سَقْياً لطِيبِ زَمانِنا وسُرُورهِ

سَقْياً لطِيبِ زَمانِنا وسُرُورهِ

وعَزِيزِ عَيشٍ مُسْعِفٍ بِغَزيرِه

وعَزِيزِ عَيشٍ مُسْعِفٍ بِغَزيرِه

May rain bless our time's sweetness and its joy,

Watering the goodness of our time and its joy,

And a precious life, generous with its bounty,

And precious livelihood aided by its abundance,

وتكَفُّري برداءِ وَصْلِ مُقَرْطَقٍ

وتكَفُّري برداءِ وَصْلِ مُقَرْطَقٍ

كَتَبُوا بِنقْسِ المِسْكِ في كافُورِه

كَتَبُوا بِنقْسِ المِسْكِ في كافُورِه

And my wrapping myself in the cloak of union with a tunic-clad one,

And my atonement in a finely woven cloak

On whose camphor they wrote with ink of musk.

In which musk is engraved into its camphor.

مُتَلَفِّعٌ بحَريرهِ مُتَضَمِّخٌ

مُتَلَفِّعٌ بحَريرهِ مُتَضَمِّخٌ

بعَبيرهِ مُتَرَنِّحٌ بفُتُورِه

بعَبيرهِ مُتَرَنِّحٌ بفُتُورِه

Wrapped in his silk, anointed

Wearing its silk, smeared with its fragrance,

With his perfume, swaying in his languor.

Murmuring with its lanquidness,

وَسْنانُ ناوَلَني مُدَامَةَ طَرْفِهِ

وَسْنانُ ناوَلَني مُدَامَةَ طَرْفِهِ

فشَرِبْتُها وسَمِعْتُ مِن طُنْبُورِه

فشَرِبْتُها وسَمِعْتُ مِن طُنْبُورِه

Drowsy-eyed, he offered me the wine of his glance;

A branch offered me a cup from its tips,

So I drank it and listened to his tanbur.

So I drank it and heard the songs of its lute.

يَدْعُو بلُكْنةِ بَرْبَريٍّ لم يَزَلْ

يَدْعُو بلُكْنةِ بَرْبَريٍّ لم يَزَلْ

يَسْتَفُّ بالصَّحْراءِ حَبَّ بَريرِه

يَسْتَفُّ بالصَّحْراءِ حَبَّ بَريرِه

Calling with the accent of a Berber who had never ceased

Calling out in the Berber accent that never ceased

To swallow his arak-fruit seeds in the desert.

To roam the desert, loving its expanse.

مُتَقَدِّمٌ بمَضائِهِ مُتَلَفِّعٌ

مُتَقَدِّمٌ بمَضائِهِ مُتَلَفِّعٌ

برِدائِهِ مُتَكَلِّمٌ في عيرِه

برِدائِهِ مُتَكَلِّمٌ في عيرِه

Advancing with his resolve, wrapped

Going forth with his walk, wearing his cloak,

In his cloak, speaking among his caravan.

Speaking of his camel herd and his people.

مُسْتَفتِحٌ لبَيانِهِ بَبنانِهِ

مُسْتَفتِحٌ لبَيانِهِ بَبنانِهِ

يُهْدِي السّلامَ إِلى رجالِ عَشِيرِه

يُهْدِي السّلامَ إِلى رجالِ عَشِيرِه

Opening his discourse with his fingertips,

Beginning his eloquence and his clarity,

He offers greetings to the men of his clan.

Sending greetings to the men of his tribe.

مُتَنَصِّبٌ كالغُصْنِ إِلا أَنَّهُ

مُتَنَصِّبٌ كالغُصْنِ إِلا أَنَّهُ

يَهْتَزُّ مِن أَعْجازِه وصُدُورِه

يَهْتَزُّ مِن أَعْجازِه وصُدُورِه

Upright as a branch, except that he

Standing tall like a branch, except he sways

Sways in both his hindquarters and his breast.

From his backbone and his chest.

طارَحْتُهُ كَلِماً وكُنْتُ زَعِيمَهُ

طارَحْتُهُ كَلِماً وكُنْتُ زَعِيمَهُ

غَرداً أُحَرِّكُ مَنْكَبي لزَميرِه

غَرداً أُحَرِّكُ مَنْكَبي لزَميرِه

I exchanged words with him and was his leader,

I conversed with him while I led the singing,

Singing, moving my shoulder to his piping.

Shaking my shoulders to his tune.

فَمَشَى إِليَّ فثُرْتُ غَيْرَ مُعَفِّرٍ

فَمَشَى إِليَّ فثُرْتُ غَيْرَ مُعَفِّرٍ

كالليثِ مطَّرداً إِلى يَعفورِه

كالليثِ مطَّرداً إِلى يَعفورِه

Then he approached; I sprang up without casting him into the dust,

He walked towards me without hesitation

Like a lion charging toward its young gazelle.

Like a lion heading to its den.

وَمَلكتُه بالكفِّ ملكةَ قادرٍ

وَمَلكتُه بالكفِّ ملكةَ قادرٍ

فانصاعَ مؤتَمراً لحُكمِ أميرِه

فانصاعَ مؤتَمراً لحُكمِ أميرِه

And I mastered him with my hand—a strong man's mastery;

I held him by the palm with a firm grip

So he yielded, obeying his prince's command.

So he surrendered to his ruler’s command.

فَقَضَيتُ ما لم أَقْضِ فيه بِرِيبَةٍ

فَقَضَيتُ ما لم أَقْضِ فيه بِرِيبَةٍ

يَأْبَى العَفافُ وعِصْمتي بحُضُورِه

يَأْبَى العَفافُ وعِصْمتي بحُضُورِه

So I fulfilled my wish with him, but without wrongdoing;

I did what I have never done without hesitation

Chastity and my self-restraint forbid it in his presence.

