يا مَن مَواطر فَضلِهِ

يا مَن مَواطر فَضلِهِ

تَربى عَلى وَكَف الديم

تَربى عَلى وَكَف الديم

O you, the excellences of whose bounty

O you whose showers of bounty

surpass the steady downpour of rain clouds,

surpass the dripping of steady rains;

وَيَمينهُ نَشأى البُرو

وَيَمينهُ نَشأى البُرو

ق إِذا اِمتطت طَرف القَلَم

ق إِذا اِمتطت طَرف القَلَم

and whose right hand gives rise to lightning

and whose right hand brims with lightning

whenever it rides the pen’s tip;

when it mounts the point of the pen;

يا سَيِداً عِق الوَفا

يا سَيِداً عِق الوَفا

فَلا أَقول قَد التزم

فَلا أَقول قَد التزم

O master to whom fidelity itself clings—

O master, [unclear word] of fidelity,

I will not merely say, “He embraced it.”

so I do not say, 'He has bound himself to it.'

يا طاهر الأَوطار وَال

يا طاهر الأَوطار وَال

أَطوار مَرضيّ الشيم

أَطوار مَرضيّ الشيم

O you, pure in purpose and in

O you, pure in aims and

every disposition, pleasing in character;

ways, of commendable character,

أَدنى مَناقبك الفت

أَدنى مَناقبك الفت

وَّة وَالمُروَّة وَالكَرَم

وَّة وَالمُروَّة وَالكَرَم

the least of your virtues is chivalry,

the least of your virtues are chivalry,

nobility of spirit, and generosity.

noble conduct and generosity.

روحي وَرُوحك أَعطيا

روحي وَرُوحك أَعطيا

سرّ التَصافي في القدم

سرّ التَصافي في القدم

My soul and yours were granted

My soul and yours were given

the secret of pure accord in pre-eternity;

the secret of mutual affection in eternity past,

وَتَعارَفا مِن قَبل أَن

وَتَعارَفا مِن قَبل أَن

يَبدو الوُجود مِن العَدَم

يَبدو الوُجود مِن العَدَم

they knew one another before

and knew each other before

existence emerged from nonexistence.

existence emerged from nothing.

كاتَبتَني بِأَرَقَّ مِن

كاتَبتَني بِأَرَقَّ مِن

دَمع المُحب إِذا اِنسَجَم

دَمع المُحب إِذا اِنسَجَم

You wrote to me in characters drawn from

You wrote to me in words more delicate than

a lover’s tears when they stream,

a lover's tears when they stream,

وَاحب مِن وَجه الحَبي

وَاحب مِن وَجه الحَبي

ب إِلى المُحب إِذا اِبتَسَم

ب إِلى المُحب إِذا اِبتَسَم

characters dearer than the beloved’s face

and dearer than the beloved's face

is to the lover when it smiles.

is to the lover when he smiles.

وَافى كِتابك مُقبِلاً

وَافى كِتابك مُقبِلاً

وَدجى الخُطوب قَد أَدلهم

وَدجى الخُطوب قَد أَدلهم

Your letter arrived, coming toward me,

Your letter came toward me

when the gloom of calamities had grown pitch-black,

when the gloom of misfortunes had grown pitch-dark,

وَالدَهر يَحرق نابُهُ

وَالدَهر يَحرق نابُهُ

غَيظاً عَليَّ وَلا حكم

غَيظاً عَليَّ وَلا حكم

and Time was grinding its fang

and Time was grinding its fang

in rage against me, with no arbiter.

in anger at me, with no arbiter.

فَأَزالَ تَعبيس الخُطو

فَأَزالَ تَعبيس الخُطو

ب كَما جَلا صبغ الظلم

ب كَما جَلا صبغ الظلم

It dispelled calamity’s scowl,

It banished the scowl of misfortunes,

as it cleared away the stain of darkness.

just as it cleared away darkness's stain.

لا زِلتَ تَرفل في جَلا

لا زِلتَ تَرفل في جَلا

بيب الكَرامة وَالنعم

بيب الكَرامة وَالنعم

May you ever sweep along in robes

May you ever walk resplendent in robes

of dignity and blessings.

of honor and blessings.

مَن لي بِصَفو العَيش بَع

مَن لي بِصَفو العَيش بَع

دكَ وَهُوَ صَيد في حَرم

دكَ وَهُوَ صَيد في حَرم

Who can give me life’s serenity after

Who can bring me life's serenity after

you, when it is quarry within a sacred precinct?

you, when it is quarry within a sanctuary?

يا بُؤس ما فَعل الفرا

يا بُؤس ما فَعل الفرا

ق وَوَيحَهُ ماذا ظَلم

ق وَوَيحَهُ ماذا ظَلم

What misery separation has wrought—

Alas for what parting has done;

woe to it! How unjustly it treated

and woe to it—what wrong it has done!

بنّا فَلا وَاللَه ما

بنّا فَلا وَاللَه ما

زَحزَحت عَن حفظ الذِمَم

زَحزَحت عَن حفظ الذِمَم

us! Yet no—by God, I was not

We parted; yet no, by God, I have not

shaken from keeping our covenants.

been shaken from keeping my pledges.

ما صاحِبي بَعدَ الفِرا

ما صاحِبي بَعدَ الفِرا

ق سِوى التَوجع وَالنَدَم

ق سِوى التَوجع وَالنَدَم

After separation I have no companion

I have no companion after parting

but anguish and regret.

but anguish and regret.

فَسَقى الحَيا عَصراً تَسا

فَسَقى الحَيا عَصراً تَسا

مح بِاللُقا ثُمَ اِنصَرَم

مح بِاللُقا ثُمَ اِنصَرَم

May life-giving rain water an age that was

May rain water a time that generously granted

generous with reunion, then passed away.

our meeting, then came to an end.

فَكَأَنَّنا لَم نَلتَقي

فَكَأَنَّنا لَم نَلتَقي

لَولا التَذَكُر وَالأَلَم

لَولا التَذَكُر وَالأَلَم

It is as though we had never met,

So it would seem we had never met,

but for remembrance and pain.

but for remembrance and pain.