لائِمي في الحبّ مهلاً فلَقد
هيَّجتَ بِاللومِ غَرامي وَالفند
My blamers in love, wait, for you have
Stirred up my passion and kindled the flames
هيَّجت شوقاً لفتى ذكرتهُ
مِن عهودِ الحبِّ ما كان عهد
You stirred up longing for the one whose mention
Revived loves from days gone by
لا ترجّي الصبرَ منهُ واِعلَمَن
إنّما الصبرُ تقضّى ونَفَد
Do not hope for patience from him, and know
That patience is spent and runs out
مُذ تولّت زينب ما طعمَ الن
نومَ جفني لا ولا كادَ هَجَد
Since Zainab turned away, sleep brings me
No comfort, no rest at all
كَم بِها قَلبي اِشتقى في هَجرِها
وَلَكم في وصلِها ما كانَ اِستَعَد
How my heart longed for her in her absence
And how unprepared it was for her presence
أَنا بِالروحِ عليها جايدٌ
وهيَ لي بِالوصلِ منها لم تَجُد
I swear by my soul I'm loyal to her
Yet she hasn't been true, hasn't found me deserving
عَجباً بل عَجباً بالدِما
ما لَه أرشٌ عليها وَقَوَد
Wondrous! Nay, 'tis wondrous, this life blood
Has no redemption, no wergild for her
أَوقدت بالهجرِ لي جمرَ جوى
شبَّ ما بينَ ضُلوعي وَاِتّقَد
She ignited the embers of my innermost being
Fueling a fire between my ribs, within me
وَتصَدّت بِصدودٍ كونه
قَد أَذابَ القلبَ منّي وَالكَبِد
She was cold, freezing the heart and liver in me
She drew away after being so close
وَنَأَت مِن بعدِ قربٍ وَاِنقَضت
لِنواها مدّةً بعدَ مُدَد
Cutting short what she'd pledged for a time
Only to go back the next day on her word
ما تَثنّت في الخطا إلّا غَدا
لِتثنّي قدّها قَلبي قدَد
She wasn't bent on wrongdoing, except she bent
My soul double in wrongdoing the next day
أيّها المخبرُ عَن أهلِ اللِوى
كَرِّرِ الأخبارَ عَنهم وَأَعِد
O you who bring tidings of the beloved ones
Tell me more of them, repeat the news
هَل رأيتَ الحيَّ ساروا جملةً
أَم همُ ساروا شعاعاً وبدَد
Did you see the tribe travel together
Or did they disperse, going their own ways?
وَالرسوم الربع هَل أَبصَرتها
دارِساتٍ بالياتٍ أَم جُدد
And the faded writing — did you make it out
Newly inscribed or weathered remains?
كَيفَ ذاكَ النوء وَالعرصة بَل
كَيفَ ذاكَ المُصطلا وَالمُنتَضَد
How was that sloping valley, and the meadow —
Nay, how were the small tent and larger pavillion?
وَغرابُ البينِ هَل أَبصرتَه
ناعباً بينَ الأثافي والوَتَد
And the crow of parting — did you see it
Cooing amorously between the turf and tent pegs?
رَحَل الحيُّ وَكانوا روحَه
فَبقي مِن غيرِ روحٍ كالجَسَد
The tribe packed up—they were his very soul.
Without his soul he remained like a corpse
هَكَذا صرفُ اللّيالي حكمه
تَترك الموجودَ منها مُفتَقَد
Such is the way the nights run their course
Taking from their sum total till the rest are missed
وَأمونُ السيرِ أَضحى مَركبي
في المسيرِ المتن منها والكَبِد
And the camel litter I journeyed on
Wore away inside, its litter and storage bags
جسرة قَد أثّرت في بَطنِها
وَالقرى الأنساع مِنها وَالقَتَد
Ahowl it left its prints on
As well as the small villages and huts
كَم بِها قَد جُبتُ في أدويةٍ
وَقفارٍ موحشاتٍ وَجدَد
How many times was I drained by its discomforts
And by desolate, foreboding deserts!
