سَرى الجَوهرُ العُلويُّ للعالمِ العُلوِي
وَأُسكِنَ بَطنَ الأَرض مَستودَعَ السّلوِ
The essence of the Supreme flowed into the Supreme world,
And the innermost part of the earth was made a repository of tranquility.
وَعُطِّلَ بَيتُ العِلمِ وَالدينِ وَالحِجا
مِن الذكرِ وَالقُرآنِ وَالفقهِ وَالنَحوِ
The house of knowledge, religion, pilgrimage was suspended -
Of mention, Quran, jurisprudence and grammar.
وَقَد كانَ مَعموراً بِسُنَّةِ أَحمَدٍ
فَها هُوَ ذا مِن بَعدِ أُنسٍ بِها مُقوي
It had been inhabited by the Sunnah of Ahmed,
Yet here it is, after intimacy with it, strengthened.
وَكانَت نُضارٌ فيهِ شَمساً منيرةً
فَعوجِلَ ذاكَ النُورُ بِالكَسفِ وَالمَحوِ
There was vitality in it, an illuminating sun,
But that light was eclipsed and erased.
فَتاةٌ كَأنَّ الحسنَ خُيِّرَ أينَ مَن
يَحِلُّ بِها فاختارَها طالبُ البَأوِ
A young woman, as if beauty itself had been given the choice
Of where to reside, so it chose her, seeker of wonders!
جَرى الناس شَأواً للمعالي وَقَصَّروا
وَجاءَت نُضارٌ فيهِ سابِقَة الشَأوِ
People strove for greatness and fell short,
Yet vitality came to her, surpassing others in stature.
وَما لنضارٍ في البَناتِ نَظيرةٌ
لَفاقَت بَناتَ الناسِ في الحَضرِ وَالبَدوِ
No daughter among daughters is a peer to Nudhar -
She surpassed the daughters of people, both urban and nomad.
سَلامٌ عَلى ذاكَ الشَبابِ الَّذي لَها
تَرَدّى رِداءَ العلمِ وَالدينِ وَالسّروِ
Greetings to that youth to whom, for her sake,
The gowns of knowledge, religion and hiddenness bowed down.
سَلامٌ عَلى فَخرِ البَناتِ الَّتي غَدَت
لداتٌ لَها تزهى بِها أَيَّما زَهوِ
Greetings to the pride of daughters, who became
A mother to whom she brings pride, whatever her pride!
يُعَظِّمنَها إِمّا حَلَلنَ بِمُنتَدىً
فَيجلِسنَ سُفلاً وَهيَ تَجلِس في البَهوِ
They revere her, whether they gather in an assembly,
So they sit below while she sits on high.
يُقَبِّلنَ مِنها الردنَ عِظماً لِشأنِها
فَتُلقي لَهُنَّ الدُرَّ مِن مَنطِقٍ حُلوِ
They kiss the edge of her gown out of reverence for her,
And she casts pearls to them from her sweet talk.
أَبَعدَ نُضارٍ أَبتَغي صَفوَ عِيشَةٍ
وَقَد كُدِّرَت يا بُعدَ عَيشي مِن الصَفوِ
Is there, after Nudhar, a way I can seek a life of tranquility
When, oh remoteness, my life is so disturbed from tranquility?
لَقَد أَشرَبَت قَلبي وَطَرفي وَمَسمَعي
وَما ليَ مِن فكرٍ وَما ليَ مِن عُضوِ
She has intoxicated my heart, my eyes and my hearing -
I have no thought, no limb of my own!
وَإِنّي مَعمورُ الزَمانِ بِشَخصِها
يمثل لي في الأَمسِ وَاليَومِ وَالغدوِ
And I, in every era, am inhabited by her being -
She represents to me the past, present and what is to come.
وَعاهدتُ أَنّي لا أَزالُ إِزاءَها
مُقيماً كَئيباً دائمَ الشَوقِ وَالشَجوِ
And I have vowed that I will remain, because of her,
Ever-present, pining, always yearning and lamenting,
إِلى أَن تُوافيني شَعوبُ فَنَرتَقي
مِن الوَهدَةِ السُفلى إِلى العالمِ العُلوي
Until the final hours come upon me and we ascend
From this lowly abode to the Exalted Realm.
لَئِن كانَ غَيري قَد سَها عَن حَبيبِهِ
فَما أَنا يَوماً عَن نُضارَ بذي سَهوِ
If others have erred in their love,
Never will I err, not for a moment, in my love for Nudhar!
وَإِن كانَ سَكرانٌ مِن الحُبِّ قَد صَحا
فَإِنّي سَكرانٌ وَما لي مِن صَحوِ
And if one drunk on love has become sober,
Then I am ever drunk, beyond all sobering!
سَقى رَوضَةً حَلَّت نُضارُ قَرارَها
مُغِبّ مِن الغُرِّ الغَوادِي بِلا صَحوِ
She watered a garden where Nudhar took up abode -
Intoxicated by love's headiness, with no sobering.
وَلا زالَ رَيحانٌ يُظِلُّ ضَريحَها
فَما رَوضَةٌ تَحوي كمثلِ الَّذي تَحوِي
And basil still shades her tomb -
What garden can contain what it contains?
