أَلَمَّت وَهَل إِلمامُها لَكَ نافيعُ
وَزارَت خَيالاً وَالعُيونُ هَواجِعُ
Her approach brought no benefit, though her glance offered union,
She came in apparition, while eyes were tearful with passion.
بِنَفسِيَ مَن تَنأى وَيَدنو اِدِّكارُها
وَيَبذُلُ عَنها طَيفُها وَتُمانِعُ
My soul is averse to one who turns away yet memory returns,
His phantom gone while she demurs.
خَليلَيَّ أَبلاني هَوى مُتَلَوِّنٍ
لَهُ شيمَةٌ تَأبى وَأُخرى تُطاوِعُ
O my companion, love colored me with fickle qualities—
One nature declines while another complies.
وَحَرَّضَ شَوقي خاطِرُ الريحِ إِذ سَرى
وَبَرقٌ بَدا مِن جانِبِ الغَربِ لامِعُ
When the wind blew, it provoked my longing,
As lighting flashed from the western part shining.
وَما ذاكَ أَنَّ الشَوقَ يَدنو بِنازِحٍ
وَلا أَنَّني في وَصلِ عَلوَةَ طامِعُ
It’s not that yearning advances with a visitor,
Nor am I hoping to attain an exalted union.
خَلا أَنَّ شَوقاً ما يُغِبُّ وَلَوعَةً
إِذا اِضطَرَمَت فاضَت عَلَيها المَدامِعُ
Only a longing that will not disappear and anguish
When it flares, tears will flow.
عَلاقَةُ حُبٍّ كُنتُ أَكتُمُ بَثَّها
إِلى أَن أَذاعَتها الدُموعُ الهَوامِعُ
A love I used to conceal
Until prolific tears laid it bare.
إِذا العَينُ راحَت وَهيَ عَينٌ عَلى الجَوى
فَلَيسَ بِسِرٍّ ما تُسِرُّ الأَضالِعُ
When an eye settles, though it’s an eye, over passion—
What the ribs conceal is no secret.
فَلا تَحسِبا أَنّي نَزَعتُ وَلَم أَكُن
لِأَنزِعَ عَن إِلفٍ إِلَيهِ أُنازِعُ
So do not think I recoiled though I hadn't wished
To recoil from a dear intimacy.
وَإِنَّ شِفاءَ النَفسِ لَو تَستَطيعُهُ
حَبيبٌ مَواتٍ أَو شَبابٌ مُراجِعُ
And healing the soul, if you could achieve it,
Would be a departed lover or seasons revisiting.
ثَنى أَمَلي فَاِحتازَهُ مِن مَعاشِرٍ
يَبيتونَ وَالآمالُ فيهِم مَطامِعُ
I sheltered my hopes in circles of friends
Who retire while hopes in them have aims.
جَنابٌ مِنَ الفَتحِ بنِ خاقانَ مُمرِعٌ
وَفَضلٌ مِنَ الفَتحِ بنِ خاقانَ واسِعُ
A refuge from Fateh son of Khāqān, hastening,
And bounty from Fateh son of Khāqān, copious.
أَغَرُّ لَهُ مِن جودِهِ وَسَماحِهِ
ظَهيرٌ عَلَيهِ مايَخيبُ وَشافِعُ
For his munificence and generosity, I plead
A witness for him whose certainty will not fail.
وَلَمّا جَرى لِلمَجدِ وَالقَومُ خَلفَهُ
تَغَوَّلَ أَقصى جُهدِهِم وَهوَ وادِعُ
When glory materialized and the people lagged behind,
He reached the utmost extent of their endeavor then retired.
وَهَل يَتَكافا الناسُ شَتّى خِلالُهُم
وَما تَتَكافا في اليَدَينِ الأَصابِعُ
Can different kinds of people ever have equivalence?
Fingers of a hand have no parity.
يُبَخِّلُ إِجلالاً وَيُكبَرُ هَيبَةً
أَصيلُ الحِجى فيهِ تُقىً وَتَواضُعُ
He is frugal with veneration and grand with reverence—
A man of substance, in him lies courtesy and humility.
إِذا اِرتَدَّ صَمتاً فَالرُؤوسُ نَواكِسٌ
وَإِن قالَ فَالأَعناقُ صورٌ خَواضِعُ
When he falls silent, heads bow down,
And if he speaks, necks are images of lowliness.
وَتَسوَدُّ مِن حَملِ السِلاحِ وَلُبسِهِ
سَرابيلُ وَضّاحٍ بِهِ المِسكُ رادِعُ
His weapons and mail are darkened from bearing,
The Musk scenting his gowns becomes a deterrent.
مُنيفٌ عَلى هامِ الرِجالِ إِذا مَشى
أَطالَ الخُطى بادي البَسالَةِ رائِعُ
Dignified over the heads of men when he walks,
Taking ample strides, his courage magnificent.
وَأَغلَبُ ماتَنفَكُّ مِن يَقَظاتِهِ
رَبايا عَلى أَعدائِهِ وَطَلائِعُ
And most often in his vigilance, attacks
Against his enemies and vanguards.
