تَصاحى وهو مخمورُ الجَنانِ
وهل يصحو فتىً يهوى الغَواني
He awoke while still drunk with love,
How can one smitten with passion ever awaken?
وأوْرى وجْدَهُ فشكا وورّى
عنِ الأحداقِ في نُوَبِ الزّمانِ
He revealed his inner turmoil, complained, and turned
His eyes from the vicissitudes of time.
وهل في النّائِباتِ السّودِ شيءٌ
أشدُّ عليه من حدَقِ الحِسانِ
Is there anything more painful for him
Than the glances of the tender gazelles?
وهل كذوائِبِ الفتيانِ منها
عليهِ تطاولَتْ ظُلَمُ اِمْتِحانِ
Of the coils of the young women's tresses around him
Did the darkness of trials not impose itself?
تديّن في الهَوى العُذْريِّ حتّى
رأى عِزَّ المحبّةِ بالهَوانِ
He professed devotion in love until
He saw the glory of love in humiliation.
أشَدُّ من الأسودِ إذا لَقيها
وفيه عنِ المَهى فرقُ الجَنانِ
More intense than the black of night when it descends
And the separation from the beloved is the agony of the soul.
فليسَ يفرُّ إلّا عن قِتالٍ
به القاماتُ من عُدَدِ الطِعانِ
He does not flee except from a fight
In which the tall heroes wield their spears.
إلامَ يرومُ سترَ الحبِّ فيه
فتكشفُ عنه عَثْرات اللِّسانِ
What good is it to conceal his love
When his tongue betrays the secret?
يُشبّبُ بالحُوَيزةِ وهو صبٌّ
تغزُّلُه بغِزلانِ اللِّقانِ
He flirts with the sand dunes while still a youth
Embracing the young gazelles.
ويسفَحُ دمعَهُ بالسّفحِ شَوقاً
ويلمعُ مضحكُ البَرقِ اليَمانِ
His tears flow freely out of yearning
As the lightning of Al-Yaman flickers and gleams.
ويطوي السّرَّ منه وكيفَ يَخفى
وفي عينيهِ عُنوانُ العَلانِ
He hides his secret, but how can it be hidden
When his eyes openly display it?
لقد شُغِفَتْ حُشاشتُهُ بنجدٍ
فهامَ بها وحنّ إلى المَجاني
His partridge became enamored with Najd
So it wandered there pining for the meadows.
رأى حِفظَ العُهودِ لساكِنيها
وضيّع قلبَهُ بين المَغاني
It saw the people honor their vows
Yet it lost its heart to the meadows.
رهينُ قُوىً على خدّيه تجري
سوابِقُ دمعِه جرْيَ الرِّهانِ
Held captive by those who encamp upon his cheeks
My tears race like the streaming rain.
يمرّ على حَصى الوادي فيبكي
فينتثِرُ العقيقُ على الجُمانِ
Passing over the valley's pebbles, he weeps
And carnelians are scattered upon his sleeve.
وتنفحُهُ الصّبا فيميلُ سُكْراً
كأنّ بريحِها راح الدّنانِ
The morning breeze blows upon him and he sways, drunk,
As if the scent of danan carried him away.
فهل من مُسعِدٍ لفتىً تفانى
فأدْرَكهُ الوجودُ من التّفاني
Is there anyone to help a youth who is lovesick
And whom existence has overtaken with passing away?
عليه قضى البِعادُ فعاد حيّاً
لأجلِ عذابِه فيما يُعاني
Whom separation has judged, yet he lives
Due to his torment and suffering.
إذا قبضَ الإياسُ الرُّوحَ منه
به نفخَ الرّجا روحَ التّداني
When despair seizes his soul
Hope breathes into him the spirit of consolation.
تُشَبُّ بقَلبه النيرانُ لكنْ
يُشمُّ منَ الحِمى نفَسُ الجنانِ
Fires rage within his heart, but
From his fever he inhales the breezes of Paradise.
سقى اللّه الحِمى غيثاً كدمعي
تَسيلُ به البِطاحُ بأُرجُوانِ
May God water his fever like my tears
Flooding the sand dunes with red roses.
ولا برِحَتْ تُجيبُ به اِرتياحاً
قَماري الدّوحِ أقمارَ القِيانِ
It never ceases to soothe him
Like the full moons shining among the stars.
حِمىً فيه البُنودُ تُمَدُّ منها
على البيضاءِ أجنحةُ الأماني
A fever in which the black antelopes
Stretch out their wings over the sands.
ومُرتَبعاً به الضِرغامُ يَبني
كِناسَ الظَبي في غابِ اللِّدانِ
And the ostriches nesting therein
Build their nests like the ibexes on the hillsides.
