سَإِمتُ مِنَ المُواصَلَةِ العِتابا

سَإِمتُ مِنَ المُواصَلَةِ العِتابا

وَأَمسى الشَيبُ قَد وَرِثَ الشَبابا

وَأَمسى الشَيبُ قَد وَرِثَ الشَبابا

I have wearied of reproaches over our bond,

I grew weary of reproaching continuously,

And gray hair has now inherited youth.

And gray hair has now inherited youth.

غَدَت هوجُ الرِياحِ مُبَشِّراتٍ

غَدَت هوجُ الرِياحِ مُبَشِّراتٍ

إِلى بَينٍ نَزَلتِ بِهِ السَحابا

إِلى بَينٍ نَزَلتِ بِهِ السَحابا

The wild winds went forth bearing glad tidings

The raging winds have become harbingers

To the clouds, toward Bayn, where you had settled.

To a land on which clouds have alighted.

لَقَد أَقرَرتِ غَيبَتَنا لِواشٍ

لَقَد أَقرَرتِ غَيبَتَنا لِواشٍ

وَكُنّا لا نُقِرُّ لَكَ اِغتِيابا

وَكُنّا لا نُقِرُّ لَكَ اِغتِيابا

You have indeed permitted a slanderer to malign us,

You made our absence permissible for a nothing,

While we never allowed anyone to speak ill of you.

Though we did not approve being absent from you.

أَناةٌ لا النَمومُ لَها خَدينٌ

أَناةٌ لا النَمومُ لَها خَدينٌ

وَلا تُهدي لِجارَتِها السَبابا

وَلا تُهدي لِجارَتِها السَبابا

A composed woman, with no tale-bearer for a companion,

A coquette whose cheeks are not soft,

Nor does she bestow insults on her neighbor.

And who does not flirt with her neighbor.

تَطيبُ الأَرضُ إِن نَزَلَت بِأَرضٍ

تَطيبُ الأَرضُ إِن نَزَلَت بِأَرضٍ

وَتُسقى حينَ تَنزِلُها الرَبابا

وَتُسقى حينَ تَنزِلُها الرَبابا

The earth grows pleasant whenever she settles in a land,

The land becomes fragrant when it descends upon a land,

And is watered by white clouds when she alights there.

And is watered when showers descend upon it.

كَأَنَّ المِسكَ خالَطَ طَعمَ فيها

كَأَنَّ المِسكَ خالَطَ طَعمَ فيها

بِماءِ المُزنِ يَطَّرِدُ الحَبابا

بِماءِ المُزنِ يَطَّرِدُ الحَبابا

It is as though musk mingled with the taste of her mouth,

As if musk were mixed in it

With raincloud water, its bubbles coursing one after another.

With rain water dispelling particles.

أَلا تَجزينَني وَهُمومُ نَفسي

أَلا تَجزينَني وَهُمومُ نَفسي

بِذِكرِكِ قَد أُطيلُ لَها اِكتِئابا

بِذِكرِكِ قَد أُطيلُ لَها اِكتِئابا

Will you not requite me? As for my soul's cares,

Will you not reward me, while worries of my soul,

In remembering you, I prolong my grief over them.

With your remembrance, have prolonged its depression?

سُقيتُ الغَيثَ حَيثُ نَئيتِ عَنّا

سُقيتُ الغَيثَ حَيثُ نَئيتِ عَنّا

فَما نَهوى لِغَيرِكُمُ سِقابا

فَما نَهوى لِغَيرِكُمُ سِقابا

I was watered with rain where you went far from us;

I was watered with rain where you avoided us,

For we desire closeness to none but you.

Thus we do not wish for other water-drawers.

أَهَذا البُخلُ زادَكِ نَأيَ دارٍ

أَهَذا البُخلُ زادَكِ نَأيَ دارٍ

فَلَيتَ الحُبَّ زادَكُمُ اِقتِرابا

فَلَيتَ الحُبَّ زادَكُمُ اِقتِرابا

Has this withholding made your dwelling more distant?

Is this stinginess your provision for avoiding a house?

If only love had brought you nearer!

If only love were your provision for drawing near!

