سقانيها معتَّقَةً عقاراً
وقد ألقَتْ يدُ الفجر الإِزارا
She gave me an aged wine, a potent brew,
When dawn had cast off its cloak at daybreak’s hue.
ودار بها مشعشعة علينا
فَدارَ الأُنسُ فينا حيث دارا
She came by night all radiant, circling round,
So intimacy revolved, where she was found.
إذا ما زفَّها السَّاقي بلَيْلٍ
أعاد اللَّيل حينئذٍ نهارا
When the cupbearer brought it by night,
The night returned at that moment daylight.
تشقّ حشاشة الظَّلماء كأسٌ
كما أوقدَت في الظَّلماء نارا
A goblet parts the darkness like a flame,
As though a fire were kindled in the night’s gloom.
جلاها في الكؤوس لنا عروساً
وقد جعل الجمان لها نثارا
She made the wine for us a bridal draught,
And wreaths were what the wine cups brought.
يتوِّجها الحباب بتاج كسرى
إذا مزجت ويلبسها سوارا
Passion crowns her with Khusraw’s diadem,
When she is wed, clad in a bracelet’s gem.
فقبل المزج تحسبها عقيقاً
وبعد المزج تحسبها نضارا
Before she’s mixed you’d think her ruby wine,
Mixed, she is like the brightest star that shine.
جلاها فانجلتْ عنَّا هموم
وفرت كلَّما جُلِبَتْ فرارا
She made our melancholy cares to cease,
And put to flight whatever she brought of peace.
فأَدركت الندامى بالحميّا
من الهمِّ الَّذي في القلب ثارا
The temperate learnt repentance thro' her power,
For passion raging rampant in their heart.
وكم من لذَّةٍ بكيتِ راح
أغرناها فأَبعدنا المفارا
O how many joys have made me weep, since we
Estranged them, driving away the revelry!
ويعذرني الشَّباب على التَّصابي
بصبوة مغرم خلع العذارا
My youth excuses my intoxication,
A lover who could never show moderation.
وما أَهنا المدام بكفِّ ساقٍ
كمثل البدر أشرق واستنارا
How excellent this wine is from the hands
Of a fair cupbearer, like the moon's bright bands.
بروحي ذلك الرَّشأ المفدَّى
وإنْ ألِفَ التجنّب والنفارا
By my life that graceful sprig I do adore,
Though he affect aloofness evermore.
وأينَ الظبي من لفتات أحوى
يضاهيه التفاتاً واحورارا
Where is the roe beside these glances' lure?
Who vies in turning with such flirt demure?
رنا فأَصابَ بالأَلحاظ منَّا
فؤاداً بالصَّبابة مستطارا
She glanced, and with her eyes' intoxication
Set aflame a heart through fascination.
مليحاً ما تصبّر في هواه
محبٌّ لم يجد عنه اصطبارا
Fair one, how sweetly she torments her lover,
Who cannot find in her rigor recovery.
وما أَنسى غداة الشّرب أمْسَتْ
بناظره وريقته سكارى
I'll ne’er forget that morn of drinking, when
Her gaze and cheek were drunk without wine's bane.
أَلا يا ممرضي بسقام طرفٍ
أصاب من الحشا جرحاً جبارا
O healer of the sickness of my eye,
Wounded by fervor, incurable its scar.
فؤادي مثل طَرفك بانكسارٍ
فكلٌّ يشتكي منك انكسارا
My heart is broken, like your glance's blow.
Both croon their breaking, beyond healing's scope.
غرامي في هواك بلا اختياري
وما كانَ الهوى إلاَّ اضطرارا
My love for you was never by my choice;
Passion allows not optional voice.
مضى وتصرَّمَتْ تلك التَّصابي
فإنْ عاد الصّبا عاد ادّكارا
Those revels now are past, those heat is over,
But should youth come again, I shall recover.
فوالهفي على أوقات لهوٍ
قَضَيناها وإنْ كانت قصارا
By life! I shall remember well the days
Of play we squandered, howso brief their phase.
تركت الشعر لمَّا ألْبَسَتْني
من الأَكدار أيَّامي شعارا
I left off verse when sorrow donned on me
Its robes, and made my days its livery.
