حَناناً أَخِلّائي فَقَد شَفَّني البُعدُ
وَما عادِلي شافَ سِوى قُربِكُم بَعدُ
My dear friends, distance has cured me,
And after your nearness, nothing equals healing me.
عَهِدتُ بِكُم صَفوَ الوِدادِ فَما لَهُ
تَكَدَّرَ بَعدَ الصَفوِ وَاِنتَقَضَ العَهدُ
I trusted you with the essence of affection—how could it
Become clouded after purity and promises be broken?
فَيا سوءَ حَظّي أَن قَضَيتُم بِجَفوَتي
وَيا طولَ لَيلٍ فيهِ يَحتَكِمُ السُهدُ
Oh my misfortune that you abandoned me,
And oh, the long night when only stars converse!
وَمِن نَكَدِ الدُنيا عَلى الحَرّانِ يَرى
إِلَيهِ صَديقاً لا يَدومُ لَهُ وُدُّ
And from life's sorrows the free soul sees
A friend not loyal, and affection not lasting.
عَلى أَنَّهُ يَلقى عَلى رَغمِ أَنفِهِ
عَدّوا لَهُ ما مِن صَداقَتِهِ بُدُّ
Yet, he finds—despite himself—an enemy
Whose friendship he never sought.
يَروحُ وَيَغدو كارِهاً لِلِقائِهِ
وَذاكَ عَتلٌ لا يَروحُ وَلا يَغدو
He goes and comes, hating to meet him,
While the other is unmoving, neither coming nor going,
وَيُبعِدُ عَنهُ ما اِستَطاعَ تَحَرُّزاً
وَتَجمَعُ الأَيّامُ وَالزَمَنُ النَكَدُ
And avoids him as much as he can, wary,
While days and time bring distress piled on distress.
لَكَالحَمدُ أَمّا مِن نَحُبُّ فلا نَرى
وَلَيتَ عَلَينا الدَهرُ بِالسوءِ لا يَعدو
But praise be—from those we love we see no evil,
And would that time be not harsh toward us,
فَنَسمَعُ مالاً نَرتَضي مِن مَكارِهِ
وَنَظُرُ ما لا نَشتَهي فَلَكَ الحَمدُ
That we hear what we like not from those who hate us
And see what we desire not—so for that, praise be.
وَلَكِنَّها الأَقدارُ تَجري كَما تَشا
فَهَذا لَهُ دُرٌّ وَهَذا لَهُ رَدُّ
But such is fate—it flows as it wills,
So for one there is nearness, and for another, distance.
وَهَذا لَهُ صَحبٌ بِهِم صارَ هائِماً
وَذاكَ لَهُ صَحبُ بَهائِمٍ إِن عَدّوا
One has company with whom he became distracted,
While another's friends are mere beasts, if counted.
فَكُن أَيُّها القَلبُ المُعَنَّفُ صابِراً
وَلا تَبتَئِس فَالنازِلاتِ لَها حَدُّ
So, O heart tried, be patient,
And do not despair—for to all calamities there is an end.
فَيَومٌ إِلى الحَظوى وَيَومٌ إِلى الأَسى
وَعِندَ اِشتِدادِ الخَطبِ يَستَعمِلُ الجَدُّ
One day is blissful, one day sorrowful,
And in great straits, seriousness is employed.
وَغَيرَ بَعيدٍ اَن تَنالَكَ غَبطَةً
إِذا دامَ مِنكَ الحَزمُ وَاِتَّجَهَ الجَهدُ
And soon you may attain felicity
If you remain determined and effort is directed.
فَما كُلُّ مَظلومٍ يَدومُ اِضطِهادَهُ
وَما كُلُّ ذي الحَزمِ سَيُخطِئُهُ القَصدُ
Not every oppressed remains persecuted
Nor does everyone determined err from his aim.
وَما الباسُ إِلّا لِلمُجِدّينَ مَركَبُ
وَما اليَأسُ إِلّا لِلقَواعِدِ مُعتَدُ
There is no heroism except for the resolute,
And no despair except for those resigned.
وَأَنّى يَكونُ السُخطُ يَنتَظِرُ الرِضا
وَمَهما يَكُن جَزرٌ سَيَعقِبُهُ مَدُّ
And how can dissatisfaction await satisfaction?
However high the ebb, it is followed by a tide.
وَما الفَلَكُ إِلّا الأَعلى هَدَيتَ مُسمِرُ
وَلا مَطلَعُ الإِقابلِ مِن دونِهِ سَدُّ
The heavens are always guided by the Highest,
With no other orientation below to block its course.