لَقَد نامَ الخَلِيُّ وَطالَ لَيلي

لَقَد نامَ الخَلِيُّ وَطالَ لَيلي

بِحُبِّكَ ما أَبيتُ لَهُ اِنتِحابا

بِحُبِّكَ ما أَبيتُ لَهُ اِنتِحابا

The carefree one has slept, and my night grows long,

The friend fell asleep and my night grew long

For love of you, so long as I pass the night weeping over it.

Due to love of you− I did not spend it wakefully.

أَرى الهِجرانَ يُحدِثُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

أَرى الهِجرانَ يُحدِثُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

لِقَلبي حينَ أَهجُرُكُم عِتابا

لِقَلبي حينَ أَهجُرُكُم عِتابا

I see estrangement awaken every day

I see estrangement innovating every day

Reproaches in my heart whenever I forsake you.

Sorrow in my heart when I shun you.

وَكائِن بِالأَباطِحِ مِن صَديقٍ

وَكائِن بِالأَباطِحِ مِن صَديقٍ

يَراني لَو أُصِبتُ هُوَ المُصابا

يَراني لَو أُصِبتُ هُوَ المُصابا

And how many a friend in the gravelly valleys

One who is in the sand dunes, a friend of mine,

Would, were I stricken, feel himself the stricken one!

Sees me− if I am struck, he is the one struck.

وَمَسرورٍ بِأَوبَتِنا إِلَيهِ

وَمَسرورٍ بِأَوبَتِنا إِلَيهِ

وَآزِرَ لا يُحِبُّ لَنا إِيابا

وَآزِرَ لا يُحِبُّ لَنا إِيابا

And many a man rejoices at our return to him,

Happy with our coming to him,

And Azar wishes us no return.

A helper who does not like our returning.

دَعا الحَجّاجُ مِثلَ دُعاءِ نوحٍ

دَعا الحَجّاجُ مِثلَ دُعاءِ نوحٍ

فَأَسمَعَ ذا المَعارِجِ فَاِستَجابا

فَأَسمَعَ ذا المَعارِجِ فَاِستَجابا

Al-Hajjaj prayed as Noah prayed,

Al-Hajjaj invoked like Noah's invocation,

So he made the Lord of the ways of ascent hear, and He answered.

So the Lord of the Ascending Stairways responded.

صَبَرتَ النَفسَ يا اِبنَ أَبي عَقيلٍ

صَبَرتَ النَفسَ يا اِبنَ أَبي عَقيلٍ

مُحافَظَةً فَكَيفَ تَرى الثَوابا

مُحافَظَةً فَكَيفَ تَرى الثَوابا

You held your soul steadfast, O son of Abu Aqil,

You have been patient, O son of Abu ʿAqil,

In steadfast duty—how do you find the reward?

Preservingly− so how do you see the reward?

وَلَو لَم يَرضَ رَبُّكَ لَم يُنَزِّل

وَلَو لَم يَرضَ رَبُّكَ لَم يُنَزِّل

مَعَ النَصرِ المَلائِكَةَ الغِضابا

مَعَ النَصرِ المَلائِكَةَ الغِضابا

Had your Lord not been pleased, He would not have sent down

Had your Lord not been pleased, He would not have sent down

The wrathful angels along with victory.

The angels of wrath with victory.

إِذا سَعَرَ الخَليفَةُ نارَ حَربِن

إِذا سَعَرَ الخَليفَةُ نارَ حَربِن

رَأى الحَجّاجَ أَثقَبَها شِهابا

رَأى الحَجّاجَ أَثقَبَها شِهابا

When the caliph kindles the fire of war,

When the Caliph kindles the fire of war,

He sees al-Hajjaj as its fiercest-blazing firebrand.

He will see Al-Hajjaj as its fiercest ember.

تَرى نَصرَ الإِمامِ عَلَيكَ حَقّاً

تَرى نَصرَ الإِمامِ عَلَيكَ حَقّاً

إِذا لَبَسوا بِدينِهِمِ اِرتِيابا

إِذا لَبَسوا بِدينِهِمِ اِرتِيابا

You regard support for the imam as your duty,

You will see the victory of the Imam over you as truth

When they mingle doubt with their religion.

If they don the garb of doubt.

