الحُبُّ ما مَنَعَ الكَلامَ الأَلسُنا

الحُبُّ ما مَنَعَ الكَلامَ الأَلسُنا

وَأَلَذُّ شَكوى عاشِقٍ ما أَعلَنا

وَأَلَذُّ شَكوى عاشِقٍ ما أَعلَنا

Love is what keeps tongues from speech;

Love did not prevent tongues from speaking

Love is what struck the speaking tongues with silence,

and a lover's sweetest complaint is what he proclaims.

Nor did the most delicious complaint of a lover manifest

Yet the sweetest lover’s plaint is the one declared.

لَيتَ الحَبيبَ الهاجِري هَجرَ الكَرى

لَيتَ الحَبيبَ الهاجِري هَجرَ الكَرى

مِن غَيرِ جُرمٍ واصِلي صِلَةَ الضَنا

مِن غَيرِ جُرمٍ واصِلي صِلَةَ الضَنا

Would that the beloved, who forsakes me as sleep does,

I wish my beloved had deserted the towns

Would that the beloved who shuns me had shunned sleep instead,

though I have done no wrong, would cling to me as wasting sickness does.

Without sin, while joining me in estrangement's connection

And, guiltless, joined with me as sickness joins this frame.

بِنّا فَلَو حَلَّيتَنا لَم تَدرِ ما

بِنّا فَلَو حَلَّيتَنا لَم تَدرِ ما

أَلوانُنا مِمّا اِمتُقِعنَ تَلَوُّنا

أَلوانُنا مِمّا اِمتُقِعنَ تَلَوُّنا

We parted; were you to describe us, you would not know what

We, if you had adorned us, you would not have known what

We parted; now, were you to adorn us, you would fail

our colors were, so many shades of pallor had they taken.

Our colors were, from what we were stained as we changed

To know our hues, so strangely have our colors turned.

وَتَوَقَّدَت أَنفاسُنا حَتّى لَقَد

وَتَوَقَّدَت أَنفاسُنا حَتّى لَقَد

أَشفَقتُ تَحتَرِقُ العَواذِلُ بَينَنا

أَشفَقتُ تَحتَرِقُ العَواذِلُ بَينَنا

And our breaths blazed until indeed

And our breaths ignited until, indeed

And our breaths ignited with such fiery heat,

I feared the reproaching women would burn between us.

I worried the maidens would burn between us

I feared the critics standing between us would burn.

أَفدي المُوَدِّعَةَ الَّتي أَتبَعتُها

أَفدي المُوَدِّعَةَ الَّتي أَتبَعتُها

نَظَراً فُرادى بَينَ زَفراتٍ ثُنا

نَظَراً فُرادى بَينَ زَفراتٍ ثُنا

I would ransom the woman bidding farewell, whom I followed

I sacrifice she who bid farewell whom I followed

I ransom her who bade farewell, followed by my gaze—

with glances one by one, amid sighs two by two.

With a look, alone, between sighs and moans

Single glances cast between double sighs of pain.

أَنكَرتُ طارِقَةَ الحَوادِثِ مَرَّةً

أَنكَرتُ طارِقَةَ الحَوادِثِ مَرَّةً

ثُمَّ اِعتَرَفتُ بِها فَصارَت دَيدَنا

ثُمَّ اِعتَرَفتُ بِها فَصارَت دَيدَنا

Once I found the oncoming calamities strange;

I denied the knocking of events once

Once I denied that Misfortune could strike so hard,

then I grew familiar with them, and they became my wont.

Then admitted to it, so it became our habit

Then I confessed its power, and it became my custom.

وَقَطَعتُ في الدُنيا الفَلا وَرَكائِبي

وَقَطَعتُ في الدُنيا الفَلا وَرَكائِبي

فيها وَوَقتَيَّ الضُحى وَالمَوهِنا

فيها وَوَقتَيَّ الضُحى وَالمَوهِنا

I crossed the deserts of the world; my mounts

And I roamed the world, aimless, and passed my time

I traversed the earthly wastes, wearing down my mounts,

there—and my two times of travel—were forenoon and deep night.

