يزدادَ هجراً كلَّ ما كَلما

يزدادَ هجراً كلَّ ما كَلما

فيمن بسيفِ الهجر قد كَلما

فيمن بسيفِ الهجر قد كَلما

He grows more distant whenever he is addressed,

My estrangement grows each time we speak

from those he has wounded with estrangement's sword.

By the sword of estrangement we were struck

كلمهُ في جفنهِ مغمداً

كلمهُ في جفنهِ مغمداً

لو سلَّ ما في الجفنِ ما سَلَما

لو سلَّ ما في الجفنِ ما سَلَما

It wounded him while sheathed in his eyelid;

Though sheathed, it pierced my eyelids

had he drawn what lay in that sheath, he would not have escaped unharmed.

Had I yielded, my eyes would be unscathed

ظبي من الإِنس تعلقته

ظبي من الإِنس تعلقته

ومرّ ما يلوى على من رما

ومرّ ما يلوى على من رما

A gazelle among humankind, whom I loved,

A doe, enamored by mankind

passed on, not turning toward the one he had struck.

Passed by one who shot arrows

أو همه الواشي بما يفتري

أو همه الواشي بما يفتري

مختلفاً فأوه ما أوهما

مختلفاً فأوه ما أوهما

The slanderer misled him with what he fabricates,

Or misled by slander’s gossip

in varying forms—ah, how deceptive he was!

Spreading lies that misinformed

ما ند من نطقي لفظ به

ما ند من نطقي لفظ به

أقول مني ندماً ندما

أقول مني ندماً ندما

No word slips from my speech for which

No words I utter would suffice

I say regretfully, 'Something slipped from me.'

I say in regret, regretting indeed

حرم وصلي قابلاً كيده

حرم وصلي قابلاً كيده

فاشتد عندي حرماً حرما

فاشتد عندي حرماً حرما

He forbade union with me, accepting his plot;

Her affection was met with malice

the sanctuary he forbade grew more inaccessible to me.

So with me, the sanctuary grew desolate

يا مرسلاً في الغيد ألحاظه

يا مرسلاً في الغيد ألحاظه

إِن الدما يعتدنَ سفك الدما

إِن الدما يعتدنَ سفك الدما

O you who send your glances among graceful beauties,

O you who sends piercing glances

those doll-like beauties are accustomed to shedding blood.

Know that blood demands blood in turn

أضرم في قلبي بهجرانه

أضرم في قلبي بهجرانه

نيرانه فضرما ضرّما

نيرانه فضرما ضرّما

Through his abandonment, he kindled in my heart

His abandonment lit fires in my heart

his fires, setting a blaze fiercely aflame.

Consuming it, leaving ashes within

قالوا اله عنه قَلت حبي له

قالوا اله عنه قَلت حبي له

ان اله ما اسرع ما الهما

ان اله ما اسرع ما الهما

They said, 'Forget him.' I said, 'My love for him—

They said forget him, but I said my love

if I turn away, how swiftly it inspires me!'

Is unforgotten, though forgotten we are

وفاتر الألحاظِ منه دمو

وفاتر الألحاظِ منه دمو

عي عن دماً تسكب أو عندَ ما

عي عن دماً تسكب أو عندَ ما

And that languid-eyed one—from him my tears

His apathetic eyes shed blood

pour out as blood, or as crimson dye.

Unaware of blood spilled or yet to pour

قالوا فتور اللحظ قد كله

قالوا فتور اللحظ قد كله

قلت لهم لو كل ما كلما

قلت لهم لو كل ما كلما

They said, 'The languor of his glance has blunted it.'

They said his indifferent eyes have wearied

I told them, 'Were it blunt, it would not wound.'

I said, if they wearied, how wearied are we

علامَ لاموا الصبَّ في حبهِ

علامَ لاموا الصبَّ في حبهِ

لاموه ما هو فيهم موهما

لاموه ما هو فيهم موهما

Why did they blame the lovesick man for loving him?

Why do they blame the lover for his love?

They blamed him, though he misled none of them.

Not he, but they are lost in delusion

مهلاً فيحى اليوم قد هدما

مهلاً فيحى اليوم قد هدما

بنى من الجور وقد هدما

بنى من الجور وقد هدما

Gently! For Yahya today has demolished

Wait, for the day will come when

the structures of injustice; indeed, he has demolished them.

What was built by injustice will crumble

الطاهر الملك الذي قط ما

الطاهر الملك الذي قط ما

كبحرهِ بحرُ ندى قد طما

كبحرهِ بحرُ ندى قد طما

The pure king—never

The virtuous king, never has he

has a sea of bounty surged like his sea.

Been like a tumultuous, raging sea

مظفرُ الجيش فما حطه

مظفرُ الجيش فما حطه

للحرب إلاّ حط ما حطّما

للحرب إلاّ حط ما حطّما

Victorious is his army: never has he deployed it

Victorious commander, when engaged in war

for war without bringing down what it shattered.

