لَعَمرُك ما القاماتُ إِلّا أَسِنَّةٌ

وما غَمزاتُ العَينِ إِلّا عَواضِبُ

Your life, the tears are but rain drops

And the winks of the eyes mere wasps

وما وَجناتُ الغيدِ يَبدو شُعاعُها

وَيَظهرُ في الظّلماءِ إِلّا كَواكبُ

The cheeks' dimples shine beams

Appearing in darkness as stars

إِذا طلعَت تَعلو رِماحُ قُدودِها

بِمَشرِقها مِنها تُضيءُ المغاربُ

When they rise their spears' points ascend

With their rising from them the wests light up

وَما جَبهَةُ الحَسناءِ فَوقَ حواجِبٍ

بِغَيرِ هِلالٍ حَيثُ لَم يَكُ حاجبُ

And the brow of the beautiful above eyebrows

Is naught but a crescent where no eyebrows existed

وَلَكنّ أَعلاهُ أَضاءَ بِنورِهِ

ومُسْودَّه أَدناهُ وَهوَ الحواجبُ

But its top it illuminated with its light

And its darkened lower part is the eyebrow

وَلي مَذهَبٌ فيمَن عشقتُ مهذَّبٌ

وَلِلناسِ فيما يَعشَقونَ مَذاهِبُ

And my way with whom I loved is well-mannered

While people have ways in whom they love

أَهيم بها وَلْهانَ وَالدّمعُ ساكِبٌ

وَما أَدمُعُ الولهانِ إِلّا سَواكِبُ

I yearn for her distraught while tears pour down

And a lover's tears are nothing but falling stars

أَغيبُ بِها وَجداً وَإِنّي حاضِرٌ

أيُجدي حضورُ الصّبِّ والصّبُّ غائبُ

I disappear in passion while present

Can the presence of a lover avail if the lover is absent?

