أَنافِعي عِندَ لَيلى فَرطُ حُبّيها

أَنافِعي عِندَ لَيلى فَرطُ حُبّيها

وَلَوعَةٌ لِيَ أُبديها وَأُخفيها

وَلَوعَةٌ لِيَ أُبديها وَأُخفيها

Will my overwhelming love for her avail me with Layla,

My benefits with Layla are excessive love for her,

And my burning anguish, which I reveal and conceal?

And an agony that I keep to myself and reveal.

أَم لا تُقارِبُ لَيلى مَن يُقارِبُها

أَم لا تُقارِبُ لَيلى مَن يُقارِبُها

وَلا تُداني بِوَصلٍ مَن يُدانيها

وَلا تُداني بِوَصلٍ مَن يُدانيها

Or does Layla not approach whoever approaches her,

Does Layla not come near those who come near her?

Nor draw close in union to whoever draws close to her?

Nor is intimate with a union to those intimate with her?

بَيضاءُ أَوقَدَ خَدَّيها الصِبا وَسَقى

بَيضاءُ أَوقَدَ خَدَّيها الصِبا وَسَقى

أَجفانَها مِن مُدامِ الراحِ ساقيها

أَجفانَها مِن مُدامِ الراحِ ساقيها

Fair-skinned: youth has kindled her cheeks, and watered

White, whose cheeks the zephyr kindled, and her eyelids

Are her eyelids with vintage wine by her cupbearer.

Were watered from the overflowing cup of the spring rain,

في حُمرَةِ الوَردِ شَكلٌ مِن تَلَهُّبِها

في حُمرَةِ الوَردِ شَكلٌ مِن تَلَهُّبِها

وَلِلقَضيبِ نَصيبٌ مِن تَثَنّيها

وَلِلقَضيبِ نَصيبٌ مِن تَثَنّيها

In the rose's redness is a likeness of her fiery glow,

In the redness of roses a shape from their flaming,

And the slender bough has a share of her swaying.

And for the branch is a share from its bending.

قَد أَيقَنَت أَنَّني لَم أُرضِ كاشِحَها

قَد أَيقَنَت أَنَّني لَم أُرضِ كاشِحَها

فيها وَلَم أَستَمِع مِن قَولِ واشيها

فيها وَلَم أَستَمِع مِن قَولِ واشيها

She is certain that I have not gratified her ill-wisher

She realized I did not please her ardent admirer,

Where she is concerned, nor heeded her slanderer's words.

Nor did I listen to the words of her talebearer.

وَيَومَ جَدَّ بِنا عَنها الرَحيلُ عَلى

وَيَومَ جَدَّ بِنا عَنها الرَحيلُ عَلى

صَبابَةٍ وَحَدا الأَظعانَ حاديها

صَبابَةٍ وَحَدا الأَظعانَ حاديها

And on the day departure from her became urgent for us, amid

And the day departure from her was inevitable for us

Passionate longing, and their driver sang the camel-litters onward,

On yearning, while loneliness guided its guide,

قامَت تُوَدِّعُني عَجلى وَقَد بَدَرَت

قامَت تُوَدِّعُني عَجلى وَقَد بَدَرَت

سَوابِقٌ مِن تُؤامِ الدَمعِ تُجريها

سَوابِقٌ مِن تُؤامِ الدَمعِ تُجريها

She rose to bid me farewell in haste, and already there had burst forth

She stood to bid me farewell hastily, and there flowed

The first drops of twin tears she let flow.

Advanced tears from the meeting of her weeping,

وَاِستَنكَرَت ظَعَني عَنها فَقُلتُ لَها

وَاِستَنكَرَت ظَعَني عَنها فَقُلتُ لَها

إِلى الخَليفَةِ أَمضى العيسَ مُمضيها

إِلى الخَليفَةِ أَمضى العيسَ مُمضيها

She found my departure from her strange, so I said to her:

And she disapproved my turning away from her, so I said:

Toward the Caliph their driver urged the pale camels onward;

I head to the Caliph, may he fulfill his promise,

إِلى إِمامٍ لَهُ ما كانَ مِن شَرَفٍ

إِلى إِمامٍ لَهُ ما كانَ مِن شَرَفٍ

يُعَدُّ في سالِفِ الدُنيا وَباقيها

يُعَدُّ في سالِفِ الدُنيا وَباقيها

Toward an imam to whom belongs every honor

To an Imam, his nobility of ancient and remaining

Reckoned in the world's past and future.

