أَرحَت نَفسي مِن عداة الملاح

لِليأسِ روح مِثلِ روحِ النَجاح

My soul found relief from the adversaries of sailing,

Despair has a spirit like the spirit of success,

وَرُبَّما حَكَّمَت في مُهجَتي

نَشوان مِن ماء الصِبا وَالمراح

And sometimes youth judged in my mind,

Joy from the water of youth and meadows,

وَكَيفَ لا تُدرِكُهُ نَشوَةٌ

وَاللَحظُ راحَ وَجَنى الريق راح

And how could it not feel joy,

When the moment passed and picked the saliva it passed,

لَو لَم تَكُن ريقَتُهُ خَمرَةٌ

لَمّا تَثنىَّ عطفه وَهوَ صاح

Had her saliva not been wine,

He would not have bent his side while shouting,

يَبسِمُ عَن ذي أَشَرٍ مِثلَما

يَلتَقِط الظَبيُ بِفيه الأَقاح

He smiles away from the one with evil, as

The gazelle picks up the grapes with its mouth,

تُهدي الصَبا رَيّاهُ مِن رَوضَة

تَظَلُّ أَحياناً وَحيناً تراح

Youth sends its winds from a garden,

That sometimes shadows and sometimes wanders,

أَنيقَةٍ يَجمَعُ أَرجاؤُها

بيضُ المَقاصيرِ وَبيضُ الأَداحِ

Of a delicate one whose corners combine,

The whiteness of the anklets and the whiteness of the bracelets,

وَلَو دَرى مسرى الصَبا نَحوَها

سَد مِنَ البُخلِ مَهَبِ الرِياح

And if the course of youth to it had known,

It would have blocked the winds of stinginess from blowing,

كَم مَرَّةٍ أَعجَزَنا حِلَّهُ

فَساقَهُ النَوم إِلَينا سِفاح

How many times has it rendered us helpless,

So sleep took it to us relaxed,

أَفلَتَهُ مِنّي وَقَد صِدتُهُ

بِرَقدَةٍ صَوت مُنادي الفَلاح

It slipped from me while I held it back,

With a nap the voice of the farmer's caller awoke me,

تُسلِبنا اليَقظة ما زَفَّهُ

لَنا الكَرى مِن كُلِّ خود رَداح

Wakefulness steals from us what it brought over to us,

Misfortune upon misfortune from every generous partner,

فَنَحنُ في نَومٍ وَفي يَقَظَةٍ

بَينَ دَنوٍ مِنهُمُ وانتِزاح

So we are in sleep and in wakefulness,

Between approaching them and retreating,

وَمَوقِفٌ لَولا التَقى لالتَقى

فيهِ نَجادي ونظّام الوشاح

And in a situation, if it were not for the encounter,

My companion and the arranger of the headscarf would have met,

قُلتُ لِخلي وَثغور الرُبى

مُبتَسِماتٍ وَثغور المِلاح

I said to the moles and pores of blessedness,

Smiling and pores of salt,

أَيُهُما أَحلى تَرى مَنظَراً

فَقالَ لا أَعلَم كُلُّ أَقاح

Which of the two is more beautiful in appearance, I wonder?

He said: I don't know, every pore is beautiful,

كَيفَ رَجوعي في الهَوى بَعدَما

خَلَعته خَلع رِداء فطاح

How is my return to love after I took it off,

Like taking off a garment and it fell?

وانجاب عَن فوديَّ لَيل الصِبا

لِكُلِّ لَيلٍ مُدلَهِمٍّ صَباح

And the night of youth answered my inner self,

Every gloomy night has a bright morning,

فازوَرَّت البيضُ بِأَبصارِها

مَطروفَةً عَنّي وَكانَت صِحاح

So the whites dazzled my sight,

Blinking away from me, and they were earnest,

مَن كانَ يَهواكَ لِشَيءٍ مَضى

إِذا مَضى عَنكَ تَوَلّى وَراحَ

Whoever loved you for something past,

Once it passed he turned away from you and left,

وَخَلَّهُ أَظهَرَ ما أَضمَرَت

سَيري فَقالَت أَقلىً وَاطِّراح

And it revealed to him what her travel had hidden,

So she said: Burn me and discard me!

