بَدَت غَرّاء كَالقَمَر التَمام

بَدَت غَرّاء كَالقَمَر التَمام

وَقَد حَوَت الجَمال عَلى التَمامِ

وَقَد حَوَت الجَمال عَلى التَمامِ

She appeared radiant as the full moon,

She appeared white like the full moon

And possessed beauty in all its fullness.

And embodied perfect beauty

وَفت وَعد المُحبّ وَكلّ وَعدٍ

وَفت وَعد المُحبّ وَكلّ وَعدٍ

لِغانية عَلى طَرف الثمامِ

لِغانية عَلى طَرف الثمامِ

She kept her promise to her lover, though every promise

She broke the lover's promise and every covenant

Of a beauty rests on the tip of thumam grass.

To a singing girl at the edge of the thickets

وَما عَلمت وَفاء العَهد إِلّا

وَما عَلمت وَفاء العَهد إِلّا

بِتَأديب مِن المَولى الهمامِ

بِتَأديب مِن المَولى الهمامِ

And she learned to keep her pledge only

I did not know loyalty to the covenant

Through instruction from the magnanimous lord:

Except through discipline from the glorious protector

إمام ذَوي النَباهة ذي المَعالي

إمام ذَوي النَباهة ذي المَعالي

وَتاج ذَوي المَكارم في الكِرامِ

وَتاج ذَوي المَكارم في الكِرامِ

Leader of the eminent, endowed with lofty virtues,

The imam of the prudent, the exalted one

And crown of the virtuous among the noble.

And crown of the generous among the generous

أَريب حازَ فِكراً ألمَعيّا

أَريب حازَ فِكراً ألمَعيّا

وَذاكرةً أحدَّ مِن الحسامِ

وَذاكرةً أحدَّ مِن الحسامِ

A discerning man who possessed a brilliant mind,

Arib obtained a brilliant mind

And a memory sharper than a sword.

And a memory sharper than swords

تَغذّى مِن لبان العلم طفلاً

تَغذّى مِن لبان العلم طفلاً

وَقَد بَلَغ النُهى قَبل الفِطامِ

وَقَد بَلَغ النُهى قَبل الفِطامِ

He fed on the milk of knowledge as a child,

He was nourished on the milk of knowledge as a child

And had attained reason before weaning.

And reached maturity before weaning

أَديب يَنتَقي دُرر المَعاني

أَديب يَنتَقي دُرر المَعاني

لِذاك يَغوص لجّة كُلّ طامي

لِذاك يَغوص لجّة كُلّ طامي

A man of letters who selects pearls of meaning;

A poet who picks the pearls of meanings

For this he dives into the depths of every surging sea.

Therefore he dives into the depths of every ocean

وَينظمها عُقوداً لِلمَعالي

وَينظمها عُقوداً لِلمَعالي

فَتَغدو كَالمطوَّق في الحمامِ

فَتَغدو كَالمطوَّق في الحمامِ

And strings them into necklaces for lofty virtues,

And strings them into necklaces of virtues

So they become like the ring-necked dove among doves.

To become like one adorned at the baths

نَدى أَدب بِهِ الظمآن يروى

نَدى أَدب بِهِ الظمآن يروى

كَما تروي العِطاش يَد الغَمامِ

كَما تروي العِطاش يَد الغَمامِ

A dew of letters that quenches the thirsty,

The thirsty quench their thirst with the water of his literature

As the hand of the clouds quenches those who thirst.

As the rain clouds quench the thirst of the thirsty

حَباني مِنهُ جَوهَرة فَكانَت

حَباني مِنهُ جَوهَرة فَكانَت

بِمَدحي كَالخبيئة في الرُغامِ

بِمَدحي كَالخبيئة في الرُغامِ

He bestowed a jewel from it upon me, and it was

He gifted me a jewel and it became

In my praise, like a treasure hidden in the dust.

Like my hidden love for him in the dunes

فَيا حَسَن الفِعال مَلَكت قَلبي

فَيا حَسَن الفِعال مَلَكت قَلبي

بودّك وَالرِعاية لِلزمامِ

بودّك وَالرِعاية لِلزمامِ

So, O you of noble deeds, you have captured my heart

So, O excellent doer, you have conquered my heart

Through your affection and your care for the reins.

With your friendship and care for the reins