أبكاهُmade him weep شيبُgray hair الرأسِof the head لماwhen ابتسمْit smiled
أبكاهُ شيبُ الرأسِ لما ابتسمْ
وعادَهُand visited him فيin السقمillness طيفٌa phantom ألَمّcame visiting
وعادَهُ في السقم طيفٌ ألَمّ
His head's gray hair made him weep when it smiled.
My hoary head made me weep when it smiled,
And in his illness a phantom came to visit him,
And my phantom pain returned when I fell ill,
منof غادةٍa lovely maiden فيin وصلbridging هجرانهاher estrangement
من غادةٍ في وصل هجرانها
يَقْنَعُhe is content منهاfrom her بوصالِwith union in الحُلُمdreams
يَقْنَعُ منها بوصالِ الحُلُم
Of a lovely maiden; in bridging her estrangement,
Of a love lost in her abandonment,
He is content with union with her in dreams.
He contents himself with her love in dreams,
صَوّرَfashioned منهاof her شَوْقُهُhis longing صورةًan image
صَوّرَ منها شَوْقُهُ صورةً
فيin فكرةٍa thought ساهرةٍwakeful لمdid not تَنَمsleep
في فكرةٍ ساهرةٍ لم تَنَم
His longing fashioned an image of her
His yearning pictured her image
In a wakeful thought that did not sleep.
In a wakeful thought that did not sleep,
فالقلبُso the heart يُذكيstokes جذوةًan ember تلتظيthat blazes
فالقلبُ يُذكي جذوةً تلتظي
والعينُand the eye تُذْريsheds عَبْرَةًa tear تنسجمthat streams
والعينُ تُذْري عَبْرَةً تنسجم
So his heart stokes a blazing ember,
So the heart rekindles an ember that flares,
And his eye sheds a streaming tear.
And the eye sheds copious tears that harmonize,
غيداءُa graceful maiden تاجُthe crown الحسنِof beauty منof غيرهاanyone other than her
غيداءُ تاجُ الحسنِ من غيرها
يُضحيbecomes لديهاin her presence وهوwhile it is نَعْلُa shoe القدمfor the foot
يُضحي لديها وهو نَعْلُ القدم
A graceful beauty: another's crown of beauty
Radiant Ghidaa is the crown of beauty without equal,
Becomes before her a mere shoe upon the foot.
For her he sacrifices though he is but a slipper’s strap,
أثمرَbore fruit بالرّمّانwith pomegranates منfrom قَدّهاher figure
أثمرَ بالرّمّان من قَدّها
غضْنٌa branch (apparently intended) ومنand from أطرَافهاher fingertips بالعَنَمwith red ʿanam fruit
غضْنٌ ومن أطرَافها بالعَنَم
Her figure has borne pomegranates—
Her stature produced a sprout in pomegranate,
A branch—and her fingertips, red ʿanam fruit.
And from her limbs a tendril in grapes,
لمياءُdark-lipped تبديreveals الدّرpearls منfrom أشْنَبٍa cool, bright-toothed mouth
لمياءُ تبدي الدّر من أشْنَبٍ
يحرقburns بالأنوارwith radiance جُنْحَthe wing of الظُّلَمdarkness
يحرق بالأنوار جُنْحَ الظُّلَم
Dark-lipped, she reveals pearls from a cool, bright mouth
The brilliance of Lamiya reveals pearls from anklets,
That burns the wing of darkness with its radiance.
That burn with lights the wings of darkness,
يُبْرِدُcools حرّthe heat of الشوْقlonging ترشافُهُsipping from it
يُبْرِدُ حرّ الشوْق ترشافُهُ
عنكَaway from you بمعسولِwith the honey-sweetness of الثناياthe front teeth شَبمcool
عنكَ بمعسولِ الثنايا شَبم
Sipping from it cools the heat of longing
The chill of longing is cooled by her saliva’s sweetness,
For you—a cool mouth with honey-sweet front teeth.