أَميلُ إِلَيها وَهيَ لا شكَّ مَطلَبي

وَقَصدي وما لي في سِواها مَأربُ

I incline towards her and she is undoubtedly what I seek

And my aim and I have no purpose but her

أَخافُ عَلَيها أَن تَرى الشَّمسُ حُسنَها

فَتندلُه نَدْلاً تراهُ الثّعالِبُ

I fear the sun may see her beauty

And nibble it to bits visible to foxes

عَلى أَنّ شَمسَ الأُفْقِ عينٌ وَإنّها

لها لدْغةٌ لا تحتويها العقاربُ

Though the horizon's sun is an eye

It has a sting unrestrained by antidotes

أغارُ عليها أن تمرَّ بها الصَّبا

وَمِن لُطفِها يَحلو لَدَيها المكاسِبُ

I am jealous if the morning breeze passes by her

And through its gentleness unlawful gains seem sweet to her

وَتَسرِقُ نَفحَ الوردِ مِن وَردِ خَدِّها

وَيَعشقُها بِالشمِّ مِنهُ الأشايبُ

And steals the scent of roses from the rose of her cheek

And grey-haired men become enamoured by her scent

خَريدةُ حُسنٍ ما لها من مُشابهٍ

ولا غَرْوَ ما للشمس مثلٌ يقاربُ

She is a unique beauty the like of which there is none

Nor any match for the sun that comes close

تَميلُ وَتَرنو كَالقضيبِ وكالظُّبى

وتسفرُ مثلُ النجمِ والنجمُ ثاقبُ

She sways and gazes like a twig and like a gazelle

And dawns like a star while the star penetrates

فَإِنْ تبدُ يبدُ الفجرُ في اللَّيلِ صادقاً

وَإِنْ غَيرُها يَبدو فذا الفجرُ كاذِبُ

So if she appears dawn breaks truthfully in the night

While if others appear that dawn is but a liar

بِروحي لَماها فَهوَ خَمرٌ تَعَسَّلَت

وَمِنها لَقَد طابَت لَدَيَّ المَشارِبِ

By my soul her breath is sweet wine

By which drinking became pleasant for me

وَبي طَرْفُها المَخمورُ مِن خَمرَةِ الكَرى

وَمِن خَمرَةِ التّسهيدِ طرفِيَ شاربُ

While my eyes are intoxicated by the wine of poesy

And by the wine of yearning my eyes drink

نَهَتنيَ عَن كَوني أَرى شَمسَ وَجهِها

فَقُلتُ لَها الحِرباءُ مِثلي تراقبُ

She forbade me from beholding the sun of her face

So I said to her the wakeful are like me - watching

وَأَنّى أَراها وَالعُيونُ حَواجِبي

بِشَزْرٍ لَقَد هانَت لَدَيهِ القَواضِبُ

And how can I see her while my eyelids are eyebrows

By my life the telescopes are now so insignificant

وَكَونُ اللّواحي أَعيُناً وَحَواجِباً

فَوا أَسَفي إِنَّ العيونَ حَواجبُ

That my eyelids are eyes and eyebrows

Oh my sorrow if the eyes are eyebrows

وَلَم يَكُ فَقدُ الرّوحِ مِنّي مُصيبَةً

وَلَكِن لَواحي الصبِّ هنَّ المَصائِبُ

And the loss of my soul was no calamity for me

But oh the sorrows of my sobriety those are the calamities

رَأَتني نَحيلَ الجسمِ مِن أَلَمِ الجَوى

فَقالَت دَعوهُ تَعتَليهِ المَعاطِبُ

She saw me thin bodied from the pain of love

So she said leave him so rivals will scorn him

وَشامَت بَياضاً قَد أَلمَّ بِعارِضي

فَظَنَّتْه شَيباً وَهوَ تأباهُ كاعبُ

And she suspected the paleness that afflicted my cheek

Thinking it grey hair while repudiated by the fool

وَلَيسَ بِشيبٍ إِنّما هوَ نورُها

عَلى عارضي بادٍ وَما أَنا شايِبُ

It is not grey hair, it is but her light

Upon my cheek spreading while I am no greybeard

رَعَى اللَّهُ أَهلَ العِشقِ إِنَّ قُلوبَهم

لَمِن لحظها فيها نِبالٌ صَوائبُ

May God protect the people of passion, their hearts

Are struck by the glances of the beloved with accurate arrows

وَأَحيا فُؤادي حَيثُ ماتَ مِنَ النّوى

وَحَلَّت بِهِ دونَ القُلوبِ النّوائبُ

And may He revive my heart after dying of pining

And adversities had befallen it unlike other hearts

وَأُوهِنَ مِن أَيدي العَنا حَيثُ قَد غَدا

كَأَوهَنِ بَيتٍ قَد بَنَتهُ العَناكِبُ

And I was weakened at the hands of enemies after I had been

Like the weakest house built by spiders

فَيا وَيحَ قَلبي فَالنّوى قَد أَطارَهُ

وَيا وَيحَ جَنبي حَيثُ روحي تُجانبُ

Oh woe my heart which pining has made it fly away

Oh woe my flank where my soul has turned away

عَلى كلِّ حالٍ هَكَذا شِرعَةُ الهوى

وَفي مِثلِهِ تَقضي عَلَينا الحَبائِبُ

However this is the law of passion

And through the like of it sorrows prevail over us

فَقُم يا اِبنَ ودّي نَدخُلِ الرَّوضَ نَلتَهي

فَأَذكى ذَوي الأَشجانِ لاهٍ وَلاعِبُ

So rise my dear son and enter the garden happily

To inspire those who have sorrows with jest and play

أَتَزعمُ أَنّي لِلأمانِيِّ بالِغٌ

وَأَنَّ الأماني كَالظُّنونِ كَواذبُ

Do you claim I have given up on my hopes

While hopes are liars like conjectures?

