روحي مُذَلَّلَةٌ بِحُبِّ مُدَلَّلَه

روحي مُذَلَّلَةٌ بِحُبِّ مُدَلَّلَه

أَفلا تَرِقُّ مُعِزَّةٌ لِمُذَلَّلَه

أَفلا تَرِقُّ مُعِزَّةٌ لِمُذَلَّلَه

My soul is humbled by love for a pampered woman.

My soul is humbled by love of the pampered one,

Will she who exalts not pity a humbled soul?

Will the gentle one not have pity on the humbled one?

إِن أَقبَلَت قَتَلَت وَإِن وَلت سَبت

إِن أَقبَلَت قَتَلَت وَإِن وَلت سَبت

بِأَبي الموَلِّيَةِ القَوام المُقبِلَه

بِأَبي الموَلِّيَةِ القَوام المُقبِلَه

If she approaches, she kills; if she turns away, she takes me captive.

If she turns to me she kills me, if she leaves I pine,

My father be her ransom—she turns her figure away as she approaches.

By the patron of the protected, the erect guardian.

أَنا في هَواها لَم أَزَل مُتَبَتِّلاً

أَنا في هَواها لَم أَزَل مُتَبَتِّلاً

بِهَوى الَّتي لإِهانَتي مُتَبَتِّلَه

بِهَوى الَّتي لإِهانَتي مُتَبَتِّلَه

In my love for her, I have ever remained wholly devoted

In her love I have not ceased being afflicted,

to loving her who is wholly devoted to humiliating me.

By the love of she who debases me, the humbler.

عِندي مِنَ الوَجدِ المُدَلِّهِ وَالوَلَه

عِندي مِنَ الوَجدِ المُدَلِّهِ وَالوَلَه

عِندَ المَلامَةِ في هَواها وَلوَلَه

عِندَ المَلامَةِ في هَواها وَلوَلَه

From maddening passion and lovesick distraction, I have

With me is intoxication and infatuation,

a wailing cry whenever I am reproached for loving her.

In her love, even if blamed and reproached.

عَن قَوسِ حاجِبِها رَمَت لَمّا رَنَت

عَن قَوسِ حاجِبِها رَمَت لَمّا رَنَت

قَلبي بِلَحظٍ سَهمُهُ ما أَقتَلَه

قَلبي بِلَحظٍ سَهمُهُ ما أَقتَلَه

When she gazed, she shot from the bow of her eyebrow

From the bow of her eyebrow she shot when she glanced,

at my heart with a glance—how deadly its arrow!

At my heart with a look, how fatal her arrow!

رَيّا المخَلخَلِ فَعمَةُ الأَردافِ مِث

رَيّا المخَلخَلِ فَعمَةُ الأَردافِ مِث

لُ الخوطِ جَمَّشَهُ النسيمُ فَمَيَّلَه

لُ الخوطِ جَمَّشَهُ النسيمُ فَمَيَّلَه

Full-fleshed at the anklet, ample of hips, like

Her buttocks are like the undulating sand dune,

a slender shoot the breeze caressed and made to sway.

Swayed by the breeze, its ridges in waves.

ضَمِنَت لَها اللَّحَظاتُ أَلّا تَنتَحي

ضَمِنَت لَها اللَّحَظاتُ أَلّا تَنتَحي

أَحَداً بِها إِلّا أَصابَت مَقتَلَه

أَحَداً بِها إِلّا أَصابَت مَقتَلَه

Her glances guaranteed her that she would never aim

Her glances promised none shall escape her,

at anyone with them without striking his vital spot.

Except her glance strikes him down slain.

قُلتُ اِقتُليني أَستَرِح مِن لَوعَةٍ

قُلتُ اِقتُليني أَستَرِح مِن لَوعَةٍ

بِعَذابِ نَفسٍ بِالغَرامِ مُوَكَّلَه

بِعَذابِ نَفسٍ بِالغَرامِ مُوَكَّلَه

I said, 'Kill me, that I may find relief from anguish

I said, “Kill me and ease me of the agony,

caused by the torment of a soul bound to passion.'

Of a soul charged with love gone mad.”

