حنت إلى مرأى علاكم جلّق

حنت إلى مرأى علاكم جلّق

وغدت إلى معناكم تتشوق

وغدت إلى معناكم تتشوق

Damascus yearned to behold your lofty glory,

Jilliq yearned to behold your eminence,

and came to long for your noble essence.

And grew eager for your presence.

وتشوقت للقاكم شوقا وعن

وتشوقت للقاكم شوقا وعن

اخباركم عرف الصبا تتنشق

اخباركم عرف الصبا تتنشق

She longed intensely to meet you, and from

And longed ardently to meet you, and for

news of you she inhales the east wind’s perfume.

News of you it inhaled the east wind's fragrance.

وبكم منازلها استنارت بهجة

وبكم منازلها استنارت بهجة

وغدت بأيام الوفا تتخلق

وغدت بأيام الوفا تتخلق

Through you her dwellings shone with delight,

And through you its dwellings shone with joy,

and came to embody the character of days of fidelity.

And it began to perfume itself with days of fidelity.

وتهللت فرحا اهلة افقها

وتهللت فرحا اهلة افقها

وبدورها بالبشر اضحت تشرق

وبدورها بالبشر اضحت تشرق

Joyfully the crescents of her horizon beamed,

And the crescents of its horizon beamed with joy,

and her full moons shone radiant with glad tidings.

And its full moons grew radiant with gladness.

ورياضها المسكية النفحات قد

ورياضها المسكية النفحات قد

حلقت بغير شذاكم لا تعبق

حلقت بغير شذاكم لا تعبق

Her gardens, musky in their breath, have

And its gardens, with their musk-scented breaths, have

soared aloft; without your fragrance they yield no scent.

Sworn to breathe no fragrance but yours.

والريح شبب حين غنى طيرها

والريح شبب حين غنى طيرها

واكف اوراق الغصون تصفق

واكف اوراق الغصون تصفق

The breeze sang of love when her birds sang,

And the wind piped when its birds sang,

and the leafy hands of the branches clapped.

And the hands of the branches' leaves clap.

والورق من فرط السرور اكفها

والورق من فرط السرور اكفها

خضبت واضحت بالهنا تتطوق

خضبت واضحت بالهنا تتطوق

The trees, in their overflowing joy—their hands

And the doves, from sheer delight, had their palms

were hennaed, and in their happiness they wreathed themselves.

Dyed, and came to wear collars of happiness.

وعلى منابر ايكها اطيارها

وعلى منابر ايكها اطيارها

سجعت وبالافراح كادت تنطق

سجعت وبالافراح كادت تنطق

Upon the pulpits of her groves, her birds

And on the pulpits of its groves, its birds

cooed in cadence, and in their joy almost spoke.

Cooed, and almost spoke for joy.

وحلت جداولها وزاد صفاؤها

وحلت جداولها وزاد صفاؤها

والماء اضحى سائلا يترقرق

والماء اضحى سائلا يترقرق

Her streams grew sweet, and their clarity increased;

And its streams grew sweet, and their clarity increased,

the water flowed, rippling and shimmering.

And the water began to flow in shimmering ripples.

واليكم قد جمجمت شقراؤها

واليكم قد جمجمت شقراؤها

ويكاد من فرح يطير الايلق

ويكاد من فرح يطير الايلق

The grove’s tawny partridge murmured,

And its chestnut mare has nickered toward you,

and the stag nearly flew for joy.

And the white horse almost flies with joy.

والارض توجها الحيا وربوعها

والارض توجها الحيا وربوعها

بالتاج قد اضحى عليها رونق

بالتاج قد اضحى عليها رونق

Life-giving rain crowned the earth and its meadows,

And rain has crowned the earth; its quarters

and the splendor of a crown now rests upon them.

Have gained a splendor through the crown.

