سَقاها بِلا ضرٍّ بِغَيثٍ هَطولِ
سَحاب الحَيا مِن أَربُعٍ وَطلولِ
My beloved's abode was watered without harm by pouring rain,
The clouds of life from four sides and long lengths.
سَقاها وَلَو لَم يطف ناراً بِمُهجتي
وَلَم يَحبُني مِنهُ بِبَردِ غَليلي
It watered her even if it did not ignite a fire in my inner self,
And she did not love me with the coolness of my passion.
وَحاكَت لَها أَيدي الثّريّا مَلابِساً
نَسيج الصّبا سَدَّتهُ كفّ قبولِ
The hands of time wove for it clothes,
The weaving of youth, stayed by the palm of acceptance.
وَإِن حالَ حالُ الدّارِ عمّا عَهِدتهُ
فَعَهدُ الجَوى بِالدّارِ غير محيلِ
And if the state of the abode changed from what I knew it to be,
Then the passion for the abode does not change.
إِذِ الدّارُ مِن لَيلايَ كانَت أَنيسةً
وَغصن النّقا ريّان غير ذبولِ
For the abode was a companion during my nights,
And the branch of bonheur, flowing, not withering.
وَشعب اللّوى قَد كانَ واللَّه عامراً
وَرَبع اللّوى لَم يَنشَعِر بِرَحيلِ
And the valley of intimacy was, by God, populated,
And the open country of intimacy had not been startled by departure.
خَلِيلَيَّ فيَّ الوَجدُ ثارَ وَشاقَني
سَنا بارِقٍ بِالنيِّرينِ جليلِ
My friend, passion and longing have revolted in me
With a gleaming sword of bright white.
تَبَدَّى سنيُّ الومضِ مِنهُ كَأَنّهُ
أَشِعَّةُ حُسنٍ في جَبينٍ جَميلِ
The lightning of its brightness appeared from it as if it were
Rays of beauty on a beautiful forehead.
فَحُثَّا مَطايا الجدّ بِالوَجدِ وَاِقطَعا
فَراسِخَ عَشراً في مَسافَةِ ميلِ
So urge on the steeds of earnestness with passion and cut through
Ten miles with those steeds in the span of a mile.
وَمِيلا بِهاتيكَ المَطايا لَعَلَّها
تُقِيل بِظِلٍّ في دِمَشقَ ظليلِ
And that mile, perhaps with those steeds,
It will rest in the shade in Damascus the shady.
فَإِنّ بِها بيضاً حِساناً عَقائلاً
أَخذَنَ بِأَرواحٍ لَنا وَعُقولِ
For in it are resplendent doves, gentle birds,
That have seized our souls and minds.
وَفي الكلَّةِ الخضراءِ بَيضاءُ غُرَّةٍ
وَحَمراءُ خَدٍّ بِالجَمالِ أَسيلِ
And in the green meadow is a white innocence,
And a redness of cheek, graceful and delicate.
وَمَكسورة الأَجفانِ مِن سِحرِ لَحظِها
وَوَطفاءِ أَهدابٍ بِطرف كَحيلِ
With languid eyelids from the magic of her glance
And the waning of eyelashes with kohl.
طَليقة وَجهٍ بِالجَمالِ ملثَّم
أَسيرَة حُسنٍ في الحِسانِ قَليلِ
A free face, veiled in beauty,
A captive of beauty, little in grace.
مَعاصِمُها قَد قيِّدت بِأَساوِرٍ
وَأَرجُلها قَد قُيِّدَت بِحجولِ
Her wrists are fettered with bracelets
And her feet are shackled with anklets.
مِنَ البابِليّات الجُفونُ وَسِحرُها
هُوَ النّبل توحيهِ لِقلبِ نَبيلِ
From the Babylonians are the eyelids, and their magic
Is the arrows given to the heart of the noble one.
فَإِن أوعَدت بِالرّميِ مِن نَبلِ جَفنِها
فَإِيعادُها بِالرّمي غَير مطولِ
So if she promises to shoot arrows from her eyelids,
Then her promise to shoot is not long.
وَإِن أَوعَدت بِالقَتلِ في سَيفِ لَحظِها
فَكَم مِن صَريعٍ قَد تَرى وَقَتيلِ
And if she promises to kill with the sword of her glance,
Then how many are the slain you see and the killed!
