وسُقتُ الرِّكائبَ حتى أنَخْنَ

وسُقتُ الرِّكائبَ حتى أنَخْنَ

بسَبْطِ الأناملِ سِبْطِ النّبِيِّ

بسَبْطِ الأناملِ سِبْطِ النّبِيِّ

And I drove the riding camels until they knelt

I was led to sadness until I wept

Before the supple-fingered scion of the Prophet,

By the fingers of the chosen one, the fingers of the Prophet

عليِّ بنِ موسى مُواسي العُفاةِ

عليِّ بنِ موسى مُواسي العُفاةِ

أبي القاسمِ السيِّدِ المُوسَويَ

أبي القاسمِ السيِّدِ المُوسَويَ

Ali ibn Musa, succorer of those seeking bounty,

Ali the son of Musa, comforter of the destitute

Abu al-Qasim, the noble al-Musawi.

My master, the Sayyid, the Musawi

خصيبَ الثّرى غضيّ نبتِ المرادِ

خصيبَ الثّرى غضيّ نبتِ المرادِ

رحيبِ الذرى عذبِ ماءِ الرُكيِّ

رحيبِ الذرى عذبِ ماءِ الرُكيِّ

His soil is fertile, the shoots of desire tender;

Who made the earth fertile, the fresh growth of purpose

His heights are broad, the water of his wells sweet.

Spacious earth, sweet water of the stream

طَمى بالنّدى واديا راحَتَيهِ

طَمى بالنّدى واديا راحَتَيهِ

فطمّ على آجناتِ القَرِيِّ

فطمّ على آجناتِ القَرِيِّ

The two valleys of his palms overflowed with bounty,

He suckled with dew a valley, his two cheeks

And surged over the watercourse's stagnant pools.

So he was weaned on the slopes of Karī

نَماهُ الفَخارُ إلى جَدِّهِ

نَماهُ الفَخارُ إلى جَدِّهِ

عليِّ فطارَ بجَدٍّ عَلِيِّ

عليِّ فطارَ بجَدٍّ عَلِيِّ

Glory traced his lineage to his forefather,

He was raised to greatness by his ancestor

Ali; and he soared with lofty fortune.

Ali, so he flew with the greatness of Ali

ولا يتأشّبُ عِيصُ السّرِيِّ

ولا يتأشّبُ عِيصُ السّرِيِّ

إذا هُوَ لم يَكُنِ ابْنَ السّرِيِّ

إذا هُوَ لم يَكُنِ ابْنَ السّرِيِّ

Nor does a nobleman's grove grow dense

And the secretive one's wood does not ignite

If he is not the son of a nobleman.

If he is not the son of the secretive one

أبا قاسمٍ يا قَسيمَ السّخاءِ

أبا قاسمٍ يا قَسيمَ السّخاءِ

إذا جَفَّ ضَرعُ الغَمام الحبِيِّ

إذا جَفَّ ضَرعُ الغَمام الحبِيِّ

Abu Qasim, O sharer of generosity,

O Abul Qasim, o distributor of generosity

When the udder of the massed clouds runs dry,

When the rain clouds of sorrow faded

وفَدْتُ إليكَ معَ الوافدينَ

وفَدْتُ إليكَ معَ الوافدينَ

وُفودَ البِشارَةِ غِبَّ النّعِيِّ

وُفودَ البِشارَةِ غِبَّ النّعِيِّ

I came to you with the visitors,

I came to you with the other visitors

As glad tidings come in the wake of news of death.

As good news came to replace the announcement of death

وزارَكَ مِنِّي سَمِيٌّ كنِيٌّ

وزارَكَ مِنِّي سَمِيٌّ كنِيٌّ

فَراعِ حُقوقَ السّمِيِّ الكَنِيِّ

فَراعِ حُقوقَ السّمِيِّ الكَنِيِّ

And in me you had a visitor sharing your name and kunya;

And a name and nickname visited you from me

So honor the rights of one sharing your name and kunya.

So heed the rights of the named and nicknamed

فَهذي القَصيدةُ بِكرٌ تصِلّ

فَهذي القَصيدةُ بِكرٌ تصِلّ

على نَحْرِها حَصَيَاتُ الحلِيِّ

على نَحْرِها حَصَيَاتُ الحلِيِّ

For this poem is a maiden; there tinkle

This poem is a first attempt to reach you

Upon her throat the little stones of her jewelry.

With its necklace the pebbles of jewelry

جَعلْتُ هَواكَ جِهازاً لها

جَعلْتُ هَواكَ جِهازاً لها

فجاءَتْكَ مائِسَةً كالهَدِيِّ

فجاءَتْكَ مائِسَةً كالهَدِيِّ

I made my love for you her bridal trousseau,

I made your love its treasure

So she came to you swaying gracefully like a bride.

So it came to you like a gift

سحَرْتُ بِها ألْسُنَ السّامرينَ

سحَرْتُ بِها ألْسُنَ السّامرينَ

ولم أَترُكِ السِّحْرَ للسّامريِّ

ولم أَترُكِ السِّحْرَ للسّامريِّ

With it I bewitched the tongues of those who talk by night,

I have bewitched with it the tongues of night companions

And I left no magic to al-Samiri.

And did not leave magic to the Samaritan

ولمّا نشرتُ أَفاويقَها

ولمّا نشرتُ أَفاويقَها

طَوى الناسُ دِيباجَةَ البُحتريّ

طَوى الناسُ دِيباجَةَ البُحتريّ

And when I spread abroad its milky outpourings,

And when its flags were unfurled

People folded away al-Buhturi's brocade.

The people folded the brocade of al-Buhturi

تظلُّ القَطا وهْيَ أهدْى الطُّيورِ

تظلُّ القَطا وهْيَ أهدْى الطُّيورِ

تَضلُّ بِها كالغَويِّ الغَبيِّ

تَضلُّ بِها كالغَويِّ الغَبيِّ

The sandgrouse, though the best-guided of birds, keep

It remains under the protection of pigeons, the best of birds

Losing their way in it like a witless wanderer.

It goes astray with it like the foolish, ignorant one

إلى مثلِها طالَ باعي وطابَ

إلى مثلِها طالَ باعي وطابَ

لجَنبي اجتنابُ الفراشِ الوَطيِّ

لجَنبي اجتنابُ الفراشِ الوَطيِّ

Toward its like my reach grew long, and it was sweet

To the like of it my seller despaired and left

For my side to shun a soft bed.

And avoiding the dirty bed was good for my side

وأسكرني شربُ كأسِ السُّرى

وأسكرني شربُ كأسِ السُّرى

على عَزفِ جِنِّيِّها الجَهْوَرِيِّ

على عَزفِ جِنِّيِّها الجَهْوَرِيِّ

And drinking the cup of night travel intoxicated me,

And I was intoxicated by drinking the cup of intimacy

To the music of its loud-voiced jinni.

To the musical accompaniment of its energetic Jinn