سرَى طيفُها وهناً إليَّ فحيّاني

سرَى طيفُها وهناً إليَّ فحيّاني

فيا حبّذا طيفُ من السّقم أحياني

فيا حبّذا طيفُ من السّقم أحياني

Her phantom journeyed to me late at night and greeted me.

Her apparition passed gently, bringing me delight,

And oh, how welcome the phantom that revived me from sickness!

Oh, how I wish an apparition would sometimes revive me when I am sick.

بُعَيدَ السُّرى يَجتاب كلَّ تنوفةٍ

بُعَيدَ السُّرى يَجتاب كلَّ تنوفةٍ

ولم يثنه عَنْ قصدِ مغرمِه ثاني

ولم يثنه عَنْ قصدِ مغرمِه ثاني

Shortly after its night journey, it traverses every wilderness,

From afar, dreams come to me every night,

And none turned it aside from seeking its enamored lover.

And nothing could deter them from their longing.

أيا زائراً من بعد نأي وفرقةٍ

أيا زائراً من بعد نأي وفرقةٍ

وعاود النومُ أجفاني

وعاود النومُ أجفاني

O visitor after remoteness and separation,

O you, who came from afar after absence and separation,

And sleep returned to my eyelids.

And sleep returned to my eyes.

بعيشِك يا طيفَ الأحبّةِ قلْ لهم

بعيشِك يا طيفَ الأحبّةِ قلْ لهم

أما عطفةُ تُرجَى على المدنفِ العاني

أما عطفةُ تُرجَى على المدنفِ العاني

By your life, O phantom of my beloved ones, tell them:

By your life, tell those I love,

Is there no hope of compassion for this wasted captive?

Should any kindness be expected from one abandoned and distressed?

وهل ذاكري أحباب قلبي على النّوى

وهل ذاكري أحباب قلبي على النّوى

أم الحُلبّ أغرَى مَن أحبّ بنسياني

أم الحُلبّ أغرَى مَن أحبّ بنسياني

And do my heart's beloved ones remember me despite the distance,

Do those I love in my heart remember me when they drink?

Or has love enticed those I love to forget me?

Or has milk made them forget the one who loved them and wasted away?

على أنّ هذا الهجْر والصدّ منهمُ

على أنّ هذا الهجْر والصدّ منهمُ

لحالانِ في شرعِ الصبّابةِ حلوانِ

لحالانِ في شرعِ الصبّابةِ حلوانِ

Yet this abandonment and aversion from them

Yet this estrangement and indifference from them

Are indeed two sweet states under passion's law.

Is sweet between lovers - it is one of the laws of love.

وحرمة أيامِ الوصال التي قضتْ

وحرمة أيامِ الوصال التي قضتْ

وطيبِ ليَالينا بذي الرملِ والبانِ

وطيبِ ليَالينا بذي الرملِ والبانِ

And by the sanctity of the days of union that have passed,

And the sanctity of the days of union we spent

And the sweetness of our nights at the place of sand and ban trees,

And the goodness of our nights in sport and amusement.

لقد تلفت روحي اشتياقاً إليكُم

لقد تلفت روحي اشتياقاً إليكُم

وهاجتْ صبَاباتي إليكم وأحزاني

وهاجتْ صبَاباتي إليكم وأحزاني

My soul has indeed perished from longing for you,

My soul yearned so much to see all of you again

And my yearnings for you and my sorrows have surged.

And my youthful passion surged towards you and my sorrow.

وقد كدتُ أقضي بعدكم يا أحبّتي

وقد كدتُ أقضي بعدكم يا أحبّتي

ومن بَعْدِكم ما كان بالموت أحراني

ومن بَعْدِكم ما كان بالموت أحراني

And I nearly perished after you left, O my beloved ones,

After you left, my loved ones, I nearly died

And after you left, how deserving of death I was!

And after you, nothing made me cling to life.

