منّيfrom me السلامpeace علىupon الولىّthe saintly one الواليthe ruler
منّي السلام على الولىّ الوالي
ذىpossessor of الجودgenerosity والأجمالand graciousness والأفضالِand beneficence
ذى الجود والأجمال والأفضالِ
Peace from me upon the saintly ruler,
My greetings of peace to the Guardian, the Trustee
possessor of generosity, graciousness, and beneficence.
Of generosity, beauty, and nobility
وإلىand to الإمامِthe imam وليِّناًour patron وصفِّيناand our chosen friend
وإلى الإمامِ وليِّناً وصفِّينا
الزاكيthe pure الأبىّthe high-minded السيدthe master المِفْضَالِthe very generous
الزاكي الأبىّ السيد المِفْضَالِ
And to the imam, our patron and chosen friend,
And to the Imam, our master and purifier
the pure, high-minded, most generous master.
The most pious, dignified, the eminent and virtuous
بحرa sea of الفصاحةِeloquence سالمSalim بنson of محمدMuhammad
بحر الفصاحةِ سالم بن محمد
ذاكَthat one المكرمُthe honored one بالتُّقَىthrough piety مُتَعَالِexalted
ذاكَ المكرمُ بالتُّقَى مُتَعَالِ
The sea of eloquence, Salim ibn Muhammad,
Ocean of eloquence, Salim son of Muhammad
that honored one, exalted through piety.
The honored one of piety and sublimity
هوhe سيديmy master الصّافِيthe pure الأبىthe high-minded المرتضىthe chosen one
هو سيدي الصّافِي الأبى المرتضى
زاكِيpure of الأَرومةِancestry ذُوpossessed of النجارlineage العلِىlofty
زاكِي الأَرومةِ ذُو النجار العلِى
He is my master, pure, high-minded, and chosen,
He is my master, the sincere, the dignified, the chosen one
of pure stock, possessed of lofty lineage.
The most pure, of lofty ancestry and noble descent
سهلgentle الخليقةِtemperament زاهدٌascetic متورعٌscrupulously devout
سهل الخليقةِ زاهدٌ متورعٌ
عدلjust القضاjudgment فيtoward أسفلٍthe lowly أوor عالِيthe exalted
عدل القضا في أسفلٍ أو عالِي
Gentle in temperament, ascetic and scrupulously devout,
Easygoing, an ascetic, devout
just in judgment, whether of the lowly or the exalted.
Just in his rulings for low or high
السابقُthe one outstripping الفُصَحاthe eloquent بجودةِthrough the excellence of لفظِهhis speech
السابقُ الفُصَحا بجودةِ لفظِه
لوeven if أطبواthey were adept فيat الجرىrunning والإينالand bestowing gifts
لو أطبوا في الجرى والإينال
He outstrips the eloquent through the excellence of his speech,
The foremost eloquent speaker with his generous speech
even if they excel at racing and bestowing gifts.
As though competing in valor and attainment
هُوhe عدنيmy Eden (uncertain reading) ومَودتيand my love معamid شدَتيmy distress
هُو عدني ومَودتي مع شدَتي
أصفىthe truest of أودّائيmy friends دواءa cure for سُعَالِىmy cough
أصفى أودّائي دواء سُعَالِى
He is my Eden and my love amid my distress,
He is the one I befriend and love despite my severity
the truest of my friends, the cure for my cough.
The most loyal of my companions, cure for my distress
فإذاand whenever طلبتُI sought منfrom الزمانِtime مآرباًdesired ends
فإذا طلبتُ من الزمانِ مآرباً
خلْىhe set aside مآربthe wishes of نفسهhimself وسَعَىand he strove لِيfor me
خلْى مآرب نفسه وسَعَى لِي
Whenever I asked Time for what I desired,
So if I seek from fate its purposes
he set aside his own wishes and strove for me.
