منّيfrom me السلامpeace علىupon الولىّthe patron الواليthe governor
منّي السلام على الولىّ الوالي
ذىpossessing الجودgenerosity والأجمالand graciousness والأفضالِand bounties
ذى الجود والأجمال والأفضالِ
From me, peace upon the patron, the governor,
My greetings of peace to the guardian, the ruler
possessor of generosity, graciousness, and bounty;
Of generosity, beauty, and nobility
وإلىand to الإمامِthe imam وليِّناًour patron وصفِّيناand our chosen friend
وإلى الإمامِ وليِّناً وصفِّينا
الزاكيthe pure الأبىّthe high-minded السيدthe lord المِفْضَالِthe bountiful
الزاكي الأبىّ السيد المِفْضَالِ
and to the imam, our patron and our chosen friend,
And to the Imam, our guardian and choicest one
the pure, high-minded lord, abundant in generosity;
The pure, dignified, the eminent and virtuous
بحرocean of الفصاحةِeloquence سالمSalim بنson of محمدMuhammad
بحر الفصاحةِ سالم بن محمد
ذاكَthat one المكرمُthe honored بالتُّقَىthrough piety مُتَعَالِexalted
ذاكَ المكرمُ بالتُّقَى مُتَعَالِ
an ocean of eloquence, Salim ibn Muhammad,
Ocean of eloquence, Salim son of Muhammad
that honored man, exalted through piety.
The honorable one of piety, the sublime
هوhe سيديmy lord الصّافِيthe pure الأبىthe high-minded المرتضىthe chosen
هو سيدي الصّافِي الأبى المرتضى
زاكِيpure of الأَرومةِrootstock ذُوpossessing النجارlineage العلِىthe lofty
زاكِي الأَرومةِ ذُو النجار العلِى
He is my lord, the pure, high-minded, chosen one,
He is my master, the sincere, the dignified, the perfect
of pure rootstock and lofty lineage;
The pure one of great fame, of lofty pedigree
سهلgentle in الخليقةِnature زاهدٌascetic متورعٌscrupulously pious
سهل الخليقةِ زاهدٌ متورعٌ
عدلjust in القضاjudgment فيtoward أسفلٍone lowly أوor عالِيone exalted
عدل القضا في أسفلٍ أو عالِي
gentle in nature, ascetic, scrupulously pious,
Easygoing, an ascetic, devout
just in judgment toward the lowly or the exalted;
Just in his rulings, whether low or high
السابقُoutstripping الفُصَحاthe eloquent بجودةِthrough the excellence of لفظِهhis wording
السابقُ الفُصَحا بجودةِ لفظِه
لوeven if أطبواthey were skillful فيin الجرىracing والإينالand bestowing
لو أطبوا في الجرى والإينال
outstripping the eloquent through the excellence of his words,
The foremost in eloquence, by his graceful speech
even if they excelled in racing and bestowing.
As though he were a sea surging with waves
هُوhe عدنيmy Eden ومَودتيand my love معamid شدَتيmy hardship
هُو عدني ومَودتي مع شدَتي
أصفىthe purest of أودّائيmy friends دواءremedy for سُعَالِىmy cough
أصفى أودّائي دواء سُعَالِى
He is my Eden and my love amid my hardship,
He is the one I confide in and whose love is my strength
the purest of my friends, the remedy for my cough.
The most loyal of my companions, cure for my worries
فإذاthen when طلبتُI sought منfrom الزمانِtime مآرباًdesires
فإذا طلبتُ من الزمانِ مآرباً
خلْىhe set aside مآربdesires of نفسهhimself وسَعَىand worked لِيfor me
خلْى مآرب نفسه وسَعَى لِي
Whenever I asked time for things I desired,
So if I seek favors from fate
he set aside his own desires and worked for me.
