ألَمٌ بمَوْلانا الخليفَةِ يوسُفِ

ألَمٌ بمَوْلانا الخليفَةِ يوسُفِ

تُلْفي القُلوبَ به رهينَ تأسُّفِ

تُلْفي القُلوبَ به رهينَ تأسُّفِ

Pain afflicts our lord, the caliph Yusuf;

Pain for our Caliph Yusuf

you find hearts captive to grief on its account.

Fills hearts with captives of regret

ألمٌ يقَلِّبُ قَلْبَ كُلِّ مُوحّدٍ

ألمٌ يقَلِّبُ قَلْبَ كُلِّ مُوحّدٍ

ويغادِرُ الإسْلامَ حِلفَ تخَوُّفِ

ويغادِرُ الإسْلامَ حِلفَ تخَوُّفِ

A pain that tosses the heart of every believer in God's oneness

Pain that tosses the heart of every monotheist

and leaves Islam the sworn companion of fear.

And abandons Islam to apprehensive alliances

ما كانَ نورُ الصّبحِ لمّا أن بَدا

ما كانَ نورُ الصّبحِ لمّا أن بَدا

مُتهَلِّلاً عندَ الطّلوعِ بمُنْصِفِ

مُتهَلِّلاً عندَ الطّلوعِ بمُنْصِفِ

The light of dawn, when it appeared, was not

The light of dawn had not smiled

fair in beaming with joy at its rising,

Brilliantly at sunrise

حتى يُرَى موْلى الخلائِفِ يوسُفٌ

حتى يُرَى موْلى الخلائِفِ يوسُفٌ

ممّا لديْهِ من التألّمِ قد شُفِي

ممّا لديْهِ من التألّمِ قد شُفِي

until Yusuf, lord of the caliphs, was seen

Until the Caliph Yusuf was seen

healed of the pain that afflicted him.

Healed from his afflictions

أوَ ما تخال الزُّهْرَ غيرَ منيرَةٍ

أوَ ما تخال الزُّهْرَ غيرَ منيرَةٍ

في أفْقِها والزَّهْرَ غيرَ مُفوَّفِ

في أفْقِها والزَّهْرَ غيرَ مُفوَّفِ

And do you not deem the bright stars unlit

Nor had the blossoms seemed bright

in their horizon, and the flowers without their varied hues,

On their horizons, nor the blossoms scented

والنورَ لا يُبْدي ابْتِسامَ ثُغورِه

والنورَ لا يُبْدي ابْتِسامَ ثُغورِه

والغُصْنَ لا يَثْنيهِ لينُ المَعْطِفِ

والغُصْنَ لا يَثْنيهِ لينُ المَعْطِفِ

and the blossoms revealing no smile on their mouths,

Nor does light reveal the smile of its horizons

and the bough unbent by the suppleness of its flank,

Nor does a branch bend with the softness of a cloak

والخيْلَ ساهمَةَ الوُجوهِ كأنها

والخيْلَ ساهمَةَ الوُجوهِ كأنها

ما أُرْسِلَتْ لِقتالِ باغ مُسْرِفِ

ما أُرْسِلَتْ لِقتالِ باغ مُسْرِفِ

and the horses with downcast faces, as though

Horses with mournful faces as though

they had not been sent to fight a rebel exceeding all bounds;

They were not sent to battle a transgressor

والسّابِقاتِ كأنّهُنَّ نواظِرٌ

والسّابِقاتِ كأنّهُنَّ نواظِرٌ

بُهِتَتْ فهُنَّ لأجْلِهِ لم تَطْرِفِ

بُهِتَتْ فهُنَّ لأجْلِهِ لم تَطْرِفِ

and the swift steeds like eyes

And the racers as though they are gazes

stunned—because of him they have not blinked;

Stunned, so because of him they did not blink

والمُرْهَفاتِ تقول في أغمادِها

والمُرْهَفاتِ تقول في أغمادِها

يُشفَى الإمامُ وفي عِداهُ نَشْتَفي

يُشفَى الإمامُ وفي عِداهُ نَشْتَفي

and the keen-edged swords saying within their sheaths:

And the drawn swords say in their sheaths

“The imam shall be healed, and in his foes we shall find our cure”?

The Imam is healed, and through his enemies we wreak havoc

موْلايَ عبدُكَ عندَ ذلكَ شأنُهُ

موْلايَ عبدُكَ عندَ ذلكَ شأنُهُ

دمعٌ يصوبُ ولوعةٌ لا تنْطَفي

دمعٌ يصوبُ ولوعةٌ لا تنْطَفي

My lord, your servant's state at that time was

My lord your servant in that case

tears pouring down and anguish that would not be quenched.

Tears that flow and burning sorrows that do not calm

فالقلبُ قلّبَهُ على جمْرِ الغَضى

فالقلبُ قلّبَهُ على جمْرِ الغَضى

كلَفٌ به قد حلّ دونَ تكلّفِ

كلَفٌ به قد حلّ دونَ تكلّفِ

For my heart was tossed upon the embers of ghada wood

So the heart tossed upon the embers of grief

by a passion for him that took hold without pretense.

