1. ما دُمتُ في سُفُنِ الهَوى تَجري بي

    لا نافِعي عَقلي وَلا تَجريبي

    As long as I remain in love's ships, which carry me onward,

    neither my reason nor my experience can help me.

  2. بَرحَ الخَفاءُ بِحُبِّ مَن ولهي بِهِ

    أَورى توقُّدَ مُهجَتي وَلَهيبي

    Gone is secrecy in my love for one; my longing for him

    has kindled my heart's burning and my flame.

  3. يا عاذِلي أَوَ ما عَلِمتَ بِأَنَّني

    لا أَسمَعُ المَكروهَ في المَحبوبِ

    O my reproacher, have you not learned that I

    hear no ill of the beloved?

  4. طرفي تَنَزَّه في الحَبيب وَمَسمَعي

    عَن كُلِّ لَومٍ فيهِ أَو تأنيبِ

    My gaze delights in the beloved, and my hearing stays clear

    of every blame or rebuke concerning him.

  5. دَع عَنكَ ما تَهذي بِهِ عِندي فما

    كُلِّفتَ إِصلاحي وَلا تَهذيبي

    Leave aside what you babble to me, for you were not

    charged with reforming me or refining me.

  6. أَخطأتَ في عَذلي لأَنَّ مُصيبَتي

    مِن سَهمِ طَرفٍ لِلفُؤادِ مصيبِ

    You erred in blaming me, for my affliction

    comes from the arrow of a glance that strikes the heart true.

  7. ما كانَ أَعذبَ مُدَّةً مَرَّت لَنا

    إِنّي لأَستَحلي بِها تَعذيبي

    How sweet was the time that passed for us!

    Through it, I truly find my torment sweet.

  8. أَيّامَ لا رَوضُ الجَمالِ مُمنّعاً

    عَنّي وَوردُ الخَدِّ كانَ نَصيبي

    Days when the garden of beauty was not withheld

    from me, and the cheek's rose was my share.

  9. أَجني عَلَيهِ وَمِنهُ زَهر تَواصُل

    لا أَختَشي مَعهُ دُنُوَّ مريبِ

    I gathered upon it and from it the blossoms of union,

    fearing no suspicious person's approach while with him.

  10. عُوِّضتُ عَن قُرب نَوى وَعنِ الرِضى

    سُخطاً وَما عَهدُ اللِقا بقَريبِ

    I was given separation instead of nearness, and instead of favor

    displeasure; our last meeting is long past.

  11. يا مَن تَوَقَّفَ عَن زِيارَةِ صَبِّهِ

    مِن خَوفِ واشٍ أَو حذارِ رَقيبِ

    O you who have stopped visiting your lovesick lover,

    for fear of a slanderer or dread of a watcher,

  12. ماذا عَساهُم أَن يَقولوا بَعدَما

    قَد أَبصَروا شَجني وَفرطَ نَحيبي

    what might they say, after

    they have seen my sorrow and my excessive sobbing,

  13. إِلّا إِشاعَتَهُم بِأَنَّكَ قاتِلي

    صدقوا فَأَنتَ مُعَذّبي وَحَبيبي

    except spread the rumor that you are my killer?

    They spoke truly: you are my tormentor and my beloved.

  14. فاِرفق بِمشتاقٍ بِحُبِّكَ مُفرَدٍ

    يا صاحِبَ الحسنِ الغَريبِ غَريبِ

    So be gentle with one yearning, alone in loving you,

    a stranger, O possessor of wondrous beauty.

  15. لَولاكَ ما قُلتُ اِسكُبي يا مُقلَتي

    غَيثاً وَيا كبدي بِنارِكِ ذوبي

    Were it not for you, I would not have said, 'Pour, O my eye,

    a downpour; and O my liver, melt in your fire.'

  16. وَسقامُ جِسمي بِالبُكاءِ لَقَد نَما

    من جريِ نَهرِ مَدامِعٍ وَصَبيبِ

    And my body's sickness has indeed grown through weeping,

    from the flow of a river of tears and a torrent.

