إِليكَ فَقَلبي لا تقِرُّ بلابلُه

إِليكَ فَقَلبي لا تقِرُّ بلابلُه

إِذا ما شدَت فوقَ الغُصون بلابلُه

إِذا ما شدَت فوقَ الغُصون بلابلُه

Leave me be, for my heart's tumults will not subside

To you my heart has no rest though nightingales warble

whenever its nightingales sing above the boughs.

When they trill atop the boughs though nightingales warble

تَهيجُ له ذكرى حَبيبٍ مُفارِقٍ

تَهيجُ له ذكرى حَبيبٍ مُفارِقٍ

زرودُ وحُزوى وَالعَقيقُ منازلُه

زرودُ وحُزوى وَالعَقيقُ منازلُه

The memory of a parted beloved stirs within it,

Your memory stirs a departed beloved

whose dwelling places are Zarud, Huzwa, and al-Aqiq.

Whose abodes were Zarud and Huzwa and Aqeeq's hills

سقاهُنَّ صوبُ الدَمعِ منّي ووبلُه

سقاهُنَّ صوبُ الدَمعِ منّي ووبلُه

منازلَ لا صوبُ الغمام ووابلُه

منازلَ لا صوبُ الغمام ووابلُه

My tears' rainfall and its downpour watered them—

My tears have watered those abodes, and washed them

those dwellings—not the clouds' rain and downpour.

Not the clouds' downpour and showers have washed them

يحلُّ بها من لا أصرِّحُ باِسمِه

يحلُّ بها من لا أصرِّحُ باِسمِه

غَزالٌ على بُعد المزارِ أُغازِلُه

غَزالٌ على بُعد المزارِ أُغازِلُه

In them dwells one whose name I do not reveal,

In them settles one whose name I never confess

a gazelle I woo despite the distance to his abode.

A gazelle, though the sanctuary’s far, I flirt with him

تقسَّمه رقُّ الجَمال وَجزلُه

تقسَّمه رقُّ الجَمال وَجزلُه

فرنَّ وشاحاهُ وصُمَّت خَلاخِلُه

فرنَّ وشاحاهُ وصُمَّت خَلاخِلُه

Beauty's delicacy and fullness share him between them;

His beauty being rare refined his composure

so his two sashes ring, while his anklets fall silent.

Brocade and his veil, his anklets fell silent

وَما أَنا بالناسي لَياليَ بالحِمى

وَما أَنا بالناسي لَياليَ بالحِمى

تقضَّت ووردُ العَيش صفو مناهلُه

تقضَّت ووردُ العَيش صفو مناهلُه

Nor am I one to forget the nights in al-Hima,

I, not forgetful, pass my nights at Al-Hima

that passed while life's draught came from its purest springs.

Spent, and meadows’ bloom and life’s ease drained

لَيالي لا ظبيُ الصَريم مصارمٌ

لَيالي لا ظبيُ الصَريم مصارمٌ

ولا ضاقَ ذَرعاً بالصُدود مُواصلُه

ولا ضاقَ ذَرعاً بالصُدود مُواصلُه

Nights when the gazelle of the sands did not sever ties,

Nights when the wolf of Sarim is not brandishing arms

nor did his constant lover lose patience with rebuffs.

Nor is the one I pine for hindered by aloofness

وَكَم عاذِلٍ قَلبي وقد لجَّ في الهَوى

وَكَم عاذِلٍ قَلبي وقد لجَّ في الهَوى

وما عادِلٌ في شِرعة الحبِّ عاذلُه

وما عادِلٌ في شِرعة الحبِّ عاذلُه

And how many have reproached my heart, so obstinate in passion!

How many blame my heart though it sank in passion

Yet its reproacher is not just under the law of love.

While the passion’s innocence and misdeeds are his

يَلومونَ جَهلاً في الغَرام وإنَّما

يَلومونَ جَهلاً في الغَرام وإنَّما

له وعليه بِرُّه وغوائلُه

له وعليه بِرُّه وغوائلُه

They blame in ignorance of passion, yet only

For God's sake, a heart that wildly plunged in love

the heart receives its blessings and bears its perils.