In it, and my prime and those deceived

Consuming in them both the morning light and midnight gloom,

وَوَقَفتُ مِنها حَيثُ أَوقَفَني النَدى

وَوَقَفتُ مِنها حَيثُ أَوقَفَني النَدى

وَبَلَغتُ مِن بَدرِ اِبنِ عَمّارِ المُنا

وَبَلَغتُ مِن بَدرِ اِبنِ عَمّارِ المُنا

And I halted in it where bounty made me halt,

And I stopped where the morning dew stopped me

Until I halted where Generosity bade me halt,

and from Badr ibn Ammar attained my wishes.

And I reached the full moon of the son of 'Ammar

And reached my highest hopes in Badr ibn 'Ammar.

لِأَبي الحُسَينِ جَدىً يَضيقُ وِعائُهُ

لِأَبي الحُسَينِ جَدىً يَضيقُ وِعائُهُ

عَنهُ وَلَو كانَ الوِعاءُ الأَزمُنا

عَنهُ وَلَو كانَ الوِعاءُ الأَزمُنا

Abu al-Husayn has bounty whose vessel is too narrow

For Abi al-Husayn, my grandfather, whose capacity

To Abu al-Husayn belongs a bounty no vessel can contain,

to hold it, even if that vessel were all the ages.

Falls short of him, even if the vessel were most vast

Not even if that vessel were the span of Time itself.

وَشَجاعَةٌ أَغناهُ عَنها ذِكرُها

وَشَجاعَةٌ أَغناهُ عَنها ذِكرُها

وَنَهى الجَبانَ حَديثُها أَن يَجبُنا

وَنَهى الجَبانَ حَديثُها أَن يَجبُنا

And courage whose renown spares him its use,

And a courage that made its mention suffice him

And a courage so famed he need not prove its force;

and whose tale forbids the coward to be cowardly.

And its discourse prevented the coward from cowardice

The mere tale of it forbids the coward to flee.

نيطَت حَمائِلُهُ بِعاتِقِ مِحرَبٍ

نيطَت حَمائِلُهُ بِعاتِقِ مِحرَبٍ

ما كَرَّ قَطُّ وَهَل يَكُرُّ وَما اِنثَنى

ما كَرَّ قَطُّ وَهَل يَكُرُّ وَما اِنثَنى

His sword-straps were hung upon a seasoned warrior's shoulder,

Its reins were tied to the shoulder of a warrior

His sword-belt hangs upon the shoulder of a warrior

who never returned to the charge—how could he, never having retreated?

Who never retreated, does he retreat? Nor bend

Who charges not again—for can one return who never turned back?

فَكَأَنَّهُ وَالطَعنُ مِن قُدّامِهِ

فَكَأَنَّهُ وَالطَعنُ مِن قُدّامِهِ

مُتَخَوِّفٌ مِن خَلفِهِ أَن يُطعَنا

مُتَخَوِّفٌ مِن خَلفِهِ أَن يُطعَنا

So, with spear-thrusts before him, he is as though

So it was as if, while stabbed from the front

It is as if, plunging into the thrusts before him,

afraid of being stabbed from behind.

He frightened from behind that he may be stabbed

He fears a wound might strike him from behind.

نَفَتِ التَوَهُّمَ عَنهُ حِدَّةُ ذِهنِهِ

نَفَتِ التَوَهُّمَ عَنهُ حِدَّةُ ذِهنِهِ

فَقَضى عَلى غَيبِ الأُمورُ تَيَقُّنا

فَقَضى عَلى غَيبِ الأُمورُ تَيَقُّنا

The keenness of his mind has banished conjecture from him,

The sharpness of his mind dismissed from him delusions

The sharpness of his mind expels all illusion,

so he judges unseen matters with certainty.

So the unknown matters were decided with certainty for him

So he judges the unseen future with absolute certainty.

