قَرَنْتَ بواو الصدغ صادَ المُقَبّل

قَرَنْتَ بواو الصدغ صادَ المُقَبّل

وأعربتَ في لامِ العذارِ المسلسلِ

وأعربتَ في لامِ العذارِ المسلسلِ

You joined the ṣād of the kissing-place to the wāw of the temple-lock,

You joined the Waw of beauty to the Sad of the kisser,

And made it plain in the lām of the chainlike cheek-down.

And declined the Lam of the charms in an unending chain,

فإن لم يكن وصلٌ لديك لآملِ

فإن لم يكن وصلٌ لديك لآملِ

فكم لاحَ في مرآك للمتأمّلِ

فكم لاحَ في مرآك للمتأمّلِ

If there is no union with you for a hopeful lover,

If you have no affection for the hopeful,

How often, then, has it shone in your appearance for the beholder!

Then how often did the glances of your mirror shine for the beholder!

يُعزُّ الأماني منه خطُّ مبيّنٌ

يُعزُّ الأماني منه خطُّ مبيّنٌ

فإن حاولْتهُ صادفْت كلّ مُشْكلِ

فإن حاولْتهُ صادفْت كلّ مُشْكلِ

A plainly marked line of his makes hopes dear;

The line of love is manifest from it, which fortifies hopes,

Then, if you pursue it, you encounter every difficulty.

And if you attempt it, you will find every problem solved,

بدائعِ أصلِ الحبِّ منها مسبِّبٌ

بدائعِ أصلِ الحبِّ منها مسبِّبٌ

لمن كان فيها قانعاً بالتعلل

لمن كان فيها قانعاً بالتعلل

Among the wonders of love's source is a cause

The wonders of the origin of love are its cause,

For one who was content among them with consoling hopes.

For one who is content with it through pretenses,

وقد ذكَروا أنّ الشبابَ ولايةً

وقد ذكَروا أنّ الشبابَ ولايةً

تؤكّدُ بالإجمالِ أو بالتجمُّلِ

تؤكّدُ بالإجمالِ أو بالتجمُّلِ

They have said that youth is a governorship

They mentioned that youth is a trusteeship,

Confirmed in broad terms or through self-adornment.

Which confirms with hints or with flirtation,

وقالوا أتَتْ كُتُب العِذارِ بعزلِه

وقالوا أتَتْ كُتُب العِذارِ بعزلِه

فقلتُ لهمْ لا تعجَلوا فبِها ولي

فقلتُ لهمْ لا تعجَلوا فبِها ولي

And said, 'The cheek-down's letters have come with his dismissal.'

And they said the books of coquetry came with its isolation,

I told them, 'Do not hurry; through them he was appointed.'

So I said to them “Do not rush, through it I have a loyal friend”,

وما صدّني عن ترك حبّكَ فتنةً

وما صدّني عن ترك حبّكَ فتنةً

بخدٍّ كروضٍ أو رضابٍ كسلسَلِ

بخدٍّ كروضٍ أو رضابٍ كسلسَلِ

What kept me from abandoning your love was no enchantment

And it was not the temptation of a cheek, like a garden,

With a cheek like a garden, or saliva like sweet flowing water,

Or wrists, like a chain, that prevented me from leaving your love,

ولكنْ لقولٍ قد محا الشِعْرُ رسمَهُ

ولكنْ لقولٍ قد محا الشِعْرُ رسمَهُ

وهل عند رسمٍ دارسٍ بالهونِ منزلي

وهل عند رسمٍ دارسٍ بالهونِ منزلي

But a saying whose trace poetry had erased.

But rather words whose inscription poetry has erased,

And is my dwelling, in humiliation, beside an effaced trace?

And is there, after considering circumstances, a station like my station?

لك الله قد أنِسْتُ بعزّتي

لك الله قد أنِسْتُ بعزّتي

فما منزلُ اللذاتِ بالهونِ منزِلي

فما منزلُ اللذاتِ بالهونِ منزِلي

God preserve you! I have found comfort in my dignity,

To you belongs God, I have become accustomed to my honor,

For the abode of pleasures in humiliation is no abode of mine.

So the abode of pleasures is not like my abode,

ألم يَدْرِ أني آخرٌ في ضلوعه

ألم يَدْرِ أني آخرٌ في ضلوعه

فؤادُ أبى أن يرتَضي لحظَ أولِ

فؤادُ أبى أن يرتَضي لحظَ أولِ

Did he not know that I am another man, within whose ribs

Does he not know that my innermost heart,

Lies a heart that refused to be content with a first glance?

