أفي دُمىً أَبكَتِ العيونَ دَما

أفي دُمىً أَبكَتِ العيونَ دَما

أَعَدْتَ لَوماً يُعيدُ لي لَمَما

أَعَدْتَ لَوماً يُعيدُ لي لَمَما

Is it over statue-like beauties who made eyes weep blood

In the tears my eyes shed profusely

that you have renewed reproach, bringing back my madness?

Did you intend blame that would renew my regrets?

حَكَمْنَ باللَّحْظِ في القُلوبِ وقد

حَكَمْنَ باللَّحْظِ في القُلوبِ وقد

حُكِّمَ فيها الفِراقُ فاحتَكما

حُكِّمَ فيها الفِراقُ فاحتَكما

They ruled the hearts with their glances, and

You judged hearts with a glance, though

parting was made judge over them and held sway.

Parting had already been decreed for them as judge.

غَداةَ ضَنَّتْ بها السُّجوفُ فلم

غَداةَ ضَنَّتْ بها السُّجوفُ فلم

نُروَ عِناقاً منها ومُلتَثما

نُروَ عِناقاً منها ومُلتَثما

On the morning when the curtains withheld them, we were not

The next morning, sadness filled them, so we did not

sated with embraces and kisses from them.

See any intimate embrace or kiss from them.

فمن شموسٍ قد تُوِّجَتْ ظُلَماً

فمن شموسٍ قد تُوِّجَتْ ظُلَماً

ومن غصونٍ قد أثمرَتْ عَنَما

ومن غصونٍ قد أثمرَتْ عَنَما

And among them were suns crowned with darkness,

So there were suns crowned with darkness

and branches that had borne red berries.

And branches that produced bitter fruit.

ما يَمَّمَتْ عيسُها العقيقَ ضُحىً

ما يَمَّمَتْ عيسُها العقيقَ ضُحىً

حتَّى لَقِينا بها الرَّدَى أَمَما

حتَّى لَقِينا بها الرَّدَى أَمَما

No sooner did their pale camels head for al-Aqiq at forenoon

Their morn did not sweeten until we met it

than, through them, we met death close at hand.

With loss, despite the red sunset's glow.

ورُبَّ رامٍ أصابَ قَلْبِي بالْ

ورُبَّ رامٍ أصابَ قَلْبِي بالْ

لَحْظِ غَداة َالفِراقِ حينَ رَمَى

لَحْظِ غَداة َالفِراقِ حينَ رَمَى

And many an archer struck my heart with a

And how often has a glance pierced my heart

glance on the morning of parting, when he shot.

The morning after we parted when it glanced.

وطالما دامَ وَصْلُه فغَدا

وطالما دامَ وَصْلُه فغَدا

يُمْطِرُني من مُدامِه دِيَما

يُمْطِرُني من مُدامِه دِيَما

Long did his closeness endure, and he would

As long as our bond lasted, it would

rain on me steady showers of his wine.

Always rain wine generously from his cups.

إذا دَجَى اللَّيلُ كان لي قمراً

إذا دَجَى اللَّيلُ كان لي قمراً

وإن بدا الصُّبحُ كان لي صَنَما

وإن بدا الصُّبحُ كان لي صَنَما

When the night grew dark, he was my moon,

When night fell, he was a moon for me,

and when dawn appeared, he was my idol.

And when dawn rose, he was an idol for me.

قد قلتُ واللَّيل ُخافِضٌ علَماً

قد قلتُ واللَّيل ُخافِضٌ علَماً

للرَّكْبِ والصُّبحُ رافعٌ عَلَما

للرَّكْبِ والصُّبحُ رافعٌ عَلَما

I said, as night lowered its banner,

I have said, and the night lowers its banners

to the caravan, as dawn raised its own:

For the caravan, and dawn raises banners,

عمَّا قَليلٍ يَعودُ مَورِدُنا

عمَّا قَليلٍ يَعودُ مَورِدُنا

عَذْباً وتَغدو هُمومُنا هِمَما

عَذْباً وتَغدو هُمومُنا هِمَما

Before long our watering place will again be

That soon our spring will return

sweet, and our worries will become aspirations.

Sweetly, and our sorrows will dissolve.

