أَيُّها العاتِبُ الَّذي لَيسَ يَرضى

أَيُّها العاتِبُ الَّذي لَيسَ يَرضى

نَم هَنيئاً فَلَستُ أَطعَمُ غُمضا

نَم هَنيئاً فَلَستُ أَطعَمُ غُمضا

O reproacher who will not be satisfied,

O you who reproach, you are never satisfied

sleep peacefully, for I taste no sleep.

Sleep well, for I will not feed sorrow

إِنَّ لي مِن هَواكَ وَجداً قَد اِستَه

إِنَّ لي مِن هَواكَ وَجداً قَد اِستَه

لَكَ نَومي وَمَضجَعاً قَد أَقَضّا

لَكَ نَومي وَمَضجَعاً قَد أَقَضّا

Indeed, through loving you, I have a longing that has consumed

Indeed your love has caused me such anguish

my sleep and made my bed restless.

That robbed me of sleep and rest completely

فَجُفوني في عَبرَةٍ لَيسَ تَرقا

فَجُفوني في عَبرَةٍ لَيسَ تَرقا

وَفُؤادي في لَوعَةٍ ماتَقَضّى

وَفُؤادي في لَوعَةٍ ماتَقَضّى

So my eyelids are in tears that do not cease,

My eyes shed ceaseless tears of grief

and my heart is in anguish that does not pass.

While my heart is consumed with incurable pain

ياقَليلَ الإِنصافِ كَم اِقتَضي عِن

ياقَليلَ الإِنصافِ كَم اِقتَضي عِن

دَكَ وَعداً إِنجازُهُ لَيسَ يُقضى

دَكَ وَعداً إِنجازُهُ لَيسَ يُقضى

O you of little fairness, how often I demand of

O you of little fairness, how much you demanded

you a promise that is never fulfilled!

Fulfilling a promise you never intended to keep

فَأَجزِني بِالوَصلِ إِن كانَ دَيناً

فَأَجزِني بِالوَصلِ إِن كانَ دَيناً

وَأَثِبني بِالحُبِّ إِن كانَ قَرضا

وَأَثِبني بِالحُبِّ إِن كانَ قَرضا

Then repay me with union, if it is a debt,

Then grant me your affection, if it was a debt

and reward me with love, if it is a loan.

And pledge your love, if it was a loan

بِأَبي شادِنٌ تَعَلَّقَ قَلبي

بِأَبي شادِنٌ تَعَلَّقَ قَلبي

بِجُفونٍ فَواتِرِ اللَحظِ مَرضى

بِجُفونٍ فَواتِرِ اللَحظِ مَرضى

May my father be ransom for a young gazelle: my heart is caught

My heart clung to Abi Shadid

by eyelids languid and ailing in their gaze.

With languid, weary eyes that ache

غَرَّني حُبُّهُ فَأَصبَحتُ أُبدي

غَرَّني حُبُّهُ فَأَصبَحتُ أُبدي

مِنهُ بَعضاً وَأَكتُمُ الناسَ بَعضا

مِنهُ بَعضاً وَأَكتُمُ الناسَ بَعضا

Love for him beguiled me, so I began to reveal

His love made me reveal

some of it, while hiding some from people.

Some of it, and conceal the rest from others

لَستُ أَنساهُ إِذ بَدا مِن قَريبٍ

لَستُ أَنساهُ إِذ بَدا مِن قَريبٍ

يَتَثَنّى تَثَنّى الغُصنِ غَضّا

يَتَثَنّى تَثَنّى الغُصنِ غَضّا

I do not forget him as he appeared close by,

I cannot forget when he approached nearby

swaying as a tender branch sways;

Swaying gently like a tender branch

وَاِعتِذاري إِلَيهِ حَتّى تَجافى

وَاِعتِذاري إِلَيهِ حَتّى تَجافى

لِيَ عَن بَعضِ ما أَتَيتُ وَأَغضى

لِيَ عَن بَعضِ ما أَتَيتُ وَأَغضى

nor my apologies to him, until he overlooked

My apologies to him until he is appeased

for my sake some of what I had done, and turned a blind eye;

And overlooks some of the wrongs I have done

وَاِعتِلاقي تُفّاحَ خَدَّيهِ تَقبي

وَاِعتِلاقي تُفّاحَ خَدَّيهِ تَقبي

لاً وَلَثماً طَوراً وَشَمّاً وَعَضّا

لاً وَلَثماً طَوراً وَشَمّاً وَعَضّا

nor my clinging to the apples of his cheeks, kissing

And my kissing his rosy cheeks again and again

and pressing my lips to them at times, smelling and biting.

At times, at others, here and there continuously

أَيُّها الراغِبُ الَّذي طَلَبَ الجو

أَيُّها الراغِبُ الَّذي طَلَبَ الجو

دَ فَأَبلى كومَ المَطايا وَأَنضى

دَ فَأَبلى كومَ المَطايا وَأَنضى

O seeker who sought generosity,

O you who sought rainclouds

and wore out the high-humped mounts and exhausted them,

And wore out horses to obtain the treasure

رِد حِياضَ الإِمامِ تَلقَ نَوالاً

رِد حِياضَ الإِمامِ تَلقَ نَوالاً

يَسَعُ الراغِبينَ طولاً وَعَرضا

يَسَعُ الراغِبينَ طولاً وَعَرضا

come to the Imam's pools: you will find bounty

Return to the Imam's courtyard and you will find

that embraces seekers in length and breadth.