Refused to approve a glance or moment at first?

نعمْ ليس نَسْري في المطارِ بواقعٍ

نعمْ ليس نَسْري في المطارِ بواقعٍ

وليس سِماكي في النِفارِ بأعزلِ

وليس سِماكي في النِفارِ بأعزلِ

Yes, my Eagle is not grounded in flight,

Yes, my soaring is not based in reality,

Nor is my Simak unarmed in conflict.

Nor is my rising to eminence unrestricted,

سل الأفْقَ عني وهو روضةُ نرجس

سل الأفْقَ عني وهو روضةُ نرجس

يشقُّ نواحيْها المجرَّ بجَدْول

يشقُّ نواحيْها المجرَّ بجَدْول

Ask the horizon about me, when it is a garden of narcissi,

Ask the horizon about me, it is a narcissus meadow

The Milky Way cutting through its reaches with a stream.

Whose streams are parted by a brook,

وكيف اعتزامي والنجومُ أسنّةٌ

وكيف اعتزامي والنجومُ أسنّةٌ

تلمّعُ في الظَلْماءِ من حلفِ قسطَلِ

تلمّعُ في الظَلْماءِ من حلفِ قسطَلِ

And how firm my resolve was, when the stars were spearheads,

And how can I intend while the stars are spying,

Flashing in darkness allied with battle-dust.

Gleaming in the darkness with the belt of Cassiopeia,

وكيفَ طرقتُ الحَذْرَ يُكرَهُ ربّهُ

وكيفَ طرقتُ الحَذْرَ يُكرَهُ ربّهُ

على رغم أنفِ الساهرِ المتبتّلِ

على رغم أنفِ الساهرِ المتبتّلِ

And how I visited the wary one by night, his master compelled,

And how did I knock on the door of caution - disliked is he

Despite the wakeful, devoted ascetic.

Whose Lord disapproves despite the efforts of the devoted worshipper,

وعانقتُ غصنَ البانِ لان لمُجتَنٍ

وعانقتُ غصنَ البانِ لان لمُجتَنٍ

وقبّلتُ بدرَ التمّ ضاءَ لمجتلِ

وقبّلتُ بدرَ التمّ ضاءَ لمجتلِ

And embraced a bān-tree branch that yielded to a plucker,

And I embraced the branch of the acacia for a fair one's kiss

And kissed a full moon that shone for a beholder.

And I kissed the full moon's light for a young beauty,

وهل أنا إلا نبعةٌ يمنيّةٌ

وهل أنا إلا نبعةٌ يمنيّةٌ

منضّرةُ الأفنانِ في رأسِ يذْبُلِ

منضّرةُ الأفنانِ في رأسِ يذْبُلِ

Am I anything but a Yemeni nabʿ tree,

And am I not a Yemeni spring,

Its branches lush on the summit of Yadhbul?

Green are its branches at the hilltop,

سقى أصلَها النعمانُ ماءَ مَفاخرٍ

سقى أصلَها النعمانُ ماءَ مَفاخرٍ

فأثْمَرَ منها كلُّ فرعٍ بأفضلِ

فأثْمَرَ منها كلُّ فرعٍ بأفضلِ

Al-Nu'man watered its root with the water of glories,

Whose roots were watered by Al-Numan with water of glories,

And every branch of it bore the finest fruit.

So every branch bore the finest fruits,

ومنْ كان صدرُ الدين أحمدُ شيخَهُ

ومنْ كان صدرُ الدين أحمدُ شيخَهُ

أطالَ به باعَيْ يمينٍ ومِقْوَلِ

أطالَ به باعَيْ يمينٍ ومِقْوَلِ

And whoever had Sadr al-Din Ahmad as his master

And whoever's breast has Ahmad the Shaykh of the religion as its master,

Has through him lengthened the reach of both right hand and tongue.

He lengthened through him the hand spans of aid and the words of virtue,

إمامٌ لقيتُ الدّهرَ أدهمَ دونَه

إمامٌ لقيتُ الدّهرَ أدهمَ دونَه

فألبستُه وصفَ الأعزّ المُحجّلِ

فألبستُه وصفَ الأعزّ المُحجّلِ

An imam: without him I encountered Time as a black horse,

An imam - I met time robbed of such as him -

So I clothed it in the guise of the mightiest white-footed steed.