وأغْيد كَالْغُصن الرّطيب إذا مشى

وأغْيد كَالْغُصن الرّطيب إذا مشى

من التّركِ فتّاكِ اللَّواحظ فتّانِ

من التّركِ فتّاكِ اللَّواحظ فتّانِ

And a graceful youth, like a fresh bough when he walks,

I complain like a fresh branch, when

One of the Turks, deadly in his glances, bewitching.

A ruthless separation shakes it - so very alluring.

يُرنّحهُ سكرُ الصَّبابةِ والصَّبا

يُرنّحهُ سكرُ الصَّبابةِ والصَّبا

كما رنَحَتْ ريحُ الصِّبا غُصُنَ البانِ

كما رنَحَتْ ريحُ الصِّبا غُصُنَ البانِ

The intoxication of passion and youth makes him sway,

The intoxication of youth and morning breeze make it swing

As the east wind swayed the ban-tree boughs.

As the morning breeze made the branches of the acacia tree swing.

كُلفتُ به كالبدرِ حلَّ بسعدِه

كُلفتُ به كالبدرِ حلَّ بسعدِه

وعاصيتُ فيه كلَّ من ظلَّ يَلْحانِي

وعاصيتُ فيه كلَّ من ظلَّ يَلْحانِي

I fell in love with him, like the full moon settled in its auspicious station,

I was associated with it like the full moon in its glory

And defied, for his sake, all who kept reproaching me.

And I disobeyed all who blamed me.

ولم أَنْس في نعمان يوماً جنيتَ مِنْ

ولم أَنْس في نعمان يوماً جنيتَ مِنْ

أزاهرِ خدّيهِ شقائق نعمانِ

أزاهرِ خدّيهِ شقائق نعمانِ

And I have not forgotten a day in Nu'man when you plucked from

And I never forgot, during the days of pleasure

The blossoms of his cheeks the anemones of Nu'man.

The red anemones I plucked from his rosy cheeks.

يقولونَ ما ألقاكَ في نارِ حُبّهِ

يقولونَ ما ألقاكَ في نارِ حُبّهِ

فقلتُ لَهمْ لا تعتبوا خدُّه الْقاني

فقلتُ لَهمْ لا تعتبوا خدُّه الْقاني

They say, "What cast you into the fire of his love?"

They said: “He did not make you fall into the fire of his love!”

So I told them, "Do not reproach me—it was his crimson cheek."

I said: “Do not blame him, his cheek misled me.”

دعوني وذنبي في هواهُ فخالُه

دعوني وذنبي في هواهُ فخالُه

إلى الحُب من طُور المحاسنِ نَادَاني

إلى الحُب من طُور المحاسنِ نَادَاني

Leave me to my sin in loving him; for his beauty spot

Leave me with my sin against him, his beauty

Called me to love from beauty's Mount Sinai.

Called me to love from the hill of perfections.

سأثني عناني نحوَهُ غير سامعٍ

سأثني عناني نحوَهُ غير سامعٍ

ملاماً وكيف الكفرُ من بعدِ إيمان

ملاماً وكيف الكفرُ من بعدِ إيمان

I shall turn my reins toward him, listening to no

I will rein in my desire towards him, though I hear

Reproach; how could disbelief come after faith?

Blame - how can blasphemy exist after faith?

ويا شرف الإسلام يا مَنْ صفاته

ويا شرف الإسلام يا مَنْ صفاته

الحميدة حقّاً ما اجتمعنَ لإنسانِ

الحميدة حقّاً ما اجتمعنَ لإنسانِ

And O Sharaf al-Islam, you whose qualities,

O glory of Islam, o you whom

Praiseworthy indeed, have never all gathered in one man.

True, praiseworthy qualities have gathered in no other human.

أتَتْني على بُعدٍ قصيدتك الّتي

أتَتْني على بُعدٍ قصيدتك الّتي

أقرَ لها قاصي البريّة والدَاني

أقرَ لها قاصي البريّة والدَاني

Your poem came to me from afar—the one

From afar came to me your poem

Whose worth people far and near acknowledged.

