بكيت بأجفان المحبّ المتيم

بكيت بأجفان المحبّ المتيم

فدع ما بكت قبلاً جفون متمم

فدع ما بكت قبلاً جفون متمم

I wept with the eyelids of a lover enslaved by love;

I cried with the eyelids of the enamored lover,

so leave aside the tears Mutammim's eyelids shed before.

So leave what the eyelids cried before to perfection.

وهيج شوقي في الدجى صوت طائر

وهيج شوقي في الدجى صوت طائر

فقل في فصيح شاقه شوق أعجمي

فقل في فصيح شاقه شوق أعجمي

And a bird's cry stirred my longing in the darkness;

And provoke my passion in the darkness, the voice of a bird,

then speak of an eloquent man whom a wordless creature's longing stirred.

So say in eloquent passion, the love of a foreigner.

ورُبَّ عذول لست أفهم قولهُ

ورُبَّ عذول لست أفهم قولهُ

وإن كنت عين السامع المتفهّم

وإن كنت عين السامع المتفهّم

And many a reprover's words I do not understand,

And many a reproacher, I do not understand his words,

though I am the very embodiment of a discerning listener.

Even if I were the comprehending listener.

فإن شاء فليسكت وإن شاء فليقم

فإن شاء فليسكت وإن شاء فليقم

إلى حيث ألقت رحلها أمّ قشعم

إلى حيث ألقت رحلها أمّ قشعم

If he wishes, let him be silent; and if he wishes, let him go

So if he wishes, let him be silent, and if he wishes, let him stand

to where Umm Qashʿam laid down her saddle.

To where his mother Um Qushaym pitched her tent.

مطيل يرجي أن تحلّ عقودنا

مطيل يرجي أن تحلّ عقودنا

فيا عجباً من ناقض الحبل مبرَم

فيا عجباً من ناقض الحبل مبرَم

Long-winded, he hopes our bonds will be undone;

A man of patience hopes that our knots will be untied,

so how strange—a man unraveling a firmly twisted rope!

So wondrous is the breaker of firm ties!

ويا حرباً مما غدوت بلحظه

ويا حرباً مما غدوت بلحظه

قتيل الأسى ما بين نصل ولهذم

قتيل الأسى ما بين نصل ولهذم

And alas for what his glance has made of me—

And O war from what my glance has become in an instant-

slain by sorrow, between a blade and a keen sword.

Slain with grief between a sword blade and skull fragments!

شهيداً ترى لي فوق وجنته دماً

شهيداً ترى لي فوق وجنته دماً

روائحه للمسك واللون للدم

روائحه للمسك واللون للدم

A martyr—you see my blood upon his cheek,

You see blood above my cheek like a martyr’s,

its fragrances are musk's, its color blood's.

Its scent is musk but its color is blood.

روائح يعبقن الملا فكأنها

روائح يعبقن الملا فكأنها

لذكر علاء الدين في الطيب ينتمي

لذكر علاء الدين في الطيب ينتمي

Fragrances that suffuse the gathering, as though they

Scents that perfume the robe as if

were akin in perfume to the mention of ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn.

Belonging to the memory of Aladdin in perfume he delights.

رئيس حوى فضل المكارم شخصه

رئيس حوى فضل المكارم شخصه

كما حوت الألفاظ أحرفَ يعجم

كما حوت الألفاظ أحرفَ يعجم

A chief whose person gathers the finest noble qualities,

The chief who contained the excellence of virtues in his person

as words contain letters marked with dots.

Just as words contained letters of a foreigner.

روى الشعر أخبار الندى عن بنانه

روى الشعر أخبار الندى عن بنانه

ونص أحاديث التقى كل مسلم

ونص أحاديث التقى كل مسلم

Poetry has transmitted tales of bounty from his fingers,

He narrated the poetry of the news of his subtle smile

and every Muslim has cited reports of his piety.

And precisely dictated the traditions of piety like every Muslim.

