إِلَى مَا فُؤَادِي يَذُوبُ زَفِيرًا

لَقَدْ كِدْتُ أُقْضِي مُعَنّىً حَسِيرَا

My heart melts into sighs

Until when will my heart melt away in sighs?

I almost lost all reason

I have almost perished, tormented and weary.

عَرَانِي مِنَ الْوَجْدِ مَا قَدْ نَفَى

كَرايَ وَأَذْكى حَشايَ سَعِيرَا

My passion left me bare

I have been seized by a passion that banished

It sparked my sleeping fires

my slumber and ignited a blazing fire in my core.

فَمِنْ رِقَّةٍ قَدْ حَكَيْتُ نَسِيماً

وَمِنْ دَنَفٍ قَدْ حَكَيْتُ نَضِيرَا

At times I related a gentle breeze

In my frailty, I have come to resemble a passing breeze,

At times I related a roaring gale

and through my wasting sickness, I mirror a swaying, fresh branch.

وَشَيَّبَنِي وَالشَّبَابُ نَضِيرٌ

صُدودُ الأُلَى أَوْدَعونِي زَفِيرَا

My youth turned white

My hair turned white while my youth was still fresh,

Heartbreakers made me sigh

through the rejection of those who left me to my sighs.

وَمَنْ لَسَعَتْهُ أَفَاعِي الصُّدُودِ

فَأَجْدِرْ بِهِ أَنْ يَشِيبَ صَغِيرَا

When snakebit by heartbreakers

And whoever is bitten by the vipers of rejection,

One deserves to gray young

it is only fitting that they grow gray while still young.

فَمَاذَا عَلى وُدِّهِمْ لَوْ دَنَا

وَمَا ضَرَّ لَوْ نَعَشُونِي يَسِيرَا

So why not come close?

What harm would it bring to their affection if they drew near,

Why not try to save me?

and what would it cost them to revive me just a little?

وَمَاذَا عَلى عَاذِلِي لَوْ غَدَا

عَذِيراً لِمَنْ كانَ مِثْلِي أَسِيرَا

Why not excuse

What harm would it bring my blamer if he became

One held captive like me?

an excuser for one who is a captive like me?

فََيَا عَاذِلِي لاَ تَكُنْ عَاذِرِي

وَلَسْتُ أُؤَمِّلُ مِنْكَ عَذِيرَا

O reproacher, do not reproach me

O you who blame me, do not make excuses for me,

I hope not for excuses from you

for I no longer hope to find any excuse from you.

وَيَا هَاجِرِي لاَ تَكُنْ وَاصِلِي

إِلَى أَنْ تُوَازِي الْحَصَاةُ ثَبِيرَا

O abandoner, do not unite with me

And O you who forsake me, do not return to my side,

Until pebbles turn to ashes

until a mere pebble rivals the great Mount Thabir.

فَمُذْ شِمْتُ بَرْقَ الْعُلاَ وَالْهُدَى

لَدى بَرَكاتِ الْعُلاَ مُسْتَطِيرَا

Since I sensed the flash of glory and guidance

For ever since I glimpsed the lightning of greatness and guidance,

Amidst the rain of glory swiftly pouring

spreading far and wide through the blessings of the heights,

سَلَوْتُكَ فَانْجَابَ لَيْلُ الأَسَى

وَأَسْفَرَ صُبْحُ السُّرُورِ بَشِيرَا

I asked you, so the night of sorrow answered

I forgot you, and the night of sorrow cleared away,

And the dawn of joy shone bright

and the dawn of joy broke forth as a bearer of glad tidings.

فَلاَ مُقْلَتِي تَسْتَهِلُّ دَماً

وَلاَ كَبِدِي تَتَدَاعَى فُطُورَا

My sleeplessness no longer bleeds

So no longer do my eyes pour forth tears of blood,

Nor does my liver break its fast

nor does my liver shatter and break apart in pain.

وَمَنْ شَامَ بَرْقَ الْعُلاَ مُسْتَطِيرًا

فَلاَ يَعْدَمَنَّ دَداً وَحُبُورَا

And whoever senses the pouring glory’s flash

For whoever spots the far-spreading lightning of greatness

Will never lack a bosom friend

shall never lack joy and profound delight.

وَهَانَ عَلَيَّ الذِي قَدْ لَقِي

تُ لَمَّا سَقَانِي نَدَاهُ نَمِيرَا

What I went through became easy

And the suffering I had encountered became easy to bear,

When his call gave me water to drink

when his generosity offered me pure, sweet water to drink.