Caring not for blame, its passions ever smolder

فَلِلَّهِ قَلبٌ قد تَمادَى صَبابَةً

فَلِلَّهِ قَلبٌ قد تَمادَى صَبابَةً

عَلى اللَوم لا تنفكُّ تغلي مراجلُه

عَلى اللَوم لا تنفكُّ تغلي مراجلُه

God bless a heart that has persisted in longing;

In the splendid robe from Abraq Al-Hima’s meadows

despite reproach, its cauldrons never cease to boil.

A fawn guarding it from the mischief of time's nails

وَبالحلَّة الفَيحاءِ من أَبرقِ الحِمى

وَبالحلَّة الفَيحاءِ من أَبرقِ الحِمى

رَداحٌ حماها من قنا الخَطِّ ذابلُه

رَداحٌ حماها من قنا الخَطِّ ذابلُه

And in spacious al-Hillah, in al-Hima's stony sands,

It grazes as the Rudaini grazed the feast

a full-hipped beauty is guarded by a slender spear of al-Khatt.

And it stirs in wonder as did the feast's maker

تَميسُ كما ماسَ الرُدَينيُّ مائداً

تَميسُ كما ماسَ الرُدَينيُّ مائداً

وَتهتزُّ عُجباً مثلما اِهتزَّ عاملُه

وَتهتزُّ عُجباً مثلما اِهتزَّ عاملُه

She sways as a bending Rudayni spear sways,

With supple shanks and bent back it circles

and quivers in pride as its upper shaft quivers.

Not the gentle branch nor its tilt

مهفهفةٌ الكَشحَين طاويةُ الحَشا

مهفهفةٌ الكَشحَين طاويةُ الحَشا

فَما مائدُ الغصن الرَطيبِ ومائِلُه

فَما مائدُ الغصن الرَطيبِ ومائِلُه

Slender at both flanks, her belly trim—

I clung to it in my youth and prime

so what is a fresh bough's sway or bend beside her?

And nothing of my days' sorrows clung to me

تعلَّقتُها عصرَ الشَبيبة والصِبا

تعلَّقتُها عصرَ الشَبيبة والصِبا

وَما عَلِقَت بي من زَماني حبائلُه

وَما عَلِقَت بي من زَماني حبائلُه

I fell in love with her in the days of youth and boyhood,

I feared for it the woe of absence and estrangement

while the snares of my time had not yet caught me.

Yet hasty separation dealt me its swift blow

حذرتُ عليها آجلَ البُعد والنَوى

حذرتُ عليها آجلَ البُعد والنَوى

فَعاجَلني من فادح البَين عاجلُه

فَعاجَلني من فادح البَين عاجلُه

I feared for her the future onset of distance and separation;

To God, O innermost soul torn apart in passion

but grievous parting's immediate blow overtook me.

For you which I persistently endure

إِلى اللَهِ يا ظمياءُ نَفساً تَقَطَّعَت

إِلى اللَهِ يا ظمياءُ نَفساً تَقَطَّعَت

عليكِ غَراماً لا أَزال أُزاولُه

عليكِ غَراماً لا أَزال أُزاولُه

To God, O Ẓamyāʾ, I complain of a soul torn apart

And I pleaded against the mischief of distance

over you in a passion I never cease to endure,

Repeating this plea while its evils repeated

وخطبَ بعادٍ كلَّما قُلتُ هذه

وخطبَ بعادٍ كلَّما قُلتُ هذه

أَواخرهُ كرَّت عليَّ أَوائِلُه

أَواخرهُ كرَّت عليَّ أَوائِلُه

and of the calamity of separation: whenever I say, 'These

If fortune keeps afflicting me with parting and wrong

are its final stages,' its beginnings return to assail me.