So I clothed him in the description of the most honorable and venerated,

أقامَ به اللهُ الشريعةَ فاعتلتْ

أقامَ به اللهُ الشريعةَ فاعتلتْ

دعائمُها فوقَ السِماكِ وتعتلي

دعائمُها فوقَ السِماكِ وتعتلي

Through him God upheld the Sacred Law, and there rose

God established through him the Sacred Law so its pillars

Its pillars above Simak—and still they rise.

Were exalted above the heavens and rise high,

يفسِّرُ من ألفاظِها كلّ مُشكِلٍ

يفسِّرُ من ألفاظِها كلّ مُشكِلٍ

ويفتحُ من أعواصها كلَّ مُقْفَل

ويفتحُ من أعواصها كلَّ مُقْفَل

He explains every obscurity in its expressions,

He interprets every unclear meaning of its vocabularies

And opens every locked matter among its difficult questions.

And opens every locked one of its strongholds,

وما كان لولا أحمدٌ دينُ أحمدٍ

وما كان لولا أحمدٌ دينُ أحمدٍ

ليدري صحيحٌ سالم من مُعلَّل

ليدري صحيحٌ سالم من مُعلَّل

But for Ahmad, the faith of Ahmad could never

And were it not for Ahmad, the religion of Ahmad

Distinguish a sound, flawless report from a defective one.

Would not know which authentic and sound, and which unsound,

ولا عرَفَتْ حُفّاظُهُ بين مُسْنِدٍ

ولا عرَفَتْ حُفّاظُهُ بين مُسْنِدٍ

يُعنْعِنُهُ رفعاً ولا بينَ مرسّلِ

يُعنْعِنُهُ رفعاً ولا بينَ مرسّلِ

Nor would its memorizers have distinguished a transmitter giving a chain,

Nor would its preservers recognize between a connected transmission,

Tracing it to the Prophet through 'from ... from ...,' from one omitting a link.

Raised through him, or one mursal and incomplete,

هوى قصباتُ السّبْقِ في العلم وادِعاً

هوى قصباتُ السّبْقِ في العلم وادِعاً

فوا عجَباً للسابقِ المتمهل

فوا عجَباً للسابقِ المتمهل

He swooped upon the prize-reeds of precedence in learning, at his ease,

The reed pens of precedence craved him as a beloved,

How wondrous, then, the unhurried victor!

So how strange is it for the unhurried predecessor!

نَماهُ الى الفُرس الكرامِ فوارسٌ

نَماهُ الى الفُرس الكرامِ فوارسٌ

بأقلامِهم يغنَوْنَ عن حمْلِ ذُيَّلِ

بأقلامِهم يغنَوْنَ عن حمْلِ ذُيَّلِ

Knights traced his lineage to the noble Persians,

They nurtured him to the noble horsemen, so there are horsemen

Whose pens spare them carrying long spears.

Whose pens suffice instead of carrying a tail,

إذا اعتقَلوها للأناملِ سدّدَتْ

إذا اعتقَلوها للأناملِ سدّدَتْ

الى الخَطْبِ حتفاً لا يخِلُّ بمقْتَلِ

الى الخَطْبِ حتفاً لا يخِلُّ بمقْتَلِ

When they couch them in their fingers, they aim

When they capture ideas for the fingers they extend

Death at calamity, never missing a vital spot.

Straight to literary compositions, not missing with a spear-thrust,

همُ آلُ كسرى غير أنّ تُقاهُمُ

همُ آلُ كسرى غير أنّ تُقاهُمُ

نماهمْ الى آلِ النبيّ المرسَّلِ

نماهمْ الى آلِ النبيّ المرسَّلِ

They are the house of Kisra; yet their piety

They are the family of Chosroes but their upbringing

Has traced their lineage to the house of the Prophet sent forth.

Nurtured them to the Prophet's Family, the Messengers,

لهم دورُ فضلٍ بالفراتِ فسيحةٌ

لهم دورُ فضلٍ بالفراتِ فسيحةٌ

لضيفِ المعالي لا بدارةِ جُلجُل

لضيفِ المعالي لا بدارةِ جُلجُل

They have spacious houses of excellence by the Euphrates,

They have extensive houses of virtue along the Euphrates,

For the guest of lofty honors—not at Darat Juljul.

