جَلا الكؤوسَ فجلّى ظلمةَ السَدف

جَلا الكؤوسَ فجلّى ظلمةَ السَدف

بدرٌ كلِفتُ به حاشاه من كَلَفِ

بدرٌ كلِفتُ به حاشاه من كَلَفِ

He polished the cups and so dispelled the gloom of night—

He brought the cups that unveiled the darkness of the ceiling

a full moon I was enamored of—far be he from any dark blemish.

A full moon I was tasked with protecting, far from any burden

سمت وقد أَشرَقت راح براحتهِ

سمت وقد أَشرَقت راح براحتهِ

كأَنَّها الشَمسُ حلَّت منزلَ الشَرَفِ

كأَنَّها الشَمسُ حلَّت منزلَ الشَرَفِ

Wine rose aloft, already radiant in his palm,

It shone as it rose radiantly going in comfort

as though it were the sun alighting at its station of exaltation.

As if it were the sun settling in the abode of honor

وَضاعَ نشرُ شذاها وهيَ في يده

وَضاعَ نشرُ شذاها وهيَ في يده

كأَنَّها وردةٌ في كفِّ مُقتَطفِ

كأَنَّها وردةٌ في كفِّ مُقتَطفِ

And the waft of its fragrance spread while it was in his hand,

The fragrance of its blossoming faded as it was in his hand

as though it were a rose in the palm of one who had plucked it.

Like a rose in the palm of a gentle plucker

بكرٌ تحلَّت بدُرٍّ من فواقعها

بكرٌ تحلَّت بدُرٍّ من فواقعها

وأَقبلت وهيَ في وشح وفي شَنَفِ

وأَقبلت وهيَ في وشح وفي شَنَفِ

A virgin, adorned with pearls from her bubbles,

A full moon that donned from its rising places

she came forth wearing sashes and an earring.

And leaned in fine silks and fabrics

يا سحبَ نيسان روّي الكرم من كرم

يا سحبَ نيسان روّي الكرم من كرم

فَفي الحَباب غنىً عَن لؤلؤ الصَدفِ

فَفي الحَباب غنىً عَن لؤلؤ الصَدفِ

O clouds of Nisan, water the vines out of generosity,

O April clouds, water the vines with vines

for the bubbles suffice in place of the pearls of shells.

For in love there is glory beyond pearls and shells

شتّانَ ما بين دُرٍّ راح مُرتَشَفاً

شتّانَ ما بين دُرٍّ راح مُرتَشَفاً

رشفَ الثغور ودرٍّ غير مُرتَشفِ

رشفَ الثغور ودرٍّ غير مُرتَشفِ

How far apart are pearls that have come to be sipped,

Great is the difference between a pearl that left intoxicated

with the sipping of lips, and pearls that remain unsipped!

And moistened the edges, and a pearl not intoxicated

لَم أَنسَ ليلة أُنسٍ بتُّ معتنقاً

لَم أَنسَ ليلة أُنسٍ بتُّ معتنقاً

فيها الحَبيبَ اِعتناق اللام للألفِ

فيها الحَبيبَ اِعتناق اللام للألفِ

I have not forgotten a night of intimacy when I lay embracing

I haven't forgotten a night of intimacy, hugging

the beloved there, as lām embraces alif.

A beloved, the joining of laam to alif

أَمنتُ من رَيب دَهري في خفارته

أَمنتُ من رَيب دَهري في خفارته

وَمن يَبت في ضَمان الحبِّ لم يَخفِ

وَمن يَبت في ضَمان الحبِّ لم يَخفِ

I was safe from the misfortunes of my days under his protection,

I felt safe from the mischief of my time under its protection

and whoever spends the night in love's keeping has no fear.

And whoever takes refuge in the covenant of love will not fear

وَرحتُ فيها من الهجران مُنتصِفاً

وَرحتُ فيها من الهجران مُنتصِفاً

من بعد ما كُنتُ منه غير مُنتصفِ

من بعد ما كُنتُ منه غير مُنتصفِ

And that night I gained redress against estrangement,

And I found relief from estrangement there

after having had no redress against it.

