عَهْدُ هوىً كنّا عَهِدْناهُ

يَفْنَي اصْطباري عند ذِكْراهُ

The tryst of love we once made

My patience fails when I recall it

لا أنا أنْساهُ فأسْلو ولا

تَذكُرُه أنتَ فتَرعاه

Neither can I forget it and question

Nor you remember it and nurture it

لو كان يُفْدَى فيُرَى ثانياً

ماضٍ من العَيْش فَدْيناه

If it could be ransomed to be seen again

What is gone of life we would ransom

فَلْيَسْقِه دَمْعي بتَسْكابِه

فإنّه أوْلَى بسُقْياه

So let my tears in their flow give it drink

For they are most worthy of watering it

يا قاتلي ظُلْماً بهِجْرانه

هَجْرُك ما أكثرَ قَتْلاه

O you who unjustly killed me by estranging

Your estrangement - how much it kills me!

سنَنْثُرُ اليومَ العِتابَ الَّذي

كنّا زماناً قد طَويْناه

Today we will scatter the blame that

We once gathered and folded

تَذْكُر كم لَيْلٍ لنا سالفٍ

قُرطُكَ قد كان ثُريّاه

You recall how many nights we had

Your earring adorned them as pearls

سَهِرْتُه عندك لَهْواً وقد

خِيطَ من الغَيْرانِ جَفْناه

I stayed awake with you in play though

Sleep of separation had stitched my eyelid

ثَغْرُكَ معْ خَدِّكَ في جُنْحِه

ماءُ أخي الوَجْدِ ومَرْعاه

Your mouth and cheek in its corner

Were water for my brother passion and its pasture

فَبتُّ مِن وَصْلِكَ في لَذَّةٍ

حتّى جَلا الصُّبْحُ مُحيّاه

I remained in the pleasure of your company

Until dawn came to bid it farewell,

والنَّجمُ قد أطَبقَ أجفانَه

والنَّومُ قد أطْلَقَ أسْراه

And the stars had shut their eyelids

And sleep had freed its captives,

واللّيلُ سَيفُ الفَجْرِ في فَرْقِهِ

يَقْتلُه والدّيكُ يَنْعاه

And the night was the sword of dawn to separate us

It kills it as the cock laments it

والحَيُّ قد حانَ انْطلاقٌ له

وقد حَدا الحادي مَطاياه

And the living was about to set forth

As the guide readied his mounts

ثار وراءَ الرَّكْبِ مُستَعْجلاً

يَلُفُّ أُولاهُ بأُخراه

He rose to follow the caravan hurriedly

Wrapping its beginning with its end

والإلْفُ قد عانقَني للنَّوى

فالْتَفَّ خَدّايَ وخَدَاه

And habit embraced me for parting

Bringing together my cheek and its brother

كأنّه رامٍ إلى غايةٍ

تَناوَلَ السّهْمَ بيُمْناه

As if he intended for an aim

Taking the arrow with his right hand

حتّى إذا أدناهُ من صَدْرِه

أَبْعَدَهُ ساعةَ أَدْناه

Until when he brought it near his chest

He pushed it away when nearing

يا مَنْ عَذيري مِن هَوى شادِنٍ

ما كنتُ نَهْبَ الوَجْدِ لَوْلاه

O you for whom my excuse is passionate love

I would not have been prey to passion but for it

قد ضَمَّنا يومَ غدَوْا مَوقفٌ

ما كانَ لولا البَينُ أَحْلاه

We were brought together one day at a halt

That would not have been sweeter but for the separation

وللهوَى كانتْ غداةَ النَّوى

