أَماناً أَيُّها الْقَمَرُ الْمُطِلُّ

أَماناً أَيُّها الْقَمَرُ الْمُطِلُّ

عَلَى جَفْنَيْكَ أَسْيافٌ تُسَلُّ

عَلَى جَفْنَيْكَ أَسْيافٌ تُسَلُّ

Grant me safety, O moon looking down!

O moon that rises calmly

On your eyelids, swords are unsheathed.

Swords gleam upon your eyelids

يَزيدُ جَمالُ وَجْهِكَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ

يَزيدُ جَمالُ وَجْهِكَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ

وَلِي جَسَدٌ يَذُوبُ وَيَضْمَحِلُّ

وَلِي جَسَدٌ يَذُوبُ وَيَضْمَحِلُّ

The beauty of your face increases every day,

Your beauty increases every day

while my body melts and wastes away.

While my body wastes away and withers

وَما عَرَفَ السَّقامُ طَريقَ جِسْمي

وَما عَرَفَ السَّقامُ طَريقَ جِسْمي

وَلكِنْ دَلُّ مَنْ أَهْوى يَدُلُّ

وَلكِنْ دَلُّ مَنْ أَهْوى يَدُلُّ

And illness never knew the way to my body,

Illness knows not the way to my body

but the coquetry of the one I love shows it the way.

But he whom I love points the way

يَميلُ بِطَرْفِهِ التُّرْكِيِّ عَنِّي

يَميلُ بِطَرْفِهِ التُّرْكِيِّ عَنِّي

صَدَقْتُمْ إِنَّ ضِيقَ الْعيْنِ بُخْلُ

صَدَقْتُمْ إِنَّ ضِيقَ الْعيْنِ بُخْلُ

He turns his Turkish gaze away from me.

He averts his Turkish gaze from me

You spoke truly: narrowness of eye is stinginess.

You speak true, narrowed eyes are stingy

إِذْا نُشِرَتْ ذَوائِبُهُ عَلَيْهِ

إِذْا نُشِرَتْ ذَوائِبُهُ عَلَيْهِ

تَرى ماءً يَرِفُّ عَلَيْهِ ظِلُّ

تَرى ماءً يَرِفُّ عَلَيْهِ ظِلُّ

When his tresses are spread over him,

When his tresses are let loose upon him

you see water with a shadow shimmering over it.

You'd see water cascading over him like shade

وَقَدْ يَهْدي صَباحُ الْخَدِّ قَوْماً

وَقَدْ يَهْدي صَباحُ الْخَدِّ قَوْماً

بِلَيْلِ الشَّعْرِ قَد تَاهُوا وَضَلُّوا

بِلَيْلِ الشَّعْرِ قَد تَاهُوا وَضَلُّوا

And the dawn of his cheek may guide people

And the morn of his cheek may guide some

who have wandered and strayed in the night of his hair.

Lost in the night of his hair, gone astray

أَيَا مَلِكَ الْقُلوبِ فَتَكْتَ فِيها

أَيَا مَلِكَ الْقُلوبِ فَتَكْتَ فِيها

وَفَتْكُكَ فِي الرَّعِيَّةِ لا يَحِلُّ

وَفَتْكُكَ فِي الرَّعِيَّةِ لا يَحِلُّ

O king of hearts, you have ravaged them;

O king of hearts, you conquered them

and your ravaging of your subjects is unlawful.

But your conquest of subjects is not lawful

قَليلُ الْوَصْلِ يُقْنِعُها فَإِنْ لَمْ

قَليلُ الْوَصْلِ يُقْنِعُها فَإِنْ لَمْ

يُصِبْها وابِلٌ مِنْهُ فَطَلُّ

يُصِبْها وابِلٌ مِنْهُ فَطَلُّ

A little union satisfies them; and if no

A little union satisfies them, but if not

downpour of it falls upon them, then a drizzle will do.

