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My soul found relief from the adversaries of sailing,

أرحت نفسي من عداة الملاح

1. My soul found relief from the adversaries of sailing,
Despair has a spirit like the spirit of success,

١. أَرحَت نَفسي مِن عداة الملاح
لِليأسِ روح مِثلِ روحِ النَجاح

2. And sometimes youth judged in my mind,
Joy from the water of youth and meadows,

٢. وَرُبَّما حَكَّمَت في مُهجَتي
نَشوان مِن ماء الصِبا وَالمراح

3. And how could it not feel joy,
When the moment passed and picked the saliva it passed,

٣. وَكَيفَ لا تُدرِكُهُ نَشوَةٌ
وَاللَحظُ راحَ وَجَنى الريق راح

4. Had her saliva not been wine,
He would not have bent his side while shouting,

٤. لَو لَم تَكُن ريقَتُهُ خَمرَةٌ
لَمّا تَثنىَّ عطفه وَهوَ صاح

5. He smiles away from the one with evil, as
The gazelle picks up the grapes with its mouth,

٥. يَبسِمُ عَن ذي أَشَرٍ مِثلَما
يَلتَقِط الظَبيُ بِفيه الأَقاح

6. Youth sends its winds from a garden,
That sometimes shadows and sometimes wanders,

٦. تُهدي الصَبا رَيّاهُ مِن رَوضَة
تَظَلُّ أَحياناً وَحيناً تراح

7. Of a delicate one whose corners combine,
The whiteness of the anklets and the whiteness of the bracelets,

٧. أَنيقَةٍ يَجمَعُ أَرجاؤُها
بيضُ المَقاصيرِ وَبيضُ الأَداحِ

8. And if the course of youth to it had known,
It would have blocked the winds of stinginess from blowing,

٨. وَلَو دَرى مسرى الصَبا نَحوَها
سَد مِنَ البُخلِ مَهَبِ الرِياح

9. How many times has it rendered us helpless,
So sleep took it to us relaxed,

٩. كَم مَرَّةٍ أَعجَزَنا حِلَّهُ
فَساقَهُ النَوم إِلَينا سِفاح

10. It slipped from me while I held it back,
With a nap the voice of the farmer's caller awoke me,

١٠. أَفلَتَهُ مِنّي وَقَد صِدتُهُ
بِرَقدَةٍ صَوت مُنادي الفَلاح

11. Wakefulness steals from us what it brought over to us,
Misfortune upon misfortune from every generous partner,

١١. تُسلِبنا اليَقظة ما زَفَّهُ
لَنا الكَرى مِن كُلِّ خود رَداح

12. So we are in sleep and in wakefulness,
Between approaching them and retreating,

١٢. فَنَحنُ في نَومٍ وَفي يَقَظَةٍ
بَينَ دَنوٍ مِنهُمُ وانتِزاح

13. And in a situation, if it were not for the encounter,
My companion and the arranger of the headscarf would have met,

١٣. وَمَوقِفٌ لَولا التَقى لالتَقى
فيهِ نَجادي ونظّام الوشاح

14. I said to the moles and pores of blessedness,
Smiling and pores of salt,

١٤. قُلتُ لِخلي وَثغور الرُبى
مُبتَسِماتٍ وَثغور المِلاح

15. Which of the two is more beautiful in appearance, I wonder?
He said: I don't know, every pore is beautiful,

١٥. أَيُهُما أَحلى تَرى مَنظَراً
فَقالَ لا أَعلَم كُلُّ أَقاح

16. How is my return to love after I took it off,
Like taking off a garment and it fell?

١٦. كَيفَ رَجوعي في الهَوى بَعدَما
خَلَعته خَلع رِداء فطاح

17. And the night of youth answered my inner self,
Every gloomy night has a bright morning,

١٧. وانجاب عَن فوديَّ لَيل الصِبا
لِكُلِّ لَيلٍ مُدلَهِمٍّ صَباح

18. So the whites dazzled my sight,
Blinking away from me, and they were earnest,

١٨. فازوَرَّت البيضُ بِأَبصارِها
مَطروفَةً عَنّي وَكانَت صِحاح

19. Whoever loved you for something past,
Once it passed he turned away from you and left,