رسائلٌ بَلَّغْتُها فاه

And for passion were the messages of intimacy

I conveyed to it in the morn of affection

حينَ بدا كالبَدْرِ بَدْرِ الدُّجَى

يَنوسُ في خَدَّيه لَيْلاه

When you appeared like the full moon of darkness

Its night lodging in your cheeks

السِّحْرُ ما تُمليه أَلحاظُه

والحُسْنُ ما يَحْويهِ بُرْداه

The magic of your glances dictates

And the beauty contained in your chillness

والدُّرُّ مِن فيهِ مدَى الدَّهرِ ما

يُسمِعْناهُ ويُريناهُ

The pearls from your mouth - for ages

We hear them and see them

أَفْدي الَّذي لم أسْتَجِرْ في الهَوى

إلاّ إليه منه شَكْواه

I ransom the one whose love I sought

Only complaining to him of its ardour

أَدْنَى المُعنَّى منه حتّى إذا

تَيَّمَهُ في الحُبِّ أَقْصاه

I brought him the slightest hint of meaning until

He was consumed by love and attained its furthest limit

وكلُّ ما لاقَيْتُ من غَدْرِه

قالَتْه لي من قَبْلُ عَيْناه

And all the betrayal I faced from him

His eyes told me about before

يومَ صَبا قلبي إلى طَرْفه

فقلتُ إيّاكَ وإيّاه

The day passion seeped into my heart for him

I said, beware of him and his love!

فاليومَ لو هَمَّ بتَرْكِ الهَوى

ثنَتْهُ عن ذاك ثَناياه

So if today he thought of leaving passion

Those memories would dissuade him

فما تَرى يا بدْرُ في مُدْنفٍ

طَيْفُك لو حَيّاهُ أَحْياه

So you see, O full moon, will your phantom

Give life if passion brought it to life?

بلْ يا أَخا الأزْدِ وأعني بها

أزْداً بحيثُ النَّجمُ عُلْياه

Rather, O brother of nobility—and by it

I mean nobility whose star is Aldebaran—

لا يُنْكرُ المجدُ إذا ما سَما

أَنّا وإيّاكمْ جَناحاه

Glory cannot be denied when it rises high

We and you are its two wings

نحن بنو ماء السّماء الّذي

يَخْلُفُه في المَحْلِ جَدواه

We are the sons of the rainwater which

leaves its tracks in the landscape

إن حُبِسَ القَطْرُ على مُجْذِبٍ

كَفاه أَن تُطلَقَ كَفّاه

If raindrops are held back in a cloud

It suffices that his hands be freed

ما الأزْدُ إلاّ جِذْمُ كلِّ العُلا

ونحن يَومَ الفَخْرِ فَرْعاه

The Azd are nothing but the essence of all glory

And we on the day of pride are its branches,

لمّا دعا والنّاسُ أَتباعُنا

داعٍ إلى الحقِّ تَبِعْناه

When he called and people were our followers

Calling to the truth, we followed it,

فالمُلْكُ ما نحنُ سَبقْنا بهِ

والدِّينُ ما نحنُ نَصَرْناه

So we preceded in the kingdom we gained

And the religion we supported,

والعُرْبُ قد سارَتْ إثْرنا

فأدركَتْ سُؤْراً تَركْناه

And the Arabs travelled in our footsteps

Catching up to encampments we left behind

أما كَفانا أنَّهمْ قَدَّموا

مَجْداً وطاروا بِقُداماه

Is it not enough that they put forth a glory

And soared with their precedents?