يَتَفَزَّعُ الجَبّارُ مِن بَغَتاتِهِ

يَتَفَزَّعُ الجَبّارُ مِن بَغَتاتِهِ

فَيَظَلُّ في خَلَواتِهِ مُتَكَفِّنا

فَيَظَلُّ في خَلَواتِهِ مُتَكَفِّنا

The tyrant is terrified of his sudden attacks,

The tyrant is startled by his suddenness

The tyrant trembles at the thought of his sudden strike,

so he stays wrapped in a shroud in his private retreats.

So he remains shrouded in his privacy

Remaining in his fortress, shrouded like the dead.

أَمضى إِرادَتَهُ فَسَوفَ لَهُ قَدٌ

أَمضى إِرادَتَهُ فَسَوفَ لَهُ قَدٌ

وَاِستَقرَبَ الأَقصى فَثَمَّ لَهُ هُنا

وَاِستَقرَبَ الأَقصى فَثَمَّ لَهُ هُنا

He carries out his will: for him, 'will' is 'already';

He accomplished his will so soon he will have power

He executes his will: for him, "shall be" is "done,"

and he deems the farthest near: for him, 'there' is 'here'.

And drew nearer the furthest so there he attained

He draws the distant near: for him, "there" is "here."

يَجِدُ الحَديدَ عَلى بَضاضَةِ جِلدِهِ

يَجِدُ الحَديدَ عَلى بَضاضَةِ جِلدِهِ

ثَوباً أَخَفَّ مِنَ الحَريرِ وَأَليَنا

ثَوباً أَخَفَّ مِنَ الحَريرِ وَأَليَنا

He finds iron upon his tender skin

He finds iron against the softness of his skin

He finds the heavy iron, upon his tender skin,

a garment lighter than silk, and softer.

A garment lighter than silk and smoother

A garment lighter than silk, and softer to the touch.

وَأَمَرُّ مِن فَقدِ الأَحِبَّةِ عِندَهُ

وَأَمَرُّ مِن فَقدِ الأَحِبَّةِ عِندَهُ

فَقدُ السُيوفِ الفاقِداتِ الأَجفُنا

فَقدُ السُيوفِ الفاقِداتِ الأَجفُنا

And bitterer to him than losing loved ones

And more bitter to him than the loss of loved ones

And bitterer to him than the loss of those he loves

is losing swords bereft of scabbards.

Is the loss of swords with missing sheaths

Is the loss of swords that sleep within their sheaths.

لا يَستَكِنُّ الرُعبُ بَينَ ضُلوعِهِ

لا يَستَكِنُّ الرُعبُ بَينَ ضُلوعِهِ

يَوماً وَلا الإِحسانُ أَن لا يُحسِنا

يَوماً وَلا الإِحسانُ أَن لا يُحسِنا

Fear never lodges between his ribs

Neither does fear reside in his ribs one day

Terror finds no home within his ribcage for a day,

even for a day; nor does bounty fear that he will fail to give.

Nor generosity that he should not be generous

Nor does he cease his bounty, lest goodness go undone.

مُستَنبِطٌ مِن عِلمِهِ ما في غَدٍ

مُستَنبِطٌ مِن عِلمِهِ ما في غَدٍ

فَكَأَنَّ ما سَيَكونُ فيهِ دُوِّنا

فَكَأَنَّ ما سَيَكونُ فيهِ دُوِّنا

He deduces from his knowledge what tomorrow holds,

Inferring from his knowledge what tomorrow holds

From wisdom he deduces what tomorrow holds,

as though what will happen then were written down.

As if what will happen in it is documented

As though the scroll of future events were written now.

تَتَقاصَرُ الأَفهامُ عَن إِدراكِهِ

تَتَقاصَرُ الأَفهامُ عَن إِدراكِهِ

مِثلَ الَّذي الأَفلاكُ فيهِ وَالدُنا

مِثلَ الَّذي الأَفلاكُ فيهِ وَالدُنا

Minds fall short of comprehending him,

Minds fall short of comprehending him

Human understanding falls short of grasping him,

as they fail to grasp that which contains the spheres and worlds.

Like the heavens and the earth in which we and creation are

Just as it fails to grasp the orbits and the worlds.

