صاحِ هذا ربعُ الهوى المعهودُ

صاحِ هذا ربعُ الهوى المعهودُ

فتلقِفْ ساعةً فقلبي عميدُ

فتلقِفْ ساعةً فقلبي عميدُ

Friend, this is love’s long-familiar abode;

Friend, this is love's familiar abode.

then snatch an hour, for my heart is love-struck.

So seize a moment, for my heart is love-stricken.

لا تعرِّجْ على سواهُ ففيه

لا تعرِّجْ على سواهُ ففيه

لي ظلٌّ من الهوى ممدودُ

لي ظلٌّ من الهوى ممدودُ

Do not turn aside toward anywhere else, for here

Do not turn aside elsewhere, for there

a long shadow of love stretches out for me.

a shade of love lies outspread for me.

قفْ به فالغرامُ وقْفٌ عليه

قفْ به فالغرامُ وقْفٌ عليه

ليس لي ما حييتُ عنه مَحيدُ

ليس لي ما حييتُ عنه مَحيدُ

Stay here: passion is endowed upon this place,

Stay there, for passion is consecrated to it;

and as long as I live, I shall never turn away from it.

while I live, I have no turning away from it.

أتُرى ترجعُ الليالي المواضي

أتُرى ترجعُ الليالي المواضي

كان ما كان ما مضى لا يعودُ

كان ما كان ما مضى لا يعودُ

Do you think the bygone nights will return?

Will the bygone nights return, I wonder?

What was, was; what has passed will not return.

What was, was; what has passed does not return.

وغزالٌ أغنُّ مختصرُ الخص

وغزالٌ أغنُّ مختصرُ الخص

رِ رخيمُ الدلالِ عنّي شَرودُ

رِ رخيمُ الدلالِ عنّي شَرودُ

A gazelle, sweet-voiced and slender of

And a nasal-voiced gazelle, slender of waist,

waist, languid in coquetry, ever fleeing me.

gentle in his coquetry, shies away from me.

قيّدوني على هواهُ وهَيْها

قيّدوني على هواهُ وهَيْها

تَ لمثلي أن ينفَع التقْييدُ

تَ لمثلي أن ينفَع التقْييدُ

They fettered me to love him—but far

They bound me for loving him—but never

be it that fetters should avail against one like me.

could bonds avail with one like me.

لي غَدْرٌ منه ومني وفاءٌ

لي غَدْرٌ منه ومني وفاءٌ

ووصالٌ مني ومنه صدودُ

ووصالٌ مني ومنه صدودُ

His is betrayal toward me, while mine is fidelity;

Betrayal comes to me from him; from me comes faithfulness,

union comes from me, and rejection from him.

and closeness from me, but from him, rejection.

نفّر النومَ عن جفوني ظبيٌ

نفّر النومَ عن جفوني ظبيٌ

نافرٌ وهْو في النِّفارِ صَيودُ

نافرٌ وهْو في النِّفارِ صَيودُ

A gazelle has banished sleep from my eyelids,

A gazelle has driven sleep from my eyelids,

skittish, though by day he captures his prey.

fleeing, yet a hunter even in his flight.

دلّهُ الدّلُّ في الهوى فتجنّى

دلّهُ الدّلُّ في الهوى فتجنّى

وتجنّيه في الهوى المعهودُ

وتجنّيه في الهوى المعهودُ

Coquetry spoiled him in love, so he wronged me;

Coquetry guided him in love, and he wronged me;

such cruelty in love is age-old.

and cruelty in love is his accustomed way.

كم جحدتُ الهوى فباح به دم

كم جحدتُ الهوى فباح به دم

عي ودمعي مهما جحدتُ شهيدُ

عي ودمعي مهما جحدتُ شهيدُ

How often I denied love, only for my tears to reveal it;

How often I denied love, yet my tears revealed it;

and however much I deny, those tears bear witness.

and however I deny it, my tears bear witness.

قُلْ له أيها الخيالُ الذي يط

قُلْ له أيها الخيالُ الذي يط

رقُ ليلاً والحاسدون هُجودُ

رقُ ليلاً والحاسدون هُجودُ

Tell him, O phantom who comes

Tell him, O phantom who visits

by night while the envious lie asleep:

by night, while the envious sleep:

مات ذاك الهوى وعاش التسلّي

مات ذاك الهوى وعاش التسلّي

وانطَفا من حشايَ ذاك الوَقودُ

وانطَفا من حشايَ ذاك الوَقودُ

that love has died, and consolation lives,

That love has died, and solace lives;

and that flame has gone out within my breast.

and that fire within my breast has gone out.