It gives up its own desires and strives for me
لاnot زلتُI ceased أذكرُI recall بالغدوِّat daybreak ليالياًnights
لا زلتُ أذكرُ بالغدوِّ ليالياً
فزناwe attained ببهجتهاtheir delight وبالآصالِand at eventide
فزنا ببهجتها وبالآصالِ
I never cease recalling, at daybreak, the nights
I never cease, at dawn and evenings
whose delight we enjoyed—and at eventide, too.
To remember it with joy and intimacy
ولطالَماand how often كناwe were جميعاًtogether فيin حِمىًa haven
ولطالَما كنا جميعاً في حِمىً
متنعمينreveling بلذةِin the delight of الإيصالِconnection
متنعمين بلذةِ الإيصالِ
How often we were together in a haven,
And we have long shared an intimate bond
reveling in the delight of togetherness!
Delighting in the pleasure of connection
فاليومso today صيَّرmade شملناour gathering متبدداًscattered
فاليوم صيَّر شملنا متبدداً
متفرِّقاًdispersed متقطعَsevered الأوْصَالِthe limbs
متفرِّقاً متقطعَ الأوْصَالِ
Today has made our company scattered,
But today our union has been shattered
dispersed, its limbs torn apart.
Fragmented, disconnected, and parted
أمسىcame to be at evening بنارِin the fire of فراقِparting from منthe one whom أصفيتهI devoted to him
أمسى بنارِ فراقِ من أصفيته
محضpure الهوىlove دُونَto the exclusion of البريةِcreation صَالِburning
محض الهوى دُونَ البريةِ صَالِ
Now, in the fire of parting from one I offered
I've been left by the fires of separating from my beloved
pure love above all creation, I burn.
Nothing left but pure love, in the wilderness, disoriented
أَأُلامُam I blamed? فيfor ودّيهloving him وهوwhile he مُسالِميat peace with me
أَأُلامُ في ودّيه وهو مُسالِمي
مُتفردunique دُونَapart from الوَرَىmankind بخصَالِin qualities
مُتفرد دُونَ الوَرَى بخصَالِ
Am I blamed for loving him, when he is at peace with me,
Shall I be blamed for loving him while he makes peace with me
unique among mankind in his qualities?
Unique beyond all others in his traits?
بيwithin me حرّheat شوقlonging فيin الحشاthe breast مُتَوَقِّدblazing
بي حرّ شوق في الحشا مُتَوَقِّد
أَلاّnot ينْطَفِيis quenched إلاّexcept ببَرْدِby the coolness of وِصَالِreunion
أَلاّ ينْطَفِي إلاّ ببَرْدِ وِصَالِ
In my breast, the heat of longing blazes within me,
My heart burns with fiery longing in grief
not quenched except by the coolness of reunion.
A flame that will not die out except by his return
وفراقُand parting from منthe one whom أهوىI love وقطعُand severing علائقٍties
وفراقُ من أهوى وقطعُ علائقٍ
فبذَاكand through that يعلقُclings حبلُهhis cord بحبالِيto my cords
فبذَاك يعلقُ حبلُه بحبالِي
And parting from the one I love, and severing ties—
Being apart from my love and breaking of ties
and thereby his cord clings to my cords.
Has but strengthened his rope's tie to my ropes
أقوىI grow strong إذاwhen ذُكرis mentioned اسمُهhis name فيin مجلسa gathering
أقوى إذا ذُكر اسمُه في مجلس
فكأنَّمَاand as though طفلُthe child of الشبابٍyouth حَباcrawled لِيto me
فكأنَّمَا طفلُ الشبابٍ حَبا لِي
I grow strong when his name is mentioned in a gathering,
When his name is mentioned in a gathering
as though the child of youth had crawled to me.
It's as though the child of youth has fallen in love with me
وأناand I ابنُaged سبعينَseventy وخمسand five قدalready خَلَتْhave passed
وأنا ابنُ سبعينَ وخمس قد خَلَتْ
فإذاthen when بدَاappears ليto me صرتُI become فيin إقبالِflourishing
فإذا بدَا لي صرتُ في إقبالِ
And I am seventy-five years old,
And I am seventy five years old
yet when he appears to me, I flourish.
