قَد ظلَّ يَجرحُ صَدري
مَن لَيسَ يَعدوهُ فِكري
My chest has long been wounded by one my mind cannot forget
A gazelle with the face of a full moon that adorns a line of verse
ظَبيٌ بِصفحةِ بَدرٍ
يَزهو بِه سَطرُ شَعرِ
How I have yearned for union and how much I’m inclined to estrangement
My sorrows seduce my heart, so how much wrong can it bear
كَم ملتُ فيهِ لِوَصلٍ
وَكم يَميلُ لِهَجرِ
I thought in my sleep that patience would relieve its restlessness
I tended flowers of stars that had mercy on my illness and harm
يُغري هُمومي بِقَلبي
فَكَم يَجورُ وَيُغري
Having learned from an aged experience, I donned the garb of maturity
I would sacrifice myself for the sake of poetry, a strung pearl necklace
حَسِبتُ نومِيَ فيهِ
من قُلِّهِ بَعضَ صَبر
Were an unjust ruler to possess it, I would place it around my neck
Oh my youth, why did you pass in the evil of an era and time
أَرعيتُ زُهر نجومٍ
رَحمنَ سَقمي وَضُرّي
An era of delusion and vanity, and the injustice of decadent evil
I prepared a necklace of praise, strung together in a line of verse
من بَعدِ تجريبِ كهلٍ
لَبستُ حلَّةَ غِرِّ
Praise that glows with a sun, praise that glows with a moon
Muhammad is an ocean of pride, and Haydar a treasure trove
نَفسي فِدت نظمَ شِعرٍ
مُحَجَّلٍ نظمَ دُرٌ
Their progeny is the best branch, flourishing with the best harvest
They are the insight of my soul, and the wealth of my lifetime
لَو مُلِّكَتهُ ظَلومٌ
حَلتهُ في عِقدِ نَحر
They are the garden of my righteousness, and the path of my devotion
They are lions that bring salvation, without loss or harm
شَبيبَتي لِمَ تَقضي
في شَرِّ دهرٍ وَعَصر
Seas of knowledge and forbearance, fierce and tawny lions
My soul is protected by Ali, who repelled the stab of censure
دَهرِ غُرورٍ وَلَهوٍ
وَجَورِ خَورٍ وَغَرِّ
And singly led peace and war, nomads and settled folk
If you would but listen to my words, I would recount the battle of Badr
لَمَمتُ عَقدَ مَديحٍ
يُزَفُّ في عِقدِ شِعر
Yes, and I would tell of those who march, flee, and charge
And Khaybar - if I told you its hidden tales
مَديحٌ يُلِمُّ بِشَمسٍ
مَدحٌ يُلِمُّ بِبَدر
You would have no doubt, concealed by a hand of secrecy
And remembering Hunain brings me joy that cannot be matched
مَحمَّدٌ بَحرُ فَخرٍ
وَحيدرٌ كنزُ ذُخر
And killing Amr was a miracle - the killing of Amr
Good riddance to the progeny of blasphemy, polytheism, and denial
وَنسلُهُم خيرُ فرعٍ
يَزهو بِهِ خيرُ نَجرِ
How much recited scripture dispels their twisted beliefs
It has the advantage of a bird that takes wing with goodness and provision
هُمُ بَصيرَةُ نَفسي
وَهُم ذَخيرَةُ دَهري
Gabriel presented him, not making a public display
At Ghadir Khumm he spoke, for the witnessing of an earnest crowd
وَهُم حَديقَةُ رُشدي
وَهُم طَريقَةُ بَرّي
Casting the party of hypocrisy into depths of ignorance and scheming
Why did they deny him, despite all his merit and pride
هُمُ ليوثٌ غَيوثٌ
مِن دونِ حبطٍ وَضَرِّ
Knowledge, wisdom, devotion, a lifetime of generosity and patience
His sword the best of swords - pure, made with pure iron
بُحورُ عِلمٍ وَحِلمٍ
لُيوثُ بيضٍ وَسُمرِ
Quenching them at all times with his endless knowledge
A hand that pours forth and grows, never made bitter by scarcity
نَفسي تَقي من عليٍّ
هَزَبرَ طَعنٍ وَهبرِ
Why did they requite him with the treachery of deceit?
