لو كنتَ تعلمُ منتهى بُرَحائه
حابَيْتَ إبقاءً على حَوْبائهِ
Had you known the extent of his compassion,
You would have remained obedient to him.
ولكنتَ تتركُ في الغرام ملامَهُ
كيلا يزيدَ اللّومُ في إغرائهِ
You would have refrained from blaming love,
Lest blame should increase to seduce him.
لا تنكرِنْ ضحكي أُريكَ تجلُّداً
ضحكُ الحيا بالبرقِ عينُ بكائهِ
Do not deny my smile that I forcefully feign,
For the tears of the living sparkle in their eyes.
ما كنتُ أَعلمُ دمعَ عيني مفشياً
سِرّاً لهم أَشفقتُ من إفشائهِ
I did not know my tears flowing secretly
For their sake I was careful not to expose them.
حتى جرى في الخدِّ منّي أَسْطُراً
فعرفتُ أَنَّ الشوقَ من إملائهِ
Until lines flowed down my cheek,
So I knew yearning was filling me.
ما كان أَعذبَ بالعذيْب لدى الصبا
عيشاً أَمنتُ فناءَهُ بفنائهِ
Nothing was sweeter in youth according to me
Than a life with the beloved I thought would end with him.
إذ كاسمهِ ماءُ العُذيبِ وأَهلُه
في العزِّ تحسدُهم نجومُ سمائهِ
For his name is the water of life and his family
Whose nobility makes the stars of heaven envy them.
والحيُّ شمسُ الأفقِ تخبأ وجهها
منه حياءً من شموسِ خبائهِ
He is the sun of the horizon who hides her face
Ashamed before his brilliant rising suns.
أَيامَ لم أُبصرْ جميلاً فيهمُ
إلاّ وفاءَ إلى جميل وفائهِ
Days I saw no beauty in them
Except loyalty to the good and his loyalty.
ومقرطقٍ أَلفيتُ قلبي آبقاً
منّي له فالقلبُ قلبُ قبائهِ
I made my heart flee freely towards him
So my heart is the heart of his love.
قلق الوشاحِ محبُّه قلقُ الحشا
فكلاهما ظامٍ إلى أَحشائهِ
His anxiety disturbs his lover and confuses him,
So both are restless towards his affections.
ويشدُّ عَقْدَ نِطاقهِ في خصْره
حَذرَاً عليهِ لضعفهِ ووهائهِ
And he tightens the knot of his belt around his waist
Fearing for him due to his weakness and bent stature.
بدرٌ فؤادي في محبّةِ وجههِ
بدريُّةُ المَعدودُ مِنْ شهدائهِ
My heart is a full moon in love of his face
His martyrdom is one of his sacrifices.
إشراقُ غُرَّةِ وجههِ في صدغهِ
يُبدي لكَ الإصباحَ في إمسائهِ
The radiance of the crescent on his cheek
Reveals the dawn in its darkness.
منشورُ إقطاعِ القلوبِ عِذارُه
فالحسنُ جندٌ وهو مِن أُمرائهِ
The blackness of mankind's eyes is in his cheekbones
Cured by the water of youth and its purity.
وله الشّبابُ الغضُّ أَبدعَ كاتبٌ
إذ خَطُّهُ المرقومُ مِن إنشائهِ
His cheekbone is juxtaposed to his cheek
And the blackness of that line is one of his charms.
وشّى بخطِّ عِذارهِ وجناته
ما أَحسنَ الخضراءَ في حمرائهِ
He left his lover no respite
Why did you not seize his reins to blame him?
دبَّ الدُّخانُ إلى حواشي خدِّه
إذ أَشعلتْ نارُ الصِّبا في مائهِ
The sickness of his glance afflicted his lover more
Oh my affliction with him and his enemies!
في عارضيهِ سوادُ أَبصارِ الورى
قد شفَّ من ماءِ الصِّبا لصفائهِ
The sickness of his eyelash enhanced his beauty
And I see in my body an increase in his disease.
والصُّدغُ منه لعارضيهِ معارضٌ
وسوادُ ذاكَ الخطِّ من أَفيائهِ
Oh my two companions in passion!
Long has your relationship lasted in sharing his wine.
ومن المحبِّ ولم يَدَعْ رمقاً له
هلا أَخذتَ زمامَهُ لذمائهِ
Do not hope that I will awaken, for I
Oh my two companions, am drunk with his wine.
