1. لائمي في التنائي فرط بكاء

    أملامٌ على بكاء التنائي

    You who reproach me for excessive weeping in separation,

    is there blame for weeping at separation?

  2. ليس لوم على بكا من تردى

    بثياب الفراق بعد اللقاء

    No blame attaches to the tears of one who has clothed himself

    in separation's garments after meeting.

  3. كيف اصبو إلى فتاة وسلمى

    مازجت داء حبها بدوائي

    How could I yearn for any maiden, when Salma

    has mingled the sickness of her love with my remedy?

  4. فاشتقاق اسمها متى ما تسل ما

    فهو سيلان مدمعي بدمائي

    Whenever you ask what the derivation of her name is,

    it is my tears flowing together with my blood.

  5. أو سلوا بها اجعلنه وعنها

    لست أسلو ولو يطول رجائي

    Or make it solace through her; yet from her

    I cannot turn away, however long my hope endures.

  6. كيف أسلو وكلما لارح برق

    خلته ميس غصنها في الرداء

    How can I forget, when every flash of lightning

    seems to me the swaying of her branch within her robe?

  7. وإذا لاح كثيب لواء

    قلت ذا الردف أم كثيب اللواء

    And whenever the sandhill of Liwa appears,

    I say: Is that her hip, or Liwa's sandhill?

  8. وإذا ارتاع بالرمال ظباء

    خلت عينيها ركبت للظباء

    And whenever gazelles startle upon the sands,

    I imagine her eyes have been set in the gazelles.

  9. هي شمس لو لم تلذ لعيني

    وترى الشمس تارة في انمحاء

    She would be a sun, were she not a delight to my eyes,

    and the sun is sometimes seen fading away.

  10. ان تبسمت يا غزالة صحو

    أو تنسّمت يا ماء منائي

    If you smile, O sun of a cloudless sky,

    or breathe your fragrance, O water of my wishes,

  11. طبت نفسا إذ لاح برق الثنايا

    أمنائي وفاح ريح الشذاء

    my soul is gladdened when the lightning of your teeth flashes,

    O my desire, and fragrance's scent wafts.

  12. يعبق المسك كلما ذكر اسمي

    منذ ناديتني ضحى بسماء

    Musk grows fragrant whenever my name is spoken,

    since you called me at midmorning in the heavens.

  13. وإذا ما ناديت شخصا نداء

    فمرادي سلمى بذاك النداء

    And whenever I call out to anyone,

    it is Salma I mean by that call.

  14. يطمع العاذلون هجري سلمى

    ما بأحشائهم جوى أحشائي

    The reproachers hope that I will abandon Salma;

    their hearts do not hold the burning grief within mine.

  15. فجميع الملاح تحت لواها

    وجميع العشاق تحت لوائي

    All beauties are beneath her banner,

    and all lovers are beneath my banner.

  16. ما ثناني عنك الجفا فلماذا

    ما ثنيت الجفا إذا عن جفائي

    Your coldness has not turned me away from you; then why

    have you not, in turn, turned your coldness away from spurning me?

  17. من جفائي والحزن بعد الثناء

    ماء عيني كديمة وكفاء

    From my estrangement and sorrow after praise,

    my eye's water is like a steady, pouring rain.

  18. بالعطا والسخاء ماء عيوني

    عم للخلق بالعطا والسخاء

    With giving and generosity, the water of my eyes

    has spread to all creation through giving and generosity.

  19. لا بمن ولا اكثراث عطاء

    حبذا حبذا العطا من عطاء

    Giving without reminders of favor or anxiety over giving—

    how fine, how fine, the gift that comes of giving!

  20. إن طلبت الخصال فيه تجدها

    فيه الأبوّة الأنبياء

    If you seek virtues in him, you will find them;

    in him is the fatherhood of the prophets.

  21. لو بفضل تعطى لصاحب فضل

    لاستحقيتها عن الفضلاء

    Were it bestowed for merit upon a man of merit,

    you would deserve it above all men of merit;

  22. أو بعلم تعطى لصاحب علم

    لاستتحقيتها عن العلماء

    or bestowed for knowledge upon a man of knowledge,

    you would deserve it above all scholars;

  23. أو بحلم تعطى لصاحب حلم

    لاستحقيتها عن الحلماء

    or bestowed for forbearance upon a man of forbearance,

    you would deserve it above all the forbearing;

  24. أو ببذل تعطي لأيّ سخيّ

    لاستحقيتها عن الأسخياء

    or given for generosity to any generous man,

    you would deserve it above all the generous;

  25. أو بتقوى تعطى لصاحب تقوى

    لاستحقيتها عن الأتقياء

    or bestowed for piety upon a man of piety,

    you would deserve it above all the pious;

  26. أو بعقل تعطى لأيّ ذكيّ

    لاستحقيتها عن الأذكياء

    or bestowed for reason upon any intelligent man,

    you would deserve it above all the intelligent.