Why did they meet him with betrayal?
وَفَردَ سلمٍ وَحربٍ
وَنجمَ بدوٍ وَحَضرِ
Mustering against him an army that undertakes Amr's deeds
Did you hear the news of the army of Rabba of Khidar?
لَو كُنتَ تُصغي لِقَولي
دَوَّنتُ غزوَةَ بَدر
Leave Utayra of India to the depths of scheming and repulsion
If he had not drawn near and paved the way for him in his early days
نَعَم وَخَبَّرتُ عَمَّن
يَسري وَيَبري وَيفري
They would not have taught him the means of every betrayal
My chest seethes against them, like a furnace atop embers
وَخيبرٌ لَو خَبَرتُم
عَنهُ كَمَكنونِ خبري
My Prophet of Loua is enough for me, my angry growling lion
My praise of them is like the spell of sorcery, undoing my spell and slaughter
لكُنتُمُ في يَقينٍ
لَم تُخفِهِ يَدُ ستر
Take it, O Kufan, for I have presented a pearl from the sea
In a singular effort not afforded to any but my nature and mind
وَلي بِذِكرِ حُنَينٍ
تَفَرُّحٌ لَيسَ يُكري
It is complete, omitting a letter that circulates in every mention
My miraculous eloquence persists in fortifying my prose and verse
وَعِندَ قَتلةِ عمروٍ
وَمعجزٌ قَتلُ عمرو
So it is not permitted for any free man to compare poetry to poetry
وَمرحبٌ نَسلُ كفرٍ
وَنَسلُ شِركٍ وَنُكرِ
كَم فيهِ مَتلوُّ نصٍّ
يَجلوهُ مُصحَفُ ذكر
لَهُ مزيَّةُ طيرٍ
تَطيرُ من خَيرِ وَكرِ
قَد زَفَّهُ جِبرئيلٌ
وَلم يَكُن غَيرَ جَهرِ
غَديرَ خُمٍّ تَكَلَّم
لِمَشهَدٍ جِدِّ حُرِّ
تَقذِف بِعُصبَةِ نَصبٍ
في قعرِ جَهلٍ وَمَكرِ
وَكَيفَ قَد جَحَدوهُ
مَع كلِّ فَضلٍ وَفَخر
علمٍ وَحِلمٍ وَنسكٍ
وَبَذلِ عُمرٍ وَصَبر
وَسَيفُهُ خَيرُ سَيف
طُهرٌ يَقومُ بِطُهر
يَسقيهُمُ كُلَّ وَقت
من عِلمِهِ غَيرَ نَزر
يَدٌ تَفيضُ وَتَنمي
فَلَم تَكدَّر بِجَزر
فَلِم جَزوهُ بختلٍ
وَلِم لَقوهُ بِغَدرِ
وَيَمَّموهُ بِجَيشٍ
يَجيشُ مِن فِعلِ عَمرو
وَهَل سَمِعتُم بِخُبرٍ
في جُند رَبَّةِ خِدر
وَدَع عُتَيرَةَ هِندٍ
في قُعرِ مَكرٍ وَدَحر
لَو لَم تَقرَّب وَتَمهَد
لَه بكفٍّ بِصُغرِ
لكِنَّهُم لَقَّنوهُ
بِفِعلَةٍ كلَّ غَدرِ
صَدري يَفورُ عَلَيهِم
كَمِرجَلٍ فَوقَ جَمر
حَسبي نبيّ لُوَيٍّ
حَسبي غَضَنفَرُ فِهر
مَدحي لَهُم زَورُ سِحرٍ
يَحُلُّ سَحري وَنَحري
كوفيُّ خُذهُ فَطبعي
قَد زَفَّ دُرَّةَ بحرِ
بِدفعَةٍ لَم تُيَسَّر
لِغَيرِ طَبعي وَفِكري
تَمَّت عَلى حَذف حرف
يَدورُ في كُلِّ ذِكر
وَمُعجِزي مُستَمِرٌّ
في سَدِّ نظمي وَنَثري
فَلَن يَحلَّ لِحُرٍّ
تَشبيهُ شِعرٍ بِشِعر
