كَبِدٌ مِن سِنان لَحظِكَ جَرحى

كَبِدٌ مِن سِنان لَحظِكَ جَرحى

وَعُيونٌ تَردِّد الدَمع سَفحا

وَعُيونٌ تَردِّد الدَمع سَفحا

A liver wounded by the spearhead of your glance,

My liver is wounded by your piercing glance,

and eyes that pour forth tears again and again,

And eyes that shed tears like rain pouring down.

وَحَنين إِلى الدِيار وَوَجد

وَحَنين إِلى الدِيار وَوَجد

يَستَفز النُهى وَشَوق الحا

يَستَفز النُهى وَشَوق الحا

and yearning for the dwellings, and ardent passion

Yearning for home and love

that rouses reason, and longing grown insistent.

Provokes desire and awakens fervent passion.

يابن وَدي تَفديك مِن كُل سوء

يابن وَدي تَفديك مِن كُل سوء

مهج فيكَ لَيسَ تَقبل نُصحا

مهج فيكَ لَيسَ تَقبل نُصحا

O son of my love, may you be ransomed from every harm

O beloved friend, I'd sacrifice myself to protect you from all harm,

by souls that, for your sake, accept no counsel.

For you are stubborn and reject all advice.

قُم بِنا نَجتَلي المَدامة بكراً

قُم بِنا نَجتَلي المَدامة بكراً

حَيثُ طابَ الهَوى وَنَسكُن صَرحا

حَيثُ طابَ الهَوى وَنَسكُن صَرحا

Rise with us; let us unveil the virgin wine,

Come, let us meet at dawn to share wine,

where love is sweet, and let us dwell in a palace,

Where love is bliss and we find tranquility.

في رِياض كَأَنَّما هِي خَدّا

في رِياض كَأَنَّما هِي خَدّا

كَبَهاء وَطيب صِدغَيك نَفحا

كَبَهاء وَطيب صِدغَيك نَفحا

in gardens, as though they were your two cheeks

In gardens, as if they were your soft cheeks -

in beauty, and your temples' perfume in fragrance;

Radiant, and scented with your sweet breath.

مَطلَعاً مِن ضِياء وَجهِكَ وَالفر

مَطلَعاً مِن ضِياء وَجهِكَ وَالفر

ع ظَلاماً يَغشى العُيون وَصُبحا

ع ظَلاماً يَغشى العُيون وَصُبحا

a dawning from your face's radiance, while your tresses

Rising with the glow of your face, dispelling

are darkness veiling the eyes and dawn.

The darkness that veils eyes at dawn.

سكر الكاس إِذ سَكرت بِعَينيك

سكر الكاس إِذ سَكرت بِعَينيك

فَكانَ المدام مني أَصحى

فَكانَ المدام مني أَصحى

The cup grew drunk when I grew drunk on your eyes,

I was drunk with the wine as I was drunk with your eyes,

so the wine was more sober than I.

So for me the wine was the sober one.

جلَّ مِن صاغ مِن لَواحظك النجل

جلَّ مِن صاغ مِن لَواحظك النجل

حُساماً وَمِن قوامك رُمحا

حُساماً وَمِن قوامك رُمحا

Exalted is He who fashioned from your wide-eyed glances

He who fashioned the starry swords from your glances,

a keen sword, and from your stature a spear.

And from your figure, lances.

قُل لِمَن لامَ في هَواك مُحبّاً

قُل لِمَن لامَ في هَواك مُحبّاً

أَلف السُهد يا عَذولي تَنحا

أَلف السُهد يا عَذولي تَنحا

Tell whoever blamed a lover for loving you—

Say to those who blame me for loving you -

one used to sleeplessness—“O my reproacher, stand aside!”

"A thousand greetings, oh most graceful one!"

وَاترُك الهَجر ساعَةً فَلَعلي

وَاترُك الهَجر ساعَةً فَلَعلي

أَجِد القَلب مِن صُدودك صَحا

أَجِد القَلب مِن صُدودك صَحا

And leave estrangement for a while; perhaps I

Leave this estrangement but for an hour, perhaps

will find my heart recovered from your rejection.

My heart will find solace in your affection.

وَأَرى الهَجر ساعَةً فَلَعَلي

وَأَرى الهَجر ساعَةً فَلَعَلي

أَجد القَلب مِن صُدودك صَحا

أَجد القَلب مِن صُدودك صَحا

And I see estrangement for a while; perhaps I

Let me glimpse the knot of eyelashes binding

will find my heart recovered from your rejection.

And sleep restoring harmony after discord.

وَأَرى القُربق عاقِداً بَينَ جِفني

وَأَرى القُربق عاقِداً بَينَ جِفني

وَمَنامي بَعدَ التَفَرُّق صلحا

وَمَنامي بَعدَ التَفَرُّق صلحا

And I see nearness forging, between my eyelid

Let me adorn the brow of time with a necklace

and my sleep, peace after separation.

That the skilled hand of poetry praises.

وَأَحلي جيد الزَمان بعقد

وَأَحلي جيد الزَمان بعقد

نَظمتهُ يد القَريحة مَدحا

نَظمتهُ يد القَريحة مَدحا

And I adorn time's neck with a necklace

Praising the most generous of all people,

that the hand of inspiration has strung as praise

He is the soul who finds success.

لِجَواد كُل الأَنام جسومٌ

لِجَواد كُل الأَنام جسومٌ

وَهُوَ روح بِها تَصادف نَجحا

وَهُوَ روح بِها تَصادف نَجحا

for a generous man; all humankind are bodies,

With traits - if for each limb I had

and he is their spirit, through which you find success.