فانحَلَّ سِلكَ الدَمعِ في ثَغرِها

فَشَجَّت الخَمرُ بِماءٍ قراح

So the string of tears in her mouth dissolved,

And the wine was mixed with flowing saliva,

وَلَيسَ يُمضي عَزمَتي لَو دَرَت

مُغرٍ وَلا يَعطِفها قَولَ لاح

And my determination does not go away if she knew,

A lover, and no soft word persuades her,

لَو علمَت أَن العلى في السُرى

قالَت عَلى الرَشد انحَ ما أَنتَ ناح

If she knew that chastity in secretiveness,

She would say: In decency you have not moaned!

آلَيت استَسقي سِوى مَنصِلي

إِن الغَوادي بِمُرادي شحاح

I nearly begged rain except my downpour,

Surely the valleys against my will are barren,

المَجد شرب لَم يَزَل ماؤُهُ

مُرَقرِقاً فَوقَ صفاح الصفاح

The glory whose water always bubbled,

Trickling above the brim of the bowl,

لِكُلِّ مُعتادٍ ضراب العدى

مِن فَوق مُعتاد ضَريب اللِقاح

For every habitual striker of the enemy,

From above the habitual - a strike of the fighter,

يُديرُ وَالمَوت لَهُ فاغرٌ

طَرَفاً فَوقَ طرف وَقاح

And death with its mouth wide open for him,

A gaze above a gaze alert,

يَنصُل في الطَعنِ حراب القَنا

كَأَنَّها أَلسِنَة في الجِراح

He penetrates with the spears of the slim sword,

As if they were tongues among the wounds,

يَعتَصِبُ المَجد عَلى نَفسِهِ

وَقَد يُبيحُ الطَعن غَيرَ المُباح

He wears glory upon himself,

And he may allow blame where it is not allowed,

وَمجهل مُشتَبِه طرقه

كَأَنَّما هُنَّ خُطوط بِراح

And an ignorant, confusing its ways,

As if they were dotted lines,

يُسعِدُني فيهِ وَفي غَيرِهِ

ذو صُدورٍ كفلاة فِساح

A man with breasts like desert expanses makes me happy,

As if our idols were harsh springs and jugs,

كَأَنَّما أَشباح أَنضائنا

قِسيٌّ نَبع وَكَأنّا قداح

Until after the long journey we met,

At the grin of the perfect - the face of the morning,

حَتّى اجتَلَينا بَعدَ طولِ السُرى

بغرَّة الكامِل وَجه الصَباح

So my companion said to me: start the conversation!

I said: No, but it is the full moon of tolerance,

فَقالَ لي صاحِبي أَبدَرُ السَما

فَقُلتُ لا بَل هوَ بَدرُ السَماح

It warns you of misery - so announce its good news -

The terminators of misery are silent outcriers,

ينبيك عَن سؤددٍ بشره

مَخائِل السُؤدَدِ خَرس فَصاح

Difficult to refuse the soul, easy to bestow,

Surely, glory is hardship in tolerance,

صَعب إِباء النَفس سَهل النَدى

إِنَّ المَعالي شَدَّةٌ في سَماح

Does the young man whose life -

In blasphemy and Islam - is the life of fighter, accept injustice?

هَل يَقبَل الضَيم فَتىً حَيَّهُ

في الكُفرِ والإِسلامِ حَيُّ لِقاح

The crowns remember his fathers through him,

And those features of salt,

يَذكُر التيجان آباءُهُ

بِهِ وَتِلكَ القَسمات المِلاح

When she sees him, a shudder stirs her,

As if in every crown there is a wing,

إِذا رَأتهُ قلقَت هَزَّةٌ

كَأَنَّما في كُلِّ تاج جناح

Do you see the crowns better than him,

From full moon to fuller moon fully?