Provisions for all seekers far and wide

فَهُناكَ العَطاءُ جَزلاً لِمَن را

فَهُناكَ العَطاءُ جَزلاً لِمَن را

مَ جَزيلَ العَطاءِ وَالجودُ مَحضا

مَ جَزيلَ العَطاءِ وَالجودُ مَحضا

For there bounty is lavish for whoever seeks

For there lies abundant generosity

lavish bounty, and generosity is unalloyed.

For those who seek true bounty and grace

هُوَ أَندى مِنَ الغَمامِ وَأَوفى

هُوَ أَندى مِنَ الغَمامِ وَأَوفى

وَقَعاتٍ مِنَ الحُسامِ وَأَمضى

وَقَعاتٍ مِنَ الحُسامِ وَأَمضى

He is more bountiful than the clouds, and more lavish

He is fairer than the clouds and more faithful

in his blows than the keen sword, and sharper.

Than flashes of polished swords that smite

دَبَّرَ المُلكَ بِالسَدادِ فَإِبرا

دَبَّرَ المُلكَ بِالسَدادِ فَإِبرا

ماً صَلاحُ الإِسلامُ فيهِ وَنَقضا

ماً صَلاحُ الإِسلامُ فيهِ وَنَقضا

He governed the realm with sound judgment; in making firm

He established the kingdom with integrity

and undoing, Islam's welfare rests with him.

So the true Islam in it remains intact

يَتَوَخّى الإِحسانَ قَولاً وَفِعلاً

يَتَوَخّى الإِحسانَ قَولاً وَفِعلاً

وَيُطيعُ الإِلَهُ بَسطاً وَقَبضا

وَيُطيعُ الإِلَهُ بَسطاً وَقَبضا

He seeks goodness in word and deed,

He desires goodness in word and deed

and obeys God in giving and withholding.

And obeys God in expansion and restraint

وَإِذا ماتَشَنَّعَت حَومَةُ الحَر

وَإِذا ماتَشَنَّعَت حَومَةُ الحَر

بِ وَكانَ المَقامُ بِالقَومِ دَحضا

بِ وَكانَ المَقامُ بِالقَومِ دَحضا

And when the thick of battle grows dreadful

And when the heat of war intensifies

and the men's footing turns slippery,

And the only choice is to take a stand and fight

وَرَأَيتَ الجِيادَ تَحتَ مُثارِ النَق

وَرَأَيتَ الجِيادَ تَحتَ مُثارِ النَق

عِ يَنهَضنَ بِالفَوارِسِ نَهضا

عِ يَنهَضنَ بِالفَوارِسِ نَهضا

and you see the steeds beneath the stirred-up dust

And you see the steeds beneath the clashing swords

surging up with their horsemen,

Rise up with the horsemen for the charge

غَشِيَ الدارِعينَ ضَرباً هَذاذي

غَشِيَ الدارِعينَ ضَرباً هَذاذي

كَ وَطَعناً يُوَرِّعُ الخَيلَ وَخضا

كَ وَطَعناً يُوَرِّعُ الخَيلَ وَخضا

he assails the armored men with swift blow upon blow,

They overwhelm the armored foes with blows

and deep-piercing thrusts that make the horses recoil.

That disciplined horses and make warriors flinch

فَضَّلَ اللَهُ جَعفَراً بِخِلالٍ

فَضَّلَ اللَهُ جَعفَراً بِخِلالٍ

جَعَلَت حُبُّهُ عَلى الناسِ فَرضا

جَعَلَت حُبُّهُ عَلى الناسِ فَرضا

God has favored Jaʿfar with qualities

God has graced Ja'far with virtues

that made loving him a duty for the people.

That made people love him without exception

يا اِبنَ عَمِّ النَبِيِّ حَقّاً وَيا أَز

يا اِبنَ عَمِّ النَبِيِّ حَقّاً وَيا أَز

كى قُرَيشٍ نَفساً وَديناً وَعِرضا

كى قُرَيشٍ نَفساً وَديناً وَعِرضا

O true cousin of the Prophet, and O purest

O Cousin of the Prophet, in truth, O most noble

of Quraysh in soul, faith, and honor,

Of Quraysh in selfhood, religion and honor

بِنتَ بِالفَضلِ وَالعُلُوِّ فَأَصبَح

بِنتَ بِالفَضلِ وَالعُلُوِّ فَأَصبَح

تَ سَماءً وَأَصبَحَ الناسُ أَرضا

تَ سَماءً وَأَصبَحَ الناسُ أَرضا

you stood apart through excellence and loftiness, and so became

You attained superiority and sublimity

the sky, while the people became the earth.

And so you became the heavens and people the earth

وَأَرى المَجدَ بَينَ عارِفَةٍ مِن

وَأَرى المَجدَ بَينَ عارِفَةٍ مِن

كَ تُرَجّى وَعَزمَةٍ مِنكَ تُمضى

كَ تُرَجّى وَعَزمَةٍ مِنكَ تُمضى

And I see glory between a favor from

And I see glory amongst those who know you

you that is hoped for, and a resolve of yours carried through.

Hope in you, and resolve from you that fulfills.