مولى اذا استمطرت سحب نواله

مولى اذا استمطرت سحب نواله

تلقاه يحرا بالوفا يتدفق

تلقاه يحرا بالوفا يتدفق

My lord, when you ask the clouds of his bounty to rain,

A lord: when you ask the clouds of his bounty for rain,

you find him an ocean, surging with generosity.

You find him a sea overflowing with faithfulness.

ويريك وجها بالسنا متهللا

ويريك وجها بالسنا متهللا

عند العطاء كأنك المتصدق

عند العطاء كأنك المتصدق

He shows you his face, radiant with splendor;

And he shows you a face beaming with radiance

when he gives, it is as though you were the benefactor.

When giving, as though you were the one bestowing alms.

ان قلت ليث فهو اعظم سطوة

ان قلت ليث فهو اعظم سطوة

او قلت غيث فهو منه اغدق

او قلت غيث فهو منه اغدق

Call him a lion: he is more formidable in assault;

If you call him a lion, he is greater in might;

or call him a rain cloud: he pours more abundantly still.

Or call him rain, he is more copious than it.

واذا تبدى فهو غصنٌ مثمر

واذا تبدى فهو غصنٌ مثمر

واذا تهلل فهو بدر مشرق

واذا تهلل فهو بدر مشرق

When he appears, he is a fruit-laden bough;

And when he appears, he is a fruit-bearing branch,

when he smiles, a shining full moon.

And when he beams, he is a shining full moon.

تهوى مكارمه الورى وتهيم من

تهوى مكارمه الورى وتهيم من

شغف بها ان المكارم تعشق

شغف بها ان المكارم تعشق

All humanity loves his noble virtues and wanders

All people love his noble deeds and are enraptured by

madly enamored of them—for noble virtues inspire love.

Passion for them—noble deeds are indeed adored.

لا عيب فيه غير ان نواله

لا عيب فيه غير ان نواله

منه اكاد اذا تزايد اغرق

منه اكاد اذا تزايد اغرق

No fault is in him, except that in his largesse

He has no fault, save that his bounty

I nearly drown whenever it swells.

Almost drowns me when it grows greater.

قسماً بيمناه الكريمة انها

قسماً بيمناه الكريمة انها

ازكى يمين في الانام وأصدق

ازكى يمين في الانام وأصدق

I swear by his generous right hand: it is

By his noble right hand, I swear that it is

the purest and truest right hand among humankind.

The purest and truest right hand among humankind.

ان السخا والمكرمات سجية

ان السخا والمكرمات سجية

خلقت به لا مثل من ينخلق

خلقت به لا مثل من ينخلق

Generosity and noble deeds are his very nature,

Generosity and noble deeds are a disposition

created in him—not like one who merely affects them.

Born in him, unlike one who merely assumes it.

سعيا لهاتيك الايادي انها

سعيا لهاتيك الايادي انها

كالروض تثمر بالنوال وتورق

كالروض تثمر بالنوال وتورق

May those beneficent hands prosper in their striving; truly they are

Seek those beneficent hands, for they

like a garden, fruiting with gifts and putting forth leaves.

Are like a garden, bearing bounty as fruit and putting forth leaves.

فهو الجواد المحرز السبق الذي

فهو الجواد المحرز السبق الذي

بالمجد نال مكارما لا تلحق

بالمجد نال مكارما لا تلحق

He is the noble steed who has secured the lead,

For he is the generous steed, winner of the race, who

attaining through glory honors none can overtake.

Through glory attained noble merits none can match.

واذا تسابقت الجياد إلى العلا

واذا تسابقت الجياد إلى العلا

فهو الذي منهم اليها اسبق

فهو الذي منهم اليها اسبق

When steeds race one another toward the heights,

And when the steeds race toward eminence,

he is the one among them who arrives there first.

He is the first among them to reach it.

والسعد اضحى طائعا عبداً له

والسعد اضحى طائعا عبداً له

يا عبده فكذاك انت موفق

يا عبده فكذاك انت موفق

Good fortune has become his obedient servant;

And fortune has become his obedient slave;

O servant of his, thus are you blessed with success.