  17. وَضللتُ مَع عِلمي وَدَمعي ما هدا

    وَطغى وَلَم تُطفِ الدُموعُ لَهيبي

    And I went astray despite my knowledge, and my tears gave no guidance,

    but overflowed, and the tears did not quench my flame.

  18. دَمعي وَحَقِّكَ سائِلٌ قُربَ اللِقا

    ماذا يُضرُّكَ أَن تَكونَ مُجيبي

    My tears, by your right, plead for a meeting soon;

    what harm would it do you to answer me?

  19. بَيني وَبَينكَ في المَحَبَّةِ نسبَةٌ

    فَاِحفَظ عهودَ تَغزّلٍ وَنسيبِ

    Between me and you there is a bond of love,

    so keep the pledges of courtship and love poetry.

  20. ما أَنتَ في سعَةٍ وحِلٍّ إِن تَكُن

    حَرَّمتَ وَصلَ المغرمِ المَكروبِ

    You are neither at liberty nor absolved if you have

    forbidden union with the anguished lover.

  21. قَد جُرتَ لمّا أَن عَدَلتَ لِغَيرِهِ

    عَنهُ فَلَيتَ جَفاكَ بِالتَدريبِ

    You acted unjustly when you turned toward someone other than him,

    away from him; if only your coldness came with preparation.

  22. أَسرَفتَ في هَجري لِعلمِكَ أَنَّني

    لَيسَ التَسَلّي عَنكَ مِن مطلوبي

    You went too far in forsaking me, knowing that

    finding solace without you is not what I seek.

  23. وَاللَهِ ما لي مِن هَواكَ تَخَلُّصٌ

    إِلّا بِمَدحِ المُصطَفى المَحبوبِ

    By God, I have no escape from my love for you

    except through praising the beloved Chosen One:

  24. الحاشِرِ الرَؤُوفِ الرَحيمِ العاقِبِ ال

    ماحي رسومَ الشركِ وَالتَكذيبِ

    The Gatherer, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Last, the

    effacer of the traces of polytheism and denial,

  25. ذي المُعجِزاتِ فَكُلّ ذي بصرٍ غَدا

    لِصَوابها بِالعَينِ ذا تَصويبِ

    possessor of miracles: everyone with sight has become

    one who affirms their truth with his own eyes.

  26. كَالشَمسِ ضاءَت للأَنامِ وَأَشرَقَت

    إِلّا عَن المَكفوفِ وَالمَحجوبِ

    Like the sun, they shone for humankind and shed light,

    except for the blind and the veiled.

  27. وَاِنشَقَّ بَدرُ التَمِّ معجزَةً لَهُ

    وَبِهِ أَتاهُ النَصرُ قَبلَ مَغيبِ

    And the full moon split as a miracle for him,

    and through it victory came to him before its setting.

  28. وَبِفَتحِ مَكَّةَ قَد عَفا عمّن هَفا

    فأتَوهُ بِالتَرغيبِ وَالتَرهيبِ

    And at the conquest of Mecca he pardoned those who had erred,

    so they came to him through encouragement and warning.

  29. وَأَزالَ بالتَوحيدِ ما عبدوهُ مِن

    صَنَمٍ بِرأيٍ ثابِتٍ وَصَليبِ

    And through God's oneness he removed what they worshipped

    of idols, with firm and unyielding resolve.

  30. وَسَقى الطُغاةَ كؤوسَ حتفٍ عجّلَت

    لِلمؤمِنينَ ذهابَ غَيظِ قُلوبِ

    And he made the tyrants drink cups of death that hastened

    the clearing of anger from the believers' hearts.

  31. لَم يَحتموا مِن ميمِ طَعناتٍ وَلا

    أَلِفاتِ ضرباتٍ بِلامِ حُروبِ

    They could not shield themselves from the mīm of thrusts, nor

    the alifs of blows, in the lām of wars.

  32. نَطَقَ الجَمادُ بِكَفِّهِ وَبِهِ جَرى

    ماءٌ كَما يَنصَبُّ مِن أُنبوبِ

    Lifeless matter spoke in his palm, and through it flowed

    water as though pouring from a spout.

