ساد القنا بقوامه المتأود

ساد القنا بقوامه المتأود

ساقٍ يتيه على الحسان الخرَّد

ساقٍ يتيه على الحسان الخرَّد

He surpassed the spears with his swaying stature—

With his upright stature he walked slowly,

A cupbearer who vaunts himself above the lovely, bashful maidens.

A wanderer stumbling on withered leaves.

لم ندر هل سنت سيوف جفونه

لم ندر هل سنت سيوف جفونه

بالسحر أم سُمَّت لنا بالأثمد

بالسحر أم سُمَّت لنا بالأثمد

We did not know whether the swords of his eyelids were sharpened

We knew not if his eyelids' swords were tempered

With magic, or poisoned for us with antimony.

With magic or sharpened for us with flint.

وبخده الوردي حبة عنبرٍ

وبخده الوردي حبة عنبرٍ

أم نكتةٍ سقطت على وردٍ ندي

أم نكتةٍ سقطت على وردٍ ندي

And on his rosy cheek, is that a grain of ambergris,

On his rosy cheek a grain of ambergris -

Or a speck that fell upon a dewy rose?

Or a speck fallen on a rosy rose.

أم سارق مد العذار لصلبه

أم سارق مد العذار لصلبه

في ساحة الياقوت حبل زمرد

في ساحة الياقوت حبل زمرد

Or a thief, for whose crucifixion the cheek's down stretched

Or did a thief stretch out to pluck it

An emerald cord in the ruby courtyard?

In a courtyard of rubies with an emerald rope?

أم سائح لمطالع الشمس انتهى

أم سائح لمطالع الشمس انتهى

فلها به اللاهي وقال له اسجد

فلها به اللاهي وقال له اسجد

Or a wanderer who reached the sun's rising places,

Or a wanderer of the rising sun who ended up

So the playful one toyed with him and said, 'Prostrate yourself'?

Bowing to it, calling it sublime?

أم عوذة كتبت له من سورة ال

أم عوذة كتبت له من سورة ال

رحمن خوفاً من عيون الحسد

رحمن خوفاً من عيون الحسد

Or an amulet written for him from Surat al-

Or a talisman inscribed for him from Surat

Rahman, for fear of envious eyes?

Al-Rahman, to ward off the evil eye.

أم قطب دائرة الجمال بخده

أم قطب دائرة الجمال بخده

متنكرٌ في زي عبدٍ أسود

متنكرٌ في زي عبدٍ أسود

Or the center of beauty's circle upon his cheek,

Or the pole of the circle of beauty on his cheek

Disguised in the garb of a black slave?

Disguised in the garb of a black slave.

أم ذاك طيف خيال حبة ناظري ال

أم ذاك طيف خيال حبة ناظري ال

ساهي بمرآة الجمال المفرد

ساهي بمرآة الجمال المفرد

Or is that the phantom reflection of the pupil of my eye,

Or is it an apparition of my imagination

Lost in the mirror of peerless beauty?

Distracted by the mirror of singular beauty?

أدناه سلطان الغرام لجنةٍ

أدناه سلطان الغرام لجنةٍ

بعدت علي وليتها لم تبعد

بعدت علي وليتها لم تبعد

Love's sovereign brought it near a paradise

The sultan of passion brought me near to a heaven

Far from me—would that it had not been so far!

But would that it had not brought me so near!

خف يا خيال من العيون ولا تقل

خف يا خيال من العيون ولا تقل

رقدت ففيها ساحرٌ لم يرقد

رقدت ففيها ساحرٌ لم يرقد

Fear the eyes, O phantom, and do not say,

Restrain yourself, my imagination, from eyes that never

'They have slept,' for in them is a sorcerer who has not slept.

Sleep, for in them is a sorcerer who never rests.

واخش المنون من الحواجب إنها

واخش المنون من الحواجب إنها

أم العجائب سهمها لم يصرد

أم العجائب سهمها لم يصرد

And fear death from the eyebrows, for they are

And fear death from the eyebrows, for they

The mother of wonders: their arrow has never missed.

Are the mother of wonders - their arrow never misses.

واحذر لظى الخد الأسيل فعندها

واحذر لظى الخد الأسيل فعندها

لا فرق بين مثلث وموحد

لا فرق بين مثلث وموحد

And beware the blaze of his smooth cheek, for before it

And beware the flaming cheek - for next to it

There is no difference between a Trinitarian and a monotheist.

There is no difference between acute and right angle.

وتوق من سيف الجفون كما اتقت

وتوق من سيف الجفون كما اتقت

أعداؤنا في السلط سيف محمد

أعداؤنا في السلط سيف محمد

And guard yourself from the sword of his eyelids, just as

And flee from the sword of the eyelids, as our

Our enemies in al-Salt guarded against Muhammad's sword.

Enemies fled from the swords of Muhammad in battle.

والٍ تمد له العفاة يد الرجا

والٍ تمد له العفاة يد الرجا

ويد الكماة لنحوه لم تمدد

ويد الكماة لنحوه لم تمدد

A governor to whom suppliants stretch the hand of hope,

He who appeals to him for mercy extends

While the armored warriors' hand has not been stretched toward him.

A hand that is never outstretched to harm.

جم الرماد غنيمة للمجتدي

جم الرماد غنيمة للمجتدي

صعب القياد منيةٌ للمعتدي

صعب القياد منيةٌ للمعتدي

Abundant in ashes, a prize for the seeker of gifts;

He inherited generosity from the great ancestors

Hard to rein, death to the aggressor.

Among whom there is none but an honoured chief.

ما سل صارمه وعاش به شقي

ما سل صارمه وعاش به شقي

وسقى يراعته وما بها صدي

وسقى يراعته وما بها صدي

Whenever he drew his keen sword, no wretch survived it;

May their unique lineage endure for you, O best

And his reed-pen gave drink, leaving none beside it thirsty.

Of governors! And remain always sweet of waters.

ورث المكارم عن أكابر معشرٍ

ورث المكارم عن أكابر معشرٍ

ما فيهمُ اِلا سيدٌ من سيد

ما فيهمُ اِلا سيدٌ من سيد

He inherited noble virtues from the great men of a clan,

And may your love be the reward of your struggle. God

With none among them but a lord descended from a lord.

Made you caliph to delight in eternal bliss!

دامت فريدة عقدهم علياك يا

دامت فريدة عقدهم علياك يا

خير الولاة ودمت عذب المورد

خير الولاة ودمت عذب المورد

May your eminence remain the peerless pearl of their necklace, O

Best of governors, and may you remain a sweet wellspring.

وحباك أجر جهادك اللَه الذي

وحباك أجر جهادك اللَه الذي

ولاك جلق بالسرور السرمدي

ولاك جلق بالسرور السرمدي

And may God grant you the reward of your striving—He who

Made you governor of Jilliq—with everlasting joy.