مَن لَيسَ مِن قَتلاهُ مِن طُلَقائِهِ

مَن لَيسَ مِن قَتلاهُ مِن طُلَقائِهِ

مَن لَيسَ مِمَّن دانَ مِمَّن حُيِّنا

مَن لَيسَ مِمَّن دانَ مِمَّن حُيِّنا

Whoever is not among his slain is among those he has freed;

Who is not of those he killed of his peers

He who is not among his slain is among his freed;

whoever is not among those who submit is among those doomed to death.

Who is not of those who yielded of those weAlerted?

He who did not yield is one spared by his grace.

لَمّا قَفَلتَ مِنَ السَواحِلِ نَحوَنا

لَمّا قَفَلتَ مِنَ السَواحِلِ نَحوَنا

قَفَلَت إِلَيها وَحشَةٌ مِن عِندِنا

قَفَلَت إِلَيها وَحشَةٌ مِن عِندِنا

When you returned to us from the coasts,

When you turned from the coasts toward us

When you returned from the coastal lands to us,

loneliness returned to them from our midst.

Desolation turned to them from our side

Desolation returned to them, shifting from our side.

أَرِجَ الطَريقُ فَما مَرَرتَ بِمَوضِعٍ

أَرِجَ الطَريقُ فَما مَرَرتَ بِمَوضِعٍ

إِلّا أَقامَ بِهِ الشَذا مُستَوطِنا

إِلّا أَقامَ بِهِ الشَذا مُستَوطِنا

The road grew fragrant; you passed no place

The path swayed so you did not pass a place

The road grew fragrant; you passed no single spot

where fragrance did not settle to make its home.

Except the wild beasts dwelt there as residents

But that the scent of glory settled there to dwell.

لَو تَعقِلُ الشَجَرُ الَّتي قابَلتَها

لَو تَعقِلُ الشَجَرُ الَّتي قابَلتَها

مَدَّت مُحَيِّيَةً إِلَيكَ الأَغصُنا

مَدَّت مُحَيِّيَةً إِلَيكَ الأَغصُنا

Had the trees you met possessed reason,

If the trees you met could think

Had the trees you encountered possessed a mind,

they would have stretched their branches toward you in greeting.

They would stretch greeting branches to you

They would have stretched their branches out to welcome you.

سَلَكَت تَماثيلَ القِبابِ الجِنُّ مِن

سَلَكَت تَماثيلَ القِبابِ الجِنُّ مِن

شَوقٍ بِها فَأَدَرنَ فيكَ الأَعيُنا

شَوقٍ بِها فَأَدَرنَ فيكَ الأَعيُنا

The jinn entered the statues on the domes out of

The spirits of domes' statues walked from

The Jinn walked within the statues of the domes

longing within them, and they turned their eyes toward you.

Yearning through them so their eyes turned to you

Out of longing, turning their stone eyes to gaze at you.

طَرِبَت مَراكِبُنا فَخِلنا أَنَّها

طَرِبَت مَراكِبُنا فَخِلنا أَنَّها

لَولا حَياءٌ عاقَها رَقَصَت بِنا

لَولا حَياءٌ عاقَها رَقَصَت بِنا

Our mounts rejoiced, and we imagined that,

Our ships were disturbed so we thought

Our steeds pranced with joy, until we almost thought

had modesty not restrained them, they would have danced with us.

If not for modesty, they would have danced with us

They would have danced with us, had modesty not held them back.

أَقبَلتَ تَبسِمُ وَالجِيادُ عَوابِسٌ

أَقبَلتَ تَبسِمُ وَالجِيادُ عَوابِسٌ

يَخبُبنَ بِالحَلَقِ المُضاعَفِ وَالقَنا

يَخبُبنَ بِالحَلَقِ المُضاعَفِ وَالقَنا

You approached smiling while the steeds scowled,

You came smiling and the steeds frowning

You advanced smiling, while the war-horses frowned,

trotting with doubled rings of mail and lances.

Biting the doubled bridle and cheekpiece

Trotting beneath the weight of double-mail and spears.