  33. وَالعَينُ أَوردَها وَجادَ بِها كَما

    قَد رَدَّها كالشَمسِ بَعدَ غُروبِ

    And he brought forth the spring and freely gave of it, just as

    he restored the eye, like the sun after setting.

  34. وَلَكم مَناقِبُ أَعجَزَت عَن عَدِّها

    مِن حافِظٍ واعٍ وَمِن حَيسوبِ

    And how many virtues have defied counting

    by a mindful memorizer or an expert reckoner!

  35. يا سَيّدَ الرُسلِ الَّذي مِنهاجُهُ

    حاوٍ كَمالَ الفَضلِ وَالتَهذيبِ

    O master of the messengers, whose path

    embraces perfection of virtue and refinement,

  36. أسرى بِجسمِكَ لِلسَماءِ فَبشَّرَت

    أَملاكها وَحبَتكَ بِالتَرحيبِ

    He took you bodily by night to heaven, and glad tidings were proclaimed

    by its angels, who honored you with welcome.

  37. فَعَلَوتَ ثُمَّ دَنَوتَ ثُمَّ بَلَغتَ ما

    لا يَنبَغي لِسواكَ مِن تَقريبِ

    So you rose, then drew near, then attained a degree

    of nearness befitting no one but you.

  38. وَخُصصتَ فَضلاً بِالشَفاعَةِ في غَدٍ

    وَمَقامِكَ المَحمودِ وَالمَحبوبِ

    And as a special favor, you were singled out for intercession on the morrow,

    and for your praised and beloved station.

  39. وَالأَنبياءُ وَقَد رُفِعتَ جَلالَةً

    في الحَشرِ تَحتَ لِوائِكَ المَنصوبِ

    And the prophets, while you are exalted in majesty,

    are at the Gathering beneath your raised banner.

  40. يَحبوكَ رَبُّكَ مِن مَحامِدِهِ الَّتي

    تُعطى بِها ما شِئتَ مِن مَطلوبِ

    Your Lord grants you praises of Him, through which

    you are given whatever you wish to request.

  41. وَيَقولُ قُل تَسمَع وَسَل تُعطَ المُنى

    واِشفَع تَشَفَّع في رَهينِ ذُنوبِ

    And He says, 'Speak and be heard; ask and be granted your wishes;

    and intercede, and your plea for one captive to sins will be accepted.'

  42. فَاِشفَع لِمادِحِكَ الَّذي بِكَ يَتَّقي

    أَهوالَ يَومِ الدينِ وَالتَعذيبِ

    So intercede for your praiser, who through you seeks protection

    from the terrors of Judgment Day and torment.

  43. فلأَحمَدَ بنِ عَليٍّ الأثريّ في

    مأهولِ مَدحِكَ نَظمُ كلّ غَريبِ

    For Ahmad ibn Ali al-Athari has, within

    the well-peopled realm of your praise, set every rarity in verse.

  44. قَد صَحَّ أَنَّ ضَناهُ زادَ وَذنبهُ

    أَصلُ السقامِ وَأَنتَ خَيرُ طَبيبِ

    It is certain that his wasting illness has increased, and his sin

    is the root of his sickness; you are the best physician.

  45. صَلّى عَلَيكَ وَسَلَّمَ اللَهُ الَّذي

    أَعطاكَ فَضلاً لَيسَ بِالمَحسوبِ

    May God bless you and grant you peace, He who

    gave you bounty beyond all reckoning,

  46. وَعَلى القَرابَةِ وَالصَحابَةِ كلّهم

    ما أُتبِعَ المَفروضُ بِالمَندوبِ

    and all your kin and companions,

    as long as obligatory deeds are followed by recommended ones,

  47. مِن كُلِّ بَحرٍ في الفَضائِل مُهتَدٍ

    بِالحَقِّ بَرٍّ بالعفاةِ أَريبِ

    each a sea of virtues, rightly guided

    by truth, kind to seekers of bounty, discerning,

  48. ما أَطرَبَت أَمداحُهم مُدّاحَهُم

    وَاِشتاقَ مَهجورٌ إِلى مَحبوبِ

    as long as praises of them delight their praisers,

    and an abandoned lover yearns for a beloved.