أَعدى سقامُ اللّحظِ منه محبّهُ
يا محنتي منه ومن أَعدائهِ
Do not listen to me in what I dislike,
For the lover blocks advice from his advisers.
وسقامُ مقلته زيادةُ حسنها
وأَراهُ في جسمي زيادة دائهِ
He deliberately ignores speech
To shield the ears from its vulgarity.
يا صاحبيَّ الصّاحبين من الهوى
قد طالَ عهدُكما بكأس طلائهِ
I convey the events and tribulations
While he courts misfortune with his passions.
لا تطمعا في أَن أُفيق فإنني
يا صاحبيَّ سكرتُ من صهبائهِ
Time hides my age in its darkness
Like the lisping hides defects in speech.
لا تسمعاني فيه ما أَنا كاره
إنَّ المحبَّ يصدُّ عن نصحائهِ
When I went to him, his character betrayed me
Like the treacherous betrays the confiding.
ولقد أصمَّ عن الكلام تغافلاً
لأنزِّه الأسماعَ عن فحشائهِ
For how long will I ignore his injustices?
And block what he feeds me with his hands?
أَروي حديثَ الحادثات وخطبُها
لي يخطبُ الأهوالَ من أهوائهِ
Restrain your tongue lest it should be too long
For shortening the tongue can curb its transgressions.
يخفي الزَّمانُ سناي في إظلامه
إخفاءَ ألثغ سينه في ثائه
The candle shortens its tongue due to its length
And its life causes its loss.
لما مضيتُ له براني صرْفهُ
مثلَ اليراعِ فبرْيُهُ لمضائهِ
When my partner in wealth saw I lacked,
He monopolized his wealth the next day.
حتّامَ أَرضى الضيّمَ من أَدوانه
وإلى متى أُغضي على إقذائهِ
I straightened its branch in times of adversity
So it bent when comfort blew its breeze.
إحفظْ لسانكَ أَنْ يطولَ فإنّما
قصرُ اللِّسان يكُفُّ من غلوائهِ
I benefited him when his harm intensified
Then prosperity made him forget my help.
والشّمعُ قطعُ لسانه من طوله
وحياتهُ سببٌ إلى إدرائهِ
My heart is burning for him with compassion
Like a candle its life is in its flames.
ومقاسمٌ في ثروتي لما رأى
عدمي غدا مستأثراً بثرائهِ
He sleeps away from me when I call him
While I often awaken at his call.
قوَّمتُ في زمن الشّدائد غصنَهُ
فاعوجَّ إذْ هبّتْ رخاءُ رُخائهِ
If I persist, his resentment grows
Like stirring an infant's cradle during its sleep.
ونفعتُهُ لمّا تناهى ضرُّهُ
فأعضته السّراء من ضرائهِ
Though time treats me harshly with its events
I shall have patience with its terrible isolation.
قلبي من الإشفاق محترقٌ له
كالشّمعِ وهو يعيشُ في أضوائهِ
For God does what He wills with His creation
And all that befalls us is by His ordainment.
متناومٌ عنّي إذا ناديتُهُ
ولطالما استيقظتُ عندَ ندائهِ
Prepare yourself for time's uncertainty with a companion
Whose merits exceed those of enemies.
إنْ أستزِدْهُ يزدْ كراهُ وزائدٌ
تحريكُ مهدِ الطِّفلِ في إغفائهِ
Complain to the star of faith so
It may reveal the lush meadows in its embers.
ولئن جفاني الدَّهرُ في أحداثهِ
فلأَصبرنَّ على فظيعِ جفائهِ
Call him! The wishes of desire
Are green in its branches.
فاللهُ يفعلُ ما يشاءُ بخلقهِ
وجميعُ ما يجري لنا بقضائهِ
He is truly a star - excellence is from his light
And longevity from his brilliance.
فاستعدِ من ريبِ الزَّمانِ بصاحبٍ
تعدي فضائله على عدوائهِ
Like the sun in his views, like rain in
His blessings, like dawn in its splendor.
واشك الزَّمانَ إلى شهابِ الدِّين كي
يُبدي رياضَ الخصبِ في شهبائهِ
In his rest there is rest for those hopeful of him
And desiring his blessings.
ونداهُ نادِ فإنَّ أنديةَ المنى
مخضرّةُ الأَكنافِ مِن أَندائهِ
His enemies sing his glories
While the virtuous live by his generosity.
وهو الشّهابُ حقيقةً فالفضلُ من
أَنوارِهِ والطولُ من أَنوائهِ
He lowers his gaze modestly though awe
Of him fills the hearts of enemies.
