1. كم دمٍ فيك أيُّها الرِّيمُ طُلاّ

    وفؤادٍ بجَمرةِ الوجد يَصلى

    How much blood, because of you, O gazelle, has gone unavenged,

    and how many a heart burns on the ember of longing!

  2. فأناسٌ بخمرِ عَينيك صَرعى

    وأناسٌ بسَيْف جفنيكَ قتلى

    Some lie stricken by the wine of your eyes,

    and others lie slain by the sword of your eyelids.

  3. قلْ لعينيك إنَّها قَتَلْتنا

    أحسِني بالمتيَّم الصبِّ قتلا

    Tell your eyes that they have killed us:

    "Be gentle in slaying the love-enslaved, yearning lover."

  4. ولك الله من حبيبٍ ملولٍ

    غير أنَّ الهوى به لن يُملاّ

    God be your keeper—what a fickle beloved,

    yet love for him will never grow wearisome!

  5. يا عزيزاً أذلُّ طوعاً لديه

    والهوى يترك الأعزَّ الأذلا

    O mighty one, before whom I willingly abase myself,

    love leaves the mightiest utterly abased.

  6. إنْ تعجِّلْ بالهجر منك عذابي

    أو تُؤاخِذْ متيّميك فمهلا

    If you hasten my torment by estranging yourself,

    or call your love-enslaved lovers to account, be gentle.

  7. وإذا ما اسْتَحْليْتَ أَنْتَ تلافي

    كانَ عندي وريقِك العذبِ أحلى

    And if you yourself find my destruction sweet,

    it is sweeter still to me—by your sweet saliva.

  8. لا يملُّ العَذابَ فيك معنّى

    نُصحاً وسواك الَّذي يَملُّ ويُقلى

    A tormented lover never tires of suffering for you,

    in true devotion; it is others who weary and are loathed.

  9. يتراءى لعاذلي أنَّني أسمَعُ

    نُصحاً له وأقبلُ عذلا

    My reprover imagines that I listen

    to his counsel and accept his rebukes.

  10. يأمُرُ القلبَ بالسلوّ ومن لي

    بفؤادٍ يُرضيه أن يتسلّى

    He bids my heart forget; but who can give me

    a heart content to seek consolation?

  11. خَلِّني والهوى بآرامِ سَلْعٍ

    يا خَليلي ولا عدمتُك خلاّ

    Leave me to love the gazelles of Salʿ,

    my friend; may I never lose you as a friend.

  12. ربَّ طيفٍ من آل ميٍّ طروقٍ

    زارَ وَهناً فقلت أهلاً وسهلا

    Many a night-visiting phantom from Mayy's household

    came late at night, and I said, "Welcome!"

  13. إنَّ من أرسَلَتْك من بعد منعٍ

    قد أساءتْ قطعاً وأحْسَنتْ وصلا

    She who sent you after withholding herself

    did wrong in severing our bond, but good in restoring it.

  14. بعثَتْ طيفَها ولم تتناءى

    عن مزاري إلاَّ دلالاً وبخلا

    She sent her phantom, and stayed away

    from visiting me only out of coyness and withholding.

  15. فلقد كاد أنْ يَبُلَّ غليلي

    ذلك الطيف في الكرى أو بلاّ

    For it almost quenched my burning thirst—

    that phantom in sleep—or quenched it outright.

  16. نَظَرتْ أعيُني منازلَ في الجزع

    فأرْسَلْتُ دمعها المستهلاّ

    My eyes beheld dwellings at the valley's bend,

    and I let their streaming tears flow.

  17. لم أُكَفْكف دَمعي بفضل ردائي

    بادّكار الأحباب حتَّى ابتلاّ

    I did not stem my tears with the folds of my cloak,

    remembering my loved ones, until it was drenched.

  18. فسُقيت الغمامَ يا دار ظمياءَ

    موقراتٌ نسيمُها المعتلاّ

    May rain clouds water you, O dwelling of Ẓamyāʾ,

    laden clouds, their breeze languid.

