يَقَرُّ بِعَيْني أنَّ قَلْبِيَ ما قَرّا

نِزاعاً إلى مَنْ لوْ سَرى طيْفُها سِرّا

My eyes acknowledge that my heart has never settled

On anyone whose specter, had it passed by, would be my secret

قُصارَايَ قَصْرُ النفسِ فيها عَلى الهَوى

هَواناً وقَتلُ الصّبرِ في إثرِها صَبرا

My shortcomings stem from my soul's weakness for love

And the killing of my patience in pursuit of it as patience

وَقَوْلي عَلى قُرْبِ المَزارِ وبُعْدِه

سَلامٌ وإن حيّيْتُ منْ ربعِها قَفرا

Whether near or far from her burial place

My words are "Peace," though I greet barren quarters from her abode

عَفَاهُ وَما أَعْفاهُ إزْماعُها النّوى

فأصبَحَ إِلا من طَوافي بِها صِفْرا

It undid him, and he did not undo it, her taking the spears as toys

So he wakes up accompanied only by those who circle about her as if yellow

وَعَهدِي به يَنْدى نَعيماً ونضْرَةً

فَيُولي الصَّبا نشراً ويُوفي الضُّحى بِشرا

My promise to her grows bliss and vitality

So the zephyr spreads blossoms and the prime brings good news

ألَمْ يَكُ لِلآمالِ كَعْبَةَ حِجِّها

وكان لذي الأوْجالِ في حِجرِهِ حِجرا

Was she not like the Kaaba to yearning hopes

And did the visitor not hold her as a precious stone held in his lap?

جَديرٌ بِلَثْمي واسْتِلامي جِدارُهُ

وَركناه عُرْفا عدّه الحبُّ أَوْ نُكْرا

Her wall deserves my kissing and caressing

And I reckoned her pillar to be what love counts as familiar or denied

فَلا عيدَ مَا لم تُسعِدُني بعَوْدَةٍ

وأنّى يَؤُمُّ القَصْرَ من يَمم القَبْرا

So my holiday lacks felicity unless she makes me happy by returning

And how can he who heads to the grave frequent the palace?

فَتَاةٌ أفَاتَتْهَا الليالِي غَوادِراً

وَغادَرْنَني مِنْ بعْدِها مُغْرماً مُغْرَى

A girl the nights stole away, treasure-laden

And after her loss, they left me lovesick and lovelorn

أُسِرُّ هَواها ثُمَّ أَجْهَرُ مُفْصِحاً

بِهِ والهَوى ما خامَرَ السرّ والجَهْرا

I conceal her love then disclose it clearly

For the secret and open both nurtured passion for her

مِنَ العُفرِ إلا أنَّ في العفر خدْرَها

فَيا للردَى كَمْ أندُبُ العُفر وَالعفرا

Of pale sands but that in the pale sands lie her treasures

So oh, how I lament the pale sands and the sand dunes!

إِذا أتْبعتْ ألحاظها الكسْرُ فِتْنَةً

تَضلُّ بِها الأَلبابُ فاحتَسِبِ الجَبْرا

When her glances unleash magic, beguiling minds

Only accepting destiny can treat that which has befallen

سَلاهَا وقَلبي ما سَلاهَا بِحالَةٍ

وَفاءً تَحلاه لِمَ اخْتارَت الخَتْرا

My heart saluted her but her state never gave salutations in return

Showing loyalty for her preference of another over me

جَرَتْ بارِحاتُ الطَّيْر لا سانِحاتُها

بِما جَرّ فيها للتّباريحِ ما جَرَّا

Some whims for her in my heart deterred me

And I forgot Eid al-Adha as I recalled Eid al-Fitr

تَعَهّدَها كَرُّ الجَدِيدَيْنِ بالبِلَى

فَيَا كَرْبَ نَفسي المُسْتَهامَة ما كَرَّا

Inside me the two opposites meet, water and kindling

So my hot liver answers my moist eyelids' pouring

نَعِمنا فُواقاً رَيثَما فَوّقَا لَنا

سِهَاماً أصابَتْنا بِما قَصَمَ الظَّهْرا

I decided against visiting her for a time

Just as she decided for separation what had endeared visiting

وَما كانَ إِلا للرّحيلِ إيابُها

كَذا القر يَا للناسِ لا يُنْسِئُ القَفْرا

Is life anything but conversing with a lovely gazelle

Whose glance bewitches the gazelle and the full moon?