As virtue and chastity abhorred his presence.

زَمَنٌ قَضَى ثُمَّ انْقَضَى فكأَنه

زَمَنٌ قَضَى ثُمَّ انْقَضَى فكأَنه

حُلُمٌ قَرأْتُ المَوْتَ في تَفْسِيرِه

حُلُمٌ قَرأْتُ المَوْتَ في تَفْسِيرِه

A time that passed, then ended, as though it were

A time that has passed and faded away as if

A dream in whose interpretation I read death.

I read death in its interpretation.

ولَرُبَّ لَيْلٍ للهُمُومِ تَهَلَّلَتْ

ولَرُبَّ لَيْلٍ للهُمُومِ تَهَلَّلَتْ

أَستارُه فَمحا الصُّوى بِسُتُورِه

أَستارُه فَمحا الصُّوى بِسُتُورِه

And many a night, when cares were smiled upon by

And many a night whose curtains

Its curtains, erased the waymarks with its veils.

Were drawn for worries and erased the walls.

كالبَحْر يَضْربُ وَجْهَهُ في وَجْههِ

كالبَحْر يَضْربُ وَجْهَهُ في وَجْههِ

صَعْبٌ على العُبّار وَجْهُ عُبُورِه

صَعْبٌ على العُبّار وَجْهُ عُبُورِه

Like the sea, beating its face against its own face,

Like a sea slapping its face with its face,

The way across it is hard for travelers.

Difficult for sailors to cross.

طاوَلْتُهُ مِن عَزْمتي بمُضَمَّرٍ

طاوَلْتُهُ مِن عَزْمتي بمُضَمَّرٍ

أثْبَتُّ هَمِّي في قَرارَةِ كورِه

أثْبَتُّ هَمِّي في قَرارَةِ كورِه

I vied with its length on a lean mount of my resolve;

I challenged it with my intent and perseverance

I lodged my care deep within its saddle.

To establish my worries in the depth of its burrows.

وعليَّ للصَّبْر الجَمِيلِ مُفاضةً

وعليَّ للصَّبْر الجَمِيلِ مُفاضةً

تَلْقَى الرَّدَى فتَكِلُّ دُونَ صَبُورِه

تَلْقَى الرَّدَى فتَكِلُّ دُونَ صَبُورِه

And upon me lay an ample coat of mail of noble patience,

And I have an abundance of beautiful patience

Facing death, which falters before its steadfast wearer.

That faces adversities and falls short of its threshold.

وبراحتي مِن فِكْرتي ذُو ذُكرَةٍ

وبراحتي مِن فِكْرتي ذُو ذُكرَةٍ

عَهِدَتْ تُذاكِرُني بطَبْعِ ذَكِيرِه

عَهِدَتْ تُذاكِرُني بطَبْعِ ذَكِيرِه

And in my palm, a keen blade fashioned from my thought,

And at my leisure my recurring thoughts

Wont to commune with me through the temper of its steel.

Remind me of their mark with its reminder.

فَرْدٌ إِذا بَعَثَتْ دَياجي صَرْفِهِ

فَرْدٌ إِذا بَعَثَتْ دَياجي صَرْفِهِ

هَوْلاً عليَّ خَبَطْتُ في دَيْجُورِه

هَوْلاً عليَّ خَبَطْتُ في دَيْجُورِه

Alone, when the darkness of its reversals stirred

Solitude when the obscurity of its diversion overcomes me

Terror against me, I groped through its pitch-darkness,

And I fumble in its darkness.

حتَّى بَدا عبْد العَزيز لناظِرَيْ

حتَّى بَدا عبْد العَزيز لناظِرَيْ

أَمَلِي فمَزَّقْتُ الدُّجَى عن نُورِه

أَمَلِي فمَزَّقْتُ الدُّجَى عن نُورِه

Until Abd al-Aziz appeared before the two eyes

Until Abdulaziz appeared to my eyes—

Of my hope, and I tore the darkness from his light.

My hope—so I tore away the fog from his light.

مَلِكٌ تَبَقَّى المَجْدَ ناصِرُهُ لَهُ

مَلِكٌ تَبَقَّى المَجْدَ ناصِرُهُ لَهُ

وتَقَيَّلَ العَلْيَاءَ عن مَنْصُورِه

وتَقَيَّلَ العَلْيَاءَ عن مَنْصُورِه

A king whose Nasir preserved glory for him,

A king whose glory victory backs

Who inherited eminence from his Mansur.

And the most High fell short of its support.

طَلَبَ الحَوادِثَ مُعرِباً عن ثأْرِهِ

طَلَبَ الحَوادِثَ مُعرِباً عن ثأْرِهِ

فجَرَتْ دِماءُ الخَطْبِ في مأْثُورِه

فجَرَتْ دِماءُ الخَطْبِ في مأْثُورِه

He pursued calamities, proclaiming his vengeance;

Seeking events to avenge

So calamity's blood flowed over his patterned blade.

So the blood of war flows in its legends.

ورَأَى الزَّمانَ يَحِيدُ عن تَأْمِيرِهِ

ورَأَى الزَّمانَ يَحِيدُ عن تَأْمِيرِهِ

فسَقَى سهامَ المَجْدِ مِن تامُورِه

فسَقَى سهامَ المَجْدِ مِن تامُورِه

And he saw Time shrink from making him ruler,

And he saw time deviate from his rule

So he gave glory's arrows drink from its heart's blood.

So he watered the arrows of glory from his quiver.