فَدَعْ عَنكَ هَذا الزَّعمَ يا اِبنَ أَخي الهَوى

فَكَم ماتَ صَبٌّ أَخطَأتهُ المَطالِبُ

Leave this claim my nephew passion

Has killed many a youth his quests had missed

وَشَنِّفْ بِأَذكارِ الحبيبةِ مَسمَعي

فَتِلكَ لَهُ قرطٌ هَوَتهُ الكَواعِبُ

And delight my hearing with the beloved's remembrance

For that is an earring the flirts have coveted

وَمنّيَ فَاِسمَعْ عَن عَليٍّ مَناقِباً

فَإِنّ عليّاً عَنه تُروى المَناقِبُ

And from me listen to the virtues of Ali

For virtues are transmitted regarding Ali

مَناقِبُهُ لم تُحصَ عدّاً لَوِ اِنتَهى

وَلَكنَّهُ مِنهُ تُعدُّ المَعايِبُ

His virtues cannot be fully counted

But faults are counted regarding him

وَما هِيَ إِلّا وَصفُه وَاِتّصافُهُ

بِكُلِّ كَمالٍ قَد جَفَتهُ المَثالِبُ

And they are but descriptions of his righteousness

With every perfection authors have relayed

فَذاكَ أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِعَصرِهِ

حَديثاً وَفَضلاً مِنهُ تَبدو الغَرائِبُ

He is the commander of the faithful in his time

Ancient in grace and marvels appear from him

إِمامٌ بِهِ كلُّ الأَفاضِلِ تَقتَدي

وَذاكَ اِقتِضاءٌ صَحَّحتهُ المَذاهِبُ

A leader all the virtuous emulate

A requirement certified by doctrines

فَلَو أَمَّهُ بِالفضلِ أَكبَرُ فاضِلٍ

فَقَدْ أُمَّ بالأميِّ قارٍ وَكاتِبُ

So if the greatest man in grace gave him allegiance

The literate would give allegiance to the illiterate

هوَ البطلُ الكَرّارُ في كلِّ مَعركٍ

مِنَ المُشكِلِ الخافي وَما هوَ هارِبُ

He is the recurring hero in every battle

Of the obscure and the covert and he is no escapee

يَكِرُّ بِذهنٍ يَسبِقُ البرقَ لامِعاً

وَفَكرٍ يُحاكي الشُّهبَ وَهيَ ثَواقِبُ

He attacks with a mind faster than lightning flashing

And a thought rivalling shooting stars traversing

فَإِن جالَ في مِضمارِ بَحثٍ مناظراً

فَقَد فرَّ مَمنوعُ المُرادِ المشاغِبُ

So if he surged in the battleground of debate and discourse

He frustrated the forbidden aims of mischief makers

وَإِن صالَ بِالأَقلامِ فَوقَ كواغدٍ

فَقَد كَتَبت بِالسُّمر بيضٌ قَواضِبُ

And if he journeyed with pens across pages

The starlings would write with white beaks

وَيا حَبَّذا فيها الطُّروسُ كَأَنّها

يُخالِطُ مِنها الضّوءُ فيها غَياهِبُ

And excellent in them the script like

The light mingling in them with darkness

وَتِلكَ كُنوزٌ لِلمَعاني فَإِنْ بَدَت

عَنِ الدُّرِّ وَالياقوتِ تَبدُ العَجايِبُ

And those are treasures of meaning so if they appeared

Wonders would appear over pearls and rubies

نَتيجَةُ هَذا الدَّهر مِن حُسنِ شَكلِهِ

بَدَت عَن قَضايا المَجدِ وَالمَجدُ واجبُ

The yield of this time in beauty of form

Revealed issues of glory and glory became mandatory

وَتِلكَ القَضايا مُوجِبات لَهُ العُلا

وَعَمّن سِواهُ أَوجَبَتها السّوالِبِ

And those issues made his supremacy obligatory

While for others they necessitated lowliness

فَلَو ودَّ مَتنَ العزِّ يَركَبُه غَدَت

تودُّ المعالي أنهنّ نجائبُ