لا نَعْدَمَنْ غُرَّةَ الأميرِ فقد

لا نَعْدَمَنْ غُرَّةَ الأميرِ فقد

أعدَمَ مِنْ جُودِ كَفِّهِ العَدَما

أعدَمَ مِنْ جُودِ كَفِّهِ العَدَما

May we never lack the prince's radiant face, for

We will not lack the youth of the prince, for he

by the bounty of his hand he has abolished want.

Has eliminated all lack with his generous palm.

سَيفُ الإمامِ الذي نَصولُ على الدْ

سَيفُ الإمامِ الذي نَصولُ على الدْ

هْرِ إذا الدَّهْرُ صالَ أو عَرَما

هْرِ إذا الدَّهْرُ صالَ أو عَرَما

The Imam's sword, through whom we charge against

It is the sword of the Imam with which we

Time, when Time attacks or runs wild.

Attack Time, whether docile or unruly.

وناصرُ الدولةِ التي شَمَلَتْ

وناصرُ الدولةِ التي شَمَلَتْ

بالعَدْلِ عُرْبَ الأنامِ والعَجَما

بالعَدْلِ عُرْبَ الأنامِ والعَجَما

And Nasir al-Dawla, champion of the state that embraced

It is the supporter of the State which has embraced

with justice the Arabs and non-Arabs of mankind.

The lands of Arabs and non-Arabs with justice.

تكامَلَ العِلْمُ فيه واكتهلَتْ

تكامَلَ العِلْمُ فيه واكتهلَتْ

آراؤُه قَبْلَ أن يَبْلُغَ الحُلُما

آراؤُه قَبْلَ أن يَبْلُغَ الحُلُما

Knowledge reached perfection in him, and mature were

Knowledge in him has become perfect

his judgments before he reached puberty.

And his views fully formed before he reached manhood.

يَستنجدُ السَّيفَ في الخطوبِ إذا

يَستنجدُ السَّيفَ في الخطوبِ إذا

راحَ سواه يَستنجدُ القَلَما

راحَ سواه يَستنجدُ القَلَما

He seeks the sword's aid in crises, when

He seeks the aid of the sword in calamities when

others go seeking the aid of the pen.

All else seek the aid of the pen.

صُبْحٌ منَ العَدلِ ما انتحى بلداً

صُبْحٌ منَ العَدلِ ما انتحى بلداً

إلا جَلا الظُّلْمَ عنه والظُّلَما

إلا جَلا الظُّلْمَ عنه والظُّلَما

A dawn of justice, he never turned toward a land

A morning of justice that does not purify a land

without clearing it of oppression and darkness.

Of injustice and darkness is no morning.

كم من مَخُوفٍ سَما له حَسَنٌ

كم من مَخُوفٍ سَما له حَسَنٌ

بالسَّيفِ حتى أعادَه حَرَما

بالسَّيفِ حتى أعادَه حَرَما

How many a dreaded place Hasan advanced upon

How much feared his sword made safe

with the sword, until he made it a sanctuary!

Until it restored him to sanctuaries.

في جَحْفَلٍ غَصَّتِ الفِجاجُ بهِ

في جَحْفَلٍ غَصَّتِ الفِجاجُ بهِ

وأنَّ من وَطْئِهِ الثَّرى أَلَما

وأنَّ من وَطْئِهِ الثَّرى أَلَما

Amid a mighty host that choked the passes,

In hosts dense as darkness his sword

while the earth groaned in pain beneath its tread.

Shows that treading the ground with it causes pain.

تنطق راياته فلا مللا

تنطق راياته فلا مللا

يظهر من مطقها ولا سأما

يظهر من مطقها ولا سأما

His banners speak, and no weariness

His banners speak without boredom appearing

appears in their speech, nor any boredom.

In their speech or weariness.

مبدية للصبا مغاضبه

مبدية للصبا مغاضبه

فكلما هبت الصبا اختصما

فكلما هبت الصبا اختصما

They display defiance toward the east wind,

Showing anger to the morning breezes

so whenever the east wind blows, the two quarrel.

So whenever the breeze blew they disputed.

إذا غَدا خافِقَ البُنودِ غَدَتْ

إذا غَدا خافِقَ البُنودِ غَدَتْ

جُنْدُ المَنايا لجُنْدِه خَدَما

جُنْدُ المَنايا لجُنْدِه خَدَما

When he advances with standards fluttering,

When his banners fluttered, the armies

the troops of death become servants to his troops.

Of death became servants to his armies.