It calls you to it with a mark and scent,
كأنّماas though برقٌlightning ومسكٌand musk بهwithin it
كأنّما برقٌ ومسكٌ به
إليهtoward it يدعوكcalls you بِشَيمٍby watching lightning وَشمّand smelling
إليه يدعوك بِشَيمٍ وَشمّ
As though lightning and musk within it
The dawn in its rise defeats,
Called you toward it, to watch and breathe the scent.
And the night in its setting is defeated,
والصبحُand dawn فيat مشرقهits rising place هازمٌvictorious
والصبحُ في مشرقه هازمٌ
والليلُand night فيat مغربهits setting place منهزمdefeated
والليلُ في مغربه منهزم
And dawn is victorious at its rising,
I see people’s differing mad for hunting,
And night is defeated at its setting.
Some Arabic and some Persian,
أرىI see اختلافَdisagreement الناسof people دانواthey adhered بهto it
أرى اختلافَ الناس دانوا به
فيconcerning صيدِnoble lords عُرْبٍArabs منهمamong them أوor عجمnon-Arabs
في صيدِ عُرْبٍ منهم أو عجم
I see people embrace disagreement
And Ali's son Hassan a lord and master,
Over their noble lords, whether Arab or non-Arab.
Without contention amongst all nations,
وابنُand the son of عليّAli حسنٌHasan سيّدٌa lord
وابنُ عليّ حسنٌ سيّدٌ
بلاwithout خلافٍdisagreement فيamong جميعall الأممnations
بلا خلافٍ في جميع الأمم
And Hasan, son of Ali, is a lord
Empowered in his grip a bare blade,
Without dispute among all nations.
With it he bolstered the faith of guidance and took refuge,
مُملَّكٌa sovereign فيin كفّهhis palm صارمa keen sword
مُملَّكٌ في كفّه صارم
عزّgrew mighty بهthrough it دينُthe faith الهدىof guidance واعتصمand held firm
عزّ به دينُ الهدى واعتصم
A sovereign, with a keen sword in his palm,
From his palm he disperses benevolence,
Through which the faith of guidance grew mighty and secure.
And thereby maintains composed unity,
مُبَدِّدُdispensing المعروفbounty منfrom كفّهhis hand
مُبَدِّدُ المعروف من كفّه
وللعلىand for glory شملٌa company بهthrough him منتظمunited
وللعلى شملٌ به منتظم
Scattering bounty from his hand,
When he says “yes” the executor is generous, so rejoice at the attainment of bounty,
While through him the company of glory stands united.
And discerning of limits when asked,
مُنفّذُan enforcer of الأمرِcommands كريمٌgenerous إذاwhen
مُنفّذُ الأمرِ كريمٌ إذا
قالَhe said نعمyes فابْشِرْso rejoice بنيلِin attaining النّعمblessings
قالَ نعم فابْشِرْ بنيلِ النّعم
An enforcer of commands, generous—when
He surges towards striking the hills and flames,
He says yes, rejoice in receiving bounty.
With it he seizes the zebra's head plucking,
وَمُرْهَفِand keen of الحدّedge إذاwhen سَلّهُhe draws it
وَمُرْهَفِ الحدّ إذا سَلّهُ
سالflowed إلىtoward ضربstriking الطلىnecks واضطرمand blazed
سال إلى ضرب الطلى واضطرم
And a blade keen of edge—when he draws it,
As the omission of the soft letter conclusively,
It flows toward striking necks and bursts into flame.
He maneuvers the spear along its length,
يخطفُsnatches رأسَthe head of الذِّمْرِthe champion قطفاًwith a pluck بهwith it
يخطفُ رأسَ الذِّمْرِ قطفاً به
كَحذفِlike deleting حرفa letter اللينof weakness جزماًin the jussive بلمwith lam ('did not')
كَحذفِ حرف اللين جزماً بلم
With it he snatches the champion's head, plucking it off,
As if it were a pen being maneuvered,
Like a weak letter dropped in the jussive after 'lam.'
If he threatens death with his hands,
يصرّفُwields الرمحَthe spear علىdespite طولهits length
يصرّفُ الرمحَ على طوله
كأنّماas though صُرّفَwere wielded منهfrom him قلمa pen
كأنّما صُرّفَ منه قلم
He wields the spear, despite its length,
The full moon hides from him in the darkness,
As though it were a pen he wielded.
