يَا ابْنَةَ العَمِّ إِنَّ ذَاكَ الَّذِي

يَا ابْنَةَ العَمِّ إِنَّ ذَاكَ الَّذِي

أَكْبَرْتِ آيَاتِهِ وَأَعْظَمْتِ فَنَّهْ

أَكْبَرْتِ آيَاتِهِ وَأَعْظَمْتِ فَنَّهْ

O daughter of my uncle, indeed, that man whose

O daughter of my uncle, verily the one

verses you admired and whose art you exalted

Whose verses you extolled and art you deemed sublime

لَيْسَ بِالشَّاعِرِ الَّذِي خِلْتِ إِلاَّ

لَيْسَ بِالشَّاعِرِ الَّذِي خِلْتِ إِلاَّ

عَبْرَةً قَدْ يَصُوغُهَا أَوْ أَنَّهْ

عَبْرَةً قَدْ يَصُوغُهَا أَوْ أَنَّهْ

is not the poet you imagined, save for

Is no mere poet with whom you were alone

a tear he may fashion, or a moan.

Except with sorrow he may sometimes rhyme

أَنْتِ أَقْرَضْتِهِ الثَّنَاءَ فَلَمْ يَرْ

أَنْتِ أَقْرَضْتِهِ الثَّنَاءَ فَلَمْ يَرْ

دُدْ وَمَا كَانَ جَاحِداً لِلْمِنَّهْ

دُدْ وَمَا كَانَ جَاحِداً لِلْمِنَّهْ

You lent him praise, but he did not

You lent him praise which he did not disown

repay it; nor was he ungrateful for the favor.

Nor was he ever thankless for your time

قَلْبُهُ يَعْرفُ الجَمِيلَ وَيَرْعَى

قَلْبُهُ يَعْرفُ الجَمِيلَ وَيَرْعَى

كُلَّ حُسْنَى أَعَارَهَا اللُّطْفُ حُسْنَهْ

كُلَّ حُسْنَى أَعَارَهَا اللُّطْفُ حُسْنَهْ

His heart acknowledges kindness and cherishes

His heart knows virtue and tends

every good deed to which graciousness has lent its beauty.

To every grace by kindness refined

لَمْ يُطِعْهُ البَيَانُ أَطْوَعَ مَا كَا

لَمْ يُطِعْهُ البَيَانُ أَطْوَعَ مَا كَا

نَ مَدِيحٌ لِوَالِدٍ يَصِفُ ابْنَهْ

نَ مَدِيحٌ لِوَالِدٍ يَصِفُ ابْنَهْ

Eloquence did not obey him as readily as

Eloquence obeyed him best whene’er

praise serves a father describing his son.

He praised a father in depicting his son

وَلِسَانُ المِنْطِيقِ آناً لَهُ جَر

وَلِسَانُ المِنْطِيقِ آناً لَهُ جَر

يٌ وَآناً يَعْرُوهُ عِيٌّ وَلُكْنَهْ

يٌ وَآناً يَعْرُوهُ عِيٌّ وَلُكْنَهْ

And an eloquent man's tongue at times flows,

And rhetoric itself would flow or err

and at times inarticulacy and halting speech overtake it.

Now easy, now halting—such habits it won

غَيْرَ أَنَّ السُّرُورَ قَدْ أَسْعَدَ اليـ

غَيْرَ أَنَّ السُّرُورَ قَدْ أَسْعَدَ اليـ

ـومَ بَيَانِي وَخَلَّى فِكْرِي يَسِيرُ وَشَأْنَهْ

ـومَ بَيَانِي وَخَلَّى فِكْرِي يَسِيرُ وَشَأْنَهْ

Yet joy has today aided

But joy has gladdened this day in me

my eloquence, and let my thought pursue its own course.

My words flow freely, my task is simple and free

فَاهْنَئِي أَيُّهَا العَرُوسُ وَيَا ابْنَ

فَاهْنَئِي أَيُّهَا العَرُوسُ وَيَا ابْنَ

العَمِّ فَاغْنَمْ سَعْدَ القِرَانِ وَيُمْنَهْ

العَمِّ فَاغْنَمْ سَعْدَ القِرَانِ وَيُمْنَهْ

So rejoice, O bride; and you, son of

So congratulations, O bride, and O

my uncle, enjoy wedlock's happiness and blessing.

My uncle’s son, enjoy the wedding’s boon

أَنْتَ أَرْقَى الشَّبَابِ خَلْقاً وَخُلْقاً

أَنْتَ أَرْقَى الشَّبَابِ خَلْقاً وَخُلْقاً

وَأَرَقُّ الأَتْرَابِ حِذْقاً وَفِطْنَهْ

وَأَرَقُّ الأَتْرَابِ حِذْقاً وَفِطْنَهْ

You are the finest of young men in form and character,

You are the finest of youths in nature and nurture

and the most refined of your peers in skill and discernment.

And keenest of kin in wisdom and prudence

وَهْيَ وَجْهُ العَفَافِ يَنْظُرُهَا الطَّرْ

وَهْيَ وَجْهُ العَفَافِ يَنْظُرُهَا الطَّرْ

فُ قَريراً وَإِنْ دَعَوْهَا بِفِتْنَهْ

فُ قَريراً وَإِنْ دَعَوْهَا بِفِتْنَهْ

And she is the face of chastity; the eye beholds her

Blessed by modesty, your face the beholder

contentedly, even if they call her a temptation.

Views joyfully, though invited to temptation

بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيكُمَا فَارْغَدَا عَيْشـ

بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيكُمَا فَارْغَدَا عَيْشـ

ـاً وَذُوقَا صَفْوَ الزَّمَان وَأَمْنَهْ

ـاً وَذُوقَا صَفْوَ الزَّمَان وَأَمْنَهْ

May God bless you both; live a life of ease,

May God bless you both and grace

and taste time's serenity and safety.

Your life with joy and safety’s foundation