فَرَحٌ يَزيدُ بِقَولِهَا لاَ تَبعُدِ

أوَ مَا تَرَاهُ طَلِيعَةً لِلمَوعِدِ

Joy increases in her words, "Do not be faraway"

Or what you see as a prelude to the appointment

سَمَحَتْ بِهِ لأياً وأثقَلْ مَا هُنا

قَولُ المَلِيّ لِمُرْتَجيهِ إلىغد

She allowed it, though it weighed heavily here

The master's word to the hopeful one about tomorrow

لاَ لاَ أذُمُّ مِنَ المَلِيحَةِ مَطلَهَا

فَنِكايَةُالعُشَّاقِ شأنُ الخُرَّدِ

No, no, her delay is more beautiful than hastening

For the lover's revenge is the way of the gallant

لَيتَ التِي مِنْهُنَّ كُنتُ أسِيرَهَا

قَسَمَتْ كُراعَا لِي بِكُلّ تَوَدُّدِ

If only she of them I was her captive

Had divided her visits for me equally, whenever we grew affectionate

أوْ أنَّهَا عَلِمَتْ بِأنِّي خَاطِبٌ

في حُبِّها حَتَّى حَطَمْتُ مُفَنِّدِي

Or that she knew I was her suitor

In loving her to the point of ruining my proof

يا أختَ ماء المُزنِ فيكِ تَمَثَّلَتْ

للعينِ أوصَافُ الرَّدي والجَيِّدِ

O sister of the starry water, in you were embodied

For the eye, the attributes of agreeableness and excellence

مَا بَعدَ عِلمِكَ بالخصُومَةِ فَيصَلٌ

إنْ خِيفَ في الإشْهادِ زُورُ المُشْهَدِ

What after your knowing of the dispute, so be just

If there is lying in testimony, the falsity of the witness

فَلِتَعلَمي عَمَلَ السَّدِيد ِبِعلمِهِ

فَمُجَانِبُ الإنصَافِ غَيرُ مُسَدَّدِ

So know the deed of the sincere one by his knowledge

For the unjust one is not straightforward

ولِتَنْظُري عَرضاً يَحُولُ بِعارِضي

نَظَرَ البَصِيرِ بِيومِهِ ما فِي الغَدِ

And look at a matter which passes with its circumstances

The sight of the insightful one this day what is in the next

فَلَعَلَّ أبيَضَهُ لِقَلبٍ أبيَضٍ

ولَعَلَّ أسوَدَهُ لِقَلبٍ أسوَدِ

Perhaps its lightness is for a light heart

And perhaps its darkness is for a dark heart

قَالُوا البَياضُ يَشِينُهُ وسَوادُهُ

لَو دامَ أشْهَى لِلغَزَالِ الأغْيَدِ

They said: its lightness disgraces it, and its darkness

Had it lasted would have been more beloved to the slender gazelle

ما أنصَفُوا بَلْ كُلَّ شَيءٍ كائِنٌ

في وقتِهِ يَرضَاهُ غَيرُ الأنْكَدِ

They were not just! Rather, everything present

In its time is agreeable to other than the gloomy

لاَ حُسنَ في صَلَعٍ يَدومُ لأمرَدِ

كُلاَّ ولاَ مَهنَا بِلَيلٍ سَرمَدِ

No beauty in baldness that lasts for one immortal

Or in an everlasting long night

هَذا وَلَوْ أثبَتِّ صِدقِي في الهَوى

لَفَرِحتُ أنِّي نِلْتُ أقصَى مَقصَدِ

This, even if I prove my truthfulness in love

I would rejoice for gaining the ultimate aim

فَرِحَ الزَّمَانُ وقَدْ أهَلَّ هِلالُهُ

حَمودَةُ البَاشَا بِدَرسِ المُسْنَدِ

The time rejoiced when its crescent dawned

The praiseworthy one, the Pasha, learned leadership

بَاكُورَةُ المُلك ِالتي افْتُتِحَتْ بِهَا

فَينَانَةُ الأيَّامِ بَعدَ تَلَدُّدِ

The first fruits of the kingdom opened with it

So the splendor of days after meandering

أخَذَ الكِتابَ فَكَانَ أوَّلَ سَطرِهِ

بَابٌ فَقَالَ السَعْدُ مِنِّي فَابتَدِ

He took the book, so its first line was

A door, so good fortune said, “From me begin”

