سَرَى في دُجى من شَعرِهِ فحكا البَدرَا

سَرَى في دُجى من شَعرِهِ فحكا البَدرَا

وأَبدَى لنا من ثَغرِه الأَنجُمَ الزُّهرا

وأَبدَى لنا من ثَغرِه الأَنجُمَ الزُّهرا

He journeyed by night through the darkness of his hair, resembling the full moon,

He walked in the darkness of his hair, so the full moon told of him,

and revealed to us radiant stars from his mouth.

And revealed to us from his mouth the bright stars,

وحَيا بكأسٍ فعلُها فعل جَفنهِ

وحَيا بكأسٍ فعلُها فعل جَفنهِ

غَلِطتُ ومَن للخمر أَن تُشبِهَ السِّحرا

غَلِطتُ ومَن للخمر أَن تُشبِهَ السِّحرا

And he greeted us with a cup whose effect was that of his eyelid—

And toasted with a cup whose action was like his eyelids’ deed.

I was mistaken: who could make wine resemble sorcery?

I erred, and who would compare wine to sorcery?

بِعَينكَ عَطَّلَّ هذه الكأس واسقنا

بِعَينكَ عَطَّلَّ هذه الكأس واسقنا

بعينيك ما يغتالُ ألبابَنا سُكرا

بعينيك ما يغتالُ ألبابَنا سُكرا

By your eye, set this cup aside and give us to drink

With your eyes, stop this cup and give us to drink

from your eyes what steals our wits through drunkenness.

With your eyes what steals away our minds intoxicated.

أدر حمرةَ الأَلحاظِ فيها لأنَها

أدر حمرةَ الأَلحاظِ فيها لأنَها

بتأثيرها في العقل من أختها أَدرى

بتأثيرها في العقل من أختها أَدرى

Pass round the redness of the glances within it, for it

Turn the redness of the glances in it, for it is

knows its effect on the mind better than its sister does.

In its effect on the mind, more knowing than its sister.

لَحَى اللَهُ عُذالي عليك فإنما

لَحَى اللَهُ عُذالي عليك فإنما

تَزَيَّدتَ لما زاد عَذلُهُمُ إِغرا

تَزَيَّدتَ لما زاد عَذلُهُمُ إِغرا

May God curse my reproachers over you, for you only

May God smooth my path to you, for you have only

grew more enticing as their reproaches increased.

Increased as their censure increased in temptation.

أَيطمَعُ في صَبري العذولُ وإنَّ مَن

أَيطمَعُ في صَبري العذولُ وإنَّ مَن

يصاحب قلباً في الهوى يَعرف الصَبرا

يصاحب قلباً في الهوى يَعرف الصَبرا

Does the reproacher hope for my patience? Indeed, whoever

Does absence hope for my patience, when he who

keeps company with a heart in love knows patience.

Accompanies a heart in love knows patience?

أبنُّك ما ألقاه من لاعجِ الجَوَى

أبنُّك ما ألقاه من لاعجِ الجَوَى

وإن كان واشي السُّقمِ لم يُبقِ لي سِرَّا

وإن كان واشي السُّقمِ لم يُبقِ لي سِرَّا

I confide to you what I suffer from love's burning anguish,

I show you what the agony of passion has inflicted on me,

though sickness, that telltale, has left me no secret.

And if the symptoms of sickness have left me no secret.

عَذَرتُ فُؤَادي حين ضاقَت جوانحي

عَذَرتُ فُؤَادي حين ضاقَت جوانحي

عليهِ وقد أوسَعتُهُ بالجَفَا ذُعرَا

عليهِ وقد أوسَعتُهُ بالجَفَا ذُعرَا

I excused my heart when my ribs closed in

I blamed my heart when my wings narrowed around it

upon it, for I had filled it with dread through estrangement.

And I had broadened it with aloofness and panic.

