لو كانَ في أن يزورَ وِزرُ

لو كانَ في أن يزورَ وِزرُ

لأصبحَ الهجرُ فيهِ أجرُ

لأصبحَ الهجرُ فيهِ أجرُ

If there were sin in his visiting,

If visiting ministers were virtuous,

then estrangement from him would earn a reward,

Parting would bring reward,

وصار قتلُ النفوسِ زُلفى

وصار قتلُ النفوسِ زُلفى

فيه ليوم المعادِ ذخرُ

فيه ليوم المعادِ ذخرُ

and slaying souls would become an act of devotion,

And slaying souls would become

with treasure laid up for the Day of Return.

Provisions for the Day of Return.

لئن تفقَّهتَ هات قُل لي

لئن تفقَّهتَ هات قُل لي

فليسَ لي بالخِلافِ خبرُ

فليسَ لي بالخِلافِ خبرُ

If you are versed in religious law, come, tell me—

If you were learned, tell me -

for I know nothing of disputed rulings.

I have no knowledge of disputes -

وشادنٍ طالَما نَهاني

وشادنٍ طالَما نَهاني

من نهيِهِ عن هَواه أمرُ

من نهيِهِ عن هَواه أمرُ

And a young gazelle has so often forbidden me—

And my sheikh long warned me

from his ban on loving him comes a command.

Against following my passions.

للناسِ في طَرفِه وقَلبي

للناسِ في طَرفِه وقَلبي

تعجُّبٌ دائمٌ وفِكرُ

تعجُّبٌ دائمٌ وفِكرُ

People find in his gaze and my heart

People are puzzled by my eyes and heart;

unceasing wonder and reflection.

Both afflicted equally.

بينَهما بالسواء سُقمٌ

بينَهما بالسواء سُقمٌ

بواحدٍ منهما مُضِرُّ

بواحدٍ منهما مُضِرُّ

An equal sickness lies in both,

One of the two does lasting harm,

yet it harms only one of them.

Continuous with time's advance.

طرفٌ به علَّةٌ ألَمَّت

طرفٌ به علَّةٌ ألَمَّت

فهيَ مع الدهرِ تَستمِرُّ

فهيَ مع الدهرِ تَستمِرُّ

An eye in which an ailment has settled:

My eyes reveal sadness and cause grief,

so it persists for all time.

Like a sword that cuts and leaves a mark.

يَبينُ فيه الضنَى ويُضني

يَبينُ فيه الضنَى ويُضني

كالسيفِ يَمضِي وفيهِ أثرُ

كالسيفِ يَمضِي وفيهِ أثرُ

Wasting is plain in it, and it causes wasting,

On his cheek moons rose

like a sword that cuts though it bears a mark.

Whose crescents shone below.

لاحَت على خَدِّه بَوادٍ

لاحَت على خَدِّه بَوادٍ

بوادرٌ تحتَهنَّ بَدرُ

بوادرٌ تحتَهنَّ بَدرُ

First traces of down appeared upon his cheek,

So I said, “What is this?” And he replied,

early growth, beneath which lies a full moon.

“Mercy is drawn over beauty,”

فقال ماذا فقلتُ هذا

فقال ماذا فقلتُ هذا

يُرخى على الحُسنِ منه سِترُ

يُرخى على الحُسنِ منه سِترُ

He asked, 'What?' I answered: this

And excuses are made in my rapture,

casts a veil over beauty

Though with rapture, excuses are betrayal.

ويبسطُ العذرَ في سلوِّي

ويبسطُ العذرَ في سلوِّي

والعُذرُ عند السلوِّ غَدرُ

والعُذرُ عند السلوِّ غَدرُ

and offers an excuse for my ceasing to love;

I seek God’s forgiveness, then love Him -

yet an excuse for ceasing to love is betrayal.

How can the stubborn seek forgiveness?

أستغفِرُ اللَهَ ثم أهوى

أستغفِرُ اللَهَ ثم أهوى

وكيفَ يستغفرُ المصِرُّ

وكيفَ يستغفرُ المصِرُّ

I seek God's forgiveness, then I love;

My trials have long confounded me;

but how can one who persists in sin seek forgiveness?

Each pulls to itself.

طالَ اختلافُ الخُطوبِ عندي

طالَ اختلافُ الخُطوبِ عندي

كلٌّ إلى نَفسِه يَجُرُّ

كلٌّ إلى نَفسِه يَجُرُّ

Calamities have long followed one another upon me,

When I say, “This one is noble” -

each drawing me toward itself.