  27. كيف لاهوّ في ابتدا حاز فضلا

    لم يجزه في فضله ذو انتهاء

    How could it not be? At the outset he gained merit;

    none at the end surpassed him in his merit.

  28. أدرك العلم مشكلا وعويصا

    فتجلّى عويصه من خفاء

    He grasped knowledge in its difficult and intricate forms,

    and its intricacies emerged from obscurity.

  29. وتردّى بالحلم بعد ائتزار

    من تقى الله حبذا من تقاء

    He wrapped himself in forbearance, having first girded himself

    with fear of God—how excellent that piety!

  30. فترقّى إلى مقام التجلى

    فمقام البقاء بعد الفناء

    Then he ascended to the station of manifestation,

    then to the station of abiding after annihilation.

  31. بسط كف على الأنام سواء

    في إياس وشدة ورخاء

    He extended his hand equally to all mankind,

    in despair, hardship, and prosperity.

  32. وذكاء في العقل ناهيك عقلا

    أعجز القائمين أهل الذكاء

    And intelligence in reason—what a mind!—

    outmatched those who stood as masters of intelligence.

  33. من نواه بالخير نال خير

    أو بضر سقاه كاس الرداء

    Whoever intended good toward him attained good;

    whoever intended harm, he gave the cup of ruin.

  34. فسعيد إذا دعاه يجبه

    وشقيّ مخالف للدعاء

    If a fortunate man calls him, he answers him;

    but wretched is the one who opposes the call.

  35. فسقى للسعيد أعذب كاس

    وسقى للشقي كاس الشقاء

    He gave the fortunate man the sweetest cup,

    and gave the wretched man the cup of misery.

  36. مرضت قبله بيوت المعالي

    فبناها فآدنت بشفاء

    Before him, the houses of lofty virtue had fallen ill;

    he rebuilt them, and they heralded healing.

  37. قلت للمجد والعلى والندى ما

    ء العيون الوكفاء والسحاء

    I said to glory, loftiness, and bounty: 'Water

    of the Eyes, pouring and streaming...'

  38. قال لي المجد ما أنا في البرايا

    قبل مرأى الأمير الأمراء

    Glory said to me: 'What was I among mankind

    before I beheld the prince of princes?

  39. ثم مني ما زال يبني ارتقاء

    كل ما انهد من خراب بناء

    Then he kept building me up, ever higher,

    whenever a structure collapsed into ruin.'

  40. وأجاب العلى فقال جهارا

    ما بهائي إلا هوى في هباء

    Loftiness answered and said aloud:

    'My splendor was nothing but a fall into dust

  41. قبل عيني فلم يزل بارتقاء

    يرقيني حتى استقام علائي

    before my eyes beheld him; then, ever ascending,

    he kept raising me until my loftiness stood firm.'

  42. وأجاب الندى فقال ذروني

    قبل ماء العيون شد وكاء

    Bounty answered and said: 'Leave me be:

    before the Water of the Eyes, the waterskin's tie was tight.

  43. فمتى جاء حل ما كان مني

    محكما بالعبيد بل والإماء

    When he came, he loosened what had been

    tightly bound within me—with slaves, indeed, and slave women,

  44. بخيول جرد ونوق ومال

    عنه عبرت إذ يضيق ثنائي

    with sleek horses, she-camels, and wealth.'

    Of him I have spoken, though my praise is too narrow.

  45. زينة الأكرمين في كل قطر

    تاجها عقدها محلّ اللواء

    The adornment of the noblest in every land,

    its crown, its necklace, the seat of the banner;

  46. ليتها في نزال غيث حماها

    زند نيران حرها في الوغاء

    its lion in combat, the rain of its sanctuary;

    the fire-striker of its flames, its heat in battle;

  47. صيتها نورها قرى الضيف منها

    أنت قدما منها محلّ الثناء

    its renown, its light, its hospitality to guests;

    you have long been its object of praise,

  48. ضرّها نفعها وحامي حماها

    دافع الضر جالب النعماء

    its harm, its benefit, and the guardian of its sanctuary,

    the warder-off of harm, the bringer of blessings.

  49. حيدريّ إذا الأكارم عدوا

    كنت منهم بيت القصد العلاء

    O Haydari, when the noblest are counted,

    you are among them the lofty house toward which all aim.

  50. ألفت جيشه الطيور ضوار

    سيفه قاطع غير ذي اعتداء

    Predatory birds have grown familiar with his army;

    his sword cuts, yet commits no aggression.