جَعَلَ النِّهَايَةَ في الصَّلاحِ بِدايَةً

أو عَن سِوى بَل حِكمَةٍ لَمْ تُعهَدِ

He made righteousness the end with a beginning

Or other than good judgment that was unprecedented

مَن نالَ أعْلَى الغُصنِ عِنْدَ جِنَايةٍ

وَجَدَ اجتِناءَ السُّفلِ أسهَلَ لِليَدِ

Who attained the highest branch in the presence of sin

Found plucking the lower one easier for the hand

ثُمَّ استَمَرَّ فَحَدّثنَ ما شئتَ عَنْ

سهمِ النَّفاذ وجُذوةَ المستجمد

Then he continued, so speak what you wish of

The penetrating arrow and burning cinder

يَقِظُ الجنَانِ لِمَا يُقَالُ وَسَمْعُهُ

واعٍ وطَرفُ العَينِ منهُ بِمِرصَدِ

Awakening the heavens for what is said, and his hearing

Is conscious and the eye is watchful from it

لا يَستَبِدُّ إذا تَبَيَّنَ نَبوةً

في أصلِهِ عن أصلْه بَلْ يَقتَدِي

He does not persist if a prophecy appears

In its origin, from his origin, but he complies

وإذَا تَكَلَّمَ كَانَ جُلُّ كَلاَمِهِ

هَمْساً وَإنْ أصغَى فَغَيْرُ مُبَلَّدِ

And if he speaks, most of his words are

Whispered, and if he listens, then gently without pretense

وَلَهُ عَلَى فَرْطِ الذَّكَاءِ شَوَاهِدٌ

صِفَةُ الحَيَا ونَحَافَةُ المُتَجَرّدِ

And he has signs of extreme intelligence

The description of vitality and slimness of the ascetic

وَاسْتَفْتِ عَمَّا غَابَ عَنْكَ لحاظَهُ

فاللَّحْظُ يعرِفُ منه هَدْيَ المُهْتَدِي

And ask about what was absent from your vision of it

For the glance recognizes the guidance of the guided

إنْ كان شَخصُ الرُّوح يَظهرُ مَرَّةً

فَلَهُوَّ ذَا وَبِهِ حَيَاةُ السُّؤدَدِ

If the person of the soul appears once

Then it is he, and by him the life of eternity

فَسَيَحْمَدُ المَسعَى إذَا مَا سَارَ مَا

بَينَ البُنُودِ عَلَى الجِيادِ المُيَّدِ

So the endeavor will be praised when what goes

Between covenants, on the excellent steeds

وتَقَرَّ عَينُ المُلكِ مِنهُ بِناصِرٍ

مَنصُورِ ما تَحْتَ اللِّواءِ مُؤيَّدِ

And the eye of the king will be gratified by a supporter

A victorious supporter of what is under the flag aided

حَتَّى تَدِينَ لَهُ المُلُوكُ جَميِعُهَا

وتعده مولى لها وكأن قد

Until all kings submit to him

And count him a guardian for them as if already

فلعلهُ المسعُودُ حيثُ أقامهُ

وَتَعُدُهُ مَولَى في هَذا المَقامِ الأسْعَدِ

Perhaps he is the fortunate one where He established him

And count him a patron in this most blessed stance

بَل هُو عَينُ السَّعدِ أجمَعُ لم يَفُتْ

مَنْ حَازَهُ ما فَاتَهُ مِنْ مَقْصَدِ

Rather, he is the essence of all good fortune, nothing missed

Who possessed it what escaped him of aims

ومَنْ الذِي أهْلٌ لَهُ ويَحُوزُهُ

ولَهُ يَقُولُ البَخْتُ حَسْبُكَ وازدَدِ

And who is suited for it and attains it

And for him good fortune says, “sufficient for you so excel”

