يا عشير الصبا الكريم السجيه

يا عشير الصبا الكريم السجيه

لك عندي عهود ود قويه

لك عندي عهود ود قويه

O companion of my youth, noble in character,

O companion of my youth, noble in nature,

With me you have pledges of steadfast affection.

You have from me steadfast pledges of affection.

كلما بت والكتاب سميري

كلما بت والكتاب سميري

أتهجى أيامنا المدرسيه

أتهجى أيامنا المدرسيه

Whenever I spend the night with a book as my companion,

Whenever I spend the night with a book as my companion,

I spell out, letter by letter, our school days.

I spell out our schooldays.

يا خليل إذا كر انت عهدا

يا خليل إذا كر انت عهدا

لي على ذكره دموع سخيه

لي على ذكره دموع سخيه

O friend, whenever you revisit that bygone time,

O dear friend, when you recall a time,

At its remembrance, copious tears are mine.

For whose memory I have copious tears.

بعدت تلكم الليالي وحال ال

بعدت تلكم الليالي وحال ال

بين ما بيننا ولاحت ضحيه

بين ما بيننا ولاحت ضحيه

Those nights grew distant, and separa—

Those nights grew distant, and there intervened

—tion came between us, and its morning dawned.

A separation between us, and morning light appeared.

بات ذاك الفتى أمس أبا شي

بات ذاك الفتى أمس أبا شي

رين أو أختها الحديثي عليه

رين أو أختها الحديثي عليه

That youth became, only yesterday, father of Shi—

That youth of yesterday has become the father of Shi—

—rin, or of her sister, his newest work.

—rin, or her younger sister Aliyya [uncertain reading].

قد اتته عرائس منك كانت

قد اتته عرائس منك كانت

تتهادى بكسوة عربيه

تتهادى بكسوة عربيه

Brides came to him from you; they once...

Brides have come to him from you; once they

...glided gracefully in Arabic attire.

Moved gracefully in Arabic dress.

فغدت من كمال فضلك تزهو

فغدت من كمال فضلك تزهو

بثياب غريبة اعجيه

بثياب غريبة اعجيه

Then, through your consummate excellence, they came to shine...

So, through your consummate merit, they grew radiant

...in strange, foreign garments.

In strange, non-Arabic clothes.

لو رأى من به خوارزم باهت

لو رأى من به خوارزم باهت

حسنها قال هذه جبنويه

حسنها قال هذه جبنويه

Had he in whom Khwarazm takes pride beheld...

If the man in whom Khwarazm took pride saw

...her beauty, he would have said: “This is Jabnawian.”

Their beauty, he would say, 'These are Genoese.'

فلك الحمد حق صنعك هذا

فلك الحمد حق صنعك هذا

فهو صنع الاديب ذي الالمعيه

فهو صنع الاديب ذي الالمعيه

Praise, then, is yours: this is truly your handiwork,

Praise is yours, as this work of yours deserves,

For it is the work of a brilliant man of letters.

For it is the work of a writer endowed with brilliance.

وعليك السلام مني ما تر

وعليك السلام مني ما تر

جمت سفرا وما ذكرت هديه

جمت سفرا وما ذكرت هديه

And peace from me be upon you whenever you trans—

And peace be upon you from me, as long as you trans—

—late a volume, and whenever a gift is remembered.

—late a book, and as long as a gift is remembered.