A downpour of you upon them they seek

أَدِرْ كأْسِ الْمُدامِ عَلى النَّدامَى

أَدِرْ كأْسِ الْمُدامِ عَلى النَّدامَى

ففِي خَدَّيْكَ لي راحٌ وَنُقْلُ

ففِي خَدَّيْكَ لي راحٌ وَنُقْلُ

Pass the cup of wine around to the drinking companions;

Pass the wine cup to the regretful

for in your cheeks I have wine and dainties.

For in your cheeks I find solace and sweetness

فَنيراني بِغَيْرِكَ لَيْسَ تُطْفا

فَنيراني بِغَيْرِكَ لَيْسَ تُطْفا

وَأشْواقِي بِغَيْرِكَ لا تُبَلُّ

وَأشْواقِي بِغَيْرِكَ لا تُبَلُّ

For my fires are quenched by none but you,

My fires, without you, cannot be quenched

and my longings are slaked by none but you.

And my passions, without you, are not fulfilled

بِمَنْظَرِكَ الْبَدِيعِ تُدِلُّ تِيهاً

بِمَنْظَرِكَ الْبَدِيعِ تُدِلُّ تِيهاً

وَلِي مَلِكٌ بِدَوْلَتِهِ أُدْلُّ

وَلِي مَلِكٌ بِدَوْلَتِهِ أُدْلُّ

You flaunt your wondrous appearance in haughty pride,

With your wondrous visage, you lead astray

and I have a king in whose rule I take pride.

While I have a king, by his reign, am led

أَبو الفَتْحِ الْكَريمُ الطَّلْقُ موسى

أَبو الفَتْحِ الْكَريمُ الطَّلْقُ موسى

فَتىً يُعْطي الكَثيرَ وَيَسْتَقِلُّ

فَتىً يُعْطي الكَثيرَ وَيَسْتَقِلُّ

Abu al-Fath, generous and genial Musa,

Abu Al-Fath Al-Karim, refined Musa

a youth who gives abundantly and counts it little.

A man who gives plenty and values little

بِهِ اخْضَرَّتْ فِجاجُ الأرْضِ خِصْباً

بِهِ اخْضَرَّتْ فِجاجُ الأرْضِ خِصْباً

فَما لِلْمَحْلِ فِي بَلَدٍ مَحَلُّ

فَما لِلْمَحْلِ فِي بَلَدٍ مَحَلُّ

Through him the earth's broad valleys have grown green with plenty;

By him, the barrens of earth grew verdant

so drought has no place in any land.

So what place is there, in any land, like his?

أَغَرُّ عَلى سَريرِ الْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ

أَغَرُّ عَلى سَريرِ الْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ

سُلَيْمانٌ وَأَهْلُ الأرْضِ نَمْلُ

سُلَيْمانٌ وَأَهْلُ الأرْضِ نَمْلُ

Radiant upon the royal throne, he is

On his throne, more precious than Solomon

a Solomon, and the people of the earth are ants.

And people of the world but ants to him

وَيَمْلأُ غَيْرُهُ كِيساً فَكيساً

وَيَمْلأُ غَيْرُهُ كِيساً فَكيساً

وَمِلْءُ زَمانِهِ كَرَمٌ وَعَدْلُ

وَمِلْءُ زَمانِهِ كَرَمٌ وَعَدْلُ

And another fills purse after purse,

Others fill purse upon purse

while his age is filled with generosity and justice.

While his era is bounty and justice

وَقَالُوا حِفْظُ هذا المالِ عَقْلٌ

وَقَالُوا حِفْظُ هذا المالِ عَقْلٌ

فَقالَ نَعَمْ وَبَعْضُ الْعّقْلِ جَهْلُ

فَقالَ نَعَمْ وَبَعْضُ الْعّقْلِ جَهْلُ

And they said, "Preserving this wealth is wisdom."

They said hoarding wealth is wisdom

So he said, "Yes, but some wisdom is ignorance."