كَفيلٌ بِشُكري ذِكرُها فَكأنَّما

تُدارُ عَلى المُشتاقِ أنباؤُها خَمْرا

To reside with her, plucking fruits of wishes

To a stillness like ashes that stirs no thoughts

ومِن سَدَرٍ أضْلَلْتُ فِيها مَرَاشِدي

أبَاحِثُ عَن أتْرابِها الضَّالَ والسِّدْرا

I overpowered her rejections with my most powerful

So at dawn I possess of her nothing but memories

وأَذكُرُ بالرَّوْضِ الأرِيضِ وَما حَوَى

تَنَفّسها والقَدَّ والخَدَّ والثَّغرا

And if the impossible could be redone to restore her

I would take on a matter whose restoration is bold

دَعاني وأَعْلاقَ العلاقَة إنَّما

دَعاني لَها أنّي تَخَيَّرْتُها ذُخْرا

I took pleasure in al-Murtada, for aid I seek him

So his troops scan me--a deterrent host

فُطورٌ بِقَلْبي مِن هَواها مَنَعْنَنِي

وأُنْسِيتُ عِيدَ النّحر أن أَذْكُر الفِطْرا

The most rightly-guided of the kings of earth, in opinion and banner

With a victory and aid the victory and aid did not equal

وَعِنْدِي الْتَقى الضِّدَّانِ ماءٌ ومارِجٌ

وَسَلْ كَبِدي الحَرَّى تُجِبْ مُقْلتِي العبرَى

To him inclined the virtues of the imams and ended

Endeavors for this world that give priority to the next

بَرَمْتُ بِهَجْرِ دَاوَل الوَصْل بُرْهةً

وقَد أبْرَمَتْ لِلْبَيْنِ مَا حَبّبَ الهَجْرا

So whoever's state is adorned by commanding right and forbidding wrong

That is his finest garb, adorned by forbidding and commanding

هَلِ العَيْشُ إِلا أن أغازلَ غَادَةً

يُحَاسِن مَرْآها الغَزالَةَ والبَدرا

Brave, free in the caliphate, unanimously agreed upon

Good tidings of the religion through the boldest and freest

وَأسكُنُ مِنها قاطِفاً ثَمَر المُنى

إلى سَكنٍ كالرّيمِ لم يَرمِ الفِكرا

He loved and protected, joining and arriving

So no adversity confounded him, nor any panic

غلبتُ عليها منْ رَداها بِأغلَب

فَما بِيَدي مِنها الغداةَ سِوى الذكرى

If war calls for help with his resolve

And its echo responds, watch for the first-born misfortune

ولَوْ أنَّ ما لا يُستَطاعُ أعادَهَا

تَجشّمتُ أمراً في إعادَتِها إمْرَا

From the land and sea he attained what he intended

The good fortune of an ancestor who served the land and sea

ولُذْتُ بِيَحْيى المُرْتَضَى أسْتَعينُهُ

فأحْدقُ بي أنجادُه جَحْفلا مُجرى

So the night does not chide the day when it passes

Out of enmity, preceding it, nor the year, the month

أحَقُّ مُلوكِ الأرْضِ رَأياً وَرايَةً

بِفَوْز ونَصر لاعَدا الفوْزَ والنّصْرا

The years inaugurate him with openings as a service

And inadequacy precedes fulfilling his contentment

إلَيْهِ انتَمَى فَضْلُ الأئِمَّة وانتَهى

مَساعِيَ لِلدُّنْيا تُقَدَّمُ لِلأخْرى

By God, his four tens of years continuously

Bring good tidings, each competing with the next

فَمنْ يكُ زانَ الأمرُ والنّهيُ حالَه

فتِلكَ حُلاه زَانَتْ النّهْيَ والأمْرا

The nights' measure is their pride surrounding him