عَقَدَت سَنابِكُها عَلَيها عِثيَراً

عَقَدَت سَنابِكُها عَلَيها عِثيَراً

لَو تَبتَغي عَنَقاً عَلَيهِ أَمكَنا

لَو تَبتَغي عَنَقاً عَلَيهِ أَمكَنا

Their hooves knotted a cloud of dust above them;

Their braids coiled upon them abundantly

Their hooves tied a cloud of dust above them;

had they wished to trot upon it, they could.

If you sought a neck over them it enabled

Had one sought to march upon it, it would have held him.

وَالأَمرُ أَمرُكَ وَالقُلوبُ خَوافِقٌ

وَالأَمرُ أَمرُكَ وَالقُلوبُ خَوافِقٌ

في مَوقِفٍ بَينَ المَنِيَّةِ وَالمُنى

في مَوقِفٍ بَينَ المَنِيَّةِ وَالمُنى

And command was yours, and hearts were fluttering

And the matter is your matter, and hearts in harmony

The command is yours alone, while hearts beat wild

in a place between death and hope.

In a stance between demise and purpose

Standing at the station between death and desire.

فَعَجِبتُ حَتّى ما عَجِبتُ مِنَ الظُبى

فَعَجِبتُ حَتّى ما عَجِبتُ مِنَ الظُبى

وَرَأَيتُ حَتّى ما رَأَيتُ مِنَ السَنا

وَرَأَيتُ حَتّى ما رَأَيتُ مِنَ السَنا

I marveled until I could marvel no more at the sword-edges,

So I was amazed until I was not amazed by gazelles

I marveled until I no longer marveled at the swords,

and looked until the radiance left me unable to see.

And I saw until I did not see from beauties

And gazed until I no longer saw the lightning’s flash.

إِنّي أَراكَ مِنَ المَكارِمِ عَسكَراً

إِنّي أَراكَ مِنَ المَكارِمِ عَسكَراً

في عَسكَرٍ وَمِنَ المَعالي مَعدِنا

في عَسكَرٍ وَمِنَ المَعالي مَعدِنا

Indeed, I see you as an army of noble virtues

I see you a garrison of honors

I see in you a vast army of noble deeds,

within an army, and a mine of exalted deeds.

In a garrison, and a mine of sublimities

Within an army of men—a mine of sovereign heights.

فَطِنَ الفُؤادُ لِما أَتَيتُ عَلى النَوى

فَطِنَ الفُؤادُ لِما أَتَيتُ عَلى النَوى

وَلِما تَرَكتُ مَخافَةً أَن تَفطُنا

وَلِما تَرَكتُ مَخافَةً أَن تَفطُنا

Your heart discerned what I did while far away,

So the heart perceived when I came by yearning

My heart was keenly aware of what I did while far,

and what I left undone, for fear you would discern it.

And when I left fearing you would perceive

And what I left undone, fearing you would notice.

أَضحى فِراقُكَ لي عَلَيهِ عُقوبَةً

أَضحى فِراقُكَ لي عَلَيهِ عُقوبَةً

لَيسَ الَّذي قاسَيتُ مِنهُ هَيِّنا

لَيسَ الَّذي قاسَيتُ مِنهُ هَيِّنا

Separation from you became my punishment for it;

Your separation has become a punishment upon it

Separation from you became my punishment for that;

what I suffered from it was no light matter.

Not easy, that which I suffered from it

And truly, what I suffered was no easy burden.

فَاِغفِر فِدىً لَكَ وَاِحبُني مِن بَعدِها

فَاِغفِر فِدىً لَكَ وَاِحبُني مِن بَعدِها

لِتَخُصَّني بِعَطِيَّةٍ مِنها أَنا

لِتَخُصَّني بِعَطِيَّةٍ مِنها أَنا

So forgive me—may I be your ransom—and favor me afterward,

So forgive, a ransom for you, and love me after it

So forgive—may I be your ransom—and grant me grace,

singling me out with a gift of which I myself am part.

To confer upon me a gift from it, I

Singling me out with a gift that is mine alone.

