قِفstand بِجيرونَat Jayrun أَوor بِبابِat the gate of البَريدِthe Post (al-Barid)
قِف بِجيرونَ أَو بِبابِ البَريدِ
وَتَأَمَّلand contemplate أَعطافَthe curves of بانِban trees القُدودِthe figures
وَتَأَمَّل أَعطافَ بانِ القُدودِ
Stand at Jayrun or at Bab al-Barid,
Stand at Gerona or at the post office door,
and contemplate the curves of figures like ban trees.
And observe the beautiful gazelles bounding o’er,
تَلقَyou will find سَمراًtawny ones كَالسُمرِlike brown lances فيin اللَونِthe hue
تَلقَ سَمراً كَالسُمرِ في اللَونِ
وَاللِينِand suppleness وَشِبهِand resemblance to الخُدودِcheeks فيin التَوريدِrosy coloring
وَاللِينِ وَشِبهِ الخُدودِ في التَوريدِ
You will find tawny ones, like brown lances in hue
You will meet a dark-eyed damsel passing there,
and suppleness, and like cheeks in rosy bloom.
Of tender form and blushing cheeks so fair,
مِنfrom بَنيsons of الصَيدِthe proud nobles لِلمُحِبينَbelonging to the lovers صادواthey hunted down
مِن بَني الصَيدِ لِلمُحِبينَ صادوا
بِعُيونِwith the eyes of الظِباgazelles قُلوبَthe hearts of الأُسودِlions
بِعُيونِ الظِبا قُلوبَ الأُسودِ
Of noble stock, they have captured the lovers'
The hunters have ensnared, for lovers true,
lion-hearts with the eyes of gazelles.
With the dark orbs of the gazelle, hearts of the lion stout,
ياO نَديمَيَّmy two drinking companions غَنِّيانيsing to me (you two) بِشِعريwith my verse
يا نَديمَيَّ غَنِّياني بِشِعري
وَاِسقِيانيand give me drink (you two) بُنَيَّةَthe little daughter of العُنقودِthe grape-cluster
وَاِسقِياني بُنَيَّةَ العُنقودِ
O my two drinking companions, sing my verse to me,
My boon companions, come sing me a lay,
and give me the grape-cluster's little daughter to drink.
And serve me wine from the ripening grape I pray,
عَرِّجاturn aside (you two) بيwith me ماthe space بَينَbetween سَطراSatra وَمَقراand Maqra
عَرِّجا بي ما بَينَ سَطرا وَمَقرا
لاnot بِأَكنافِto the environs of عالِجٍAlij وَزَرودِand Zarud
لا بِأَكنافِ عالِجٍ وَزَرودِ
Turn aside with me between Satra and Maqra,
Meander with me ‘twixt prose and rhymed metre,
not to the environs of Alij and Zarud.
Not in hermit's cell or cloister austere,
سَقَّيانيgive me drink (you two) كَأساًa cup عَلىbeside نَهرِthe river of ثَوراThawra
سَقَّياني كَأساً عَلى نَهرِ ثَورا
وَذَرانيand let me (you two) أَبولَهاurinate it فيinto يَزيدِYazid
وَذَراني أَبولَها في يَزيدِ
Give me a cup beside the river Thawra,
Serve me a cup by the bank of the Dhu'l-Thurayya,
and let me piss it into Yazid.
Then leave me to pour it out on the sands far away,
أَناI مِنamong شيعَةِthe followers of الإِمامِImam حُسَينٍHusayn
أَنا مِن شيعَةِ الإِمامِ حُسَينٍ
لَستُI am not مِنof سُنَّةِthe tradition of الإِمامِImam وَليدِWalid
لَستُ مِن سُنَّةِ الإِمامِ وَليدِ
I am among the followers of Imam Husayn;
I am of Husayn's creed, not of Walid's sunna,
I do not follow the tradition of Imam Walid.
