سَرَى في دُجى من شَعرِهِ فحكا البَدرَا

وأَبدَى لنا من ثَغرِه الأَنجُمَ الزُّهرا

He walked in the darkness of his hair, so the full moon told of him,

And revealed to us from his mouth the bright stars,

وحَيا بكأسٍ فعلُها فعل جَفنهِ

غَلِطتُ ومَن للخمر أَن تُشبِهَ السِّحرا

And toasted with a cup whose action was like his eyelids’ deed.

I erred, and who would compare wine to sorcery?

بِعَينكَ عَطَّلَّ هذه الكأس واسقنا

بعينيك ما يغتالُ ألبابَنا سُكرا

With your eyes, stop this cup and give us to drink

With your eyes what steals away our minds intoxicated.

أدر حمرةَ الأَلحاظِ فيها لأنَها

بتأثيرها في العقل من أختها أَدرى

Turn the redness of the glances in it, for it is

In its effect on the mind, more knowing than its sister.

لَحَى اللَهُ عُذالي عليك فإنما

تَزَيَّدتَ لما زاد عَذلُهُمُ إِغرا

May God smooth my path to you, for you have only

Increased as their censure increased in temptation.

أَيطمَعُ في صَبري العذولُ وإنَّ مَن

يصاحب قلباً في الهوى يَعرف الصَبرا

Does absence hope for my patience, when he who

Accompanies a heart in love knows patience?

أبنُّك ما ألقاه من لاعجِ الجَوَى

وإن كان واشي السُّقمِ لم يُبقِ لي سِرَّا

I show you what the agony of passion has inflicted on me,

And if the symptoms of sickness have left me no secret.

عَذَرتُ فُؤَادي حين ضاقَت جوانحي

عليهِ وقد أوسَعتُهُ بالجَفَا ذُعرَا

I blamed my heart when my wings narrowed around it

And I had broadened it with aloofness and panic.

وبتُّ وطَرفي فيك باكٍ مُسَهَّدٌ

فلا دَمعتي تَرفَا ولا مُقلَتي تَكرَا

My eyes weep over you, while my tears do not flow

And my eyelids do not blink.

وعندي بهذا الدهر شُغلٌ عن الهوى

وإن كنت لا أختارُ أن أَعتبَ الدهَرا

And in this life I am too busy for love,

Although I do not choose to reproach fate.

متى لُمتُهُ أغراهُ لَومي بِعفلِهِ

وتُتشدُ آمالي لعل له عُذرا

When I blame it, its unawareness tempts me,

And my hopes are tied, perhaps it has an excuse.

ولن يُعدمَ الإِعدامُ من كَنزُهُ المُنَى

ولن يَختشى الأيامَ من يَرتجى الصَّدرا

Annihilation will not lack one whose treasure is death,

Nor will one who aspires to glory fear the days.

أرانا بحُسنِ العَفو منه عواطفاً

تُؤَمِّنُنَا من بأسِهِ البَطشَةَ الكُبرَى

Do we see in its forgiveness qualities that

Secure us from its great tyranny?

مكارمُ أخلاقٍ لو أنَّ زماننا

تعلَّمها ما ساءنا قَطُّ بل سَرَّا

Morals, if our time would learn them

We would never be miserable, but rather delighted.

ولم يَرضَ يوماً للمسئ إذا أسا

مقابلةً لكنه يرتضى الجبرَا

And it never accepts the wrongdoer harming in response,

Rather it accepts making amends.

ولن تَستطيعَ السُّحبُ تَحكى بنانَه

وكيف تُبارى ديمةٌ أَبحُراً عَشرَا

And the clouds will not be able to spin their tales,

Nor will a bucket rival an ocean ten times over.

إذا هزّ َ فوق الطَّرسِ منه أناملا

تأمَّل بحارَ الجود تُبدى لك الدُّرَّا

When fingers pluck above the strings, observe

The oceans of generosity revealing the pearls.

وإن نَظَم الشِّعرَ البديعَ سَمعتَ من

بَديهَته ما يَبهَرُ العَقلَ والفكرَا

And if you hear it compose eloquent poetry,

You find in its spontaneity what dazzles the mind and thoughts.

ولو تعقلُ الوُرقُ السَّواجِعُ سَجعَهُ

لَراحَت وقد أزرى بها منه ما أزرى

And if leaves were conscious, they would follow its rhymes

And depart frenzied by what frenzied them.

وإن ذكر التاريخَ يوما بُمقتَضَى

بلاغته حَلَّى الزمانَ الذي مَرَّا

And if history mentioned a day by its requirements

It would adorn the time that passed.

أيا ابنَ عليٍ أنت فاضلُ عصرنا

وإنك أن تُدعَى بفاضله أحرى

O son of Ali, you are the superior of our time

And it is more fitting for you to be called its superior.

وأنتَ الذي ما زال للقَصدِ قبلَةً

ونائلُه شَفعاً وسُؤدَدُهُ وترَا

You who the right path has always been a qiblah for

And reaching you intercession, and repaying you appreciation.

ومَغناه للراجي مجَنّاً وجُنَّةً

فها نحن فيها لا نجوع ولا نَعرَا

And for the hopeful, a refuge, shelter, food and drink

It negligence, you are greater than its greatest feast

تَهُنَّ بعيد أنت أكبرُ عيدِهِ

تُضاعِفُ في الأولى الثَّوابَ وفي الأُخرى

Doubling in the first the reward and in the last the sacrifice.

So pray for it and slaughter your feast, for they

فَصَلَّ به وانحَر عِدَاك فإنهم

على نَقصِهِم لا يأمنون بك النَّحرا

In their shortcoming do not feel safe without your sacrifice.

You remain highest in station of all worlds

ولا زلتَ أعلى العالمين مكانة

وأنفَذَهم حُكماً وأرفعَهم قَدرَا

And most compelling in rule and most lofty in rank.