عافَ سمعي ذكرَ المحلِّ العافي

عافَ سمعي ذكرَ المحلِّ العافي

واصطفاءَ البكاءِ بالمُصْطافِ

واصطفاءَ البكاءِ بالمُصْطافِ

My hearing has rejected mention of the effaced dwelling,

My hearing is delighted by mention of the pleasing abode,

and choosing to weep at the summer encampment,

And quenching of tears at al-Mustafa.

ووقوفاً بنونِ نُؤيٍ تلاهُ

ووقوفاً بنونِ نُؤيٍ تلاهُ

في رباهُ إعجامُ ثاءِ أثافي

في رباهُ إعجامُ ثاءِ أثافي

and standing by a camp-ditch shaped like nūn, followed

And standing at the nun of Nu'ay once it was recited,

on its knolls by the thāʾ-like dots of hearthstones.

In its recitation the inimitability of the doubling tha's.

آنفٌ أن أروضَ بالدارِ قَلْباً

آنفٌ أن أروضَ بالدارِ قَلْباً

مستهاماً بروضةٍ مئنافِ

مستهاماً بروضةٍ مئنافِ

I disdain to tame at the dwelling a heart

I almost wish to tame a heart with the house,

enraptured by a fresh, ungrazed meadow.

Preoccupied with a small garden.

نارُ وجْدي خبَتْ بمُنعرَجِ الخَبْ

نارُ وجْدي خبَتْ بمُنعرَجِ الخَبْ

تِ وولّى تأسُّفي بأسافِ

تِ وولّى تأسُّفي بأسافِ

The fire of my longing died at the bend of al-Khabt,

The fire of my love has faded at the twisting of sadness,

and my regret departed at Asaf.

And my sorrow has turned away with disappointments.

فسلامٌ على العواذلِ والأط

فسلامٌ على العواذلِ والأط

لالِ والعيسِ والسُرى والفَيافي

لالِ والعيسِ والسُرى والفَيافي

So farewell to the reproving women and the ruined

So peace be upon the unmarried women, the youthful men,

encampments, the pale camels, night journeys, and wildernesses.

And the fawns, the does, and the young gazelles.

سكرةٌ قد صحوتُ عنها وبُدِّلْ

سكرةٌ قد صحوتُ عنها وبُدِّلْ

تُ بسُكْري سوالف وسلاف

تُ بسُكْري سوالف وسلاف

An intoxication from which I sobered—and I was given

An intoxication from which I have awoken,

in exchange for my drunkenness, fair necks and pure wine.

And replaced with my intoxication: conversations and drinks.

فاسقنيها قبلَ اتفاقِ أولي العل

فاسقنيها قبلَ اتفاقِ أولي العل

مِ فإني رأيتُهم في اختِلافِ

مِ فإني رأيتُهم في اختِلافِ

So pour it for me before the learned agree,

So serve it to me before the concurrence of the first scholars,

for I have seen them in disagreement.

For I saw them in disagreement.

قهوةٌ ما وصَفْتُ بعضَ حُلاها

قهوةٌ ما وصَفْتُ بعضَ حُلاها

لكَ إلا سكِرتُ بالأوصافِ

لكَ إلا سكِرتُ بالأوصافِ

A wine: never do I describe some of its charms

A coffee whose description, some of its dissolvement,

to you without growing drunk on the descriptions.

I have not described to you except I was intoxicated by the descriptions.

أنهكتْ جسمَها السنينُ فلَوْلا

أنهكتْ جسمَها السنينُ فلَوْلا

عرْفُها لم تكنْ بهذا اعترافِ

عرْفُها لم تكنْ بهذا اعترافِ

The years have wasted its body; were it not

The years have weakened its body, so were it not

for its fragrance, it would go unrecognized.

For its fragrance, it would not have been acknowledged.

فأحَيّي في الكأسِ كِسْرى براحٍ

فأحَيّي في الكأسِ كِسْرى براحٍ

تبعثُ الروحَ منه في الأعطافِ

تبعثُ الروحَ منه في الأعطافِ

So I salute Kisra in the cup with wine

So revive in the goblet a Chosroes with a breeze

that sends his spirit coursing through the limbs.

That sends the spirit through breaths into limbs.

ما تَرى الصبحَ كيف جهّزَ جيشاً

ما تَرى الصبحَ كيف جهّزَ جيشاً

آذنَ الليلَ عنه بالإنصِرافِ

آذنَ الليلَ عنه بالإنصِرافِ

Do you not see how dawn has mustered an army

Do you see the dawn, how it has prepared an army?

that has bidden night withdraw before it?

The night heralded its departure.

وعقودُ النجومِ قد نثرَتْها

وعقودُ النجومِ قد نثرَتْها

راحةُ النورِ من طِلى الأسْدافِ

راحةُ النورِ من طِلى الأسْدافِ

And the necklaces of stars have been scattered

And the necklaces of stars, tranquility of light

by light's palm from the necks of darkness.

Has scattered them from the rising of the Lion.

ونضَتْ حُلّةَ الغَمامِ عن الأفْ

ونضَتْ حُلّةَ الغَمامِ عن الأفْ

قِ رُبىً في غلائلٍ أفوافِ

قِ رُبىً في غلائلٍ أفوافِ

And the robe of cloud has been stripped from the horizon

And the dress of clouds was removed from the horizon,

by hills in fine, striped tunics.

