هَلْ تُخبِرنْ سقاكَ الغيثُ يا طلَلُ

هَلْ تُخبِرنْ سقاكَ الغيثُ يا طلَلُ

عن آلِ ميّةَ بالجرعَاء مَا فَعلوا

عن آلِ ميّةَ بالجرعَاء مَا فَعلوا

Will you tell me—may the rain water you, O ruined dwelling—

Can the rain clouds inform me, O hills of Layla,

what became of Mayyah's folk at al-Jar'a?

About what the people of Mays did in Jurfah?

ساروا إلى جبل الرّيان يا بأبي

ساروا إلى جبل الرّيان يا بأبي

تلك الظعَائنُ والريانُ والجبَل

تلك الظعَائنُ والريانُ والجبَل

They journeyed to Mount al-Rayyan—ah, may my father be ransom for

They went to Mount Rayyan, O my father!

those women in their litters, al-Rayyan, and the mountain!

Those oppressors, and Rayyan, and the mountain,

وأَهَالَها ظُعُناً أبقت لنا شجناً

وأَهَالَها ظُعُناً أبقت لنا شجناً

وحاكمينَ لقد جاروا وما عدلوا

وحاكمينَ لقد جاروا وما عدلوا

And ah for them—women in litters who left us grief,

And its people they wronged, leaving us with lasting sorrow.

and judges who surely acted unjustly and did not deal fairly!

Those rulers were unjust and did not act with fairness,

ودّعتُهم ودُموعي حَشوُها حُرَقٌ

ودّعتُهم ودُموعي حَشوُها حُرَقٌ

يوم النوى ودموعي ثرة همل

يوم النوى ودموعي ثرة همل

I bade them farewell, my tears filled with burning pangs,

I bade them farewell while my tears were burning embers

on the day of parting, my tears copious and freely flowing.

The day of parting, and my tears copious torrents.

وقلت يا راكب ليلى هاكم كبدي

وقلت يا راكب ليلى هاكم كبدي

رهناً برد مطاياكم فما فعلوا

رهناً برد مطاياكم فما فعلوا

And I said, 'O Layla's rider, take my liver

I said: "O rider of Layla, here is my liver,

as a pledge for turning your mounts back'—but they did not.

Pledged against the return of your steeds." But what did they do?

كم ذا أقبّلُ أيْدي العيس منْ كلَفٍ

كم ذا أقبّلُ أيْدي العيس منْ كلَفٍ

للظاعنين ومَاذا تنفعُ القُبَل

للظاعنين ومَاذا تنفعُ القُبَل

How often I kiss the pale camels' forefeet, out of passionate longing

How often I kiss the hands of the persecuted out of agony,

for those departing—and what good do kisses do?

For those who slander! Of what use are kisses?

يا نازحين ولا عَنْ رغبةٍ نزحوا

يا نازحين ولا عَنْ رغبةٍ نزحوا

وقاتلينَ ولا يدرون مَنْ قتَلُوا

وقاتلينَ ولا يدرون مَنْ قتَلُوا

O those who went far away, though not by choice did they depart,

O you who migrate, though not out of desire you migrated,

and slayers who do not know whom they have slain!

And fight, though you know not whom you fight!

وكلّما زجروني لَجّ بي وَلَهي

وكلّما زجروني لَجّ بي وَلَهي

وكلّما عَذَلُوا لم ينْفِع العَذَل

وكلّما عَذَلُوا لم ينْفِع العَذَل

And whenever they rebuked me, my lovesick anguish grew insistent;

Whenever they rebuke me, I withdraw in bewilderment,

and whenever they reproached me, reproach did no good.

And whenever they blame, blame does not benefit.

قالوا أتعشقُ ليلى وهي نَاجِلَةٌ

قالوا أتعشقُ ليلى وهي نَاجِلَةٌ

فقلت كلُّ مليحٍ زانه النّحَل

فقلت كلُّ مليحٍ زانه النّحَل

They said, 'Do you love Layla, who is wide-eyed?'

They said: "Do you love Layla, though she is with child?"

I replied, 'Slenderness adorns every beauty.'

I said: "Every beauty is made more beautiful by bees."

تا الله أكلُ بعدَ الظاعنين يدي

تا الله أكلُ بعدَ الظاعنين يدي

وابن الحسين لي المعتاضُ والبَدل

وابن الحسين لي المعتاضُ والبَدل

By God, shall I gnaw my hand after those who have departed,

By God! After the slanderers, shall I ever eat my hands?

when Ibn al-Husayn is my recompense and replacement?

Al-Hussein's son is to me the substitute and replacement!

بسَّامةٌ وخطوبُ الدهرِ عَابسةٌ

بسَّامةٌ وخطوبُ الدهرِ عَابسةٌ

مِطعَامةٌ وبكفَيْ حاتمٍ شَلَل

مِطعَامةٌ وبكفَيْ حاتمٍ شَلَل

Ever-smiling, while time's calamities frown,

With adversities, while the days are frowning,

a lavish provider of food, while Hatim's two hands are paralyzed.