My doctrine is one, but abode in the land,
مَذهَبيmy creed مَذهَبٌa creed وَلَكِنَّنيbut I فيin
مَذهَبي مَذهَبٌ وَلَكِنَّني في
بَلدَةٍa town زُخرِفَتwas adorned لِكُلِّfor every بَليدِdullard
بَلدَةٍ زُخرِفَت لِكُلِّ بَليدِ
My creed is a creed; yet I am in
With every fool and idiot teeming around,
a town adorned for every dullard.
Yet here is a pleasant and elegant town,
غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat الزَمانَthe time فيهاin it أَنيقٌdelightful
غَيرَ أَنَّ الزَمانَ فيها أَنيقٌ
تَحتَbeneath ظِلٍّshade مِنَfrom الغُصونِthe branches مَديدِfar-reaching
تَحتَ ظِلٍّ مِنَ الغُصونِ مَديدِ
Yet the days there are delightful,
With gardens of clove and narcissus smiling,
beneath the far-reaching shade of branches,
And fragrant with ambergris and aloes beguiling,
وَرِياضٍand gardens مِنَof البَنَفسَجِviolets وَالنَرجِسِand narcissi
وَرِياضٍ مِنَ البَنَفسَجِ وَالنَرجِسِ
قَدalready عُطُّرَتwere perfumed بِمِسكٍwith musk وَعودِand agarwood
قَد عُطُّرَت بِمِسكٍ وَعودِ
and in gardens of violets and narcissi
Like good Salih ibn Ruzzik, famed far and wide,
perfumed with musk and agarwood,
To both commoner and king much solace provide,
كَثَناlike praise of الصالِحِal-Salih بنَson of رُزّيكَRuzzik فيin كُلِّevery
كَثَنا الصالِحِ بنَ رُزّيكَ في كُلِّ
قَريبٍnear مِنَamong الدَنىthe worlds وَبَعيدِand distant
قَريبٍ مِنَ الدَنى وَبَعيدِ
like praise of al-Salih ibn Ruzzik, in every
A prince, for his foes everlastingly mourning,
near and distant corner of the world.
His raiment like steel mail twisted and burning,
مَلِكٌa king لَمnot تَزَلcease to be ثِيابُthe clothes of عِداهُhis enemies
مَلِكٌ لَم تَزَل ثِيابُ عِداهُ
فيin حِدادٍmourning وَثَوبُهُand his robe مِنof حَديدِiron
في حِدادٍ وَثَوبُهُ مِن حَديدِ
A king whose enemies' robes are always
A vizier, than al-Fadl more generous in deed,
in mourning, while his own robe is iron.
’Neath the rule of great Haroun, all munificence exceed,
وَوَزيرٍand a vizier فيin الفَضلِexcellence أَوفىmore complete مِنَthan الفَضلِal-Fadl
وَوَزيرٍ في الفَضلِ أَوفى مِنَ الفَضلِ
بنِson of يَحيىYahya فيin ظِلِّthe shadow of مُلكِthe rule of الرَشيدِal-Rashid
بنِ يَحيى في ظِلِّ مُلكِ الرَشيدِ
And a vizier, richer in excellence than al-Fadl
He surpassed Abd al-Malik in knowledge and grace,
ibn Yahya in the shadow of al-Rashid's rule.
Eloquent, wise, no match for Abd al-Hamid in his place,
فاقَhe surpassed عَبدَAbd (servant of) المَليكِal-Malik (the Sovereign) فيin العِلمِlearning
فاقَ عَبدَ المَليكِ في العِلمِ
وَالحِلمِand forbearance بَليغٌeloquent يَفوقُhe surpasses عَبدَAbd (servant of) الحَميدِal-Hamid (the Praiseworthy)
وَالحِلمِ بَليغٌ يَفوقُ عَبدَ الحَميدِ
He surpassed Abd al-Malik in learning
Daily his enemies fall, himself only mounting,
and forbearance—an eloquent man surpassing Abd al-Hamid.
As before they had risen, now equal their counting,
كُلَّevery يَومٍday عِداتُهُhis enemies فيin هُبوطٍdecline
كُلَّ يَومٍ عِداتُهُ في هُبوطٍ
حَيثُwherever كانواthey were وَمجدُهُand his glory فيin صُعودِascent
حَيثُ كانوا وَمجدُهُ في صُعودِ
Every day his enemies are in decline,
With aid against them from Allah he's blessed,
wherever they may be, while his glory rises.
