عروس تحيّاتٍ من الحسن تنجلي

عروس تحيّاتٍ من الحسن تنجلي

بعقدِ بديعٍ زانه أعظمُ الحُلي

بعقدِ بديعٍ زانه أعظمُ الحُلي

A bride of greetings shines forth in beauty,

A bride of greetings radiant with beauty

with a wondrous necklace adorned by the grandest jewels.

Adorned with a splendid necklace, the greatest of jewels

فتهدي عن الداعي دعاءً لمن غدا

فتهدي عن الداعي دعاءً لمن غدا

له في سماء القلب أحسن منزل

له في سماء القلب أحسن منزل

She offers, on the supplicant's behalf, a prayer for one who has come

She conveys on behalf of the summoner a prayer for him

to have the fairest dwelling in the heart's sky.

Who has the best dwelling in the sky of the heart

وإنّي على عهدي أهيم بحبّه

وإنّي على عهدي أهيم بحبّه

غراماً ويا ويل الشجيّ من الخلي

غراماً ويا ويل الشجيّ من الخلي

And I, true to my pledge, am lost in love for him,

And I, true to my vow, am enamored with his love

in passion—oh, the lovelorn's woe at the hands of the carefree!

Passionately - and woe to the arid from anguish

على أنّني بكري وشاعت محبّتي

على أنّني بكري وشاعت محبّتي

له فادّعوا أنّي تشيّعت في علي

له فادّعوا أنّي تشيّعت في علي

Though I am Bakri, my love became widely known

Though I am chaste, my love for him has spread

for him—so they claimed I had turned Shi‘i in devotion to Ali.

So they claim I am infatuated with Ali

وما ضرّني هذا وإن لام لائمي

وما ضرّني هذا وإن لام لائمي

فوجدي به ينمو على رغم عُذّلي

فوجدي به ينمو على رغم عُذّلي

And this has not harmed me, even if my reproacher reproaches me;

This does not hurt me, though my critic berates me

for my passion for him grows despite my reproachers.

For my passion flourishes despite his censure

وكيف ومحبوبي غريبٌ مصغَّرٌ

وكيف ومحبوبي غريبٌ مصغَّرٌ

لتعظيمه في لطفه والتجمّل

لتعظيمه في لطفه والتجمّل

And how could it, when my beloved is a stranger, bearing a diminutive

How could it not when my beloved is a youth made petite

to exalt him in his gentleness and grace?

To exalt his grace and adornment

وتعويق كتبي لم يكن عن تهاونٍ

وتعويق كتبي لم يكن عن تهاونٍ

بمن هو عندي من أجلّ مبجلي

بمن هو عندي من أجلّ مبجلي

And the delay in my letters was not due to neglect

My scarce writing was not due to neglect

of one I count among those I honor most.

Of one who is to me the most majestic of the eminent

ولكنّني ألقاه في القلب حاضراً

ولكنّني ألقاه في القلب حاضراً

وكأس شهودي من تدانيه ممتلي

وكأس شهودي من تدانيه ممتلي

Yet I meet him, present in my heart,

But I behold him in my heart present

and the cup of my witnessing is filled through his nearness.

And the cup of my witnessing from his nearness brimming

ومرآة قلبي مثل مرآة قلبه

ومرآة قلبي مثل مرآة قلبه

بصيقل نور الحبّ في الله تنجلي

بصيقل نور الحبّ في الله تنجلي

And the mirror of my heart, like the mirror of his heart,

The mirror of my heart is like the mirror of his heart

is made clear by the burnishing light of love for God's sake.

Burnished by the light of love, in God gleaming

فأشهده منّي ويشهدني كذا

فأشهده منّي ويشهدني كذا

ومنّي له في الغيب جمعٌ ومنه لي

ومنّي له في الغيب جمعٌ ومنه لي

So I behold him from within myself, and he beholds me likewise;

I behold him from me and he beholds me thus

and in the unseen is union—from me to him, and from him to me.

From me to him gathered, and him to me

عليه سلام الله في كلّ لمحةٍ

عليه سلام الله في كلّ لمحةٍ

مدى الدهر ما قد فاح معطار مندلي

مدى الدهر ما قد فاح معطار مندلي

May God's peace be upon him at every instant,

Upon him Allah's peace at every glance

throughout time, as long as fragrant Mandali incense gives off its scent.

For as long as time flows, the fragrance of my kerchief diffusing

وما جئت أهديه على الورد والوفا

وما جئت أهديه على الورد والوفا

عروس تحيّاتٍ من الحسن تنجلي

عروس تحيّاتٍ من الحسن تنجلي

And what I have come to offer him, with roses and fidelity,

I have not come to gift him roses and loyalty

is a bride of greetings, unveiled in beauty.

A bride of greetings radiant with beauty