Acclaimed by the far and near.

بعثتَ بها حسناءَ يا خيرَ مُحسنٍ

بعثتَ بها حسناءَ يا خيرَ مُحسنٍ

فأطلَقْتُ جُهدي بين حسْنٍ وإحسانِ

فأطلَقْتُ جُهدي بين حسْنٍ وإحسانِ

You sent it as a beauty, O best of benefactors,

You sent it with a beauty, o best of benefactors

So I expended my utmost effort between beauty and kindness.

So I set my efforts between beauty and benevolence.

وأرسلتَها حوراء مَصْحوبة الرضى

وأرسلتَها حوراء مَصْحوبة الرضى

فَقُلتُ انظروها فَهْي من حُورِ رضوانِ

فَقُلتُ انظروها فَهْي من حُورِ رضوانِ

And you sent her, a dark-eyed beauty, attended by approval,

And you sent it with a houri accompanied by consent

So I said, "Look at her, for she is one of Ridwan's houris."

So I said “Behold her, she is one of the houris of Eden.”

كسرتَ قناة النّاصبين بها كما

كسرتَ قناة النّاصبين بها كما

رفعتَ بها يا بنَ الأكَارم من شاني

رفعتَ بها يا بنَ الأكَارم من شاني

With it you broke the enemies' spear, just as

With it you broke the channel of the haters

You raised my standing with it, O son of the noblest.

And with it, o son of honored ones, you raised my station.

فَمِن أينَ لي في أنْ أجاريك طاقةٌ

فَمِن أينَ لي في أنْ أجاريك طاقةٌ

وبحرك يَأْبَى أن يُقاسَ بغدراني

وبحرك يَأْبَى أن يُقاسَ بغدراني

From where, then, could I gain the strength to match you,

Whence do I have the capacity to compete with you

While your sea refuses to be measured against my pools?

While your sea refuses to be contained in my river?

ولكنّ من عجزٍ أقابلُ بالحَصَى

ولكنّ من عجزٍ أقابلُ بالحَصَى

قلائِدَ مِن درٍّ نظيم وعقيان

قلائِدَ مِن درٍّ نظيم وعقيان

Yet, in my helplessness, I offer pebbles in exchange for

But out of inability, I answer pearls

Necklaces of strung pearls and pure gold.

With pebbles, though strung and of good breed.

توصلتَ في مدحي إلى مدح ماجدٍ

توصلتَ في مدحي إلى مدح ماجدٍ

به افتخرتْ أَبنا معدٍّ وعدنانِ

به افتخرتْ أَبنا معدٍّ وعدنانِ

In praising me, you found your way to praising a noble man,

In praising me you reached the praise of Majid

In whom the sons of Ma'add and Adnan took pride.

By which the sons of Ma’add and Adnan prided themselves.

إمام الهدى رب النّدى واسع الجَدا

إمام الهدى رب النّدى واسع الجَدا

مُبيد العدى مُروي صَدى كلَّ عَطْشانِ

مُبيد العدى مُروي صَدى كلَّ عَطْشانِ

An imam of guidance, lord of generosity, lavish in giving,

The imam of guidance, the lord of munificence, generous,

Destroyer of foes, quencher of every thirsty one's thirst.

Destroyer of enmities, quencher of every thirsty one’s thirst.

فتىً حازَ شأو المكرُمَات بهمةٍ

فتىً حازَ شأو المكرُمَات بهمةٍ

تريه البعيدَ الصَّعبَ مُسْتَسْهلاً داني

تريه البعيدَ الصَّعبَ مُسْتَسْهلاً داني

A young man who attained the utmost in noble deeds, with a resolve

A youth who won the most high position by resolve

That shows him what is distant and hard as easy and near.

Which shows him the difficult, far goal as easy and close.

