لَست في بَينِها الغُداةَ بِلاحِ

لَست في بَينِها الغُداةَ بِلاحِ

ما عَلى النَفسِ في التُقى مِن جُناحِ

ما عَلى النَفسِ في التُقى مِن جُناحِ

I do not reproach her departure this morning.

She was not among them in the morning without glory,

No sin lies upon the soul in piety.

There is no fault on the soul in piety,

تَبعتها أَرواحنا فَتَوَلَّت

تَبعتها أَرواحنا فَتَوَلَّت

بِقِطارٍ يُحَدى مِنَ الأَرواحِ

بِقِطارٍ يُحَدى مِنَ الأَرواحِ

Our souls followed her, and she departed

Our souls followed her, so she turned away

With a caravan of souls urged on by song.

With a train, challenging the spirits.

وَاِستَقَلَّت يَومَ النَوى فرمتها

وَاِستَقَلَّت يَومَ النَوى فرمتها

أَعيُنُ القَوم مِن جَميع النَواحي

أَعيُنُ القَوم مِن جَميع النَواحي

She set out on the day of parting; at her were aimed

On the day of intention, she was independent, so the people's eyes let her go

The people's eyes from every quarter.

From all sides,

طرفها سائِف اللَواحِظ رامٍ

طرفها سائِف اللَواحِظ رامٍ

رامح عامِلٌ بِكُلِّ السِلاحِ

رامح عامِلٌ بِكُلِّ السِلاحِ

Her gaze is a swordsman of glances, an archer,

Her glance was roaming, exerting the observations,

A spearman, wielding every weapon.

Aiming, using all weapons.

أَقرَح الدَمع خَدَّها فَرَأَينا

أَقرَح الدَمع خَدَّها فَرَأَينا

خَمرَةً شَعشَعَت بِماءٍ قِراحِ

خَمرَةً شَعشَعَت بِماءٍ قِراحِ

Tears wounded her cheek, and we saw

Tears wounded her cheek, so we saw

Wine lightened with pure water.

A wine that glistened with pure water.

فترشفت ريقها فَكَأَنّي

فترشفت ريقها فَكَأَنّي

أَرشَفُ الطَلَّ مِن رِياض الأَقاحي

أَرشَفُ الطَلَّ مِن رِياض الأَقاحي

Then I sipped her saliva, as though I

She sipped its saliva, so it was as if I

Were sipping dew from gardens of daisies.

Sipped the dew from gardens of meadows.

ثُمَّ أَبقَ النِجادَ بِالضَمِّ مِنها

ثُمَّ أَبقَ النِجادَ بِالضَمِّ مِنها

في مَجالِ الوِشاح مِثلَ الوِشاحِ

في مَجالِ الوِشاح مِثلَ الوِشاحِ

Then the sword-belt slipped away in her embrace,

Then she left the adornments clinging from her

Into the sash's place, like the sash.

In the space of the wrap, like the wrap.

كُلَّ يَومٍ حداتها تقصد الرَو

كُلَّ يَومٍ حداتها تقصد الرَو

ضَ بِرَوضٍ مِنَ الوُجوهِ الصِباح

ضَ بِرَوضٍ مِنَ الوُجوهِ الصِباح

Every day her camel-drivers make for the meadow

Every day she heads to the meadows

With a garden of radiant faces.

With a meadow of bright faces,

فَتَراهن في الهَوادِج يَلمَع

فَتَراهن في الهَوادِج يَلمَع

نَ كَمِثلِ السُلافِ في الأَقداحِ

نَ كَمِثلِ السُلافِ في الأَقداحِ

And you see them gleaming in the howdahs,

So you see her in the tents shining

Like choice wine in goblets.

Like glassware among the cups.

إِنَّما هَذِهِ العُيونَ السَقيما

إِنَّما هَذِهِ العُيونَ السَقيما

ت بَلاء لِذي القُلوبِ الصِحاحِ

ت بَلاء لِذي القُلوبِ الصِحاحِ

These languid eyes are nothing but

These sick eyes are an affliction

An affliction for those with sound hearts.

For those with healthy hearts.

لا يَغُرَّنكَ لين صَعَب قِيادي

لا يَغُرَّنكَ لين صَعَب قِيادي

فَعَلى قَدرِهِ يَلوح جِماحي

فَعَلى قَدرِهِ يَلوح جِماحي

Do not be fooled by gentleness: I am hard to rein;

Do not let the softness of my difficult leadership deceive you

My unruliness shows itself in equal measure.

For my power flaps according to it.

كَم هَوىً قَد تَرَكتِهِ مِثلَ سَطرٍ

كَم هَوىً قَد تَرَكتِهِ مِثلَ سَطرٍ

قَد مَحاه مِن الصَحيفَة ماحي

قَد مَحاه مِن الصَحيفَة ماحي

How many a passion you have forsaken, like a line

How many desires have I left like a line

That someone has erased from the page.