وَأَنْقَذَنِي مِنْ ظَلاَمِ الْهَوَى

وَكَانَ لِقَلْبِي الْمُعَنَّى مُجِيرَا

And saved me from passion’s darkness

He rescued me from the darkness of passion,

And for my heart he was a refuge

and became a sanctuary for my tormented heart.

إِمامٌ تَسَرْبَلَ بِالْمَكْرُمَاتِ

وَأَرْخَى إِزارَ الْعَفافِ كَبيرَا

An imam robed in venerations

An Imam who has draped himself in noble deeds,

Who lowers the skirt of modesty

and let down the vast mantle of virtue and chastity.

وَطاوَلَ بَدْرَ السَّماءِ مُنِيراً

وَسَاجَلَ قَطْرَ الْغَمَامِ غَزِيرَا

He rose, the shining full moon

He rivaled the full moon of the sky in its radiant light,

And fought the pouring rain

and competed with the pouring rain clouds in his abundant generosity.

وَأَضْحَى لِكَأْسِ الْمَعَانِي مُدِيراً

وَأَمْسَى لِرَوْضِ الْعُلُومِ سَمِيرَا

To lead the cup of meaning

He became the one who passes around the cup of profound meanings,

And tend the garden of knowledge by night

and spent his nights as a companion to the gardens of knowledge.

تَوَاضَعَ حِلْماً فَزَادَ ارْتِقَاءً

وَرَامَ خَفَاءً فَزَادَ ظُهُورَا

He lowered himself in wisdom so rose higher

He humbled himself in mildness, so he ascended even higher,

He sought obscurity so shone brighter

and he sought obscurity, only to shine forth more visibly.

وَمَنْ رَامَ إِخْفَاءَ بَدْرِ الدَّيَاجِي

بِجُنْحِ دُجىً زَادَ نُوراً كَثِيرَا

Whoever hides the moon’s light

For whoever seeks to conceal the full moon of the dark nights

In darkness’ wing shines brighter

with the wings of dusk, only amplifies its brilliant light.

تَنَاهَتْ مَذَاهِبُهُ فِي الْعُلاَ

فَلَيْسَ يُرَى لِسِوَاهَا ظَهِيرَا

His ways in glory are endless

His paths have reached the utmost heights of greatness,

None are seen but hers

so he is never seen supporting any cause but hers.

فَطَوْراً تَرَاهُ لِقَوْمٍ بَشِيراً

وَطَوْراً تَرَاهُ لِقَوْمٍ نَذِيرَا

Sometimes seen giving good news to some

At times you see him as a bringer of glad tidings to his people,

Sometimes seen warning others

and at other times you see him as their warner.

وَكَايِنْتَرَاهُ يَفُكُّ الْمُعَمَّى

وَيُوضِحُ مَا كَانَ صَعْباً عَسِيرَا

And seen decoding complex matters

And how often you see him deciphering the most obscure enigmas,

Making clear what once was difficult

and clarifying everything that was arduous and difficult.

إِلَى رِقَّةٍ لَوْ حَوَاهَا النَّسِيمُ

لَمَا قََصَفَ الدَّهْرُ غُصْناً نَضِيرَا

If gently held by a breeze

He possesses a gentleness that, if carried by the breeze,

No era breaks a tender branch

time would never snap a single blossoming branch.

وَنَظْمٍ يُنْسِيكَ شِعْرَ جَرِيرٍ

إِذَا أَنْتَ عَايَنْتَ مِنْهُ سُطُورَا

And rhymes make Jarir’s poetry forgotten

And his poetry makes you forget the verses of Jarir,

Once you see his lines

whenever your eyes gaze upon its written lines.

وَوَجْهٍ جَلاَ الْبِشْرُ عَنْهُ الْوُجُومَ

فَلَيْسَ يُرَى أَبَداً قَمْطَرِيرَا

A face the bashful sun hides from

And a face from which cheerfulness has banished all gloom,

No blemish can ever be seen

so it is never seen scowling or severe.

تُضِيءُ الدَّيَاجِيرَ غُرَّتُهُ

فَتَحْسِبُهَا قَبَساً مُسْتَنِيرَا

His smile lights lamps

His radiant forehead illuminates the darkest of nights,

You’d think it a sparkling flame

so much so that you would think it a blazing torch.