Glory is unmatched,

خَليفَةَ اللَهِ ما لِلمَجدِ مُنصَرَفٌ

خَليفَةَ اللَهِ ما لِلمَجدِ مُنصَرَفٌ

إِلّا إِلى أَنعُمٍ أَصبَحتَ توليها

إِلّا إِلى أَنعُمٍ أَصبَحتَ توليها

O Caliph of God, glory has nowhere to turn

O Caliph of God, glory is not sought

Except toward the favors you have come to bestow.

Except through your graces that began to tend to it.

فَلا فَضيلَةَ إِلّا أَنتَ لابِسُها

فَلا فَضيلَةَ إِلّا أَنتَ لابِسُها

وَلا رَعِيَّةَ إِلّا أَنتَ راعيها

وَلا رَعِيَّةَ إِلّا أَنتَ راعيها

Thus no virtue exists but you are clothed in it,

So no merit unless you are its wearer,

And no subjects exist but you are their shepherd.

No flock unless you are its shepherd.

مُلكٌ كَمُلكِ سُلَيمانَ الَّذي خَضَعَت

مُلكٌ كَمُلكِ سُلَيمانَ الَّذي خَضَعَت

لَهُ البَرِيَّةُ قاصيها وَدانيها

لَهُ البَرِيَّةُ قاصيها وَدانيها

A dominion like Solomon's dominion, before whom bowed

A kingdom like Solomon's, to whom wilderness to horizon

All creation, its farthest and its nearest.

And nearby submitted,

وَزُلفَةٌ لَكَ عِندَ اللَهِ تُظهِرُها

وَزُلفَةٌ لَكَ عِندَ اللَهِ تُظهِرُها

لَنا بِبُرهانِ ما تَأتي وَتُبديها

لَنا بِبُرهانِ ما تَأتي وَتُبديها

And your nearness to God, which you reveal

And proximity for you from God that reveals it

To us through the proof of your deeds and make manifest.

To us with proof however it comes and initiates.

لَمّا تَعَبَّدَ مَحلُ الأَرضِ وَاِحتَبَسَت

لَمّا تَعَبَّدَ مَحلُ الأَرضِ وَاِحتَبَسَت

عَنّا السَحائِبُ حَتّى ما نُرَجّيها

عَنّا السَحائِبُ حَتّى ما نُرَجّيها

When the earth's drought held us in bondage, and withheld

When the land's people worshipped and the clouds

From us were the clouds, until we no longer hoped for them,

Withheld from us until we lost hope for it,

وَقُمتَ مُستَسقِياً لِلمُسلِمينَ جَرَت

وَقُمتَ مُستَسقِياً لِلمُسلِمينَ جَرَت

غُرُّ الغَمامِ وَحَلَّت مِن عَزاليها

غُرُّ الغَمامِ وَحَلَّت مِن عَزاليها

And you rose to pray for rain for the Muslims, there coursed

And you stood imploring rain for the Muslims, down poured

The bright clouds, letting rain loose from their waterspouts.

The deluge of clouds and dripped from its isolation.

فَلا غَمامَةَ إِلّا اِنَهَلَّ وابِلُها

فَلا غَمامَةَ إِلّا اِنَهَلَّ وابِلُها

وَلا قَرارَةَ إِلّا سالَ واديها

وَلا قَرارَةَ إِلّا سالَ واديها

No cloud, then, but its downpour streamed,

So no cloud unless its rain poured down,

And no hollow but its valley ran with water.

No meadow unless its valley streamed.