وتبدّلْتُ منك إلفاً أَلوفاً

وتبدّلْتُ منك إلفاً أَلوفاً

وتسلّى عنك الفؤادُ العَميدُ

وتسلّى عنك الفؤادُ العَميدُ

I have exchanged you for an intimate, affectionate companion,

In your place I have taken a loving companion,

and away from you the love-worn heart has found solace.

and my love-stricken heart has forgotten you.

فالْهُ عني فقد لهوتُ بظبي

فالْهُ عني فقد لهوتُ بظبي

هو طول الزمان برٌّ وَدودُ

هو طول الزمان برٌّ وَدودُ

So leave me, for I have fallen for a gazelle

So forget me, for I have found delight in a gazelle

who is ever kind and loving.

who is kind and loving for all time.

فاقَ في حسنِه الحسانَ كما فا

فاقَ في حسنِه الحسانَ كما فا

ق ذوي العلم أحمدُ المحمودُ

ق ذوي العلم أحمدُ المحمودُ

In beauty he surpassed all the beautiful, just as

He surpassed the beauties in beauty, just as

Aḥmad the Praised surpassed the learned.

Ahmad the praised surpassed the learned:

الأجلُّ الإمامُ سيدنا الحا

الأجلُّ الإمامُ سيدنا الحا

فظُ فخرُ الأئمةِ الصّنْديدُ

فظُ فخرُ الأئمةِ الصّنْديدُ

The most exalted imam, our master al-Ḥā—

the most exalted imam, our master, the Hafiz,

—fiẓ, pride of the imams, the valiant champion.

the pride of imams, the valiant.

شهدَ الناس أنه أوحدُ في

شهدَ الناس أنه أوحدُ في

كل فنٍّ وفضلُه مشهودُ

كل فنٍّ وفضلُه مشهودُ

The people bear witness that he is peerless in

People have testified that he is unrivaled in

every art, and his excellence is renowned.

every discipline, and his excellence is attested.

هو في دولة النّدى والمعالي

هو في دولة النّدى والمعالي

مُبدئٌ دون غيره ومُعيدُ

مُبدئٌ دون غيره ومُعيدُ

In the realm of generosity and lofty honors, he is

He is, in the realm of bounty and lofty deeds,

one who begins bounty as no other does, and renews it.

the sole originator and renewer.

هو صدرٌ للدين شرقاً وغرباً

هو صدرٌ للدين شرقاً وغرباً

وعلى بابه الأنيسِ الوُفودُ

وعلى بابه الأنيسِ الوُفودُ

He is the foremost pillar of the faith, east and west,

He is a leader of the faith, in east and west,

and at his gate the visiting delegations are familiar company.

and delegations gather at his welcoming door.

هو كالشّافعيّ في الحلمِ والعل

هو كالشّافعيّ في الحلمِ والعل

مِ وفي النصّ دونَه داوودُ

مِ وفي النصّ دونَه داوودُ

He is like al-Shāfiʿī in forbearance and learning,

He is like al-Shafi‘i in forbearance and learning;

while in poetry even David ranks beneath him.

and in mastery of the texts, Dawud ranks below him.

ومفيدٌ أموالَه للبَرايا

ومفيدٌ أموالَه للبَرايا

وهْو للحمدِ والثّنا يستفيدُ

وهْو للحمدِ والثّنا يستفيدُ

He lavishes his wealth upon all creation,

He bestows his wealth upon humankind,

and thereby earns both praise and acclaim.

and gains praise and acclaim in return.

في الدجى ساهرٌ يصلي ويدعو

في الدجى ساهرٌ يصلي ويدعو

خائفاً والأنامُ طُرّاً رُقودُ

خائفاً والأنامُ طُرّاً رُقودُ

In the darkness he keeps vigil, praying and imploring,

In the darkness he stays awake, praying and supplicating,

reverently fearful, while all humankind lies asleep.

fearful, while all humankind sleeps.