He came down like a crushing flood

وظلتِ الأرض تنادي به

وظلتِ الأرض تنادي به

يا جيش يحيى أدما الدما

يا جيش يحيى أدما الدما

And the earth kept calling out to him:

The earth cried for him

'O army of Yahya, keep the blood flowing!'

O living army, restore the bloodshed

قد رويت غيثاً وما سيلا

قد رويت غيثاً وما سيلا

وتبغي منه ما يصيبها منهما

وتبغي منه ما يصيبها منهما

She has drunk her fill of rain and floodwater,

He came like rain after drought

and seeks from him what reaches her from both.

Yet they still sought to strike at him

فاشددْ على الأعداء والمس لما

فاشددْ على الأعداء والمس لما

يأتي رضى ربك والمسلما

يأتي رضى ربك والمسلما

Press hard against the enemies, and reach for what

So strike the enemies, and touch not

brings your Lord's approval and the Muslim's.

What would earn your Lord’s wrath

وقل لأعدا الله بعد فما

وقل لأعدا الله بعد فما

أكذب من ينطق منكم فما

أكذب من ينطق منكم فما

And then tell God's enemies, 'How

Say to the enemies of Allah, no more

lying is the mouth of whoever among you speaks!'

Can any among you speak falsehoods

من قدم الخير لنا منكم

من قدم الخير لنا منكم

فشره قد قدّ ما قدما

فشره قد قدّ ما قدما

Whoever among you has offered us good,

Whoever has done us good, then evil

his evil has cut to pieces whatever he offered.

Let evil he sent forth return to him

ومن يتب منكم إلى ربه

ومن يتب منكم إلى ربه

وربما يغفر له الربُّ ما

وربما يغفر له الربُّ ما

And whoever among you repents to his Lord—

Whoever of you repents to his Lord

perhaps the Lord will forgive him what he has done.

Perhaps the Lord will forgive what transpired

ما أقرب الرحمة من مجرم

ما أقرب الرحمة من مجرم

بالتوبِ أعطى أجر ما أجرما

بالتوبِ أعطى أجر ما أجرما

How near mercy is to an offender

How near is mercy to the sinner

who, through repentance, is granted reward for what he committed!

Who repents and earns what good deeds remain

قل لذوي الكفرِ أسلموا واحذروا

قل لذوي الكفرِ أسلموا واحذروا

فليس يحيى مسلماً مسلما

فليس يحيى مسلماً مسلما

Tell the unbelievers, 'Embrace Islam, and beware:

Say to the disbelievers, submit and beware

Yahya will not surrender a Muslim.'

No Muslim shall live if a Muslim dies

فخصمه المغرور كاللاحس

فخصمه المغرور كاللاحس

الموس ما يحيى به موسما

الموس ما يحيى به موسما

His deluded opponent is like someone licking

For your deluded opponent is but blind

a razor: he will not survive it for a season.

Deaf as the serpent who no season knows

ويا ذوي الإِفساد توبوا فما

ويا ذوي الإِفساد توبوا فما

أفلح بان رض ما رضما

أفلح بان رض ما رضما

And you who spread corruption, repent, for no

And you corruptors, repent, do not

builder prospers who crushes what he piled up.

Prosper by that which provokes wrath

لا بدّ للطاعات أن تبتمَ

لا بدّ للطاعات أن تبتمَ

ولن ما تختصكم بالنما

ولن ما تختصكم بالنما

Acts of obedience are indispensable if you have repented [wording uncertain];

Obedience must surely be completed

and will not [unclear wording] favor you with increase.

But never shall you be tasked beyond your means

واخشوا سطا يحي فصمصامه

واخشوا سطا يحي فصمصامه

مجرب ما قل ما قل ما

مجرب ما قل ما قل ما

Fear Yahya's onslaught, for his keen sword

And fear a screaming punishment which

is tried and tested; what it has cut down is no little thing.

None can endure, however steadfast

ما منه منجا اينَما كنتم

ما منه منجا اينَما كنتم

الطير ما يستبعد الطير ما

الطير ما يستبعد الطير ما

There is no escape from him, wherever you are.

No refuge from it wherever you may be

The birds—he does not deem the birds beyond reach [ending unclear].

The birds cannot escape other birds

وجار يحيى اليوم في منعةٍ

وجار يحيى اليوم في منعةٍ

قداس ما يسكنُه في السما

قداس ما يسكنُه في السما

And Yahya's neighbor today enjoys protection;

And the blessed Commander lives protected

he has raised him high, lodging him in the heavens,

Impregnable fortress in the heavens

في نعمةٍ واسعة في المبا

في نعمةٍ واسعة في المبا

ني الفيح مازال بها في حما

ني الفيح مازال بها في حما

amid abundant blessings, in the

In ample favor in habitation

spacious buildings, always sheltered there.

The wide desert still tethered to bounty