أَقبَلَت بِالجَمالِ ذاتُ البَهاءِ
فَاِستَنارَت مِنها بدورُ السماءِ
She came with beauty, the radiant one,
So the heavens were illuminated by her light.
وَأَعارَت شَمسَ الضُّحى مِن سَناها
فَتَبدَّتْ مُنيرةَ الأَرجاءِ
And the sun of morning borrowed from her splendor,
Revealing the illuminated horizons.
وَكَسَتها الكَمالَ ثَوبَ جَمالٍ
وَحَبَتها الظُّهورَ غِبَّ الخَفاءِ
Perfection robed her in the garb of beauty,
And the dawn adorned her with the veil of shyness.
أَعلَمَتَني بِنَفحةٍ مِن شَذاها
أنّما المِسكُ بعضُ ذاك الشذاءِ
Her gentle fragrance informed me
That musk is but a part of that fragrance.
حَدّثَتني بِلُطفِها عَن نَسيمٍ
عَن وُرودِ الرّياض ذاتِ البَهاءِ
With her gentleness she spoke to me of a breeze,
Of the roses in blooming gardens.
فَهيَ نورٌ مِنَ العُيونِ مُضيءٌ
وَاِحوِرارٌ في المُقلةِ الحَوْراءِ
She is a gleaming light from the eyes,
And redness on an elegant cheek.
وَهيَ ماءُ الحَياءِ يَسري بحسنٍ
في وُجوهِ الحِسانِ أهلِ الحَياءِ
She is the water of life flowing beautifully
On the cheeks of the bashful and the virtuous.
وَهيَ في جَبهةِ الزّمانِ ضِياء
وَهيَ نورٌ في الغُرّةِ الغَرّاءِ
She is brilliance on the brow of time,
She is light in the lovely dawn.
وَهيَ في وَجنةِ المَحاسنِ حُسْنٌ
وَجَمالٌ في الوَجنَةِ الحَسناءِ
She is beauty in the cheek of graces,
And perfection in the lovely cheek.
وَهيَ روحٌ حَلَّت بِبالي فُؤادٌ
وَحياةٌ لِمَيِّتِ الأَحياءِ
She is a soul that came to inhabit my heart,
And life for one dead among the living.
أَسفَرت مثلَ الشّمسِ لَكِنْ تَبدَّت
لَم تَزَل لا تَزولُ عِندَ اِستِواءِ
Like the sun she shone forth, but appeared
Without ever setting at the zenith.
دُرّةٌ لَيسَ مِثلَها في وُجودٍ
قَلَّ مثلَ اليتيمَةِ العَصْماءِ
A pearl without peer in existence,
Rare as a virtuous orphan girl.
لو غَدَت أَنجُمُ السَّماءِ عُقوداً
وَهي فيها تَفَرَّدَت بِالضِّياءِ
If the stars of the sky became necklaces,
And she among them shone brilliantly,
وَتَردَّت تِلكَ النّجومُ لَدَيها
مِن خُسوفٍ بِالحلّةِ السّوداءِ
Those stars would wane before her
Eclipsed in their black robes.
وَتَعزَّتْ عَن حُسْنِها حينَ وَلّى
خجَلاً بِالضياءِ أَحلى عَزاءِ
And they would refrain from her beauty when
Ashamed, consoled by her light, they turned away.
فَلِجيدي الهناءُ فيها تَحَلَّى
وَلَهُ السَّعدُ غِبَّ ذاك الهناءِ
So my soul found happiness dressed in her,
And my fortune beyond that happiness.
وَلِرَأسي الفخارُ مِن حَيثُ أَضحَت
خَيرَ تاجٍ مكلّلٍ بِالبَهاءِ
And my head gained pride since she became
A crown adorned with radiance, better than any crown.
مُذْ غَدَت في النّظامِ خَيرَ قَصيدٍ
فَهيَ قَصدي وَبُغيَتي وَمنائي
Since she came to be the best poem in creation,
She is my quest, my goal, and my aspiration.
أُهدِيَتْ مِنحَةً إِليَّ فَحَلَّت
في مَحَلِّ القَبولِ ثمَّ الرِّضاءِ
She was gifted to me, so she came
To dwell in acceptance, then in approval.
قَد حَباني بِها مِنَ الفضلِ بَحرٌ
وافرُ الفَضلِ كامِلٌ في السَّخاءِ
The generous sea of bounty granted her to me,
Boundless generosity, perfect in altruism.
أَعَجيبٌ إِهداؤُهُ الدّرَّ فَضلاً
وَهوَ بَحرٌ لِلدُّرِّ ذو إهداءِ
Wondrous is his gift of this pearl unbidden,
For he is an ocean freely bestowing pearls.