غَيرُ الأميِرِ أبُو الأمير وَصِنْوُهُ

صهْرُ الأمِيرِ ابْنُ الأميِرِ الأرْشَدِ

Other than the emir, son of the emir, his protection

Son-in-law of the emir, son of the emir most wise

ابنُ الحسينِ عَليٌ البَاشَا الذي

خَضَعَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا خُضُوعَ مُقَلِّدِ

Son of Hussein, Ali the Pasha whom

The world surrendered to submissively

دَرَجَ الملوكَ فَكانَ فَذَلَكَةً لَهُمْ

فِيمَا يَزِينُ وَطَرْحِ ما لَم يُحْمَدِ

He disciplined kings, so he was an example for them

In what adorns and rejecting what is not praised

كَلِفٌ بِأنْ لاَ يَكْتَفِي مِن سَعيِهِ

إلاَّ بِأنفَسَ في النُّفُوسِ مُخَلَّدِ

Obligated to not be content with his endeavor

Except with the finest of souls immortalized

لَو كَانَ مُمتَنِعَ اللِّقاءِ لَكَانَ في

قَلبِ الذي يَدريهِ نارَ المَوقِدِ

If his meeting were impossible, in

The heart of one who knows him a blazing fire

أفَلاَ تَطِيرُ لَهُ القُلُوبُ وإنَّهَا

لَتَرَاهُ حَقاً في الحُضُور الشُّهُدِ

So do not hearts fly to him though they

Truly see him present in witnessing

لَكِنَّ مِن شِيَمِ الطِّباعِ مَلاَلَهَا

مَا لاَ يَغِيبُ وَعِشقُ مَا لاَ يُوجَدِ

But the nature of dispositions is boredom

For what does not disappear, and love of the absent

كَالمَالِ يَظهَرُ فِي المَنَامِ لِيائِسٍ

فَإذَا حَوَاهُ حَواهُ كَالمُتَزَهِّدِ

Like wealth appears in the dream of a despairing man

So if he obtains it, he obtains it like one ascetic

يَا أيُهَا المَولَى الذِي قَذَفَتْ بِهِ

أيدِي الصَّلاحِ عَلَى زَمَانٍ مُفسِدِ

O patron whom the hands of righteousness threw

Upon a corrupting time

مِنْ أينَ جِئْتَ فَإنْ تَكُنْ أقبَلْتَ منْ

جِهَةِ السَّماءِ فَلَيسَ بِالمُستَبْعَدِ

Where did you come from, so if you came

From the heavens, it would not be far-fetched

أمَّا الصَّعيِدُ الآن فَهوَ ونَاسُهُ

بِالاعْتِبارِ حُثالَةٌ في مِزوَدِ

As for the country now, it and its people

In consideration are rabble in scarcity

حَشَا بَنِي خَاقَانَ إنَّ رِضاهُمُ

سِرُّ الفَلاَحِ وَعُمْدَةُ المُتَعَمِّدِ

The Hakan family rejoiced, for their approval

Is the secret of prosperity and basis of purpose

أوتَادُ هَذا الدّينِ غَيرَ مُدافِعٍ

وبَنُوُ الشَّهامَةِ والغَنَاءِ الأتْلَدِ

The pegs of this religion are not defenders

And the people of glory and most melodious singing

وَمِنَ العِيانَةِ أنْ كَسَوكَ وَإنَّمَا

أغْلَوا لِبَاسَهُمُ بِأنْجَدَ أمْجَدِ

And it is evident that they dressed you, but

They dyed their garb with the most excellent dye

كَذَبَ اللِّباس سَوى لباسك وَالمنى

غَضٌّ وَعَيْنُ الشَّمْلِ غَيرُ مُبَدَّدِ

The dress belied except your dress, and the purpose

Is stern, and the eye of the turban is not lost

أيَّامَ كُنتَ عَلَى زَمَانِكَ رَاضِياً

وَالكَونُ بَينَ مُوسَّدٍ وَمُمَهَّدِ

Attributed to the Turkish people, except it

Is from the world of finest praise

تَتَرَصَّدُ الأرضَ وأينَ تَظُنَّهُ

حَتَّى ظفرت بِمطْمَح المُتَرَصّدِ

And I referred to it as dress, though it is

Vitality, said the wise one, the detached

نَسْجٌ زَمَتْهُ صَنَاعُ أهلِكَ مفرداً

بَلْ ما سَخَتْ بِأخٍ بِذَاكَ المُفْرَدِ

It prides over its neighbors in its dawn

When it is the rising of your grandfather's good fortune

فَلَبِسَتْ مِنهُ حُلَّةً مَا شَامَهَا

طَرفٌ ولاَ انْبسَطَتْ لغيرِكَ في يَدٍ

And it rose through you over finery in sanctity

Of a right for your being its equal in guidance

عَذُبَتْ فلم تَنْضحْ بِمُلحَةِ لُجةٍ

وَصَفَتْ فَلَمْ تَلْفَحْ بِغَبْرَةِ فَدْفَدِ

Mother of boys and girls, and she did not give birth

Rather, she produced from her vast palm the gift

