هل عائدٌ زمنُ الوِصالِ المنْقَضي

أَم عائدٌ لي في الصبابة ممرضي

Will the time of passed connection return

Or will my youthfulness return to me while I'm sick

لا أَشتكي إلاّ الغرام فإنّهُ

بلوى عليَّ من السّماءِ بها قُضي

I do not complain except of passion for it

Is an affliction upon me from the sky, by it I was judged

لا لاح حالي في الهوى مشهورةٌ

حاولتَ تسليتي وأَنتَ مُحرِّضي

My state in love is not shining

You tried to comfort me while you spur me

خَفِّضْ عليكَ فما الملامُ بناجعٍ

فيمن يقولُ لكلِّ لاحٍ خَفِّضِ

Lower yourself to me, for blame is not in a confidant

In one who says to every cheek, "Lower yourself"

كان التعرُّضُ لي بنصحكَ نافعي

لو كانَ يمكنُ للسُّلوِّ تعرُّضي

Exposing myself to your advice would have benefited me

If it was possible for exposure to comfort me

عرَّضت وجدي للسلوِّ ومُتْعبٌ

كتمانُ سِرّ للوُشاةِ معرِّضِ

I exposed my love to comfort, and I'm tired

Concealing the secret from the spyers exposes me

أَنفقتُ ذُخرَ الصّبرِ من كلفي فهل

من واهبٍ للصّبرِ أَو من مُقرِضِ

I spent the provision of patience from my burden, so is there

One who gives patience or one who lends it?

أَيبلُّ مضنىً قلبُهُ مُتَهدِّفٌ

لسهامِ رامٍ للّواحظِ مُنبضِ

Does he endure severe pain while his heart pounds

To the arrows of an archer aiming at the watcher, withdrawing?

شغفي بأَغيدَ مُقبلٍ بودادهِ

لمحبِّهِ ويصدُّ صدَّ المعرِضِ

My fervor for the embraces of an affectionate lover

To his lover, and he wards off the rejection of the rejector

شكوايَ من دَلٍّ يزيدُ مُحَبَّبٍ

وضنايَ من صدٍّ يدوم مُبغّضِ

My complaints of a guide who increases the beloved

And my resentment of coldness that persists, hating

يا حبّذا ماءُ العُذيبِ وحبذا

بنظافة الغُزرِ العِذابِ تمضمضي

O excellent is the fresh water and excellent

Is the cleanliness of the pond, rinsing

لهفي على زمنِ الشّبابِ فإنّني

بسوى التأَسُّفِ عنه لم أَتعوضِ

My anxiety for the time of youth, for I

With nothing but regretting it, did not make up for it

نُقضتْ عهودُ الغانياتِ وإنّها

لولا انقضاءُ شبيبتي لم تنقضِ

The promises of the singing girls are broken, and that

If not for the passing of my youth, it would not have passed

كان الصِّبا أَضفى الثياب وإنّما

ذهبتْ نضارةُ عيشتي لمّا نُضي

Youth adorned the clothes, but rather

The freshness of my livelihood went when it passed

يا حسنَ أَيام الصِّبا وكأَنّها

أَيامُ مولانا الإمامِ المستضي

O beautiful days of youth, and it is as if they are

The days of our Master Imam Al-Mustadhi

ذو البهجةِ الزهراءِ يشرقُ نورُها

والطلعةِ الغرّاءِ والوجهِ الوَضي

Of splendid radiance, its light rises

And splendid ascension and bright face

قَسَمَ السَعادةَ والشقاوَةَ رَبُّنا

في الخلقِ بينَ مُحبِّهِ والمبغضِ

Our Lord divided happiness and misery

Among the creation, between his lover and hater

أَضفى ظلالَ العَدْل بعدَ تقلُّصٍ

وبَنَى أَساسَ العدلِ بعدَ تقوُّضِ

He cloaked the shades of justice after diminishing

And built the foundation of justice after crumbling

فضلَ الخلائفَ والخلائقَ بالتُّقى

والفضلِ والإفضالِ والخلقِ الرَّضي

He gave virtue over the caliphs and the creation through piety

And grace, favor, and pleasant manners

فانْعَمْ أَميرَ المؤمنينَ بدولةٍ

ما تنتهي وسعادةٍ ما تنقضي

So he favored, O Commander of the Faithful, with a state

That does not end and happiness that does not pass