عصرت مَدامعك الأَناةُ المُعصِرُ
وَلِمِثلِ فرقتها المَدامِعُ تُذخَرُ
The time has pressed your tears to flow,
And why would flowing tears not ebb and flow?
رَحلت ضُحىً وَلِكُلِّ قَلبٍ حَيرةً
في حُسنِها وَلِكُلِّ عَينٍ مَنظَرُ
You left at dawn, and every heart bewildered,
By your beauty, and every eye finds its spectacle and show.
عَبِثَ النَعيمُ ها فصوَّرَ جِسمها
خَلقاً جَديداً وَالنَعيم يُصَوِّرُ
Bliss sculpted her body anew,
And bliss is ever sculpting and will continue so.
بَكُرَت طَلائِع لِلمَشيب بِلمَّتي
إِنَّ المَشيب إِساءَةٌ لا تُغفَرُ
The first signs of grey appeared in my temples,
Grey hair being unforgivable impudence and woe.
وَيقال إِنَّ الشَيءَ يَأَلَفُ شَكلهُ
وَالبيضُ عَن بيضِ المَفارِقِ تَنفُرُ
It’s said a thing grows used to its form,
Yet the white recoils from the parting blow.
لا تلحُها فَلكُلِّ يَومٍ مَوضِع
وَالعُرفُ في بَعض المَواضِعِ يُنكرُ
Do not be insistent, for everything has its place,
And custom in some places can be censured low.
وَالشَيبُ صُبحٌ وَالسَواد دِجِنَّةٌ
وَاللَيلُ أَصلَحُ لِلوصالِ وَأستَرُ
Grey is the morn, and blackness the dark of night,
And night is best for union and to hide the inner glow.
كُنّا نضيفُ إِلى الغُرابِ فراقنا
فَإِذا المَشيبُ هوَ الغُرابُ الأَزهَرُ
We blamed our parting on the raven, blacker than black,
But lo, the grey is the most raven-hued crow.
كَيفَ السَبيل إِلى لِقائِكِ في الدُجى
وَاللَيلُ حَيثُ حَلَلتِ مِنهُ مُقمِرُ
How can I come to you in the dark of night,
When you have made the moon-lit night your wardrobe and trousseau?
يَتَحَيَّفُ القَمَرُ المُحاقَ تَحَيُّفاً
وَهلال خَدِّكِ كُلَّ يَومٍ مُبدرُ
The waning moon wanes away,
While the crescent of your cheek waxes nightly with its graceful bow.
بَدرٌ يُغادِر رَبعَهُ مِن طيبه
يَهدي ثَراه كَما يُهادي العَنبَرُ
A full moon leaving its quarter in its scent,
Presenting its gift like fine ambergris musk on the go.
وَتَحُلّ بِالبَيداءِ حِصناً سوره
زُرق الأَسِنَّةِ وَالعَجاجُ الأَكدَرُ
You camp in the open desert, fortified,
With green tents and screeching clamor of warriors, mailed and armored beaux.
يَعتاد في أَلحاظِنا لِودادِهِ
فَكَأَنَّها جُندٌ لَديه وَعسكَرُ
He has grown used to our eyes through his love,
As if our eyes are armies under his command and control.
تعصي قُلوب ذَوي الهَوى أَربابُها
فيهِ فَكُلٌّ في هَواهُ مُسَخَّرُ
The hearts of those passion-possessed disobey their lords,
Subject to their passions, each one pulled along in tow.
وَكَأَنَّهُ مِن يُمن حيدرة استَعارَ
النَصرَ فَهوَ عَلى القُلوبِ مُظَفَّرُ
As if, from (Ali's son) Hyder's auspice, he borrowed victory,
And so he vanquishes hearts - his triumph certain and foretold.
أَو من جَلالتِهِ استَعارَ جَماله
فَعُيوننا عَنه تَكِلُّ وَتَحسَرُ
Or from his own majesty he borrowed his beauty,
Which leaves our eyes shifting, confounded and distraught at his manly glow.
ملكٌ لَهُ في كُلِّ أَرضٍ نِعمَةً
وَبِكُلِّ مُعتَرِكٍ ثَناء يُؤثَرُ
A kingdom he possesses in every land,
And every battlefield resounds with his feats maintained and extolled.
وَلِسَيفِهِ في كُلِّ هامٍ مَورِدٌ
وَلِرُمحِهِ في كُلِّ صَدرٍ مَصدَرُ
To his sword, in every foe, a cleaving blow,
To his lance, into every chest a destined goal.
مُتَقَلِّدٌ مِن رَأيِهِ وَحُسامِهِ
سَيفَينِ ذا يَخفى وَذَلِكَ يَظهَرُ
Girded with two swords - of wisdom and steel,
One hidden from sight and one visible, brandished brave and bold.
صيغَت لِحَيدرَةَ بن يَملول يَدٌ
مِنها المَنايا وَالمُنى يَتَحَدَّرُ
Molded by the hand of Hyder ibn Yammal,
From it doom and destiny will flow.
وَجَبينه بَدر وَساحَة صَدرِهِ
بَرٌ وَأَنمُلُ راحَتَيهِ أَبحُرُ
His brow a full moon, and his chest a open plain,
His palm-trees oceans running long and uncontrolled.
