بَدَت عَذارى مُدَّت سَرادِقُها

بَدَت عَذارى مُدَّت سَرادِقُها

وَأَقسم الحُسنُ لا يُفارِقُها

وَأَقسم الحُسنُ لا يُفارِقُها

Maidens appeared, their pavilions spread wide,

The virgins' pavilions were erected,

and beauty swore never to leave them.

And beauty swore it would not leave them.

كَواعِبٌ أُخرِسَت دَمالِجُها

كَواعِبٌ أُخرِسَت دَمالِجُها

عنّا وَقد أُنطِقَت مَناطِقُها

عنّا وَقد أُنطِقَت مَناطِقُها

Budding-breasted maidens, their armlets silenced

Silent maids whose throats were choked,

before us, while their girdles were made to speak.

They cannot speak to us though their collars speak.

خَراعِبٌ حَقَّها وَصائِفُها

خَراعِبٌ حَقَّها وَصائِفُها

تَشي بِأَبدانِها قَراطِقُها

تَشي بِأَبدانِها قَراطِقُها

Soft, graceful maidens, whose handmaids did them justice,

Shy does and gazelles belonging to them,

their tunics revealing their bodies.

With their bodies the bangles on their ankles speak.

صينَت عَن العُطرِ أَن يُطَيِّبَها

صينَت عَن العُطرِ أَن يُطَيِّبَها

إِلّا الَّذي حُمِّلَت مَخانِقُها

إِلّا الَّذي حُمِّلَت مَخانِقُها

They were kept from being scented with perfume,

She refused any perfume to scent her

save what their necklaces were laden with.

Except what her necklace that adorns her breasts emits.

أَم رَوضَةٌ أُبرِزَت مَحاسِنُها

أَم رَوضَةٌ أُبرِزَت مَحاسِنُها

وَما يَني قَطرُها يُعانِقُها

وَما يَني قَطرُها يُعانِقُها

Or is it a garden whose charms were displayed,

Is it a garden that has revealed its beauty,

and whose rain never ceases to embrace it?

And its branches embrace its dripping dew?

فَأَورَدَ الوَردَ غُصنُها بدعاً

فَأَورَدَ الوَردَ غُصنُها بدعاً

وَشُقَّ عَن أَرضِها شقائِقُها

وَشُقَّ عَن أَرضِها شقائِقُها

So its branch brought forth roses in wondrous fashion,

The rose has innovatively bloomed on its branch,

and its anemones burst forth from its soil.

And anemones have split from its ground.

وَأَعشَت الناظِرينَ حِليَتُها

وَأَعشَت الناظِرينَ حِليَتُها

وَشاقَ أَحداقَهُم حَدائِقُها

وَشاقَ أَحداقَهُم حَدائِقُها

Its adornment dazzled the onlookers,

Its jewelry has tempted the onlookers,

and its gardens captivated their eyes.

And its gardens have captivated their eyes.

أَم أَشرَقَت فِقرَةٌ بَدائِعُها

أَم أَشرَقَت فِقرَةٌ بَدائِعُها

حَديقَةٌ زانَها طَرائِقُها

حَديقَةٌ زانَها طَرائِقُها

Or has a passage shone forth, whose marvels

Or is it a full moon that has risen with its wonders,

are a garden adorned by its patterns?

A garden adorned with its paths?

أَتى بِها بِالكَمال ناسِجُها

أَتى بِها بِالكَمال ناسِجُها

وَزانَها بِالجَمالِ ناسِقُها

وَزانَها بِالجَمالِ ناسِقُها

Its weaver brought it forth in perfection,

Its craftsman has perfectly created it,

and its arranger adorned it with beauty.

And its tender has gracefully adorned it.

لِلَّهِ حَلف العلى أَبو حسنٍ

لِلَّهِ حَلف العلى أَبو حسنٍ

وَقَد جَرت لِلعلى سَوابِقُها

وَقَد جَرت لِلعلى سَوابِقُها

How splendid is Abu Hasan, sworn ally of eminence,

By God, Abu Hassan, the most high swore,

as eminence's swift steeds ran their race.

And the most high had pledged to him before.

فَحازَ خَصلَ الرِهانِ عَن كَثَبٍ

فَحازَ خَصلَ الرِهانِ عَن كَثَبٍ

وَفُرِّجَت عِندَهُ مَضايِقُها

وَفُرِّجَت عِندَهُ مَضايِقُها

So he won the contest's prize at close quarters,

He won the bet swiftly,

and its narrow straits were widened before him.