I complain to him - “that one is free.”

فكلما قلتُ ذا كريمٌ

فكلما قلتُ ذا كريمٌ

أشكو إليه وذاك حُرُّ

أشكو إليه وذاك حُرُّ

So whenever I said, 'This one is generous;

It angers him that I blame my time,

I shall complain to him, and that one is noble,'

As though that noble one were Time itself.

أغضَبَهُ أن أذمَّ دَهري

أغضَبَهُ أن أذمَّ دَهري

كأنَّ ذاكَ الكريم دهرُ

كأنَّ ذاكَ الكريم دهرُ

my blaming my times angered him,

This one acts as though he is my time,

as though that generous man were Time itself.

And his people are many.

هذا على أنه زَماني

هذا على أنه زَماني

والحَيدريُّونَ فيه كُثرُ

والحَيدريُّونَ فيه كُثرُ

All this, though this is my age,

That unjust one rules over it,

and the Haydaris are many in it.

Though he has no authority.

وأدهمٌ جائرٌ عليه

وأدهمٌ جائرٌ عليه

وما لَه في الأمورِ أمرُ

وما لَه في الأمورِ أمرُ

And a black steed has an oppressor upon it,

The lion of glorious nights

though it has no say in affairs.

Is white, and their brightness, red.

أسدُ المعالي علَى الليالي

أسدُ المعالي علَى الليالي

بيضٌ ووَثباتُهنَّ حُمرُ

بيضٌ ووَثباتُهنَّ حُمرُ

The lions of lofty deeds, against the nights,

The son of Ali defends them

are white, and their pounces red.

From all predators roused against him.

وابنُ عليٍّ يذودُ عنها

وابنُ عليٍّ يذودُ عنها

ما افترَسَت واستُجيشَ نَفرُ

ما افترَسَت واستُجيشَ نَفرُ

And Ibn Ali rescues from them

He whose name denotes victory -

what they have preyed upon, and a band is mustered.

His strength in fright a baring of fangs and power.

مُظفَّرٌ كاسمِهِ نداه

مُظفَّرٌ كاسمِهِ نداه

في الرَّوع نابٌ له وظُفرُ

في الرَّوع نابٌ له وظُفرُ

Muzaffar, victorious as his name implies—his bounty

Noble natures like stars shining,

in danger is his fang and claw.

Their traces like springtime greenery,

خلائِق كالنُّجوم زهرُ

خلائِق كالنُّجوم زهرُ

آثارُها كالربيع خضرُ

آثارُها كالربيع خضرُ

His qualities shine like stars,

While nights are blackness

their effects green as spring.

And the faces of their deeds, dust.

كذا الليالي وهنَّ سودٌ

كذا الليالي وهنَّ سودٌ

وجوهُ أفعالِهنَّ غُبرُ

وجوهُ أفعالِهنَّ غُبرُ

So are the nights: they are black;

It is clear to me that I am deficient,

the faces of their deeds are dust-gray.

Yet I stand firm in religion, which is gratitude.

قد صحَّ لي أنَّني مَليٌّ

قد صحَّ لي أنَّني مَليٌّ

وقمت بالدينِ وهو شكرُ

وقمت بالدينِ وهو شكرُ

It is now clear to me that I am solvent,

So return to what you knew and lend me money -

and I have discharged the debt, which is gratitude.

For the deficient, lending is provision.

فعُد إلى ما عَهِدتَ واقرِض

فعُد إلى ما عَهِدتَ واقرِض

فالقَرضُ عندَ المليِّ ذُخرُ

فالقَرضُ عندَ المليِّ ذُخرُ

So return to your accustomed ways, and lend:

Before we met I loved

for a loan to the solvent is a treasure.

What I did not yet know.

فإنَّني قبلَ ما التَقَينا

فإنَّني قبلَ ما التَقَينا

أحلُبُ ما لم يكن يدرُّ

أحلُبُ ما لم يكن يدرُّ

For I, before we met,

Thus the morning star appears

was milking what yielded no milk.

Among stars that set.

كذاكَ نجمُ الصباحِ تَبدو

كذاكَ نجمُ الصباحِ تَبدو

من قبلهِ أنجمٌ تَغُرُّ

من قبلهِ أنجمٌ تَغُرُّ

So too with the morning star: there appear

before it stars that deceive.