وصحّت أسانيد السيادة والنهى

وصحّت أسانيد السيادة والنهى

عن الأذن عن عين البصير عن الفم

عن الأذن عن عين البصير عن الفم

And the chains of testimony to his lordship and wisdom are sound—

The chains of leadership and prohibition were authenticated

from the ear, from the clear-sighted one's eye, from the mouth.

From the ear, from the seeing eye, from the mouth.

لئن حاط مصراً والشآم برأيه

لئن حاط مصراً والشآم برأيه

لقد حاط أوطان الحطيم وزمزم

لقد حاط أوطان الحطيم وزمزم

If he has guarded Egypt and al-Shām with his counsel,

If he outlined Egypt and Syria with his opinion,

he has indeed guarded the lands of al-Ḥaṭīm and Zamzam.

He outlined the abodes of ruins and Zamzam.

كأنَّ فجاج الأرض مما تنوّرت

كأنَّ فجاج الأرض مما تنوّرت

بأوصافه الحسنى منازل أنجم

بأوصافه الحسنى منازل أنجم

It is as though the earth's broad passes, so illumined

As if the chasms of the earth were illuminated

by his fairest qualities, were the dwelling places of stars.

By his excellent attributes, like the dwellings of stars.

له راحةٌ صلى الحيا خلف جودها

له راحةٌ صلى الحيا خلف جودها

وأذعن فانظر للمصلّي المسلّم

وأذعن فانظر للمصلّي المسلّم

He has a palm behind whose bounty the rain has prayed

For him is a meadow those alive prayed behind its generosity-

and submitted—behold the worshipper offering his salutation.

So look to the worshipper in submission!

عجبت لها في الجود تظلم ما لها

عجبت لها في الجود تظلم ما لها

وتلك أمان الخائف المتظلّم

وتلك أمان الخائف المتظلّم

I marvel at it: in generosity it wrongs what it owns,

I was amazed by its generosity overshadowing what belongs to it,

yet it is the refuge of the fearful seeker of redress.

And that is the safety of the fearful complainant.

إذا خطّ فوق الطرس سهم يراعه

إذا خطّ فوق الطرس سهم يراعه

طربت لتخطيط الرداء المسهَّم

طربت لتخطيط الرداء المسهَّم

When his reed pen's arrow writes upon the parchment,

If an arrow he fears is shot above the shield,

I delight in the striping of that arrow-patterned cloak.

It trembles at the decoration of the perforated mantle.

فأحسن بذاك الطرس في كلِّ ناظر

فأحسن بذاك الطرس في كلِّ ناظر

وأعصم بذيَّاك اليراع وأكرم

وأعصم بذيَّاك اليراع وأكرم

How beautiful that parchment is in every beholder's eye,

So treat that shield kindly in every viewer’s sight,

and how protective that little reed pen, how generous!

And protect the one who fears and honor him!

عدا السمر أن تحكي سطاه وبأسَه

عدا السمر أن تحكي سطاه وبأسَه

فهنَّ متى ما يقرع السنّ تندم

فهنَّ متى ما يقرع السنّ تندم

It is beyond brown lances to match its onslaught and might;

Leave off the dark night relating its expanse and might,

so whenever its tooth is struck, they rue it.

For they, when the years resonate, will regret.

ووفّر سعي البيض في حومة الوغى

ووفّر سعي البيض في حومة الوغى

فنام إذاً في جفنه كلّ مخدَم

فنام إذاً في جفنه كلّ مخدَم

And it spares bright swords their toil in the thick of battle,

And spare the efforts of the white ones in the fray of battle,

so every keen sword then sleeps within its sheath.

For then every servant will sleep in his eyelid.

لك الله ما أزكى وأشرف همةً

لك الله ما أزكى وأشرف همةً

وأفصح رأياً في الزمان المجمجم

وأفصح رأياً في الزمان المجمجم

God be with you—how pure and noble your resolve,

To you belongs, O eminent and noble ambition!

how eloquent your judgment in this mumbling age!

