تعلمت من أجفانه نفثة السحر

فضمنته في كل قافية شعري

I learned from his eyelashes the whisper of magic

So I made it in every verse of my poetry

وعلمني سجع البلابل ورده

فيا روض خديه النضير أنا القمري

And the warbling of the nightingales taught me the rhyme of his garden

O, his rosy cheek, his peerless garden, I am its moon

جرى في نثنيه الربيع أما ترى

تلون خديه بمختلف الزهر

Spring flowed in his softness, don't you see

His cheek takes on the colors of different flowers

ومرت على ألطافه نسمة الصبا

فمال وقلنا إنها نشوة الخمر

A breeze blew over his gentleness

So it tilted, and we said it was the intoxication of wine

سكرت فما أدري أمن خمر ريقه

وقد ساغ أم من خمر مقتله سكري

I was drunk, I don't know if from the wine of his saliva

Which was delicious, or from the intoxicating wine of his death

وكررت ذكراه فلم تطف غلتي

وهل تنطفي نار الصبابة بالذكر

I kept mentioning him but my anguish did not subside

Does the fire of passion ever diminish with mere mention?

خذوا حذركم من حاجبيه فإنني

أخذت من السهم الذي راشه حذري

Beware of his eyebrows, for I

Took precaution from the arrow he aimed at me

حمت ثغره الألمي عقارب صدغه

فيا ويل من يدنو لحامية الثغر

The fever blisters on his delicate mouth protected his cheeks

Woe to whoever dares approach that mouth!

نصبت له القلب المعنى درية

ففاجأه من حيث يدري ولا يدري

I set my heart and soul as bait for him

So he took it suddenly, though he knew and did not know

وأرسل من تلك الجعود سلاسلاً

فأوقعن ذاك القلب في شرك الأسر

And those curls sent chains

Which captured that heart in shackles

ونبأني مذ أرسل الجفن منذراً

على فترة أن الجفون من النذر

Since his eyelids warned me after a period

That eyelids are harbingers

بخيلٍ ولكن في الزيارة واللقا

جواد ولكن في القطيعة والهجر

He's stingy, but generous in visiting and meeting

Lavish, but aloof in estrangement and separation

تبسم في وجه الدجى فأناره

وزينه بالدر مبسمه الدري

He smiled in the face of darkness, lighting it up

And adorned it with pearls, his pearly smile

تموج ماء الحسن في صحن خده

نميراً فقلنا الماء سال على الجمر

The water of beauty rippled in the basin of his cheek

Foaming, so we said the water flowed over embers

أيا واهناً خصراً ومثر روادفاً

حناناً على ذاك الفقير من المثري

Oh, slender waist and ripe heavy hips

Tender toward that destitute man

قطعتك أماراً على السخط والرضى

فأنت لدى الحالين ممتثل الأمر

I made you a sign of wrath and pleasure

For in both states, you obediently follow orders

وصرحت في شوقي فما نلت ساعةً

فما أنا خنساء البلابل يا صخري

And I confessed my longing but did not attain an hour with him

I am no Kuthayyir among nightingales, O my rock!