تلوحُ عليهِ نارٌ من حديدٍ
وأخرى للضّيوفِ على الرّعانِ
One fire of steel burns over it
While another welcomes guests by the watering places.
فكم تزهو به جنّاتُ حُسْنٍ
وكم تجري عليهِ عُيونُ عانِ
How many gardens of beauty flourish there!
How many languid eyes glance about!
بأجفُنِ بيضِه حُمرُ المَنايا
وتحتَ قِبابه بيضُ الأماني
With its white lids the darkness of annihilation
And beneath its domes the white of hopes.
محلّاً في الملاعِب منه تبدو
كواعبُ كالكواكبِ في قِرانِ
A place where gazelles at play appear
Like stars arranged in conjunction.
حِسانٌ كالشُموعِ تَرى عليها
ذوائِبَها كأعمدةِ الدُخانِ
Beauties like candles, their coils
Like pillars of smoke.
تماثيلٌ تضلُّكَ لو تَراها
عذرْتَ العاكفين على المداني
Statues - if you saw them
You would pardon those enraptured by meadows.
بروحي غادةٌ منهنّ تبدو
إلى قلبي وتنأى عن مَكاني
Among them appears a phantom of my beloved
Whom my imagination conjures but hides from my sight.
يمثّلها الخيالُ خيال طَرفي
فأُبصرُها وتُحجَبُ عن عِياني
She flashes her white cheeks from a delicate eyelid
And her long tresses wave like the lance of the ban tree.
تقُدُّ البيضَ في جَفْنٍ نَحيفٍ
وتَفري السّابغاتِ بغصنِ بانِ
When she whispers to me
I think her tongue is the warbling ringdove.
إذا نبذَتْ إلى سمعي كلاماً
حسِبْتُ لسانَها نبّاذَ حانِ
Her undulating curves are like the supple sword of Ali,
Chanting, composed of meanings.
ثناياها كدُرِّ ثَنا عليٍّ
مرتّلةً مرتّبةَ المَعاني
Her glance and her determination are equal,
Like the two Indian swords, peers of scimitars.
ومُقلتُها وعزمتُهُ سَواءٌ
كِلا السّيفينِ نصلٌ هُندواني
He inclined toward praise, as she prompted me,
Just as youthfulness invites me to do in her.
هَواهُ إلى المديحِ كما دعَتْني
كذا التشبيبُ فيها قد دَعاني
The ally of generous deeds, Abu Hussein,
The honorable neighbor, noble yet slighted.
حليفُ المَكرُمات أبو حُسينٍ
عزيزُ الجارِ ذو المالِ المُهانِ
The brother of lofty aspirations, which if roused,
Their furthest reaches touch the heavens.
أخو هِمَمٍ إذا اِنبعثَتْ فأدنى
مواضيها على هامِ الزّمانِ
And tales which have circulated in every land,
Leaving behind a scent that rivals all perfumes.
وأخبارٍ سرَتْ فبكلِّ أرضٍ
لها عبقٌ يضرُّ بكلِّ شانِ
And examples that delight every ear,
As if composed by the composers of odes.
وأمثالٍ تلذُّ بكلِّ سمعٍ
كأنّ بضرْبِها ضرْبَ المثاني
And manners like gardens of al-Muzain, which portray
Their smiles like the apertures of gems.
وأخلاقٍ كروضِ المُزنِ تحكي
مباسِمُها ثُغورَ الأُقحُوانِ
And qualities that vied with rubies
In necklaces of white pearls.
خِصالٌ كاللآلي نافسَتْها
عليه قلائِدُ البيضِ الحَصانِ
A flame of war shaking the firm spear
And a lion of combat brandishing snakes.
شِهابُ وغىً يهزُّ سريَّ نصلٍ
وليثُ سُرىً يَصولُ بأُفعوانِ
He sees the plain of heroes white with the locks of age
And dyes them red as scarlet dye.
يرى وضحَ النّصولِ فُصولَ شَيبٍ
فيخضِبُها بأحمرَ كالدِّهانِ
The clouds embraced him, so it was more fitting
For him to rain down destruction upon the wicked.
تبنّاهُ السّحابُ فكان أحرى
بذي الدّعوى عليه النَّيّرانِ
And the sword adopted him as a brother
In the position of the spearhead to the spear.
وواخاهُ الحُسامُ فكان منهُ
بمرتبةِ القناةِ منَ السِّنانِ
And he attained the station of grand qualities
Thus becoming like a ring upon the fingers.
وحلّتْ منه منزلةَ المَعالي
فأضحَتْ كالخواتِمِ في البَنانِ
And he adorned glory with the pearls of discernment
Until he was like the horizon at dawn.
وحلّى المجدَ في دُرَرِ السّجايا
فأمْسى وهو كالأفُقِ المُزانِ
As if he cloaked the stars in masks of pure silk
And donned the garb of day at dawn.
