تَعالىexalted is اللَّهُGod ماhow أَحَسْنbeautiful
تَعالى اللَّهُ ما أَحَسْن
شَقيقاًan anemone حُفَّwas surrounded بِالسَّوْسَنْwith irises
شَقيقاً حُفَّ بِالسَّوْسَنْ
Exalted is God! How beautiful
How wonderful it is, O God,
an anemone ringed with irises!
A cheek clad in lilies,
خُدودٌcheeks لَثْمُهاkissing them يُبْرِيcures
خُدودٌ لَثْمُها يُبْرِي
مِنَof الأَسقامِillnesses لَوْif only أَمْكنْit were possible
مِنَ الأَسقامِ لَوْ أَمْكنْ
Cheeks: a kiss upon them cures
Whose kiss would cure all ailments,
illnesses—if only it were possible.
If only it were possible.
فَماso not تُجْنىare plucked وَحارِسُهاwhile their guardian
فَما تُجْنى وَحارِسُها
بِقُفْلِwith the lock الصُّدْغِof the temple-curl قَدalready زَرْفَنْhas bolted
بِقُفْلِ الصُّدْغِ قَد زَرْفَنْ
So they cannot be plucked, while their guardian
But it cannot be plucked,
has bolted them with the lock of the temple-curl.
For its guard has locked it shut.
غَزالٌa gazelle ضَيِّقُnarrow الأجْفاthe eyelids (first part)
غَزالٌ ضَيِّقُ الأجْفا
نِending of 'eyelids' يَسبِيcaptivates الرَّشَأَthe gazelle fawn الأَعْيَنْwide-eyed
نِ يَسبِي الرَّشَأَ الأَعْيَنْ
A gazelle with narrow eyelids,
A slender gazelle with large eyes,
who captivates the wide-eyed fawn.
Who captures hearts with a glance.
لَهُhe has قَلْبٌa heart وَأَعْطافٌand flanks
لَهُ قَلْبٌ وَأَعْطافٌ
فَماso how أَقْسىhard وَماand how أَلْيَنْsoft
فَما أَقْسى وَما أَلْيَنْ
He has a heart and flanks:
He has a tender heart, so gentle,
how hard the one, how soft the other!
Yet, how hard and soft at once!
وَلَمْand not أَرَI saw قَبْلَbefore مَبْسِمِهِhis smiling mouth
وَلَمْ أَرَ قَبْلَ مَبْسِمِهِ
صَغيرَsmall الجَوهَرِthe gemstone المُثْمِنْprecious
صَغيرَ الجَوهَرِ المُثْمِنْ
Before his smiling mouth, I had never seen
Never before have I seen
a tiny jewel of such high worth.
A small gem so precious.
فُتِنْتُI was bewitched بِحُسْنِby the beauty صُورَتِهِof his form
فُتِنْتُ بِحُسْنِ صُورَتِهِ
وَمَنْand whoever يَهْوَloves الدُّمىidols يُفْتَنْis bewitched
وَمَنْ يَهْوَ الدُّمى يُفْتَنْ
I was bewitched by the beauty of his form;
I am smitten by his beauty,
and whoever loves idols is bewitched.
Who would not love such a moon?
عَزيزٌa precious one يُوسُفِيُّJoseph-like الحُسْbeauty (first part)
عَزيزٌ يُوسُفِيُّ الحُسْ
نِending of 'beauty' لَمْnot يُشْرَwas sold وَلَمْand not يُسْجَنْwas imprisoned
نِ لَمْ يُشْرَ وَلَمْ يُسْجَنْ
A precious one, Joseph-like in beauty,
A noble Joseph, so handsome,
neither sold nor imprisoned.
Who was neither sold nor jailed.
قَدِalready ابْيَضَّتْhas turned white بِهِbecause of him عَيْنِيmy eye
قَدِ ابْيَضَّتْ بِهِ عَيْنِي
وَلِلمَهْجورِand for the forsaken أَنْto يَحْزَنgrieve
وَلِلمَهْجورِ أَنْ يَحْزَن
My eye has turned white because of him,
For him my eyes turned white,
and the forsaken may well grieve.
While the abandoned can only mourn.
أَبُثُّI confide هَواهُmy love for him مِنout of خَوْفٍfear
أَبُثُّ هَواهُ مِن خَوْفٍ
لِنَجْمِto the star اللَّيْلِof night لَمَّاwhen جَنّْgrew dark
لِنَجْمِ اللَّيْلِ لَمَّا جَنّْ
In fear, I confide my love for him
I profess my love in secret,
to the star of night when darkness falls.
Fearing the spies of night.