قالَت عَذابُكَ قَبلَ قَتلِكَ بُغيَتي

قالَت عَذابُكَ قَبلَ قَتلِكَ بُغيَتي

عَمداً وَقَتلُكَ سُرعَةً ما أَسهَلَه

عَمداً وَقَتلُكَ سُرعَةً ما أَسهَلَه

She said, 'Tormenting you before killing you is my desire,

She said, “Your torment before your murder is my desire.

deliberately; killing you swiftly—how easy it is!'

To kill you hastily, how simple that would be!”

فَطِنَت لِحُكمِ الجَورِ فِطنَةَ سَيِّدِ ال

فَطِنَت لِحُكمِ الجَورِ فِطنَةَ سَيِّدِ ال

وُزَراءِ لِلحُكمِ الَّذي ما أَعدَلَه

وُزَراءِ لِلحُكمِ الَّذي ما أَعدَلَه

She grasped unjust judgment as keenly as the chief of the

She understood the edict of injustice, with the cunning

ministers grasps judgment—how just he is!

Of the chief minister, made equitable by none.

فَبِلَحظَةٍ مِنهُ تَعودُ عُفاتُهُ

فَبِلَحظَةٍ مِنهُ تَعودُ عُفاتُهُ

عَنهُ مُؤَمّلَةَ النَوالِ مُمَوَّلَه

عَنهُ مُؤَمّلَةَ النَوالِ مُمَوَّلَه

With a glance from him, his petitioners return

With a glance from her chastity returns to him,

from him, hoping for bounty, endowed with wealth.

Hopeful of gifts, answers to prayers.

وَإِلى صَفِيِّ الدينِ اِستَعدي عَلى

وَإِلى صَفِيِّ الدينِ اِستَعدي عَلى

زَمَنٍ عَلَيَّ عَلا فَأَلقى كَلكَلَه

زَمَنٍ عَلَيَّ عَلا فَأَلقى كَلكَلَه

And to Safi al-Din I appeal for redress against

And to the sincere protector seek help,

Time, which rose above me and laid its chest upon me.

Against a time heavy upon me casting its chains.

قَد أَصحَبَت لِلصاحِبِ بنِ عَلِيّ ال

قَد أَصحَبَت لِلصاحِبِ بنِ عَلِيّ ال

دُنيا فَلَو جَمَحَت عَفَتها الزَلزَلَه

دُنيا فَلَو جَمَحَت عَفَتها الزَلزَلَه

To al-Sahib ibn Ali has submitted the

She kept company with the companion Ibn Ali

world; were it to run wild, an earthquake would efface it.

So if the earth itself shook, her chastity stood firm.

وَأَنا المُؤَمِّلُ مِن إِلَهي فَضلَهُ

وَأَنا المُؤَمِّلُ مِن إِلَهي فَضلَهُ

فَهوَ الَّذي ما خابَ عَبدٌ أَمَّلَه

فَهوَ الَّذي ما خابَ عَبدٌ أَمَّلَه

And I look to my God for His bounty;

And I put my hope in my God, His grace,

for He is the One in whom no servant has hoped in vain.

He who no servant has hoped in Him in vain.

لِلَهِ في القاضي الوَزيرِ سَريرَةٌ

لِلَهِ في القاضي الوَزيرِ سَريرَةٌ

مِنها تَبَوَّأَ مِنهُ أَعلى مَنزِلَه

مِنها تَبَوَّأَ مِنهُ أَعلى مَنزِلَه

God has a secret within the judge-minister,

In the judge, the minister, is a secret,

through which he has attained, from Him, the highest station.

By it he attained the highest station from Him.

وَإِذا المَواهِبُ من سِواهُ أُجِّلَت

وَإِذا المَواهِبُ من سِواهُ أُجِّلَت

جاءَت مَواهِبُهُ الغِرارُ مُعَجَّلَه

جاءَت مَواهِبُهُ الغِرارُ مُعَجَّلَه

And when gifts from anyone else are delayed,

And when gifts from others are delayed,

his splendid gifts arrive promptly.

His gifts come rushing, hastened.

لا يَعدَمُ الإِسلامُ يَوماً طولَهُ

لا يَعدَمُ الإِسلامُ يَوماً طولَهُ

بِالمَكرُماتِ وَطولَهُ وَتَطَوُّلَه

بِالمَكرُماتِ وَطولَهُ وَتَطَوُّلَه

May Islam never, for a day, lack his bounty

Never a day passes but by his generous deeds,

in noble deeds, his stature, and his gracious giving.

By them its length is great, and greater still.