فَهوَ حَبرُ العلومِ كَنزُ فُهومٍ
عَلَمُ الفضلِ مُفردُ العُلَماءِ
He is the sage of knowledge, treasure trove of ideas,
The banner of excellence, unique among the learned.
بَهجةُ الوقتِ تحفةُ الدّهرِ فَرداً
مَنهَجُ القصدِ رَوضةُ الأدباءِ
Delight of the age, gift of time unparalleled,
Path of the seeker, garden of refined manners.
جُملَةُ المَجدِ مفردُ الفخرِ فَذٌّ
عَن نَظيرٍ في العزِّ والعلياءِ
Pinnacle of glory, unmatched in pride,
Above any peer in might and loftiness.
حَسَنُ الوجهِ وَالصّفاتِ جَميعاً
مُرتَضى الفِعلِ أَشرَفُ الشرفاءِ
Goodly of face and character altogether,
Desired of deed, noblest of nobles.
فَهوَ سِبْطُ الرّسولِ وَهوَ عَليٌّ
كَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَجهَهُ بِالضّياءِ
He is the grandson of the Messenger, and he is ‘Ali,
Whom God honored with splendor.
كَعبَةُ العِزِّ وَهوَ رُكني اليَماني
فَإِلَيهِ في المُعضِلاتِ اِلتِجائي
He is the Kaaba of might, and my right-hand pillar of faith.
So in tribulations to him runs my plea.
قِبلةُ القَصدِ نَحوَهُ وَجْهُ قَصدي
أَنا وَجَّهتُه بِدونِ اِمتِراءِ
He is the destination to which my quest turns,
I directed myself to him beyond any doubt.
جامِعُ العِلمِ في زَوايا فهومٍ
رَكَعَت عِندَها نُهى الفضلاءِ
He who gathered all knowledge in his understanding’s corners,
Before whom the banners of excellence bowed down.
وَخَطيبٌ في مِنبَرٍ مِن بَيانٍ
مِنهُ ذَلَّت مَصاقِعُ الخطباءِ
An orator in a minbar of eloquence
Before whom the voices of orators fell silent.
فَلَهُ خُلُقٌ كَالنّسيمِ فَلَو فا
حَ لأضحى ورْداً نباتُ الفلاءِ
So his character is like a gentle breeze - had it blown,
The plants of desolation would have bloomed like roses.
وَلَهُ خَلقٌ يُنبِئُ الحُسنُ عَنهُ
إِذْ تَمَنَّتْهُ أَنجُمُ الجَوزاءِ
His nature proclaims his beauty,
For which the stars of Little Bear yearned.
وَمَضاءٌ كَلَمحِ طَرْفٍ وَعَزمٍ
عَلَّمَ النَّجمَ مِنهَ حُسْنَ المضاءِ
A brilliance like the flash of a glance and resolve
Which taught the stars the beauty of beaming.
وَعُلومٌ قَد فاقَتِ البحرَ وُسْعاً
وعطاءٌ يفوقُ قطرَ السماءِ
Knowledge that surpassed the sea in breadth,
And giving exceeding the rain from the sky.
وحَياءٌ في غَيرِ حَقٍّ جَليلٌ
ووقارٌ قد زينَ بالإغضاءِ
And a shyness, though undeserved, still great,
And dignity graced with lowering the gaze.
شَمسُ هُدىً في مَطلعِ الخيرِ تَبدو
حَيثُ حَلَّت في جَبهَةِ العَلياءِ
A guiding sun rising in the dawn of good,
Where it shone on the brow of the lofty.
فَاِفخَري يا رَشيدُ عِزّاً وَتيهاً
وتحلَّيْ بحلّةِ الخُيَلاءِ
So take pride, O judicious one, in might and love,
And don the raiment of dreams.
ثمَّ دوسي بِأَخمصَيك الثُّريَّا
تَمنحيها بِالدَّوْسِ حُسْنَ اِعتِلاءِ
Then step with your heels upon the Pleiades,
Elevating them by treading the lofty.
فَلَقَد كُنتِ يا فَريدَةَ عقدٍ
صَدَفاً لِليَتيمَةِ العَصْماءِ
For you were, O singular pearl,
A shell to the protected orphan girl.
وَإِلَيكِ اِنتماؤُهُ بِاِنتِسابٍ
فَلك السّعدُ غِبَّ ذا الاِنتماءِ
Through her lineage she is affiliated with you
So for you is the fortune beyond that kinship.