A pastureland in rolling dunes.

فاقترفْ واعترفْ فثمّ كريمٌ

فاقترفْ واعترفْ فثمّ كريمٌ

يهَبُ الاقترافَ للإعْتِرافِ

يهَبُ الاقترافَ للإعْتِرافِ

So transgress and confess: there is a generous man

So accomplish and admit, for there is a generous one,

who forgives transgression in return for confession.

Who grants accomplishment for admission.

وامدحِ الحافظَ المُمَدَّحَ تلْبَسْ

وامدحِ الحافظَ المُمَدَّحَ تلْبَسْ

حُلَلَ النُسْكِ عندَهُ والعَفافِ

حُلَلَ النُسْكِ عندَهُ والعَفافِ

And praise the much-praised Hafiz; you will wear

And praise the preserved, the praised one, wearing

robes of piety and chastity in his presence.

The garb of devotion in his presence and chastity.

أيُّ حَبْرٍ لآل ساسانَ أضحى

أيُّ حَبْرٍ لآل ساسانَ أضحى

كنبيِّ الهُدى لعبدِ مَنافِ

كنبيِّ الهُدى لعبدِ مَنافِ

What a scholar he has become for the house of Sasan,

What ink for the family of Sasan that has become

like the Prophet of Guidance for Abd Manaf!

Like the prophet of guidance for the servant of Manaf?

سَلفيٌّ مُخايلُ الفضْلِ دلّتْ

سَلفيٌّ مُخايلُ الفضْلِ دلّتْ

أنه من بقيةِ الأسْلافِ

أنه من بقيةِ الأسْلافِ

Silafi—the signs of excellence have shown

Salafi, pretentious of virtue, signs showed

that he is a remnant of the forebears.

That he is from the remainder of ancestors.

يعلَقُ الامتحانُ منهُ بفرْدٍ

يعلَقُ الامتحانُ منهُ بفرْدٍ

يعْتلي عن مطارِحِ الآلافِ

يعْتلي عن مطارِحِ الآلافِ

Trial finds in him a peerless man

The examiner hangs on to him alone,

who rises above the stations of thousands.

Rising above the discarded thousands.

طاهرُ العِرْضِ والملابس والآرا

طاهرُ العِرْضِ والملابس والآرا

ءِ والمأرباتِ والألاّفِ

ءِ والمأرباتِ والألاّفِ

Pure in honor, clothing, and opinions,

Pure of honor, dress, views and manners,

and in aims and close companions.

And companionships and friendships.

لو غَدا الدهرُ صورةً لتجلّى

لو غَدا الدهرُ صورةً لتجلّى

من علاهُ بأفخَرِ الأشْنافِ

من علاهُ بأفخَرِ الأشْنافِ

If Time took visible form, it would appear

If the days were to become an image, it would appear

adorned with the finest earrings of his eminence.

From his ascent the most glorious of peaks.

أجمعَ الناسُ أنّهُ أوحدُ العَل

أجمعَ الناسُ أنّهُ أوحدُ العَل

ياءِ من مُثْبِتٍ هناكَ ونافِ

ياءِ من مُثْبِتٍ هناكَ ونافِ

People agree that he is peerless in eminence,

The people altogether agreed that he alone is the summit of

both affirmers there and deniers alike.

The resolute, there is no doubt.

ربْعُهُ الكعبةُ التي افترضَ السُؤ

ربْعُهُ الكعبةُ التي افترضَ السُؤ

دَدَ حجّى لركنِها وطَوافي

دَدَ حجّى لركنِها وطَوافي

His dwelling is the Kaaba, where nobility has ordained

Its fourth part is the Kaaba which is obligated for prostration,

my pilgrimage to its corner and my circling of it.

I performed its pilgrimage and circumambulated its corner.

أخلصتْ نيتي وشكّ أناسٌ

أخلصتْ نيتي وشكّ أناسٌ

لو صفَوْا أُنْزِلوا على الإنصافِ

لو صفَوْا أُنْزِلوا على الإنصافِ

My intention was sincere, but some people doubted;

My intention became sincere, and some doubted,

had they been pure, they would have been received on fair terms.

If treated fairly, they would have been brought to justice.

فتبوأتُ جنّةَ العُرْفِ منها

فتبوأتُ جنّةَ العُرْفِ منها

حين لم يحصَلوا على الأعرافِ

حين لم يحصَلوا على الأعرافِ

So through it I settled in the paradise of bounty,

So I obtained the garden of intimacy from it,

while they failed to attain the Heights.

When they did not achieve the heights.

فتهنّ الشهرَ الأصمَّ وإن كا

فتهنّ الشهرَ الأصمَّ وإن كا

نَ سميعاً لمُحكَماتِ القَوافي

نَ سميعاً لمُحكَماتِ القَوافي

So take joy in the Deaf Month, though it is

Congratulations on the deaf month, even if

keen of hearing for well-wrought rhymes.

It was hearing to the rulings of meters.

وابقَ في العزِّ ما بقِيْتَ فإنّ الل

وابقَ في العزِّ ما بقِيْتَ فإنّ الل

هَ يكفيكَ وهو أعظمُ كافِ

هَ يكفيكَ وهو أعظمُ كافِ

And remain in glory as long as you live, for God

And remain in honor what remains while you continue,

will suffice you, and He is the greatest of all who suffice.

For God will suffice you and He is the greatest Sufficer.