إِن كُنتَ تُنكِرُ حُبّاً زادَني كَلَفا

حَسبي الَّذي قَد جَرى مِن مَدمَعي وَكَفى

If you deny love, my torment has increased

My flowing tears are enough, it suffices

وَإِن شَكَكتَ فَسائِل عاذِلي شجني

هَل أَشكو الأَسى وَالبينَ وَالأَسَفا

If you doubt, ask my blamer about my lamentation

Do I complain of misery, separation and grief?

أَحبابنا وَيَدُ الأَسقامِ قَد عبثَت

بِالجِسمِ هَل لي مِنكُم بِالوِصالِ شِفا

Our loved ones and the hand of fate abused

My body, is there healing with union?

كَدَّرتُ عَيشاً تَقضّى في بِعادِكُمُ

وَراقَ مِنّي نَسيبٌ فيكُمُ وصَفا

You disturbed a life spent in your absence

A family member hastened to you to describe me

سِرتُم وَخَلَّفتُمُ في الحَيّ مَيتَ هَوىً

لَولا رَجاءُ تَلافيكم لَقَد تَلِفا

You traveled and left behind a dead love

If not for hoping your return, I would have perished

وَكُنتُ أَكتُم حُبّي في الهَوى زَمَناً

حَتّى تَكَلَّمَ دَمعُ العَينِ فَاِنكَشَفا

I concealed my love for a time

Until the tears of my eyes spoke and were unveiled

سَأَلتُ قَلبي عَن صَبري فَأَخبَرَني

بِأَنَّهُ حينَ سِرتُم عَنّيَ اِنصَرَفا

I asked my patience about itself, it informed me

That when you left me, it departed

وَقُلتُ لِلطَّرفِ أَينَ النَومُ بَعدهُمُ

فَقالَ نَومي وَبَحرُ الدَمعِ قَد نَزَفا

And I said to my eyes where is sleep after them

It said: my sleep and the sea of tears have bled

وَقُلتُ لِلجِسمِ أَينَ القَلبُ قالَ لَقَد

خَلّى الحَوادِثَ عِندي وَاِبتَغى التَلَفا

And I said to my body where is my heart, it said

Hardships had emptied it seeking to perish

سَرى هَواكُم فَسارَ القَلبُ يَتبَعُهُ

حَتّى تَعَرَّفَ آثاراً لَهُ وَقَفا

Your love traveled so the heart followed it

Until it found its traces and stopped

فَيا خَليليَّ هَذا الربعُ لاحَ لَنا

يَدعو الوُقوفَ عَلَيهِ وَالبُكا فقِفا

So my friend, this encampment does not

Permit staying and crying, so stop

ربعٌ كَربعِ اِصطِباري بَعدَ أَن رَحَلوا

تَجاوزَ اللَهُ عَنهُ قَد خَلا وَعَفا

An encampment like my encampment after they traveled

May God forgive it, it is empty and pardoned

وَأَهيفٍ خَطَرَت كَالغُصنِ قامَتُهُ

فَكُلُّ قَلبٍ إِلَيها مِن هَواهُ هَفا

With a slender stature like a branch it arose

So every heart infatuated with love froze for it

كالسَهمِ مُقلَتُهُ وَالقَوسِ حاجِبُهُ

وَمُهجَتي لَهما قَد أَصبَحَت هَدَفا

Like an arrow its guide and the bow its brow

And my brain has become its target

ذو وَجنَةٍ كالشَقيقِ الغَضِّ في تَرَفٍ

يَظَلُّ مِنها جَبينُ الشَمسِ منكسِفا

With a cheek like chrysolite green apple in luxury

The forehead of the sun by it is eclipsed

وَعارِضٍ إِن بَدا مِن تَحتِها فَلَقَد

أَهدى الرَبيعُ إِلَيها رَوضَةً أُنُفا

With a cheekbone, if it appears from under it

Spring has gifted it a tender garden

يا أَيُّها البَدرُ إِنّي بَعدَ بُعدِكَ لا

أَنفكُّ في جامِعِ الأَحزانِ مُعتَكِفا

O moon, after your distance, I do not

