قد مَرَرْنَا على مَغَانيكِ تلكِ

قد مَرَرْنَا على مَغَانيكِ تلكِ

فرأينَا فيهَا مَشابِهَ مِنكِ

فرأينَا فيهَا مَشابِهَ مِنكِ

We have passed by those dwelling places of yours,

We passed by your haunts of revelry,

and there we saw likenesses of you.

And found in them traces resembling you,

عارَضَتْنا المَها الخوَاذِلُ أسْرا

عارَضَتْنا المَها الخوَاذِلُ أسْرا

باً بأجراعِهَا فلمْ نَسْلُ عنكِ

باً بأجراعِهَا فلمْ نَسْلُ عنكِ

The oryx does, lingering with their young, crossed our path in flocks

The gazelles confronted us coquettishly,

on their sandy flats, and we did not forget you.

With their large dark eyes, yet we did not ask about you,

لا يُرَعْ للمَها بداركِ سِرْبٌ

لا يُرَعْ للمَها بداركِ سِرْبٌ

فلقد أشبَهَتْكِ إن لم تَكُنْكِ

فلقد أشبَهَتْكِ إن لم تَكُنْكِ

Let no herd of oryx in your abode be frightened,

No antelopes roam your abode,

for they resemble you, if they are not your very self.

For you resembled them, if you were not them,

مُسعِدي عُجْ فقد رأيتَ مَعاجي

مُسعِدي عُجْ فقد رأيتَ مَعاجي

يومَ أبكي على الدّيارِ وتبكي

يومَ أبكي على الدّيارِ وتبكي

My consoling companion, turn aside: you have seen my stopping place,

Console me, for you saw my suffering,

on the day I weep over the dwellings and you weep,

The day I weep for the abodes, and you weep,

بحنينٍ مُرَجَّعٍ كحنيني

بحنينٍ مُرَجَّعٍ كحنيني

وتَشَكٍّ مُرَدَّدٍ كتَشَكّي

وتَشَكٍّ مُرَدَّدٍ كتَشَكّي

with quavering yearning like my yearning,

With a longing, repeated sigh, like my longing,

and repeated lamentation like my lamentation.

And doubt, echoed, like my doubt,

فاتّئِدْ تسكبِ الدموعَ كسكبي

فاتّئِدْ تسكبِ الدموعَ كسكبي

ثمّ لا تَسفِكِ الدّماءَ كسَفْكي

ثمّ لا تَسفِكِ الدّماءَ كسَفْكي

So go gently, shedding tears as I shed them;

So shed tears copiously like I do,

then do not spill blood as I spill it.

But do not shed blood as I shed,

لا أرى كابنِ جعفر بنِ عليٍّ

لا أرى كابنِ جعفر بنِ عليٍّ

مَلِكاً لابِساً جلالَةَ مُلْكِ

مَلِكاً لابِساً جلالَةَ مُلْكِ

I see none like the son of Jaʿfar ibn ʿAlī—

I do not see the son of Ja'far ibn 'Ali,

a king clad in the majesty of kingship.

Wearing the majesty of kingship,

تتفادى القلوبُ منه وجيباً

تتفادى القلوبُ منه وجيباً

في مَقَامٍ على المتَوَّج ضَنْك

في مَقَامٍ على المتَوَّج ضَنْك

Hearts recoil from him, pounding,

Hearts shy away from him timidly,

in a presence oppressive even to a crowned king.

In a position above the crowned, uncomfortable,

فكأنّا صَبيحَةَ الإذنِ نَلْقَى

فكأنّا صَبيحَةَ الإذنِ نَلْقَى

دونَهُ المَشرَفِيَّ هُزَّ لِبَتْك

دونَهُ المَشرَفِيَّ هُزَّ لِبَتْك

So, on the morning of admission, it is as though we meet

It is as if we meet at dawn,

before him a Mashrafi sword, brandished to sever,

The exalted bow down before him, shaken,

وطويلَ النِّجادِ فُرِّجَ عنْهُ

وطويلَ النِّجادِ فُرِّجَ عنْهُ

جانبُ السِّجْفِ عن حياةٍ وهُلك

جانبُ السِّجْفِ عن حياةٍ وهُلك

and a man of the long sword-belt, from whom is drawn

And the tall straighten up before him,

the curtain's edge, revealing life and death.