كالشّمسِ في آرائهِ كالغيثِ في
آلائه كالصُّبحِ في لألائهِ
He casts down his eyes for dignity and his light
Makes the sun cast its eyes down before seeing him.
للهِ راحتُهُ ففيها راحةٌ
لمؤمّليهِ ومرتجي نعمائهِ
If what I hastily praised of his qualities
Was crude, his rope of love did not fray.
فعداتُهُ يغنونَ مِن إعطابهِ
وعفاتُه يحيونَ من إعطائهِ
O victorious sons, you remain victorious,
While I remain hopeful of attaining your wishes.
يُغضي حياءً والمهابةُ كلها
في أنفس الأَعداء مِن إغضائهِ
When distressed by problems you remedy them with generosity
So how can you disappoint while you intercede?
ويغضُّ عيناً للوقارِ ونورُهُ
لتغضُّ عينُ الشّمسِ دونَ لقائهِ
Remind the guardian, the master whose strength
The Commander of the Faithful gains from his integrity.
إنْ كان ما غَثّتْ معاني مدحه
منّي فما رَثّتْ حبالُ حِبائهِ
Say an honorable soul sought refuge in your honorable house
And the refuge seeker in you finds sanctuary.
أَبني المظفرِ ما يزالُ مظفراً
راجيكمُ أبداً بنيلِ رجائهِ
The protected by us remains protected
Even if this time counts him among its enemies.
وإذا عرا خطبٌ ملمٌّ مؤلمٌ
داويتمُ بالجودِ من أَعدائهِ
Cure the Commander of the Faithful with his condition
For I see your intercession grants him recovery.
يا مَنْ علا يحكي أَباهُ وجده
زانَ العلاء بجدِّه وإبائهِ
Say to the Imam whose knowledge encompasses all
Why is your loyal one imprisoned?
يعني الزَّمانُ بمنْ عنيتُ بأمرِهِ
حاشاكَ تترك عانياً بعنائِهِ
Did your father not release him by his prayer
When the cloud imprisoned your loyal one?
فانصرْ أَبا نصرٍ على زَمَنٍ أَبى
نصري لفضلٍ أَنتَ من أبنائهِ
Were it not for you the narrator of my poetry
Would despair of transmitting and quenching thirst.
واشفعْ تشفّع وعده بنجازه
أَنّى يخيبُ وأَنتَ مِن شفعائهِ
Kinship between sons is strongest
So help a generous one, you are among his ancestry.
ذكِّرْ بحالي الصاحبَ المولى الذي
يقوى أَميرُ المؤمنينَ برائهِ
He excelled in thanking beneficence, cognizant
Of the inadequacy of the grateful to thank His blessings.
وقل استجار كريمُ بيتٍ بي وذو ال
بيتِ الكريمِ يجدُّ في إحيائه
He contemplated the noble script so the lights
Of the beauty of loyalty shone through its phrases.
والمستجيرُ بنا مجارٌ لم يزلْ
ولو أَنَّ هذا الدَّهرَ من أعدائهِ
The stream of generosity flowed from its current
And the breeze of glory blew through it.
شافِهْ أميرَ المؤمنينَ بحالهِ
فأَرى شفاهكَ موجبٌ لشفائهِ
The supporter of religion became the best companion
To cling to in sincere loyalty.
قلْ للإمامِ علامَ حبس وليّكم
أولوا جميلكمُ جميل ولائهِ
Felicity is in his acts, success in his views,
And triumph in his opinions.
أو ليس إذْ حبسَ الغمامُ وليّه
خلّى أَبوكَ سبيلَهُ بدعائهِ
لولاكَ كان رويُّ شعري ظامئاً
لا يطمعُ الراوونَ في إروائهِ
والفضلُ بينَ بنيهِ أَوْكدُ نسبةً
فأغثْ كريماً أَنتَ من نسبائهِ
وأَفاضَ في شكر العوارف عارفاً
بقصور باعِ الشُّكرِ عن نعمائهِ
وتأَمّلَ الخطَّ الكريمَ فأَشرقَتْ
أَنوارُ حُسن العهدِ من أَثنائهِ
وجرى معينُ الجود من تيّارهِ
وسَرَى نَسيمُ المجد من تلقائهِ
أَضحى ظهيرُ الدين أفضلَ صاحبٍ
يستمسكُ الرَّاجي بصدق ولائهِ
والسّعدُ في آلائه والنجحُ في
آرابهِ والنّصرُ في آرائهِ
