يا كَوكَباً لَم تحوِهِ الأَفلاكُ

يا كَوكَباً لَم تحوِهِ الأَفلاكُ

وَبعارِضيه مِرزَمٌ وَسِماكُ

وَبعارِضيه مِرزَمٌ وَسِماكُ

O star whom the celestial spheres have never encompassed,

O star untouched by the orbits!

And on his two cheeks are Mirzam and Simak.

With shining cheeks and perfect beauty.

يُحيي بطلعَتِهِ النفوسَ ولحظُه

يُحيي بطلعَتِهِ النفوسَ ولحظُه

لدماءِ أَربابِ الهوى سَفّاكُ

لدماءِ أَربابِ الهوى سَفّاكُ

He revives souls with his appearance, and his glance

Your rising revives souls, your glance

Sheds the blood of the devotees of love.

Sheds the blood of passionate lovers.

اِغمد شَباكَ عن القلوب وصِد بأه

اِغمد شَباكَ عن القلوب وصِد بأه

دابِ الجُفون فإِنَّهنَّ شِباكُ

دابِ الجُفون فإِنَّهنَّ شِباكُ

Sheathe your sharp edge away from hearts, and hunt with the

Sheathe your arrows from hearts, and aim

Lashes of the eyelids, for they are nets.

At the prey of eyelids, for they’re your hunting trap.

أَسرَ الغَرامُ لكَ النفوسَ بأَسرِها

أَسرَ الغَرامُ لكَ النفوسَ بأَسرِها

قَسراً فما يُرجى لَهُنَّ فكاكُ

قَسراً فما يُرجى لَهُنَّ فكاكُ

Passion has taken every soul captive for you,

Passion has captivated souls completely,

By force, so no release is hoped for them.

Forcibly, so no release can be hoped for them.

أَنّى يُرجّى مِن هواك فكاكُها

أَنّى يُرجّى مِن هواك فكاكُها

من بعد ما عَلِقَت بها الأَشراكُ

من بعد ما عَلِقَت بها الأَشراكُ

How could their release from love of you be hoped for,

How can release from your love be hoped

Once the snares have fastened upon them?

After they are fettered by your chains?

خفَقت عليكَ قُلوبُ أَربابِ الهوى

خفَقت عليكَ قُلوبُ أَربابِ الهوى

حتّى غَدَونَ وما بهنَّ حراكُ

حتّى غَدَونَ وما بهنَّ حراكُ

The hearts of the devotees of love throbbed for you

The hearts of lovers have fluttered to you

Until they were left without a stir.

Until they came to you and stopped all movement.

لكَ في القَبائلِ نسبةٌ بجمالها

لكَ في القَبائلِ نسبةٌ بجمالها

تَسمو الحُبوشُ وَتفخر الأَتراكُ

تَسمو الحُبوشُ وَتفخر الأَتراكُ

Among the tribes, yours is a lineage in whose beauty

For you, among tribes, is a lineage of beauty

The Abyssinians are exalted and the Turks take pride.

Noble Shubash and proud Ottomans boast of.

ما كُنتُ أَحسب للدُموع بَوارِقاً

ما كُنتُ أَحسب للدُموع بَوارِقاً

حتّى تلألأَ ثغرك الضَحّاكُ

حتّى تلألأَ ثغرك الضَحّاكُ

I had not thought that tears had lightning flashes

I never thought tears had flowing springs

Until your laughing mouth sparkled.

Until your smiling mouth began to shine.

بشفاته ماءُ الحياة لأَنفُس

بشفاته ماءُ الحياة لأَنفُس

أَودى بهنَّ من الصُدود هلاكُ

أَودى بهنَّ من الصُدود هلاكُ

On his lips is the water of life for souls

In his lips is the water of life for souls

Carried off by the ruin of rejection.

Destroyed by aloofness and perishment.

ما ذقتُ موردَها ولكن هَكَذا

ما ذقتُ موردَها ولكن هَكَذا

نقلَ الأَراكُ وحدَّث المِسواكُ

نقلَ الأَراكُ وحدَّث المِسواكُ

I have not tasted their spring, but thus

I have not tasted it, but this is how

The arak tree has reported, and the tooth-stick has told.

The narrator related, and the tooth stick spoke.

قل للأَراك أَراك تلثم مَبسِماً

قل للأَراك أَراك تلثم مَبسِماً

ما راحَ لاثمُه سِواكَ سِواكُ

ما راحَ لاثمُه سِواكَ سِواكُ

Say to the arak tree: "I see you kissing a smiling mouth

Say to the narrator, you narrate kissing a smiling mouth

That no tooth-stick but you has ever kissed."

None has kissed it but you, none but you!

