أَلقلبُthe heart منfrom حَذَرِdread of النَّوىseparation مَلآنُfull
أَلقلبُ من حَذَرِ النَّوى مَلآنُ
وَالصَّبرُand patience مِنfrom فَرطِexcess of الهَوىlove وَهنانُweakened
وَالصَّبرُ مِن فَرطِ الهَوى وَهنانُ
The heart is full of dread of separation,
The heart is full of fear of parting,
And patience is weakened by excessive love.
And patience is weak from intense passion.
قَدindeed كَانwas يُمكِنُنيis possible for me أُكَاتِمُكَI conceal from you الهَوىlove
قَد كَان يُمكِنُني أُكَاتِمُكَ الهَوى
لوif صَحَّwere possible منfrom أهلِthe people of الهَوىlove كِتمَانُconcealment
لو صَحَّ من أهلِ الهَوى كِتمَانُ
I could have concealed my love from you,
I could have concealed this love,
If concealment were possible for those who love.
If it was possible for lovers to hide their love.
فَالحُبُّso love يُخفِيهِconceals it المُحِبُّthe lover عنِfrom الوَرىhumankind
فَالحُبُّ يُخفِيهِ المُحِبُّ عنِ الوَرى
مَاso long as لَمnot يَقُمarises فيin وَجهِهِhis face بُرهَانُproof
مَا لَم يَقُم في وَجهِهِ بُرهَانُ
For the lover hides his love from humankind,
The lover hides his love from others,
So long as no proof confronts him.
Unless proof of it shows on his face.
حَانَhas come الفِرَاقُparting أَباO Abu الحُسينِal-Husayn فَأسعَدتso aided
حَانَ الفِرَاقُ أَبا الحُسينِ فَأسعَدت
جَفنيmy eyelid الدُّمُوعُthe tears وَخانَنيand betrayed me السُّلوَانُsolace
جَفني الدُّمُوعُ وَخانَني السُّلوَانُ
Parting has come, Abu al-Husayn, and succor came
Parting came, Abu Al-Husain, so it brought me joy,
To my eyelid from tears, while solace betrayed me.
My tears betrayed me and my fortitude failed me.
كُنَّاwe were وَكُنتمand you were وَالزَّمَانُand time صَفَتwere serene لناfor us
كُنَّا وَكُنتم وَالزَّمَانُ صَفَت لنا
أَوقَاتُهits hours وحَسودُناand our envier غَيظَانُfilled with rage
أَوقَاتُه وحَسودُنا غَيظَانُ
We lived, and you lived; time made pleasant for us
We were together and you were together, time arranged
Its hours, while our envier seethed with rage.
Its moments for us while our enviers were enraged.
والآنand now قَطَّبَfurrowed وَجهَهُits face الدهرُtime الخَؤوtreacherous (continued)
والآن قَطَّبَ وَجهَهُ الدهرُ الخَؤو
نُcompletion of 'treacherous' ومِنand from قَديمٍold times دهرُناour time خَوَّانُever treacherous
نُ ومِن قَديمٍ دهرُنا خَوَّانُ
And now treacherous time has furrowed its brow;
Now fate has frowned, though our fate was always
And our time has long been treacherous.
Treacherous, and our times have changed.
فَتغيَّرتso changed أوقَاتُناour times وَمَنِand who الَّذيthe one who
فَتغيَّرت أوقَاتُنا وَمَنِ الَّذي
تَصفوare serene لَهfor him الأَوقَاتُthe hours والأزمانُand the times
تَصفو لَه الأَوقَاتُ والأزمانُ
So our times have changed—and who is there
Who can have times and eras in order for him?
Whose days and times are serene?
The mind of the wise is protected from the impossible.
لاَdo not تَعتَقدbelieve صَفواًserenity يَدومُlasts لأهلِهِfor its possessors
لاَ تَعتَقد صَفواً يَدومُ لأهلِهِ
ذِهنُthe mind اللَّبِيبِof the wise person عَنِfrom المُحَالِthe impossible يُصَانُis protected
ذِهنُ اللَّبِيبِ عَنِ المُحَالِ يُصَانُ
Do not believe serenity lasts for those who enjoy it;
Why did you not stop for a lover for a moment,
The wise person's mind is protected from the impossible.
So he may complain of his burning, and his sorrows eased?
هلاwhy not وَقفتَyou paused إِلىbeside مُحبٍّa lover ريثَماlong enough for
هلا وَقفتَ إِلى مُحبٍّ ريثَما
يَشكُوhe laments الجَوىheartache فَتُخَفَّفُso are eased الأحزَانُthe sorrows
يَشكُو الجَوى فَتُخَفَّفُ الأحزَانُ
Would you not pause beside a lover long enough
He hopes for consolation for the agony he endures,
For him to lament his heartache, and his sorrows to be eased?
If there was someone like you to console him.
يَرجُوhe hopes for السُّلُوَّsolace لِمَاfor what بِهِis within him مِنof لَوعَةٍburning anguish
يَرجُو السُّلُوَّ لِمَا بِهِ مِن لَوعَةٍ
لَوif كَانُwas يُوجدُis found عندكمwith you سُلوَانُsolace
لَو كَانُ يُوجدُ عندكم سُلوَانُ
He hopes for relief from the burning anguish he bears,
And if his passion distressed him, and sadness revealed it,
If solace could be found with you.
Are secrecy and revelation equal?
