وَيَوماً قَطَعناه سُروراً وَلَذَّةً
نُجاذِبُ أَطرافَ الحَديثِ المُنَمَقِ
One day we passed in joy and pleasure
Exchanging elegant conversation
ندامى وَفاءٍ لا جَفاءَ لَديهمُ
مَكارِمُهُم خَلقٌ بِغَيرِ تَخَلُقِ
With faithful friends, free of any disdain
Their virtues unfeigned, their manners refined
قَد ارتَضعوا كَأسَ الوفاقِ فَلا تَرى
خِلافاً لَدَيهم في فَعالٍ وَمَنطِقِ
They drank the cup of harmony, no conflict in their words or deeds
We gathered around a blessed pond, pure its water
صَفَفنا حَوالي بُركَةٍ راق ماؤُها
وَرَقَّ كَأَخلاقٍ لَنا لَم تُرَنَّقِ
As gentle as our refined characters, free of pretense
We swam in it, ducks eluded our swimming
سَبَحنا بِها عَوماً فَغارَت لِسِبحنا
إوَزٌ فَفاتَتنا تَصيحُ وَتَلتَقي
A fountain lamenting with copious tears
The east wind passions it with yearning
وَناعورةٌ تَحكي بِطولِ بُكائها
وَرَنَّتِها صَبّا كَثيرَ التَشَوُّقِ
Though eyes may be weary of its flowing tears
Its sides are not straitened from its weeping
لَئِن ضاقَ مِنها الجفنُ مِن عَبَراتها
فَأَضلاعُها عَن دَمعِها لَم تُضَيَّقِ
It wept and showed us fate smiling when it wept
It wailed and roused the ring-necked doves
بَكَت فَأَرَتنا الدَهرَ يَضحكُ إِذ بَكَت
وَناحَت فَأَزرَت بِالحَمامِ المطَوَّقِ
In the gardens' midst we made a cubic pavilion
Like a necklace around a neck or a crown on a head
وَقَد ضَمَّنا وَسطَ الرِياضِ مُكَعَّبٌ
كَطَوقٍ بِجيدٍ أَو كَتاجٍ بِمِفرَقِ
The brilliant sun peeks at us slyly
Casting through its windows rays that mimic
تُطالِعنا الشَمسُ المُنيرةُ لَحظَها
مسارقةً مِنها تَطلُّع شَيِّقِ
Embroidered silk's engraved patterns
When its rays meet the water, the walls shine so brightly
وَتُلقي عَلَينا مِن شَبابيكِ نورها
شُعاعاً يحاكي نَقشَ بُردٍ مُنمَّقِ
Shadows dance as the water sparkles under the breeze
It sets, and the moon keeps guard over us
إِذا ما التقَى بالماءِ مِنها شُعاعُها
تَأَلَّق بِالحِيطانِ أَيّ تَأَلُّقِ
Lest we separate, though perforce pulled west
Soon it will rise again in the east
فَيَرقُصُ مِنها الظِلُّ في جُدراتها
إِذا الماءُ أَضحى بِالصبا ذا تَرقرُقِ
How wondrous, the two lights yearn for us
While whoever we prohibit does not yearn
وَغابَت فَباتَ البدرُ يَحرُسُنا لَها
رَقيباً عَلَينا مِن حذارِ التفرُّقِ
No wonder, forms yearn for their forms
And are devoted to them with strong attachment
لَئن جُذِبَت قَسراً إِلى نَحو مَغرِبٍ
فَعَمّا قَليلٍ سَوفَ تَبدو بِمشرِقِ
We have a gathering of faithful friends
As if they had drunk cups of cordiality, sans affectation
فَيا عَجَباً للنَيِرينِ تَشوّقا
إِلَينا وَمن نَهواهُ لَم يَتَشَوَّقِ
Planets whose abode is now in the heavens
Ever rising to loftier nobility
وَلا عَجَبٌ وَالشكلُ يَشتاقُ شَكلَهُ
وَيُضحي بِهِ وَجداً شَديدَ التَعلُّقِ
A sanctified, sublime breath wafts our senses
With pure musk's exquisite scent
لَنا مَجلِسٌ فيهِ نَدامى كَأَنَّما
سُقُوا بِكُؤوسِ الودِّ غَيرِ المُرَنَّقِ
However we pass the cups of their discourse
We are intoxicated with something yet more sublime
كَواكبُ أَضحى في الأَثير مَقَرُّها
وَللشرفِ الأَعلى تَسيرُ وَتَرتَقي
A conversation enrapturing minds and forms
Flawless, enthralling listener and onlooker alike
إِذا نَفحةٌ قُدسِيَّةٌ شَرَفِيَّةٌ
تَهبُّ شَمَمنا عَرفَ مِسكٍ مُفَتَّقِ
The nobility of religion embodied all virtues
Say whatever good you will, you speak the truth
وَمَهما تَنازَعنا كُؤوسَ حَديثِها
سَكِرنا بِأَشهى مِن رَحيقٍ مُعَتَّقِ