He said: Yes, and some wisdom is ignorance

فَلَيْسَ يَذُمُّهُ إِلاَّ مَطايَا

فَلَيْسَ يَذُمُّهُ إِلاَّ مَطايَا

إِلى أَبْوابِهِ تَنْضى وَسُبْلُ

إِلى أَبْوابِهِ تَنْضى وَسُبْلُ

So none reproach him but riding beasts

None criticizes him but destitute mounts

worn out on the way to his gates—and the roads.

That flock to his doors from trails and roads

تُمَلِّكُهُ الْبِلادَ قَناً وَجُرْدٌ

تُمَلِّكُهُ الْبِلادَ قَناً وَجُرْدٌ

وَبُتْرٌ مَنْ يُطاوِلُها يَذِلُّ

وَبُتْرٌ مَنْ يُطاوِلُها يَذِلُّ

The lands are won for him by spears and sleek steeds,

He rules lands both vast and confined

and keen swords; whoever challenges them is humbled.

And whatever contends with it, abased

إِذْا انْبَثَّتْ عَساكِرُهُ اتِّساعاً

إِذْا انْبَثَّتْ عَساكِرُهُ اتِّساعاً

تَضايَقَ دونَها حَزْنٌ وَسَهْلُ

تَضايَقَ دونَها حَزْنٌ وَسَهْلُ

When his armies spread far and wide,

When his armies march forth, expanding

rugged ground and plain grow narrow before them.

Grief and plains are straitened before them

بَوارِقُها لِعَيْنِ الشَّمْسِ داءٌ

بَوارِقُها لِعَيْنِ الشَّمْسِ داءٌ

وَعِثْيَرُها لِعَيْنِ الشَّمْسِ كُحْلُ

وَعِثْيَرُها لِعَيْنِ الشَّمْسِ كُحْلُ

Their flashes are an affliction to the sun's eye,

Their lightning blinds the eye of the sun

and their dust is kohl for the sun's eye.

And their dust is kohl to the eye of the sun

لِمَوْلانا الْخَليفَةِ فِيهِ رَأْيٌ

لِمَوْلانا الْخَليفَةِ فِيهِ رَأْيٌ

حَديدٌ لا يَفِيلُ وَلا يُفَلُّ

حَديدٌ لا يَفِيلُ وَلا يُفَلُّ

Our lord the caliph holds a judgment concerning him,

For our master the Caliph he is resolute

keen, neither faltering nor blunted.

Steel that wavers not, nor ever falters

تَأَمَّلَ فِي الْكِنانَةْ مِنْهُ سَهْماً

تَأَمَّلَ فِي الْكِنانَةْ مِنْهُ سَهْماً

سَديداً لا يَطيشُ وَلا يَزِلُّ

سَديداً لا يَطيشُ وَلا يَزِلُّ

He saw in him an arrow in the quiver,

He contemplated archery, and from him, an arrow

true-aimed, neither missing nor straying.

True, that strays not, nor does it slip

فَفَتَّاهُ وَراسَلَهُ اخْتِصاصاً

فَفَتَّاهُ وَراسَلَهُ اخْتِصاصاً

وَرَوَّاهُ الْحَديثَ وَذاكَ فَضْلُ

وَرَوَّاهُ الْحَديثَ وَذاكَ فَضْلُ

So he initiated him into chivalry and corresponded with him as a special favor,

He opened it, and corresponded with it intimately

and transmitted hadith to him—that is an honor.

And narrated the tale, such is his merit

فَزادَتْ هَذِهِ النُّعْمى وَدامَتْ

فَزادَتْ هَذِهِ النُّعْمى وَدامَتْ

عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّهُ لِلْخَيْرِ أَهْلُ

عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّهُ لِلْخَيْرِ أَهْلُ

So may this blessing grow and endure

So this bounty increased, and endured

for him, for he is worthy of good.

For he is most deserving of good