It relinquishes its own and strives for me
لاnot زلتُI have ceased أذكرُI recall بالغدوِّin the mornings ليالياًnights
لا زلتُ أذكرُ بالغدوِّ ليالياً
فزناwe enjoyed ببهجتهاtheir delight وبالآصالِand in the evenings
فزنا ببهجتها وبالآصالِ
In the mornings I still recall those nights
I still recall in the mornings and nights
whose joy we enjoyed—and in the evenings too.
Its joyfulness and intimacies
ولطالَماand how often كناwe were جميعاًtogether فيin حِمىًa haven
ولطالَما كنا جميعاً في حِمىً
متنعمينenjoying ourselves بلذةِin the pleasure of الإيصالِbringing together
متنعمين بلذةِ الإيصالِ
And how often we were together in a haven,
And we have long been together under protection
enjoying the delight of union.
Delighting in the pleasure of connection
فاليومbut today صيَّرhas made شملناour fellowship متبدداًscattered
فاليوم صيَّر شملنا متبدداً
متفرِّقاًdispersed متقطعَsevered الأوْصَالِthe limbs
متفرِّقاً متقطعَ الأوْصَالِ
But today has left our company scattered,
But today our unity has been torn asunder
dispersed, its limbs torn apart.
Fragmented and severed are the ties
أمسىI reach evening بنارِin the fire of فراقِparting from منthe one whom أصفيتهI devoted affection to
أمسى بنارِ فراقِ من أصفيته
محضunmixed الهوىlove دُونَabove all other البريةِcreation صَالِburning
محض الهوى دُونَ البريةِ صَالِ
By evening, in the fire of parting from him to whom I gave
I am consumed by the fire of parting from my beloved
unmixed love, above all creation, I burn.
Pure love, far from the lands of others
أَأُلامُam I blamed? فيfor ودّيهloving him وهوwhile he مُسالِميat peace with me
أَأُلامُ في ودّيه وهو مُسالِمي
مُتفردpeerless دُونَapart from الوَرَىmankind بخصَالِin qualities
مُتفرد دُونَ الوَرَى بخصَالِ
Am I blamed for loving him, when he is at peace with me,
Should I be blamed for loving him while he makes peace with me
peerless among mankind in his qualities?
Alone beyond all people in his traits
بيwithin me حرّheat شوقlonging فيin الحشاthe breast مُتَوَقِّدblazing
بي حرّ شوق في الحشا مُتَوَقِّد
أَلاّnot ينْطَفِيis extinguished إلاّexcept ببَرْدِby the coolness of وِصَالِreunion
أَلاّ ينْطَفِي إلاّ ببَرْدِ وِصَالِ
Within me, the heat of longing blazes in my breast,
Within me burns an intense longing in anguish
quenched only by the coolness of reunion.
If only it would be extinguished by the coolness of reunion
وفراقُand parting from منthe one whom أهوىI love وقطعُand severing علائقٍties
وفراقُ من أهوى وقطعُ علائقٍ
فبذَاكso through that يعلقُclings حبلُهhis cord بحبالِيto my cords
فبذَاك يعلقُ حبلُه بحبالِي
And parting from the one I love, and severing ties—
And parting from the one I love and severing of ties
so through that, his cord clings to my cords.
With that, it strengthens its rope to my ropes
أقوىI grow strong إذاwhen ذُكرis mentioned اسمُهhis name فيin مجلسa gathering
أقوى إذا ذُكر اسمُه في مجلس
فكأنَّمَاso, as though طفلُthe infant of الشبابٍyouth حَباcrawled لِيto me
فكأنَّمَا طفلُ الشبابٍ حَبا لِي
I grow strong when his name is mentioned in a gathering,
I am strengthened when his name is mentioned in a gathering
as though youth's infant had crawled to me.
As if the child of youth has fallen in love with me
وأناthough I ابنُaged سبعينَseventy وخمسand five قدalready خَلَتْhave passed
وأنا ابنُ سبعينَ وخمس قد خَلَتْ
فإذاthen, when بدَاhe appears ليto me صرتُI become فيin إقبالِlife's prime
فإذا بدَا لي صرتُ في إقبالِ
Though I am seventy-five, those years already gone,
And I am seventy five years old, after so many have passed
when he appears before me, I am in life's prime.