وَفي ثَغرِها خَمرانِ ريقٌ وَمَلفَظ
وَفي لَحظِها المَخمور أَسنى شمولِ
In her mouth is the wine of saliva and sweetness,
And in her intoxicating glance, the most aromatic inclusion.
مُخَدَّرَة يَحمونَ رُؤيَة حِصنِها
بِسُمرٍ عَوالٍ أَو بِبيضِ نُصولِ
Protected by the night patrols or white spear shafts,
They prevent the unwanted, but do not prevent welcome guests.
وَكَم مَنَعوا الغرثان وِردَ رضابِها
وَلَم يَمنَعوا الضيفانَ حُسنَ نُزولِ
She has the ferocity of lions in her inner self,
And the glance of a gazelle in the meadows, timid.
مَهاة لَها فَتكُ الأُسودِ بِمُهجَتي
وَلَفتة ظَبي في الكناسِ خذولِ
So I said to her, for you I have wasted away in love,
Do your eyes not see my emaciation and leanness?
فَقُلت لَها قَد ذبتُ فيكِ صَبابَةً
أَما أَبصَرت عَيناكِ فَرطَ نُحولي
Why do I treat a heart torn by youth?
What remedy is there for one sick from the sickness?
إِلامَ أُداوي القَلبَ نَشقاً مِنَ الصَّبا
وَما بِعَليلٍ مِن شِفاءِ عَليلِ
And how can I seek healing in her delicate waist?
What lean one can be healed by one who is lean?
وَحَتّامَ أَستَشفي بِرقّةِ خَصرِها
وَأَيّ نَحيلٍ يَشتَفي بِنَحيلِ
And the night I divorced worries and estranged them
Due to the heedlessness of the critic and the error of the censurers,
وَلَيلةَ طَلَّقتُ الكَرى وَأَبَنْتُهُ
عَلى غَفلَةِ اللّاحي وَسَهو العذولِ
I came to the protected precincts of my nights, the eagle a dress,
The cross of the votive place in the coolness of evening,
طَرقتُ حِمى لَيلايَ وَالنّسر حِندِساً
صَليبَ نضارٍ في بُرودِ أَبيلِ
I enter the threshing floors of death without her life,
So if I come back stained, I become stained.
أَخوضُ حِياضَ المَوتِ مِن دونِ حَيِّها
فَإِنْ جبت غيلاً صِرت مِنهُ بِغِيلِ
And from a charging lion, and another visitor,
And from a crouching wolf, and a howling jackal.
وَمِن أَسَدٍ يَعدو وَآخرَ زائِرٍ
وَمِن ضَيغَمٍ جاثٍ وَساطٍ صَؤولِ
And I did not forget her words to me during my long life,
When in the sanctuary she saw me enter.
وَلَم أَنسَ طولَ العُمرِ منّي مَقالَها
وَقَد أَبصَرت في الخدرِ منّي دخولي
Slow down! You have given yourself up to perdition,
And now you have done the deed of the ignorant.
رُوَيدَكَ قَد أَسلَمتَ نَفسكَ لِلرّدى
وَفيها فَعَلتَ الآنَ فِعلَ جَهولِ
And a horseman of dignity does not do the likes of this,
And for him in this there is no reaching the goal.
وَفارِس عَبسٍ لَيسَ يَفعَلُ مِثلَ ذا
وَما كانَ في هَذا لَهُ مِن وصولِ
So how will it be if before killing you they overcome you
With the strongest argument and proof?
فَكَيفَ إِذا مِن قَبلِ قَتلك قَد سَطَوا
عَلَيكَ بِأَقوى حجَّةٍ وَدَليلِ
And they rode the racecourse of debate in discussion
And cast you into ample, prolonged research?
وَجالوا بِمِضمارِ الجِدالِ تَباحُثاً
وَأَلقَوكَ في بَحثٍ عَريضٍ طَويلِ
So I said to her, gently, my dear,
Slow down, my dear, and listen to what you say.
فَقُلتُ لَها مَهلاً فَديتُكِ بِالحَشا
رُوَيدَكِ طيبي وَاِسمَعي ما تَقولي
For I do not fear death, for I was a lover
By the stab of a lance or descent of a spearhead.
