بين رِئم الحِمَى وآرامِ رامَهْ

بين رِئم الحِمَى وآرامِ رامَهْ

حَربُ بدرٍ فهل علينا مَلامَهْ

حَربُ بدرٍ فهل علينا مَلامَهْ

Amid the sanctuary’s white gazelles and herds of white antelope, he sought his quarry.

Between the sanctuary's gazelle and the gazelles of Rāmah

The Battle of Badr—the Full Moon: can any blame fall upon us?

is a full moon's battle—are we to blame?

قد طلبتُ النِّضالَ حتى تَلاقَيْ

قد طلبتُ النِّضالَ حتى تَلاقَيْ

نا فلَمَّا رَنَا طلبتُ السَلامَةْ

نا فلَمَّا رَنَا طلبتُ السَلامَةْ

You sought combat until we met—

I sought combat until we came

—then, when he cast his gaze, you sought safety.

together; then, when he gazed, I sought safety.

أين سيفي من لحظِ مَن يَقطعُ السَّيْ

أين سيفي من لحظِ مَن يَقطعُ السَّيْ

فَ بلحظٍ لهُ كقَطعِ القُلامَهْ

فَ بلحظٍ لهُ كقَطعِ القُلامَهْ

How can my sword compare with the glance of one who cleaves the sword—

What is my sword beside the glance of one who cuts a sword

—with a glance of his, as cleanly as clipping a nail?

with a glance of his, as one cuts a nail clipping?

يَتَّقي العينَ أن تَراهُ وَ يَخشَى

يَتَّقي العينَ أن تَراهُ وَ يَخشَى

عينَهُ كلُّ فارسٍ تحتَ لامهْ

عينَهُ كلُّ فارسٍ تحتَ لامهْ

He guards against the evil eye seeing him; meanwhile, every horseman fears—

He shuns the eye lest it see him, while

—his gaze, even beneath his armor.

every armored knight fears his eye.

مَن لِمِثلي بمثلِ ظَبْيٍ حَمَاهُ

مَن لِمِثلي بمثلِ ظَبْيٍ حَمَاهُ

سَيفُ جفنٍ يعلو على رُمحِ قامَهْ

سَيفُ جفنٍ يعلو على رُمحِ قامَهْ

Who can give one like me a match for the gazelle of his sanctuary?

Who can help one like me with such a gazelle, guarded

The sword of an eyelid rises above the spear of his stature.

by an eyelid's sword, rising above the spear of his stature?

إنما الهَجْرُ للمُحِبّينَ موتٌ

إنما الهَجْرُ للمُحِبّينَ موتٌ

ليتَ شِعري متى تكونُ القيامَهْ

ليتَ شِعري متى تكونُ القيامَهْ

Separation is nothing but death to lovers;

Parting is nothing but death to lovers;

would that I knew when the Resurrection will come.

would that I knew when resurrection will come!

لِيَ ذُلٌّ أقامَ عِزّاً لديهِ

لِيَ ذُلٌّ أقامَ عِزّاً لديهِ

ذُلُّ نفسٍ لعِزِّ نفسٍ إِقامَهْ

ذُلُّ نفسٍ لعِزِّ نفسٍ إِقامَهْ

My abasement has raised honor for me in his eyes;

My abasement has established honor for him;

one soul’s humility before another soul’s nobility is exaltation.

one soul's abasement sustains another soul's honor.

و إذا لم أَعرِف كَرامةَ نفسي

و إذا لم أَعرِف كَرامةَ نفسي

كيفَ أرجو ممَّن سِوايَ كَرامَهْ

كيفَ أرجو ممَّن سِوايَ كَرامَهْ

And if I do not recognize my own worth,

And if I do not recognize my own dignity,

how can I hope for honor from anyone besides myself?

how can I expect honor from anyone else?