فمنْ كالحُسين السيّدِ النَّدب في الورى

فمنْ كالحُسين السيّدِ النَّدب في الورى

يشيد العُلَى والمجد من غير ما واني

يشيد العُلَى والمجد من غير ما واني

Who among humankind is like al-Husayn, the gallant lord,

For who is like Hussein the sayyid, the most wailed over among mankind?

Building eminence and glory without slackening?

He built the high edifices of glory and majesty without fatigue.

ولمّا شكوتَ الدهرَ يا خير ماجدٍ

ولمّا شكوتَ الدهرَ يا خير ماجدٍ

غدوتُ بقلْبٍ من همومي حَرّانِ

غدوتُ بقلْبٍ من همومي حَرّانِ

And when you complained of time, O best of noble men,

And when you complained of fate, o best of Majids,

I awoke with a heart burning from my cares.

My heart became fiery hot from my worries,

وبتُّ كأنّي ساورتني ضَئيلةٌ

وبتُّ كأنّي ساورتني ضَئيلةٌ

من الرقْش من أنْيابها السمّ يغشاني

من الرقْش من أنْيابها السمّ يغشاني

And I spent the night as though a slender serpent had assailed me,

And I remained as though a slight viper

Of the speckled kind, venom from its fangs enveloping me.

Whose venom overtakes me bit me with its fangs.

لَحا اللهُ دهراً حاربتكَ صروفُه

لَحا اللهُ دهراً حاربتكَ صروفُه

ومالَتْ بطغيانٍ عليكَ وعدوانِ

ومالَتْ بطغيانٍ عليكَ وعدوانِ

May God curse an age whose vicissitudes fought you,

May God bare a fate which attacked you with its caprices

And turned upon you with tyranny and aggression.

And inclined tyrannically and hostilely against you.

وأنت الذي شرفتَهُ ورفعتَهُ

وأنت الذي شرفتَهُ ورفعتَهُ

على أعصرٍ مرّتْ قديماً وأزمانِ

على أعصرٍ مرّتْ قديماً وأزمانِ

Yet you are the one who ennobled it and raised it

You who brought it honor and raised it up

Above ages long past and bygone times.

Above eras which passed in ancient times.

فمالَ ولو وفّاك ما تَسْتحقّهُ

فمالَ ولو وفّاك ما تَسْتحقّهُ

بنى لك بيتاً فوق هامة كيوانِ

بنى لك بيتاً فوق هامة كيوانِ

Yet it turned against you; had it given you what you deserve,

If only it had been loyal to what you deserve

It would have built you a house above Saturn's crown.

It would have built you a home above the summit of Mount Qaf.

فَلاَ تبتئِسْ وابشر فسعدك مقبلٌ

فَلاَ تبتئِسْ وابشر فسعدك مقبلٌ

سيأتيك ما تَهوَى وإنْ رغُمَ الشاني

سيأتيك ما تَهوَى وإنْ رغُمَ الشاني

So do not grieve; rejoice, for your good fortune is approaching.

So do not be disheartened and receive good news, for your luck is imminent,

What you desire will come to you, even though the hater be humbled.

What you wish will come to you even if the hostile are adverse.

وسوف ترى السَّبعَ الدَّراري مطيعةً

وسوف ترى السَّبعَ الدَّراري مطيعةً

لأمرك فيما تَشْتهي ذات إذعان

لأمرك فيما تَشْتهي ذات إذعان

And you will see the seven radiant stars obedient

And soon you will see the fierce lions submissive

To your command in whatever you desire, full of submission.

To your command in whatever you desire, fully obedient.

عليك سلامٌ مثلُ أخلاقك الّتي

عليك سلامٌ مثلُ أخلاقك الّتي

هِي الروضُ لاَ بل زهرُها غِبٍّ هتَّانِ

هِي الروضُ لاَ بل زهرُها غِبٍّ هتَّانِ

Peace be upon you, like your virtues, which

Peace be upon you, like your character which

Are a garden—no, rather its blossoms after pouring rain.

Is the meadow, no rather, its very blossoming flowers.