عِندِي نِزاعٌ ليسَ عَنْهُ نُزُوعُ

عِندِي نِزاعٌ ليسَ عَنْهُ نُزُوعُ

لِلْبَدْرِ حَجْبٌ لَيْسَ مِنْهُ طُلوعُ

لِلْبَدْرِ حَجْبٌ لَيْسَ مِنْهُ طُلوعُ

I have a yearning from which there is no turning away.

I have a strife from which there is no retreat

The full moon is veiled, with no rising from that veil.

The moon has a veil from which there is no rising

عَجَباً تَقَضَّى بالخُسوفِ سُطوعُهُ

عَجَباً تَقَضَّى بالخُسوفِ سُطوعُهُ

ولِصِنْوِهِ عَقِبَ الخُسوفِ سُطوعُ

ولِصِنْوِهِ عَقِبَ الخُسوفِ سُطوعُ

How strange! His radiance ended in eclipse,

How strange that its brightness was eclipsed

yet his twin shines after the eclipse.

And its beauty returned after the eclipse

أوَ لَيْسَ عُلْوِيُّ الصِّفاتِ حَقيقَةً

أوَ لَيْسَ عُلْوِيُّ الصِّفاتِ حَقيقَةً

غَيْرَ الْتِفاتٍ راعَ وَهْوَ مَروعُ

غَيْرَ الْتِفاتٍ راعَ وَهْوَ مَروعُ

And was he not truly heavenly in his qualities?

Or is the Most High not truly characterized

Without a glance, he struck awe, though himself stricken with fear.

By anything other than care for one distressed?

سُرْعانَ ما فَجَعَ الزّمانُ بِغَصْبِهِ

سُرْعانَ ما فَجَعَ الزّمانُ بِغَصْبِهِ

وَالدَّهْرُ بالعِلْقِ النَّفيسِ فَجوعُ

وَالدَّهْرُ بالعِلْقِ النَّفيسِ فَجوعُ

How swiftly time brought bereavement by seizing him,

Soon time wrongfully robbed me of him

and fate is ever bereaving us of precious treasure.

And fate ravenously deprived me of that precious comrade

وَطَوى مَعَاهِدَ ذِكْرِهِ وعُهُودِهِ

وَطَوى مَعَاهِدَ ذِكْرِهِ وعُهُودِهِ

حَتَّى كأَنَّهُ مَا وَفَى الأُسْبُوعُ

حَتَّى كأَنَّهُ مَا وَفَى الأُسْبُوعُ

And it folded away the haunts of his remembrance and his former days,

It folded up the scrolls of his mention and covenants

until it seemed not even a week had run its course.

As if it never kept its promise in the week

يَا لَيْتَهُ لَو دامَ يُمْتِعُنِي بِهِ

يَا لَيْتَهُ لَو دامَ يُمْتِعُنِي بِهِ

أَبَداً شُرُوقٌ لِلضُّحَى ومُتُوعُ

أَبَداً شُرُوقٌ لِلضُّحَى ومُتُوعُ

Ah, if only it had continued to give me joy in him—

O would that he had continued to delight me with himself

forever—the morning light's rising and ascent!

Forever risings for the bright dawn and gifts shared

لَهْفِي عَلَيهِ مُوَدّعاً لا يُقْتَضَى

لَهْفِي عَلَيهِ مُوَدّعاً لا يُقْتَضَى

لِذِهابِهِ حَتَّى الحِساب رُجُوعُ

لِذِهابِهِ حَتَّى الحِساب رُجُوعُ

Alas for him, bid farewell; no one can expect

My craving for him bidding farewell cannot be appeased

a return from his departure until the Reckoning.

Even by reckoning his return until the final judgment

كَمْ دَافَعَ الجَيْشُ العَرَمْرَمُ دُونَهُ

كَمْ دَافَعَ الجَيْشُ العَرَمْرَمُ دُونَهُ

لَوْ أَنَّ شَيْئاً لِلْحِمامِ دَفوعُ

لَوْ أَنَّ شَيْئاً لِلْحِمامِ دَفوعُ

How often the vast army fought in his defense,

How many an impenetrable army did he hold back from him

if only anything could ward off death!

If something for the doves could be warded off

لِلْقَلبِ حَالُ الشَّمْلِ يَوْمَ نَعِيِّهِ

لِلْقَلبِ حَالُ الشَّمْلِ يَوْمَ نَعِيِّهِ

كُلٌّ علَى حُكمِ الرَّدَى مَصْدُوعُ

كُلٌّ علَى حُكمِ الرَّدَى مَصْدُوعُ

The heart shared the gathering's plight on the day his death was announced:

For the heart the state of being torn on the day of his death notice

each was shattered under death's decree.

Each is in the grip of destruction, split open

إنْ تَخْلُ مِنْهُ مَنَازِلٌ وَمَطَالِعٌ

إنْ تَخْلُ مِنْهُ مَنَازِلٌ وَمَطَالِعٌ

لَمْ تَخْلُ مِنْهُ جَوَانِحٌ وضُلوعُ

لَمْ تَخْلُ مِنْهُ جَوَانِحٌ وضُلوعُ

Though dwellings and horizons are empty of him,

If places and risings are devoid of him

bosoms and ribs are not empty of him.

Breasts and ribs are not devoid of him

بِأَبِي مَحَاسِنَه التِي وُصِلَ الثَّرَى

بِأَبِي مَحَاسِنَه التِي وُصِلَ الثَّرَى

مِنْها بِما أَنَا دونَهُ مَقْطُوعُ

مِنْها بِما أَنَا دونَهُ مَقْطُوعُ

My father be ransom for his charms; the earth has been granted

By his beauty with which he joined the earth

a share of them from which I am cut off.