تَبكي لكَسرى وَتَرا آي ابنَهُ

فَيَستَحيل الأرتياع ارتِياح

He concludes what his forefathers commenced,

And for the sublime, a conclusion and commencement,

فَهَل تَرى التيجان مِنهُ عَلى

بَدرٍ لِبَدرٍ التَمِّ مِنهُ افتِضاح

Time has done justice by elevating him,

And everything in time is outright injustice,

يَختِم ما استَفتَح آباؤهُ

وَلِلعُلى خاتِمَة وافتِتاح

And people agreed on his merit,

Then differed - so there is no agreement,

قَد عدل الدَهرُ بإِعلائِهِ

وَكُلُّ ما في الدهر ظلم صِراح

I have honored my soul by praising him,

So the reward of praise has hastened,

واصطَلَحَ الناس عَلى فَضلِهِ

واختَلِفوا بَعدُ فَلَيسَ اصطِلاح

When he reined generosity in his palm,

He called in his loudest voice: no escape!

شَرَّفتُ نَفسي باِمتِداحي لَهُ

فَقَد تَعَجَّلَت ثَوابُ امتِداح

In his palm he brings life, and from his palm,

I will be resurrected if the decree of death comes,

لَمّا أَناخ الجودَ في كَفِّهِ

نادى بِأَعلى صَوتِهِ لا بَراح

Distracted, with exhaustion from his glory, no rest,

He aspires from one glory to another -

في كَفِّهِ أَحيا وَمِن كَفِّهِ

أَحشَر إِن حُمَّ القَضاءَ المُتاح

May his glory last and the aspiration last,

In an army from his same opinion, his banner -

مُقَسَّم الخاطِرِ مَكدوده

في تَعب مِن مَجدِهِ لا استِراح

If war knew how to flee it would flee,

It defeats whoever rivals the best souls,

يَطمَح مِن عِزٍ إِلى آخَرٍ

دامَ لَهُ العِزُّ وَدامَ الطِماح

Well-spoken bodies and honest features,

One may defeat a thousand with his scheme,

في عَسكَرٍ مِن نَقسِهِ رأيهِ

رايَتِهِ إِن عَلِم الحَربُ لاح

And not defeat them with weapons,

And for the enemy are ranks in enmity -

يَهزِم مَن زاحَمَ عَن أَنفُسٍ

مُكَلَّمات وَجُسوم صِحاح

Opinion, then guile, then struggle,

And after war there is no further aim,

قَد يَغلِبُ المَرءُ بِتَدبيرِهِ

أَلفاً وَلا يَغلِبهُمُ بِالسِلاحِ

These are fortunes like casting lots,

And at the retreat of the enemy, he does not care -

وَلِلمُعادي رُتَبٌ في العِدى

الرأي ثُمَّ الكيد ثُمَّ الكِفاح

Whether awe-inspiring, so let it devour O mother of commotion!