Erased by the eraser!

وَظَلام قَطَعتُهُ بِظَليمٍ

وَظَلام قَطَعتُهُ بِظَليمٍ

كَوره قائِم مَقام الجَناحِ

كَوره قائِم مَقام الجَناحِ

And darkness I crossed on an ostrich-like mount,

And darkness that I cut with an unjust one

Its saddle serving in place of a wing.

Whose blindness took the place of the wing.

فاجتَلَينا بِنور وَجهِ أَبي القا

فاجتَلَينا بِنور وَجهِ أَبي القا

سِم وَجهَ المُنى وَوَجهَ الصَباحِ

سِم وَجهَ المُنى وَوَجهَ الصَباحِ

By the light of Abu al-Qasim's face we beheld

So we were enlightened by the light of Abul-Qasim's face

The face of hopes and the face of dawn.

The face of purpose and the face of morning.

ثُمَّ صافحت أَنمُلاً نَشأت بَي

ثُمَّ صافحت أَنمُلاً نَشأت بَي

نَ صَريرِ الأَقلامِ وَالأَرماحِ

نَ صَريرِ الأَقلامِ وَالأَرماحِ

Then I clasped fingers that had grown amid

Then I shook hands grown between

The creaking of pens and spears.

The scratching of pens and spears.

فَكَفاني صَرفَ الزَمان بِكَفٍ

فَكَفاني صَرفَ الزَمان بِكَفٍ

عُجِنَت مِنَ مَكارِمٍ وَسَماحِ

عُجِنَت مِنَ مَكارِمٍ وَسَماحِ

He spared me time's reversals with a hand

So stopping the time's rotation with a palm

Kneaded of noble virtues and generosity.

Kneaded from generosity and lenience sufficed me.

وُصِلَت بِالنَدى بَنان أَبي القا

وُصِلَت بِالنَدى بَنان أَبي القا

سِم قَبلَ اتِّصالِها بِالراحِ

سِم قَبلَ اتِّصالِها بِالراحِ

Abu al-Qasim's fingers were joined to bounty

The fingers of Abul-Qasim were connected with dew

Before they were joined to the palms.

Before their connection with rest.

لا تَلُمهُ في الجودِ فالجود عضو

لا تَلُمهُ في الجودِ فالجود عضو

مِن يَدَيهِ فَمالَهُ مِن بَراحِ

مِن يَدَيهِ فَمالَهُ مِن بَراحِ

Do not blame him for generosity: generosity is a limb

Do not blame him for generosity, for generosity is a limb

Of his hands, with no way to depart.

From his hands, so he has no choice.

مَرِحٌ بِالنَوالِ نَشوان مِنهُ

مَرِحٌ بِالنَوالِ نَشوان مِنهُ

إِنَّ لِلجود نَشوَة كالرّاحِ

إِنَّ لِلجود نَشوَة كالرّاحِ

He revels in giving, intoxicated by it;

Elated with gifts, joyous from him,

Indeed, giving has a rapture like wine.

Indeed, generosity has an intoxication like the wind.

فَهوَ في سَكرَةٍ مِنَ الجودِ صَرفاً

فَهوَ في سَكرَةٍ مِنَ الجودِ صَرفاً

لَيسَ مِنها إِلى القِيامَةِ صاحي

لَيسَ مِنها إِلى القِيامَةِ صاحي

So he is drunk on undiluted generosity,

So he is in an intoxication of generosity, spending

Never to sober from it until the Resurrection.

From which he will not awake till the Day of Resurrection.

لَم يَخِب ظَنُّ آمِلٍ فيهِ إِلّا

لَم يَخِب ظَنُّ آمِلٍ فيهِ إِلّا

أَن تَكونَ الظُنونَ غَيرَ النَجاحِ

أَن تَكونَ الظُنونَ غَيرَ النَجاحِ

No hopeful person's expectation of him has failed, unless

The hopes of no hopeful in him were unfulfilled

Those expectations were for something other than success.

Unless the hopes were not successful.

لَو أَتَتهُ الرُكبانُ تَمتاحَهُ النَف

لَو أَتَتهُ الرُكبانُ تَمتاحَهُ النَف

س وَحاشاهُ مِنهُ قالَ امتاحي

س وَحاشاهُ مِنهُ قالَ امتاحي

Were riders to come asking him for his very soul—

If caravans came to him, his soul coveting,

May he be spared that!—he would say, 'Draw it forth.'

And he said “help yourself” to them.

ما رَأَينا في الجودِ كاِبنِ عَليٍّ

ما رَأَينا في الجودِ كاِبنِ عَليٍّ

أَحَداً يَشتَهي صفاح الصِفاحِ

أَحَداً يَشتَهي صفاح الصِفاحِ

We have seen no one in generosity like Ibn Ali,

We have not seen anyone in generosity like the son of Ali

One who longs to clasp hands with swordblades.