فَلَستُ أَخافُ القتلَ إِذ كُنتُ عاشِقاً
بِطَعنِ سِنانٍ أَو نِزالِ رَعيلِ
And should I dread in research rejection and opponent
When I have a support like the eminent Imam?
وَهَل أَختَشي في البحثِ نَقضاً وَمانِعاً
وَلي سَندٌ مِثل الإِمامِ الجليلِ
My brother of virtue, the sea of knowledge, the lofty place of sciences,
With few peers, rather without equal.
أَخي الفَضلِ بَحرِ العلمِ طَودِ مَعارفٍ
قَليل نَظيرٍ بَل عَديمِ مَثيلِ
Brother to Nu'man - and he is Muhammad -
The Imam of the branches of jurisprudence and then legal theory.
شَقيق لِنُعمان وَذاكَ محمَّد
إِمام فُروعِ الفِقهِ ثمّ الأُصولِ
He is the worshipper ascetic, and he is the son of a worshipper
Of pure ancestry, generous origin.
هوَ العابِدُ النسَّاكُ وَهوَ اِبن عابد
ذُو النَّسبِ الزّاكي الكريمِ الأَصيلِ
The inquiry attained its happiness through him
And attained through him the verification, pulling the trains.
إِمام بِهِ التّحقيقُ أَدرَكَ سَعدهُ
وَنالَ بِهِ التّدقيق جَرَّ ذُيولِ
So he clarified obscure problems, explaining,
And directed them rightly with a beautiful manner.
فَأَبدى خَفايا المُشكِلات مُوَضِّحاً
وَوَجَّهها حَقّاً بِوَجه جَميلِ
He prepared for inquiry from the time of youth,
And how he surpasses many a shaykh, though he is young!
تَأَهَّل لِلتّحقيقِ مِن زَمَنِ الصّبا
وَكَم فاقَ مِن شَيخٍ لَهُ وَكهولِ
And to him bowed the hearts of prominent experts,
Nobles, elite, distinguished men.
وَدانَت لَه فيهِ صُدور جَهابِذٍ
أَفاضِل أَعيان كِبار فُحولِ
He is the scholar who reasons, the formidable one who
Has the excellence of mastery and excellence of speech.
هُوَ العالِمُ النّحريرُ الجَهبذُ الّذي
لَهُ حُسنُ إِتقانٍ وَحسنُ مقولِ
So the meaning of God's Book is the theme of his imagination
As is the Sunna of the best of creation, the best Messenger.
فَمَعنى كِتاب اللّه نَصب خَيالِهِ
كَسُنَّةِ خَيرِ الخَلقِ خَيرِ رَسولِ
Thus there is nothing except that he establishes its proof,
Whether by evidence of the intellect or transmission.
فَلا شَيء إِلّا قَد يُقيم دَليلَهُ
فَإِمّا بِنَصِّ العقلِ أَو بِالنقولِ
God has given him few equals, rare ones like him,
While the likes of others besides him in the world are not few.
لَهُ اللّهُ مِن فَردٍ قَليلٍ مِثالهُ
وَمثل سِواه الدهرَ غير قليلِ
Outstanding in virtuous character and conduct that calls
To a beautiful welcoming and receptivity.
وَجيه بِأَخلاقٍ حِسانٍ لَقَد دَعَت
إِلى حسنِ إِقبالٍ وَحسنِ قَبولِ
Eloquent, the finest rhetoric being his habit,
And this has proven him to have eloquence that was said.
بَليغ لَهُ أَسنى الفَصاحَةِ دَيدَنٌ
وَأَثبَته فيهِ بَلاغَة قيلِ
With the magic of articulation, adorned with rhetorical embellishment,
So how he captivates minds and understandings!
بِسِحرِ بَيانٍ بِالبَديعِ مُطلسم
فَكَم فيهِ يَسبي مِن حِجىً وَعُقولِ
And he rendered the clouds of eloquence lightning
That flashes amidst the garb of confusion.
وَصَيَّرَ سَحبانَ البَلاغَةِ باقلاً
تَرَدّى مَعَ الإِسكاتِ ثَوب ذُهولِ
And he journeyed beyond reach, so that if he went too far,
He would say the words are the essence of what is said.
وَراحَ وَلا إِدراكَ حَتّى إِنِ اِغتَدي
يَقولُ بِأَنّ القَولَ عينُ المَقيلِ
And the wild mares of rhyme submitted to him obediently,
So for him the difficult is not formidable.