كأنَّ في البَرِّ من سَوابِغِهِ

كأنَّ في البَرِّ من سَوابِغِهِ

بحرُ حديدٍ يموجُ مُلتَطِما

بحرُ حديدٍ يموجُ مُلتَطِما

As though his coats of mail upon the land were

As if in the land his steeds were

a sea of iron, surging and crashing.

A roiling sea of iron surging and crashing.

كأنَّ للرَّعْدِ تحتَه صَخَباً

كأنَّ للرَّعْدِ تحتَه صَخَباً

يَعْلو وللبَرْقِ فوقَه ضَرَما

يَعْلو وللبَرْقِ فوقَه ضَرَما

As though thunder beneath it raised a din

As if above the thunder their din

that rose, and lightning above it flared.

Rose and above the lightning their swords flashed.

فسَرَّنا بِشْرُ غارَةٍ ملأَتْ

فسَرَّنا بِشْرُ غارَةٍ ملأَتْ

بالخيلِ غَورَ البلادِ والأَكَما

بالخيلِ غَورَ البلادِ والأَكَما

Then a raid's glad face delighted us, as it filled

Good news of a raid filled the lands and hills

the land's lowlands and hills with horses.

With horses and made joy overflow.

وسَدَّ أفْقَ السَّماءِ قَسطَلُهُ

وسَدَّ أفْقَ السَّماءِ قَسطَلُهُ

فَخِيلَ دونَ السَّماءِ منه سَما

فَخِيلَ دونَ السَّماءِ منه سَما

And his dust cloud blocked the sky's horizon,

His cavalry blocked the horizon’s expanse

so it seemed to form a sky beneath the sky.

As if a poisonous sky lay beneath his poisonous sky.

طلعتَ فيه على العِراقِ فكَم

طلعتَ فيه على العِراقِ فكَم

وَفَّرْتَ وَفْراً وكم حَقَنْتَ دَما

وَفَّرْتَ وَفْراً وكم حَقَنْتَ دَما

Within it you rose over Iraq: how much

You rose over Iraq, so how much

wealth you preserved, and how much blood you spared!

Did you make them flee and how much blood did you spare!

قد قلتُ إذ أشرقَ الهُدى فَعَلاَ

قد قلتُ إذ أشرقَ الهُدى فَعَلاَ

وانهَدَّ رُكْنُ الضَّلالِ فانهَدَما

وانهَدَّ رُكْنُ الضَّلالِ فانهَدَما

I said, when guidance shone forth and rose high,

I have said, as guidance shone radiant

and the pillar of error crumbled and collapsed:

And the pillar of misguidance collapsed and crumbled,

لا يَغْرِسُ الشَّرَّ غارِسٌ أبداً

لا يَغْرِسُ الشَّرَّ غارِسٌ أبداً

إلا اجتَنى من غُصونِهِ نَدَما

إلا اجتَنى من غُصونِهِ نَدَما

No planter ever plants evil

No planter of evil ever plants

without harvesting regret from its branches.

Without reaping regret from its branches.

إليك حَثَّتْ رِكابَها عُصَبٌ

إليك حَثَّتْ رِكابَها عُصَبٌ

تَخوضُ بَحْرَ الظَّلامِ حينَ طَمى

تَخوضُ بَحْرَ الظَّلامِ حينَ طَمى

Toward you, bands urged their mounts onward,

Bands hastened their steeds toward you,

wading through the sea of darkness as it swelled.

Plunging into seas of darkness when they swelled.

لمّا خَطَوا عَافَي الرُّسومِ من ال

لمّا خَطَوا عَافَي الرُّسومِ من ال

بيدِ أناخُوا الرَّكائبَ الرُّسُما

بيدِ أناخُوا الرَّكائبَ الرُّسُما

When they had passed the faded traces of the

When they stepped over proper conduct, they found it

deserts, they made their swift-striding camels kneel.

Sweet, so they anchored their steeds without trace.

رَأوا رياضَ النَّدى مُدَّبَجةً

رَأوا رياضَ النَّدى مُدَّبَجةً

فدبَّجُوا في فَنائِها الكَلِما

فدبَّجُوا في فَنائِها الكَلِما

They saw the gardens of bounty richly embroidered,

They saw meadows of dew laid out in splendor

so in their courtyard they embroidered words.

So they splattered their glittering talk in its courtyard.