ما جازَ ذكرُك بِالحَشا إلا وَجَبْ

ما جازَ ذكرُك بِالحَشا إلا وَجَبْ

فَلَقَد قَضى مِن فَرط حَبّك ما وَجَبْ

فَلَقَد قَضى مِن فَرط حَبّك ما وَجَبْ

Your remembrance never crossed my heart without its throbbing.

Your mention amongst the nobles is never undeserved,

For, from its overwhelming love for you, it has fulfilled what was due.

For love of you has made mandatory what is deserved.

ما لي ولِلاحي وَما يهذي بِهِ

ما لي ولِلاحي وَما يهذي بِهِ

ما بالُهُ يَلحى المُتيّمَ ما السَببْ

ما بالُهُ يَلحى المُتيّمَ ما السَببْ

What have I to do with the reproacher and the nonsense he babbles?

What business have I with the critic and his rant?

What ails him, to rebuke the lovesick? What is the reason?

Why does he pester the enamored, for what cause or reason?

يا قَلب لا تَسمَع مَقالةَ عاذلٍ

يا قَلب لا تَسمَع مَقالةَ عاذلٍ

وَاركض بِخَيلك في مَيادين الطَرَب

وَاركض بِخَيلك في مَيادين الطَرَب

O heart, do not heed a reproacher's words,

O heart, heed not the words of the slanderer,

And gallop with your steeds through the arenas of rapture.

And race your steeds in fields of joy.

وَإِذا نَهاكَ فَقُل لَه متهكماً

وَإِذا نَهاكَ فَقُل لَه متهكماً

أَرحِ الفُؤادَ مِن العَنا وَمِن النَصب

أَرحِ الفُؤادَ مِن العَنا وَمِن النَصب

And if he forbids you, say to him mockingly:

And if he prohibits you, say to him mockingly,

Relieve the heart of suffering and weariness.

"Relieve the heart of reproach and fatigue,

وَاِجعَل نَديمك إِن شَربت مهفهفاً

وَاِجعَل نَديمك إِن شَربت مهفهفاً

وَاستجلِ عَذبَ لَماه لا بنتَ العِنَب

وَاستجلِ عَذبَ لَماه لا بنتَ العِنَب

And, if you drink, make a slender-waisted one your drinking companion,

And make your companion, if you drink, riotous,

And savor the sweetness of his dusky lips, not the daughter of the grape.

And quench your thirst with sweet drinks, not grapes.

وَاِخلَع عذارك في الهَوى متهتكاً

وَاِخلَع عذارك في الهَوى متهتكاً

طلقَ العِنان وَخلّ فيهِ مِن عَتَب

طلقَ العِنان وَخلّ فيهِ مِن عَتَب

And cast off your bridle in love, shamelessly,

And in passion shed your restraints,

Loose-reined, and leave whoever reproaches it alone.

Free the reins and fill them with desire.

وَاِقطَع بِماضي العَزم حجة آمرٍ

وَاِقطَع بِماضي العَزم حجة آمرٍ

يَنهاكَ عَن وَصل المِلاح وَلا تَهب

يَنهاكَ عَن وَصل المِلاح وَلا تَهب

And, with keen resolve, cut short the argument of one

And by strength of purpose cut off the argument of the dissenter

Who forbids you union with the beautiful—and have no fear.

Who prohibits you from joining the beloved, and do not waver.

وَإِذا صَبوَت فَلا يصدَّك عاذلٌ

وَإِذا صَبوَت فَلا يصدَّك عاذلٌ

عَن شادنٍ أَصمى فُؤادَك وَاِحتجب

عَن شادنٍ أَصمى فُؤادَك وَاِحتجب

And if you fall in love, let no reproacher turn you away

And if you are blamed, let no critic prevent you

From a gazelle-fawn who mortally wounded your heart, then hid himself:

From a happiness that makes your heart deaf and wrapped.

صلفٍ كَثيرِ التيه أَحوى أَحوَرٍ

صلفٍ كَثيرِ التيه أَحوى أَحوَرٍ

تَبَّت يَدا مَن لامَني فيهِ وَتَب

تَبَّت يَدا مَن لامَني فيهِ وَتَب

Haughty, full of conceit, dusky-lipped, dark-eyed with brilliant whites.

An impudent, wandering vagrant, crooked and bent,

May the hands of whoever blamed me for him perish, and he too!

Cursed are the hands of those who blame me.

كَيفَ المَلام وَدُون ما لاقيتُهُ

كَيفَ المَلام وَدُون ما لاقيتُهُ

لَم يَنجُ مِن أَهواله في الحُب صَب

لَم يَنجُ مِن أَهواله في الحُب صَب

How can there be blame, when even less than what I endured

How can I be blamed, when before what I have faced

Has terrors no lover has escaped in love?

None have escaped from its horrors in love.

وَجَواد فكري لَم يَزَل مُذ نَشأَتي

وَجَواد فكري لَم يَزَل مُذ نَشأَتي

سَبّاق غايات بمضمار الأَدب

سَبّاق غايات بمضمار الأَدب

And the steed of my thought has never ceased, since my youth,

My generous mind has never ceased, since my youth,

To reach the finishing posts first on the racetrack of letters,

To race towards the goals on the field of literature.