After I had long been estranged

أَسطو عليهِ برمحٍ من مَعاطِفِهِ

أَسطو عليهِ برمحٍ من مَعاطِفِهِ

وَصارمٍ من ظُبى أَجفانِه الوُطُفِ

وَصارمٍ من ظُبى أَجفانِه الوُطُفِ

I assailed it with a spear from his supple form,

I took power over it with a spear from its cloaks

and a keen sword from the edges of his long-lashed eyelids.

And a sword from the gazelles of its gentle eyes

لِلَّه طيب وصالٍ نلتُ من رشأ

لِلَّه طيب وصالٍ نلتُ من رشأ

بالحسن متَّسمٍ بالطيب متَّصفِ

بالحسن متَّسمٍ بالطيب متَّصفِ

God, how sweet the union I gained from a young gazelle,

By God, the pleasure of union I attained was good

marked by beauty and endowed with sweet fragrance.

Perfumed with beauty and clothed in fragrance

إِذا ضَممت إلى صَدري ترائبَه

إِذا ضَممت إلى صَدري ترائبَه

كادَت تَذوبُ تَراقيهِ من التَرفِ

كادَت تَذوبُ تَراقيهِ من التَرفِ

When I pressed his breast against my chest,

When I drew its garments to my chest

his collarbones nearly melted from sheer delicacy.

Their delicacy almost melted from the luxury

يا محسنَ الوصف إِن رمت النسيبَ فصِف

يا محسنَ الوصف إِن رمت النسيبَ فصِف

لنا محاسنَ هَذا الشادن الصَلِفِ

لنا محاسنَ هَذا الشادن الصَلِفِ

O master of description, if you seek love-poetry, describe

O you who excel in description, if you throw an arrow, then describe

for us the charms of this haughty young gazelle.

For us the beauty of this firm, stately youth

أَو رمتَ تنسبُ يوماً سيِّداً لعُلاً

أَو رمتَ تنسبُ يوماً سيِّداً لعُلاً

فاِنسب إِلى مُنتَهاها سادَة النَجفِ

فاِنسب إِلى مُنتَهاها سادَة النَجفِ

Or if one day you wish to link a lord to lofty rank,

Or if you one day attribute a master due to nobility

then link the lords of Najaf to its highest summit.

Then attribute to its endpoint the masters of Najaf

واِخصُص بني شرفِ الدين الألى شرفت

واِخصُص بني شرفِ الدين الألى شرفت

بهم بيوتُ العُلى وَالمَجدِ وَالشَرَفِ

بهم بيوتُ العُلى وَالمَجدِ وَالشَرَفِ

And single out the sons of Sharaf al-Din, through whom were ennobled

And specify the progeny of the honor of religion, whom

the houses of eminence, glory, and honor.

The houses of highness, glory and honor were ennobled by them

قوم يحلُّونَ دون الناسِ قاطبةً

قوم يحلُّونَ دون الناسِ قاطبةً

بحبوحةَ المجد والباقون في طَرفِ

بحبوحةَ المجد والباقون في طَرفِ

A people who alone, of all mankind, inhabit

A people who stand in for all people

the heart of glory, while the rest remain at its edge.

With the comforts of glory and those who remain on the sidelines

القائلونَ لدى المعروف لا سرفٌ

القائلونَ لدى المعروف لا سرفٌ

في الخير يَوماً كما لا خيرَ في السرفِ

في الخير يَوماً كما لا خيرَ في السرفِ

Those who say when doing good, 'There is no extravagance

Those who, in the face of benevolence, say no extravagance

in goodness, ever, just as there is no good in extravagance.'

