نَعَمْ هَذِه دَارُ النَّعيم المُعَجَّلِ

نَعَمْ هَذِه دَارُ النَّعيم المُعَجَّلِ

تُذكِّرُني دَارَ النَّعيمِ المؤجَّل

تُذكِّرُني دَارَ النَّعيمِ المؤجَّل

Yes, this is the abode of bliss granted now,

Yes, this is the abode of instant bliss

Reminding me of the abode of bliss deferred.

Reminding me of the deferred blissful abode

فأَرتَعُ في الدَّارَينِ في زَمَن معاً

فأَرتَعُ في الدَّارَينِ في زَمَن معاً

بعيني وعَيْنَيْ فِكرتِي وتَخيُّلي

بعيني وعَيْنَيْ فِكرتِي وتَخيُّلي

So I revel in both abodes at one time,

So I graze in both abodes at one time

With my eye and the twin eyes of my thought and imagination.

With my eyes, mind and imagination

أَلا فاجلَسا فيها سُروراً بها ولا

أَلا فاجلَسا فيها سُروراً بها ولا

قِفَا نبك من ذِكْرَى حَبيبٍ ومَنزلِ

قِفَا نبك من ذِكْرَى حَبيبٍ ومَنزلِ

Come, sit here, you two, rejoicing in it, and do not say:

Oh, reside in it happily without

“Halt, let us weep at the memory of a beloved and a home.”

Standing weeping from memories of a beloved and home

ولا تَعْبُرا بالله بالقَصْرِ بَعْدَها

ولا تَعْبُرا بالله بالقَصْرِ بَعْدَها

فما عِنْدَ رَسْمٍ دارسٍ مِنْ مُعَوَّل

فما عِنْدَ رَسْمٍ دارسٍ مِنْ مُعَوَّل

And, by God, do not pass by the palace after this,

And do not, by God, after it censure the palace

For no solace lies in an effaced trace.

For nothingness exists in drawing for one to rely on

لقد قَصَّرتْ عن شَأؤِهَا كُلُّ روضةٍ

لقد قَصَّرتْ عن شَأؤِهَا كُلُّ روضةٍ

وقصَّر عن أَملاكِها كُلُّ أَفْضَلِ

وقصَّر عن أَملاكِها كُلُّ أَفْضَلِ

Every garden has indeed fallen short of its reach,

Every garden falls short compared to its magnificence

And every man of excellence falls short of its kings.

And all excellences fall short of its possessions

وأَنْسَى بها بَيْنَ الوَرى ذِكْر جَعْفرِ الرَّ

وأَنْسَى بها بَيْنَ الوَرى ذِكْر جَعْفرِ الرَّ

شيدِ فأَنى جَعْفرُ المُتَوكِّل

شيدِ فأَنى جَعْفرُ المُتَوكِّل

Through it, he effaced among mankind the memory of Ja‘far of al-Ra-

And in it between all people I forget mention of Ja’far al Rashid

shid—then where is Ja‘far al-Mutawakkil?

So where is Ja’far al-Mutawakkil?

يُرى الضَّيْفُ فيها وهْوَ ضَيْفٌ لحاتِم

يُرى الضَّيْفُ فيها وهْوَ ضَيْفٌ لحاتِم

كما الجارُ فيها وهْو جَارُ السَمَوْءَل

كما الجارُ فيها وهْو جَارُ السَمَوْءَل

A guest there seems to be a guest of Hatim,

The guest is seen in it as a guest of Hatim

Just as a neighbor there is a neighbor of al-Samaw’al.

As the neighbor is in it - a neighbor of loftiness

سماءُ نُضَارٍ تحتها أَرْضُ فضَّةٍ

سماءُ نُضَارٍ تحتها أَرْضُ فضَّةٍ

يفرّع مَاءُ الوَرْدِ فيها بَجَدْولِ

يفرّع مَاءُ الوَرْدِ فيها بَجَدْولِ

A sky of gold, beneath it an earth of silver,

A clear sky under which silver earth

Rosewater branches through it along a channel.

Where water of roses flows in a stream

وفي الصَدْرِ شَاذرْوَانُهَا جَفنُ ملْعَب

وفي الصَدْرِ شَاذرْوَانُهَا جَفنُ ملْعَب

لعُفْرِيَّةٍ آثارُ طَيْفٍ وأَيْطَل

لعُفْرِيَّةٍ آثارُ طَيْفٍ وأَيْطَل

At the front, its cascade is a playful eyelid

And in the breast are its galleries - an eye of a playground

Of a she-sprite—traces of a phantom and a flank.

For bands of nymphs - traces of ghosts and specters

وكم طائرٍ من رأْسِهِ الماءُ طَائِرٌ

وكم طائرٍ من رأْسِهِ الماءُ طَائِرٌ

على أَنَّهُ في وَكْرِه كالمُكبَّل

على أَنَّهُ في وَكْرِه كالمُكبَّل

And how many a bird has water flying from its head,

And however many birds from whose heads water is flying

Although in its nest it is like one in chains!