حَتّى اِفتَخرتُ بِمَدح أَعلى سَيدٍ

حَتّى اِفتَخرتُ بِمَدح أَعلى سَيدٍ

حامي حِمى أَقطارنا عالي الحَسَب

حامي حِمى أَقطارنا عالي الحَسَب

Until I gloried in praising the loftiest lord,

Until I took pride in praising the highest lord,

Protector of our lands' sanctuary, of lofty lineage:

Protector of the territory of our lands, of high lineage.

عَباسنا المَولى المعز بِبَأسه

عَباسنا المَولى المعز بِبَأسه

للدين وَالحامي بِهِ دُولَ العَرَب

للدين وَالحامي بِهِ دُولَ العَرَب

Our Abbas, the lord who, by his might, brings glory

Our Abbas, the prince - with his might

To the faith, and by that might protects the Arab realms.

For the faith, and its protector of the states of Arabia.

فَهُوَ العَزيز بمصره وَبِهِ سَمَت

فَهُوَ العَزيز بمصره وَبِهِ سَمَت

وَبحكمه عزت فَلا تَخشى النُوَب

وَبحكمه عزت فَلا تَخشى النُوَب

For he is the mighty one in his Egypt; through him she rose,

He is the mighty in his Egypt, and through him it reached its pinnacle,

And under his rule she grew strong, so she fears no calamities.

And through his wisdom its honor rose, so fear no calamity.

وَبِعدلِهِ المَنشور في أَرجائها

وَبِعدلِهِ المَنشور في أَرجائها

لَم يَبقَ جورٌ وَاِنجَلَت عَنها الكرب

لَم يَبقَ جورٌ وَاِنجَلَت عَنها الكرب

And through his justice, spread throughout her regions,

And through his justice spreading in its corners,

No oppression remained, and her afflictions were dispelled.

No injustice remains, and distress departs from it.

مَصرٌ عَلى الدُنيا لَقَد فَخرت بِهِ

مَصرٌ عَلى الدُنيا لَقَد فَخرت بِهِ

وَبِهِ تشرفت المَناصب وَالرُتب

وَبِهِ تشرفت المَناصب وَالرُتب

Egypt has indeed vaunted herself above the world through him,

Egypt prides itself on him,

And through him offices and ranks have gained honor.

And through him positions and ranks are ennobled.

أَفديه من مَولى مَليكٍ عادلٍ

أَفديه من مَولى مَليكٍ عادلٍ

شَهم حَليم لِلمَعالي مُنتَخب

شَهم حَليم لِلمَعالي مُنتَخب

I would ransom him—such a lord, a just sovereign,

I sacrifice him - an equitable, forbearing king

Noble-hearted, forbearing, chosen for greatness.

Chosen for the heights, sublime.

أَنسى بِما أَعطى سَماحةَ حاتمٍ

أَنسى بِما أَعطى سَماحةَ حاتمٍ

وَنَوالَ مَعْنٍ أَو عرابةَ إِن وَهب

وَنَوالَ مَعْنٍ أَو عرابةَ إِن وَهب

By what he gave, he made Hatim's generosity forgotten,

Can I forget what Hatim's generosity gave,

And the bounty of Ma'n or Araba, whenever he gave.

Or Mayn's favours, or Arabah's gifts, if he presented.

يا أَيُّها المَولى المولَّى مَصرَه

يا أَيُّها المَولى المولَّى مَصرَه

مِن يُمن جدّك قَد سَمَوت وَلا عَجَب

مِن يُمن جدّك قَد سَمَوت وَلا عَجَب

O lord appointed over his Egypt,

O prince, prince of Egypt,

Through your grandfather's blessing you have risen—no wonder!

From the fortune of your ancestors you have risen, and no wonder.

يا خَير مَن أَمّ الحِجاز تَطوّعاً

يا خَير مَن أَمّ الحِجاز تَطوّعاً

بُشراكَ حجك لِلقبول قَد اِكتَسَب

بُشراكَ حجك لِلقبول قَد اِكتَسَب

O best of those who journeyed to the Hijaz in voluntary devotion,

O best of those who protected Hejaz willingly,

Good tidings to you: your pilgrimage has earned acceptance!

Good tidings to you - your pilgrimage is accepted and gained.

يَمّم حِمى دار الخِلافة بِالغاً

يَمّم حِمى دار الخِلافة بِالغاً

فيها المَرام كَفَوز جدّك بِالأَرَب

فيها المَرام كَفَوز جدّك بِالأَرَب

Make for the precincts of the abode of the caliphate, attaining

He established the sanctuary of the Caliphate, striving

Your goal there, as your grandfather gained his wish.

To fulfill its purpose, like your ancestor's gaining of the Arabs.

دُم في المَعالي راقياً رُتب العُلى

دُم في المَعالي راقياً رُتب العُلى

فَإِلى علائك يَنتَهي هَذا النَسب

فَإِلى علائك يَنتَهي هَذا النَسب

Remain in eminence, ascending the ranks of glory,

Continue rising through the heights,

For this lineage culminates in your greatness.

For to your sublimity this lineage leads.