And the balm of reunion is fraught with woe

لئن جارَ دَهري بالتفرُّق واِعتَدى

لئن جارَ دَهري بالتفرُّق واِعتَدى

وَغال التَداني من دُهى البين غائلُه

وَغال التَداني من دُهى البين غائلُه

If my fate has wronged me with separation and transgressed,

I still hope to attain what I've aspired for

and the lurking bane of parting's calamities has slain closeness,

As the aspirations of the hopeful Yahya attained

فإنّي لأَرجو نيلَ ما قد أَملتُه

فإنّي لأَرجو نيلَ ما قد أَملتُه

كَما نال مِن يحيى الرَغائبَ آملُه

كَما نال مِن يحيى الرَغائبَ آملُه

then I surely hope to attain what I have wished for,

He is generous, his gifts and bestowals

as Yahya's hopeful petitioner gained from him the gifts he desired.

Fulfilling what his protection assured seekers

كَريمٌ وفي إِحسانه ونوالِه

كَريمٌ وفي إِحسانه ونوالِه

بما ضمِنَت للسائِلين مخائلُه

بما ضمِنَت للسائِلين مخائلُه

A generous man whose kindness and bounty have fulfilled

Of the noble souls whose glory fortified

what his bearing promised to petitioners.

Glory’s thrust, reinforcing its shoulders

من النَفر الغرِّ الَّذين بمجدهم

من النَفر الغرِّ الَّذين بمجدهم

تأَيَّد أَزرُ المجد واِشتدَّ كاهلُه

تأَيَّد أَزرُ المجد واِشتدَّ كاهلُه

Of the illustrious company through whose glory

Indeed he cloaked the soul of loftiness in his munificence

glory's back was strengthened and its shoulders grew firm.

And covered excellence itself in his mantles

لَقَد ألبِسَت نَفسُ المَعالي برودَه

لَقَد ألبِسَت نَفسُ المَعالي برودَه

وزُرَّت على شَخص الكَمال غلائلُه

وزُرَّت على شَخص الكَمال غلائلُه

The very soul of high honors has indeed been clothed in his mantles,

Magnanimous, he sees bestowing gifts an obligation

and his fine tunics were buttoned on perfection's figure.

So his supererogations ever spread

جَوادٌ يَرى بذلَ النوال فَريضةً

جَوادٌ يَرى بذلَ النوال فَريضةً

عليه فما زالَت تعمُّ نوافلُه

عليه فما زالَت تعمُّ نوافلُه

Munificent, he regards the giving of gifts as a duty

He has immense ambition transcending summits

upon him; so his voluntary bounties never cease to reach all.

Before which the highest aspirations fall short

له همَّةٌ نافت على الأَوج رفعةً

له همَّةٌ نافت على الأَوج رفعةً

تقاصرَ عنها حين همَّت تُطاولُه

تقاصرَ عنها حين همَّت تُطاولُه

His aspiration has risen in height above the zenith;

Greatest man of resolve who gained glory through resolve

the zenith fell short when his aspiration sought to overtop it.

Noblest lord who exceeded the ultimate attainment

أَجلُّ همامٍ أَدرك المجدَ همَّةً

أَجلُّ همامٍ أَدرك المجدَ همَّةً

وأَكرمُ مولىً جاوز الحدَّ نائلُه

وأَكرمُ مولىً جاوز الحدَّ نائلُه

The most august of heroes to win glory through resolve,

My hopeful soul is certain it lives on

and the most generous patron, whose bounty has passed all bounds.

Through Yahya when his widespread bounties submerged all

وقد أَيقنت نَفسُ المكارم أَنَّها

وقد أَيقنت نَفسُ المكارم أَنَّها

لَتَحيا بِيَحيى حين عمَّت فواضلُه

لَتَحيا بِيَحيى حين عمَّت فواضلُه

And the very soul of noble deeds has become certain that it

A brother of mine whose brotherly affections

indeed lives through Yahya, as his benefactions reach all.