With some of which I am less endowed

لَو رُمْتُ أَنْ أَنْساهُ هَاجَ تَذَكُّرِي

لَو رُمْتُ أَنْ أَنْساهُ هَاجَ تَذَكُّرِي

بَرْقٌ لَمُوعٌ أَوْ أَغَنُّ سَجوعُ

بَرْقٌ لَمُوعٌ أَوْ أَغَنُّ سَجوعُ

Were I to try to forget him, my remembrance would be stirred

If I tried to forget him, my recollection

by flashing lightning or a mellow-voiced, cooing bird.

Would stir like a flaming blaze or copious downpour

وَكَفَى شَهِيداً بِالْهَوَادَةِ والهَوَى

وَكَفَى شَهِيداً بِالْهَوَادَةِ والهَوَى

أَنَّ المُباحَ مِن الكَرَى مَمْنوعُ

أَنَّ المُباحَ مِن الكَرَى مَمْنوعُ

And it is witness enough to tenderness and love

It suffices as a witness to gentleness and love

that permitted sleep is denied me.

That the forbidden of disasters is prevented

لَن يَبْرَحَ السُّهْدُ المُبَرِّحُ مُقْلَتِي

لَن يَبْرَحَ السُّهْدُ المُبَرِّحُ مُقْلَتِي

ما دَامَ يُطْبِقُ مُقْلَتَيهِ هُجُوعُ

ما دَامَ يُطْبِقُ مُقْلَتَيهِ هُجُوعُ

Tormenting sleeplessness will never leave my eye

The friendly assembly will not cease to cheer my eyes

as long as slumber keeps his two eyes closed.

As long as shutting brings them together in seclusion

فيهِ تَهَاجَرَتِ الحَشَايَا والحَشَا

فيهِ تَهَاجَرَتِ الحَشَايَا والحَشَا

وتَوَاصَلَ البُرْكَانُ واليَنْبُوعُ

وتَوَاصَلَ البُرْكَانُ واليَنْبُوعُ

Over him, bedding and the breast have parted,

In it prairies and meadows reconciled

and the chests and the wellspring have joined.

And springs and volcanoes connected

لا فِطْرَ لا أَضْحَى يُؤَنِّسُ قُرْبَهُ

لا فِطْرَ لا أَضْحَى يُؤَنِّسُ قُرْبَهُ

ولَهُ نُزوحٌ مُوحِشٌ وَشُسوعُ

ولَهُ نُزوحٌ مُوحِشٌ وَشُسوعُ

Neither Fitr nor Adha brings cheer as it draws near,

No feast or celebration makes his proximity joyous

while his departure is desolate and his remoteness vast.

And his absence is lonely and dismal

لَمْ أَشْهَدِ الأَعْيادَ مَسْروراً بِها

لَمْ أَشْهَدِ الأَعْيادَ مَسْروراً بِها

لَكِنْ مَخافَة أنْ يُقَالَ جَزوعُ

لَكِنْ مَخافَة أنْ يُقَالَ جَزوعُ

I did not attend the festivals rejoicing in them,

I did not happily attend celebrations

but for fear of being called unable to bear grief.

But fearing it might be said I was disconsolate

حجِّي لأَجْدَاثٍ أَطَابَ تُرَابَهَا

حجِّي لأَجْدَاثٍ أَطَابَ تُرَابَهَا

بِشَذىً كَمَا هَبَّ النَّسِيمُ يَضُوعُ

بِشَذىً كَمَا هَبَّ النَّسِيمُ يَضُوعُ

My pilgrimage is to graves whose soil he perfumed

Make pilgrimage to fresh graves, the soil of which

with a fragrance that wafts as the breeze blows.

The breeze perfumed as it freely blew

مِنها أهِلُّ لِما أُفيضُ وإنَّما

مِنها أهِلُّ لِما أُفيضُ وإنَّما

لِبْسِي هُناكَ كآبَةٌ وَولُوعُ

لِبْسِي هُناكَ كآبَةٌ وَولُوعُ

From them I raise the pilgrim's cry for my outpouring; and only

For them I profess what I pour out, but in fact

sorrow and ardent attachment are my garb there.

My being there is gloom and anguish

والهَدْيُ في تِلكَ المَشَاعِرِ قُدِّسَتْ

والهَدْيُ في تِلكَ المَشَاعِرِ قُدِّسَتْ

قَلْبٌ جُذاذٌ والجِمَارُ دُمُوعُ

قَلْبٌ جُذاذٌ والجِمَارُ دُمُوعُ

And the offering at those sacred sites—may they be hallowed—

And the gift in those sacred places

is a heart in fragments, and the stoning-pebbles are tears.

Is a barren heart, and the tears, a downpour

هُوَ مَا عَهدْتَ فَلا تَدِنْ بِمَلامَتِي

هُوَ مَا عَهدْتَ فَلا تَدِنْ بِمَلامَتِي

وَجْدِي بِفَرْطِ صَبَابَتِي مَشْفُوعُ

وَجْدِي بِفَرْطِ صَبَابَتِي مَشْفُوعُ

It is as you have known it; do not make blaming me your creed.

He is as you knew him, so do not blame me

My anguish is coupled with my overwhelming longing.

And consider my abundant youthful folly an intercession

وَحَدِيثُ سُلْوانِي مَتَى أُسْمِعتَهُ

وَحَدِيثُ سُلْوانِي مَتَى أُسْمِعتَهُ

فَاحْكُمْ عَلَيْهِ بأَنَّهُ مَوْضُوعُ

فَاحْكُمْ عَلَيْهِ بأَنَّهُ مَوْضُوعُ

And any report of my finding solace, whenever you are told it,

And when you hear my dreamy discourse

judge it to be fabricated.

Judge it as fabricated