نُسِبَتْ لِجِيلِ التُّرْكِ إلاَّ أنَّهَا

مِنْ عَالَمِ ثَوبِ الثَّناءِ الأجْودِ

And for its inadequacy toward you, love was not

To meet you afterwards with the partnership of birth

وَكَنَيْتُ عَنْهَا بِاللِّباسِ وإنَّهَا

لَيَّاشَةٌ قَالَ الحَكِيمُ مُجُرَّدِ

And she protected your reins though fears surrounded her

And the destination of your trip to the far noble one

تَزْهُو عَلَى جَارَاتِهَا بِصَبَاحِهَا

إذْ هوَ طالعُ سَعْدِ جَدّكَ من بَدِ

So are you satisfied with perfection in the story

That strengthened with your mention from the tale of the conductor

وَعَلَتْ لَدَيْكَ على المِلاحِ بِحُرمَةِ

حقٍ لكونْك كفأها في المْحَتِدِ

How much in it of subtlety, if I had not

Brought it out, then upon me is what is customary

أمُّ البَنِينَ مَعَ البَنَاتِ ولَمْ تَلِدُ

بل أنْتَجَتْ من كفِّها الرَّحبِ النَّدي

And the account of the wafting of perfume from it is related

To every monotheist from the speech of the composer

ولِقَصرِها فيك المحبَّة لم تَكُنْ

تَلقَاكَ بَعْدُ بِشِركَةِ المُتوَلِّدِ

If her breaths were not good, the body of the invalid laid down

Would not have been revived by its fragrance

وَرَعَتْ ذِمامَكَ والمَخَاوِفُ حَولَهَا

وَمَنَاطُ رَحلِكَ بِالقّصِيّ الأبْعَدِ

It immersed you at the abode, and if you travel

She gifts it folded in the sheathed book

فَهَلِ اكْتَفَيتَ مِنْ الكَمَالِ بِقِصَةِ

رَسَخَتْ بِذِكْرِكَ مِن حدْيثِ مُهَنَدِ

And she managed its blending as if she

Mixed it from her own sweat in the basin

كَمْ تَحْتَهُ من نُكْتَةٍ إنْ لَم أكُنْ

أخْرَجْتُهَا فَعَلَيَّ بِالمُتَعَوَّدِ

Bringing about the arrangement whereby she exhausted

Expression when speaking of the supportive speech

وَحَديثُ نَفْحِ الطِّيبِ عَنهَا مُسْنَدٌ

بَلَغَ التَّواتُرَ عِندَ كُلّ مُوَحِّدِ

Who claims other than this, so let him say

This compound is like that singular

لَو لم تَطِب أنفاسُها لم يَنتَعِشْ

مِنْ طِيبِها جِسمُ العَلِيلِ المُقعَدِ

This which you attained decisively

Or is it the prayer of a devoted worshipper?

غَمَرَتْكَ منهُ لَدى المُقامِ وإن تَسِرْ

أهدَتهُ في طَيّ الكِتابِ المُغمِدِ

What is its like among clothes, an outfit

With kings, nor like you donned

وتصَرَّفَتْ في مَزجِهِ وكَأنَّهَا

خَلَطَتهُ مِنْ عَرَقِ لَهَا بِمَوَّرَدِ

O people of a house I grew old praising them

And turned away from them every transgressive guest

فأتتْ منَ التَّرتِيبِ ما أعيتْ بِهِ

عند العبارَةِ ذاَ المَقال الأيّدِ

This is my talk of you, and perhaps I

Will gain love for it if I am not envied

مَنْ كانَ يزعُمُ غَيرَ هذا فَليَقُلْ

هّذا المُرَكَّبُ مِثلُ ذَاكَ المُفرَدِ

In it I was highly creative about the crescent and its full moon

And sun - most creatively said to the reciter

هّذي التي هَا نِلْتَهَا بِعَزِيمَةٍ

أمْ هِيَ دَعْوَةُ عابِدٍ مُتَهَجِّدِ

You continue in pride and joy

And the sweetest living renewed

مِا مِثلُهَا بَينَ المَلابسِ حُلَّةً

عِندَ الملوك ولاَ كمثلِكَ مُرتَدِي

And you lived what you wished until you see

The vision ennobling you to the truest purpose

يَا أهلَ بَيتٍ شِختُ في أمدَاحِهِم

وطَرَدْتُ عَنهَا كُلَّ ضَيفَنِ مُعتَدِ

With family, companions, followers

And caretakers, and the Prophet Muhammad

هَذا حَديِثي عَنكُمُ ولَعَلَّني

أحظَى لَهُ بِالحُبّ إنْ لَمْ أُحسَدِ

أبْدَعتُ فِيهِ عَنِ الهِلالِ وبدْرِهِ

والشَّمسِ أبدَعَ قَولَةٍ لِلمُنشِدِ

لاَ زِلتُمُ في غِبطَةٍ ومَسَرَةٍ

ولَذيذِ عَيشٍ بِالهَنا مُتَجَدّد

وَعَمرتُمْ مَا شِئتُمْ حتَّى تَرَوا

رؤيَا تَشَرُّفِكُمْ لأصْدَقَ مَقصَدِ

بِالآلِ وَالأصْحابِ وَالأتبَاعِ

وَالمُتَصَرفِينَ وبِالنَّبيّ مُحَمَّدِ