خلطَ الغرامُ الشّجوَ في أمشاجِه

خلطَ الغرامُ الشّجوَ في أمشاجِه

فبَكى فخِلْتُ بُكاهُ من أوداجِهِ

فبَكى فخِلْتُ بُكاهُ من أوداجِهِ

Passion mingled grief into his humors.

Love and yearning intermingled

So he wept, and I thought his weeping came from his jugular veins.

So it wept, and I lamented its weeping from its inner depths

ودعَتْهُ غِزلانُ العَقيقِ إلى السُّرى

ودعَتْهُ غِزلانُ العَقيقِ إلى السُّرى

فغدا يُساري النّجمَ في إدلاجهِ

فغدا يُساري النّجمَ في إدلاجهِ

And the gazelles of al-ʿAqīq called him to travel by night,

The antelope-eyed maidens bid it to nightly trysts

so he set out, journeying beside the star on his nocturnal way.

So it came to pace the stars in their setting

ودعَتْهُ ناحلةُ الخُصورِ إلى الضّنى

ودعَتْهُ ناحلةُ الخُصورِ إلى الضّنى

فكسَتْهُ صُفْرَ الوشي من دِيباجِهِ

فكسَتْهُ صُفْرَ الوشي من دِيباجِهِ

And the slender-waisted maiden called him to wasting sickness,

The slender-waisted called it to cherished intimacy

so she clothed him in yellow embroidery from its brocade.

So she clothed it in the yellow silk of her robes

تُملي عُيونُ الغانياتِ عليه ما

تُملي عُيونُ الغانياتِ عليه ما

يُملي النّديمُ به كؤوسَ زُجاجِهِ

يُملي النّديمُ به كؤوسَ زُجاجِهِ

The eyes of beautiful women dictate to him what

The eyes of the singing girls cast upon it what

the boon companion fills his glass goblets with.

The drinking companion casts in his goblets

يا مَنْ لقلبٍ يَستضيءُ بقلبِه

يا مَنْ لقلبٍ يَستضيءُ بقلبِه

فكأنّ جنّتهُ ذُبالُ سِراجِهِ

فكأنّ جنّتهُ ذُبالُ سِراجِهِ

O who will aid a heart that draws light from its own core,

O you who has a heart illuminated by his heart

as though its shield were the wicks of its lamp?

As if his soul were the glass of his lamp

دنِفٌ أعارَتْهُ الخُصورُ سَقامَها

دنِفٌ أعارَتْهُ الخُصورُ سَقامَها

أينَ الأطِبّا من عَزيزِ عِلاجِهِ

أينَ الأطِبّا من عَزيزِ عِلاجِهِ

Love-sick: the waists have lent him their frailty.

A fawn lent by the slender-waisted their sickness

Where are the physicians to accomplish his elusive cure?

Where are the healers from his precious remedy?

قد ظنّ سكْبَ الدّمْعِ يُخمِدُ نارَه

قد ظنّ سكْبَ الدّمْعِ يُخمِدُ نارَه

سَفَهاً به فتأجّجَتْ بأُجاجِهِ

سَفَهاً به فتأجّجَتْ بأُجاجِهِ

He had thought that pouring out tears would quench his fire,

It thought shedding tears would quench its fire

foolishly on his part; instead, it blazed with their brine.

Foolishly, so it flared up more violently

من لي بوصلِ غَزال خِدرٍ صادَني

من لي بوصلِ غَزال خِدرٍ صادَني

في صادِ لحظٍ تحت نُونِ حَجاجِهِ

في صادِ لحظٍ تحت نُونِ حَجاجِهِ

Who will grant me union with a gazelle of the curtained chamber that captured me

Who will unite me with the cheek of a sleepy gazelle

in the Ṣād of a glance beneath the Nūn of his brow?

Who glanced at me for a moment under the letter noon in her eyelashes

وبياضِ ساعدِه المُساعدِ لوعَتي

وبياضِ ساعدِه المُساعدِ لوعَتي

للّه ما صنعَتْ يَدا اِعوِجاجهِ

للّه ما صنعَتْ يَدا اِعوِجاجهِ

And the whiteness of his forearm, which feeds my anguish—

By the whiteness of his assisting arm, my agony

By God, what the two hands of his curvature have wrought!

By God, no crooked hand made his bracelet

قرُبَتْ محاسنُه وعزّ وُصولُه

قرُبَتْ محاسنُه وعزّ وُصولُه

فبدا بُدوَّ البدرِ في أبراجِهِ

فبدا بُدوَّ البدرِ في أبراجِهِ

His beauties drew near, yet reaching him was hard,

His beauties drew near and the ease of reaching him

so he appeared as the full moon appears in its mansions.

