طرقت خَيالاً بَعد طول صدودها
وفرت إِلَيكَ السِجنَ لَيلَةَ عيدِها
After a long absence, my imagination knocked on your door
On the night of celebration, my heart escaped to your prison
أَنّى اهتَدَت لا التيه منشؤها وَلا
سفح المُقَطَّمِ مِن مَجرِّ بُرودِها
How did it find its way, when its origin was lost
And the rugged slopes were cold because of the cutting wind?
في لَيلَة لَيلاء أَلزم فضلها
بيض اللَيالي أَن تدين لِسودِها
On a dark night, it confined its generosity
To make the white nights indebted to the black ones
حَقُ اللَيالي البيض قسم سوادِها
خالاً وَخالاً زينة لُخدودِها
The white nights have the right to divide their blackness
As beauty marks on their cheeks, mole by mole
أَسرَت إِلَيهِ مِن وَراءِ تِهامَةٍ
وَجَفاهُ داني الدار غَير بَعيدِها
It crept slowly from behind a screen
Your house being near, though not very near
فأَتَته ما ارتاحَت لِحُسنِ ظِبائِها
وَهناً ولا ارتاعَت لِزأر أُسودِها
So it came to you, not feeling comfortable with its beauty
Nor fearing the screams of its lions
مُستَوطِناً دار البنود وَقلبه
للرعب يَخفِق مِثلَ خَفق بنودِها
Living in the Abode of Separation, with a heart
Fluttering with fear like the fluttering flags
دار تحطُّ بِها المنون شِباكِها
فَتَروح وَالمهجات جل صيودِها
A house in which the pangs of death spread their nets
Then souls depart as most of its pillars collapse
فَتَعَثَّرَت بِعُرى الأَداهِمِ فالتَقى
جرسان جرس حَليِّها وَحَديدِها
It stumbled on the ropes of the steeds, so
The bells of its anklets met the irons on its legs
قيد وَسلسلة وَأَدهَم مصمت
محن الكرام عَظيمَةُ كقصودِها
Shackles and chains and a silent, patient dark horse
Great tribulations are its necklaces, like its purposes
وَقِلادَةٌ في جيدِهِ إِن حُرِّكَت
تَهتَزُّ مِنها الأَرضَ في تَمييدِها
And it has a necklace, which if moved
Would shake the earth, though gently held
وَتأوَّهَت عَن زَفرة لَو صادَفَت
حَجَراً جَرى ماء لِفَرطِ وقودِها
It sighed with a sigh that could, if it met
A stone, make water flow from the intensity of its flame
وَأَصاب دُرُّ الدَمعِ لؤلؤ ثَغرِها
ثُمَّ استَفاضَ فَبَلَّ دُرَّ عُقودِها
And the pearls of its tears wet its lips
Then overflowed to soak the pearls of its necklaces
فَعَفَفتُ ثَمَّ وَلَو هَمَمت بِضَمِّها
منعت مِن استقصائِهِ بنهودِها
So I restrained myself, though I had wished to embrace it
Its coyness prevented me from taking such liberties
ما ضَجَّ مِن تلف الحَياة ضَجيعها
لَكِن الاح وَضَجَّ مِن تَنكيدِها
There was no uproar from the death of its companion
Except the sighs from the misery of their separation
بَثَّ الفَضائِل خلفه وَأَمامه
فَفَناء مُهجَتِهِ كَمِثلِ خُلودِها
It left virtues behind and ahead of it
So its death was like its immortality
كالشَمسِ تُوَدِع في الكَواكِب نورها
فَتَنوب للسارين عَن مَفقودِها
Like the sun when it deposits its light in the planets
Acting for those who benefit from its absence
مَحنٌ قَد احتَشَدَت وَقَلبٌ واثِقٌ
باللَهِ وَالزَيديُّ في تَبديدِها
There were many tribulations, but a confident heart
In God, and the Zaidi in overcoming them
بِفُؤاد أُسرَتِها ودرَّة تاجِها
وَسواد ناظِرها وَبيت قَصيدها
With the heart of its love, the crown jewel
The blackness of its glance, and the house of its ode
بِأَغَرَّ يَحسِدُهُ أَفاضِل عَصرِهِ
قدر الفَضيلة مِثلَ قدر حُسودِها
The most jealous are envious of its excellence
Yet excellence is as worthy as those who envy it
حاشا من اعتَمَدت عَليهِ دولَة
مِن أَن يَضيقَ بِفَكِّ بَعضِ عَبيدِها
It would not accept doing a small deed
Until completing it to the utmost degree
واللَهُ أَكرَم حينَ أَنزَلَ حاجَتي
بمسودِ الكُرَماءِ دونَ مسودِها
The sincere man’s prayer is the prayer itself
Complete with bowing down and prostrating
