بُشرايَmy glad tidings أَبصَرتُكَI beheld you خَيرَbest إمامِimam
بُشرايَ أَبصَرتُكَ خَيرَ إمامِ
فيin حَضرَةِthe court of القُدسِsanctity والإِعظامِand reverence
في حَضرَةِ القُدسِ والإِعظامِ
What joy is mine! I have beheld you, best of imams,
My glad tidings, I saw you as the best leader
in the court of sanctity and reverence.
In the presence of holiness and grandeur
أماnow وَقَدand already ألقَتhas cast إِليهto him يدُthe hand of النَّوىseparation
أما وَقَد ألقَت إِليه يدُ النَّوى
فلأعفُوَنَّso I shall surely forgive جِنايةَthe wrongdoing of الأيَّامِthe days
فلأعفُوَنَّ جِنايةَ الأيَّامِ
Now that the hand of separation has cast me into his presence,
Now that the hand of fate has yielded to him
I shall surely forgive the days their wrongdoing.
I pardon the wrongs of the days
وَلوَand even if أنَّنِيthat I شِئتُI wished انتِصاراًredress لمnot أكُنhave been
وَلوَ أنَّنِي شِئتُ انتِصاراً لم أكُن
فيهنَّamong them إِلاّexcept فاقِدَdeprived of الأحكامِthe power to judge
فيهنَّ إِلاّ فاقِدَ الأحكامِ
And even had I wished for redress, I would not have been
Had I wanted vengeance, I would have been
among them anything but one without the power to judge.
Among them nothing but lacking wisdom
أنهَضتُI roused عََزميmy resolve فاستَّارَand it set forth مُصَمِّماًresolutely
أنهَضتُ عََزمي فاستَّارَ مُصَمِّماً
فكَأنّنيso it is as though I أُنبتI cause to grow غَربَthe edge of حُسامِa keen sword
فكَأنّني أُنبت غَربَ حُسامِ
I roused my resolve, and it set forth unwavering,
I roused my determination, hiding resolutely
as though I were making a keen sword's edge spring forth.
As if I was born with a drawn sword
أهجَعتُI put to sleep نوميmy sleep لابساًwearing خِلعَrobes of honor الدُّجىdarkness
أهجَعتُ نومي لابساً خِلعَ الدُّجى
وَحديby myself فَماso not عَرَجتُI stopped بالنُّوّامِamong the sleepers
وَحدي فَما عَرَجتُ بالنُّوّامِ
I put my sleep to sleep, clad in darkness's robes of honor,
I laid down my sleep wearing the garb of darkness
alone, so I never stopped among the sleepers.
Yet I climbed not the stairs of slumber
هيit is هَجعَةa sleep هجَرَتdeserted لهاfor its sake سِنَةthe drowsiness of الكَرَىslumber
هي هَجعَة هجَرَت لها سِنَة الكَرَى
فالجَفنُso the eyelid لمnot يُطعَمwas fed لذيذَsweet مَنامِsleep
فالجَفنُ لم يُطعَم لذيذَ مَنامِ
It was a sleep for whose sake slumber's drowsiness deserted me;
A sleep that the years of misery deserted
so the eyelid was fed no sweet slumber.
So my eyelids tasted not the sweetness of sleep
لمnot أكتَرِثI cared لِشَتاتِabout the scattering of شَمليmy circle بالنَّوَآthrough separation
لم أكتَرِث لِشَتاتِ شَملي بالنَّوَآ
فكأنَّماso it is as though للشَّملِfor the circle جَمعُa gathering نِظامِa string of beads
فكأنَّما للشَّملِ جَمعُ نِظامِ
I paid no heed to distance scattering my circle,
I cared not for the dispersal of my kin by separation
as though my circle were gathered like beads on a string.
As if for reunion, order exists in separation
شوقاًout of longing إِلىfor دارِthe abode of الخِلافَةِthe caliphate إنَّهاindeed it is
شوقاً إِلى دارِ الخِلافَةِ إنَّها
دارُthe abode of الهُدىguidance ومُعَرَّسُand the resting place of الإسلامIslam
دارُ الهُدى ومُعَرَّسُ الإسلام
out of longing for the abode of the caliphate, for it is
Yearning for the seat of the caliphate, it is
the abode of guidance and the resting place of Islam.
The abode of guidance and sanctuary of Islam
منfrom كُلِّevery مُعطِيَةٍgiving علىdespite عِلاّتِهَاher ailments
من كُلِّ مُعطِيَةٍ على عِلاّتِهَا
وَخداًa brisk trot لهاhers فيin الشَّهرِthe month سَيرُthe journey of العامِthe year
وَخداً لها في الشَّهرِ سَيرُ العامِ
On every she-camel that, despite her ailments, gives
With each endowed rank befitting it
a brisk trot, covering a year's journey in a month.
And a cheek through which the year flows
جَبَّcut away السُّرَىnight travel منهاfrom her سَنامthe hump of فقارِهاher backbone
جَبَّ السُّرَى منها سَنام فقارِها
فكأنّهاso it is as though she خُلِقتwas created بِغَيرِwithout سَنامِa hump
فكأنّها خُلِقت بِغَيرِ سَنامِ
Night travel cut away the hump upon her spine,
The Pleiades shy away from its lofty pinnacle
as though she had been created without a hump.