Obliged without pretense

أُمْسي وأُصْبِحُ لا أرَى مَلكَ الهُدَى

أُمْسي وأُصْبِحُ لا أرَى مَلكَ الهُدَى

كَلِفاً أُطيلُ تشوّقِي وتشوّفِي

كَلِفاً أُطيلُ تشوّقِي وتشوّفِي

I spend my evenings and mornings without seeing the king of guidance;

I awake and sleep not seeing the king of guidance

passion-struck, I prolong my yearning and eager watch.

Exhausted, lengthening my longing and vigilance

وقد اغْتَدى اليومَ البشيرُ مُبشّري

وقد اغْتَدى اليومَ البشيرُ مُبشّري

وبراحةِ الموْلَى الهُمامِ معرِّفي

وبراحةِ الموْلَى الهُمامِ معرِّفي

And today the herald came in the morning to bring me glad tidings

And today the harbinger brings glad tidings to me

and tell me of the valiant lord's recovery.

And awareness of the recovery of the august master

فبذلْتُ من روحي وما كسَبَتْ يَدي

فبذلْتُ من روحي وما كسَبَتْ يَدي

ما عزّ عِندي في الوُجودِ ولمْ أفِ

ما عزّ عِندي في الوُجودِ ولمْ أفِ

So I offered, of my soul and what my hand had earned,

So I gave from my soul and what my hands earned

all that was dear to me in this world, yet I fell short.

That which I cherished in existence and did not expend

فورُودُه أحْلى لديّ على الظما

فورُودُه أحْلى لديّ على الظما

من مَوْرِدٍ عذْبٍ وظلٍّ أوْرَفِ

من مَوْرِدٍ عذْبٍ وظلٍّ أوْرَفِ

For his arrival was sweeter to me in my thirst

For his return is sweeter to me than meadows

than a source of sweet water and luxuriant shade.

Of sweet water and shaded shelter

قصْدي لدى موْلايَ تقْبيل الثرى

قصْدي لدى موْلايَ تقْبيل الثرى

فبهِ علوُّ مكانتي وتشرُّفي

فبهِ علوُّ مكانتي وتشرُّفي

My aim before my lord is to kiss the earth—

My aim is to kiss the earth of my master

for through it my rank is raised and I gain honor—

For through it is the loftiness of my status and ennoblement

وهَناءُ عُلْياهُ براحتِهِ التي

وهَناءُ عُلْياهُ براحتِهِ التي

هزّتْ لدينِ الله أشرَف معْطِفِ

هزّتْ لدينِ الله أشرَف معْطِفِ

and to congratulate His Highness on his recovery, which

And the elation for his comfort that

set the noblest flank swaying for the faith of God.

Shook the most noble cloak of the religion of God

قد كان غابَ عنِ العيونِ فلمْ أزَلْ

قد كان غابَ عنِ العيونِ فلمْ أزَلْ

أرْجو مُشاهَدة المحَلِّ الأشْرفِ

أرْجو مُشاهَدة المحَلِّ الأشْرفِ

He had been absent from sight, so I never ceased

He had been absent from sights so I did not stop

hoping to behold the most exalted presence.

Hoping to see the most noble place

وأقولُ ليتَ الدّهْرَ يُسْعِفُ مَقصدِي

وأقولُ ليتَ الدّهْرَ يُسْعِفُ مَقصدِي

بلقائهِ والدّهْرُ ليسَ بمُسْعِفي

بلقائهِ والدّهْرُ ليسَ بمُسْعِفي

And I say: if only time would help me attain my aim

And I say, if only fate would grant my quest

of meeting him—yet time gives me no help.

To see him, though fate is no aid to me

والشّوْقُ يُذْهِبُ سَلوَتي وتصبّري

والشّوْقُ يُذْهِبُ سَلوَتي وتصبّري

حتّى لجأتُ لكَتْبِ هذِي الأحْرُفِ

حتّى لجأتُ لكَتْبِ هذِي الأحْرُفِ

And longing takes away my solace and my patient endurance,

And longing takes away my calm and patience

until I resorted to writing these letters.

Until I resorted to writing these letters

جُدْ باللّقاءِ فذاكَ أيْسَرُ مطْلَبٍ

جُدْ باللّقاءِ فذاكَ أيْسَرُ مطْلَبٍ

لفتىً يهُبُّ لهُ هُبوبَ المَشْرَفي

لفتىً يهُبُّ لهُ هُبوبَ المَشْرَفي

Be generous with a meeting, for that is the easiest request

Be quick with the meeting, for that is the easiest request

for a youth who springs toward it like a Mashrafi sword.

For one blown by the winds of the noble

لازِلْتَ يا مَوْلَى الملوكِ مُصاحِباً

لازِلْتَ يا مَوْلَى الملوكِ مُصاحِباً

للنّصْرِ والتّخليدِ واللُطْفِ الخَفي

للنّصْرِ والتّخليدِ واللُطْفِ الخَفي

May you ever remain, O lord of kings, accompanied

You remain, O king of kings, accompanying

by victory, immortality, and hidden grace.

Victory, eternity, and subtle kindness