Remained, sustained through his righteous connection

أَخٌ ليَ ما زالَت أَواخي إِخائه

أَخٌ ليَ ما زالَت أَواخي إِخائه

موطَّدةً منه ببرٍّ يواصلُه

موطَّدةً منه ببرٍّ يواصلُه

A brother to me, the stakes of whose brotherhood have always

Congratulations on glory O son of Ahmed which

been firmly fixed by the kindness he continually bestows.

Kept your outstanding traits and merits circulated

ليَهنكَ مجدٌ يا ابنَ أَحمدَ لم تَزَل

ليَهنكَ مجدٌ يا ابنَ أَحمدَ لم تَزَل

فواضلُه مشهورةً وفضائلُه

فواضلُه مشهورةً وفضائلُه

May glory bring you joy, O son of Ahmad; always

God willed to grant you the sublime soveriegnty

have its bounties and virtues been renowned.

And elevate you with the glory which you shouldered

أَبى اللَهُ إلّا أَن يُنيفَ بكَ العُلى

أَبى اللَهُ إلّا أَن يُنيفَ بكَ العُلى

وَيُعلي بك المجدَ الَّذي أَنتَ كافلُه

وَيُعلي بك المجدَ الَّذي أَنتَ كافلُه

God has willed only that high honors rise through you,

And you kept seeking by your noble deeds

and that he exalt through you the glory whose guardian you are.

A status beyond the reach of aspirants

وَما زِلتَ تَسعى بالمكارم طالباً

وَما زِلتَ تَسعى بالمكارم طالباً

مَقاماً تناهى دونَه من يُحاولُه

مَقاماً تناهى دونَه من يُحاولُه

And you have never ceased to strive through noble deeds, seeking

You have sufficiently been given a rank

a station short of which those who seek it reach their limit.

To which every finger points out

فحسبُك قد جُزتَ الأَنامَ برتبةٍ

فحسبُك قد جُزتَ الأَنامَ برتبةٍ

تُشيرُ لَها مِن كُلِّ كفٍّ أَناملُه

تُشيرُ لَها مِن كُلِّ كفٍّ أَناملُه

Let this suffice: you have outstripped mankind with a rank

I will give thanks for the flowers you gifted me

to which the fingertips of every hand point.

Which the dew of beauty breezes through

سأَشكُرُ ما أَهدَيتَ لي من أَزاهرٍ

سأَشكُرُ ما أَهدَيتَ لي من أَزاهرٍ

يَجولُ عليها من نَدى الحُسن جائلُه

يَجولُ عليها من نَدى الحُسن جائلُه

I shall give thanks for the blossoms you have given me,

And I will praise the necklaces you strung

over which the wandering dew of beauty drifts.

Adorned with them my idle praise found purpose

وأثني على ما صُغتَه من قلائِدٍ

وأثني على ما صُغتَه من قلائِدٍ

تَحَلّى بها من جيدِ مدحيَ عاطلُه

تَحَلّى بها من جيدِ مدحيَ عاطلُه

And I shall praise the necklaces you have fashioned,

So farewell, safe from every ill, congratulated

with which the bare neck of my praise has adorned itself.

For what you attained in life and aspire to gain

فدم سالِماً من كُلِّ سوءٍ مهنّأً

فدم سالِماً من كُلِّ سوءٍ مهنّأً

بما نلتَه دَهراً وما أَنتَ نائلُه

بما نلتَه دَهراً وما أَنتَ نائلُه

So live on, safe from every harm, rejoicing

This being but some of my thanks, though what thanks suffices?

forever in what you have attained and what you will yet attain.

For what you gifted me beyond what I can express

ودونكها من بَعض شُكري وما عَسى

ودونكها من بَعض شُكري وما عَسى

يَفي بالَّذي أَوليتَ ما أَنا قائلُه

يَفي بالَّذي أَوليتَ ما أَنا قائلُه

And take this as part of my gratitude; yet how could

what I say ever repay what you have bestowed?