وَلا سِيَّما إِن كُنتَ تَقصِدُ أَحمَدا
هُنالِكَ تُلقي الجَدَّ يَتبَعُهُ المَجدُ
Especially if you seek Ahmad,
There, effort is followed by success and glory.
كَريمٌ لَهُ في المَكرُماتِ مَناهِلُ
وُروداً بِها الصادونَ إِذ عَذَّبَ الوَردُ
Noble, with a spring of virtues,
Where the clouds poured forth when the rose admonished.
تَكونُ مِنها رَوضَ أَنعَمَ فَضلِهِ
وَفَتحٌ فيها مِن مَحاسِنِهِ الوَردُ
It becomes a meadow of the bounty of his favor,
Where the boon of his beauty blooms.
يُحيطُ بِها سورُ السَعادَةِ شامِخاً
وَيَطرَبُ فيها بُلبُلُ اليَمَنِ إِذا يَشدو
Encircled by the walls of bliss, towering,
Where the songbirds of Yemen trill melodiously within.
فَكُلُّ عَلاءٍ دونَ عَليائِهِ هَوا
وَكُلُّ بِناءٍ دونَ بُنيانِهِ هَدُّ
So all heights beyond his are delusion,
And all buildings beyond his are facades.
هُوَ البَدرُ لَكِنَّ الكَمالَ رَفيقُهُ
هُوَ المُشتَري قَدراً مَنازِلُهُ السَعدُ
He is the full moon, but perfection accompanies him,
He is the star—his mansions of fortune are auspicious.
لَهُ خَلقٌ كَالروحِ تُحيي الَّذي بِهِ
وَلُطفٌ وَذَوقٌ مِنهُما يَقطِرُ الشَهدُ
His nature gives life, like the soul,
And his grace and taste from which honey drips.
وَحُسنُ ذَكاءٍ لَستُ أَعهَدُ مِثلَهُ
فَيَعلَمُ مِنكَ القَولُ مِن قَبلُ أَن يَبدو
The elegance of his mind is unmatched by any I know,
So your words are known to him before being uttered.
وَتَعشَقُهُ العَليا وَتُعطيهِ حَلِيَّها
فَمِن دُرِّها الغالي عَلى جيدِهِ عِقدُ
The heights are enamored of him and give him their jewels,
So priceless pearls encircle his neck.
وَتَرمُقُهُ عَينُ العِنايَةِ بِالصَفا
فَيُمسي وَيَغدو وَالسَلامُ لَهُ مَهدُ
The eye of Providence looks upon him with joy,
And safety is his cradle, night and day.
أَلَم تَرَهُ وَالفَوزُ تَحتَ رِكابِهِ
لَهُ فَوقَ بُرجِ النَصرِ قَر رَفَعَ البَندُ
Have you not seen victory under his feet,
A banner raised high over the tower of triumph?
وَفي كُلِّ نادٍ ذِكرُهُ عاطِرُ الثَنا
وَفي كُلِّ وادٍ لا يَزالُ لَهُ حَمدُ
And in every assembly, his sweet name is mentioned,
And in every valley, praise of him still resounds.
فَيا عاذِلي في وُدِّهِ وَاِمتِداحِهِ
تَأنَّ فاني عَنهُما لَستُ أَرتَدُ
So, reproacher of my love and praise of him,
Refrain—I cannot renounce them.
أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا أَن أَكونَ مُحِبُّهُ
فَشَخصي لَهُ خَدنٌ وَشِعري لَهُ عَبدُ
God willed that I be his loving servant,
So my cheek is his and my poem is his captive.
وَتَجعَلُني اَثني عَلى حُسنِ صُنعِهِ
إِيادٌ لَهُ عِندي يَضيقُ لَها العَدُّ
And He makes me praise his good graces,
Favors upon me flow, too many to be counted.
وَماذا عَساني آتِياً في مَديحِهِ
وَمَعدِنُهُ دُرٌّ وَجَوهَرُهُ فَردُ
What can I offer in praising him?
His origin is pearls and his essence sublime.
فَبَلِّغهُ عَنّي يا نَسيمَ تَحِيَّةٍ
يَشوقُ لَها خَيري وَيَحسُدُها نَدُّ
Convey my greetings to him, O breeze,
For which my soul yearns and which jealousy resents.
وَدَع ذِكرَ أَشواقي لَئِلّا تَهولُهُ
وَخَلِّ الَّذي في القَلبِ في القَلبِ يَشتَدُّ
Leave mention of my longings lest they overwhelm him,
And keep what is in my heart within my heart intensified.