Stop praying in the mosque of sorrows

أَرسَلتَ لَحظاً ضَعيفاً فَهوَ في تلفي

يَقوى وَقَلبي قَويٌّ فَهوَ قَد ضَعُفا

You glanced weakly, yet it grows by demise

And my heart is strong, yet it has weakened

وَفتيَةٍ لحمى المَحبوبِ قَد رَحَلوا

وَخَلَّفَتني ذُنوبي بَعدَهُم خَلَفا

And youths the beloved’s fever took away

And left me, after them, with sins remaining

يَطوونَ شُقَّةَ بيدٍ كُلَّما نُشِرَت

غَدوا وَكُلُّ اِمرئٍ بِالقَبرِ مُلتَحِفا

Passing the night’s adversity whenever it spreads

In the morning all wrapped in burial sheets

حَتّى رأوا حَضرَةَ الهادي الَّذي شَرُفت

قُصّادُهُ وَعَلَت في قَصدِهِ شَرَفا

Until they saw the guided leader’s brilliance

His dedication transcended, excelling in guidance

مُحَمَّدٍ صفوةِ اللَهِ الَّذي اِنكسَفَت

إِذ جاءَ بِالحَقِّ شَمسُ الكُفرِ واِنكشَفا

Muhammad, God’s elite, when he came with the truth

The sun of disbelief darkened and was unveiled

المُصطَفى المرتَقي الأَفلاكِ معجزةً

وَكانَ في الحَربِ بالأملاكِ مرتَدَفا

Al-Mustafa, ascending the cosmos miraculously

While in war, accompanied by angels

اللَيثُ وَالغَيثُ في يَومي نَدىً وَردىً

وَالصادِقُ الفعل في يَومي وَغى وَوفا

The lion and rain in the day of bounty and wrath

And the truthful doer in days of loyalty and redemption

الواهِبُ الهازِمُ الآلافَ مِن كَرَمٍ

وَسَطوَةٍ لِلعِدى وَالصحبِ قَد عُرفا

The grantor and defeater of thousands with

Generosity and mighty against the enemy, well-known

فالغَيثُ مِن جودِهِ في الجَدبِ مغتَرِفاً

كاللَيثِ مِن بأَسِهِ في الحَربِ معترفا

The rain from his generosity in drought drawing

As the lion from his might in war admitting

مَن قامَ في كَفِّ كَفّ الكُفرِ حينَ سَطَت

حَقّاً وَفي صَرفِ صرف الدَهرِ حينَ هَفا

He who stood up against disbelief’s palms when it spread

Truly, and in the cycle of fate when it wandered

كانَ الأَنامُ جَميعاً قَبلَ مَبعَثِهِ

عَلى شَفا جُرُفٍ هارٍ فَعادَ شِفا

Before his mission, all people were

On the verge of an abyss, ruined, so he healed

كَم بَينَ إِيوان كِسرى مِن مناسَبَةٍ

وَبَينَ بَدرِ السَما وَالكُفرِ قَد خُسِفا

How different between Chosroes’ palace

And Badr’s full moon that eclipsed disbelief

هُما اِنشِقاقانِ هَذا يَوم مَولِدِهِ

وَذا بمبعثهِ الزاكي هُدىً سَلَفا

Two splits, this one is his birth

The latter is his mission giving prior guidance

لَهُ اللواءانِ ذا في الحَربِ مُنتَشِرٌ

وَظِلُّ ذَلِكَ في يَومِ النُشورِ ضَفا

For him are the two flags, this one spread

In war, the other’s shade is on resurrection eve

كَمالُهُ في النَدى الحوضانِ كوثرُهُ

وَكَفُّهُ فازَ صَبٌّ مِنهُما اِغتَرَفا

His perfection is in his abundant grace, his pond of abundance

And his palm by which a servant obtains a handful

سَرى إِلى المَسجِدِ الأَقصى مِنَ الحَرم ال

مكّيِّ وَالطرفُ للإِسراعِ ما طُرِفا

He traveled to Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Meccan Sanctuary