And most eloquent view in the turbulent time!

جمعت الندى والزهد والبأس والحجى

جمعت الندى والزهد والبأس والحجى

فجدْ وتورّع وامنع الضيم واحلم

فجدْ وتورّع وامنع الضيم واحلم

You have united generosity, asceticism, valor, and wisdom;

You gathered charm, asceticism, might, and argument-

so give, be scrupulous, repel injustice, and be forbearing.

So be generous, devout, prevent wrong, and be forbearing!

وجزت بميدان العبادة غايةً

وجزت بميدان العبادة غايةً

تذكرنا يوم السباق ابنَ أدهم

تذكرنا يوم السباق ابنَ أدهم

And in worship's arena you have surpassed a goal

And you attained by the field of worship a limit

that recalls Ibn Adham to us on the day of the race.

That reminds us on the day of racing Ibn Adham.

ولما شكونا من جمادى زماننا

ولما شكونا من جمادى زماننا

فضلت على نوء الربيع المحرّم

فضلت على نوء الربيع المحرّم

And when we complained of our age's barren Jumādā,

And when we complained of the sterility of our time,

you surpassed the forbidden rain-star of spring.

You were superior to the sadness of the holy month.

وأنت الذي لو ملَّك البدر كفّه

وأنت الذي لو ملَّك البدر كفّه

لأنفقتَه في القاصدين كدرهم

لأنفقتَه في القاصدين كدرهم

And you are the one who, were your palm granted the full moon,

You who, had the full moon enabled your palm,

would spend it on those who seek you like a dirham.

Would have spent it upon the visitors like a dirham!

إلى بابك الأعلى قصائد مادحٍ

إلى بابك الأعلى قصائد مادحٍ

تتيه على وشي الربيع المنمنم

تتيه على وشي الربيع المنمنم

To your loftiest gate come a praiser's odes,

To your lofty door, eulogies of a praising poet

vaunting themselves over spring's finely patterned brocade.

Wander in the cheeks of the twittering spring.

ضربت إليك الرمل سعياً وربما

ضربت إليك الرمل سعياً وربما

ضربنا عليك الرّمل عند المنجّم

ضربنا عليك الرّمل عند المنجّم

I trod the sand, hastening to you; and many a time

Perhaps we have rapped the sand in effort,

we cast the sand concerning you before the astrologer.

And perhaps we will rap the sand before the astrologer.

وكنت إذا عين الزمان توسمت

وكنت إذا عين الزمان توسمت

وجدتك أقصى ناظر المتوسم

وجدتك أقصى ناظر المتوسم

And whenever I studied the eye of Time,

And you were, whenever the time hinted,

I found you the farthest reach of the discerning observer's gaze.

I found you the furthest of the hint reader.

بقيتَ مدى الأيام تخدم بالهنا

بقيتَ مدى الأيام تخدم بالهنا

وكل صناع اللفظ صائبة الرمي

وكل صناع اللفظ صائبة الرمي

May you endure through all the days, attended by happiness

You remained serving us with happiness

and every deftly worded ode, unerring in aim.

While all crafters of poetry hit their mark.

يشيب وليد الشعر دون مرامها

يشيب وليد الشعر دون مرامها

ويرتدّ عن إدراكها فكر مُسْلم

ويرتدّ عن إدراكها فكر مُسْلم

Poetry's newborn grows gray before reaching its goal,

The child of poetry grows old before his purpose

and Muslim's thought recoils from grasping it.

And the mind of a Muslim retreats from reaching it.

تقدم حسن المدح حسن مكارم

تقدم حسن المدح حسن مكارم

لديك وكان الفضل للمتقدّم

لديك وكان الفضل للمتقدّم

The beauty of noble qualities preceded the beauty of praise

The excellence of praise preceded the excellence of your virtues,

in you; and merit belonged to what came first.

And merit belonged to the early!