لَو أَبصر النُسّاكُ بارقَ ثغره

لَو أَبصر النُسّاكُ بارقَ ثغره

ضَلَّت سَبيلَ رشادِها النُسّاكُ

ضَلَّت سَبيلَ رشادِها النُسّاكُ

If the ascetics saw his mouth's lightning flash,

If ascetics saw the lightning of his smile

The ascetics would lose their path of right guidance.

Ascetics would lose the path of their piety.

سيّان في نَهب النُفوس وَسفكها

سيّان في نَهب النُفوس وَسفكها

حَدُّ الحسام وطرفُه البتّاكُ

حَدُّ الحسام وطرفُه البتّاكُ

Alike in plundering souls and shedding their blood

It’s all the same in plundering souls and shedding their blood,

Are the sword's edge and his cleaving glance.

The sword’s edge and his captivating glance.

ظبيُ الصَريم إِذا تلفَّت أَو رنا

ظبيُ الصَريم إِذا تلفَّت أَو رنا

وإِذا سطا فالضَيغَمُ الفتّاكُ

وإِذا سطا فالضَيغَمُ الفتّاكُ

A gazelle of the thicket when he turns or gazes,

The roe deer, if it turns or cries out,

And when he strikes, he is the deadly lion.

The wolf, if it pounces, is the vicious killer.

وأَنا الَّذي في الحُبِّ مُذ وحَّدتُه

وأَنا الَّذي في الحُبِّ مُذ وحَّدتُه

ما شانَ توحيدي له إِشراكُ

ما شانَ توحيدي له إِشراكُ

And I am he who, since singling him out in love,

And I, since I profess His unicity in love,

Has let no partner mar my devotion to him alone.

Nothing shares with me in my profession of His unicity.

وَعَلى التَفنُّن في محاسن وصفِهِ

وَعَلى التَفنُّن في محاسن وصفِهِ

ما حامَ حَولَ أَقلِّها الإِدراكُ

ما حامَ حَولَ أَقلِّها الإِدراكُ

And for all the varied artistry in describing his beauties,

And in depicting the variations of his beauties

Understanding has not circled even the least of them.

The highest perception cannot encompass even the least of them.

لَولا أَبي وأَبي الرَضيُّ المُرتَضى

لَولا أَبي وأَبي الرَضيُّ المُرتَضى

لَم يثنِني عَن وصفِه اِستِدراكُ

لَم يثنِني عَن وصفِه اِستِدراكُ

Were it not for my father and my father al-Radi al-Murtada,

Were it not for my father and my father al-Radi

No afterthought would have turned me from describing him.

No qualm would keep me from depicting Him.

السيِّدُ الندبُ الهمامُ أَخو العُلى

السيِّدُ الندبُ الهمامُ أَخو العُلى

من أَذعنَت لجلاله الأملاكُ

من أَذعنَت لجلاله الأملاكُ

The lord, the gallant, the resolute, brother of high glory,

The outstanding Master, the zealous brother of the Exalted One,

To whose majesty kings have submitted.

To whose majesty the angels submit.

هو شَمسُ مجدٍ أَشرقت بضيائها

هو شَمسُ مجدٍ أَشرقت بضيائها

ظُلَمُ الدُجى وأَنارت الأَحلاكُ

ظُلَمُ الدُجى وأَنارت الأَحلاكُ

He is a sun of glory whose radiance has lit

He is the sun of glory whose brilliance shone,

The shades of night and brightened deepest darkness.

Dispelling the darkness of gloom and illuminating horizons.

طافَت بكعبة جوده يَومَ النَدى

طافَت بكعبة جوده يَومَ النَدى

عُصَبُ الوفود ولاذت الهُلّاكُ

عُصَبُ الوفود ولاذت الهُلّاكُ

Around the Kaaba of his bounty, on the day of giving, circled

The throngs of pilgrims circled His generocity

Bands of delegates, and the perishing sought refuge.

The day of bounty, and the doomed took refuge in Him.

الأَلمعيُّ إِذا اِدلهمَّت طَخيَةٌ

الأَلمعيُّ إِذا اِدلهمَّت طَخيَةٌ

عمياءُ فهو لِسترها هتّاكُ

عمياءُ فهو لِسترها هتّاكُ

The keen-witted one: when a darkness grows black,

Al-Alami, when an obscure stain arises,

A blind darkness—he tears its veil apart.

Is active in concealing it.

وَاللوذعيُّ إذا تَسامَت رُتبةٌ

وَاللوذعيُّ إذا تَسامَت رُتبةٌ

قَعساءُ فهو لنيلها دَرّاكُ

قَعساءُ فهو لنيلها دَرّاكُ

And the quick-witted one: when a rank rises high,

Al-Lawza’i, when rank is high,

Hard to reach though it is, he unfailingly attains it.