His gaze did not wander for rushing

ثُمَّ اِرتَقى الأُفقَ بِالجِسمِ الكَريمِ عُلىً

وَالروحُ خادِمُهُ وَالقَلبُ ما ضَعفا

Then he ascended the horizon with his noble body

His soul serving him and his heart not weakening

لقاب قَوسَينِ أَو أَدنى عَلا وَدَنا

وَقَلبُ حاسِدِهِ المضنى غَدا هَدَفا

As close as two bows or nearer, he rose and approached

The grudging heart of his envier became the target

رُدَّت أَعاديهِ في بَدرٍ منكّسةً

بخجلَةٍ أَورثَتها النقصَ وَالكَلَفا

His enemies were defeated at Badr disgraced

A disgrace that gave them deficiency and burden

وَيَومَ خَيبرَ آياتٌ مُبيَّنَةٌ

بِالبابِ مِنهُ عَليُّ قَد عَلا شَرَفا

On the day of Khaybar clear signs

With Ali at the gate transcending in nobility

وَفي حنينٍ قَميصُ الشِركَ لَيسَ لَهُ

لَمّا تَمَزَّقَ رافٍ مِن عداهُ رَفا

On the day of Hunayn, polytheism’s shirt had no

Escape when the banners of its warriors fluttered away

وَكَم خَوارِقَ حَتّى في قُلوبِهمُ

مِن سمرِهِ وَسُيوفٍ برقُها خَطَفا

And how many extraordinary events even in their hearts

From his authority and swords which lightening snatched

لَم يَقتَطِف زَهرَةَ الدُنيا وَزينَتَها

بَل مالَ عَنها وَلاحَت رَوضَةً أُنُفا

He did not pluck the flower of life and its beauty

But turned away from it and a delicate garden emerged

هوَ الكَريمُ الَّذي ما رَدَّ سائِلَهُ

ما شَكَّ شَخصانِ في هَذا وَلا اِختَلَفا

He is the generous one who never turned away a beggar

None ever doubted this or disagreed

بالعَينِ قَد جادَ إفضالاً وَأَورَدَها

وَرَدَّها بَعدَما أَرخَت لَها سُجُفا

With his eye he bestowed generously which it shed

And restored it after it shed its tears

وجوهُ أَصحابِهِ كَالدُّرِّ مُشرِقَةٌ

إِذا رَأَيتَ اِمرءاً عَن هديهم صَدَفا

The faces of his companions are like glowing pearls

When you see a person deviate from his guidance

نالوا السَعادَةَ في دُنيا وَآخِرَةٍ

وَالسَبقَ وَالفَضلَ وَالتَقديمَ وَالشَرَفا

They attained happiness in life and the hereafter

Priority, merit, advancement and nobility

وَبِالرضى خُصَّ مِنهُم عَشرَةٌ زهُرٌ

يا وَيحَ مَن في موالاةٍ لَهُم وَقَفا

Through his pleasure, ten were selected as the elite

Woe to whoever opposes their loyalty

سَعدٌ سَعيدٌ زبيرٌ طَلحَةٌ وَأَبو

عُبَيدَةٍ وابنُ عَوفٍ قَبلَهُ الخُلَفا

Happy, prosperous, Zubayr and Talha

Abu Ubayda and son of ‘Awf before them followed

وَالسابِقونَ الأُلى قَد هاجَروا مَعَهُ

وَما بِفَضلٍ لأَنصارِ النَبيِّ خَفا

The foremost emigrants who emigrated with him

The Helpers of the Prophet have no shortage of favor

تَبوّؤا الدارَ والإِيمانَ قَبلُ وَقَد

آووا وَفَوا نصروا فازوا شَرَفا

They settled in the abode and faith first

