لِزَينَبَ يَحلو جَنِيٌّ أَمَرَّ
وَقَد عَلِقَت كَفُّها بِالقَمَر
For Zainab the moon is sweet though bitter,
Her hand clasped to its luminous sphere.
فَيا أُفقُ مِن أَينَ تِلكَ النُجومُ
وَيا غَرسُ مِن أَينَ ذاكَ الزَمَر
O horizons, whence came those starts?
O trees, whence came that throng?
وَيا صاحِ كَيفَ لَنا بِالمَماتِ
عَلى ما نَهى رَبُّنا أَو أَمَر
O crier, can we die though forbidden
By all the Lord's commands and strictures?
فَهَل عَلِمَ البَدرُ وَالطالِعاتُ
وَهناً بِأَنباءِ هَذا السَمَر
Has the moon or the horoscope foreseen
Our languor at news of this vigil?
تَبارَكَ خالِقُنا في البِلادِ
وَما زالَ عَنّا بِعِلمٍ خَمَر
Blessed is He who made the countries,
His knowledge of us never impaired.
يَعودُ أَخوكَ إِلى غَيِّهِ
وَإِن حَجَّ مِن نُسكِهِ وَاِعتَمر
Your brother will return to his folly
Though he's performed the pilgrimage, pure.
وَخالَفَكَ الناسُ في مَذهَبٍ
فَقُلتُ عَلِيٌّ وَقالوا عُمَر
The people disputed with you over creed.
You said "'Ali," but they said "Omar."
وَأَنّي يُرَجَّونَ غَمرَ الهُدى
وَقَد غَرِقوا في جِمامِ الغُمَر
How can they hope for the flood of guidance
When they are drowned in the torrent of blindness?
يُساءُ الغَبينُ بِما نالَهُ
وَيَفرَحُ مِن جَهلِهِ مَن قَمَر
The fool is harmed by what he's attained.
He who is ignorant is glad he shone.
أَتُدعى بِغَيرِ تُقاكَ التَقيُّ
وَلَيسَ الطِمِرُّ سِوى ما طَمَر
Can you be called anything but Godfearing
When clay is only what it has concealed?
فَبِت ضامِراً لِطِلابِ الثَناءِ
فَما سَبَقَ الطِرفُ حَتّى ضَمَر
I've remained sleepless to seekers of praise
So that wakefulness might rejuvenate me.
وَمَن يَفتَكِر في صَنيعِ الأَنامِ
يُبصِر إِذا ضَلَّ إِحدى الأَمَر
Whoever reflects on the acts of mankind
Sees that when one strays the rest are astray.
وَلَو لَم يَكُن في قَضاءِ المَليكِ
ما نَحنُ في ضِبنِهِ ما اِستَمر
If the decree of the King did not exist
We would not continue steadfast.
