أَفنَيتُ عُمري وَتَقَضّى الشَباب
بَينَ الحُمَيّا وَالجَواري الأَواب
I spent my life, and youth slipped away,
Among beautiful maidens in flowing robes.
فَالآنَ شَفَّعتُ إِمامَ الهُدى
وَرُبَّما طِبتُ لِحُبٍّ وَطاب
Now I plead to the Imam of guidance,
And sometimes I am content with love and its joys.
صَحَوتُ إِلّا أَنَّ ذِكرَ الهَوى
يَدعو إِلى الشَوقِ فَأَنسى مَآب
I awake except when thoughts of passion
Call me to longing, so I forget my purpose.
لِلَّهِ دَرّي لا أَرى عاشِقاً
إِلّا جَرى دَمعي وَطالَ اِنتِحاب
Woe to me! I see no lover
Whose tears don’t flow copiously.
كَأَنَّ قَلبي بِبَقايا الهَوى
مُعَلَّقٌ بَينَ خَوافي عُقاب
It's as if my heart, with remnants of desire,
Is suspended between fearful punishment.
يا حَبَّذا الكَأسُ وَحورُ الدُمى
أَزمانَ أَلهو وَالهَوى لا يُعاب
O the joy of the wine-cup and fair beauties!
The days of play and love cannot be blamed.
يا صاحِ بَلّاني طِلابُ الهَوى
وَصَرفُ إِبريقٍ عَلَيهِ النِقاب
O companion, pour me a drink,
As the veiled one pours from the pitcher.
يَوما نَعيمٍ أَخلَقا جِدَّتي
وَلِمَّةً مِثلَ جَناحِ الغُراب
What blessed days my grandmothers knew,
And a faith like the raven's wing!
وَاللَهِ ما لاقَيتُ مِثلَيهِما
في عامِرِ الأَرضِ وَلا في الخَراب
By God, in flourishing lands or in ruins,
I’ve not found their like.
لَهفي عَلى يَومي بِذي باسِمٍ
وَمَجلِسٍ بَينَ خَليجٍ وَغاب
I yearn for the day at Bāsim’s abode,
And a gathering between gulf and wood.
يا مَجلِساً أَكرِم بِهِ مَجلِساً
حُفَّ بِرَيحانٍ وَعَيشٍ عُجاب
O blessed gathering! A gathering to honour,
Surrounded by basil and wondrous fare.
بِتُّ بِهِ أُسقى رُهاوِيَّةً
لَعيبَ سِتٍّ خُلِقَت لِلِّعاب
I spent the night intoxicated by a coquettish,
Playful beauty created for teasing.
ثُمَّ غَدَونا وَغَدا ذاهِباً
وَكُلُّ عَيشٍ مُؤذِنٌ بِالذَهاب
Then we left at dawn, going our ways,
For all life tells of departure.
لَهَوتُ حَتّى راعَني غادِياً
صَوتُ أَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ المُجاب
I sported until I heard passing by
The voice of the Commander of the Faithful.
لَبَّيكَ لَبَّيكَ هَجَرتُ الصِبا
وَنامَ عُذّالي وَماتَ العِتاب
“At your service! At your service!” I left behind youth
And my reproaches fell silent and died.
لا ناكِثاً عَهداً وَلا طالِباً
سُخطَكَ ما غَنّى الحَمامُ الطِراب
Neither violating a pact nor seeking
Your displeasure. The warbling doves don’t enrich me.
أَبصَرتُ رُشدي وَهَجَرتُ المُنى
وَرُبَّما ذَلَّت لَهُنَّ الرِقاب
I saw the right course and left behind passions,
Though at times they make necks bend low.
يا حامِدَ القَولِ وَلَم يَبلُهُ
سَبَقتَ بِالسَيلِ اِنهِلالَ السَحاب
O you whose words lack any precedent!
You sent down the torrent before the rain clouds.
الفِعلُ أَولى بِثَناءِ الفَتى
ما جاءَهُ مِن خَطَلٍ أَو صَواب
Deeds, not words, bring glory to a man.
Praise what sprouted, be it straight or bent!
دَع قَولَ واءٍ وَاِنتَظِر فِعلَهُ
يُثني عَلى اللِقحَةِ ما في العِلاب
Leave empty boasts and wait for his deeds.
What’s in the meadow praises the flash of lightning.
إِذا غَدا المَهدِيُّ في جُندِهِ
أَو راحَ في آلِ الرَسولِ الغِضاب
When the Mahdi marches with his troops,
Or roams among the angry Prophet’s family,
بَدا لَكَ المَعروفُ في وَجهِهِ
كَالظَلمِ يَجري في ثَنايا الكَعاب
Goodness appears on his face to you
Like darkness running through the creases of a robe.
لا كَالفَتى المَهدِيُّ في رَهطِهِ
ذو شَيبَةٍ كَهلٍ وَلا ذو شَباب
The Mahdi among his comrades is no mere lad,
Neither an old man nor a youth.
لا يُحسِنُ الفُحشَ وَيَنكي العِدى
وَيَعتَريهِ الجودُ مِن كُلِّ باب
He doesn’t condone wickedness, loathes injustice,
And generosity flows from him on every side.
ضَرّابُ أَعناقٍ وَفَكّاكُها
في مَجلِسِ المُلكِ وَظِلِّ العُقاب
He strikes off necks and emancipates them
In the king’s court beneath the shadow of punishment.
في صَدرِهِ حِلمٌ وَفي دِرعِهِ
مُظَفَّرُ الحَزمِ كَريمُ المَآب
In his heart there is wisdom; his coat of mail
Is triumphant prudence, noble in purpose.
تَرى حِجاباً دونَهُ هائِلاً
وَالرَوحُ وَالأَمنُ وَراءَ الحِجاب
You see before him an awesome veil,
While the spirit and safety are behind the veil.
جَرى اللَهاميمُ عَلى إِثرِهِ
جَريَ البَراذينِ خِلافَ العِراب
Slanderers have followed in his wake
Like Arabs wandering away from encampments.