قاصداً نحوَ النبيِّ المُصطفى
خير مأمولٍ وَأزكى مُقتصَد
Heading towards the Chosen Prophet
The best source of hope, the most perfect epitome of moderation
لَم أَكُن مِن جُملةِ الخلقِ سوى
أحمدَ المختارِ مختاراً أحَد
Of all mankind, none compared to Ahmad
The Elect, the Unique, the Pride of Hashim's line
هاشميّ خُصّ بالوحيِ فأخ
جلَ ما في قلبهِ كانَ اِعتَقَد
He was entrusted with revelation, so his heart
Harbored the most pristine, unsullied beliefs
وَأَقامَ العدلَ والإنصافَ في
كلِّ إِقليمٍ وفي كلِّ بَلَد
He established justice and equity in
Every land, every region, every country
وبهِ قَد حَصحصَ الحقّ وَقَد
نَسخَ الإصلاح منهُ ما فَسَد
Through him, truth was weighed right while
Reform supplanted the usage of falsities
وَتَراهُ خاضعاً وَهو له
رُتبةٌ تَعلو عَلى برجِ الأسَد
Behold him humble, despite the fact
No station surpasses his lofty lion's height
أَنقذَ الناسَ منَ الجهلِ إِلى ال
إِستقاماتِ وَمنهاجِ الرَشَد
He saved people from ignorance, guiding them
To integrity and the path of right direction
وَقناة الدينِ قد ثقّفها
فَهمُ بعدَ اِعوجاجٍ لرَشَد
He made level the channel of religion
So that rightly guided again was its course
وَهوَ في آياتِهِ مغتربٌ
وَبِها أَضحى وحيداً مُنفَرِد
In his verses he feels a stranger
Through them uniquely singular was his course
كَم منَ الآياتِ والفضل بهِ
قَد حباهُ الواحدُ الفردُ الصَمَد
How many verses and blessings did
The One, the Unique, the Eternal bestow on him!
كَلّمتهُ ظبيةُ الصائدِ وه
يَ معَ الصائدِ مرساة بِيَد
The she-gazelle of the hunter spoke to him
As did the ewe with the shepherd, by his side
وَبعيرُ القومِ قد كلّمهُ
شاكيَ الضرّ إِليهِ وَالنكَد
The people's camel complained to him
Of harm and distress done to it
وَكَذا قَد كانَ عضو الشاةِ أخ
برهُ بالسمِّ جَهراً واِرتَعَد
Likewise, the sheep's shank informed him
Openly of poison, quivering in dread
وَكذاكَ الجذعُ قَد طَأطأهُ بالر
رأسِ إجلالاً إِليهِ وَسَجَد
The palm tree trunk bowed its head to him
In reverence and prostration, so it's said
وَغمامُ الجوِّ قَد ظلّله
وَوقاهُ من حراراتِ الرَمَد
The clouds' shade covered and protected him
From the blazing heat and sun's ardors
يا رَسولَ اللّه إنّي خائفٌ
مِن ذنوبٍ لستُ أُحصيها عَدَد
O Messenger of God, I'm afraid
Of sins beyond all counting
يَومَ لا ينفعني مطرفٌ
كنتُ قَد جمّعته ومتّلَد
The day when wealth I'd hoarded and clung to
Won't benefit me whatsoever
ما اِعتِذاري عندَ ربّي يوم لا
عذرَ ينجي مِن عذابٍ مستمد
What will be my plea to my Lord the day no excuse
Saves one from endless torment drawn out?
كَيفَ عُذري بعدَما أخبرَ بالذ
ذنب منّي كلّ عضوٍ وَشَهِد
How can I excuse what every limb and organ
Will testify to, every sin and wrong of mine?
وَصَلاةُ اللّه قد تغشاك ما
جدّ في مسراهُ سارٍ واِجتَهَد
May God's blessings ever keep you safe
As you strove with seriousness sincere