وَإِذَاand when أسَرَّhe conceals هَوَاهُhis love يُعلِنُهُreveals it الأسَىsorrow
وَإِذَا أسَرَّ هَوَاهُ يُعلِنُهُ الأسَى
هَلare…? يَستَوِيequal الإسرَارُconcealment وَالإعلاَنُand disclosure
هَل يَستَوِي الإسرَارُ وَالإعلاَنُ
And when he conceals his love, sorrow reveals it.
Men of knowledge, dignitaries, princes,
Are concealment and disclosure the same?
Ministers and the Sultan mourned you.
فُجِعَتwere stricken with grief بِكَat your loss القُرَّاءُthe readers والكُبَرَاءُand the grandees والand the
فُجِعَت بِكَ القُرَّاءُ والكُبَرَاءُ وال
أُمَرَاءُprinces وَالوُزَرَاءُand the ministers والسُّلطَانُand the sultan
أُمَرَاءُ وَالوُزَرَاءُ والسُّلطَانُ
Your loss has grieved the readers, the grandees, and the
After you, O Ali, achievements will remain
Princes, the ministers, and the sultan.
Whose existence will be guaranteed by time.
وَتَرَكتَand you left بَعدَكَafter you ياO عليُّAli مَآثِراًnoble achievements
وَتَرَكتَ بَعدَكَ يا عليُّ مَآثِراً
بِبَقَائهاfor their endurance تَتَكَفَّلُguarantee الأزمَانُthe ages
بِبَقَائها تَتَكَفَّلُ الأزمَانُ
And you left behind you, O Ali, noble achievements
This felicity, whenever you adorned it,
Whose endurance the ages guarantee.
Minds were fascinated by the magic of your rhetoric.
هذيthis السَّعادةُal-Saʿāda ('Happiness') كُلَّمَاwhenever دبَّجتَهاyou embellished it
هذي السَّعادةُ كُلَّمَا دبَّجتَها
فُتِنَتwere enchanted بِسِحرِby the magic of بَيَانِهاits eloquence الأَذهانُthe minds
فُتِنَت بِسِحرِ بَيَانِها الأَذهانُ
This al-Saʿāda—whenever you embellished it,
How many sayings have you made elegant,
Minds were enchanted by the magic of its eloquence.
So caravans competed in transmitting them!
كَمhow many مِنof مَقَالاَتٍarticles بهاwithin it نَمَّقتَهاyou embellished them
كَم مِن مَقَالاَتٍ بها نَمَّقتَها
فَتنافَسَتso vied بِحَديثِهاin telling of them الرُّكبَانُthe riders
فَتنافَسَت بِحَديثِها الرُّكبَانُ
How many articles within it you embellished,
You left them as a legacy for the brothers of purity
So riders vied in telling of them!
To pour upon them, if passions aroused.
أبقَيتَهَاyou left them أثَراًas a legacy لإخوانِfor the brethren of الصَّفَاpurity
أبقَيتَهَا أثَراً لإخوانِ الصَّفَا
تَصبُوyou yearn لَهمُfor them إنif هَاجَتِstirred الأشجَانُthe sorrows
تَصبُو لَهمُ إن هَاجَتِ الأشجَانُ
You left them as a legacy for brethren of purity;
The gifted writer is he who said rhetoric,
You yearn for them if sorrows stir.
For you are the gifted writer.
وَالكَاتبُand the writer الفَنَّانُthe artist مَنَthe one who قالَsaid البَياeloquence (continued)
وَالكَاتبُ الفَنَّانُ مَنَ قالَ البَيا
نُcompletion of 'eloquence' لهto him لأنتَindeed you الكَاتِبُthe writer الفَنَّانُthe artist
نُ له لأنتَ الكَاتِبُ الفَنَّانُ
And the writer-artist is he to whom eloquence
Or when the doctor hurried you away from this life
Has said: 'You are indeed the writer-artist.'
To meadows adorned with profits.
أوَor حِينَwhen أعجَلكَhindered you الطَّبيبُthe physician عَنِfrom الذَّهاgoing (continued)
أوَ حِينَ أعجَلكَ الطَّبيبُ عَنِ الذَّها
بِcompletion of 'going' إلىto رُبُوعٍabodes بِالرُّبىwith hills تَزدَانُare adorned
بِ إلى رُبُوعٍ بِالرُّبى تَزدَانُ
Or, when the physician kept you from going
You hastened obediently without hesitation,
To abodes adorned with hills,
For bodies fear doctors.
أسرَعتَyou hastened مُمتَثِلاًin obedience بِغَيرِwithout تَهَاوُنٍslackness
أسرَعتَ مُمتَثِلاً بِغَيرِ تَهَاوُنٍ
إنَّindeed الطَّبِيبَthe physician تَخافُهُfear him الأَبدَانُthe bodies
إنَّ الطَّبِيبَ تَخافُهُ الأَبدَانُ
Did you hasten to obey, without delay?
Did longing for it move you, or did longing for you
Indeed, bodies fear the physician.
And mercy and affection move it?
أوor هَزَّكُمstirred you شَوقٌlonging لهاfor her أمor هَزَّهاstirred her
أو هَزَّكُم شَوقٌ لها أم هَزَّها
شَوقٌlonging إِليكَfor you وَرَحمَةٌand compassion وَحَنَانُand tenderness
شَوقٌ إِليكَ وَرَحمَةٌ وَحَنَانُ
Or did longing for her stir you, or was she stirred
By longing for you, compassion, and tenderness?
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1