Molded in a man of excellent traits
Beneficent, true to his word
مُحادَثةٌ تَسبِي العُقولَ وَصورة
تَمامٌ فَبُغيا سامِعٍ أَو مُحَدِّقِ
He ties hopes with freely-flowing wealth
And unites our scattered group with his munificence
حَوى شرفُ الدينِ المَكارمَ كُلَّها
فَقُل ما تَشا فيهِ مِن الخَيرِ تَصدُقِ
Concerned lest he meet a reproachful friend
While he abounds, he is not miserly
لَقَد جُبِلَت مِنهُ السَجايا عَلى فَتىً
أَمَدَّ بِإِحسانٍ وَأَوفى بِموثَقِ
He exceeds frugality with generosity
And overlooks a vulgarian's crudeness
يُقيِّدُ آمالاً بِمالٍ مُسَرَّحٍ
وَيَجمَعُ خِلّانا بجُودٍ مُفَرَّقِ
His enemies cannot get the better of him
Nor can his detractors make him lose face
وَيُشفِقُ أَن يَلقى صَديقاً مُعاتِباً
وَلَيسَ عَلى جَمعٍ لِمالٍ بِمُشفِقِ
His lineage points to sanctity, to purification
From everything disreputable and vile
يَزيدُ عَلى الإِقلالِ مِنهُ سَماحَةً
وَيُغضي حَياءً عَن سَفاهَةِ أَخرقِ
His scholarly authority is established for us
By scripture, consensus, and the verified view
فَلَيسَ الَّذي يُؤذِي عِداهُ بِمنجَحٍ
لَدَيهِ وَلا باغي جَداهُ بِمخفِقِ
A spirit converses with him through sciences
While others take refuge in patched-up speech
وَنِسبتُهُ للقُدسِ أَيَّةُ نِسبَةٍ
تَدُلُّ عَلى التَطهيرِ مِن كُلِّ موبِقِ
All knowledge is inscribed in his mind
Most generously, with a radiant pen
إِمامَتُهُ في العلمِ ثابِتَةٌ لَنا
بنصٍّ وَإِجماعٍ ورَأيِ المُدَقِّقِ
The various branches matched his intellect's mirror
Each genre embodied and realized
تُناجيهِ نَفسٌ بِالعلومِ وَغَيرُهُ
يَلوذُ بِتَجميعِ الكَلامِ المُلَفَّقِ
His intuition exhausted others' perception
His reflection surpassed every solver
وَقَد نُقِشَت كُلُّ العُلومِ بِصَدرِهِ
فَأكرِم بِحبرٍ نَيِّرِ النَفسِ مُشرِقِ
He has an eloquence that illuminates meaning
Like a bright star in the dark night sky
وَقابَل مِنها الجنسُ مرآةُ عَقلهِ
فَمثل فيها كُلَّ نَوعٍ مُحقَّقِ
Poetry like flowers in a well-kept garden
Prose like tumbling cascade or palm of a cloud
بَديهَتُهُ أَعيَت رَوِيَّةَ غَيرِهِ
وَفكرَتُهُ قَد أَعجَزَت كُلَّ مُفلقِ
A mind as if fire sprang from it
Were it not for his composure, one who came near would burn
بَنانٌ بِهِ يَبدو البَيانُ مُوشَّعا
بِمُظلِم نَقشٍ وَسطَ نَيرٍ مُهَرَّقِ
Generosity as if clouds learned from him
Without his brilliance, the giver would drown
بِنظمٍ كَزُهرٍ في المَجرة سُبَّحٍ
وَنَثرٍ كَزَهرٍ غبَّ أَو كَف مُغدِقِ
Steadfast as a mountain, open-handed as the sea
Problems disappear through him, no longer problems
وَذِهنٍ كَأَنَّ النارَ مِنهُ تَوَقَّدَت
فَلَولا نَداهُ كانَ من يَدنُ يُحرَقِ
Obscurities become clear, no longer obscure
His eloquence silences blusterers mired in a quandary
وَجُودٍ كَأنَّ السُحبَ مِنهُ تَعَلَّمَت
فَلولا ذكاء كانَ مَن يُعطَ يَغرَقِ
He facilitates what was difficult, and his manners
Always delight us, however sullen
رَسا فَكَأنَّ الطَودَ يَحكي ثَباتَهُ
همى فَكَأنَّ الجودَ بِالبَحرِ مُلتَقِ
When Muhammad's verses are recited to people
Every listening ear inclines to hear, rapt
إِذا عَصَتِ الناس القَوافي فَإِنها
تُطاوِعُهُ فيما يَشاءُ فَينتَقي
He composes marvels of ornate verse
Vanquishing the compositions of every fabricator
وَإِن راجَعَ الناسُ الدَفاتِرَ لَم يَكُن
يُراجعُ إِلا فِكرهُ ذا التَدفُقِ
Ibn Musa's Ali was a helper made triumphant
Who brought gleams of song like pure gems
وَإِن أَصلَدُوا يَوماً زِناداً فَإِنَّهُ