وَماand what يَنْفَعُavails كِتْمانِيmy concealment
وَما يَنْفَعُ كِتْمانِي
وَدَمْعُwhile the tears العَيْنِof the eye قَدْalready أَعْلَنْhave proclaimed
وَدَمْعُ العَيْنِ قَدْ أَعْلَنْ
And what use is my secrecy,
Concealing it is futile,
when the eye's tears have proclaimed it?
Since my tears have told all.
وَكَمْand how often أَسْكَنْتُهُI housed him قَلْبيmy heart
وَكَمْ أَسْكَنْتُهُ قَلْبي
فَسارَthen he departed وَأَحْرَقَand burned الْمَسْكَنْthe dwelling
فَسارَ وَأَحْرَقَ الْمَسْكَنْ
And how often I housed him in my heart,
In my heart I sheltered him,
then he departed and burned the dwelling!
But he left, burning my home.
فَأُنْسِيso my solace بَعْدَafter وَحْشَتِهِhis estrangement
فَأُنْسِي بَعْدَ وَحْشَتِهِ
بِنَظْمِin composing مَديحِpraise of شَاهَShah ارْمَنْArman
بِنَظْمِ مَديحِ شَاهَ ارْمَنْ
So my solace after his estrangement
After the pain of his absence,
lies in composing praise of Shah Arman.
I find solace praising the Shah of Armenia.
كَريمٌgenerous باسلٌvaliant قَتْلاthe slain
كَريمٌ باسلٌ قَتْلا
هُhis فِيin نَقْعِthe dust of الوَغىbattle تُدْفَنْare buried
هُ فِي نَقْعِ الوَغى تُدْفَنْ
Generous and valiant—his slain
Brave warrior who buries foes
lie buried in the dust of battle.
In the fray, corpses strewn.
عَلىagainst الأمْوالِwealth وَالأَعْداand the enemies (first part)
عَلى الأمْوالِ وَالأَعْدا
ءِending of 'enemies' كَمْhow many مِنْof غَارَةٍa raid قَدْalready شَنّْhe launched
ءِ كَمْ مِنْ غَارَةٍ قَدْ شَنّْ
Against wealth and enemies,
How many raids against riches and enemies
how many a raid he has launched!
Has he carried out!
فَماso not يَنْفَعُavails مَنْwhoever يَلقاmeets
فَما يَنْفَعُ مَنْ يَلقا
هُhim دِرْعٌa coat of mail لاno وَلاnor جَوْشَنْa cuirass
هُ دِرْعٌ لا وَلا جَوْشَنْ
So nothing avails one who meets
No coat of mail or armor
him—not a coat of mail, nor a cuirass.
Can save those who face him.
رَصينُsteadfast الجَأْشِof heart لَمَّاwhen جاsurged (first part)
رَصينُ الجَأْشِ لَمَّا جا
شَending of 'surged' بَحْرُthe sea of خَمِسِيهِhis host الأَرْعَنْtowering
شَ بَحْرُ خَمِسِيهِ الأَرْعَنْ
Steadfast of heart when there surged
His steeds slim during peace
the towering sea of his host.
But fattened in battle by war spoils.
عِجافٌlean خَيلُهُhis horses وَالوَحْand the wild beasts (first part)
عِجافٌ خَيلُهُ وَالوَحْ
شُending of 'wild beasts' يَوْمَon the day of نِزَالِهِhis combat تَسْمَنْgrow fat
شُ يَوْمَ نِزَالِهِ تَسْمَنْ
His horses are lean, while the wild beasts
To those who ask, he is generous,
grow fat on the day of his combat.
Guaranteeing gifts from his clouds.
لَهُhe has بِشْرٌa smile لِسائِلِهِfor his petitioner
لَهُ بِشْرٌ لِسائِلِهِ
كَفِيلٌa guarantor بِالنَّدىof bounty يَضْمَنْguarantees
كَفِيلٌ بِالنَّدى يَضْمَنْ
He has a smile for his petitioner,
He does not trouble us
a surety that guarantees bounty.
With harm or blame.
وَمَنٌّand a favor لاnot يُكَدِّرُهُhe mars it
وَمَنٌّ لا يُكَدِّرُهُ
عَليْناfor us بِالأذَىwith harm وَالمَنّْand reminders of favors
عَليْنا بِالأذَى وَالمَنّْ
And a favor he does not mar
So he gives wealth freely,
for us with harm or reminders of his gifts.
While guarding his honor zealously.