Strives hard to attain it.

وَالهِبرزيُّ إذا تغالَت خَصلَةٌ

وَالهِبرزيُّ إذا تغالَت خَصلَةٌ

علياءُ فهو لرقِّها ملّاكُ

علياءُ فهو لرقِّها ملّاكُ

And the peerless one: when a virtue soars high,

And al-Hibri, when a lofty quality arises,

Exalted though it is, he holds it as his slave.

He is an angel in lifting it to the heights.

فلجيدِه دُرَرُ المدائح تُنتَقى

فلجيدِه دُرَرُ المدائح تُنتَقى

وَلجوده بُردُ الثَناءِ يُحاكُ

وَلجوده بُردُ الثَناءِ يُحاكُ

So for his neck the pearls of panegyrics are chosen,

For his generosity, the pearls of praise are selected,

And for his bounty a mantle of praise is woven.

And for his liberality, the gems of eulogy are composed.

سَمعاً أَخا العَلياء مدحةَ ناظم

سَمعاً أَخا العَلياء مدحةَ ناظم

نَثرَت لآلئِها له الأَسلاكُ

نَثرَت لآلئِها له الأَسلاكُ

Listen, brother of high glory, to a poet's praise;

Hear, O brother of the Exalted, the eulogy of a composer

The strings have scattered its pearls for him.

Whose pearls were threaded for you by the planets.

يَدعوكَ بعدَ أَبيه في الدُنيا أَباً

يَدعوكَ بعدَ أَبيه في الدُنيا أَباً

فَكِلاكما للمكرُماتِ ملاكُ

فَكِلاكما للمكرُماتِ ملاكُ

He calls you father in this world, after his own father,

He calls you after your father “father” in the world,

For both of you are the mainstay of noble deeds.

For both of you own the bestowal of bounties.

يا لَيتَ شِعري كيف رأَيُك بعدَما

يا لَيتَ شِعري كيف رأَيُك بعدَما

حال الزَمانُ ودارَت الأَفلاكُ

حال الزَمانُ ودارَت الأَفلاكُ

Would that I knew your judgment, now that

Oh, how I wish I knew, after time has passed

Time has changed and the celestial spheres have turned.

And the orbits revolved, how you see me!

هَل قائِمٌ عُذري لديكَ بما مَضى

هَل قائِمٌ عُذري لديكَ بما مَضى

منّي وَقَلبي بالخطوب يُشاكُ

منّي وَقَلبي بالخطوب يُشاكُ

Does my excuse hold good with you for what has happened

Does my excuse still stand with you

On my part, while my heart is pricked by calamities?

For my past conduct, while my heart is torn with distress?

أَم آخِذٌ في العتب أَنتَ وتاركي

أَم آخِذٌ في العتب أَنتَ وتاركي

حَرضاً وأَنتَ الآخذُ التَرّاكُ

حَرضاً وأَنتَ الآخذُ التَرّاكُ

Or are you beginning to reproach me, and leaving me

Or are you blaming me, rejecting me,

Wasted with grief—you who take in and cast aside?

While you are the most clement and forgiving?

ما كانَ إِهمالي الجوابَ لجفوَةٍ

ما كانَ إِهمالي الجوابَ لجفوَةٍ

لا والَّذي دانَت له الأَملاكُ

لا والَّذي دانَت له الأَملاكُ

My neglect of a reply was not from coldness,

It was not neglect that made me refrain from answering,

No, by Him to whom the angels submit.

No—by Him to whom angels submit!

لكن مخافةَ أَن يَقولَ وَيَفتري

لكن مخافةَ أَن يَقولَ وَيَفتري

عنّي المحالَ الكاذِبُ الأفّاكُ

عنّي المحالَ الكاذِبُ الأفّاكُ

But from fear that he might utter and fabricate

Rather, fear that the impossible liar and fraud

Falsehoods about me—the liar, the slanderer.

Would speak ill of me and fabricate about me.

وإِليكَها منّي عَروساً لم يكن

وإِليكَها منّي عَروساً لم يكن

لِسوى ودادِك عندها إِملاكُ

لِسوى ودادِك عندها إِملاكُ

And here she comes from me to you, a bride never

And to you—she is from me a bride whom

Wed to anything but your affection.

None but your love had power over.

لا زلتَ مقصودَ الجَناب مُمَجَّداً

لا زلتَ مقصودَ الجَناب مُمَجَّداً

ما لاحَ بَرقٌ واِستهلَّ سِماكُ

ما لاحَ بَرقٌ واِستهلَّ سِماكُ

May you ever be sought at your threshold, and glorified,

You still have the aim of my side, glorious,

As long as lightning flashes and Simak pours down rain.

As long as lightning flashes and clouds gather.