وَاِنهَ المُشيرَ عَلَيكَ فيَّ بِضَلَّةٍ

وَاِنهَ المُشيرَ عَلَيكَ فيَّ بِضَلَّةٍ

فَالحَرُّ مُمتَحِنٌ بِأَولادِ الزِنا

فَالحَرُّ مُمتَحِنٌ بِأَولادِ الزِنا

And restrain whoever gives you misguided counsel about me;

And he who counseled you about me in error

And silence the counselor who guides you wrong regarding me;

for the noble man is tried by sons of fornication.

For the free man is tested by the sons of fornication

For the noble man is ever tested by the sons of shame.

وَإِذا الفَتى طَرَحَ الكَلامَ مُعَرِّضاً

وَإِذا الفَتى طَرَحَ الكَلامَ مُعَرِّضاً

في مَجلِسٍ أَخَذَ الكَلامَ اللَذعَنا

في مَجلِسٍ أَخَذَ الكَلامَ اللَذعَنا

And when a man casts forth words by way of allusion

And when the young man tosses words dismissively

If a youth casts insinuations in the gathering hall,

in an assembly, those words seize the sharp-tongued man.

In a sitting, the sarcastic takes the words

It is the brilliant wit who grasps the speech’s aim.

وَمَكايِدُ السُفَهاءِ واقِعَةٌ بِهِم

وَمَكايِدُ السُفَهاءِ واقِعَةٌ بِهِم

وَعَداوَةُ الشُعَراءِ بِئسَ المُقتَنى

وَعَداوَةُ الشُعَراءِ بِئسَ المُقتَنى

And the schemes of fools fall back upon them;

And the schemes of fools befall them

The plots of fools recoil upon their own heads,

and poets' enmity is a wretched thing to acquire.

And the enmity of poets is a miserable acquisition

And the enmity of poets is a wretched prize to win.

لُعِنَت مُقارَنَةُ اللَئيمِ فَإِنَّها

لُعِنَت مُقارَنَةُ اللَئيمِ فَإِنَّها

ضَيفٌ يَجِرُّ مِنَ النَدامَةِ ضَيفَنا

ضَيفٌ يَجِرُّ مِنَ النَدامَةِ ضَيفَنا

Cursed be the company of the base man, for it is

Cursed is the company of the base one, for it

Cursed is the company of the base and vile;

a guest that drags along an uninvited guest of remorse.

Is a guest that drags regret as a guest

It is a guest that drags Regret along to feast.

غَضَبُ الحَسودِ إِذا لَقيتُكَ راضِياً

غَضَبُ الحَسودِ إِذا لَقيتُكَ راضِياً

رُزءٌ أَخَفُّ عَلَيَّ مِن أَن يوزَنا

رُزءٌ أَخَفُّ عَلَيَّ مِن أَن يوزَنا

The envious man's anger, when I find you pleased,

The anger of the envious when I meet you pleased

The anger of the envious, if I meet you pleased,

is a misfortune too slight for me even to weigh.

Is a mockery easier on me than to weigh us down

Is a burden too light for me to even weigh.

أَمسى الَّذي أَمسى بِرَبِّكَ كافِراً

أَمسى الَّذي أَمسى بِرَبِّكَ كافِراً

مِن غَيرِنا مَعَنا بِفَضلِكَ مُؤمِنا

مِن غَيرِنا مَعَنا بِفَضلِكَ مُؤمِنا

He who had become an unbeliever in your Lord,

He who became with your Lord a disbeliever in the evening

He who spent the evening denying your Lord's decree

though not one of us, now believes with us in your bounty.

Became from other than us, with us by your grace a believer

Has joined us, through your bounty, as a faithful soul.

خَلَتِ البِلادُ مِنَ الغَزالَةِ لَيلَها

خَلَتِ البِلادُ مِنَ الغَزالَةِ لَيلَها

فَأَعاضَهاكَ اللَهُ كَي لا تَحزَنا

فَأَعاضَهاكَ اللَهُ كَي لا تَحزَنا

The lands were left without the sun by night;

The countries became devoid of gazelles in their nights

The lands were stripped of the sun when night came down,

so God gave you to them instead, that they might not grieve.

So may God compensate you so you would not grieve

So God gave you as compensation, lest they grieve.