Afflicted, though in my palms a seal of distinction.

ترى الوفودَ على أبوابِه زُمراً

ترى الوفودَ على أبوابِه زُمراً

وللوُفود وفودٌ كلَّما نزلوا

وللوُفود وفودٌ كلَّما نزلوا

You see delegations at his gates in throngs,

Caravans throng his gates in droves,

and those delegations have their own delegations whenever they alight.

And for every caravan, more descend.

لولاَ محمدُ كانَ الدِّينُ منطمسٌ

لولاَ محمدُ كانَ الدِّينُ منطمسٌ

وفرقةُ العِلم قد ضاقت به الحيَل

وفرقةُ العِلم قد ضاقت به الحيَل

But for Muhammad, the faith would have been effaced,

Were it not for Muhammad, religion would be erased

and the company of scholars would have been at a loss over it.

And the community of knowledge would be at a loss.

أهدى به اللهُ كلَّ الخلق قاطبةً

أهدى به اللهُ كلَّ الخلق قاطبةً

والهدي منه بحبل اللهُ متصِل

والهدي منه بحبل اللهُ متصِل

Through him God guided all creation, without exception,

Through him God guided all creation together,

and the guidance from him is bound to God's rope.

And guidance through him is connected to God's cord.

لاَ ينكر الشرقُ والغربُ القصيّ لَهُ

لاَ ينكر الشرقُ والغربُ القصيّ لَهُ

فضلاً ولا مَنْ حواه السَّهْلُ والجبل

فضلاً ولا مَنْ حواه السَّهْلُ والجبل

Neither the East nor the far-distant West denies him

Neither East nor West rejects the Chosen One,

excellence, nor does anyone whom plain and mountain encompass.

In merit, nor whom the plain and mountain surrounds.

قطبٌ له قبل الكونِ تقدمة

قطبٌ له قبل الكونِ تقدمة

فما تقدمه كون ولا أزل

فما تقدمه كون ولا أزل

He is a pole, with precedence before existence;

A pole whose precedence was before existence,

so neither existence nor beginningless eternity preceded him.

So no universe or eternity preceded him.

سِرٌّ تمخض علمُ الغيب عنه فمَا

سِرٌّ تمخض علمُ الغيب عنه فمَا

من الأسرّة مَنْ منهم لَهُ مَثل

من الأسرّة مَنْ منهم لَهُ مَثل

A mystery brought forth by knowledge of the unseen; no one

A secret that the knowledge of the unseen burst forth from, so

among those enthroned is his equal.

None of the concealers is for him a match.

محمدُ ابنُ الحسينِ البَرّ صَاحِبُهُ

محمدُ ابنُ الحسينِ البَرّ صَاحِبُهُ

محمدٌ صارم ما إنْ له فلَل

محمدٌ صارم ما إنْ له فلَل

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, the righteous one; his companion

Muhammad son of Hussein the Righteous, his companion,

is Muhammad, a keen sword with no notch at all.

Muhammad, a sword that when unsheathed has no flaws.

بدران بالبدرِ من نورَيهما خلَلُ

بدران بالبدرِ من نورَيهما خلَلُ

معاً وبالشمس من نوريهمَا خَجَل

معاً وبالشمس من نوريهمَا خَجَل

Two full moons whose lights leave the full moon flawed,

Two full moons, the moon is dimmed by their light,

together—and their lights put the sun to shame.

And the sun feels shame at the brilliance of them both.

في كلّ بحرٍ عميقٍ من فضائلهم

في كلّ بحرٍ عميقٍ من فضائلهم

فضلٌ عظيمٌ وجودٌ صوبُه هَطِل

فضلٌ عظيمٌ وجودٌ صوبُه هَطِل

In every deep sea of their virtues

In every deep sea of their virtues

lie great excellence and generosity whose rain pours in torrents.

There is glorious generosity, towards which clouds pour.

الجود والمجدُ فيهم والعَفافُ مَعاً

الجود والمجدُ فيهم والعَفافُ مَعاً

والحِلْمُ أجمعُه والعلمُ والعَمَل

والحِلْمُ أجمعُه والعلمُ والعَمَل

Generosity, glory, and chastity are united in them,

Generosity, glory, chastity, forbearance, knowledge, and action,

and forbearance in full, and knowledge and action.

Hope in their generosity was never unfulfilled for one who sought it,

مَا خابَ فيهم لراجي جودِهم أبداً

مَا خابَ فيهم لراجي جودِهم أبداً

يوماً رجاءٌ ولا ظنٌّ ولا عَمَل

يوماً رجاءٌ ولا ظنٌّ ولا عَمَل

Never, for anyone hoping for their generosity, has there failed in them

A day of hoping, guessing, or deeds.

on any day a hope, an expectation, or an effort.