وَطاعَةُ الوَحشِ إِذ جاءَتكَ مِن خَرِقٍ

وَطاعَةُ الوَحشِ إِذ جاءَتكَ مِن خَرِقٍ

أَحوى وَأُدمانَةٍ كُحلٍ مَآقيها

أَحوى وَأُدمانَةٍ كُحلٍ مَآقيها

And the obedience of wild beasts, when they came to you, including a frightened buck,

The beasts' obedience when they came to you from crevices,

Dark-marked, and a pale doe with kohl-dark eye corners,

Gazelles and wild goats of kohl-dark eyes,

كَالكاعِبِ الرودِ يَخفى في تَرائِبِها

كَالكاعِبِ الرودِ يَخفى في تَرائِبِها

رَدعُ العَبيرِ وَيَبدو في تَراقيها

رَدعُ العَبيرِ وَيَبدو في تَراقيها

Like a tender, budding-breasted maiden: hidden upon her breast

Like the perfumed herd that hides in its burrows

Is the stain of perfume, yet visible upon her collarbones.

The wafting of fragrance, and shows in its loftiness.

أَلفانِ جاءَت عَلى قَدرٍ مُسارِعَةٍ

أَلفانِ جاءَت عَلى قَدرٍ مُسارِعَةٍ

إِلى قَبولِ الَّذي حاوَلتَهُ فيها

إِلى قَبولِ الَّذي حاوَلتَهُ فيها

Two thousand came, as ordained, hastening

Thousands came in haste

To accept what you had intended for them.

To accept what you attempted with it.

إِن سِرتَ سارَت وَإِن وَقَّفتَها وَقَفَت

إِن سِرتَ سارَت وَإِن وَقَّفتَها وَقَفَت

صوراً إِلَيكَ بِأَلحاظٍ تُواليها

صوراً إِلَيكَ بِأَلحاظٍ تُواليها

If you traveled, they traveled; if you halted them, they halted,

If you walked it walked, if you stopped it stopped,

Necks turned toward you, with glances they cast in succession.

Forms to you with glances that followed it.

يَرِعنَ مِنكَ إِلى وَجهٍ يَرَينَ لَهُ

يَرِعنَ مِنكَ إِلى وَجهٍ يَرَينَ لَهُ

جَلالَةً يُكثِرُ التَسبيحَ رائيها

جَلالَةً يُكثِرُ التَسبيحَ رائيها

They turn back toward your face, in which they see

It calms to you to a face it sees for it

A majesty whose beholder glorifies God again and again.

Solemnity that increases its glorification of its Seer.

حَتّى قَطَعتَ بِها القاطولَ وَاِفتَرَقَت

حَتّى قَطَعتَ بِها القاطولَ وَاِفتَرَقَت

بِالحَيرِ في عَرصَةٍ فيحٍ نَواحيها

بِالحَيرِ في عَرصَةٍ فيحٍ نَواحيها

Until you crossed al-Qatul with them, and they scattered

Until you crossed the isthmus and separated

At al-Hayr, in an open expanse broad on every side.

In confusion in a wide desert plain.

فَنَهرُ نَيزَكَ وِردٌ مِن مَوارِدِها

فَنَهرُ نَيزَكَ وِردٌ مِن مَوارِدِها

وَساحَةُ التَلِّ مُغنىً مِن مَغانيها

وَساحَةُ التَلِّ مُغنىً مِن مَغانيها

Thus the River Nayzak is one of their watering places,

So the river of Nayzak a stream from its streams,

And the hill's open ground is a haunt among their haunts.

And the plain of Tell an abundance from its abundances.

لَولا الَّذي عَرَفَتهُ فيكَ يَومَإِذٍ

لَولا الَّذي عَرَفَتهُ فيكَ يَومَإِذٍ

لَما أَطاعَكَ وَسطَ البيدِ عاصيها

لَما أَطاعَكَ وَسطَ البيدِ عاصيها

Had it not been for what they recognized in you that day,

If not for what I knew of you that day when

Their unruly ones would not have obeyed you amid the deserts.

Even amid the desert waste its rebel obeyed you,

فَضلانِ حُزتَهُما ضونَ المُلوكِ وَلَم

فَضلانِ حُزتَهُما ضونَ المُلوكِ وَلَم

تُظهِر بِنَيلِهِما كِبراً وَلا تيها

تُظهِر بِنَيلِهِما كِبراً وَلا تيها

Two distinctions you alone among kings have won, yet have not

I would not have obeyed you among the kings, and you did not

Shown arrogance or conceit in attaining them.

Reveal through gaining them arrogance or misguidance.