فتاةٌ برَبْعي رَحْلُها سَحَراً حُطّا

فتاةٌ برَبْعي رَحْلُها سَحَراً حُطّا

وللّيْلِ فَوْدٌ بالصّباحِ قدِ اشْمَطّا

وللّيْلِ فَوْدٌ بالصّباحِ قدِ اشْمَطّا

A maiden's saddle was set down at my abode before dawn,

A girl with a charming gait like magic at dawn

while night's temple-lock had grown gray with morning.

And the night has love for the morn it adorned

فلوْ جِئْتُها بالبَدْرِ تاجاً مُكَلَّلاً

فلوْ جِئْتُها بالبَدْرِ تاجاً مُكَلَّلاً

بِدُرِّ الدّرارِي أو بجَوْزائِهِ قُرْطا

بِدُرِّ الدّرارِي أو بجَوْزائِهِ قُرْطا

Were I to bring her the full moon as a crown adorned

If I brought her the full moon as a crowned diadem

with pearls of the radiant stars, or its al-Jawza’ as an earring,

With a pearl necklace or earrings of gold

وأهْديْتُها وُشْحاً منَ البَرقِ مُذْهَباً

وأهْديْتُها وُشْحاً منَ البَرقِ مُذْهَباً

ونظّمْتُ من زُهْرِ النّجومِ لها سِمْطا

ونظّمْتُ من زُهْرِ النّجومِ لها سِمْطا

and give her gilded sashes of lightning,

And gifted her lightning's glow made of gold

and string her a necklace of radiant stars,

And strung together a necklace of star flowers

لَما كنتُ قدْ وفّيتُ بعضَ حُقوقِها

لَما كنتُ قدْ وفّيتُ بعضَ حُقوقِها

ولا كان عدْلاً ما وهَبْتُ ولا قِسْطا

ولا كان عدْلاً ما وهَبْتُ ولا قِسْطا

I would not have paid even part of what she is owed,

Though I had fulfilled some of her rights

nor would what I gave have been fair or just.

It wouldn't be justice what I gave, nor equal

وإنّ أباها في ذَوي النّظمِ أوْحَدٌ

وإنّ أباها في ذَوي النّظمِ أوْحَدٌ

فلوْ نُظِموا عِقْداً لكانَ لهُ وُسْطَى

فلوْ نُظِموا عِقْداً لكانَ لهُ وُسْطَى

And her father is peerless among the makers of verse:

Her father in poetry is most eminent

were they strung into a necklace, he would be its central jewel.

If composed as a necklace, he'd be its center

ولو أنصَفَ الدّهْرُ الأبيُّ قِيادُهُ

ولو أنصَفَ الدّهْرُ الأبيُّ قِيادُهُ

وعوّضَتِ الأيامُ من قَبضِها بَسْطا

وعوّضَتِ الأيامُ من قَبضِها بَسْطا

And if Time, reluctant to be reined, dealt justly,

If time was just, its guide her eminent father

and the days compensated for their withholding with bounty,

And days compensated what they took away

ورامَتْ بالاسْتِحْقاقِ إعْلاءَ قدْرِه

ورامَتْ بالاسْتِحْقاقِ إعْلاءَ قدْرِه

لما كان عن أعْلى المراتِبِ مُنْحَطّا

لما كان عن أعْلى المراتِبِ مُنْحَطّا

and sought to raise his standing according to his merit,

If merits raised his worth to highest ranks

he would not be beneath the highest ranks.

He wouldn't have fallen from the highest place

أما هذهِ أبْكارُ أفكارِه التي

أما هذهِ أبْكارُ أفكارِه التي

تجلّتْ فلمْ ترْضَ النجومَ لها رَهْطا

تجلّتْ فلمْ ترْضَ النجومَ لها رَهْطا

Are these not the virgin daughters of his thoughts, who

These virgin ideas of his that shone through

shone forth, yet would not accept the stars as their kin?

The stars weren't good enough company for them

ترامَتْ بدُرّ اللفْظِ أبْحُرُ فِكْرِهِ

ترامَتْ بدُرّ اللفْظِ أبْحُرُ فِكْرِهِ

وحلّتْ لدَيْهِ الطّرْسَ تحسِبُهُ شطّا

وحلّتْ لدَيْهِ الطّرْسَ تحسِبُهُ شطّا

The seas of his thought cast forth pearls of expression,

The sea of his words aspired to the full moon's light

and settled on the page before him, thinking it a shore.

And planets visited him thinking it a shore

فدونَكَ زُهْرَ الأفْقِ فاسْتَجلِ نورَها

فدونَكَ زُهْرَ الأفْقِ فاسْتَجلِ نورَها

ودونَكَ زهْرَ الروضِ فلتجنِهِ لَقْطا

ودونَكَ زهْرَ الروضِ فلتجنِهِ لَقْطا

Take, then, the horizon's bright stars, and behold their light;

Before you is dawn's flower, so admire its light

and take the garden's flowers, and pluck them one by one.

And before you is the garden's flower, so pick it

أبا الفضْلِ لا تسْتَبْط حَظّاً من العُلَى

أبا الفضْلِ لا تسْتَبْط حَظّاً من العُلَى

ستَبْلُغُ ما أمّلتَ منهُ وإن أبْطا

ستَبْلُغُ ما أمّلتَ منهُ وإن أبْطا

Abu al-Fadl, do not think your share of eminence slow to come:

Abu al-Fadl, don't miss out on great heights

you will attain what you hoped for from it, even if it is delayed.

You will attain what you hope for even if delayed

فَفي حُكْمِك الآدابُ مُلّكْتَ رِقَّها

فَفي حُكْمِك الآدابُ مُلّكْتَ رِقَّها

وهلْ مانِعٌ من ذاكَ واللهُ قد أعْطى

وهلْ مانِعٌ من ذاكَ واللهُ قد أعْطى

For letters are under your rule; you have been granted them as slaves.

For you are literature's master, you tamed it

And who can prevent that, when God has already given?

What prevents that when God has given you support?

ودونكَها من خالص الوُدّ قلبُهُ

ودونكَها من خالص الوُدّ قلبُهُ

لميثاقِهِ قد أحْكَمَ العَقْدَ والرَّبْطا

لميثاقِهِ قد أحْكَمَ العَقْدَ والرَّبْطا

And take her from one sincere in affection, whose heart

With sincere love his heart is bound to his promise

has made fast the knot and binding of his covenant.

Tying firm the knot and bond between you