١٩. مَن كانَ يَهواكَ لِشَيءٍ مَضى
إِذا مَضى عَنكَ تَوَلّى وَراحَ

20. And it revealed to him what her travel had hidden,
So she said: Burn me and discard me!

٢٠. وَخَلَّهُ أَظهَرَ ما أَضمَرَت
سَيري فَقالَت أَقلىً وَاطِّراح

21. So the string of tears in her mouth dissolved,
And the wine was mixed with flowing saliva,

٢١. فانحَلَّ سِلكَ الدَمعِ في ثَغرِها
فَشَجَّت الخَمرُ بِماءٍ قراح

22. And my determination does not go away if she knew,
A lover, and no soft word persuades her,

٢٢. وَلَيسَ يُمضي عَزمَتي لَو دَرَت
مُغرٍ وَلا يَعطِفها قَولَ لاح

23. If she knew that chastity in secretiveness,
She would say: In decency you have not moaned!

٢٣. لَو علمَت أَن العلى في السُرى
قالَت عَلى الرَشد انحَ ما أَنتَ ناح

24. I nearly begged rain except my downpour,
Surely the valleys against my will are barren,

٢٤. آلَيت استَسقي سِوى مَنصِلي
إِن الغَوادي بِمُرادي شحاح

25. The glory whose water always bubbled,
Trickling above the brim of the bowl,

٢٥. المَجد شرب لَم يَزَل ماؤُهُ
مُرَقرِقاً فَوقَ صفاح الصفاح

26. For every habitual striker of the enemy,
From above the habitual - a strike of the fighter,

٢٦. لِكُلِّ مُعتادٍ ضراب العدى
مِن فَوق مُعتاد ضَريب اللِقاح

27. And death with its mouth wide open for him,
A gaze above a gaze alert,

٢٧. يُديرُ وَالمَوت لَهُ فاغرٌ
طَرَفاً فَوقَ طرف وَقاح

28. He penetrates with the spears of the slim sword,
As if they were tongues among the wounds,

٢٨. يَنصُل في الطَعنِ حراب القَنا
كَأَنَّها أَلسِنَة في الجِراح

29. He wears glory upon himself,
And he may allow blame where it is not allowed,

٢٩. يَعتَصِبُ المَجد عَلى نَفسِهِ
وَقَد يُبيحُ الطَعن غَيرَ المُباح

30. And an ignorant, confusing its ways,
As if they were dotted lines,

٣٠. وَمجهل مُشتَبِه طرقه
كَأَنَّما هُنَّ خُطوط بِراح

31. A man with breasts like desert expanses makes me happy,
As if our idols were harsh springs and jugs,

٣١. يُسعِدُني فيهِ وَفي غَيرِهِ
ذو صُدورٍ كفلاة فِساح

32. Until after the long journey we met,
At the grin of the perfect - the face of the morning,

٣٢. كَأَنَّما أَشباح أَنضائنا
قِسيٌّ نَبع وَكَأنّا قداح

33. So my companion said to me: start the conversation!
I said: No, but it is the full moon of tolerance,

٣٣. حَتّى اجتَلَينا بَعدَ طولِ السُرى
بغرَّة الكامِل وَجه الصَباح

34. It warns you of misery - so announce its good news -
The terminators of misery are silent outcriers,

٣٤. فَقالَ لي صاحِبي أَبدَرُ السَما
فَقُلتُ لا بَل هوَ بَدرُ السَماح

35. Difficult to refuse the soul, easy to bestow,
Surely, glory is hardship in tolerance,

٣٥. ينبيك عَن سؤددٍ بشره
مَخائِل السُؤدَدِ خَرس فَصاح

36. Does the young man whose life -
In blasphemy and Islam - is the life of fighter, accept injustice?

٣٦. صَعب إِباء النَفس سَهل النَدى
إِنَّ المَعالي شَدَّةٌ في سَماح

37. The crowns remember his fathers through him,
And those features of salt,

٣٧. هَل يَقبَل الضَيم فَتىً حَيَّهُ
في الكُفرِ والإِسلامِ حَيُّ لِقاح

38. When she sees him, a shudder stirs her,
As if in every crown there is a wing,

٣٨. يَذكُر التيجان آباءُهُ
بِهِ وَتِلكَ القَسمات المِلاح

39. Do you see the crowns better than him,
From full moon to fuller moon fully?