So if the stretches of glory were mounts to ride

The high pursuits would wish they were comets

أَبى اللَّهُ إِلّا أَن يَسودَ بِفَضلهِ

وما سَوّدته فيه أمٌّ ولا أبُ

But God refused save that he prevails in merit

And not a mother or father blackened him

عَلى أَنَّهُ قد سادَ مَجداً بِأَصلِهِ

وَذَلكَ أَصلٌ فيهِ طهَ وَغالبُ

Though he did prevail in lineage glory

And that is lineage in which are glory and prevailing

فَذاكَ هوَ المَجدُ المُؤكّدُ في الوَرى

لَعمرُك ماذا المجدُ إلّا مَواهِبُ

So this is the assured glory in the world

فَماذا ثَنائي بَعدَ هَذا وَمِدْحَتي

وَلِكَنّ هَذا لِلمَدائِحِ طالبُ

Your life what then is glory but grants?

What then are my praises and eulogies after this

فَإِن لَم تَصفه في حَميد مَدائِحي

فَإنّيَ مِن ذاكَ الحميدِ مُعاتَبُ

But this quests praises though the slave is addressed

And if you did not describe him in the praise I lauded

فَيا أَيّها المَولَى الَّذي هوَ مالكي

وَمَنْ أَنا في مَدحي مَزاياكَ راغِبُ

Then in that praise I would blame you

So here is an immaculate ode I have composed

لَئِن كُنتَ قَد كاتبتَني بقصيدةٍ

فإنَّ اِفتِخارَ العبدِ حيث يُكاتَبُ

Upon which is wondrous eloquence and imagery

How many a suitor has it vexed with its beauty

وَلَكن نُجومُ المَدْحِ لا أَستَطيعُها

وَمِن أَجلِ ذا في الرِّقِّ يبقى المُكاتبُ

And he was barred from fulfilling his hopes while disappointed

While you alone are permitted to it beyond all mankind

فَهاكَ أَبيتَ اللّعنَ بِكراً جميلةً

عَلَيها مِنَ الحُسنِ البَديع جَلابِبُ

You alone are its suitor beyond all people

To you it is wed and settled and now

فَكَم طالِبٍ ضَنَّتْ عليهِ بِحُسنها

وقد رُدَّ عن نَيل المُنى وهو خائِبُ

It is prohibited without doubt to strangers

It became concealed in my thoughts from others than you

وَأَنتَ لَها دون البريّةِ محْرَمٌ

وَأَنتَ لَها دونَ الخَلائِقِ خاطِبُ

For its knowledge that you in my thoughts attract it

And from you thought derives what you have granted it

إِلَيكَ لَقد زُفَّتْ وحلّتْ وَقَد غدا

حَراماً بلا شكٍّ عليها الأجانبُ

Yet it guides you for you are the grantor

So if you accept it, it asks no more

تَوارَت بِفِكري عَن سِواكَ لِعِلمِها

بِأَنّكَ مِن فِكري لَها أَنت جاذبُ

While it deserves no acceptance is what it seeks

So pardon my shortcoming in praise and eulogy

وَمِنك اِستَمدَّ الفِكرُ فيما وَهَبته

وَلِكنَّهُ يُهديكَ ما أَنتَ واهِبُ

Obligations and duties have eluded me

And that is repentance for my sin, no doubt

فَإِن تَحْبُها مِنكَ القَبولَ فَما لَها

وَحَقِّك في غَيرِ القَبولِ مآربُ

While one without sin has no repenting from sin

And live in the safety granted by God however much

فَهَبها قُصوري في المَديحِ وفي الثّنا

فَقَد فاتَني مِنهُ فروضٌ وَوَاجِبُ

The morning breeze blew and the clouds poured rain

وَتِلكَ لِجاني الذَّنبِ لا شكَّ تَوبَةٌ

وَلَيسَ بِذي ذَنبٍ مِنَ الذّنبِ تائِبُ

وَدُمْ بِأَمانِ اللَّهِ ما هبَّتِ الصَّبا

وَما هَطَلت بِالغّيثِ سَحّاً سَحائِبُ