لقد صرعتني أوجه قمريةٍ

وأدرك قلبي غزوة الحب في بدر

Moon-like faces definitely overpowered me

And my heart was seized by a raid of love at full moon

وآمنت في فتح العيون نواعساً

إا بنيت تلك العيون على الكسر

I believed in the opening of the eyes as spies

For those eyes were built on deception

فيا فجر خديه المبين ضياؤه

أعيذك من ليل العذار إذا يسري

O dawn of his shining cheeks, I seek refuge in you

From the night of separation when it flows

كشفت الدجى عنا وغردت صادحاً

بعرس علي طائر السعد والبشر

You unveiled us and sang loudly

Of my wedding, O bird of fortune and glad tidings

فتىً كرمت أعراقه فتطاولت

علواًعلى هام المجرة والنسر

A young man whose veins were honored, so he rose

High above the crest of the galaxy and the eagle

مساعيه مثل الشهب حسناً ورونقاً

ولكنها جلت على العد والحصر

His efforts are beautiful and graceful like shooting stars

But they shone in counting and recording

طلعن بأفق المكرمات صفاته

فلا نكر لو فاقت على الأنجم الزهر

His qualities rose on the horizon of generosity

No wonder if they surpassed the stars in brilliance

لقد نظمت عقداً على منحر العلى

فأصبح وسط العقد من ذلك النحر

I strung a necklace at the nape of glory

So its center became part of that string

تربي بحجر الفضل طفلاً فأصبحت

مساعيه تنميه إلى البيت والحجر

He was raised with the rock of virtue as a child

So his efforts grew him to the House and the Stone

تفرس منه عمه عفة الردى

فكان كما شاء الإباطيب الأزر

One can perceive in him the chastity of rejecting vileness

As he willed, like the purest perfume

أخو المجد كفاه أماناً وملجأ

فيمناه من أمن ويسراه من يسر

The glory of his uncle sufficed as a refuge and shelter for him

It gave him safety and eased his way

تواضع فاستعلى على النجم راقياً

وأكبره الرائي وحاشاه من كبر

He was humble so he rose above the star

The Seer exalted him - God forbid him from arrogance

لقد ظهرت منه الضمائر مخلصاً

بأعماله للَه في السر والجهر

His conscience appeared loyal in his deeds

Secretly and openly to God

يرى النقل من أفعاله مثل فرضه

فلم يقتصر منها على الشفع والوتر

He sees transmitting from his deeds as his duty

So he does not restrict them to the odd and even

لياليه يحييها خشوعاً وخشيةً

فكل الليالي عنده ليلة القدر

He revives his nights reverently and fearfully

For to him, all nights are as the Night of Destiny

تأمل بمعناه إذا رمت مدحه

فمعنى علي القدر جل عن الفكر

Contemplate the meaning if you praise him

For the meaning of Ali is beyond thought

إذا هل أتى نص أتت بمديحه

فأين مقام الشعر من محكم الذكر

If an accurate text comes with his praise

Then where is the status of poetry compared to the Wise Remembrance?

رسى حلمه طوداً ووقره الحجى

ولكنه طبعاً أرق من الخمر

His forbearance anchored a lofty dune and his dignity weighed heaviest

But his nature is gentler than wine

إليك علي القدر شعري رفته

وإن لم أكن للشعر عندي من قدر

To you, Ali of high rank, I send my poetry, exalted

Though to me poetry has no worth

وما أنا ممن يبخس الشعر حقه

وقد قال خير الخلق إن من الشعر

And I am not one who belittles poetry its due

For the best of creation said there is wisdom in poetry

ولكن رأيت الشعر في العصر دولةً

مضعضعةً من غير نهي ولا أمر

But I saw poetry in this age as a shaken state

With no prohibition or order

أما لأسود الشعر عذر إذا رأت

ثعالبه في غير ميدانها تجري

Should I blame the masters of poetry when

Its foxes are seen running in improper arenas?

لك القلم المجوال إما مضاؤه

فأصدق في الهيجا من البيض والسمر

To you belongs the traveling pen, whether its light

Is more truthful than white or black

عليم بما خلف الحجاب محدث

بما كان في الأيام من عالم الذر

Knowledgeable of what is beyond the veil, speaking

Of what was in the days, from the world of particles

إذا استترت عنه معانيه أصبحت

على رغمها مهتوكة الحجب والستر

If meanings hide from him, they become

Despite themselves, with torn covers and veils

بسفر العلى يملي فتحسب أنه

عن الغيب ما يمليه في ذلك السفر

He dictates the opening of the Most High, so you'd think

He dictates from the unseen in that book

فكان كموسى قد أتى بيمينه

عصاً أبطلت ما يأفكون من السحر

Thus he was like Moses, who came with his right hand

A staff which nullified their sorcery

قدم مالكاً عمر الزمان تحاط من

معاليك بأن المجد في عسكر بحر

You set forth time's course, your sublime traits are contained

By the sea's host, for glory lies in your army