٣٩. إِذا رَأتهُ قلقَت هَزَّةٌ
كَأَنَّما في كُلِّ تاج جناح

40. He concludes what his forefathers commenced,
And for the sublime, a conclusion and commencement,

٤٠. تَبكي لكَسرى وَتَرا آي ابنَهُ
فَيَستَحيل الأرتياع ارتِياح

41. Time has done justice by elevating him,
And everything in time is outright injustice,

٤١. فَهَل تَرى التيجان مِنهُ عَلى
بَدرٍ لِبَدرٍ التَمِّ مِنهُ افتِضاح

42. And people agreed on his merit,
Then differed - so there is no agreement,

٤٢. يَختِم ما استَفتَح آباؤهُ
وَلِلعُلى خاتِمَة وافتِتاح

43. I have honored my soul by praising him,
So the reward of praise has hastened,

٤٣. قَد عدل الدَهرُ بإِعلائِهِ
وَكُلُّ ما في الدهر ظلم صِراح

44. When he reined generosity in his palm,
He called in his loudest voice: no escape!

٤٤. واصطَلَحَ الناس عَلى فَضلِهِ
واختَلِفوا بَعدُ فَلَيسَ اصطِلاح

45. In his palm he brings life, and from his palm,
I will be resurrected if the decree of death comes,

٤٥. شَرَّفتُ نَفسي باِمتِداحي لَهُ
فَقَد تَعَجَّلَت ثَوابُ امتِداح

46. Distracted, with exhaustion from his glory, no rest,
He aspires from one glory to another -

٤٦. لَمّا أَناخ الجودَ في كَفِّهِ
نادى بِأَعلى صَوتِهِ لا بَراح

47. May his glory last and the aspiration last,
In an army from his same opinion, his banner -

٤٧. في كَفِّهِ أَحيا وَمِن كَفِّهِ
أَحشَر إِن حُمَّ القَضاءَ المُتاح

48. If war knew how to flee it would flee,
It defeats whoever rivals the best souls,

٤٨. مُقَسَّم الخاطِرِ مَكدوده
في تَعب مِن مَجدِهِ لا استِراح

49. Well-spoken bodies and honest features,
One may defeat a thousand with his scheme,

٤٩. يَطمَح مِن عِزٍ إِلى آخَرٍ
دامَ لَهُ العِزُّ وَدامَ الطِماح

50. And not defeat them with weapons,
And for the enemy are ranks in enmity -

٥٠. في عَسكَرٍ مِن نَقسِهِ رأيهِ
رايَتِهِ إِن عَلِم الحَربُ لاح

51. Opinion, then guile, then struggle,
And after war there is no further aim,

٥١. يَهزِم مَن زاحَمَ عَن أَنفُسٍ
مُكَلَّمات وَجُسوم صِحاح

52. These are fortunes like casting lots,
And at the retreat of the enemy, he does not care -

٥٢. قَد يَغلِبُ المَرءُ بِتَدبيرِهِ
أَلفاً وَلا يَغلِبهُمُ بِالسِلاحِ

53. Whether awe-inspiring, so let it devour O mother of commotion!
Guardian of the kingdom, so he became protected,

٥٣. وَلِلمُعادي رُتَبٌ في العِدى
الرأي ثُمَّ الكيد ثُمَّ الكِفاح

54. After almost being violated,
So he became a den for the lion of evil,

٥٤. وَلَيسَ بَعدَ الحَربِ مِن غايَةٍ
هُنَّ حُظوظ مِثلَ ضَربِ القِداح

55. And had been a pasture for the wild beasts,
He makes affairs proper - indeed,

٥٥. وَلا يُبالي عِندَ فَلِّ العِدى
أَهيبَة فلتهمُ أُمَ رِجاح

56. Two heads in a crown contrary to rectitude,
Then he recoiled when they disbelieved his effort,

٥٦. حامى عَن المُلكِ فَأَضحى حِمىً
مِن بَعدِ ما شارَف أَن يُستَباح

57. For every subservient there is a pliant wing,
With clouds from which his enemies grow,

٥٧. فَصارَ عَريناً لِلَيث الشَرى
وكانَ مَرعىً لِلسوام المراح

58. And his enviers in all directions,
And merit is envied, and he attained it,

٥٨. يُوَفِّر الأَمر أَلا إِنَّما
رَأسان في تاج خِلاف الصَلاح

59. So his envier is not to be blamed,
How many deficient ones have conveyed about a superior one -