ما أَنا والحِسانَ تُضحِكُ رَيحا

ما أَنا والحِسانَ تُضحِكُ رَيحا

نَ عِذرٍ من عارِضَيَّ ثَغَامَهْ

نَ عِذرٍ من عارِضَيَّ ثَغَامَهْ

What care have I for beauties? Sweet basil smiles—

What have I to do with beauties, when a virgin youth's basil

—virgin-fresh, while white thaghām blooms upon his cheeks.

is made to laugh by the white thaghāmah on my cheeks?

كُلُّ فنٍّ لهُ رِجالٌ وفي كُلْ

كُلُّ فنٍّ لهُ رِجالٌ وفي كُلْ

لِ رِجالٍ مَن يستحِقُّ الإِمامَهْ

لِ رِجالٍ مَن يستحِقُّ الإِمامَهْ

Every art has its masters, and among all—

Every art has its men, and among every

—men is one who merits the imamate:

company of men is one who deserves leadership:

كإِمام القُضاةِ مولى الموالي

كإِمام القُضاةِ مولى الموالي

كَعْبةِ الفضلِ العالمِ العَلاَّمَهْ

كَعْبةِ الفضلِ العالمِ العَلاَّمَهْ

the Chief Justice, patron of patrons,

like the chief of judges, the master of masters,

the Kaaba of excellence, the learned, consummate scholar,

the Kaaba of excellence, the learned, consummate scholar,

الَّذي قامَ في طَرابُلُسِ الشا

الَّذي قامَ في طَرابُلُسِ الشا

مِ فكانت في وَجنةِ الشامِ شَامَهْ

مِ فكانت في وَجنةِ الشامِ شَامَهْ

who took his stand in Syria’s Tripoli—

who dwelt in Tripoli of al-Shām,

—which became a beauty mark upon Syria’s cheek.

which thus became a beauty spot on al-Shām's cheek.

عَلَمٌ دَلَّتِ البَنانُ عليهِ

عَلَمٌ دَلَّتِ البَنانُ عليهِ

عِندَ إِقبالِهِ فتِلكَ العَلامَهْ

عِندَ إِقبالِهِ فتِلكَ العَلامَهْ

A luminary whom pointing fingers single out;

A beacon to whom fingertips pointed

when he approaches, that is the distinguishing sign.

at his approach—such is the sign.

عَجِبَ الناظرونَ للبحرِ منهُ

عَجِبَ الناظرونَ للبحرِ منهُ

فوقَ سرجٍ والبدرِ تحتَ عِمامَهْ

فوقَ سرجٍ والبدرِ تحتَ عِمامَهْ

Onlookers marveled at the sea embodied in him:

Onlookers marveled at the sea embodied in him,

a sea above a saddle, while the sea lay beneath his turban.

upon a saddle, and the full moon beneath a turban.

هيبةٌ في وَداعةٍ وانبِساطٌ

هيبةٌ في وَداعةٍ وانبِساطٌ

في وَقارٍ ورِقَّةٌ في شهامَهْ

في وَقارٍ ورِقَّةٌ في شهامَهْ

Majesty amid gentleness, and openhearted ease—

Majesty amid gentleness, and affability

—amid dignity, and tenderness amid valor.

amid dignity, and tenderness amid gallantry.

لا تَنالُ المُدامُ منهُ ولا يَلْ

لا تَنالُ المُدامُ منهُ ولا يَلْ

قَى الغَواني بمُهجةٍ مُستهامَهْ

قَى الغَواني بمُهجةٍ مُستهامَهْ

Wine gains no mastery over him, nor does he meet—

Wine takes no hold of him, nor does he

—fair women with a love-besotted heart.

meet fair women with a lovesick heart.

نَصَبَتْ عينَهُ رقيباً عليهِ

نَصَبَتْ عينَهُ رقيباً عليهِ

منهُ نفسٌ لنفسِها لَوَّامَهْ

منهُ نفسٌ لنفسِها لَوَّامَهْ

His eye stands watch over him,

His eye was appointed a watchman over him

for within him is a soul forever reproaching itself.

by a soul within him, ever reproaching itself.