يَجلو إِذا عَبِسَ اللَئيمُ لِوَفده
وَجهاً لماء البِشرِ فيهِ مخبَرُ
When the villain scowls in his presence,
His face is bright as water washed pure, cleansed of heathen mold.
طَلقٌ كَصَفحِ السَيفِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ
في جانِبَيهِ مِن البَشاشَةِ جَوهَرُ
Smooth as a sword's blade, except
On both sides, with gentle kindness and charm, his manner he'll fold.
وَتَرى عِداهُ إِذا رَأَوهُ وَحدَهُ
جَيشاً لَهُ ظهرَ الحِصان مُعَسكَرُ
You'd think when his enemies saw him alone,
They saw a whole army, horses prancing unrestrained and cajoled.
كَم رَدَّ دونَ الدارِعينَ بِنَفسِهِ
جَيشاً يَضيقُ بِهِ الفَضاء الأَقوَرُ
How often he stopped advancing armies single-handedly,
As multitudes bottlenecked in the narrow lane and passageway tolled.
لِلنَّقعِ فيهِ وَلِلجوارِحِ فَوقَهُ
سِترانِ أَدكَن ذا وَذاكَ مُحَبَّرُ
Over him the spears and trumpets,
Layered darker than darker in status manifold.
تَعرى الوِهاد وَتَكتَسي مِن جُندِهِ
طُرُزاً وَتنتَقِبُ الجِبال وَتُسفِرُ
The rough ground sheds its cloak and is clad
In fine dress, as mountains dawn their brilliant gold.
قَسَمَ الفَلا شِطرَينِ تَحتَ مَسيره
شَطراً يَسيرُ بِهِ وَشَطراً يَنصُرُ
The desert sand divides in two halves beneath his tread,
One half on which he walks, the other half to bless and uphold.
إِن شئتَ أَنصار الحِمامِ فَناده
وَالخَيلُ تعثر بِالقَنا يا حَيدَرُ
If you wish the supporters of the Holy Sanctuary, call upon him!
The horses stumble over the rugged valley in the battle bold.
وَكأنَّ صدرَ قَناتِهِ يَوم الوَغى
سِلكٌ وَأَبطال الفَوارِسِ جَوهَرُ
As if the valley of his combat were a crucible
And the horsemen champions refined jewels and gold.
مُتَيَقِّظٌ في كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ لَهُ
مَخصوصة قَلب وَعين تَنظُرُ
In each limb, an observant heart he has,
A devoted heart and watching eye their tireless roles extolled.
لِلجودِ ما تَحوي يَداهُ وَما حَوى
وَالمَجدُ ما يُخفي الحَياء وَيُظهِرُ
What his hands contain and encompass for generosity!
Glory lies in what modesty hides and what is publicly told.
أَمّا الإِمام فَإِنَّهُ لَكَ شاكِرٌ
وَاللَهُ أَرضى مِنهُ عَنكَ وَأَشكَرُ
The Imam is thankful to you as he ought,
And God is pleased with you and thanks you manifold.
آليت أستَسقي الغَمائِم بَعدَها
وَيَمين حَيدرة الغِمامِ الأَكبَرُ
I wished to beg the rainclouds after you,
But your hand is raincloud enough, bursting, raining uncontrolled.
أَولَيتَني مِن غَيرِ مَعرِفَةٍ جَرَت
نِعَماً فَجِئتَكَ بِالمَدائِحِ أَشكُرُ
You have granted me blessings without prior merit,
So in gratitude I come to you this poor poem to have and hold.
وَغَرستَ عِندي نعمة لَكَ أَثمَرَت
وَمن الفِعالِ مُقَدَّم وَمؤَخَّرُ
You planted in me a gift that bore fruit for you,
The giver precedes and succeeds every deed as foretold.
فَدِمَشقٌ قَد نارَت بِحُسنِ رِياضِها
إِذ كُنت فيها أَنتَ سَعدٌ نَيِّرُ
Damascus flared up in the beauty of its meadows,
When you were there, fortunate and blessings untold.
فَظلامُها فَجرٌ وَحُسن ضِيائِها
دُرٌّ وَتربَتُها عَبيرٌ أَذفَرُ
Its darkness is dawn, the beauty of its lights pearls,
Its soil is perfume and saffron purple and gold.
أَنتَ الرَبيعُ وَكَيفَ تَحيا بَلدَةٌ
حَتّى يُجاوِرُها الرَبيع المُمطِرُ
You are the spring - how can any land live
Until graced by your presence, soft spring rains cajoling fold.
أَكثرت جودك ثُمَّ قلت وَنَفسُ مَن
يهب النَفيس مِنَ العَطايا أَكثَرُ
You gave abundantly then reduced your giving - but one
Who gives precious gifts gives ever more and manifold.
يا صاحِ لَيسَ بِمُنكَرٍ أَن يُجتَنى
مِن مِثلِ هذا البَحرُ هَذا الجَوهَرُ
O you whose cry is the best of good counsel -
It is no shame that this ocean bore this pearl.
بِالنُصحِ قَدَّمك الإِمام عَلى الوَرى
ومن الفِعال مُقدَّمٌ لا يُنكَرُ
By his counsel the Imam preferred you over all people,
He whose actions precede, this cannot be controlled.