فَحَماكِ الإِلهُ مِن كلِّ شَيْنٍ
وَحَباكِ القديمُ حُسْنَ البقاءِ
May God protect her from all evil,
And may the Eternal grant her lasting beauty.
أَيّها الشَّهمُ مِنك شُرِّفْتُ فَضلاً
بِعَروسٍ كَالغادةِ الغَيداءِ
O valiant one, through her I gained honor and bounty
With a bride like an absent gazelle.
بِنتُ فِكرٍ تَخَدَّرَت بِجَمالٍ
وَلَها اللّطفُ كانَ خَيرَ خِباءِ
The daughter of a thinker imbued with beauty,
Whose charm was the best of veils.
وَهيَ بِكرٌ وَما لَها أَنا كُفؤٌ
وَهيَ شَرعاً عَديمَةُ الأكفاءِ
She is a virgin, and I am not her equal,
And by sacred law she is without peers.
وَهيَ سِحرٌ مِنَ البَيانِ حَلالٌ
وَمِنَ الشّعرِ حِكمَةٌ بِاِعتِناءِ
She is magic of eloquence, permitted
And wisdom of verse with care.
لَو رَآها أَهلُ البَلاغَةِ تاهُوا
وَأَقرُّوا بِالعَجزِ والإعْياءِ
If the masters of rhetoric saw her, they would be lost
And admit to incapacity and exhaustion.
وَاِعتَلاهُم تَحيُّرٌ حينَ تُتلى
وَاِعتَراهُم تَلجلُجُ الفَأفاءِ
Bewilderment would seize them when she recites
And the shiver of awe overcome them.
كُنتُ حُرّاً لَدَى الكِرامِ رَقيقاً
وَشَريفَ الأَخوالِ وَالآباءِ
I was a free man to the generous people, a slave
To noble uncles and fathers.
مُذْ أَتَتني صَيَّرتني لَك عَبداً
فَكَأنّي ملكتَني بالشِّراءِ
Since she came to me, she made me your slave,
As if you had acquired me by purchase.
فَلِجيدي جعلتَها عِقدَ دُرٍّ
وَهيَ تَبدو لِلعبدِ عَقْدَ ولاءِ
So for my neck she made a necklace of pearls
Which appears to this slave a collar of loyalty.
وَهيَ عِندي تَميمةٌ ثمَّ حِرزٌ
أَتَداوى بِها وَفيها شِفائي
To me she is a charm and a talisman,
I seek healing through her, and in her is my remedy.
كَيفَ أَرجو مِثالَها في نِظامي
أَعَلى المُستحيلِ أبني رَجائي
How can I wish for her equal in my verse?
My hope builds upon the impossible.
أَينَ لي مثلُها وَأَنَّى لِمِثلي
حَيثُ أَنّي أُعَدُّ في الغَوغاءِ
Where can one like me find her equal?
When I am counted among the riffraff.
كلّ مَن رامَ مِثلَها في نِظامٍ
أَسلَمَتهُ أَوهامُهُ لِلشّقاءِ
If any strove for her equal in verse
His delusions handed him over to misery.
ذاكَ فَضلُ اللَّهِ الكريمِ تَعالى
وَهوَ فَيضٌ مِن فَيضِ ذي الآلاءِ
That is the abundant favor of the Bountiful God,
A torrent from the flood of the Munificent.
فَاِبقَ أَيُّها الإِمامُ بِخَيرٍ
وَبِغَزٍّ يَبقى بِدونِ اِنتِهاءِ
So remain, O Imam, in goodness and glory
That will last without end.
وَتَفضَّلْ عَلى الفَقيرِ بِدُرٍّ
أَيّها البّحرُ في السّخا وَالعَطاءِ
And bestow favor upon this destitute one with a pearl,
O ocean of altruism and gifts.
وَاِحْبُ هَذي العجوزَ بِسِترٍ
فَهوَ مَهرُ العَجوزةِ الشّوهاءِ
And shelter this old woman with concealment,
For it is the dowry of the unsightly old woman.
وَاِرْقَ مِن ذَروَةِ المَعالي سَماءً
بِسُرورٍ يوليكَ خيرَ هَناءِ
And gently rise above the pinnacle of glory to the sky
In a joy that will grant you the best of felicity.
ما اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ المُهَيمنِ أَثنى
في نِظامٍ عَلَيك خَيرَ الثناءِ
Never in any poem did the son of Fathallah the Aid
Praise you with the best of praises,
أَو تَغَنّى الحَمامُ فَوقَ غُصونٍ
في صَباحٍ وَما شَدا في المَساءِ
Nor did a dove coo above the branches
One morning, though it cried out in the evening.