وأنّ صدْرَ الدِّينِ في عَصْره

قد نصَر الدِّينَ وآواه

That in his time, the breast of religion

Supported religion and sheltered it,

نَصْراً بهم ثُمَّ بهِ ثانياً

أَعادَه اللهُ وأَبْداه

A support through them, then through him again

God restored it and made it last,

فقد غدا النّصْرُ لدينِ الهُدَى

أُخْراه منّا بَعْدُ أُولاه

So victory for the religion of guidance returned

Its first from us and its last from us

جَدَّدَهُ ذو كرَمٍ غامرٍ

لا يَستَحِقُّ المَدْحَ إلاّه

It was renewed by one noble and generous

None deserves praise but him

عبدُ اللَّطيفِ المُجتلَى مَجْدُه

عن أَن يُرَى في النّاسِ شَرْواه

Slave of the Gentle One, his glory

Too lofty for greed to be seen among people

قَرْمٌ إذا عَنَّ لمَسْعاتهِ

أَعْشارُ حَمْدٍ فازَ سَهْماه

A bounty - if heard of its attainments

A tenth of praise would win its arrow

ذو هِمّةٍ تُضْحي وتَمْسي عُلاً

والعِلْمُ والحِلْمُ خَليلاه

One whose ambition sacrifices and rises gloriously

Knowledge and wisdom its familiars

فالدِّينُ في ظلِّ عُلاهُ حِمىً

يَحوطُ أَدْناهُ وأَقْصاه

So religion in the shade of his grandeur is protected

Its edges and center enveloped

والدَّهرُ قد راحَ له خادماً

يأمُرُه صُغْراً ويَنْهاه

And fate yielded to him as a servant

He commands it, young and old, to obey and refrain

واليُمنُ واليُسرُ طَريقاهُما

للخَلْقِ يُمْناه ويُسْراه

Prosperity and ease are its two paths

For people, to grant and facilitate

يا راحِلاً يَطلُبُ مَعْروفَه

فُزْ بالغِنَى أوّلَ لُقْياه

O you who travel to seek reward

Hasten - with wealth or without - to meet him

ما عنده عنك إذا جِئْتَه

يُذخَرُ لا مالٌ ولا جاه

He reserves for you when you come to him

Neither wealth nor glory, but his gifts

ما بَرِحَتْ تَتْرى على حالةٍ

في اليَسْرِ والعُسْر عَطاياه

You will always find him in a condition

Of giving in ease and hardship

قُلْ للإمامِ ابْنِ الإمام الَّذي

نَرجوه في الدَّهرِ ونَخْشاه

Say to the Imam, son of the Imam, whom

We hope for in fate and dread in fate

يا مَن عَلا مِنْ مَجْدِه باذخاً

مُهلَّبُ العَلْياءِ وَطّاه

O you whose glory loftily rises

The mantle of the eminent is your wrap

جَدُّك ما اخْتَارَ لأبنائهِ

غيرَ ثلاث مِن وَصاياه

Your grandfather did not choose for his sons

Other than three pieces of advice

منهنّ أنْ قالَ اعْلَموا أنّكمْ

والفَضلَ لا تَرضَوْا بأَدْناه

One of them: Know that you

Will never be pleased with less virtue

ثيابُكمْ أحسَنُ ما أصبحَتْ

على سِواكمْ حينَ يُكساه

The best clothes that dressed you

Are those on your equals when worn

مَخْلوعةً منكمْ على كُلُّ مَنْ

يَلبسُ شُكْراً طال ثَوْباه

Shed from you to all who wear in thanks

A garment whose length was prolonged

رُؤيتُه فيهنَّ مَدْحٌ لكمْ

فَسمْعُه للخَلْقِ مَرآه

Seeing it on them is praise of you

So people hearing of it is a mirror

وسَحبُه الأذيالَ سَحبانُكمْ

يَرتجِلُ الخُطبةَ مُمْساه

And dragging its train is your drag

Speaking extemporaneously with its support

يَتْلو ثناءً سابغاً حَشْوُها

إذ يتَثنَّى فيه عِطْفاه

Reciting ample praise, extravagant in its contents

As if it were words made agreeable

كأنّها لَفْظٌ غدا رائقاً

للمَدْحِ واللآبسُ مَعْناه

For praise, and the meanings its dress

And he spoke to them secondly

وقال قولاً لهمُ ثانياً

ليَحْمَدوا في الدَّهر عُقْباه

So they would be praised in time to come:

You will neither attain self-control if

لن تَبلُغوا السُّؤدَدَ أَو تَصْبِروا

إذا أطالَ الحَيُّ نَجْواه

The living prolong their survivals

Over old men, if their mouths are brought near

على الشُّيوخِ القُلْحِ إن قُرِّبَتْ

منهم إلى الآذان أفواه

To ears

And third of the sayings he spoke

وثالثُ الأقوالِ ما قالَهُ

في آخِرِ العَهْدِ بدُنْياه

At the end of his life in the world:

He cast arrows for them and said: Break them

ألْقىَ لهمْ نَبْلاً وقال اكْسِروا

وما دَرَوْا مِن ذاك مَغْزاه

And they knew not what he meant

They could not break its collection

فلم يُطِيقوا كسْرَ مَجْموعه

واحْتقَروا كسْرَ فُراداه

And scorned breaking one by one

And he said: You are like this to the enemy

وقال أنتمْ للعدا هكذا

فاجْتَمِعوا والنّاسُ أشْباه

So unite, though people are your ilk

Generosity, patience, and unity make

فالجُودُ والصّبرُ وجَمعُ الفتَى

شَمْلَ بني الجِنْسِ بنُعْماه

The ideal man with his benefactions

Three things which when enumerated

ثلاثةٌ هُنَّ إذا عُدّدَتْ

من شَرَفِ الأخلاقِ أَعْلاه

Are the epitome of noble traits

And you cannot be turned from them, raised on them

وأنتَ لا تُدفَعُ عنها وقد

نَماكَ مَنْ هُنَّ سَجاياه

Your grandfather, whose ways you embody

O breast that contains the secret of glory

يا أيهّا الصّدْرُ الّذي عنده

سِرُّ عُلاً أَوْدَعه الله

God placed in you

Fate's first injustice to me is

أوّلُ ظُلْم الدّهرِ لي أنّه

قد عاقَني عنك جَناياه

Its hindering me from you by its wrongs

Due to illness of body and condition both

من سَقَمَيْ جِسمٍ وحالٍ معاً

واصلَ تَعْويقي ووالاه

Prolonging my prevention and befriending it

The leaders of the age are unkind to us

وسادَةُ العَصْرِ جُفاةٌ لنا

من غَيْرِ ما جُرْمٍ جَنَيْناه

Though we have committed no crime against them

Except pleasant poetry that we compose

إلاّ قريضٌ رائقٌ رُبَّما

في نَفَرٍ منهمْ نَظَمْناه

For some of them occasionally

A people whose praise I waste

قومٌ مديحي لهمُ ضائع

لكنَّ طَبْعي يَتَقاضاه

Though my nature demands it of me

And brass covers the pearl even as

والسِّلْكُ يُكْسَى الدُّرُّ معْ أنّه

يَجهَلُ ما أصبَح يُكْساه

It is ignorant of what it covers

The breast of religion is not of their ilk

وليس صَدْرُ الدِّينِ من شَكْلِهم

فَيقْتَضي قَوْليَ حاشاه

So propriety necessitates my poetry shun them

And how can a day be exempted when

وكيف يُسْتَثنى نَهارٌ إذا

ما ذُمَّ لَيْلٌ طالَ جُنْحاه

A prolonged night is blamed?

Let it last, for the high endeavours that lasted

دُمْ للمعالي ما همَتْ دِيمةٌ

رِيّاً لرَوْضٍ فاحَ رَيّاه

Flowing to a meadow whose fragrance blew far

And take a praise like its flowers

وخُذْ ثناءً كأزاهيرِه

حُسْناً إذا ما الوُدُّ أمْلاه

When affection inspires its beauty

I greeted you from afar and near alike

حيّتْكَ من بُعْدٍ وقُرْبٍ معاً

شاقا فؤادي واسْتَحثّاه

My heart ardent and quickening it

The distance of a land that was ours but

بُعْدُ ديارٍ كان لكنّنا

بقُرْبِ أسْرارٍ خَلَطْناه

The nearness of secrets we mixed

I have not ceased dragging the train of darkness

فلم أزَلْ أسحَبُ ذَيْلَ الدُّجَى

على بَعيرٍ مادَ ضَبْعاه

Over a camel extending its tread

I fold the twists of a night traveller

أطْوي الفلا طَيَّ امرئٍ واصل

مُصْبِحَه سَيْراً بمُمْساه

Whose destination is the morning range

But its step with me was always wandering

فلم يَزَلْ بي طائشاً خَطْوُه

نِضْوِيَ حتّى حُلَّ نِسْعاه

Limping until its ankle-rings fell silent

To a youth from whom I hope

إلى فتىً آمُلُ من عِنْدِه

عَوْداً على ما أَتَمنّاه

For a return to what I wish from him

And how could the attainment not contain one who became

وكيف لا يَحْوي المُنَى مَنْ غدا

مثْلُكَ يا مَوْلايَ مَوْلاه

The like of you, my master, O my master!