وبتُّ وطَرفي فيك باكٍ مُسَهَّدٌ

وبتُّ وطَرفي فيك باكٍ مُسَهَّدٌ

فلا دَمعتي تَرفَا ولا مُقلَتي تَكرَا

فلا دَمعتي تَرفَا ولا مُقلَتي تَكرَا

And I spent the night, my eye weeping over you, sleepless;

My eyes weep over you, while my tears do not flow

neither do my tears cease nor does my eye grow drowsy.

And my eyelids do not blink.

وعندي بهذا الدهر شُغلٌ عن الهوى

وعندي بهذا الدهر شُغلٌ عن الهوى

وإن كنت لا أختارُ أن أَعتبَ الدهَرا

وإن كنت لا أختارُ أن أَعتبَ الدهَرا

And this age gives me cares that distract me from love,

And in this life I am too busy for love,

though I choose not to reproach the age.

Although I do not choose to reproach fate.

متى لُمتُهُ أغراهُ لَومي بِعفلِهِ

متى لُمتُهُ أغراهُ لَومي بِعفلِهِ

وتُتشدُ آمالي لعل له عُذرا

وتُتشدُ آمالي لعل له عُذرا

Whenever I reproach it, my reproach spurs it to its conduct,

When I blame it, its unawareness tempts me,

and my hopes recite, 'Perhaps it has an excuse.'

And my hopes are tied, perhaps it has an excuse.

ولن يُعدمَ الإِعدامُ من كَنزُهُ المُنَى

ولن يُعدمَ الإِعدامُ من كَنزُهُ المُنَى

ولن يَختشى الأيامَ من يَرتجى الصَّدرا

ولن يَختشى الأيامَ من يَرتجى الصَّدرا

Destitution will never impoverish one whose treasure is hope,

Annihilation will not lack one whose treasure is death,

nor will one who hopes in the Sadr fear the days.

Nor will one who aspires to glory fear the days.

أرانا بحُسنِ العَفو منه عواطفاً

أرانا بحُسنِ العَفو منه عواطفاً

تُؤَمِّنُنَا من بأسِهِ البَطشَةَ الكُبرَى

تُؤَمِّنُنَا من بأسِهِ البَطشَةَ الكُبرَى

He showed us kindness through his gracious pardon,

Do we see in its forgiveness qualities that

which shields us from the greatest onslaught of his might.

Secure us from its great tyranny?

مكارمُ أخلاقٍ لو أنَّ زماننا

مكارمُ أخلاقٍ لو أنَّ زماننا

تعلَّمها ما ساءنا قَطُّ بل سَرَّا

تعلَّمها ما ساءنا قَطُّ بل سَرَّا

Noble traits of character—if our age

Morals, if our time would learn them

learned them, it would never distress us, but delight us.

We would never be miserable, but rather delighted.

ولم يَرضَ يوماً للمسئ إذا أسا

ولم يَرضَ يوماً للمسئ إذا أسا

مقابلةً لكنه يرتضى الجبرَا

مقابلةً لكنه يرتضى الجبرَا

And he never approved, for a wrongdoer who did wrong,

And it never accepts the wrongdoer harming in response,

retaliation; rather, he prefers reparation.

Rather it accepts making amends.

ولن تَستطيعَ السُّحبُ تَحكى بنانَه

ولن تَستطيعَ السُّحبُ تَحكى بنانَه

وكيف تُبارى ديمةٌ أَبحُراً عَشرَا

وكيف تُبارى ديمةٌ أَبحُراً عَشرَا

Nor will the clouds ever be able to emulate his fingertips;

And the clouds will not be able to spin their tales,

and how can a steady rain rival ten seas?

Nor will a bucket rival an ocean ten times over.

إذا هزّ َ فوق الطَّرسِ منه أناملا

إذا هزّ َ فوق الطَّرسِ منه أناملا

تأمَّل بحارَ الجود تُبدى لك الدُّرَّا

تأمَّل بحارَ الجود تُبدى لك الدُّرَّا

When he moves his fingertips over the parchment,

When fingers pluck above the strings, observe

behold the seas of generosity revealing pearls to you.

The oceans of generosity revealing the pearls.