Spacious for the guest of glory, not in the abode of Juljul,

وحسبُهُم بالحفاظِ الحَبْرِ مَفْخَراً

وحسبُهُم بالحفاظِ الحَبْرِ مَفْخَراً

عَلا فهو يرنو للكواكبِ من عَلِ

عَلا فهو يرنو للكواكبِ من عَلِ

And their learned custodian is glory enough for them,

And it suffices them in guarding the ink as a matter of pride

He rose, and gazes toward the stars from on high.

He arose so he aims for the stars from the height,

تسيرُ العَطايا من أسرّةِ وجهه

تسيرُ العَطايا من أسرّةِ وجهه

مخايلَ برقِ العارضِ المتهلِّلِ

مخايلَ برقِ العارضِ المتهلِّلِ

Gifts move forth from the lines of his face,

The gifts flow from his cheerful face,

As lightning's portents in a radiant raincloud.

Blinking from the lightening of his merry eyes,

تفيضُ بحارُ العلمِ من لهَواتِه

تفيضُ بحارُ العلمِ من لهَواتِه

فإن كنت ظمآناً فرِدْ خيرَ منهَلِ

فإن كنت ظمآناً فرِدْ خيرَ منهَلِ

Seas of learning overflow from the depths of his throat,

The oceans of knowledge overflow from his wit,

So if you are thirsty, come to the finest watering-place.

So if you are thirsty, resort to the best spring,

فمن سجعةٍ لم تُلْفَ في لفظِ شاعر

فمن سجعةٍ لم تُلْفَ في لفظِ شاعر

ومن فَقْرةٍ لم تأتِ من مترسَّل

ومن فَقْرةٍ لم تأتِ من مترسَّل

Thus, a rhymed phrase never found in a poet's words,

Of a rhyme never created in a poet's expression,

And a passage that never came from a prose stylist.

And a verse never composed by one who sends messages,

ولله ألفاظٌ جَلاها يراعُه

ولله ألفاظٌ جَلاها يراعُه

كعِقْدِ بأجيادِ الطروسِ مفضَّلِ

كعِقْدِ بأجيادِ الطروسِ مفضَّلِ

And how wondrous the words his reed pen brought to light,

And God has expressions He sanctified which He observes in him,

Like a choice necklace on the necks of written sheets.

As if pearls, if they were stars, their nights

لآلئ لو كانت نجوماً لغادرَتْ

لآلئ لو كانت نجوماً لغادرَتْ

لياليُّها والصبحُ ما لاحَ ينجَلي

لياليُّها والصبحُ ما لاحَ ينجَلي

Pearls which, if they were stars, would have left

Would be overtaken by the dawn when it emerges,

Their nights growing light, though dawn had not yet appeared.

The sons of caprice are incapable of every problem,

بنو الخاطر العجلانِ عن كلِّ مشكلِ

بنو الخاطر العجلانِ عن كلِّ مشكلِ

لها لا بَنو العجلانِ رهطُ ابنِ مُقْبل

لها لا بَنو العجلانِ رهطُ ابنِ مُقْبل

Offspring of thought, swift past every difficulty

Not the sons of caprice, the crew of Ibn Muqbil!

Of theirs—not Banu al-ʿAjlan, the clan of Ibn Muqbil.

Oh Ahmad, the praiseworthy from every speaker,

فيا أحمدُ المحمودَ من كلِّ ناطقٍ

فيا أحمدُ المحمودَ من كلِّ ناطقٍ

على كل مَعنى في فَنا كلّ منزلِ

على كل مَعنى في فَنا كلّ منزلِ

O Ahmad, praised by every speaker,

On every meaning in the termination of every abode,

For every quality, in the forecourt of every dwelling,

Days envied you, so you do not cease to be

تحاسدَتِ الأيامُ منك فلا تزلْ

تحاسدَتِ الأيامُ منك فلا تزلْ

مُنى القادمِ الجذلانِ والمترحِّلِ

مُنى القادمِ الجذلانِ والمترحِّلِ

The days have envied one another over you; may you always remain

The hope of the noble visitor and traveler,

The hope of the joyful newcomer and the departing traveler.

The holidays return to you a thousand, its like,

تعودُ لك الأعيادُ ألفاً مثالُه

تعودُ لك الأعيادُ ألفاً مثالُه

وإنْ شئتَ ألفاً بعد ذاك فعوّلِ

وإنْ شئتَ ألفاً بعد ذاك فعوّلِ

May the festivals return to you a thousand times like this one,

And if you wish a thousand after that, so desire!

And if you wish a thousand after that, then count on it.