So the full moon appeared among its mansions

كم من ظلامٍ فيه قد نادَمْتُه

كم من ظلامٍ فيه قد نادَمْتُه

حتّى بدَتْ نارُ الصّباحِ بساجِهِ

حتّى بدَتْ نارُ الصّباحِ بساجِهِ

How many a dark night I have spent drinking with him,

How much darkness in it I blamed

until morning's fire appeared in its dark cloak!

Until the dawn’s fire shone through its casements

ولَرُبّ زائِر أيكَةٍ لو أنّه

ولَرُبّ زائِر أيكَةٍ لو أنّه

يدعو الجَمادَ لزادَ في إبهاجِهِ

يدعو الجَمادَ لزادَ في إبهاجِهِ

And many a visitor to a grove, if it

Many a frequenter of ruins, if he called on the inanimate

called to lifeless matter, would increase its delight.

Would add to its delight

ولقد تأمّلْتُ الزّمانَ وأهلَه

ولقد تأمّلْتُ الزّمانَ وأهلَه

وأجَلْتُ عينَ النّقدِ في أفواجِهِ

وأجَلْتُ عينَ النّقدِ في أفواجِهِ

And indeed, I have pondered the age and its people,

And I observed time and its people

and cast an eye of scrutiny over its throngs.

And examined the eye of criticism in its groups

فرأيتُ عربدةَ الزّمانِ عزيزةً

فرأيتُ عربدةَ الزّمانِ عزيزةً

في حالِ سَكرتِه وصحوِ مِزاجِهِ

في حالِ سَكرتِه وصحوِ مِزاجِهِ

So I found the age's riotousness invincible,

I saw time’s mare too dear

both in its drunken state and the sobriety of its temper.

In her state of intoxication and temperament's balance

ولرُبّما ظنّ السّفيهُ بأنّه

ولرُبّما ظنّ السّفيهُ بأنّه

يصحو بلى لكنّ لاستدراجِهِ

يصحو بلى لكنّ لاستدراجِهِ

And often the fool imagines that it

Sometimes the fool thinks he wakes up

is sobering up—yes, but only to lure him into a trap.

But no, it is only to lure him

ويُسِرُّ قلبُ الدّهرِ كلَّ عجيبةٍ

ويُسِرُّ قلبُ الدّهرِ كلَّ عجيبةٍ

لم يُفشِها إلّا بَنو أزواجِهِ

لم يُفشِها إلّا بَنو أزواجِهِ

And the heart of time conceals every wonder,

The heart of fate loves every wondrous thing

which none but the sons of its spouses have revealed.

It only reveals to the couples it weds

ورأيتُ أغلى ما عليهِ من الحُلى

ورأيتُ أغلى ما عليهِ من الحُلى

أربابَه وعليَّ درّةَ تاجِهِ

أربابَه وعليَّ درّةَ تاجِهِ

And I found that the most precious ornaments it wears

And I saw the most precious thing it had

are its lords, and ʿAlī is the pearl of its crown.

Were its lords, and to me the pearl of its crown

قَيْلٌ تواخى بالمكارمِ والتُقى

قَيْلٌ تواخى بالمكارمِ والتُقى

والجودِ والمعروفِ منذ نِتاجِهِ

والجودِ والمعروفِ منذ نِتاجِهِ

A prince, bound in brotherhood with noble virtues and piety,

A tribe established in generosity, piety

and with generosity and kindness, since his birth.

Giving, kindness, since its offspring

سمْحٌ إذا فقدَ الثّرى صوبَ الحَيا

سمْحٌ إذا فقدَ الثّرى صوبَ الحَيا

وشكا الظّما يَسقيهِ من ثجّاجِهِ

وشكا الظّما يَسقيهِ من ثجّاجِهِ

A generous man: when the earth lacks the rain's downpour

Noble, if the earth lacked direction to life

and complains of thirst, he waters it from his torrent.

And he complained of thirst, watering it from his leather bottle

بطلٌ إذا هزّ القَنا بأكُفِّه

بطلٌ إذا هزّ القَنا بأكُفِّه

تُضحي القُلوبُ مَراجِزاً لزُجاجِهِ

تُضحي القُلوبُ مَراجِزاً لزُجاجِهِ

A hero: when he brandishes the lances with his hands,

A hero, when he shakes the spears with his palms

hearts become lodgments for his spear-ferrules.