وَلَرُبَّ مصطنع يَداً تقليده
صدر الحُسامِ أَخف مِن تَقليدِها
By God, had it guaranteed the eyelids of my eyes its protection
They would not have been lined with the good lining
وَأَراهُ لا يَرضى بِفعلِ صَنيعَةٍ
حَتّى يُتابِعها كَفاء حُدودِها
And my upper eyelids would have been lined over my cowardice
With a lining above, and below with my cheeks
صِلَةُ اللَهيفِ هيَ الصَلاةُ بِعَينِها
وَتَمامِها بِركوعها وَسُجودِها
I would have chained my soul with loyalty and its straits
Loyalty is the tightest of all chains
واللَهِ لَو ضمن الرُقادِ حَميته
عيني فَما اكتحلت بطيب هجودها
And I would have met its blessings in the best manner
As blessings are met when they first come
ونظمت أَجفاني العلى لجبنها
نظماً وأَسفلها إِذاً بِخدودِها
I took the high road of benefitting and begetting
Thus I helped a gentle branch in its formation
وَصفدت نَفسي بِالوَفاء وَضيقِهِ
إِنَّ الوَفاء لمن أَشَدِّ قيودِها
Great deeds are like dye - their origins
Quickly fade if they are not renewed
وَلَقيتُ نِعمَتِهِ بِأَحسَن خُلَةٍ
تَلقى بِها النعماء عِند ورودِها
The soul of the noble is like a gilded robe
When it frays, it is embroidered with cheek moles
حزت العَلاءَ إِفادَة وَولادة
فأعنت طارِفَ رتبة بتليدِها
And if its branches are considered in light of their roots
It will know its smoke is from its own firewood
إِنَّ المآثِرَ كالخِضابِ نصولها
عَجِلٌ إِذا لَم تَسعَ في تَجديدِها
The beauty of things is in their composition
The ring around a dove's neck is part of its nature
نَفس الشَريف كَحُلَّةِ موشية
فَإِذا تَناهَت طُرِّزَت بِجدودِها
And human virtues follow one's origin
The sharpness of swords follows the iron from which they were made
وَإِذا اعتَبَرَت فروعه بأصولِهِ
أَيقَنَت أَنَّ دُخانِهِ مِن عودِها
The lowest of its sons, from a dormant birth
Begets naught but cubs, and no lions
وَمَحاسِن الأَشياء في تَركيبها
طوق الحَمامَةِ خِلقَةٌ في جيدِها
A group, if they become prideful and you ransom them
They seek refuge in their unpolished state
وَفَضائِل الإِنسان تَتبَع أَصلِهِ
قطع الصَوارِمِ تابع لحديدِها
Nonsense words, like extra letters with no meaning
Or an unnecessary alif found in a word already complete
أَدنى بَنيها مِن ولادة خامِلٍ
لا ينسل الأَشبال غَير أُسودِها
I swore to uphold what your ancestors established of greatness
Glory to He who initiates and repeats it through you
تَفديكَ طائِفة إِذا ما فوخرت
فَزَعَت إِلى أَجداثِها وَلحودِها
O son of the Prophet's clan, you whose call
Arranged its arguments in witness chains
لَغو كَحَرف زيدَ لا مَعنى لَهُ
أَو واوُ عَمروٍ فقدها كَوجودِها
They point to you, so you sufficed instead of others
Your prominent state made further proof unnecessary
وَأعدت ما أَبدَت جدودك مِن عُلىً
سُبحانَ مُبديها بِكُم وَمعيدها
If the Trustee's sons are like celestial bodies
Know that you are its auspicious, fortunate star
يا ابن الأثمة مِن قُرَيش دعوة
نظمت دَعاويها بِسِلكِ شُهودِها
They conveyed their virtues to you as if
Clusters of grapes transferred to their bunches
دَلَّت عَلَيكَ فأجزأت عَن غَيرِها
يغني اشتَهار الحال عَن تَحديدها
Would you neglect a soul that you are its essence
Like the part that completes its oneness?
إِن كانَ أَولاد الوَصيِّ كَواكِباً
فاعلَم بِأَنَّكَ أَنتَ سَعدَ سعودِها
He made you the means to its salvation
And your father the means to its worship
نَقَلوا فَضائلهم إِلَيكَ كَأَنَّها
زُر جونَةٍ نُقِلَت إِلى عَنقودِها
The days will never unwind after this
It suffices me that you are a breeze of its generosity
أَتَضيع نَفساً أَنتَ مِن تامورها
وَصَميمِها كالجُزءِ مِن تَوحيدِها
جعلتك واسطةً إِلى مَنجاتِها
وَأَباكَ واسطةً إِلى معبودِها
لا أَنحل الأَيام نَحلاً بَعدَ ذا
حَسبي بِأَنَّكَ نَفحة مِن جودِها