مَن كفخرِ الأئمّة العلَمُ العا

مَن كفخرِ الأئمّة العلَمُ العا

لم مَن بحرُ رفدِه مورودُ

لم مَن بحرُ رفدِه مورودُ

Who can equal the imams’ pride, that eminent

Who is like the pride of imams, the eminent scholar,

scholar, whose sea of bounty is ever drawn upon?

the one whose sea of bounty is sought?

لا مزيدٌ على الذي قد حواه

لا مزيدٌ على الذي قد حواه

من فخارٍ وسؤددٍ لا مزيدُ

من فخارٍ وسؤددٍ لا مزيدُ

Nothing can be added to all that he possesses

Nothing can be added to what he has attained

of glories and lordship; there is nothing more.

of glory and nobility—nothing more.

ومُريدٌ للمكرماتِ وإن لا

ومُريدٌ للمكرماتِ وإن لا

مَ على فعلِها بخيلٌ مَريدُ

مَ على فعلِها بخيلٌ مَريدُ

He aspires to noble deeds, though he is reproached—

He seeks noble deeds, even if

—for doing them by a rebellious, insolent miser.

a rebellious miser blames him for doing them.

ومُجيدٌ في كل ما يتولاّ

ومُجيدٌ في كل ما يتولاّ

ه وما عنه للثناءِ مَحيدُ

ه وما عنه للثناءِ مَحيدُ

Excellent in everything that he undertakes;

He excels in all he undertakes,

praise can find no path away from him.

and praise has no way of turning from him.

وسديدٌ في الرأي ليْنٌ ولكن

وسديدٌ في الرأي ليْنٌ ولكن

هو في النائبات جَلدٌ شديدُ

هو في النائبات جَلدٌ شديدُ

Sound in judgment and gentle, yet

He is sound in judgment, gentle, yet

in calamities he is steadfast and strong.

in calamities he is steadfast and strong.

وسعيدٌ والناس منهم شقيٌّ

وسعيدٌ والناس منهم شقيٌّ

بقضاءٍ مقدّرٍ وسعيدُ

بقضاءٍ مقدّرٍ وسعيدُ

He is fortunate, though among mankind is many a wretched soul

He is fortunate; among people, some are wretched

by a predestined decree, and many a fortunate one.

by an ordained decree, and others fortunate.

فاقصدَنْه تظفرْ بما تشتهيه

فاقصدَنْه تظفرْ بما تشتهيه

منه فهو المبجّلُ المقصودُ

منه فهو المبجّلُ المقصودُ

Seek him, and you will gain whatever you desire

Seek him: you will gain whatever you desire

from him; he is the revered one whom all seek.

from him, for he is revered and sought out.

حسدَتْهُ ذوو الرياسة طُرّاً

حسدَتْهُ ذوو الرياسة طُرّاً

وكذا كل فاضلٍ محسودُ

وكذا كل فاضلٍ محسودُ

All those of high rank have envied him;

All men of high office have envied him,

and thus is every excellent man envied.

and so every person of merit is envied.

فهناهُ العامُ الجديدُ الذي مرّ

فهناهُ العامُ الجديدُ الذي مرّ

وإنعامُه علينا جديدُ

وإنعامُه علينا جديدُ

May the new year just past have brought him joy,

So may the new year that has passed gladden him,

while his beneficence toward us is ever renewed.

while his bounty to us is ever new.

ولنا كلَّ ساعةٍ من أيادي

ولنا كلَّ ساعةٍ من أيادي

هِ وإنعامِه مدى الدهرِ عيدُ

هِ وإنعامِه مدى الدهرِ عيدُ

At every hour we receive some of his favors,

And for us, every hour, from his favors

and his beneficence is an everlasting feast.

and bounty, comes a feast, for all time.

وأدامَ الإلهُ في العزّ عَليا

وأدامَ الإلهُ في العزّ عَليا

هُ سعيداً وسعيُه محمودُ

هُ سعيداً وسعيُه محمودُ

May God perpetuate his lofty station in glory,

And may God preserve his eminence in glory,

keeping him blessed and his endeavor praised.

happy, with his striving praised.

وقضايا الأنامِ تجري مدى الدهْ

وقضايا الأنامِ تجري مدى الدهْ

رِ بما نبتغي له ونُريدُ

رِ بما نبتغي له ونُريدُ

And may humankind’s affairs throughout the ages

And may the affairs of humankind unfold for all time

unfold for him as we desire and wish.

as we wish and desire for him.