O servant of his, you too are thus favored with success.

مولاي تاج الدين يا من قد سما

مولاي تاج الدين يا من قد سما

وعليه اعلام السعادة تخفق

وعليه اعلام السعادة تخفق

My lord, Taj al-Din, O you who have risen high,

My lord Taj al-Din, O you who have risen high,

above whom the banners of felicity flutter,

And above whom the banners of good fortune flutter.

خذها عروسا قد اتت من خدرها

خذها عروسا قد اتت من خدرها

تجلى وفي ثوب المحاسن تشرق

تجلى وفي ثوب المحاسن تشرق

take this poem as a bride come from her chamber,

Take her as a bride who has come from her secluded chamber,

unveiling herself, radiant in a robe of beauties.

To be unveiled, shining in a robe of beauty.

منك الصداق تروم عند زفافها

منك الصداق تروم عند زفافها

فعسى عليها بالوفا تتصدق

فعسى عليها بالوفا تتصدق

From you she seeks her bridal gift at her wedding;

She seeks her bridal dower from you at her wedding;

perhaps you will graciously bestow it upon her in fulfillment.

So may you faithfully bestow a gift upon her.

وعسى اذا تليت معاني حسنها

وعسى اذا تليت معاني حسنها

تقرى وتحظى بالقبول وترزق

تقرى وتحظى بالقبول وترزق

And perhaps, when the meanings of her beauty are recited,

And may she, when the meanings of her beauty are recited,

she will be entertained, favored with acceptance, and provided for.

Be hospitably welcomed, find acceptance, and be provided for.

فامدد بدا لي لا عدمت لها ندى

فامدد بدا لي لا عدمت لها ندى

منها العطاء مقسم ومفرق

منها العطاء مقسم ومفرق

So extend a hand to me—may I never be denied its bounty—

So extend a hand to me—may I never lack its bounty—

a hand from which gifts are apportioned and scattered.

From which gifts are apportioned and distributed.

فاليوم سوق الشعر اصبح كاسدا

فاليوم سوق الشعر اصبح كاسدا

لكنني ارجوه عندك ينفق

لكنني ارجوه عندك ينفق

Today the market for poetry has gone slack,

For today the market of poetry has grown stagnant,

but I hope it will find a buyer with you.

But I hope that with you it will thrive.

مع انني في القول ذو سعة وما

مع انني في القول ذو سعة وما

يغني المقال اذا وعيشي ضيق

يغني المقال اذا وعيشي ضيق

Though I possess abundance in speech, what

Though I have abundance in speech, what

can eloquence avail when my livelihood is straitened?

Does speech avail, then, when my livelihood is straitened?

لا زلت ترقى صاعدا درج العلا

لا زلت ترقى صاعدا درج العلا

ابدا وعين السعد نحوك ترمق

ابدا وعين السعد نحوك ترمق

May you never cease ascending the rising stairs of glory,

May you keep rising, ascending the steps of eminence

forever, while fortune’s eye gazes toward you.

Forever, while fortune's eye gazes toward you.

وبقيت بالرأي المسدد رافلاً

وبقيت بالرأي المسدد رافلاً

في نعمة ابوابها لا تغلق

في نعمة ابوابها لا تغلق

And may you remain, with unerring judgment, luxuriating

And may you remain, with well-directed judgment, robed

in a grace whose gates are never closed,

In blessings whose doors are never closed,

ما اعربت عن لحنها ورق الحمى

ما اعربت عن لحنها ورق الحمى

وشدا على عود الاراك مطوق

وشدا على عود الاراك مطوق

as long as the sanctuary’s doves voice their melody

As long as the doves of the sanctuary voice their melody,

and a ring-necked dove sings upon an arak bough.

And a collared dove sings upon an arak bough.