As Bukht-Nassar against the Jews stood confessed,
وَلَهُand he has ناصِرٌa helper مِنَfrom اللَهِGod فيهِمagainst them
وَلَهُ ناصِرٌ مِنَ اللَهِ فيهِم
مِثلَماjust as بُختَBukht (first part of Nebuchadnezzar) نُصَّرَNussar (second part of Nebuchadnezzar) فيagainst اليَهودِthe Jews
مِثلَما بُختَ نُصَّرَ في اليَهودِ
And he has a champion from God against them,
He won the Imam, light of God's unity,
like Nebuchadnezzar against the Jews.
Quintessence of Ahmad and of Ali, verily,
فازَhe triumphed بِالفائِزِthrough al-Fa'iz الإِمامِthe imam الَّذيwho
فازَ بِالفائِزِ الإِمامِ الَّذي
أَصبَحَhas become مِصباحَthe lamp of شيعَةِthe followers of التَوحيدِmonotheism
أَصبَحَ مِصباحَ شيعَةِ التَوحيدِ
He has triumphed through al-Fa'iz, the imam who
No Sa'd nor Sa'id amongst them you’ll find,
has become the lamp of monotheism's followers,
He inherited kingship, no mere line assigned,
صَفوَةًa chosen one مِنfrom مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad وَعَلِيٍّand Ali
صَفوَةً مِن مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلِيٍّ
لَيسَhe is not مِنfrom سَعدِهِمtheir Sa'd وَلاnor مِنfrom سَعيدِSa'id
لَيسَ مِن سَعدِهِم وَلا مِن سَعيدِ
a chosen scion of Muhammad and Ali,
The sword of this Imam fails never to smite,
not from their Sa'd, nor from Sa'id.
Nor quenched is love's flame in the envious wight,
وَرِثَhe inherited المُلكَkingship لاnot كَماas زَعَمَclaimed الغَيرُothers
وَرِثَ المُلكَ لا كَما زَعَمَ الغَيرُ
وَخَلّىand set aside ماwhat قيلَwas said فيabout داوُودِDawud
وَخَلّى ما قيلَ في داوُودِ
He inherited kingship, not as others alleged,
Midst rulers you are the necklace's central gem,
and set aside what was said about Dawud.
Of verse the Pole Star, and ode's diadem,
سَيفَO sword of هَذاthis الإِمامِimam لاmay not فُلَّbe blunted حَدّاكَyour two edges
سَيفَ هَذا الإِمامِ لا فُلَّ حَدّاكَ
وَلاnor may زَلَّتdie away نارُthe fire of قَلبِthe heart of الحَسودِthe envious one
وَلا زَلَّت نارُ قَلبِ الحَسودِ
Sword of this imam, may your two edges never be blunted,
Yours is the glory, when Mahmud in elation
nor may the fire in the envier's heart die out.
Approached with fair praise and commendation.
أَنتَyou بَينَamong المُلوكِkings واسِطَةُthe central jewel of العِقدِthe necklace
أَنتَ بَينَ المُلوكِ واسِطَةُ العِقدِ
وَقُطبُand the pivot of الرَحىthe millstone وَبَيتُand the finest verse of القَصيدِthe poem
وَقُطبُ الرَحى وَبَيتُ القَصيدِ
Among kings, you are the necklace's central jewel,
and the millstone's pivot, and the poem's finest verse.
وَلَكَand yours is الفَخرُglory حينَwhen أَقبَلcame مَحمودُMahmud
وَلَكَ الفَخرُ حينَ أَقبَل مَحمودُ
بِحُسنِwith fine الثَناpraise مِنfrom مَحمودِMahmud
بِحُسنِ الثَنا مِن مَحمودِ
And yours is the glory when Mahmud comes
with fine praise from Mahmud.
Partial English translation: 40 of 44 Arabic lines translated.