٥٩. ثُمَّ اِنثَنى إِذ كَفَروا سَعيَهُ
لكل مطواعٍ ذَلول جِماح

60. Indicating a generous house is barking,
And whoever saw the crown of glory on

٦٠. ذو سَحب تنبت أَعداءَهُ
وَحاسديه في جَميع النَواح

61. The split head of a lion above the wing of success,
He has attained with the pens what spears,

٦١. وَالفَضلُ مَحسودٌ وَقَد حازَه
فَما عَلى حاسدِهِ مِن جُناح

62. Fell short or were too short to reach,
Like creeping serpents are his pens,

٦٢. كَم ناقِصٍ ترجم عَن فاضِلٍ
دَلَّ عَلى بَيت كَريم نُباح

63. For they are shields and lethal poison,
If the vellum touches their edges,

٦٣. وَمَن رأى تاج المَعالي عَلى
مَفرق لَيث فَوقَ طَرَف النَجاح

64. It overflows with output and floods,
And it smelled from his fingers oceans -

٦٤. قَد نالَ بِالأَقلام ما قَصَّرت
أَو قَصُرَت عَنهُ طوال الرِماح

65. Their pearls are the eloquent words,
The wisdom of your Persian forefathers

٦٥. مِثلَ الأَفاعي الرَقش أَقلامُهُ
فَهُنَّ دُرياق وَسُمٌّ ذباح

66. Clothed with the diction of Quraishi clarity,
He shows it while hiding it,

٦٦. إِن لمس الطرس بِأَطرافِها
فاضَ نَوالاً وَبَياناً وَساح

67. Surely, dew is musk when treasured it diffuses fragrance,
And merit is a full moon - whenever

٦٧. وَشمت مِن أَنمله أَبحراً
لؤلؤهنَّ الكَلِمات الفِصاح

68. The nights of denial darkened, it increased in illumination,
Say to the children of hopes: Set out! For

٦٨. حكمة آبائك مِن فارِسٍ
كَسَوتها لَفظ قُرَيش البِطاح

69. The winds have blown you in the son of Ali,
With him time has erased its wrongs,

٦٩. يُظهِر آلأوكَ إِخفاؤها
إِنَّ النَدى مِسك إِذا صين فاح

70. Disengaging, and time laughs and then frowns,
O son of Ali - promise me with wealth,

٧٠. وَالعُرف بَدر كُلَمّا اسدَفَت
لَهُ لَيالي الجحد زادَ اتِضاح

71. Like what you have promised me with forbearance,
A people have flown to the heights, and I have not,

٧١. قُل لِبَني الآمال هَبوا فَقَد
هَبَّت بِكُم بابن عَلي رِياح

72. Fallen short, but how can I have a wing?
Below the heights is an arduous epic,

٧٢. مَحا بِهِ الدَهر إِساءآتِهِ
تَنَصُّلاً وَالدَهر واحٍ وَماح

73. Its weapon is money while my weapon is moneyless.
It is time for the rain-giver to give freely,

٧٣. يا ابن علي أَعدني بِالغِنى
كَمِثلِ ما أَعديتَني بِالسَماح

74. And the sea-seeker to be given to,
So submit and live in the loftiness of its star,

٧٤. طارَ إِلى العَلياء قَوم وَما
قَصَّرتُ لَكِن كَيفَ لي بِالجَناح

75. In the orbit of glory the ally of success,
And remain as you are - for none after this,

٧٥. دونَ العُلى ملحمة صَعبَة
سِلاحُها المال وَمالي سِلاح

76. To one who knows how glory is proposed,
In the glory of ascent, and auspice, and in

٧٦. آن لِجادي الغَيث أَن يَجتَدي
وَمُستَميح البَحر أَن يُستَماح

77. The shade of good fortune emulating righteousness,
The light of dawn has not split the armor of darkness,

٧٧. فاسلم وَعِش في رفعَة نَجمها
في فلك العِز حليفَ النَجاح

78. And no bird has been called and sings in the nests.

٧٨. وَدَم كَما أَنتَ فَما بَعد ذا
لِمَن دَرى كَيفَ المَعالي اقتِراح

٧٩. في عَزِّ إِقبال وَيُمنٍ وَفي
ظِل سُعودٍ يَقتَدي بِالصَلاح

٨٠. ما شَق نور الفَجر درَع الدُجى
وَما دَعا في الأَيك طَيرٌ وَناح