مَن لي بِقُربِكَ وَالمَزارُ عَزيزُ

مَن لي بِقُربِكَ وَالمَزارُ عَزيزُ

طوبى لِمَن يَحظى بِهِ وَيَفوزُ

طوبى لِمَن يَحظى بِهِ وَيَفوزُ

Who will grant me nearness to you, when a visit is hard to attain?

Who can bring me close when visiting is so dear?

Bliss to whoever attains it and triumphs.

Blessed is he who attains this and succeeds.

فَلَوِ اِستَطَعتُ رَفَعتُ حالي نَحوَكُم

فَلَوِ اِستَطَعتُ رَفَعتُ حالي نَحوَكُم

لَكِنَّ رَفعَ الحالِ لَيسَ يَجوزُ

لَكِنَّ رَفعَ الحالِ لَيسَ يَجوزُ

So, if I could, I would raise my plight to you,

If only I could raise my state towards you,

but the circumstantial state cannot be raised to the nominative.

But promoting one's state is not allowed.

يا أَيُها الشَيخُ الَّذي آراؤُهُ

يا أَيُها الشَيخُ الَّذي آراؤُهُ

حِرزٌ لَنا في النائِباتِ حَريزُ

حِرزٌ لَنا في النائِباتِ حَريزُ

O shaykh, whose counsels

O Sheikh, your views

are a secure refuge for us in calamities.

Are our protection in adversities, a firm refuge.

عُرِضَ العَروضُ فَلَم تَرُعكَ دَوائِرٌ

عُرِضَ العَروضُ فَلَم تَرُعكَ دَوائِرٌ

مِنهُ وَلَم تُشكِل عَلَيكَ رُموزُ

مِنهُ وَلَم تُشكِل عَلَيكَ رُموزُ

Prosody was presented; no metrical circles daunted you

The metres were presented but no circles

in it, nor did any symbols puzzle you.

Of them confused you, nor did their symbols.

وَكَذا اِقتَفَيتَ مِنَ القَوافي إِثرَها

وَكَذا اِقتَفَيتَ مِنَ القَوافي إِثرَها

فَأَطاعَكَ المَقصورُ وَالمَهموزُ

فَأَطاعَكَ المَقصورُ وَالمَهموزُ

And likewise, you followed the trail of rhymes,

And so you followed their rhymes closely,

so long-ā-ending and hamza-bearing forms obeyed you.

Obeyed by the shortened and the prolonged.

وَضَرَبتَ نَحوَ النَحوِ هِمَّةَ أوحَدٍ

وَضَرَبتَ نَحوَ النَحوِ هِمَّةَ أوحَدٍ

أَضحى لَهُ في حالِهِ تَميِيزُ

أَضحى لَهُ في حالِهِ تَميِيزُ

And toward grammar you turned the resolve of a peerless man,

You set out with determination towards grammar

who came to possess distinction in his state.

Until you gained in it clear distinction.

لَو كُنتَ جِئتَ بِهِ قَديماً لَم يَكُن

لَو كُنتَ جِئتَ بِهِ قَديماً لَم يَكُن

فيهِ لِتَبريزٍ لَها تَبريزُ

فيهِ لِتَبريزٍ لَها تَبريزُ

Had you brought it forth long ago, there would not have been

Had you brought it early, Tibrīz

any preeminence in it for Tabriz itself.

Would have no Tibrīz to take such pride in.

وَلَقَد هَزَزتُ إِليكَ دَوحَ قَريحَتي

وَلَقَد هَزَزتُ إِليكَ دَوحَ قَريحَتي

مَدحاً فَأَينَعَ دَوحُها المَهزوزُ

مَدحاً فَأَينَعَ دَوحُها المَهزوزُ

And indeed I shook toward you the great trees of my poetic gift,

And indeed I shook towards you the palm tree of my talent,

in praise, and its shaken trees bore ripe fruit.

Praising, so its fruit-laden boughs trembled.

وَسَبَكتُ مَدحَكَ في بَواطِقِ فِكرَتي

وَسَبَكتُ مَدحَكَ في بَواطِقِ فِكرَتي

إِذ في البَواطِقِ يُسبَكُ الإِبريزُ

إِذ في البَواطِقِ يُسبَكُ الإِبريزُ

And I cast your praise in the crucibles of my thought,

And I forged your praise in the crucibles of my thoughts,

for pure gold is cast in crucibles.

For in crucibles the finest gold is forged.

صُغتُ القَريضَ وَلَم أَقُلهُ تَكَلُّفاً

صُغتُ القَريضَ وَلَم أَقُلهُ تَكَلُّفاً

لَكِنَّهُ طَبعٌ لَدَيَّ عَزيزُ

لَكِنَّهُ طَبعٌ لَدَيَّ عَزيزُ

I fashioned verse, and did not utter it with strain;

I composed poetry but not pretentiously,

but it is an innate gift, precious to me.

For it is an ingrained talent I hold dear.

أَجلو عَليكَ مِنَ القَريضِ عَرائِساً

أَجلو عَليكَ مِنَ القَريضِ عَرائِساً

مِن خِدرِ أَبكاري لَهُنَّ بُروزُ

مِن خِدرِ أَبكاري لَهُنَّ بُروزُ

I unveil before you brides of verse;

I sent to you, of poetry, maidens

from the secluded chamber of my virgins they emerge:

From the plumpness of my virgin thoughts, for them prominence.

أَبكارُ أَفكارٍ تُزَفُّ كَواعِباً

أَبكارُ أَفكارٍ تُزَفُّ كَواعِباً

لا كَالعُقارِ تُزَفُّ وَهيَ عَجوزُ

لا كَالعُقارِ تُزَفُّ وَهيَ عَجوزُ

virgin thoughts, led forth as full-breasted maidens,

Maidens of virgin ideas sent like brides,

not like wine, led forth when she is an old woman.

Not crones sent shuffling along.