وَدانَت لَهُ شوسُ القَوافي مُطيعَةً
فَلَيس لَدَيه الصّعب غير ذلولِ
But he chose none but their love poems,
For meanings without possessors of tents.
وَلَكِنّهُ ما اِختارَ غَيرَ هِجانها
لِخودٍ مَعان غَير ذاتِ بُعولِ
And he mounted them, of them, lively colts
Chaste fillies without any fight.
وَأَركَبَها مِنها غَوانِيَ خرّداً
عَذارى عِراباً عادِمات الشكولِ
Lovely gazelles with beauty rare,
With a coquettish eyelash, even delicate and thin.
رَعابيب غيداً بِالجَمالِ بَديعة
بِطرفٍ كَحيلٍ بَل وَإطل نحيلِ
And he dressed them in a necklace of pearls and gems
And adorned the excellent of them after prolonged effort.
وَأَلبَسها مَنظوم درٍّ وجوهرٍ
وَزَيَّن مِنها الجيدَ بَعدَ العطولِ
Brother of the lofty rank and most glorious one who
Is served by the elite without wearying.
أَخو الرّتبةِ القَعساءِ وَالأَمجَدِ الّذي
لَهُ تَخدم العلياءُ غيرَ ملولِ
And he alighted on the steed of nobility when he straightened up
And since he straightened there is none like him.
وَقَرَّ عَلى مَتنِ المَعالي إِذِ اِستَوى
وَلَيسَ لَهُ مُنذ اِستَوى من زميلِ
Father of honor, sun of glory, full moon of the eminent,
He attained the most fragrant alighting places among the eminent.
أَبو العِزِّ شَمسُ المَجدِ بَدرُ ذَوي العلى
لَقَد نالَ في العَلياءِ أَسنى حلولِ
And he who dwells in his shadow appears honored
Living for ages without humiliation.
وَمَن جارُه يَبدو العَزيز بِظلِّهِ
يَعيشُ بِطولِ الدّهرِ غَيرَ ذَليلِ
Brother of gentleness, in softness and excellence of conduct,
And he who is not hasty or impetuous.
أَخو الحلمِ في لينٍ وَحُسنِ إِناءَةٍ
وَمَن لَيسَ ذا طَيشٍ وَلا بِالعَجولِ
Of fresh bounty, seal of generosity, his meaning,
And he who in extravagance is the best miser.
خَدين النّدى حاتم الجودِ مَعنهُ
وَمَن هوَ بِالتّبذيرِ خَير بَخيلِ
So O Master whom righteous conduct has perfumed
With a praiseworthy reputation among all people.
فَيا أَيّها المَولى الّذي طابَ سِيرَةً
بِصيتٍ حَميدٍ في الأَنامِ جميلِ
To you, brother of etiquette, chastely an orphan comes
And you for her in life are the best friend.
إِلَيكَ أَخا الآدابِ بِكراً يَتيمَةً
وَأَنتَ لَها في الدّهرِ خَير خليلِ
A bride, my thoughts lead her to you my Master,
And a shade that pleases you is the best in-law.
عَروساً إِليكَ الفكرُ مولايَ زفّها
وَظلّ لَها يَرضاكَ خير حَليلِ
So overlook, brother of benefaction, what disgraces her
And grant her, with welcoming, excellence of acceptance.
فَغُضَّ أَخا الإِحسانِ عمّا يُشينُها
وَهَبها مَع الإِقبال حُسنَ قَبولِ
And continue, by God's safekeeping, in a good life
And blessings, favors, and long life.
وَدُم بِأَمانِ اللّهِ في طيبِ عِيشَةٍ
وَخَيرٍ وَآلاءٍ وَعمرٍ طَويلِ
And health of body, as long as you live and the
Dove of the hill croons at dawn and late morning.
وَصِحّةِ جِسمٍ ما حَييت وَما شَدا
حَمام الرّبى في بُكرَةٍ وَأَصيلِ
And Ibn Fathallah said, the home of my loved ones
Was watered without harm by pouring rain.
وَقالَ اِبنُ فَتحِ اللّه دارَ أَحبّتي
سُقيتِ بِلا ضرّ بِغَيثٍ هَطولِ
