَ والخدودا

فَلا تهوى السّوالِفَ والخدودا

“If you are not steadfast under affliction,

If you do not touch sorrows with ice

then do not love necks and cheeks.

Then do not love chitchat and cheeks

وَقَلبُكَ إنْ أبى صَدَّ لكَوانس عَصِيَا

وَقَلبُكَ إنْ أبى صَدَّ لكَوانس عَصِيَا

فَخُذْ مَنْ لا تردُّ يمينُ لا مسْ بَغّيا

فَخُذْ مَنْ لا تردُّ يمينُ لا مسْ بَغّيا

And if your rebellious heart refuses the hidden gazelles’ rebuff,

And if your heart refuses to be spurned

then take a prostitute who does not repel a toucher’s right hand.”

Take from one whose right hand does not refuse or touch arrogantly