لَيُوري بِها نارَ الذَكاءِ المُحَرِّقِ
And created unprecedented compositions for both worlds
Joining creativity with elegance
فَلا مُشكلٌ إِلا بَدا غَيرَ مُشكِلٍ
وَلا مُغلَقٌ إِلا غَدا غَيرَ مُغلَقِ
There was something missing, so the son of Musa
Came to complete it with coherent speech
فَصيحُ مَقالٍ حينَ يَخرَسُ قسُّهُم
فَسيحُ مَجالٍ إِن يَحِلُّوا بِمأزِقِ
His poetry resembles Jarir's, as though he
Had contended with Farazdaq's prosody
يَسهِّل ما قَد كانَ حَزنا وَطالَما
أَجَدَّت لَنا آدابُهُ كُلَّ مُخلَقِ
If you do not recognize him, he is undoubtedly its peer
Who suffered for Layla's love like the one who suffered
إِذا تُلِيَت في الناسِ آيُّ محمدٍ
تَرى كُلَّ ذي سَمعٍ مَتى يُصغِ يُطرِقِ
They created for her in the mind the most perfect
Of images, refined meaning and eloquent wording
وَيَأتي مِن النَظمِ البَديعِ بِمُعجزٍ
يَطيحُ لَدَيهِ نَظم كُلِّ مُخرِّقِ
But were stingy lest an unworthy lad attain her
And show generosity he does not possess
وَكانَ ابنُ مُوسانا عليٌّ مُؤيداً
أَتى بشذورٍ لحنَ كَالجَوهَرِ النَقي
How they lost sleep and pined for her
Whoever loves Layla remains sleepless and restless
وَأَبدَعَها في العالمينَ فَرائِداً
جَمَعنَ إِلى الإِبداعِ حُسنَ التَأنُّقِ
They did not profess it, but both were made
To drink from a draft of love at night, pure wine
وَكانَ بِها نَقصٌ فَجاءَ مُكمِّلا
لِذاكَ ابنُ موسى بِالكَلامِ المطَبَّقِ
To part from her is time, and her light appeared
From Andalusia to the holy city, rising high
تَشابَه نَظماً إِذ حَكاه كَأَنَّهُ
جَريرٌ وَقَد بارى نِظامَ الفَرَزدَقِ
The secret reality Layla symbolized attained happiness and misery
How many a perplexed one it frustrated, though he never reached her
فَإِن لا يُكنهُ فَهوَ لا شَكَّ صِنوُهُ
لقي في هَوى لَيلى كمثلِ الَّذي لَقي
How many a misguided one it exposed, though he glittered
He saw a moon become a sun, and it deceived him
أَقاما لَها في الذهنِ أَبدَعَ صورَةٍ
لَطيفةِ مَعنىً رائِقِ اللَفظِ مونقِ
The change of hue in her pure radiance and grace
That was but the blush of shyness
وَقَد حَجباها ضِنَّةً أَن يَنالَها
فَتى غَيرُ أَهلٍ للندى وَالتَصدقِ
Vanishing in intimacy and approach
I am not like Layla, nor my son, nor his son
وَكَم أَرِقا فيها التِذاذاً وَأَرَّقا
وَمَن يَعشَقَن لَيلى يُؤرِّق وَيأرقِ
The peer of Ali or the upright Muhammad
Ali resembles Muhammad in character
وَما اِدَّعيا فيها وَلَكن كِلاهُما
سُقي مِن هَوىً لَيلاً بِراحٍ مُوَرّقِ
Doubtless he was given the bounty he was given
Truly, Ali is to pleased Muhammad
فراقَ لَها وَقتٌ وَقَد لاحَ نورُها
مِن أَندلسٍ لِلقُدسِ تَسري وَتَرتقي
As Aaron to Moses in speaking truth
How many white hands have come to us through him
لَقَد بطَنَ الأَمرُ الَّذي هُوَ ظاهر
لِليلى فَأَصبت ذا السَعادةِ وَالشَقِي
And the son of Musa enriched each empty pretender
O palm tree of virtue, your origin is pure
فَكَم مُعسِرٍ قَد آيَسَتهُ وَلَم يَصِل
وَكَم مذهَب قَد فَلَّسَته وَمُورِقِ
Your shade-giving branches extend to us
Munificence from you has reached many people, and singled me out
رَأى قَمراً قَد صارَ شَمساً فَغَرَّهُ
تنقُّلُ لَونٍ في صَفاءٍ وَرونقِ
The unworthy think they are your peers
Because they have mimicked you, but the sincere are wrong
وَما ذاكَ إِلا حُمرةُ الخجلِ الَّتي
تَزولُ عَلى قُربٍ بسَيرٍ وَمَيلَقِ
Is a bare desert pebble likened
To a sea swarming with knowledge, reposing treasures?