  19. طالما كنتُ فيك والعيش غضٌ

    وعروسٌ من المدامة تجلى

    How often I dwelt in you while life was fresh,

    and a bride of wine was unveiled,

  20. أشْرَبُ الرَّاح من مراشف ألمى

    جاعلاً لي تُفَّاحَ خَدَّيه نَقلا

    drinking wine from the lips of a dark-lipped one,

    taking the apples of his cheeks as my sweet accompaniment.

  21. فابكِ عَنِّي عَهْدَ الصّبا أو تباكَ

    لبكائي والصبُّ بالدمع أولى

    Weep for me over the days of youth, or feign tears

    at my weeping; the love-stricken has the greater claim to tears.

  22. أينَ ذاك الهوى وكيف تقضّى

    كانَ خمراً فما له صار خلاّ

    Where is that love, and how did it pass away?

    It was wine—why has it turned to vinegar?

  23. صاحبي هذه المطيُّ الَّتي سا

    رت عِشاءً تجوبُ وَعراً وسهلا

    My companion, these are the mounts that set

    out in the evening, crossing rough ground and smooth.

  24. زادَها الوجْدُ غُلَّةً والنوى

    وَجْداً وفُرْقَةُ الشَّملِ غِلاّ

    Longing increased their burning thirst, and separation

    their yearning, while broken fellowship increased their rancor.

  25. تَتَلظَّى كأنَّها في حَشاها

    جمراتٌ تذوبُ منها وتَصْلى

    They blaze as though within their bellies

    were embers that make them melt and burn.

  26. وغَدَتْ بعدَ طيِّها الأرض طياً

    آكلاتٍ أخفافَها البيدُ أكلا

    And after they had folded up the earth in their passage,

    the deserts became devourers of their padded feet.

  27. أتراها تَبغي النَّدى من عليٍّ

    فَنَداه لم يُبْقِ في النفس سؤلا

    Do you think they seek generosity from Ali?

    His bounty has left no wish in the soul unfulfilled.

  28. ساد أقرانَه وكان غلاماً

    ثم سادَ الجميعَ إذ صار كهلا

    He surpassed his peers while still a youth,

    then surpassed them all when he reached middle age.

  29. وانْتَضَتْه يَدُ العُلى مَشرفيًّا

    صَقَلتْه قَينُ السِّيادة صقلا

    The hand of eminence drew him forth, a Mashrafi sword,

    which the smith of lordship had polished bright.

  30. فأراعَ الزمانَ منه جمالٌ

    وجَلا كلَّ غيهبٍ إذ تجلّى

    His beauty filled Time with awe,

    and dispelled every darkness when it shone forth.

  31. غَمَرَ النَّاس بالجميل فقُلْنا

    هكذا هكذا الكرامُ وإلاّ

    He overwhelmed people with kindness, and we said:

    "Thus, thus are the noble—or not at all!"

  32. بأيادٍ تكون في المحْل خِصباً

    في زمان يصيّر الخطب محلا

    With favors that bring fertility in drought,

    in an age when calamity makes all things barren.

  33. باذلاً كلَّ ما يروق ويحلو

    لا مُملاًّ ولا ملولاً بذلا

    Giving all that delights and pleases,

    neither making his giving tiresome nor tiring of it.

  34. والفتى الهاشمي إنْ جادَ أغنا

    ك وإن أجْزَلَ العطاءَ استَقَلاّ

    The Hashimite youth, when he gives, enriches

    you; and however lavish the gift, he deems it little.

  35. ربَّما خلْتَه لفرطِ نَداه

    مُكثراً وهو عند ذاك مُقِلاّ

    You may suppose him, from his lavish bounty,

    wealthy, though at that moment he has little.

  36. وسواءٌ لَدَيه في حالَتَيه

    كَثُرَ المالُ عِنده أو قلاّ

    Both conditions are alike to him:

    whether his wealth is abundant or scant.