They sheltered, fulfilled, supported, and triumphed gloriously

المؤثِرونَ وَإِن لاحَت خصاصَتُهُم

عَلى نُفوسِهِم العافينَ وَالضُعَفا

The preference givers, even if their privation

Appeared on their content and weak souls

الضارِبونَ وجوهاً أَقبَلَت غَضَباً

وَالتارِكونَ ظُهوراً أدبرَت أَنَفا

The facers of faces which angrily came

And the showers of backs which fled in disdain

لا يَستَوي مُنفِقٌ مِن قَبلِ فَتحِهِمُ

بِمُنفِقٍ بَعدُ بالإِنفاقِ قَد خَلَفا

A spender before their opening and one after

Are not equal in expenditure which the latter fell short of

وَالكلّ قَد وَعدَ اللَهُ المُهَيمِنُ بِال

حُسنى وَأَولاهُمُ من بِرِّهِ تُحَفا

And God promised all good

Giving precedence to the righteous of them in gifts

مِن كُلِّ أَروَعَ حامي الدِينِ ناصرِهِ

وكُلِّ أَورعَ يُدعى سَيِّد الظُرَفا

The protector of the faith, its defender

And the most devout called master of nobility

لا تَسأَلَنَّ القَوافي عَن مآثِرِهِم

إِن شِئتَ فاِستَنطِقِ القُرآنَ وَالصحفا

Do not ask poetry about their glories

If you wish, make the Qur’an and scriptures speak

يا سَيّدي يا رَسولَ اللَهِ قَد شرفَت

قَصائِدي بِمَديحٍ فيكَ قَد رصفا

My master, Messenger of God, you have ennobled

My poems by praising you which has continued

مَدَحتُكَ اليَومَ أَرجو الفَضلَ مِنكَ غَداً

مِنَ الشَفاعَةِ فاِلحَظني بِها طَرَفَا

Today I praise you hoping for favor from you tomorrow

Of intercession, so glance upon me

أَجَزت كَعباً فَحازَ الرفعَ مِن قَدَمٍ

عَلى الرؤوسِ وَنالَ البشرَ وَالتُحَفا

You sufficed Ka’b who gained elevation

To the highest points and obtained glad tidings and gifts

وَقَد أَلِفتُ قِيامي في المَديحِ إِلى

أَن قالَ مَن لامَ قَد أَبصَرتُهُ أَلِفا

And I have become accustomed in praising you

Until the blamer I saw said, “He has become accustomed”

بِبابِ جودِكَ عَبدٌ مُذنِبٌ كَلِفٌ

يا أَحسَنَ الناسِ وَجهاً مُشرِقاً وَقَفا

At your door of generosity a sinful, exhausted slave stands

O best of people, bright-faced, so stop

بِكُم تَوَسّلَ يَرجو العَفوَ عَن زَلَلٍ

مِن خَوفِهِ جفنُهُ الهامي لَقَد ذَرَفا

Through you he hopes for pardon for mistakes

Out of fear, his wet eyelids certainly shed tears

وَإِن يَكُن نِسبَةً يُعزى إِلى حَجرٍ

فَطالَما فاضَ عذباً طَيّباً وَصَفا

If attributed, traced back to Hajar

Sweet good water has long overflowed from it

وَالمَدحُ فيهِ قُصورٌ عَنكُمُ وَعَسى

في الخُلدِ يُبدلُ مِن أَبياتِهِ غُرَفا

Praise in it falls short of you, and perhaps

In eternity, it will replace its verses with rooms

لا زالَ فيكَ مَديحي ما حييتُ لَهُ

فَما أَرى لِمَديحي عَنكَ مُنصَرَفا

My praise will not cease for you as long as I live

For I do not see my praises ever leaving you