Their flanks exposed to death and destruction,

لا أراهُ بتاركي حينَ يبْدو

لا أراهُ بتاركي حينَ يبْدو

وأشوبُ اليَقِينَ منْهُ بشَكِّ

وأشوبُ اليَقِينَ منْهُ بشَكِّ

I do not think he will spare me when he appears,

I do not see him faltering when he appears,

and I mingle my certainty of him with doubt.

And I taint certainty about him with doubt,

هَتَكَ الظُّلمَ والظلامَ به ذو

هَتَكَ الظُّلمَ والظلامَ به ذو

رَوْعَةٍ لا يَريبُ سِتْراً بهَتْك

رَوْعَةٍ لا يَريبُ سِتْراً بهَتْك

Through him, an awe-inspiring one has rent oppression and darkness,

He who rends injustice and darkness,

yet threatens no veil with violation.

With awe, does not rend a veil wantonly,

فهو فينا خليفةُ البدْرِ ما استح

فهو فينا خليفةُ البدْرِ ما استح

لَكَ ليلٌ إذا تجلّى بحُلْك

لَكَ ليلٌ إذا تجلّى بحُلْك

He is the full moon's successor among us: never grows dark

He is to us the successor of the full moon, whenever

a night when he shines forth amid its blackness.

The night is adorned by his appearance,

مثل ماء الغمام يَنْدى شباباً

مثل ماء الغمام يَنْدى شباباً

وهو في حُلَّتَيْ تَوَقٍّ ونُسْك

وهو في حُلَّتَيْ تَوَقٍّ ونُسْك

Like the clouds' water, he is dewy with youth,

Like rain-water, he renews youth,

while clothed in the twin robes of restraint and devotion.

While he is clad in devotion and piety,

يطأ الأرضَ فالثّرى لؤلؤ رَطْ

يطأ الأرضَ فالثّرى لؤلؤ رَطْ

بٌ وماءُ الثرى مُجاجَةُ مِسْك

بٌ وماءُ الثرى مُجاجَةُ مِسْك

He treads the earth, and the soil becomes moist pearls,

He steps on earth, and its soil is pearls,

and the soil's water is spittle of musk.

And the water of the soil is pure musk,

مَنْسَكٌ للوفود يُعْتَامُ قد أن

مَنْسَكٌ للوفود يُعْتَامُ قد أن

ضَى المَطايا بطول وَخْدٍ ورَتك

ضَى المَطايا بطول وَخْدٍ ورَتك

A shrine chosen by delegations, he has worn out

A ritual place of pilgrimage, constantly visited,

the mounts through prolonged striding and trotting.

The camels exhausted by the long journey and the riding,

أنا لولا نَوالُهُ آنِفاً لمْ

أنا لولا نَوالُهُ آنِفاً لمْ

يَكْ لي من شكايةِ الدهرِ مُشك

يَكْ لي من شكايةِ الدهرِ مُشك

I, but for his recent bounty, would not

If it were not for his recent favor to me,

have had anyone to redress my complaint against Time.

I would have no complaints about fate's tyranny,

سَحَّ شُؤبوبُهُ فأجرى شِعابي

سَحَّ شُؤبوبُهُ فأجرى شِعابي

وطَما بحْرُهُ فأغْرَقَ فُلْكي

وطَما بحْرُهُ فأغْرَقَ فُلْكي

His rainburst poured down and made my ravines flow,

His bounty swept away my sorrows,

and his sea overflowed and drowned my ship.

And his sea drowned my ship,

قلتُ للمُزْنِ قد تَرى ما أراهُ

قلتُ للمُزْنِ قد تَرى ما أراهُ

فاحكِهِ إن زَعَمْتَ أنّك تَحكي

فاحكِهِ إن زَعَمْتَ أنّك تَحكي

I said to the rainclouds: You surely see what I see;

I said to the crooked, you may see what I see,

so imitate him, if you claim you can imitate.

