أَترى بريدي بالِغاً يا جوجا

أَم غالَهُ أَمرٌ يَكونُ مَريجا

Do you see my mail reaching, oh Goga

Or has something detained it, causing delay?

عَمِيَت عَلَينا إِذ نَأَى أَخبارُهُ

لَكَأنَّه سَلَك السَماءَ وُلوجا

News of him is obscured from us as he went far away

As though he took to the sky a winding path

أَو أَنَّهُ خَسَفت بِهِ يَهمَاؤُهُ

وَهَوى إِلى بَهموتِها تَعريجا

Or as though his yearnings made him vanish

And he fell into the abyss on a twisting road

يا مَن بِهِ علِقَت حَبائِلُ هِمَّتي

وَغَدا إِلى الزَمَنِ الكَريهِ بَهيجا

Oh you, to whom the ropes of my aspirations are tied

And who came to wretched times a comforting friend

وَوَردتُ مِنهُ بَحرَ فَضلٍ زاخِرٍ

فَغنيتُ عَن وِردي سِواه خَليجا

And I received from him a copious sea of grace

So I sufficed without others as intimate company

وَرفلتُ مِن عزّي بِهِ في حُلَّةٍ

شرُفَت يَداً وَأَرومَةً وَنَسِيجا

And I was adorned with his honor in a robe

Noble of hand and fine of texture and weave

فَخرت بِهِ الشُهبُ الدَراري وَاعتَلَت

حَتّى حَلَلنَ مِن السَماءِ بُروجا

So the bright stars bowed down and ascended

Until they mixed with the celestial mansions

يَكسو الطُروسَ مفوَّفا وَمدبَّجا

يَتَجنَّب التَقعيرَ وَالتَثبيجا

Draping the Pleiades in cloaks embroidered and fringed

Avoiding vulgarity and over-ornamentation

فَترى البَلاغَةَ قَد بَدَت أَنوارها

حَتّى بَهَرنَ مَهارقاًوَدُروجا

Thus you see the lights of eloquence shone

Dazzling the late-night wanderers and visitors

إِنَّ ابنَ فَضلِ اللَهِ فَضلٌ كُله

يَسعى ذَميلاً لِلنَدى وَوسيجا

Indeed the son of Fadlallah's virtue is all virtue

Seeking companionship to the dew and intimate friend

مِن نَبعةٍ قَرشيَّةٍ عَدويَّةٍ

عُمريَّةٍ عَبِقَت شَذاً وَأَريجا

From a spring Qurashi, `Adawi, `Umari

Diffusing fragrance and scent

خَطَبَتهُ أَبكارُ المَعالي رُغَّباً

إِذ كُنَّ عجَّت مِن سِواهُ عَجيجا

The maidens of glory sought him out eagerly

For they were perturbed by all others disconcerted

وَسَمَت إِلى عَلياه أَوَّلَ نَشئِهِ

وَسِواه يَسمو لِلعُلا تَدريجا

And he set his sights on the highest heights from the first of his youth

While others rise to the heights gradually

لَجَّت وَرامَت مِنهُ وَصلاً إِنَّما

شَرَف المُحبِّ بِأَن يَكون لَجوجا

They ardently sought to join with him

For the lover's nobility is to be affectionate

فَأَجابَها مِن بَعدِ لأي راغِباً

عَنها وَهيَّج شَوقَها تَهييجا

Then after a time he answered them

From afar, arousing their passion anew