In good one day, just as there is no good in extravagance

رَووا حديثَ المَعالي عن أَبٍ فأَبٍ

رَووا حديثَ المَعالي عن أَبٍ فأَبٍ

وَساقَه خلفٌ يرويه عن سلفِ

وَساقَه خلفٌ يرويه عن سلفِ

They transmitted the account of lofty virtues from father to father,

They narrated the hadith of noble character from a father from a father

and each successor passed it on, recounting it from a forebear.

And a successor narrates it from a predecessor

هُمُ نجومُ الهدى لَيلاً لمدَّلجٍ

هُمُ نجومُ الهدى لَيلاً لمدَّلجٍ

وهم بحارُ الندى نَيلاً لمغترفِ

وهم بحارُ الندى نَيلاً لمغترفِ

They are stars of guidance by night for a night-traveler,

They are the guiding stars in a dark night

and seas of generosity, with gifts for whoever draws from them.

And they are the seas of dew taken by one who draws them

منهم حسينٌ أَدام اللَهُ بهجتَه

منهم حسينٌ أَدام اللَهُ بهجتَه

وأَيُّ وصفٍ بإحسان الحسين يَفي

وأَيُّ وصفٍ بإحسان الحسين يَفي

Among them is Husayn—may God perpetuate his joy—

Among them is Hussein, may God make his joy last

and what description can do justice to Husayn's beneficence?

And what description befits the benevolence of Hussein?

هو الشَريفُ الَّذي فاق الورى شرفاً

هو الشَريفُ الَّذي فاق الورى شرفاً

سل عن مفاخره من شئت يعترفِ

سل عن مفاخره من شئت يعترفِ

He is the nobleman who surpassed all mankind in nobility;

He is the noble one who surpassed all in nobility

ask anyone you wish about his glories: they will acknowledge them.

Ask whoever you wish, he will acknowledge

كَم من جَميلٍ له في الخلق مُجملُه

كَم من جَميلٍ له في الخلق مُجملُه

يَلوح كالكَوكب الدرّيّ في السدفِ

يَلوح كالكَوكب الدرّيّ في السدفِ

How many a kindness he has shown mankind, whose sum

How much beauty he has in creation, all of it beautiful

shines like a pearl-bright star in the darkness!

Shining like a starry pearl in a ceiling

فالخَلقُ من خلقه في نزهةٍ عجبٍ

فالخَلقُ من خلقه في نزهةٍ عجبٍ

ومن خلائقه في روضةٍ أُنفِ

ومن خلائقه في روضةٍ أُنفِ

Thus mankind, through his character, lives in wondrous delight,

So creation from his creation is in wondrous charm

and through his virtues, in a fresh, ungrazed meadow.

And from his traits in a garden of bliss

أَمسى النَدى وَالهُدى وَالمجد مكتنفاً

أَمسى النَدى وَالهُدى وَالمجد مكتنفاً

به وأَصبح منه الدين في كنفِ

به وأَصبح منه الدين في كنفِ

Generosity, guidance, and glory have come to be enfolded

The dew, guidance and glory were cloaked around him

by him, and religion has come under his protection.

And through him religion was sheltered

سَعى إلى الغاية القُصوى الَّتي وقفت

سَعى إلى الغاية القُصوى الَّتي وقفت

عنها الورى فتعدّاها ولم يَقِفِ

عنها الورى فتعدّاها ولم يَقِفِ

He strove toward the utmost goal, short of which had halted

He strove for the ultimate goal which

all mankind; he passed beyond it and did not halt.

The people stopped at, but he surpassed without stopping

فَحازَ ما حازه أَقرانُه وَحَوى

فَحازَ ما حازه أَقرانُه وَحَوى

ما شذَّ عن سَلفٍ منهم وعَن خلفِ

ما شذَّ عن سَلفٍ منهم وعَن خلفِ

Thus he attained what his peers attained, and acquired

Thus he achieved what his peers achieved and contained

what had eluded their forebears and their successors.

What diverged from a predecessor or successor