If his steeds trample obstinacy there

جَريئاً حريا بِالْخِلافَة مُجْمعاً

عليْهِ فبُشرى الدّين بالأجرأ الأحرَى

Then his ships destroyed unbelief there

His plunge into the enemies left them devastated

حَبَا وحمَى طوْلاً وَصَوْلاً تَكَافَآ

فَما أسأرتْ عَلْياه عُسراً ولا ذُعرا

And the loftiest endeavor is that which established landings

Some drew near, disturbing the dust cloud

إذا دَعَت الحَرْبُ العَوانُ بِعَزْمهِ

ولبَّى صَداها فارْقُب الفتكَةَ البِكْرا

Others, the green seas wandered all around

They aimed at the Christians' fleets, so they sank

تَسَنّى لَه في البَرِّ والبَحْرِ ما نَوى

سَعَادَةُ جدٍّ أخْدمَ البَرَّ والبَحْرا

Certain of their destruction through them

They wanted the Romans' lions dead, breakers of heroes

فمَا ينْهرُ الليْلُ النّهار إذا مضَى

لِبُغْيَتِه قُدْماً ولا السَّنةُ الشّهرا

But found no aid and lost face

They spilled the redness of their blood upon the grass

تُفاتِحُه الأعْوامُ بالفَتحِ خِدْمَةً

وَيَسبقُ في مَرْضاتِهِ العَجُزُ الصّدْرا

Parting beloveds in the hyacinth, reddened

Together upon chain and shackle they herded them

وللّهِ حَوْلُ الأرْبَعِينَ فلَمْ يَزَلْ

بِه حالِياً بُشْرى تظاهره بُشرى

And their hands do not deny killing and captivity

No cure for the malady of polytheism is worse than them

تَرَى أوَّلاً مِنْهُ يُنافِسُ آخِراً

وحسْبُ الليالي ما يُطوِّقُها فَخْرا

Facing the campaigner whose evil, once unleashed, raged

Fruits of a master who brought righteousness and piety

فإن دَوَّخَتْ فيهِ العِنَادَ جيادُهُ

فقَد نَسَفَتْ فيهِ سَفائِنُه الكُفرا

And who acted for what he will be rewarded in the hereafter

With his valor, the gloomy unknown of his time dispersed

سَوابِحُهُ عَمَّ الأعادِيَ عَدْوُها

بَوَاراً وأسمَى السَّعْي ما انتَظَم البَرَّا

And days shone their faces, valorous

He approached, reading what was remote, rising high

فَمِنْ مُقْربَاتٍ جَاستِ السَّفْعَةَ الغَبرا

ومِن مُنْشآتٍ جَابَت الأبْحُرَ الخَضْرا

So oh loftiest ascent, and oh amplest regard!

His rule over us is bounty and blessing

سَمتْ لأسَاطِيلِ النّصارَى فقُهْقِروا

لِتَصْويبِها مسْتيقِنين بِها القَهْرا

And his life among us, the greatest favor

وَرَامَتْ ليوثَ الروم فُتخاً كَواسِراً

فَما وَجَدُوا نَصراً وَلا عَدِمُوا هَصرا

أَراقَتْ عَلَى الدأماءِ حُمْرَ دمائِهم

فَراقَت شَقيقا في البنَفسج مُحْمرّا

عَلى القِدِّ والقَيد التَقَت ثَمَّ هَامهُم

وَأَيديهمُ لا تُنكِر القَتل والأَسرا

ولَيْسَ لِداء الشرْك أسْوٌ سِواهُما

لدَى المِحرَب الماضِي إذا شَرُّه اسْتَشرى

نَتائِجُ مَولىً قَدّم البرّ والتقى

وَأجْرى إلى ما سَوْفَ يُجزى بِه الأجْرا

بِغُرّته انْجَابَتْ غَياهِبُ دَهْرِهِ

وأطْلعَتِ الأيّام أوْجُههَا غُرّا

دَنا قارِياً لمّا تَباعَدا راقِياً

فيا رفْعة المَرْقى ويا سَعَة المَقرى

إيالَتُه فَضْلٌ عَلَينا ونِعْمَةً

وعيشته فيناهي النعْمَة الكُبرى