جَنانٌ عَلى ما جَرَّتِ الحَربُ جامِعٌ
وَصَدرٌ لِما يَأتي بِهِ الدَهرُ واسِعُ
Worthy that the gloom of battle remove itself from his visage’s glow
And death itself under that gloom made to perish.
يَدٌ لِأَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ وَعُدَّةٌ
إِذا اِلتاثَ خَطبٌ أَو تَغَلَّبَ خالِعُ
And that the serried ranks be routed by his stab
With an agent behind it giving chase.
مُغامِسُ حَربٍ ماتَزالُ جِيادُهُ
مُطَلَّحَةً مِنها حَسيرٌ وَظالِعُ
A wayward soul defends him from all that is lowly
And resolves like Indian steel incisive.
جَديرٌ بِأَن تَنشَقَّ عَن ضَوءِ وَجهِهِ
ضَبابَةُ نَقعٍ تَحتَهُ المَوتُ ناقِعُ
Far from confiding in the disingenuous who attempt
Guile against his secret thoughts to no avail.
وَأَن يَهزِمَ الصَفَّ الكَثيفَ بِطَعنَةٍ
لَهُ عامِلٌ في إِثرِها مُتَتابِعُ
He of covert schemes is not apparent
To the opinion behind him which he steers.
تَذودُ الدَنايا عَنهُ نَفسٌ أَبِيَّةٌ
وَعَزمٌ كَحَدِّ الهِندُوانِيِّ قاطِعُ
Due to their unbending resolve, enemies know not
When destruction will descend leaving them effaced.
بَعيدُ مَقيلِ السِرِّ لايَقبَلُ الَّتي
يُحاوِلُها مِنهُ الأَريبُ المُخادِعُ
Attributes never cease arresting an envious one—
His breaths behind it come back gasping.
وَمُكتَتِمُ التَدبيرِ لَيسَ بِظاهِرٍ
عَلى سِرِّهِ الرَأيُ الَّذي هُوَ تابِعُ
Your glory, now rooted, enviers will not appropriate
When consent became still and visions stabilized.
وَلا يَعلَمُ الأَعداءُ مِن فَرطِ عَزمِهِ
مَتى هُوَ مَصبوبٌ عَلَيهِم فَواقِعُ
Shall I be thankless for the blessings when
Dawn’s early glow rose over me, radiant.
خَلائِقُ ما تَنفَكُّ توقِفُ حاسِداً
لَهُ نَفَسٌ في إِثرِها مُتَراجِعُ
You who ennobled me after my disrepute—
No abased words and no downcast glance.
وَلَن يَنقُلَ الحُسّادُ مَجدَكَ بَعدَ ما
تَمَكَّنَ رَضوى وَاِطمَأَنَّ مُتالِعُ
You enriched me, self-sufficient without circles
I used to vie against to gain their approval.
أَأَكفُرُكَ النَعماءَ عِندي وَقَد نَمَت
عَلَيَّ نُمُوَّ الفَجرِ وَالفَجرُ ساطِعُ
So I care not if a robed one is munificent
To a hopeful or miserly in charity to a suitor.
وَأَنتَ الَّذي أَعزَزتَني بَعدَ ذِلَّتي
فَلا القَولُ مَخفوضٌ وَلا الطَرفُ خاشِعُ
Of men’s praise or blame I fell short.
Among them are headings for accord and breach.
وَأَغنَيتَني عَن مَعشَرٍ كُنتُ بُرهَةً
أُكافِحُمُ عَن نَيلِهِم وَأُقارِعُ
I see gratitude in some men like a deposit,
Merit effected while kindnesses in them lie buried.
فَلَستُ أُبالي جادَ بِالعُرفِ باذِلٌ
عَلى راغِبٍ أَو ضَنَّ بِالخَيرِ مانِعُ
None have I seen bestow praise upon its people
Like one who rewards his fellow for good turns.
وَأَقصَرتُ عَن حَمدِ الرِجالِ وَذَمِّهِم
وَفيهِم وُصولٌ لِلإِخاءِ وَقاطِعُ
Poems never cease to have marvels
Shining in their multiples and ingenious arts,
أَرى الشُكرَ في بَعضِ الرِجالِ أَمانَةً
تَفاضَلُ وَالمَعروفُ فيهِم وَدائِعُ
Venerating lineage while reaching
By strange means beyond favored tribes.
وَلَم أَرَ مِثلِ أَتبَعَ الحَمدَ أَهلَهُ
وَجازى أَخا النُعمى بِما هُوَ صانِعُ
They attain by night at every point
Remaining as remaining stars rise.
قَصائِدُ ماتَنفَكُّ فيها غَرائِبٌ
تَأَلَّقُ في أَضعافِها وَبَدائِعُ
When they have orbited East and West—intently—
You recognize who among them skills are sterling.
مُكَرَّمَةُ الأَنسابِ فيها وَسائِلٌ
إِلى غَيرِ مَن يُحبى بِها وَذَرائِعُ
تَنالُ مَنالَ اللَيلِ في كُلِّ وِجهَةٍ
وَتَبقى كَما تَبقى النُجومُ الطَوالِعُ
إِذا ذَهَبَت شَرقاً وَغَرباً فَأَمعَنَت
تَبَيَّنتَ مَن تَزكو لَدَيهِ الصَنائِعُ
