يقول علي وهو ابن سودون دائم

يقول علي وهو ابن سودون دائم

سلام على أهل الغرام دوام

سلام على أهل الغرام دوام

Ali—he is Ibn Sudun—forever says:

Ali, who is Ibn Sudun, always says:

Everlasting peace upon the people of passion—

Peace be upon the people of passionate love, forever.

سلام مشوق قد رماه زمانه

سلام مشوق قد رماه زمانه

من البين في الأحشاء برشق سهام

من البين في الأحشاء برشق سهام

the greeting of a yearning lover whom fate has struck

A greeting from one who yearns, whom his time has struck

with separation, a volley of arrows into his innards.

With a volley of separation's arrows in his vitals.

ومما جرى تجري مياه دموعه

ومما جرى تجري مياه دموعه

ويُضرم أحشاءه اشتعال غرام

ويُضرم أحشاءه اشتعال غرام

Because of what befell him, the waters of his tears flow,

And because of what befell him, the waters of his tears flow,

and passion's blaze sets his innards aflame.

And love's blaze sets his vitals aflame.

فناظره من ذا العنا وفؤاده

فناظره من ذا العنا وفؤاده

غريق انسجام أو حريق ضرام

غريق انسجام أو حريق ضرام

Thus his eye, from this torment, and his heart are

Thus, from this suffering, his eye and his heart

drowned in a streaming flood, or burning in a blaze.

Are drowned in flowing tears or consumed by blazing fire.

إذا شام في خدّ تورّد شامه

إذا شام في خدّ تورّد شامه

من المسك يحكيها نقيط وشام

من المسك يحكيها نقيط وشام

When he spies upon a cheek its beauty marks blooming rose-red,

When he spies his moles upon a blushing cheek,

tiny specks and moles of musk imitate them.

Of musk, which a tattooist's tiny dot resembles.

هيئت رياحين العذراء سياجه

هيئت رياحين العذراء سياجه

لأصداغه دبّنت عليه هوام

لأصداغه دبّنت عليه هوام

The maiden's fragrant sprigs were arrayed as its hedge;

The maiden's fragrant herbs were arranged as his hedge,

upon it, about his temples, crawling creatures crept.

For his temples, with creeping creatures crawling upon it.

ورام بليل الشعر يسرق نظرة

ورام بليل الشعر يسرق نظرة

يمانعه صبح الجبين مرام

يمانعه صبح الجبين مرام

Under the night of her hair he sought to steal a glance,

And he sought, in the night of the hair, to steal a glance;

but the dawn of the brow thwarted his desire.

The forehead's dawn thwarts his aim.

ويوهنه للقدّ طعن قناته

ويوهنه للقدّ طعن قناته

ويجرحه للطرف حدّ حسام

ويجرحه للطرف حدّ حسام

The thrust of her figure's spear enfeebles him,

And the thrust of the figure's spear weakens him,

and the blade of her glance's sword wounds him.

And the sword-edge of the gaze wounds him.

وترشفه ظُلماً قسيّ حواجب

وترشفه ظُلماً قسيّ حواجب

تحلل قتل الصبّ وهو حرام

تحلل قتل الصبّ وهو حرام

And eyebrow-bows drink of him unjustly,

And eyebrow-bows sip at him unjustly,

deeming the lover's killing lawful, though it is forbidden.

Deeming it lawful to kill the lovelorn, though it is forbidden.

وكادت تروح الروح منه سبيةً

وكادت تروح الروح منه سبيةً

ولكن حماه للنبيّ ذمام

ولكن حماه للنبيّ ذمام

His soul nearly departed him, taken captive,

And his soul almost left him as a captive,

but the Prophet's covenant of protection saved him.

But the Prophet's pledge of protection shielded him.

نبيّ حمَاه لا يُضام نزيله

نبيّ حمَاه لا يُضام نزيله

وحاشا الحمى فيه النزيل يُضام

وحاشا الحمى فيه النزيل يُضام

A Prophet whose sanctuary's guest is never wronged—

A Prophet in whose sanctuary no guest is wronged,

far be it that a guest within that sanctuary be wronged.

And far be it that a guest should be wronged within that sanctuary.

كريم يلين الصخر تحت نعاله

كريم يلين الصخر تحت نعاله

وفي كفّه أبدى الجماد كلام

وفي كفّه أبدى الجماد كلام

A noble one beneath whose sandals rock grows soft,

A generous one, beneath whose sandals rock grows soft,

and in whose palm inanimate matter uttered speech.

And in his palm, lifeless matter uttered speech.

ومن إصبعيه الماء فاض زُلاله

ومن إصبعيه الماء فاض زُلاله

وأشبع أقواماً بكفّ طعام

وأشبع أقواماً بكفّ طعام

From his two fingers water poured, pure and sweet,

And pure, sweet water flowed from his two fingers,

and with a handful of food he fed multitudes.

And he sated groups of people with a handful of food.

وشُقّ له بدر السماء كرامة

وشُقّ له بدر السماء كرامة

ومن حرّ شمس قد وقته غمام

ومن حرّ شمس قد وقته غمام

The moon of heaven was split for him as an honor,

And heaven's full moon was split for him as an honor,

and from a scorching sun a cloud shielded him.

And clouds shielded him from the sun's heat.

وكان على ظهر البراق مسيره

وكان على ظهر البراق مسيره

بعزّ وإكرام لكل مقام

بعزّ وإكرام لكل مقام

On the back of al-Buraq he made his journey,

And his journey was on al-Buraq's back,

in might and honor, through every station.

With glory and honor, to every station.

يفوق بهاء الشمس في الصحو نوره

يفوق بهاء الشمس في الصحو نوره

ويزري بنور البدر حال تمام

ويزري بنور البدر حال تمام

His light surpasses the sun's splendor in a clear sky,

His light surpasses the sun's splendor in clear weather,

and puts the full moon's light to shame.

And puts the full moon's light to shame at its fullness.

كُسي الكونُ أنوار الهُدى بظهوره

كُسي الكونُ أنوار الهُدى بظهوره

وكان كُسي بالشرك ثوبَ ظلام

وكان كُسي بالشرك ثوبَ ظلام

At his appearing, the universe was clothed in the lights of guidance,

The universe was clothed in the lights of guidance at his appearance,

though idolatry had clothed it in a robe of darkness.

Though idolatry had clothed it in a robe of darkness.

وكوثره المورد في محشر الورى

وكوثره المورد في محشر الورى

هو المنهل العذب الكثير زحام

هو المنهل العذب الكثير زحام

His Kawthar, sought at the gathering of humankind,

And his Kawthar, the watering place at humankind's gathering,

is the sweet watering place, thronged by multitudes.

Is the sweet drinking-place, thronged with crowds.

لطُرق الهدى داعي وعادي عن الردى

لطُرق الهدى داعي وعادي عن الردى

وللرسل حقّاً مبدأ وختام

وللرسل حقّاً مبدأ وختام

Caller to the paths of guidance, warding off perdition,

A caller to the paths of guidance, and one who turns away from ruin,

and truly the messengers' beginning and seal.

And truly the beginning and the end of the messengers.

وهذا مديح من ابن سودون للنبي

وهذا مديح من ابن سودون للنبي

عليه صلاة دائماً وسلام

عليه صلاة دائماً وسلام

This is praise from Ibn Sudun for the Prophet:

And this is praise from Ibn Sudun for the Prophet:

upon him be blessings forever, and peace.

May blessings and peace be upon him forever.