And what stressed him was relieved.

لِلَّهِ تِلكَ الأَلفاظُ حامِلَة

لِلَّهِ تِلكَ الأَلفاظُ حامِلَة

غُرَّ مَعانٍ تُعيي دَقائِقُها

غُرَّ مَعانٍ تُعيي دَقائِقُها

How wondrous are those words, bearing

By God, these words bear

radiant meanings whose subtleties baffle.

Meanings that their subtleties exhaust.

يَكادُ اِعجازُها يُشَكِّكُها

يَكادُ اِعجازُها يُشَكِّكُها

في سوَرٍ أَنَّها تُوافِقُها

في سوَرٍ أَنَّها تُوافِقُها

Their inimitability almost makes them doubt

Their eloquence almost makes one doubt

whether they match the Qur'an's surahs.

That they conform to the composition of a surah.

أُهدي سَلاماً حكى السَلامَةَ من

أُهدي سَلاماً حكى السَلامَةَ من

أَسقامِ سوءٍ يُخافُ طارِقُها

أَسقامِ سوءٍ يُخافُ طارِقُها

I offer a greeting resembling safety from

I wish safety that predicts salvation from

dire illnesses whose onset is feared.

The evils of an affliction feared by its knocker.

كَأَنَّهُ دارُنا وَلم يَرَها

كَأَنَّهُ دارُنا وَلم يَرَها

ناعِبُها لِلنَوى وَناعِقُها

ناعِبُها لِلنَوى وَناعِقُها

It is like our home, unseen

It is as if it is our house, though its describer has not seen it,

by its cawing and croaking ravens of separation.

Its caller to passion, and its confidante.

كَأَنَّها غَفلةُ الرَقيبِ وَقد

كَأَنَّها غَفلةُ الرَقيبِ وَقد

مُكِّنتُ من نَظرَةٍ أُسارِقُها

مُكِّنتُ من نَظرَةٍ أُسارِقُها

It is like the watcher's lapse, when

It is as if it is the absence of the sentinel, and I

I was granted a glance to steal in secret.

Stole a look, pilfering its glance.

أَهديتُ مِنهُ ما لَو تَحَمَّلَهُ ال

أَهديتُ مِنهُ ما لَو تَحَمَّلَهُ ال

أَيّامُ لَم يُستقلّ عاتِقُها

أَيّامُ لَم يُستقلّ عاتِقُها

I offered of it what, if borne by the

I wished from it what days, if they endured,

days, their shoulder could not support it.

Would not accomplish its burden.

تَحدو بِهِ صَبوَةً ركائِبُها

تَحدو بِهِ صَبوَةً ركائِبُها

راتكةً لا يملُّ سائِقُها

راتكةً لا يملُّ سائِقُها

Its camels urge it onward in longing,

With it the dawns of youth ramble,

trotting briskly, their driver never weary.

Endlessly, not tiring their rider.

خُذها وَقد أُحصِدَت وَثائِقُها

خُذها وَقد أُحصِدَت وَثائِقُها

وَأُلحِقَت بِالسُهى شَواهِقُها

وَأُلحِقَت بِالسُهى شَواهِقُها

Take it: its bonds have been firmly twisted,

Take them as their pacts have been harvested,

and its lofty peaks have been joined to Suha.

And their towering aspirations attached to bliss.

ناشَدتُك اللَهَ حينَ تَنشدها

ناشَدتُك اللَهَ حينَ تَنشدها

وَخلَّةً لا يَخيلُ صادِقُها

وَخلَّةً لا يَخيلُ صادِقُها

I adjure you by God, when you recite it,

I adjure you by God, when you recite it,

and by friendship whose true friend never fails,

And directly, without guile its confidant.

أَن لا تَعَمَّدتَ رَفع رايَتَها

أَن لا تَعَمَّدتَ رَفع رايَتَها

لِيَملَأ الخافِقَينِ خافِقُها

لِيَملَأ الخافِقَينِ خافِقُها

not to deliberately raise its banner

That you do not deliberately raise its flag,

so that its fluttering standard fills the two horizons.

To fill the lowly with its swelling.

نعم وَعش في النَعيم ما طَلَعت

نعم وَعش في النَعيم ما طَلَعت

شَمسُ نَهارٍ وَذَرَّ شارِقُها

شَمسُ نَهارٍ وَذَرَّ شارِقُها

Yes—and live in bliss as long as there rises

Yes, live in bliss as long as the sun of any day rises

a sun by day, and its dawning light shines.

And its ascending rays scatter.