A mouth describing them, it would tire.

ذو خصال لَو أَن في كُل عُضو

ذو خصال لَو أَن في كُل عُضو

لي فَماً واصِفاً لِأَعيتهُ شَرحا

لي فَماً واصِفاً لِأَعيتهُ شَرحا

He has qualities such that, if in every limb

Moon of the horizon of grandeur, sun of glory,

of mine there were a mouth to describe them, I would exhaust it in the telling.

Cloud of benevolence, though rain is scarce.

بَدرُ أُفق العُلا وَشَمس المَعالي

بَدرُ أُفق العُلا وَشَمس المَعالي

وَغَمام النَدا إِذا الغَيث شَحا

وَغَمام النَدا إِذا الغَيث شَحا

The full moon of glory's horizon, the sun of lofty virtues,

Wakeful, sowing generosity and honor,

and the cloud of generosity when rain grows scant;

A knowing protector who blankets all with love.

ناثى الفَضل والمَكارم يَقظا

ناثى الفَضل والمَكارم يَقظا

ن عَليم يَطوي عَلى الودّ كَشحا

ن عَليم يَطوي عَلى الودّ كَشحا

a spreader of excellence and noble deeds, watchful,

Wise in judgment, he only sees

learned, folding his flank over affection;

A kind lord, most splendid and forgiving.

حازم الراي لَيسَ تُبصر إِلّا

حازم الراي لَيسَ تُبصر إِلّا

مِنهُ مَولى أَغَر أَروع سَمحا

مِنهُ مَولى أَغَر أَروع سَمحا

resolute in judgment, you behold nothing but

Delight in him, whenever time inclines to loss -

a radiant, awe-inspiring, generous patron in him.

There you will find profit.

لُذ بِهِ حِيثُما الزَمان إِلى الخسر

لُذ بِهِ حِيثُما الزَمان إِلى الخسر

تَداعى تَنظر هُنالِكَ رِبحا

تَداعى تَنظر هُنالِكَ رِبحا

Seek refuge in him whenever fortune, toward loss,

His meadows of noble traits have stirred me,

comes tumbling; there you will see gain.

And, like doves, returned my zeal.

هَيجتَني رِياض أَخلاقِهِ الغُر

هَيجتَني رِياض أَخلاقِهِ الغُر

فَردَّت كَالحَمائِمِ صَدحا

فَردَّت كَالحَمائِمِ صَدحا

The gardens of his radiant virtues stirred me,

He offered the cup of affection, so I sang

then they answered in song, like doves.

A eulogy with rhymes of sincerity.

وَسَقاني كاس الوِداد فَأَنشد

وَسَقاني كاس الوِداد فَأَنشد

ت مَديحاً حَوى قَوافِيَ فَصحا

ت مَديحاً حَوى قَوافِيَ فَصحا

And he gave me the cup of affection to drink, so I recited

I was lost until I saw your dawn

praise containing eloquent rhymes,

Driving the shadows from my heart.

غِب ما كُنت لا أَزال وَحَظي

غِب ما كُنت لا أَزال وَحَظي

عَن طَريق النَجاح يَضرب صَفحا

عَن طَريق النَجاح يَضرب صَفحا

after I had continually—while my fortune

My tears were replaced with smiles

turned away from the path of success—

And sorrow with joy in praising you.

أَقطع اللَيل وَهُوَ أَسَود يَزي

أَقطع اللَيل وَهُوَ أَسَود يَزي

دُّ كَقَلب الحَسود يَضمر قَبحا

دُّ كَقَلب الحَسود يَضمر قَبحا

passed the night, black and growing darker,

I should be thankful

like an envious man's heart, harboring ugliness,

For hands that race to give generously.

وَأَرى اليَوم قانِياً فَكَأَني

وَأَرى اليَوم قانِياً فَكَأَني

مُودع مِنهُ في الحَشاشَةِ جَرحا

مُودع مِنهُ في الحَشاشَةِ جَرحا

and seen the day crimson, as though I

Such ornate composition is but praise

were lodging a wound from it in my life's core.

For Muhammad, erased are his debts.

غَيرَ إِنّي لَما تَرأَيت صُبحاً

غَيرَ إِنّي لَما تَرأَيت صُبحاً

مِنكَ يَبدو جَلا عَن القَلب جَنحا

مِنكَ يَبدو جَلا عَن القَلب جَنحا

Yet when I beheld a dawn

appearing from you, it cleared the night's gloom from my heart.

وَتَعوضت عَن بُكائي اِبتِساماً

وَتَعوضت عَن بُكائي اِبتِساماً

وَعَن الحُزن بِامتِداحِكَ فَرحا

وَعَن الحُزن بِامتِداحِكَ فَرحا

And I exchanged my weeping for a smile,

and sorrow for joy through praising you.

فَجَدير بِأَن أَكون شَكوراً

فَجَدير بِأَن أَكون شَكوراً

لِأَيادٍ تُسابق الوَدق سَحا

لِأَيادٍ تُسابق الوَدق سَحا

So it is fitting that I should be grateful

for favors that race the rain in their outpouring.

ما النِظام البَديع إِلّا مَديح

ما النِظام البَديع إِلّا مَديح

لِلكَريمي مُحَمد لَيسَ يَمحا

لِلكَريمي مُحَمد لَيسَ يَمحا

This wondrous verse is nothing but praise

for Muhammad al-Karimi—praise never to be erased.