اللَّطْفُ حَفَّ وَكُلُّ حِينٍ يُطْلَبُ

وَلِمَنْ بِهِ نَيلُ الْمَطالِبِ أوْجَبُ

Kindness touched and every moment is sought

And to whom through it desires are fulfilled more binding

وَالصَّفْوُ يَبْغِيهِ ابنُ آدَمَ دِيمَةً

مِنْ أيْنَ ذاكَ وَدَهْرُهُ مُتَقَلِّبُ

And sincerity the son of Adam constantly seeks

Whence is this while his fate ever fluctuates?

يُلْقِي عَلِيهِ عَقْدَ شَدٍّ مَرَّةً

وَيُمُدُّهُ أخْرِى بِما يُستَعذَبُ

Now it casts on him a knot of hardship

Then extends to him at other times that which is relished

وَلَرُبَّمَا صَبَرَ الْمُضَامُ لِضَيمِهِ

أمَّا إذا قَلقَ الحَبِيبُ فَيَكْذِبُ

And perhaps the oppressed is patient with his oppression

But when the beloved is restless he lies

يَشْكُو عَلي بن الحُسينِ وَيغتدي

بِالمَاء حَتَّي أو يَجِيء وَيذْهَبُ

He complains of Ali ibn Al-Husayn and transgresses

With water until either it comes or goes

هَذا إذاً خَلقٌ جَديدٌ وكلُّ مَن

يَمشِي عَلَى رِجْلَينِ فِيهَا ثَعْلَبُ

This then is a new creation and all who

Walk on two legs among them is a fox

كَلاَّ لَقَدْ وَقَفَ التَّنَفُّسُ عِنْدَمَا

أوحَى بذَاكَ الخَطْبِ غاوٍ أصْهبُ

Nay, breathing itself stopped when

That confused sermon inspired that

وَانْسَدَّ بَابُ النُّطْقِ حَتَّى أنَّهُ

لَو حُلَّ قَالَ النَّاسُ أينَ المْذْهَبُ

And the door of speech closed until, verily

Had it been solved, people would say “where is the vanished?”

غَابوا عَنِ الإحْسَاسِ إذْ لوْ فَكَّرُوا

فِيمَا جَرَى تَحْتَ الَّدكادكِ غيِّبُوا

They were absent of feeling, for had they thought

On what occurred beneath the clamor, they would have concealed

بَيْنَا الوَرَى في حُكمِ قَبْضٍ سَاخِطٍ

إذْ جَاءَ بِالبُشْرَى بَرِيدٌ أشْهَبُ

While the people were in the grip of an angry fist

There came with good tidings a white-faced messenger

هِيَ فَرْحَةٌ فَجَأتْ عَقِيبَ هَزِيمَةٍ

فَجَأتْ فَكُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا مُستَغْرِبُ

It was a joy that came after defeat

Each of the two is surprising

جَمَعَتْ يَد الألطَافِ فِيهَا كُلَّمَا

قَدْ كَانَ في عِلْمِ العَلِيمِ يُرَتَّبُ

The hand of kindness gathered in it whenever

It had been in the knowledge of the All-Knowing arranged

رِفقاً بِمُنتَظِرِ السَّلامَةِ حَيثُ لَمْ

يَلْمُمْ بِهِ طُولُ العِلاجِ المُتعِبُ

Gently with the awaiter of deliverance where the length of the tiresome treatment did not touch him

And protected lest one whose body was good be treated by a hand

وَصيانَةً مِنْ أن يُعَالَجَ مِنْ يَدٍ

خَبُثَتْ بِشَرّ الشِّركِ جِسْمٌ طَيِّبُ

Evil had touched with the evil of polytheism

Therefore we hope from the Benevolent One's healing of it

فَلِذَاكَ نَرجُو مِن كَرِيمِ عِلاَجِهَا

أنْ لاَ يَرَى مِن بَعدِهَا مَا يُتْعِبُ

That He not see in it afterwards what would fatigue

O He who ransoms him from

يَا أيُّهَا المَولَى الذي يَفْدِيِهِ مِنْ

كُلَّ المَكَارِهِ ما أظَلَّ الكَوكَبُ

All hatreds however much the planets have shaded

From which direction did this one creep in

مِن أيّ ناحِيَةٍ تَسَوَّرَ هَذِهِ

وَعَلَى جَنَابِكَ حَارِسٌ مُتَرَقَّبُ

While You watch over him attentively?

But You are the healing of obstinate illnesses

بَل أنتَ لِلعِلَلِ الْحرَادِ شِفَاؤهَا

مَا للِشِّفَا يَعْتَلُّ هذَا أعْجَبُ

What a wonder that healing is impaired!

Can it be that time frightened You, O Jinn

أتُرَى الزَّمانُ وقَدْ أخَافَكَ جُنَّ أوْ

أخْطَا لأنَّكَ خِصْبُهُ إذْ يُجْدِبُ

Or missed, as You are its fertility when it is barren?

Did it intend harm with Your embrace, desiring

أورَامَ عَن مِقَةٍ بِضَمِّكَ قَاصِداً

حُبَّا وَتَرحَاباً فَزَادَ الْمَرْحَبُ

Love and compassion, so the harbor expanded?

Our singing was no use without Your embrace

مَا كَانَ أغْنَانَا إذاً عَنْ ضَمِّهِ

تَركُ التَوَغُّلِ فِي المَبَرَّةِ أصوَبُ

Abandoning delving into the desolate places was more proper

And perhaps in that which has unveiled a miracle for You

وَلَعَلَّ فِيمَا قَد عَرَاكَ كَرَامَةً

يَأتِي بِهَا عِوَضاً زَمَانٌ أقْرَبُ

A nearer time will come with compensation for it

So the good tidings are mine the day its mask is unveiled

فَلِيَ البِشَارَةُ يَومَ كَشْفِ قِنَاعِهَا

وَلِرَبِّهَا شُكرٌ عَلَيْكَ مُرَتَّبُ

And thankfulness to its Lord upon You is obligated

This while I say to one hopeful

هَذا وإنِّي قَائِلٌ لِمُؤَمِلٍ

فِي جَلْبِ جَامِعَةِ العَطَايَا يَرْغَبُ

In obtaining the Gatherer of Gifts he aspires

O seeker of virtue, listen to its date

يَا طَالِبَ الفَضلِ اسْتَمِع تارِيخَهُ

بَرِيءَ الهُمَامُ أبَعْدَ هَذا مَطلَبُ

Free of worries, this request is furthest