Hearts become fragments for his glass

أسدٌ إذا لقيَ الخميسَ فعندَهُ

أسدٌ إذا لقيَ الخميسَ فعندَهُ

كبشُ الكثيبةِ من أذلِّ نِعاجِهِ

كبشُ الكثيبةِ من أذلِّ نِعاجِهِ

A lion: when he meets the army, to him

A lion, if he meets Thursday, he has before him

the battalion's ram is among the humblest of his ewes.

The ram of al-Kathibah among the lowest of her sheep

جمْعُ الأسودِ إذا لَقيه لدى الوَغى

جمْعُ الأسودِ إذا لَقيه لدى الوَغى

حذَراً يبدّلُ زأرَه بثؤاجِهِ

حذَراً يبدّلُ زأرَه بثؤاجِهِ

A host of lions, when it meets him in battle,

A pack of lions, when they meet him in battle

fearfully exchanges its roar for bleating.

Fearfully, he changes his roar to bleating

لجَبُ الجيوشِ إذا يمرُّ بسمعِه

لجَبُ الجيوشِ إذا يمرُّ بسمعِه

لجَبُ الذُبابِ يطنُّ في أهزاجِهِ

لجَبُ الذُبابِ يطنُّ في أهزاجِهِ

The tumult of armies, when it reaches his hearing,

The mountains tremble when he passes

is the din of flies humming their refrains.

The buzzing of flies pounds in their bodies

يَقري بلحمِ الشّوسِ شاغبةَ الظُّبا

يَقري بلحمِ الشّوسِ شاغبةَ الظُّبا

ويزيدُ حرُّ الضّربِ في إنضاجِهِ

ويزيدُ حرُّ الضّربِ في إنضاجِهِ

He feasts the unruly blades on the flesh of fierce warriors,

He feeds on the flesh of muscular horses

and the heat of his blows cooks it still further.

And more heat increases the cooking of its broth

تُرجى منافعُه ويُحذَرُ ضُرُّه

تُرجى منافعُه ويُحذَرُ ضُرُّه

في يومِ نائِله ويومِ هَياجِهِ

في يومِ نائِله ويومِ هَياجِهِ

His benefits are hoped for, and his harm is feared,

Its benefits are hoped for and its harm is feared

on the day of his bounty and the day of his fury.

On the day of its ascent and the day of its rage

كسدَ المديحُ وأكدَحوا نُظامه

كسدَ المديحُ وأكدَحوا نُظامه

حتّى أتى فأقامَ سوقَ زواجِهِ

حتّى أتى فأقامَ سوقَ زواجِهِ

Panegyric went unsold, and they wore out its versifiers,

Eulogy grew dim and they toiled at its composition

until he came and established a market for its marriage.

Until he came and set up the market of its jewels

يا اِبْنَ الّذي ساد الأنامَ ونجلَ مَنْ

يا اِبْنَ الّذي ساد الأنامَ ونجلَ مَنْ

فاقَ الملائِكَ في عُلا أدراجِهِ

فاقَ الملائِكَ في عُلا أدراجِهِ

O son of him who ruled mankind, and offspring of one who

O son of the one who ruled people and son of the one

surpassed the angels in the loftiness of his steps!

Who surpassed angels in the loftiness of his steps

إنّ المديحَ إذا أردْتُ ثناءَكُم

إنّ المديحَ إذا أردْتُ ثناءَكُم

تَهوي النّجومُ إليّ من أبراجِهِ

تَهوي النّجومُ إليّ من أبراجِهِ

Indeed, when I wish to praise you in verse,

If I wanted to praise you

the stars descend to me from its mansions.

The stars would swoop down to me from their mansions

وإذا قصدْتُ سواكُمُ فيه فلم

وإذا قصدْتُ سواكُمُ فيه فلم

تظفَرْ يَدي إلّا ببيضِ دَجاجِهِ

تظفَرْ يَدي إلّا ببيضِ دَجاجِهِ

And when I aim at others in it, never

And if I intended others than you in it

does my hand obtain anything but its hens' eggs.

My hand would reap only the whites of eggs

أيّدْتَ دينَ الحقِّ بعد تأوّدٍ

أيّدْتَ دينَ الحقِّ بعد تأوّدٍ

وسدَدْتَ بالإحكامِ كلَّ فِجاجِهِ

وسدَدْتَ بالإحكامِ كلَّ فِجاجِهِ

You upheld the true faith after it had bent,

You supported the religion of truth after despondence

and firmly closed all its breaches.

