كأنك تهوى أنّ عذلك ينفع

كأنك تهوى أنّ عذلك ينفع

وهل كان عند الصبّ للعذل مسمع

وهل كان عند الصبّ للعذل مسمع

It seems you wish your reproach would help.

As if you wish that your blame benefits me,

But has the lovesick ever had an ear for reproach?

Yet when was blame ever heard by a lover?

إذا كان من ذاتي رجوعي إلى الهوى

إذا كان من ذاتي رجوعي إلى الهوى

فما نفع قولي إنّني لست أَرجع

فما نفع قولي إنّني لست أَرجع

If my return to love springs from my very nature,

If my return to love comes from my nature,

what use is my saying that I will not return?

Then my words "I shall not return" are of no use.

وهل وقع الملزوم يوماً ولم يكن

وهل وقع الملزوم يوماً ولم يكن

لِلاَزِمِهِ في ساحة الكون موقع

لِلاَزِمِهِ في ساحة الكون موقع

Has an antecedent ever occurred without there being

Has consequent ever occurred without antecedent

a place for its necessary consequence in the realm of existence?

Having a place in the universe?

لذاك تراني كلّما شِمْتُ بارقاً

لذاك تراني كلّما شِمْتُ بارقاً

تُسابقه من برق وَجْدِيَ أَدْمُعُ

تُسابقه من برق وَجْدِيَ أَدْمُعُ

That is why, whenever I sight a lightning flash, you see me

Thus you see me, whenever a lightning flashes,

with tears from my yearning's lightning racing against it.

My tears compete with it in flowing.

فأمّا إذا تبدو محاسنُ بَيْرَمٍ

فأمّا إذا تبدو محاسنُ بَيْرَمٍ

فكيف ترى الحِرْبا إذا الشّمس تطلع

فكيف ترى الحِرْبا إذا الشّمس تطلع

But when the beauties of Bayram appear,

When the charms of Bayram appear,

how, then, does the chameleon seem to you when the sun rises?

How then could Harb stand when the sun rises?

سماءُ علومٍ كلّما لاح لامعٌ

سماءُ علومٍ كلّما لاح لامعٌ

تقفّاه منها أَلْمَعٌ ثم أَلْمَعُ

تقفّاه منها أَلْمَعٌ ثم أَلْمَعُ

A sky of learning: whenever a brilliant light appears,

A sky of sciences, whenever a brilliant one appears

a brighter one follows it from there, then one brighter still.

He is followed by even more brilliant ones.

وَبَحْرُ علومٍ يزدري الدرَّ عِقْدُهَا

وَبَحْرُ علومٍ يزدري الدرَّ عِقْدُهَا

على أنّه للنّقل والعقل مجمع

على أنّه للنّقل والعقل مجمع

And a sea of learning whose necklace scorns pearls;

And a sea of knowledge, its necklace of pearls

he is, moreover, a meeting place for transmitted learning and reason.

Looks down on being a means of transmission and intellection.

وفي هذه الحَسْنا التي برزت لنا

وفي هذه الحَسْنا التي برزت لنا

بألوانِ حُسْنٍ للمنازع مقنع

بألوانِ حُسْنٍ للمنازع مقنع

And in this fair one, who has appeared to us

And in this beauty which has appeared to us

in hues of beauty, there is enough to convince the disputant.

With beautiful colors convincing for all disputers,

بَدَتْ للمُنَى رَوْضاً وللعين قُرَّةً

بَدَتْ للمُنَى رَوْضاً وللعين قُرَّةً

وفيها الذي من ذا ومن ذاك أَنْفَعُ

وفيها الذي من ذا ومن ذاك أَنْفَعُ

She appeared as a garden for hopes and a delight to the eye,

She appeared to the seeker as a meadow, and a delight to the eye,

and in her is what is more beneficial than this and that.

In her is that which from this and that is most beneficial.

فجاءت تهَادَى لا سوى السّحر غنجُها

فجاءت تهَادَى لا سوى السّحر غنجُها

ولا ما سوى ماء الوَسامة بُرقُعُ

ولا ما سوى ماء الوَسامة بُرقُعُ

So she came swaying gracefully, with nothing but magic for her coquetry,

So she came, gracefully swaying, nothing but the magic of her coyness,

and no veil but the water of beauty.

And nothing but the water of honor in her bowl.

ترى بين معناها ورقّةِ لفظِها

ترى بين معناها ورقّةِ لفظِها

عِناقاً على نَوْلِ الطبيعةِ يُصْنَعُ

عِناقاً على نَوْلِ الطبيعةِ يُصْنَعُ

You see between her meaning and the delicacy of her wording

You see between its meaning and the delicacy of its words

an embrace woven on the loom of nature.

An intimate embrace on the text of nature being crafted.

إذا اختصمَ النّعمانُ فيها ومالكٌ

إذا اختصمَ النّعمانُ فيها ومالكٌ

تقول لكلّ منكما فيَّ منزع

تقول لكلّ منكما فيَّ منزع

If al-Nu'man and Malik dispute over her,

When al-Nu‘man and Malik disputed over her

she says, 'Each of you two has a standpoint in me.'

She said to each of you I am a means to attain.

ومهما ادّعاها العقلُ ردّ اختصاصَه

ومهما ادّعاها العقلُ ردّ اختصاصَه

بها نصُّ نقلٍ بالحقيقة يَقْطَعُ

بها نصُّ نقلٍ بالحقيقة يَقْطَعُ

And whenever reason claims her, its exclusive claim is refuted

And however much reason claims her specifically,

by a transmitted text that establishes the truth decisively.

A verse of transmission by reality nullifies his claim.