  51. آمر في أوامر الله ناه

    عن مناهيه أعدل الحكماء

    He commands what God commands, forbidding

    what He forbids—the most just of sages.

  52. كم عيون سقى المريدين منها

    أعجزت قبله ذرى الأولياء

    How many springs he has given his disciples to drink from,

    which had baffled the loftiest saints before him!

  53. بل بحور سقى المريدين منها

    حجبت دون الأولياء بارتواء

    Indeed, seas he has given his disciples to drink from,

    whose full refreshment had been screened from the saints.

  54. كم عويصات حلّها مشكلات

    أشكلت قبلهُ على البلغاء

    How many intricate, difficult problems he has resolved,

    which had perplexed the eloquent before him!

  55. كم مساكين آلفت ويتامى

    قفر فقر فعمهم بالغناء

    How many paupers and orphans had grown familiar

    with poverty's wasteland, till he embraced them all with wealth!

  56. كم دجا الجهل فاستنار بعلم

    من ضيا علمه حظى من ضياء

    How often ignorance grew dark, then was illumined by knowledge:

    from his learning's radiance it gained illumination.

  57. كم قلوب عمّت وعمّت ضلالا

    فهداها إلى صراط السواء

    How many hearts were blinded and overwhelmed by error,

    which he guided to the straight path!

  58. كم له في المدح مجد تليد

    قصرت دونه يد الشعراء

    How much time-honored glory he has in praise,

    beyond the reach of poets' hands!

  59. وإذا الناس في الأراءات ضلّوا

    أرشد الناس مسرعا في الأراء

    And when people stray in their opinions,

    he swiftly guides them aright in their judgments.

  60. وغذا في ألأواء جف كرام

    سح في الجود مدّة اللأواء

    And when, in hardship, the generous run dry,

    he pours forth bounty throughout that hardship.

  61. لاح منه على البصائر بدر

    أخجل الشمس بالبها في الثناء

    From him a full moon shone upon inward sight,

    putting the sun to shame with its splendor in praise.

  62. وهمت بالعلوم منه بحور

    لم تكدر لحاتها بالدلاء

    And seas of knowledge poured forth from him,

    their depths untroubled by buckets.

  63. ثم سالت بالجود منه سيولٌ

    تنعش المرملين بعد الشتاء

    Then torrents of generosity flowed from him,

    reviving the destitute after winter.

  64. ذاك الهدى للعمى ثم منه

    ذا لشرب وذا غنى الفقراء

    That is guidance for the blind; then, from him,

    this is for drinking, and this is the poor's wealth.

  65. بغيتي ليست المكارم إلا

    يا أبا الفضل والعلا والوفاء

    My heart's desire, noble virtues are only—

    O father of excellence, loftiness, and fidelity—

  66. لفظه والمعنى لها قد جعلتم

    والمراد المعنى من الأشياء

    words; you have been made their meaning,

    and meaning is what is sought in things.

  67. يا بني الوحي والنبوّة يا من

    باسم ما العين قد سما في السماء

    O sons of revelation and prophethood, O you

    who has risen in heaven with the name 'Water of the Eye';

  68. يا حليف العلا نعم وأباه

    كرما يعتلي على الكرماء

    O ally of loftiness—yes, and its father—

    rising in generosity above the generous;

  69. يا طويل العماد يا قطب يا من

    سخطه للأله مثل الرضاء

    O man of lofty tent-poles, O spiritual pole, O you

    whose displeasure, like his approval, is for God;

  70. يا كثير الرماد يا من تغطّى

    بالتقى فانمحى كثير الغطاء

    O abundant in ashes, O you who have wrapped yourself

    in piety, so that much of the veil has vanished;

  71. أملي لابرحت في الدهر ركنا

    للمعالي في عزة وهناء

    My hope: may you ever remain through time a pillar

    of lofty virtues, in honor and well-being,

  72. كابت الحاسدين عليك اعتزازي

    وابتهاجا نما بطول بقاء

    a humbler of the envious; in you is my pride,

    and it grows in joy through long continuance.

  73. يا نصيري على الخطوب وغوثي

    من ذنوبي لأرتجي برء داء

    O my helper against calamities, and my refuge

    from my sins, I surely hope for a cure of sickness.

  74. قد تطفّلت بالمديح وحاشى

    بغيتي أن يخيب فيك رجائي

    I have intruded with my praise; far be it from

    my desire that my hope in you should be disappointed.

  75. ثم مني الصلاة تتلو سلاما

    في ابتداء على النبي وانتهاء

    Then, from me, blessings follow a greeting of peace,

    upon the Prophet, at the beginning and the end.