Who desires the morning shine of drawn swords.

وَيَزور الوَغى بِطَرفٍ حَييٍّ

وَيَزور الوَغى بِطَرفٍ حَييٍّ

أَن يُرى هائِباً وَوَجهَ وقاحِ

أَن يُرى هائِباً وَوَجهَ وقاحِ

He visits battle with a gaze too bashful

And visits discord with a lively glance

To be seen afraid, and a brazen face.

To be seen awe-inspiring with an insolent face.

وَيَرِد الراياتِ مِن الدمِّ تَحكي

وَيَرِد الراياتِ مِن الدمِّ تَحكي

لَهَب النارِ في نَسيم الرَياحِ

لَهَب النارِ في نَسيم الرَياحِ

And he approaches the banners, blood making them resemble

And makes the banners tell of blood

Fire's flame in the breeze of winds.

Like the flames of fire in the breeze of winds.

ثَمَّ أَيدٍ لَهُ طُوالٍ إِذا ما

ثَمَّ أَيدٍ لَهُ طُوالٍ إِذا ما

خَطَرَت بِالرِماحِ مِثلَ الرِماحِ

خَطَرَت بِالرِماحِ مِثلَ الرِماحِ

There he has long hands that, whenever

Then hands that are long for him, if

They move with spears, are like the spears.

Spears suggest themselves like spears.

في قَبيل تَراهُم في مُتونِ ال

في قَبيل تَراهُم في مُتونِ ال

خَيلِ كَالرِيشِ في مُتونِ القِداحِ

خَيلِ كَالرِيشِ في مُتونِ القِداحِ

Among a clan—you see them on the backs of

In the tribe you see them on the backs of

Horses, like feathers on the shafts of arrows.

Horses like feathers on the backs of logs.

سَبطَة سَمحة عَلى المالِ تَحكي

سَبطَة سَمحة عَلى المالِ تَحكي

فَيضَها بِالسَماحِ قَبلَ السِلاحِ

فَيضَها بِالسَماحِ قَبلَ السِلاحِ

Supple and openhanded with wealth, they display

Magnanimous, noble over money, telling of its outpouring

Their outpouring in generosity before weapons.

With generosity before weapons.

فَهوَ يَختالُ بَينَ عِرضٍ مَنيع

فَهوَ يَختالُ بَينَ عِرضٍ مَنيع

مِن مَقال العِدى وَمالَ مُباحِ

مِن مَقال العِدى وَمالَ مُباحِ

So he walks proudly between an honor impregnable

So he struts between protected honour

To enemies' words, and wealth free to all.

And wealth made lawful.

مِن أَياديهِ رائِحات اغتَباقي

مِن أَياديهِ رائِحات اغتَباقي

وَمِنَ الغادِيات مِنهُ اصطِباحي

وَمِنَ الغادِيات مِنهُ اصطِباحي

From his evening favors comes my evening draught,

From his hands are scents of bouquet

And from his morning favors, my morning draught.

And from the girls, perfume in the morning.

مِنهُ مالي ورحلَتي وَعدادي

مِنهُ مالي ورحلَتي وَعدادي

وَجُوداي وَحُلَّتي وَسِلاحي

وَجُوداي وَحُلَّتي وَسِلاحي

From him come my wealth, my journey, and my equipment,

From him are my money, my travel, my number,

And my twofold generosity, my robe, and my weapons.

My generosity, my dress, and my weapon.

وَلَهُ مُهجَتي وَشُكري وَنَشري

وَلَهُ مُهجَتي وَشُكري وَنَشري

وَاِعتِدادي بِفَضلِهِ وَاِمتِداحي

وَاِعتِدادي بِفَضلِهِ وَاِمتِداحي

His are my lifeblood, my thanks, and my spreading of his fame,

And for him are my ode, my gratitude, my publishing,

My pride in his excellence, and my praise.

My esteem for his favor, and my praise of him.

دامَ في رفعة وَفي طيب عَيشٍ

دامَ في رفعة وَفي طيب عَيشٍ

يَسحَبُ الذَيلَ في التُقى وَالصَلاحِ

يَسحَبُ الذَيلَ في التُقى وَالصَلاحِ

May he endure in eminence and a pleasant life,

May he remain high and in a good life,

Trailing his hem in piety and righteousness,

Dragging the train in piety and righteousness.

ما دَجى عَسكَر الظَلامُ وَوَلّى

ما دَجى عَسكَر الظَلامُ وَوَلّى

يَطلُبُ الفَرَّ مِن جُيوشِ الصَباحِ

يَطلُبُ الفَرَّ مِن جُيوشِ الصَباحِ

As long as darkness's army darkens and retreats,

The darkness of the army did not settle

Seeking flight from the armies of dawn.

Seeking escape from the armies of morning.