وإنْ تَفْخَرِ الْفَتْوَى بها فلَكَمْ بها

وإنْ تَفْخَرِ الْفَتْوَى بها فلَكَمْ بها

لأهل القضا مِن تاج عزٍّ يُرصَّعُ

لأهل القضا مِن تاج عزٍّ يُرصَّعُ

And if fatwa-giving takes pride in her, through her how many

And if jurisprudence boasts of her, for by her

crowns of honor are bejeweled for the judges!

The people of law have many a splendid crown.

فسبحان مختار الإِمام محمّدٍ

فسبحان مختار الإِمام محمّدٍ

لها وهو أدرى أيّهم هو موضع

لها وهو أدرى أيّهم هو موضع

So glory be to Him who chose Imam Muhammad

So glory to the Choicer, the Imam Muhammad,

for her—He knows best which of them is worthy.

For her, and He knows best which one is most appropriate.

وكيف وبيتُ الدّين والعلم بَيْتُه

وكيف وبيتُ الدّين والعلم بَيْتُه

وللمجد والتّقوى مَقِيلٌ ومَرْبَعُ

وللمجد والتّقوى مَقِيلٌ ومَرْبَعُ

And how could it be otherwise, when his house is the home of faith and learning,

And how when the House of religion and knowledge is his House,

and a midday resting place and spring abode for glory and piety?

And for glory and piety a place to retire and square.

عفافٌ على وجدٍ وعفوٌ بقدرةٍ

عفافٌ على وجدٍ وعفوٌ بقدرةٍ

وَجَاهٌ ولكن لم يُدَنِّسْهُ مطمعُ

وَجَاهٌ ولكن لم يُدَنِّسْهُ مطمعُ

Chastity despite passion, and pardon with power,

Chastity during rapture, and pardon when able,

and prestige, yet no greed has sullied it;

Glory, but avarice has not tainted it.

وخفضٌ على رفعٍ وتليينُ منطقٍ

وخفضٌ على رفعٍ وتليينُ منطقٍ

على أنّه لَلصّلْدُ في الحقّ يصدع

على أنّه لَلصّلْدُ في الحقّ يصدع

humility despite high rank, and gentleness of speech,

And humility despite prestige, and softness of eloquence

though he is solid rock when speaking out for the truth.

Despite its flint-like quality in truth that splits foreheads.

وفَضْلُ ثباتٍ ما الرّواسي راوسخاً

وفَضْلُ ثباتٍ ما الرّواسي راوسخاً

لدَيْه إذا طارت نُهًى وهي وُقَّعُ

لدَيْه إذا طارت نُهًى وهي وُقَّعُ

And great steadfastness: the mountains are not firmly rooted

And steadfastness, before which foundation stakes

beside him, when minds take flight though they were settled.

Are not firmly fixed when prohibitions take flight.

وقدرٌ تمنّى النُّجْمُ نَيْلَ مَحَلِّهِ

وقدرٌ تمنّى النُّجْمُ نَيْلَ مَحَلِّهِ

فكيف ترى مَنْ في الثّرى فيه يطمع

فكيف ترى مَنْ في الثّرى فيه يطمع

And a stature whose height the stars longed to attain;

A decree the stars crave to attain like his station—

how, then, do you regard one in the dust who aspires to it?

What then of one in the earthly realm hoping for it?

إلى ما يفوت الْعَدَّ مِنْ كلّ حِلْيَةٍ

إلى ما يفوت الْعَدَّ مِنْ كلّ حِلْيَةٍ

بها شَمْلُ أشتاتِ الكمال مُجَمَّعُ

بها شَمْلُ أشتاتِ الكمال مُجَمَّعُ

Together with adornments of every kind beyond all counting,

Encompassing the scattered completeness of perfection

in which the scattered parts of perfection are united.

Beyond enumeration—such is she.

فَدُمْ واحداً لا مَنْ يضاهيك في الورى

فَدُمْ واحداً لا مَنْ يضاهيك في الورى

وعزُّك موصولٌ وأَمْرُكَ يُسْمَعُ

وعزُّك موصولٌ وأَمْرُكَ يُسْمَعُ

So remain peerless, with none among mankind to rival you,

Remain uniquely peerless in the world,

your glory enduring and your command heeded.

Your glory connected, your command heard.

ولا تحتقِرْ شِعْرِي وإن كان أهله

ولا تحتقِرْ شِعْرِي وإن كان أهله

فَقَدْرُكُمُ من أبلغ الشّعر أَرْفَعُ

فَقَدْرُكُمُ من أبلغ الشّعر أَرْفَعُ

And do not scorn my poetry, even if it deserves it;

And do not look down on my poetry, though its people

for your stature is loftier than the most eloquent poetry.

Were deemed—your stature is highest of all poetry.

ولكنّني حاولتُ شرحَ مودّةٍ

ولكنّني حاولتُ شرحَ مودّةٍ

وشافِعُ شعري في الوِداد مشفّعُ

وشافِعُ شعري في الوِداد مشفّعُ

But I have tried to express affection,

Rather I have tried to explain an affection,

and in affection, the intercessor for my verse is granted his plea.

And my poetry in amity intercedes.

وأَزْكىَ سلامٍ من سَلِيمِ مودّةٍ

وأَزْكىَ سلامٍ من سَلِيمِ مودّةٍ

عليك بِرَيْحَانِ الرّضى يتضوَّعُ

عليك بِرَيْحَانِ الرّضى يتضوَّعُ

And the purest greeting, from unblemished affection,

The purest greetings of sincere devotion to you,

be upon you, fragrant with the basil of contentment.

With the basil of acceptance it is scented.