And you fortified each of its gaps with precision

وشفَيْتَ علّتَهُ بكُتبٍ قد غدَتْ

وشفَيْتَ علّتَهُ بكُتبٍ قد غدَتْ

مثلَ الطّبائِعُ لاِعتدالِ مِزاجهِ

مثلَ الطّبائِعُ لاِعتدالِ مِزاجهِ

And you healed its sickness with books that have become

And you cured its ailment with books that have become

like natural elements that balance its constitution.

Like natural dispositions in their balance of temperament

أسفارُ صِدْقٍ كلُّ خصمٍ مبطِلٍ

أسفارُ صِدْقٍ كلُّ خصمٍ مبطِلٍ

منها سيعلَمُ كاذِباتِ حِجاجِهِ

منها سيعلَمُ كاذِباتِ حِجاجِهِ

Volumes of truth: every adversary upholding falsehood

Books of truth, every invalid adversary

will learn from them how false his arguments are.

Will know the lies of his debate from them

نورٌ مُبينٌ قد أنار دُجى الهَوى

نورٌ مُبينٌ قد أنار دُجى الهَوى

ظلم الضّلالة في ضياءِ سِراجهِ

ظلم الضّلالة في ضياءِ سِراجهِ

A clear light has illuminated the darkness of desire—

A clear light that illuminated the darkness of passion

the darkness of error, in the radiance of its lamp.

The darkness of misguidance by the illumination of its lamp

وغديرُ ختمٍ بعدَما لعبَتْ به

وغديرُ ختمٍ بعدَما لعبَتْ به

ريحُ الشّكوكِ وآضَ من لجّاجِهِ

ريحُ الشّكوكِ وآضَ من لجّاجِهِ

And a pool of sealing, after it had been toyed with by

And a deep pool after the winds of doubts had toyed with it

the wind of doubts and had returned from its turmoil,

And settled from its turbulence

أمطَرْتَهُ بسحابةٍ سمّيْتَها

أمطَرْتَهُ بسحابةٍ سمّيْتَها

خيرَ المَقالِ وضاقَ في أمواجِهِ

خيرَ المَقالِ وضاقَ في أمواجِهِ

you rained upon it from a cloud you named

You rained upon it with a cloud you named

"The Best Discourse," and it was cramped amid its waves.

The best speech, so it was too vast for its waves

وأبَنْتَ في نُكَتِ البيانِ عن الهُدى

وأبَنْتَ في نُكَتِ البيانِ عن الهُدى

فأرَيْتَنا المَطموسَ من مِنْهاجِهِ

فأرَيْتَنا المَطموسَ من مِنْهاجِهِ

And in the fine points of exposition you made guidance clear,

And in the subtleties of rhetoric you showed us

so you showed us what had been effaced from its path.

The erased from its method

وكذاكَ منتَخَبٌ من التفْسيرِ لم

وكذاكَ منتَخَبٌ من التفْسيرِ لم

تنسِجْ يدا أحدٍ على مِنساجِهِ

تنسِجْ يدا أحدٍ على مِنساجِهِ

And likewise, a selection from exegesis—never

And so a selection of exegesis whose fabric

have anyone's hands woven upon its loom.

No hand spun on its loom

للأعرَجينِ وإن بدَتْ شُرُفاتُه

للأعرَجينِ وإن بدَتْ شُرُفاتُه

لن يَبلُغا المِعشارَ من مِعراجِهِ

لن يَبلُغا المِعشارَ من مِعراجِهِ

For the two Lame Ones, even if its battlements appear,

For the lame, though their merits appear

they will not reach a tenth of its ascent.

They will not reach a tenth of its ascent

مولاي قد ذهبَ الصيامُ مودِّعاً

مولاي قد ذهبَ الصيامُ مودِّعاً

وأتاكَ شهرُ الفِطرِ باِستِبهاجِهِ

وأتاكَ شهرُ الفِطرِ باِستِبهاجِهِ

My lord, fasting has departed, bidding farewell,

My Master, fasting has departed in farewell

and the month of breaking the fast has come to you with its joy.

And the month of breaking fast has come to you in delight

شهرٌ نوى قتلَ الصيامِ هِزبرُه

شهرٌ نوى قتلَ الصيامِ هِزبرُه

فاِغتالَ مهجتَهُ بمِخلَبِ عاجِهِ

فاِغتالَ مهجتَهُ بمِخلَبِ عاجِهِ

A month whose lion intended to kill fasting,

A month determined to kill fasting with its claws

so it treacherously took its life with its ivory claw.

So it ambushed its bowels with the talons of its heel