وَما أَنا في لَيلى وَلا ابني وَلا ابنُهُ
نَظيرَ عليٍّ أَو محمدٍ التَقِي
That is an ignorant man boasting of knowledge
And one of noble lineage clinging to the virtuous
عليٌّ لَهُ شِبهٌ بِخُلق محمدٍ
أَخُوه بِلا شَكٍّ سُقي فَضلَ ما سُقِي
Who sees stinginess as praise, and ostentation as rank
So treat him with more generosity, tolerant one
وَإِنَّ عَليّاً مِن محمدٍ الرَضِي
كَهارونَ مِن مُوسى حَديث المنطقِ
Have they not observed your humility and nobility?
Like clouds pouring forth, lightning flashing
وَكَم مِن يَدٍ بَيضاءَ جاءَ لَنا بِها
فَأَغنى ابنُ موسى كُلَّ أَغبرَ مُملِقِ
They repel gentleness like the blue of doves
While circling over it, but the rosy is not like the circler
أَيا دَوحَةَ الفَضلِ الَّتي طابَ أَصلُها
وَمَدَّت عَلَينا ظِلَّ فَينان مُورِقِ
So take praise of Muhammad from a helper
And leave the saying of blind A'sha, circler of ashes
لَقَد عَمَّ مِنكَ الجودُّ ناساً وَخَصَّني
فَها أَنا عَن تَقييدِهِ غَيرُ مُطلَقِ
I refused my companions by praising you
And refused praise of every exhausted one for them
يَظُنُّ الأُلى قَد عاصَروكَ بِأَنهم
حَكَوك لَقَد خابَت ظُنون المُصدِّقِ
Meanings and lofty words came to me suddenly
Seething in my breast, surge after surge
وَما ثمدٌ بادي الحَصاةِ بِمُشبِهٍ
لِبَحرٍ زَخورٍ بِالمَعارفِ مُتأَقِ
So I thought: who am I, a composer?
I conversed with them, chose and picked out
فَذاكَ دَعِيٌ في المَعارفِ جاهِلٌ
وَذو نَسَبٍ بَينَ الأَفاضِلِ مُلصَقِ
I shun rough, densely packed speech
And avoid refined, gently flowing speech
يَرى البُخلَ مَدحاً وَالتَرافُعَ رِفعَةً
فَأَحسِن بِهِ مِن أَشدَقٍ مُتَفَيهِقِ
When one line passes, its peer follows swiftly
Even if I do not let another catch up
أَما لاحَظُوا مِنكَ التَواضُعَ شيمَةً
وَسُحبَ النَدى كَالعارِضِ المُتأَلِّقِ
Thought is not jaded, nor poetry obscure
But like the sea, when it rages, it calms
وَردت النَدى زُرقَ الحمامِ وَحلَّقوا
عَلَيهِ وَما ذو الوَردِ مثلَ المُحَلِّقِ
It's as if the rhymes knew who has
The gift of composing, so they came forth, the gifted raced
فَخُذ مِن نَصيرٍ مدحَةً في محمَّدٍ
وَدَع قَولَ أَعشى في جِفانِ المُحَلّقِ
Gleaming pearls appeared for us out of their separation
For the threaded pearls adorn poetry after dispersal
أَنفتُ عَلى صَحبي بِمَدحِي لَكم وَقَد
أَنِفتُ لَهُم عَن مَدحِ كُلِّ مُرهقِ
I found poetry's harmony until it was as if
I drew from the sea of your knowledge, water of generosity
أَتَتني المَعاني العُقمُ وَالكَلِمُ العُلى
وَجاشَت بِصَدري فَيلَقاً بَعدَ فَيلَقِ
This eloquence flows only because it contains
Praise of the generous man of eloquence
فَفَكَّرتُ وَهناً أَيُّها أَنا ناظِمٌ
وَسامرتُها أَختارُ مِنها وَأَنتَقِي
I offer you this poetry like one who comes
With a bouquet to one with abundant water, about to drown