ولولا مدح مولانا عليٍّ
لما جُدْتُ النظام ولا النثارا
But for my praise of our lord Ali,
I ne’er had shown my skill in poesy.
أجلّ السَّادة الأَشراف قدراً
وأرفعهم وأطيبهم نجارا
Noblest of nobles in repute is he,
Loftiest, and purest pedigree.
وأرأفهم على الملهوف قلباً
وأسرعهم إلى الحسنى بدارا
Tend'rest of heart he is to the distressed,
Quickest of all men to every good behest.
جواد في الأَكارم لا يبارى
وبحرٌ في المكارم لا يجارى
Open of hand, no peer in liberality,
A sea of bounty, boundless his facility.
إذا نظر الكبار إلى علاه
رأت في المجد أنفسها صغارا
The great look to his height, and see themselves
As small beside his splendor’s magnitude.
وقد سبقَ الأَعالي في المعالي
فما لحقت له فيها غبارا
He left behind the lofty in degree,
Nor in the heights had any kin with he.
وساجله السَّحاب فكان أندى
يداً منها وأعظمها قطارا
The clouds made war on him, but he was brighter
Of hand than they, and vaster in his might.
وكم عام منعنا القطر فيه
فأمطرَنا لجيناً أو نضارا
How oft, when rain has failed us in the year,
Has he from bounty sent us moisture sheer?
وكم شاهدت في الأَيَّام عسراً
ولذت به فشاهدت اليسارا
How oft, when straitened in the days, have I
Found ease through him, and seen abundant supply?
لنا في فضله غرس الأَماني
جَنَيْناها بدولته ثمارا
In his munificence we hope have sown,
And through his fortune's sun rich harvests grown.
وكم أكرومةٍ عَذراءَ بِكْرٍ
يجيءُ بها إلى النَّاس ابتكارا
How many a virgin treasure reserved
Has he revealed to men, a prize unserved, -
يُهينُ أَعزَّ ما ملكت يداه
بِوافر نَيْله ويعزّ جارا
Degrading what his hands did most esteem,
Exalting one as low to height supreme?
ألَسْتُم في الحقيقة آل بيت
عَلَوْا جُوداً وفضلاً واقتدارا
Are you not in truth the people of the line
Excelling ever in your birth divine?
عليكم تنزل الآيات قِدْماً
فحسبكمُ بذالكمُ افتخارا
On you the verses of the Book did first alight,
And that suffices you for pride and light.
أَقَمْتُم ركن هذا الدِّين فيها
وأَوْضَحْتُم لطالبه المنارا
You are the pillar of this faith erect,
And for the seeker you its course direct.
جُزيتم عن جميع النَّاس خيراً
وما زلتم من النَّاس الخيارا
You were rewarded for mankind entire,
Chosen, selected out from all their choir.
بنفسي منكَ قرماً هاشميًّا
يجير من الخطوب من استجارا
By my life you are the noble scions sprung
From Hashim, granting refuge when implored.
تَقُدّ حوادث الأَيَّام قَدًّا
فأنتَ السَّيف بل أمضى شفارا
Firm is your hand upon misfortune's hilt,
Swiftest of all to draw it from its tilt.
بسرِّ نداك قام الشعر فينا
فأثنينا عليك به جهارا
The poetry in us flows from your vein;
We declaim it to your glory clear and plain.
نُقَلِّدُ من مناقبك القوافي
بأحسن ما تَقَلَّدَتِ العذارى
Our themes are garlands that around you twine,
As sweet as any gracing concubine.
لبسن من الثناء عليك حِلْياً
لعمرك لن يُباع ولن يعارا
We've robed ourselves in eulogies to you,
Too costly to be borrowed or sold anew.
يضوع شميمه في كلّ نادٍ
كما نشرت صَبا نجدٍ عرارا
Its fragrance in each assembly is diffused,
As the spring wind has Najd’s meadows strewed.
فلا زالتْ لكَ الأَيَّام عيداً
ولا شاهدت في الدُّنيا بوارا
Still may your days be feast days without end,
Never in Fortune’s Wealth a dearth portend!