As if captive in its lair tied up

وكم أَسدِ ولماءُ من فيه وَاثِبٌ

وكم أَسدِ ولماءُ من فيه وَاثِبٌ

وإِن كَان لَمْ يَنْهَضْ ولَم يَتَحَلْحَل

وإِن كَان لَمْ يَنْهَضْ ولَم يَتَحَلْحَل

And how many a lion has water leaping from its mouth,

And however many lions from which escaped water leaps

Though it has neither risen nor stirred!

Though it hasn't risen or moved

أُعِيدَ مُلُوكُ الأَرض فيها ليَعْلَمُوا

أُعِيدَ مُلُوكُ الأَرض فيها ليَعْلَمُوا

بأَنَّ الذي شَادُوهُ غَيْرُ مُكَمَّلِ

بأَنَّ الذي شَادُوهُ غَيْرُ مُكَمَّلِ

The kings of the earth were brought back there to learn

The kings of earth were revived in it to know

That what they built was imperfect.

That what they built is imperfect

يقابِلُ كِسْرى قيصراً وكلاهما

يقابِلُ كِسْرى قيصراً وكلاهما

يُقَلِّب طَرْف الباهتِ المتَأَمِّل

يُقَلِّب طَرْف الباهتِ المتَأَمِّل

Kisra faces Caesar, and both

Chosroes faces Caesar and both

Turn an astonished, contemplative gaze.

Flip looks of the wide-eyed observer

فكسرى يرى الإِيوانَ كِسْراً وقَيْصرٌ

فكسرى يرى الإِيوانَ كِسْراً وقَيْصرٌ

يرى القَصْر خُصَّ الناسك المتبتِّلِ

يرى القَصْر خُصَّ الناسك المتبتِّلِ

So Kisra sees the iwan as a mere fragment, and Caesar

So Chosroes sees the hall imperfect and Caesar

Sees the palace as a devout hermit’s hut.

Sees the palace - deprived of all but the devoted worshipper

وصُوِّرَ في أَرْجَائِها كُلُّ عاشقٍ

وصُوِّرَ في أَرْجَائِها كُلُّ عاشقٍ

يرى العِشْقَ فَرضاً في الكتابِ المنزَّلِ

يرى العِشْقَ فَرضاً في الكتابِ المنزَّلِ

And throughout it is portrayed every lover

And in its corners every lover is depicted

Who deems love a duty in the revealed Book:

Who sees passion an obligation in the descended book

جَمِيلُ بُثَيْنٍ مَعْ كُثَيِّرٍ عزَّةٍ

جَمِيلُ بُثَيْنٍ مَعْ كُثَيِّرٍ عزَّةٍ

يَصُوغَانِ أَشعارَ الهوى والتَغَزُّلِ

يَصُوغَانِ أَشعارَ الهوى والتَغَزُّلِ

Jamil of Buthayn, with Kuthayyir of ‘Azza,

Beautiful Buthaina with glorious Kuthaiyir

The two composing verses of passion and courtship.

Composing love poems and amorous overtures

وقد عرِضَت فيها الجنودُ فجحفَلٌ

وقد عرِضَت فيها الجنودُ فجحفَلٌ

يمرُّ على آثارهِ أَلفُ جَحْفَل

يمرُّ على آثارهِ أَلفُ جَحْفَل

Troops have been paraded there: a host

And in it the armies were presented so hosts

In whose tracks a thousand hosts pass.

Pass by their vestiges, a thousand hosts

كأَنَّهمُ في يوم عيد فقُمْصُهم

كأَنَّهمُ في يوم عيد فقُمْصُهم

من الوَشْي لا قُمص الحديدِ المسَرْبَل

من الوَشْي لا قُمص الحديدِ المسَرْبَل

As though they were on a feast day, for their tunics

As if on feast day their attire

Are of brocade, not the iron tunics one wears.

Is of brocade, not iron coats of mail

وقد أَينَعَتْ فيها الرياضُ فكَمْ بها

وقد أَينَعَتْ فيها الرياضُ فكَمْ بها

لمخترِفٍ من كل عِذْقٍ مُذَلَّلِ

لمخترِفٍ من كل عِذْقٍ مُذَلَّلِ

And gardens have ripened there—how much there is

And in it gardens bore fruit so how many

For a fruit-picker, from every low-hanging date cluster!

For the amusing picker from each hanging cluster

وقد بَعُدَتْ لكِنْ على كَفِّ مجْتَنٍ

وقد بَعُدَتْ لكِنْ على كَفِّ مجْتَنٍ

وقد قَرُبَتْ لكن إِلى عينِ مُجْتَلي

وقد قَرُبَتْ لكن إِلى عينِ مُجْتَلي

They are distant, but only from a gatherer’s hand,

And it was distant but on the palm of a gift-bearer

And near, but only to a beholder’s eye.

And was brought near to the eye of a beholder

فقد بان منها للورى فَضْل آخرٍ

فقد بان منها للورى فَضْل آخرٍ

كما بان منها عندهم نَقْضُ أَوَّلِ

كما بان منها عندهم نَقْضُ أَوَّلِ

Thus it shows mankind a later one’s superiority,

So its special favor over people was made clear

Just as it shows them an earlier one’s undoing.

As was its flaw to them from the first