أجانِبُ وَحشِيّاً كَثيفاً سَماعُهُ
وَأَجنُبُ إِنسِيّاً لَطيفَ التَرَفُقِ
By my spirit, your holy spirit came to breathe
And my spirit rose to you through the spirit
إِذا ما مَضى بَيتٌ تَلاهُ نَظيرُهُ
سَريعاً وَإِن لَم أَدعُ آخرَ يَلحَقِ
May God make an era where no virtuous one
Attains any good but some paltry subsistence
فَلا الفِكرُ مَكدودٌ وَلا الشعرُ غامِضٌ
وَلَكنَّهُ كَالبَحرِ إِن يطمُ يَفهَقِ
An age where the lowly rise like the lofty
Sink - the people of realization and conviction
كَأنَّ القَوافِي قَد عَلِمنَ بِمَن لَهُ
يُنَظّمنَ فَانثالَت وَمَن يَقوَ يَسبُقِ
Authority's hand is ever fond of you
And you alone wear the robe of every helper
بَرَزنَ لَنا دُرّاً نثيراً وَإِنَّما
يَزينُ اللآلي النظم بَعدَ التَفَرُّقِ
Is one like you stripped of his sublime virtues?
Rightfully, whoever lacks equivalence precedes
أَجَدتُ نِظامَ الشعرِ حَتّى كَأَنَّني
لِجودَتِهِ مِن بَحرِ عِلمِكَ أستَقِي
Truly, were you his confidante
It would be masterfully crafted and profound
وَما جادَ هَذا النُطقُ إِلا لأَنَّهُ
تَضمَّنَ أَوصافَ الجَوادِ المنطقِ
The most eloquent scholar would have expressed its meaning
Concisely or in elaborate prose
وَإِني وَإهدائي لَكَ النظمَ كَالَّذي
يَجيءُ برَشحٍ نَحوَ ذا ماء مُغرِقِ
You refrained from pursuing that out of precedence
Blessed, while others were miserable
برَوعي أَضحى روحُ قُدسِكَ نافِثا
وَبِالروح مني نَحوَ عَلياكَ قَد رقِي
Glory lies only in being free of baseness
Humility only in parity with the crudest
لَحا اللَهُ دَهراً لَم يَنَل فيهِ فاضِلٌ
مِن الخَيرِ إِلا فَضلَ عَيشٍ مُرَمَّقِ
The two lights yearned for us, but whoever we prohibited did not yearn
No wonder forms yearn for their forms
زَمانٌ بِهِ يَطفُو الأَسافلُ مثلَما
بِهِ يرسُبُ الأَعلَونَ أَهلُ التَحقُّقِ
And are devoted to them with strong attachment
We have a gathering of faithful friends
وَمازالَ دستُ المُلكِ نَحوَكَ شَيِّقا
وَتُكسى مساوي كُلِّ أَنوَكِ مُطبِقِ
As if they had drunk cordial cups, free of airs
Planets whose abode is now in the highest heavens
أَمثلُكَ تَعرى مِن مَحاسنِهِ العُلى
وَحقٌّ لَهُ مَن يَعدَمِ الكفو يسبِقِ
Ever rising to the loftiest eminence
A sanctified, sublime breath wafts our senses
أَما إِنَّهُ لَو كُنتَ كاتبَ سرِّهِ
لأَصبَحَ ذا وشيٍ بَديعٍ مُحَقَّقِ
With pure musk's exquisite fragrance
However we pass the cups of their discourse
وَعبَّرَ عَن فَحواه أَفصحُ عالمٍ
بِموجَزِ لَفظٍ أَو بِمُسهَبِ مَنطِقِ
We are intoxicated with something yet more sublime
A conversation enrapturing minds and forms
تَأَخرتَ عَن تَطلابِ ذاكَ تَقدُّما
سَعدتَ بِهِ إِذ كانَ غَيرُكَ قَد شَقِي
Flawless, enthralling listener and onlooker alike
وَما العِزُّ إِلا في الفَراغِ عَن الدُنى
وَما الذُلُّ إِلا في التَساوي بِأَخرقِ