As if it was created without a pinnacle
فأتتso they came كأمثالِlike the shapes of القِسِيِّbows ضَوامراًlean
فأتت كأمثالِ القِسِيِّ ضَوامراً
وَلرُبَّماand many a time مَرَقَتthey darted مُروقَthe darting of سِهَامِarrows
وَلرُبَّما مَرَقَت مُروقَ سِهَامِ
So they came lean, shaped like bows,
So it came like arrows released from a strong bow
and many a time they darted forth like arrows.
Sometimes speeding faster than arrows
وافَتthey reached أميرَthe Commander of المؤمنينَthe Faithful بِنَاwith us علىdespite
وافَت أميرَ المؤمنينَ بِنَا على
شَحطِthe remoteness of النَّوَىdistance فَلهَاso theirs is يَدُthe hand of الإنعَامِgenerosity
شَحطِ النَّوَى فَلهَا يَدُ الإنعَامِ
They reached the Commander of the Faithful with us, despite
It reached the Commander of the Faithful through us
the vast distance; theirs, then, is the hand of generosity.
At the nadir of fate, it is the hand of favor
لوif أنعِلتwere shod حُرَّthe noblest part of الخُدودِthe cheeks كَرامَةًas an honor
لو أنعِلت حُرَّ الخُدودِ كَرامَةً
لمnot تَقضِyou would fulfill واجبَهَاtheir due مِنَof الإكرامِhonor
لم تَقضِ واجبَهَا مِنَ الإكرامِ
If they were shod with the noblest cheeks in honor,
If I honored the free cheeks as a courtesy
you would not fulfill their due of honor.
It would not fulfill its duty of honor
وَلوِand if استَطعناwe could لمnot تَكُنwould be تَطأtreading الثرىthe earth
وَلوِ استَطعنا لم تَكُن تَطأ الثرى
إِلاّexcept علىupon الأرواحِsouls وَالأجسَامِand bodies
إِلاّ على الأرواحِ وَالأجسَامِ
And had we the power, they would not tread the earth
If we could, it would not tread the earth
except upon souls and bodies,
Except on souls and bodies
كَيمَاso that تَرىyou see مادامas long as إيضَاعٌswift travel لهَاis theirs
كَيمَا تَرى مادام إيضَاعٌ لهَا
لاnot تَشتَكِيthey complain منof وضعِsetting down خُفِّa padded foot دامِbleeding
لا تَشتَكِي من وضعِ خُفِّ دامِ
so that, while they still hasten onward, you may see them
So you may see, as long as rhythm moves it
not complaining of setting down a bleeding foot.
It does not complain of the placement of the last foot
وبِوَدِّناand it is our wish لوif only لمnot نُكلِّفهاwe burdened them with السُّرَىnight travel
وبِوَدِّنا لو لم نُكلِّفها السُّرَى
لَيَكونَso that it might be هذاthis الحَقُّthe privilege للأقدامِfor the feet
لَيَكونَ هذا الحَقُّ للأقدامِ
And we wish we had not burdened them with night travel,
And with our love, if we did not burden it with travel
so that this privilege might belong to our feet.
This right would belong to the feet
حتَّىuntil إِذاwhen رُفِعَwas lifted الحِجابُthe curtain بَداappeared لنَاto us
حتَّى إِذا رُفِعَ الحِجابُ بَدا لنَا
مَلِكٌa king وقُلand say إنif شِئتَyou wish بَدرَa full moon تَمامِcomplete fullness
مَلِكٌ وقُل إن شِئتَ بَدرَ تَمامِ
At last, when the curtain was lifted, there appeared to us
Until the veil was lifted, there appeared to us
a king—and say, if you wish, a moon in its fullness.
A sovereign, or say, the full moon
فتَسَكَّنَthen grew calm الجَأشُthe heart الطَّموحُsurging high عُبابُهُits billows
فتَسَكَّنَ الجَأشُ الطَّموحُ عُبابُهُ
بِطلاقَةٍthrough cheerfulness مِنfrom وَجههِhis face البَسَّامِbeaming
بِطلاقَةٍ مِن وَجههِ البَسَّامِ
Then the heart, whose billows had surged high, grew calm
So ambitious ardor calmed down
through the cheerfulness of his beaming face.
With ease from its smiling face
وَدَنَاand drew near الجَميعُeveryone لِلثمِto kiss راحَتِهِhis palm التيwhich
وَدَنَا الجَميعُ لِلثمِ راحَتِهِ التي
هِيَit is مَعدِنُthe mine of الأرزاقِprovisions والأقسامِand allotted shares
هِيَ مَعدِنُ الأرزاقِ والأقسامِ
And all drew near to kiss his palm, which
And all drew near to kiss his comfort
is the mine of provisions and allotted shares.
Which is the source of sustenance and portions
وانهَلَّand poured down بَعدَafter تَعَلُّلٍhopeful waiting بَسطُthe fulfillment of المُنَىwishes
وانهَلَّ بَعدَ تَعَلُّلٍ بَسطُ المُنَى
فَتَلاso followed وَميضُthe flash of البَرقِlightning صَوبُthe downpour of غَمَامِclouds
فَتَلا وَميضُ البَرقِ صَوبُ غَمَامِ
And after hopeful waiting, fulfilled wishes rained down,
And after hesitation, the outstretched hand of wishes
so a cloud's downpour followed the lightning's flash.
Shone, and the lightning flashed towards the clouds
Sol 6.1