When he appears, I become youthful again
ونسيتُand I forgot كلَّevery أخىbrother in ودادٍaffection فيamong الورَىmankind
ونسيتُ كلَّ أخى ودادٍ في الورَى
وسلوتُand I stopped longing عَنْfor أهليmy family وعَنْand for أشْبَالِيmy cubs
وسلوتُ عَنْ أهلي وعَنْ أشْبَالِي
And I forget every loving friend among mankind,
And I forget every beloved brother in the world
and cease to pine for my family and my cubs.
And I refrain from my family and my children
فإذاthen, when تذكرنَاwe reminisce وطالَand grows long حديثُناour conversation
فإذا تذكرنَا وطالَ حديثُنا
لمnot تَدْرِyou knew بالإدبارِof departure والإقبالِand arrival
لم تَدْرِ بالإدبارِ والإقبالِ
When we reminisce and our conversation grows long,
When we are reminded and our conversation lasts
you are unaware of what recedes and what approaches.
You know not if it is eve or dawn
أكرِمْhow noble بهhe is أحسنhow excellent بهhe is منas a عالمٍscholar
أكرِمْ به أحسن به من عالمٍ
لمnever ألقَهI met him إلاexcept وأصلحَand he set right بالِيmy mind
لم ألقَه إلا وأصلحَ بالِي
How noble he is, how excellent a scholar!
Honor him, treat him well, that scholar of the world
I have never met him without his setting my mind at ease.
Whom I have not seen except to improve my state
لوeven if أبتلىI were afflicted بفراقِby parting from ألْفَىْtwo thousand صاحبٍcompanions
لو أبتلى بفراقِ ألْفَىْ صاحبٍ
ولقيتُand I encountered مرآهthe sight of him فلستُthen I would not أبالِيcare
ولقيتُ مرآه فلستُ أبالِي
Even were I afflicted by parting from two thousand companions,
If I were tested with parting from a thousand companions
and beheld him, I would not care.
And I met him, I would not care
أخلفتI exchanged (uncertain reading) أثوابَthe robes of البقاءlife ببعدهthrough his absence
أخلفت أثوابَ البقاء ببعده
كانَwas اقترابُnearness to جنابهِhis presence أبقىmore life-preserving لِيfor me
كانَ اقترابُ جنابهِ أبقى لِي
I have exchanged the robes of life in his absence;
I have shed the garments of remaining after his absence
being near his presence kept me alive longer.
His nearing was more lasting for me
واحسرتيalas for me! ضيعتُI wasted عمرىmy life بعدهin his absence
واحسرتي ضيعتُ عمرى بعده
فتياًyouthful (syntax unclear) حساميmy sword وانزوتand withdrew آماليmy hopes
فتياً حسامي وانزوت آمالي
Alas! I have wasted my life in his absence.
And my regret - I wasted my life after him
My sword was youthful, and my hopes withdrew.
As a young sword, and my hopes withdrew
ياO أيُّهاyou الخلُّthe dear friend الذيwho هوhe لمnot يزلhas ceased
يا أيُّها الخلُّ الذي هو لم يزل
ودّىmy love لهfor him أبداًforever أصخْlisten attentively لِمقَالِيto my words
ودّى له أبداً أصخْ لِمقَالِي
O friend, you who have never ceased
Oh you, my sincere friend who has never
to have my enduring love, listen to my words.
Ceased to be beloved, echo my words
كنْbe مثلlike خلكyour friend لاnot يضعضعshakes قلبَهhis heart
كنْ مثل خلك لا يضعضع قلبَه
تكرارُrepetition of قيليmy talk فيamong الأنامِmankind وقالِand chatter
تكرارُ قيلي في الأنامِ وقالِ
Be like your friend, whose heart is not shaken
Be like your sincerity - your heart is not shaken
by my repeated talk and chatter among mankind.
By my frequent saying among the people
Sol 6.1