تَشُدُّ فَلا تُكَذِّبُ يَومَ زَحفٍ

تَشُدُّ فَلا تُكَذِّبُ يَومَ زَحفٍ

إِذا الغَمَراتُ زَعزَعَتِ العُقابا

إِذا الغَمَراتُ زَعزَعَتِ العُقابا

You charge, never faltering on the day of battle,

It secures, so do not deny it on the day of march

When battle's perils shake the eagle-banner.

When the billows shake the mountain-peaks.

عَفاريتُ العِراقِ شَفيتَ مِنهُم

عَفاريتُ العِراقِ شَفيتَ مِنهُم

فَأَمسَوا خاضِعينَ لَكَ الرِقابا

فَأَمسَوا خاضِعينَ لَكَ الرِقابا

You have found relief from the demons of Iraq,

You healed from the devils of Iraq,

So they became submissive to you, their necks bowed.

And they became submitting their necks to you.

وَقالوا لَن يُجامِعَنا أَميرٌ

وَقالوا لَن يُجامِعَنا أَميرٌ

أَقامَ الحَدَّ وَاِتَّبعَ الكِتابا

أَقامَ الحَدَّ وَاِتَّبعَ الكِتابا

And they said, 'No emir shall dwell among us

They said, "No commander will assemble with us

Who enforces the prescribed penalty and follows the Book.'

Who implements the law and follows the Book."

إِذا أَخَذوا وَكَيدُهُمُ ضَعيفٌ

إِذا أَخَذوا وَكَيدُهُمُ ضَعيفٌ

بِبابٍ يَمكِرونَ فَتَحتَ بابا

بِبابٍ يَمكِرونَ فَتَحتَ بابا

When they resort—though their plotting is weak—

When they take− and their plot is weak−

To a door for their schemes, you open another door.

At a door they conspire, so you opened a door.

وَأَشمَطَ قَد تَرَدَّدَ في عَماهُ

وَأَشمَطَ قَد تَرَدَّدَ في عَماهُ

جَعَلتَ لِشَيبِ لِحيَتِهِ خِضابا

جَعَلتَ لِشَيبِ لِحيَتِهِ خِضابا

And a grizzled man, wandering in his blindness—

Al-Ashmaṭ stumbled about in his blindness,

You gave the gray of his beard a dye.

You made the gray hair of his beard dyed.

إِذا عَلِقَت حِبالُكَ حَبلَ عاصٍ

إِذا عَلِقَت حِبالُكَ حَبلَ عاصٍ

رَأى العاصي مِنَ الأَجَلَ اِقتِرابا

رَأى العاصي مِنَ الأَجَلَ اِقتِرابا

When your ropes ensnare a rebel's rope,

When your ropes are tied to the rope of a rebel,

The rebel sees his appointed end drawing near.

The rebel sees death drawing near.

بِأَنَّ السَيفَ لَيسَ لَهُ مَرَدٌّ

بِأَنَّ السَيفَ لَيسَ لَهُ مَرَدٌّ

إِذا أَفرى عَنِ الرِّئَةِ الحِجابا

إِذا أَفرى عَنِ الرِّئَةِ الحِجابا

For the sword cannot be turned back

That the sword has no repelling

When it tears the covering from the lung.

When it bares the vitals from cover.

كَأَنَّكَ قَد رَأَيتَ مُقَدِّماتٍ

كَأَنَّكَ قَد رَأَيتَ مُقَدِّماتٍ

بِصينِ اِستانَ قَد رَفَعوا القِبابا

بِصينِ اِستانَ قَد رَفَعوا القِبابا

It is as though you had seen advance forces

As if you had seen vanguards

In Sinistan, their domed tents already raised.

At China's wall− they erected domes.

جَعَلتَ لِكُلِّ مُحتَرَسٍ مَخوفٍ

جَعَلتَ لِكُلِّ مُحتَرَسٍ مَخوفٍ

صُفوفاً دارِعينَ بِهِ وَغابا

صُفوفاً دارِعينَ بِهِ وَغابا

You stationed at every perilous guarded post

You made for each apprehensive terrified one

Ranks of armored men there, and spear-thickets.

Ranked soldiers, fortifying him with battalions.