ليسَ يحتاج في الفِعالِ إلى العُذ

ليسَ يحتاج في الفِعالِ إلى العُذ

رِ ولا تَعقُبُ الفِعالَ النَدامَهْ

رِ ولا تَعقُبُ الفِعالَ النَدامَهْ

No deed of his ever needs an excuse—

In his deeds he has no need of excuses,

—nor is any deed followed by remorse.

nor does regret follow his deeds.

عَقَدَتْ في القَضاءِ صُلحَ أعادي

عَقَدَتْ في القَضاءِ صُلحَ أعادي

هِ وأَنْسَتْ حُبَّ الصديقِ استقِامَهْ

هِ وأَنْسَتْ حُبَّ الصديقِ استقِامَهْ

His rectitude, in judgment, reconciled his enemies—

In judgment, peace with his enemies was forged

—and made him forget the affection of a friend.

by uprightness, which made him forget love for a friend.

تُرهِبُ النَّفسَ نظرةٌ منهُ إِجلا

تُرهِبُ النَّفسَ نظرةٌ منهُ إِجلا

لاً وتُحيى القُلوبَ منهُ ابتِسامَهْ

لاً وتُحيى القُلوبَ منهُ ابتِسامَهْ

One glance from him awes the soul into reverence—

A glance from him fills the soul with reverent fear,

—and one smile from him makes hearts bow.

and a smile from him brings hearts to life.

رامَ تقبيلَ كفِّهِ كلُّ ثَغْرٍ

رامَ تقبيلَ كفِّهِ كلُّ ثَغْرٍ

ولَدَيهِ تَطأمنَتْ كُلُّ هامَهْ

ولَدَيهِ تَطأمنَتْ كُلُّ هامَهْ

Every mouth has yearned to kiss his hand,

Every mouth sought to kiss his palm,

and before him every head bows low.

and before him every head bowed low.

بَعُدتْ غايةُ الإِمام ولم أَظ

بَعُدتْ غايةُ الإِمام ولم أَظ

فرْ بعينٍ كعينِ ذاتِ اليَمامَهْ

فرْ بعينٍ كعينِ ذاتِ اليَمامَهْ

The Imam’s summit lies far beyond me, and I have not won—

The imam's goal lies far away, and I have not

—an eye like that of the far-seeing Lady of Yamāma.

gained an eye like that of the lady of al-Yamāmah.

يَسبِقُ الفعلُ منهُ قولي فما أُد

يَسبِقُ الفعلُ منهُ قولي فما أُد

ركُهُ لو رَكبتُ مَتْنَ النَعامَهْ

ركُهُ لو رَكبتُ مَتْنَ النَعامَهْ

His deeds outrun my words, and I cannot overtake—

His deeds outpace my words; I could not

—them, even if I rode upon an ostrich’s back.

catch him even if I rode an ostrich's back.

حَسْبُكَ اللهُ يا محمَّدُ قد أَو

حَسْبُكَ اللهُ يا محمَّدُ قد أَو

عيتَ ما ضاقَ عنهُ غَورُ تِهامَهْ

عيتَ ما ضاقَ عنهُ غَورُ تِهامَهْ

God is enough for you, O Muhammad: you have contained—

God is enough for you, O Muhammad; you have

—what even the depths of Tihāma were too narrow to hold.

contained what the lowland of Tihāmah was too narrow to hold.

ليتَ مُعطِيكَ ذلكَ الفضلَ أعطا

ليتَ مُعطِيكَ ذلكَ الفضلَ أعطا

نا لهُ أَلْسُناً بهِ قَوَّامَهْ

نا لهُ أَلْسُناً بهِ قَوَّامَهْ

Would that the Giver who granted you such excellence had granted—

Would that the one who gave you that excellence had given

—us tongues equal to giving it its due.

us tongues capable of doing it justice.