  37. آلُ بيت إن كنتَ لم تَدْرِ ما هم

    فاسأَلِ البيتَ عنهمُ والمصلّى

    The family of the House—if you do not know who they are,

    ask the House about them, and the prayer-place.

  38. بأبي أَنْتَ من سُلالَةِ طه

    أشرَفُ الكائنات عقلاً ونقلا

    My father be your ransom, you of Taha's lineage—

    the noblest of beings, by reason and tradition.

  39. سَيِّدٌ لا يمينه تَقْبَلُ القَبض

    ولا طبعُهُ يلائم بُخلا

    A lord whose right hand will not close,

    and whose nature accords with no stinginess.

  40. وبما قد سَبَقْتَ مَن جاءَ بعداً

    سيّدي قد أدْرَكْتَ من كانَ قبلا

    Just as you have surpassed those who came after,

    my lord, you have matched those who came before.

  41. ما تعالَتْ قَومٌ إلى المجد إلاَّ

    كنت أعلى مِنْهم وأَنْتَ الأعلى

    No people ever rose toward glory

    but you stood higher than they—you are the highest.

  42. طيّب الفرع طيّب الذات تُخشى

    سطوات الظبا وترجى نيلا

    Noble in branch, noble in essence; feared are

    the sword-blades' assaults, and you are sought for bounty.

  43. وإذا كنتَ أطيبَ النَّاس فرعاً

    كنتَ لا شك أطيبَ النَّاس أصلا

    And if yours is the noblest branch among men,

    then surely yours is the noblest root.

  44. يا عليَّ الجناب وابنَ عليٍّ

    والمعالي لم ترض غيرك بَعلا

    O lofty of station and son of Ali,

    the heights of honor have accepted no husband but you.

  45. قد بَلَوْناك يوم لا الغيثُ ينه

    لُّ فَشِمناك عارضاً منهلا

    We tested you on a day when the rain did not

    pour down; we watched you, a cloud pouring forth.

  46. وَوَجَدْناك للجميع مَلاذاً

    يَرتجيك الجميعُ جوداً وفضلا

    And we found you a refuge for all;

    all look to you for generosity and grace.

  47. والأماني تُلقي ببابك رحلاً

    كلَّ يوم تمضي وتملأُ رحلا

    Hopes lay down their packs at your door,

    departing each day with their packs filled.

  48. وتلاقي حُلاحِلاً جعل الله

    عُلاه على البريّة ظلاّ

    And they meet a mighty lord; God has made

    his eminence a shade over all creation.

  49. ربَّما كانَ في الأوائل مثلاً

    لك واليوم لم نجد لك مثلا

    Perhaps among the ancients there was an equal

    to you; today we find none to match you.

  50. أَنْتَ ذاتٌ تُرى لدى كلّ يوم

    ترتقي منصباً وتعلو محلاّ

    You are one who is seen each day

    ascending in rank and rising in station.

  51. أَنْتَ في كلِّ موضعٍ ومكانٍ

    آيةٌ من جميل ذكرك تتلى

    In every spot and place, you are

    a verse of your fair renown, recited aloud.

  52. فإذا قُلتُ في مديحك شيئاً

    قيلَ لي أَنْتَ أصدقُ النَّاس قولا

    Whenever I say something in your praise,

    I am told, "You are the most truthful of speakers."

  53. فتقبَّل مولايَ فيك ثَنائي

    وليَ الفخرُ إن تكُنْ ليَ مولى

    Then accept, my master, my praise of you;

    mine is the honor if you will be my patron.

  54. وتكرَّمْ بأخذِه ولَكَ الفَضلُ

    وما زِلتَ للفضائل أهلا

    Graciously receive it—the favor is yours,

    and you have always been worthy of virtues.

  55. لا تزال الأيام في كلِّ حَوْلٍ

    لكَ عيداً ودُمْتَ حَوْلاً فحَولا

    May the days of every passing year remain

    a festival for you; may you endure year after year.