أَليَّةً باِنعطافِ القامةِ النَضِرَة

وَنَظرَةٍ لاِختطاف العَقلِ مُنتظِرَه

With a slender figure and radiant grace

And a glance that captivates the expectant mind

وَغرَّةٍ كضياءِ الصُبحِ مشرقةٌ

وَطُرَّةٍ كظَلام اللَيلِ مُعتكرَه

With a brilliance like the dawn's shining light

And a darkness like the gloom of night concealed

ما مالَ قَلبي المعنّى بعدَ فُرقتها

عنها لمعرفةٍ كلّا ولا نَكِرَه

My heart's purpose was not changed after parting

From her, neither acquaintance nor stranger aware

ظنَّت سلوّي فَراحَت وهي عاتِبَةٌ

وَلَو درَت لأتَتني وهي مُعتذِرَه

She thought I neglected her, so left reproachful

Had she known, she'd have come apologizing

إِن تَعتَبن فَلَها العُتبى وإن نقمت

منّي على غير ذَنبٍ فَهي مُقتَدِرَه

If she reproaches, it's her right, if she blames

Me for no crime, she has power over me

أَما وَعَهدِ الهوى ما ساءَها خُلقي

ولا تنمَّرتُ من أَخلاقِها النَمِرَه

By the pact of love - her manners never wearied me

Nor did I tire of her leonine traits

لكن كتمتُ عَن الواشينَ بي وَبها

محبَّةً هي في الأَحشاءِ مُستَتِرَه

But from busybodies I concealed our love

Hidden in my heart, though burning there its flames

فأَرجفوا أَنَّني سالٍ وما عَلِموا

بأَنَّ نارَ الهوى في القَلب مُستَعِرَه

So they supposed me tranquilly indifferent

Not knowing fires of passion in me roar

هَيهات أَينَ من السُلوان مكتئِبٌ

قد ملَّه لَيلُه من طولِ ما سَهِرَه

Far from comfort, here lies a despondent lover

Wearied by the lengthy nights he stayed awake

أَنفاسُه بزفير الشَوقِ صاعدةٌ

لكنَّ أَدمعَه بالوَجدِ منحَدرَه

His sighs from yearning rise, his tears from anguish flow Down while his wishes up to heaven soar

Alas, for days of union in protective refuge

آهٍ لأَيّام وصلٍ بالحِمى سَلَفَت

إِذ كنتُ من طيبها في جنّةٍ خَضِرَه

Where I dwelt amidst her sweet fragrance pure

Now with parting's purpose life loses savor

أَيّامَ لا صفو عيشي بالنَوى كَدِرٌ

ولا نجومُ سماءِ الوَصلِ مُنكدِرَه

And the stars of union's sky are obscured

When youth with pleasures was commanding

حيث الصَبابةُ باللَذّات آمرةٌ

وَالنَفسُ طوعاً لما تهواهُ مُؤتمِرَه

And the soul obedient to what it craved

Not a moment passes without thought of her

ما عَنَّ لي ذكرُها في كُلِّ آونةٍ

إِلّا وَلي كَبِدٌ بالوَجدِ مُنفَطِرَه

That splits my heart with painful longing's blade

Nor did I remember our union without

ولا تذكَّرتُ ذاكَ الشَمل مُجتَمِعاً

إِلّا اِستَهَلَّت دُموعي وهي مُنتَثِرَه

My streaming tears pouring down in floods

None can show such patience in this misfortune

وما عَلى دون هَذا الخَطب مُصطَبَرٌ

لكنَّ نَفسي عَلى الحالات مُصطَبِرَه

Except my soul, patient in every mode

For God's sake, say to the beauty at dawn

باللَه يا صاحبي قُل للصَبا سَحَراً

إِذا أَتَت وهي من أَنفاسِها عَطِرَه

When she comes, perfumed in her breath's spells

Does the era of blessing remain as it was

هَل عَهدُ سُعدى كَما قد كان أَم خَفَرت

عهدَ الأَحِبَّة تلك الغادة الخَفِرَه

Or has that covenant faded, now past recall?

Has she healed with sweet union the hearts

وَهَل تراها بطيبِ الوَصل جابرَةً

منّا قُلوباً بطول الهَجرِ مُنكسِرَه

Broken by long separation's crushing tolls?

Has not the estrangement gone on long enough -

أَما كَفى البين لا دارَت دوائرهُ

نَوى الحُباب وتلك الخطَّة الخطرَه

Those cycles of the beloved's shattered goals?

