وَسَمَ الربيعُ بزعمه ذات الأضا

وَسَمَ الربيعُ بزعمه ذات الأضا

كَذِب الربيعُ فذاك دمعي روَّضا

كَذِب الربيعُ فذاك دمعي روَّضا

Spring claims to have left its mark on Dhat al-Ada;

Spring boasted of beauty, but spring has lied

Spring lies: it was my tears that made it a meadow.

That is but my tear it has beautified

وقف السحابُ بها معيَ لكنَّما

وقف السحابُ بها معيَ لكنَّما

دمعي استهلَّ وإنَّما هو أومضا

دمعي استهلَّ وإنَّما هو أومضا

The cloud stood there with me, but

The clouds stood by it with me, but my tear

my tears poured down, while it merely flashed.

Precipitated while spring's was brief

بكَرَ الخليطُ عن الديار فلم أزل

بكَرَ الخليطُ عن الديار فلم أزل

أدعوه إذ هو واصطباري قوَّضا

أدعوه إذ هو واصطباري قوَّضا

The company left the dwellings early, and I kept

The caravan departed early from the abode

calling to them, as they and my patience both struck camp.

I bid it farewell as it and my patience crumbled

يا راحلاً عن ناظريَّ لمُهجتي

يا راحلاً عن ناظريَّ لمُهجتي

أزمعتَ من سفحِ العقيق إلى الغَضا

أزمعتَ من سفحِ العقيق إلى الغَضا

O you departing from my eyes to my heart,

O you who departed from my sight, my innermost being

you resolved to go from al-Aqiq's slope to al-Ghada.

Do you intend to travel from ruby mountain to barren land?

الآن أبناءُ الرجاء غدا السَّرى

الآن أبناءُ الرجاء غدا السَّرى

لهم يُحبُّ وكان قبلُ مبغَّضا

لهم يُحبُّ وكان قبلُ مبغَّضا

Now, for the sons of hope, night travel has become

Now the children of hope, tomorrow the elite

dear to them, though before it was hated.

They are loved though once they were hated

من حيث لم يستقبلوا في مَطلبٍ

من حيث لم يستقبلوا في مَطلبٍ

وجهَ النجاح هناك إلاَّ أعرضا

وجهَ النجاح هناك إلاَّ أعرضا

For never, in any quest, did they encounter

From where they did not face in their pursuit

the face of success there without its turning away.

The face of success save being aloof

حلف الزمانُ بأَن يديمَ مطالَهُ

حلف الزمانُ بأَن يديمَ مطالَهُ

حتَّى لدى الحسن المكارم تُقتضى

حتَّى لدى الحسن المكارم تُقتضى

Time has sworn to prolong its delay in paying,

Time has sworn to prolong its ordeal

until noble gifts are claimed in al-Hasan's presence.

Until merits are attained by the virtuous

وصلوا السهولَ من الحزونِ وإنَّما

وصلوا السهولَ من الحزونِ وإنَّما

قطعوا الفضاءَ لخير من ضمَّ الفضا

قطعوا الفضاءَ لخير من ضمَّ الفضا

They reached the plains from rugged ground, and only

They reached the plains from the saddened and only

crossed the expanse for the best of those it embraces.

Traversed the horizon for one better than a world in grasp

لبسوا له ليلَ المطامعِ أسوداً

لبسوا له ليلَ المطامعِ أسوداً

وبه اجتلوا صُبح المكارمِ أبيضا

وبه اجتلوا صُبح المكارمِ أبيضا

For him they donned the black night of longing,

For him they wore the night of ambitions darkened

and through him beheld the white dawn of noble bounty.

And with it they replaced the dawn of merits whitened

فرأوا أغرَّ يكاد يقطُر بشرُه

فرأوا أغرَّ يكاد يقطُر بشرُه

ماءً له اهتزَّ الربيعُ وروَّضا

ماءً له اهتزَّ الربيعُ وروَّضا

So they saw a radiant man whose cheerful face almost drips

So they saw a young man whose cheer nearly drips

water, at which spring stirred and made meadows grow,

Water for which spring was astir and beautified

وفتىً له الشرفُ الرفيعُ بأسرهِ

وفتىً له الشرفُ الرفيعُ بأسرهِ

ألقى مقاليدَ السماحِ وفوَّضا

ألقى مقاليدَ السماحِ وفوَّضا

and a youth to whom exalted honor, in its entirety,

And a youth to whom high honor entirely

handed the keys of generosity and entrusted

Relinquished the reins of generosity and empowered

أعباءُ مجدٍ لو تكلَّف ثقلَها

أعباءُ مجدٍ لو تكلَّف ثقلَها

حتَّى يلملمُ لم يُطق أن ينهضا

حتَّى يلملمُ لم يُطق أن ينهضا

burdens of glory whose weight, if shouldered

Burdens of glory, were he to bear its weight

even by Yalamlam, would leave it unable to rise.

Would not be endured even were he to persevere