So relate it if you claim you can tell,

وإذا زَعْزَعَ الوَشيجَ وألقْىَ

وإذا زَعْزَعَ الوَشيجَ وألقْىَ

بجِرَانٍ عَلى الأعادي وبَرْك

بجِرَانٍ عَلى الأعادي وبَرْك

And when he shakes the spear-shafts and bears down

And when he shakes the lote-tree violently and hurls

with neck and breast upon his enemies,

At the enemies thorny bushes and lightning,

نَظَمَ الفارسَ المُدَجَّجَ طَعْناً

نَظَمَ الفارسَ المُدَجَّجَ طَعْناً

تحتَ سَردٍ من لأمَةٍ ومِشَكِّ

تحتَ سَردٍ من لأمَةٍ ومِشَكِّ

he impales the fully armored horseman with a thrust,

And girds the knight clad in armor,

beneath linked mail of armor and battle gear.

With a sword, from an Indian blade and pure steel,

جعفرٌ في الهِياجِ بأساً كبأسٍ

جعفرٌ في الهِياجِ بأساً كبأسٍ

إنْ سَطا بالعِدى وفَتكاً كفَتْك

إنْ سَطا بالعِدى وفَتكاً كفَتْك

A Jaʿfar in battle, with might like his might,

Ja'far in battle is calamitous as a cup,

when he strikes the foes, and slaughter like his slaughter.

If he extends it to the enemies, and kills like killing,

وإذا شاءَ قَلّدَتْهُ جُذامٌ

وإذا شاءَ قَلّدَتْهُ جُذامٌ

شَرَفَ البيتِ من أواخٍ وسَمْك

شَرَفَ البيتِ من أواخٍ وسَمْك

And when he wishes, Judhām invests him

And if he wishes, the praised ones honor him,

with the house's nobility, its foundations and height.

With the nobility of the house, from brilliance and loftiness,

مَنصِبٌ فارِعٌ وغابُ أُسودٍ

مَنصِبٌ فارِعٌ وغابُ أُسودٍ

لم تَدِنْهُ الملوكُ يوماً بمَلْك

لم تَدِنْهُ الملوكُ يوماً بمَلْك

A towering lineage, and a forest of lions,

A towering, sublime rank, an impregnable lion,

which kings have never subdued through kingship.

Which kings could never attain through reign,

حُفَّ مأثورُهُ بمَجْدٍ وفَخْرٍ

حُفَّ مأثورُهُ بمَجْدٍ وفَخْرٍ

أغنَيَا فيه عن لَجاجٍ ومَحْك

أغنَيَا فيه عن لَجاجٍ ومَحْك

His inherited renown is surrounded by glory and pride,

His renowned virtues abound in glory and pride,

both making contention and wrangling over it needless.

Self-sufficient, without contention and quarrel,

هاكَ إحدى المحبَّراتِ اللّواتي

هاكَ إحدى المحبَّراتِ اللّواتي

لم أشُبْ صِدقَها بزُورٍ وإفْك

لم أشُبْ صِدقَها بزُورٍ وإفْك

Take this, one of those finely wrought poems

Whose sincerity I do not adulterate with lies and slander,

whose truth I have not mixed with falsehood and deceit.

Her poetry is solidly crafted, she compared

نَظْمُها مُحْكَمٌ فقارَنَ بَينَ ال

نَظْمُها مُحْكَمٌ فقارَنَ بَينَ ال

دُرِّ نظمي وأخلصَ التِّبرَ سَبكي

دُرِّ نظمي وأخلصَ التِّبرَ سَبكي

Its composition is firm; joined together are the

My scattered pearls to her threaded gems,

pearls by my stringing, and my smelting has refined the raw gold.

Since I have taken my share of thanking you for your blessings,

ولَقِدْماً أخذْتُ من شُكْرِ نُعما

ولَقِدْماً أخذْتُ من شُكْرِ نُعما

كَ بحظّي فكان أخذي كتَركي

كَ بحظّي فكان أخذي كتَركي

And long ago I took, from gratitude for your favors,

My taking was like my leaving,

my share; yet my taking was as my leaving.

I confess inadequacy in reciprocating your gifts, for I

بُؤتُ بالعَجز عن نَداك وقد أج

بُؤتُ بالعَجز عن نَداك وقد أج

هَدتُ نَفْسي فقلتُ للنفس قَدْكِ

هَدتُ نَفْسي فقلتُ للنفس قَدْكِ

I confess my helplessness before your bounty, though I have exhausted

Strained myself, and said to myself, you have fallen short,

myself; so I said to my soul: Enough for you.