كَسا تُرْكَ النّجومِ مُسوحَ نقْعٍ
وروميَّ النّهارِ بطَيْلَسانِ
And brought awe to the heart of the dawn
Whose camphor now is like saffron.
وأنبتَ في فؤادِ الصُّبحِ رَوعاً
فها كافورُه كالزّعْفَرانِ
As if his black antelopes were Kisra's guard
Each wearing a brocaded gown.
كأنّ بُنودَهُ حجّابُ كِسْرى
على كلٍّ قميصٌ خُسْرَواني
And the red of his ostriches vies with Mars –
Each the color of pure blood.
وحُمرُ ظُباهُ للمرّيخ رهْطٌ
فكلٌّ عندَميُّ اللّونِ قانِ
He fancied the earth would sink beneath his tread
So he supported it with the pillars of heaven.
توهّمَ أن تَميدَ الأرضُ فيه
فوقّرَها براسيةِ الجَنانِ
And was certain that generosity endures
So he immortalized it in this abode.
وأيقنَ أنّ بذْلَ المالِ يُبقي
له بُقْيا فخلّدَه بِفانِ
Truly time was mistaken in being generous to him
And barren thereafter, an opportunity missed!
لقد غلِطَ الزّمانُ فجادَ فيه
وأعْقَمَ بعدَه فرْجُ الأوانِ
If it had been as generous as the celestial spheres
It still wouldn't have sufficed.
فلو حملَتْ من القمرِ الثُريّا
لما كادَتْ تَجيءُ له بثانِ
He inherited every glory from his father
And every piety, grace and favor.
تورّث كلَّ فخرٍ من أبيه
وكلَّ تُقىً وفضلٍ واِمتنانِ
As if they were the dawn prayer, with him
The latter part, or the seven oft-repeated verses.
كأنّهُما صلاةُ الفجرِ هذا
لذا شَفْعٌ أو السّبعُ المَثاني
His stature was so lofty, he was called “Ali”
And shared with him a name and rank.
عَلا مِقدارُه فحكى عليّاً
فشاركَهُ بتسميةٍ وشانِ
They are two stars, with similarities between them –
If combined, one would call them the Double Star.
هُما نجمانِ بينهُما اِشتراكٌ
لوِ اِقترَنا لقُلنا الفرقَدانِ
How many victories like the day of Sabur did he gain
And aid like the day of Nahrawan!
فكم من نهرِ سابورٍ تأتّى
له نصرٌ كيومِ النّهروانِ
And among the followers of the House of Harb
How many valorous acts of the gallant knight!
وكم في التّابعين لآلِ حَربٍ
له من فتكةٍ بِكرٍ عَوانِ
The most noble day for him in time
Was the day formations clashed at Shihrkan.
وأشرفُ ما لهُ في الدّهر يومٌ
قضى يومَ الصّفوفِ بشهرَكانِ
O son of the most righteous clan of Quraish,
Guides of mankind, jinn and men!
ألا يا اِبْنَ الأيمّةِ من قُريشٍ
هُداةِ الخَلقِ من إنسٍ وجانِ
In character, manners and wisdom in judgments and eloquence
I resemble them.
لقد أشبهتُهُم خَلقاً وخُلقاً
وحُكماً بالقضايا والبيانِ
You have attained old age, which has become youthful again,
As the blackness of its parting hair turns dark again.
ووافَيْتَ الزّمانَ وكان شيخاً
فعادَ سوادُ مفرِقِه الهِجانِ
You ascended to the heights on light feet
Thus overtaking Al-Buraq on a steed.
عرَجْتَ إلى المعالي فوقَ طرفٍ
فجارَيْتَ البُراقَ على حِصانِ
You are like Moses, in the outstretched arm
Your spear like his staff in his right hand.
كأنّك في اليد البيضاءِ موسى
ورُمحُكَ كالعَصا في زِيّ جانِ
Your teeth, in the face of death's tongue
Have become for heroes the most eloquent translator.
سِنانُكَ عن لِسانِ الموتِ أضحى
لدى الهيجاءِ أفصحَ تَرْجُمانِ
Your sword has always been a bracelet
For an epic, or a ring for a warrior.
وسيفُكَ لم يزلْ إمّا سِواراً
لملحَمةٍ وإمّا طوقَ جانِ
Live long until times past return to you
And live long until the planets complete their cycles.
فدُمْ حتّى يعودَ إليك أمسٌ
وعِشْ حتّى يؤوبَ القارِظانِ
May God grant you the joy of Eid
And bless you with greetings and felicitations!
ومتّعكَ الإلهُ بعيدِ فِطْرٍ
وخصّكَ بالتّحيةِ والتّهاني