وإن نَظَم الشِّعرَ البديعَ سَمعتَ من

وإن نَظَم الشِّعرَ البديعَ سَمعتَ من

بَديهَته ما يَبهَرُ العَقلَ والفكرَا

بَديهَته ما يَبهَرُ العَقلَ والفكرَا

And if he composes exquisite verse, you hear from

And if you hear it compose eloquent poetry,

his improvisation what dazzles reason and thought.

You find in its spontaneity what dazzles the mind and thoughts.

ولو تعقلُ الوُرقُ السَّواجِعُ سَجعَهُ

ولو تعقلُ الوُرقُ السَّواجِعُ سَجعَهُ

لَراحَت وقد أزرى بها منه ما أزرى

لَراحَت وقد أزرى بها منه ما أزرى

And if the cooing gray doves could understand his rhymed prose,

And if leaves were conscious, they would follow its rhymes

they would depart, utterly put to shame by what came from him.

And depart frenzied by what frenzied them.

وإن ذكر التاريخَ يوما بُمقتَضَى

وإن ذكر التاريخَ يوما بُمقتَضَى

بلاغته حَلَّى الزمانَ الذي مَرَّا

بلاغته حَلَّى الزمانَ الذي مَرَّا

And if ever he recounts history, in keeping with

And if history mentioned a day by its requirements

his eloquence, he adorns the time gone by.

It would adorn the time that passed.

أيا ابنَ عليٍ أنت فاضلُ عصرنا

أيا ابنَ عليٍ أنت فاضلُ عصرنا

وإنك أن تُدعَى بفاضله أحرى

وإنك أن تُدعَى بفاضله أحرى

O son of Ali, you are our age's eminent man,

O son of Ali, you are the superior of our time

and indeed you are most worthy of being called its eminent man.

And it is more fitting for you to be called its superior.

وأنتَ الذي ما زال للقَصدِ قبلَةً

وأنتَ الذي ما زال للقَصدِ قبلَةً

ونائلُه شَفعاً وسُؤدَدُهُ وترَا

ونائلُه شَفعاً وسُؤدَدُهُ وترَا

And you are the one who has always been a qibla for seekers,

You who the right path has always been a qiblah for

and whose bounty comes in pairs, while his eminence stands alone.

And reaching you intercession, and repaying you appreciation.

ومَغناه للراجي مجَنّاً وجُنَّةً

ومَغناه للراجي مجَنّاً وجُنَّةً

فها نحن فيها لا نجوع ولا نَعرَا

فها نحن فيها لا نجوع ولا نَعرَا

And his dwelling is a shield and refuge for the hopeful,

And for the hopeful, a refuge, shelter, food and drink

so here we are within it, neither hungry nor naked.

It negligence, you are greater than its greatest feast

تَهُنَّ بعيد أنت أكبرُ عيدِهِ

تَهُنَّ بعيد أنت أكبرُ عيدِهِ

تُضاعِفُ في الأولى الثَّوابَ وفي الأُخرى

تُضاعِفُ في الأولى الثَّوابَ وفي الأُخرى

Rejoice in an Eid whose greatest celebration is you:

Doubling in the first the reward and in the last the sacrifice.

you multiply reward in this life and in the next.

So pray for it and slaughter your feast, for they

فَصَلَّ به وانحَر عِدَاك فإنهم

فَصَلَّ به وانحَر عِدَاك فإنهم

على نَقصِهِم لا يأمنون بك النَّحرا

على نَقصِهِم لا يأمنون بك النَّحرا

So pray on it, and slaughter your enemies, for they,

In their shortcoming do not feel safe without your sacrifice.

despite their defects, cannot feel safe from slaughter at your hands.

You remain highest in station of all worlds

ولا زلتَ أعلى العالمين مكانة

ولا زلتَ أعلى العالمين مكانة

وأنفَذَهم حُكماً وأرفعَهم قَدرَا

وأنفَذَهم حُكماً وأرفعَهم قَدرَا

And may you never cease to be the highest of all people in rank,

And most compelling in rule and most lofty in rank.

and the most authoritative in judgment, and the loftiest in standing.