With it those lost in their night are guided,
لئنif indeed همىpoured منfrom راحتيهhis two palms الحياlife-giving rain
لئن همى من راحتيه الحيا
فالبدرُthen the full moon منهfrom him يحتَبيwraps itself بالديمin steady rains
فالبدرُ منه يحتَبي بالديم
If life-giving rain pours from his palms,
The fire brandishing the torch’s head kindled,
Then the full moon wraps itself in steady rains from him.
Hopes kiss his hand,
يُهْدَىone is guided بهby him ضَلّlost his way فيin ليلهhis night
يُهْدَى به ضَلّ في ليله
تَوَقُّدَthe blazing of النارِfire برأسِat the summit of العلمthe mountain
تَوَقُّدَ النارِ برأسِ العلم
Through him, one lost in the night is guided,
Which for all mouths is outstretched,
As by a blazing fire atop a mountain.
With Allah he is victorious in his war,
تُقَبِّلُkiss الآمالُhopes منهof his يداًa hand
تُقَبِّلُ الآمالُ منه يداً
فهيfor it لأفواهfor the mouths of الوَرَىhumankind مُستَلَمa place to kiss
فهي لأفواه الوَرَى مُستَلَم
Hopes kiss a hand of his,
From his enemies, the avenger for Allah,
For it is a place for the mouths of humankind to kiss.
In his spacious abode is the heaven of highness,
منتصرٌvictorious باللّهthrough God فيin حربهhis warfare
منتصرٌ باللّه في حربه
للّهfor God منon أعدائهhis enemies منتقمtaking vengeance
للّه من أعدائه منتقم
Victorious through God in his warfare,
Rising stars of ambitions,
Taking vengeance on his enemies for God.
How many blows his sword landed,
فيin رَبْعِهِhis abode الرحبِspacious سماءُthe heaven العلىof glory
في رَبْعِهِ الرحبِ سماءُ العلى
طوالعٌrising فيهاwithin it نجومُthe stars الهممof high resolve
طوالعٌ فيها نجومُ الهمم
In his spacious abode is the heaven of glory,
It is an eloquent tongue and they a mouth,
Where the stars of high resolve are rising.
The steeds of turmoil trot around him,
كمhow many ضربةٍa wound أوسعهاwidened it سيفُهُhis sword
كم ضربةٍ أوسعها سيفُهُ
فهوfor it لسانٌa tongue ناطقٌspeaking وهيand it فمa mouth
فهو لسانٌ ناطقٌ وهي فم
How many a wound his sword has widened!
Stallions black as the darkest night,
For it is a speaking tongue, and the wound a mouth.
O you whom we found generosity in your expenditure,
تعدوrace سرَاحينُwolves الوَغَىof battle حَوْلَهُaround him
تعدو سرَاحينُ الوَغَى حَوْلَهُ
مُجَلِّحاتٍcharging boldly بأسودِagainst the lions of الأجَمthe thickets
مُجَلِّحاتٍ بأسودِ الأجَم
The wolves of battle race around him,
Fulfilling hopes and ending despair,
Boldly charging against the lions of the thickets.
You remained in rule to protect the sublime,
ياO منyou who وجدناwe found الجودَgenerosity منfrom بذلهhis giving
يا من وجدنا الجودَ من بذله
مِلءَfilling الأمانيwishes وعدمناand we lacked العدمwant
مِلءَ الأماني وعدمنا العدم
O you, from whose giving we have found generosity
And champion the faith and shepherd promises,
To fill our wishes—and found want itself wanting!
بقيتَmay you endure فيin الملكkingship لِصَوْنِto preserve العلىglory
بقيتَ في الملك لِصَوْنِ العلى
ونصرةِand the support of الدينthe faith ورَعيِand the safeguarding of الذممcovenants
ونصرةِ الدين ورَعيِ الذمم
May you endure in kingship, preserving glory,
And championing the faith and safeguarding covenants.
Partial English translation: 51 of 54 Arabic lines translated.