Yet when I see him, I'm renewed and rejuvenated
ونسيتُand I forgot كلَّevery أخىbrother of ودادٍaffection فيamong الورَىmankind
ونسيتُ كلَّ أخى ودادٍ في الورَى
وسلوتُand I forgot عَنْabout أهليmy family وعَنْand about أشْبَالِيmy cubs
وسلوتُ عَنْ أهلي وعَنْ أشْبَالِي
And I forget every loving friend among mankind,
I forget every beloved friend in the world
and put my family and my cubs out of mind.
And stop asking about my family or children
فإذاthen when تذكرنَاwe reminisced وطالَand grew long حديثُناour conversation
فإذا تذكرنَا وطالَ حديثُنا
لمnot تَدْرِyou were aware بالإدبارِof departure والإقبالِand arrival
لم تَدْرِ بالإدبارِ والإقبالِ
And when we reminisce and our conversation grows long,
When we remember each other and speak at length
you notice neither departure nor arrival.
You can't tell reversal from advancement
أكرِمْhow noble بهhe is أحسنhow excellent بهhe is منas a عالمٍscholar
أكرِمْ به أحسن به من عالمٍ
لمnot ألقَهI meet him إلاexcept وأصلحَand he set right بالِيmy state of mind
لم ألقَه إلا وأصلحَ بالِي
How noble he is, how excellent a scholar!
Honor and treat well the most learned man
I never met him without his setting my mind at ease.
Whom I've never met but who improves my state
لوif أبتلىI were afflicted بفراقِby separation from ألْفَىْtwo thousand صاحبٍa friend
لو أبتلى بفراقِ ألْفَىْ صاحبٍ
ولقيتُand I beheld مرآهthe sight of him فلستُthen I am not أبالِيconcerned
ولقيتُ مرآه فلستُ أبالِي
Were I afflicted by separation from two thousand friends,
If I lost a thousand companions
and beheld him, I would not care.
And then saw his face, I wouldn't care
أخلفتI wore out (uncertain reading) أثوابَgarments of البقاءlife ببعدهthrough his absence
أخلفت أثوابَ البقاء ببعده
كانَwas اقترابُnearness to جنابهِhis presence أبقىmore sustaining لِيfor me
كانَ اقترابُ جنابهِ أبقى لِي
I have worn out life's garments in his absence [uncertain reading];
After his absence, I shed the clothes of permanence
nearness to his presence better sustained my life.
His nearing was the greatest permanence for me
واحسرتيand alas for me ضيعتُI wasted عمرىmy life بعدهafter him
واحسرتي ضيعتُ عمرى بعده
فتياًyouthful (reading unclear) حساميmy sword وانزوتand withdrew آماليmy hopes
فتياً حسامي وانزوت آمالي
Alas! I wasted my life in his absence;
Alas! After him my life is wasted
my sword youthful [unclear reading], and my hopes withdrawn.
As a young swordsman, now hopes dashed
ياO أيُّهاyou الخلُّthe dear friend الذيwho هوhe لمnot يزلhas ceased
يا أيُّها الخلُّ الذي هو لم يزل
ودّىmy love لهfor him أبداًforever أصخْlisten لِمقَالِيto my words
ودّى له أبداً أصخْ لِمقَالِي
O dear friend, for whom there has never ceased
O you, my friend who has always been
my love, ever—listen to my words.
My eternal beloved, harken to my words
كنْbe مثلlike خلكyour close friend لاnot يضعضعshakes قلبَهhis heart
كنْ مثل خلك لا يضعضع قلبَه
تكرارُrepetition of قيليmy words فيamong الأنامِmankind وقالِand chatter
تكرارُ قيلي في الأنامِ وقالِ
Be like your friend, whose heart is not shaken
Be like yourself, steadfast of heart
by my words repeated among mankind, and by chatter.
Despite what people repeat and say