أَلاَ هَلْ أَتَى مَعْشَرِي أَنَّنِي

عَلِقْتُ بِتِطْوَانَ عِلْقاً خَطِيرَا

Lo my friends, confessing

Oh, has the news reached my people that I

I clung dangerously to Titwan

have found a priceless treasure here in Tetouan?

وَآوَيْتُ مِنْهَا إِلَى جَنَّةٍ

فَلاَ شَمْسَ فِيها وَلاَ زَمْهَريرَا

And took refuge in a garden

And within it, I have taken refuge in a paradise

With neither sun nor chirping birds

where there is neither burning sun nor bitter, freezing cold.

لَدى عَالِمٍ قَدْ حَوَى عَالَماً

وَحَبْراً تَضَمَّنَ خَلْقاً كَثِيرَا

By a scholar containing worlds

In the presence of a scholar who encompasses an entire world,

And ink embracing much creation

a sage who holds within himself the wisdom of multitudes.

وَأَلْحَفَهَا مِنْ مَحاسِنِهِ

بُرُوداً حَكَتْ سُنْدُساً وَحَرِيرَا

Whose sublime traits adorned it

He has draped this city in the splendor of his virtues,

With damasks and silks

with garments that rival the finest brocade and silk.

وَأَسْرَجَهَا بِسِرَاجِ الْهُدَى

وَكَمْ مَكَثَتْ قَبْلُ تَحْكِي قُبُورَا

And lit it with the torch of guidance

He illuminated it with the guiding lamp of righteousness,

How long buried in a grave!

while for so long before, it had resembled mere graves.

فَلاَ نَجْدَ إِلاَّ اسْتَطَارَ سَناً

وَلاَ غَرْوَ إِلاَّ تَلَأْلَأَ نُورَا

We see nothing but glory expanding

Now, no highland exists but that it scatters his radiance,

No light but shining brighter

and no lowland but that it sparkles with his light.

وَلاَ غُصْنَ إِلاَّ تَثَنَّى ارْتِيَاحاً

وَلاَ طَيْرَ إِلاَّ تََغَنَّى سُرُورَا

No branch but bending in joy

And no branch exists but that it sways in joyful satisfaction,

No bird but chirping in bliss

and no bird but that it sings in pure delight.

أَضَاءَ سَنَاهَا وَضَاعَ شَذَاهَا

فَشِمْتُ سَنىً وَشَمِمْتُ عَبِيرَا

His glory shone, his aroma blew

Its light has grown brilliant, and its fragrance has spread wide,

So I sensed glory and smelled fragrance

so I beheld the radiance and inhaled the sweet perfume.

إِمَامَ الْوَرَى بِشَفِيعِ الْوَرَى

أَصِخْ لِنِظَامِي وَكُنْ لِي عَذِيرَا

O guide of all, intercessor of all

O Imam of all people, by the Intercessor of mankind,

Hear my string’s tune and excuse me

listen to my verses, and be generous in excusing me.

وَأَسْبِلْ عَلَيْهِ بُرُودَ الْقَبُولِ

فَلَسْتُ حَبِيباًوَلَسْتُ جَرِيرَا

Rain your acceptance on it

Drape over my poem the garments of your acceptance,

I’m no lover or Jarir

for I am neither the great Habib nor am I Jarir.

وَهَبْنِي كَذَاكَ فَمَنْ لِي بِمَا

أُحَلِّي بِهِ مَجْدَكَ الْمُسْتَنِيرَا

Still gift me words that may adorn

And even if I were, how could I ever find the words

Your splendid glory

to properly adorn your luminous and radiant glory?

وَمَنْ أَرْهَقَتْهُ خُطُوبُ الدُّنَا

فَكَيْفَ يُحُوكُ الْقَرِيضَ النَّضِيرَا

For whom the world’s sorrows have burdened

For one who has been worn down by worldly calamities,

How can he string splendid verse?

how can he weave verses that are fresh and beautiful?

فَعُذْراً لِمَنْ خَانَهُ دَهْرُهُ

وَأَخْنَى الزَّمانُ علَيْهِ مُغِيرَا

So excuse those whose time betrayed them

So excuse the one whose era has betrayed him,

Making life bitter and severe

and upon whom time has destructively launched its attacks.

وَدُونَكَ مِنِّي سَلاَماً كَرِيمًا

يُفَاوِحُ عَرْفُهُ رَوْضاً مَطِيرَا

And peace unto you, generous, fine peace

Please accept from me this noble greeting,

Whose fragrance scents the rain-greened meadow

whose fragrance rivals the scent of a garden refreshed by rain.