Till it destroyed the purpose of every lover

حَتّى قَضى بنَوى الأَحباب كلِّهم

فَلَم أَزَل بعدهم في عيشةٍ كدِرَه

And I remained in a life of sorrow and pain

Brethren of sincerity, it's as though God granted them

إِخوانُ صدقٍ كأَنَّ اللَهَ أَطلعَهُم

كَواكِباً في سماءِ المجد مُزدَهِرَه

Stars in the glorious heaven's glittering terrain

Among them Hussein - may God perpetuate his joy

منهم حسينٌ أَدام اللَهُ بهجَتَه

وَصانَه ربُّه عن كلِّ ما حذِرَه

And protect him from all he fears and avoids

The Hashimite whose great virtues surpassed

الهاشميُّ الَّذي جلَّت مكارمُه

عن كلِّ حَصرٍ فراحت غير مُنحصِرَه

Any counting, so they roam free unconfined

And the Abbasid whose noble deeds seemed like

وَالحاتميُّ الَّذي أَضحَت عوارفُه

لمُغتَفي نَيله كالسُحبِ منهمِرَه

Heavy rains quenching the thirsty pilgrim's mind

His noble person is a Kaaba where virtues

جنابُهُ كعبةٌ للفَضلِ ما بَرِحت

لها الوفودُ من الآفاقِ مُتعمِرَه

Remain, with delegations from afar incoming

And his palm - how often in ease it restrained

وَكفُّه كم كَفَت باليُسر إِذ وَكَفَت

بمستهلِّ الندى ذا عُسرةٍ عَسِرَه

When dire straits afflicted those destitute

Eyes of the hopeful rested in him when they saw

قَرَّت به أَعينُ الراجينَ حين رأت

من راحَتَيهِ عيونَ الجود مُنفجِرَه

The eyes of his generosity pouring and running

He's the resolute one raised by his determination

هو الهمامُ الَّذي أَعلَته همَّتهُ

مراتباً لذُرا الأَفلاكِ مُحتَقِرَه

Above the orbit of the planets, those tiny things

And he's the noble whose lineage the fame recounts

وَهو النَسيبُ الَّذي يَروي مناقبَهُ

عن نِسبة بصَميم المَجدِ مُشتَهِرَه

Of ancestry rooted firmly in glory's soil

If his pure clan were to witness his pride

لَو شاهَدَت فخرَه الزاكي عشيرَته

أَضحَت على جُملة الأَسلافِ مُفتَخِرَه

They would boast of ancestors in his shadow

His nature - if the breeze passed by it

له خَلائقُ لو مَرَّ النَسيمُ بها

أَغنته عَن نَفَحات الرَوضَةِ النَضِرَه

Would suffice it instead of the garden's fresh scents

When sights observed his rank, they returned

إِذا تأَمَّلتِ الأَبصارُ رُتبتَه

أَو البصائرُ عادت وهي مُنبهرَه

Dazzled, stunned, vision blurred

My thoughts cannot fully describe his qualities

ما أَطنبت فكرتي في نعت شيمَتِهِ

إِلّا وكانَت عَلى الإِطناب مُختَصِرَه

Except through concision, briefly summarized

O my master, you always were my sole beloved

يا سَيِّداً لم تَزَل طولَ المدى مِقَتي

عليه دونَ جميع الخلقِ مُقتَصِرَه

Beyond all people, my loyalty localized

Your eloquent poem came passionately accusing

وافت قصيدتُك الغَرّاءُ حاسرةً

للعتبِ وَجهاً وَبالإحسانِ مُعتَجِرَه

Vexation, while with kindness I apologize

I welcomed it, thanking its composer

فَقُلتُ أَهلاً بها شُكراً لمُنشِئها

بِكراً أَتَت لجميل العَتبِ مُبتَكِرَه

Early it came, rousing me from sleep

I made it drink when it came complaining of thirst

أَوردتُها حين جاءَت تَشتَكي ظمأ

منّي مَناهلَ ودٍّ عذبة خَصِرَه

From me - the sweet, pure water of affection

So I saw no excuse but to admit what

فَلَم أَرَ العُذرَ إِلّا الاعتراف بما

عدَّتهُ ذنباً فكن لا زلتَ مُغتفِرَه

It counted as blame - and you remain forgiving

As for affection - no, by God, its banners never

أَمّا الوِدادُ فَلا وَاللَه ما برحَت

راياتهُ في صَميم القَلب مُنتشِرَه

Ceased being planted in my heart's center

It's inconceivable that one who loves like me

حاشا لمثليَ في دَعوى محبَّتِه

أَن يبخسَ الودَّ من يَهواهُ أَو يَتِرَه

Would stint on affection for she whom he adores!

So be confident in me - you will only see

فكن عل ثِقَةٍ منّي فلست تَرى

إلّا عهودَ ودادٍ غيرَ مُنَبتِرَه

Covenants of love, never to be torn

Take to yourself a bride adorned with pearls

وَخذ إليكَ عَروساً حَليُها دُرَرٌ

لها نَحورُ الغَواني الغيدِ مُفتقِرَه

With the smooth necks of gazelles, starvation-thin

Since I have pledged myself to her beyond divergence

مذ اِلتزمتُ بها كسر الرويِّ غدت

بِالانكسارِ على الحسّادِ منتصِرَه

I have become, to enemies' dismay, triumphant

And surrender yourself, rising to the highest rank

واِسلم ودُم راقياً في عزَّةٍ رُتباً

من دونها أَنفسُ الأَعداءِ مُنقهِرَه

Below which foes' selves prostrate, overturned