Guardian of the kingdom, so he became protected,

وَلَيسَ بَعدَ الحَربِ مِن غايَةٍ

هُنَّ حُظوظ مِثلَ ضَربِ القِداح

After almost being violated,

So he became a den for the lion of evil,

وَلا يُبالي عِندَ فَلِّ العِدى

أَهيبَة فلتهمُ أُمَ رِجاح

And had been a pasture for the wild beasts,

He makes affairs proper - indeed,

حامى عَن المُلكِ فَأَضحى حِمىً

مِن بَعدِ ما شارَف أَن يُستَباح

Two heads in a crown contrary to rectitude,

Then he recoiled when they disbelieved his effort,

فَصارَ عَريناً لِلَيث الشَرى

وكانَ مَرعىً لِلسوام المراح

For every subservient there is a pliant wing,

With clouds from which his enemies grow,

يُوَفِّر الأَمر أَلا إِنَّما

رَأسان في تاج خِلاف الصَلاح

And his enviers in all directions,

And merit is envied, and he attained it,

ثُمَّ اِنثَنى إِذ كَفَروا سَعيَهُ

لكل مطواعٍ ذَلول جِماح

So his envier is not to be blamed,

How many deficient ones have conveyed about a superior one -

ذو سَحب تنبت أَعداءَهُ

وَحاسديه في جَميع النَواح

Indicating a generous house is barking,

And whoever saw the crown of glory on

وَالفَضلُ مَحسودٌ وَقَد حازَه

فَما عَلى حاسدِهِ مِن جُناح

The split head of a lion above the wing of success,

He has attained with the pens what spears,

كَم ناقِصٍ ترجم عَن فاضِلٍ

دَلَّ عَلى بَيت كَريم نُباح

Fell short or were too short to reach,

Like creeping serpents are his pens,

وَمَن رأى تاج المَعالي عَلى

مَفرق لَيث فَوقَ طَرَف النَجاح

For they are shields and lethal poison,

If the vellum touches their edges,

قَد نالَ بِالأَقلام ما قَصَّرت

أَو قَصُرَت عَنهُ طوال الرِماح

It overflows with output and floods,

And it smelled from his fingers oceans -

مِثلَ الأَفاعي الرَقش أَقلامُهُ

فَهُنَّ دُرياق وَسُمٌّ ذباح

Their pearls are the eloquent words,

The wisdom of your Persian forefathers

إِن لمس الطرس بِأَطرافِها

فاضَ نَوالاً وَبَياناً وَساح

Clothed with the diction of Quraishi clarity,

He shows it while hiding it,

وَشمت مِن أَنمله أَبحراً

لؤلؤهنَّ الكَلِمات الفِصاح

Surely, dew is musk when treasured it diffuses fragrance,

And merit is a full moon - whenever

حكمة آبائك مِن فارِسٍ

كَسَوتها لَفظ قُرَيش البِطاح

The nights of denial darkened, it increased in illumination,

Say to the children of hopes: Set out! For

يُظهِر آلأوكَ إِخفاؤها

إِنَّ النَدى مِسك إِذا صين فاح

The winds have blown you in the son of Ali,

With him time has erased its wrongs,

وَالعُرف بَدر كُلَمّا اسدَفَت

لَهُ لَيالي الجحد زادَ اتِضاح

Disengaging, and time laughs and then frowns,

O son of Ali - promise me with wealth,

قُل لِبَني الآمال هَبوا فَقَد

هَبَّت بِكُم بابن عَلي رِياح

Like what you have promised me with forbearance,

A people have flown to the heights, and I have not,

مَحا بِهِ الدَهر إِساءآتِهِ

تَنَصُّلاً وَالدَهر واحٍ وَماح

Fallen short, but how can I have a wing?

Below the heights is an arduous epic,

يا ابن علي أَعدني بِالغِنى

كَمِثلِ ما أَعديتَني بِالسَماح

Its weapon is money while my weapon is moneyless.

It is time for the rain-giver to give freely,

طارَ إِلى العَلياء قَوم وَما

قَصَّرتُ لَكِن كَيفَ لي بِالجَناح

And the sea-seeker to be given to,

So submit and live in the loftiness of its star,

دونَ العُلى ملحمة صَعبَة

سِلاحُها المال وَمالي سِلاح

In the orbit of glory the ally of success,

And remain as you are - for none after this,

آن لِجادي الغَيث أَن يَجتَدي

وَمُستَميح البَحر أَن يُستَماح

To one who knows how glory is proposed,

In the glory of ascent, and auspice, and in

فاسلم وَعِش في رفعَة نَجمها

في فلك العِز حليفَ النَجاح

The shade of good fortune emulating righteousness,

The light of dawn has not split the armor of darkness,

وَدَم كَما أَنتَ فَما بَعد ذا

لِمَن دَرى كَيفَ المَعالي اقتِراح

And no bird has been called and sings in the nests.

في عَزِّ إِقبال وَيُمنٍ وَفي

ظِل سُعودٍ يَقتَدي بِالصَلاح

ما شَق نور الفَجر درَع الدُجى

وَما دَعا في الأَيك طَيرٌ وَناح