فَذاكَso that المَالُwealth مَبْذولٌis freely given
فَذاكَ المَالُ مَبْذولٌ
وَذَاكَand that العِرْضُhonor ماhow أَصْوَنْwell protected
وَذَاكَ العِرْضُ ما أَصْوَنْ
So that wealth is freely given,
You own the land, O Moses,
and that honor—how well protected!
Though it is as nothing to you.
مَلَكْتَyou have possessed الأَرضَthe earth ياO مُوسىMusa
مَلَكْتَ الأَرضَ يا مُوسى
وَعِنْدَكَand in your eyes قَدْرُهاits worth أَهْوَنْof little account
وَعِنْدَكَ قَدْرُها أَهْوَنْ
You have possessed the earth, O Musa,
Send your army conquering,
yet in your eyes its worth is slight.
Every city now Medina.
فَأَوْرِدْso lead to water خَيْلَكَyour horses الدُّنْياthe world
فَأَوْرِدْ خَيْلَكَ الدُّنْيا
فَكُلُّfor every مَدينَةٍcity مَدْيَنْMidian
فَكُلُّ مَدينَةٍ مَدْيَنْ
So bring your horses to drink in the world;
With goodness you’ve filled the land,
for every city is Midian.
While others merely fill coffers.
مَلأتَyou have filled الأَرْضَthe earth إِحْساناًwith kindness
مَلأتَ الأَرْضَ إِحْساناً
وَغَيرُكَand someone other than you يَمْلأُfills المَخْزَنْthe storehouse
وَغَيرُكَ يَمْلأُ المَخْزَنْ
You have filled the earth with kindness,
He has a divine light
while someone else fills the storehouse.
Adorning his beauty.
لَهُhe has نُوْرٌa light إِلَهيٌّdivine
لَهُ نُوْرٌ إِلَهيٌّ
لِرَوْنَقِfor the radiance of حُسْنِهِhis beauty زَيِّنْan adornment
لِرَوْنَقِ حُسْنِهِ زَيِّنْ
He has a divine light,
His generosity uplifts the lowly,
an adornment to the radiance of his beauty.
His might crushes the wicked.
وَجَودٌand generosity يَجْبُرُrestores العافِيthe petitioner
وَجَودٌ يَجْبُرُ العافِي
وَبَأْسٌand might لِلْعِدىfor the enemies أَوْهَنْenfeebling
وَبَأْسٌ لِلْعِدى أَوْهَنْ
And generosity that restores the petitioner,
This loosens tongues,
and might that enfeebles his foes.
And that stills them.
فَهذاso this يُنْطِقُmakes speak الأَلْكَنْthe tongue-tied
فَهذا يُنْطِقُ الأَلْكَنْ
وَهذاand this يُخْرِسُsilences الأَلْسُنْtongues
وَهذا يُخْرِسُ الأَلْسُنْ
So this makes the tongue-tied speak,
His prayers established,
and that strikes tongues dumb.
The call to generosity, arise!
صَلاةُthe prayer صِلاتِهِof his gifts قَامَتْhas been established
صَلاةُ صِلاتِهِ قَامَتْ
وَحَيَّand come! عَلىto النَّدىbounty أَذَّنْhe called to prayer
وَحَيَّ عَلى النَّدى أَذَّنْ
The prayer of his gifts has been established,
If the historian knew
and he has called to prayer: 'Come to bounty!'
How he exaggerated what he wrote,
فَلَوُso if عَلِمَknew المُؤَرِّخُthe chronicler ماnot
فَلَوُ عَلِمَ المُؤَرِّخُ ما
تَغالىexaggerated فِيin الَّذيwhat دَوَّنْhe recorded
تَغالى فِي الَّذي دَوَّنْ
So, had the chronicler known, he would not
O my master, enmity has ceased
have exaggerated in what he recorded.
And innocence reigns.
أَياO مَوْلايَmy lord زالَhas passed البَأْthe affliction (first part)
أَيا مَوْلايَ زالَ البَأْ
سُending of 'affliction' وَالبُرْءُand recovery قَدِindeed اسْتَمْكَنْhas taken firm hold
سُ وَالبُرْءُ قَدِ اسْتَمْكَنْ
O my lord, the affliction has passed,
Yours is the bounty, and your Lord
and recovery has taken firm hold.
Does not waste the reward of one who is virtuous.
لَكَyours is الحَسْنىthe best reward وَرَبُّكَand your Lord لاnot
لَكَ الحَسْنى وَرَبُّكَ لا
يُضَيِّعُlets go to waste أَجْرَthe reward of مَنْwhoever أَحْسَنْdoes good
يُضَيِّعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنْ
Yours is the best reward, and your Lord does not
let the reward of one who does good go to waste.
Partial English translation: 60 of 62 Arabic lines translated.