دواعي الهوى لك أن لا تجيبا

دواعي الهوى لك أن لا تجيبا

هَجَرْنا تُقىً ما وَصَلْنا ذُنوبا

هَجَرْنا تُقىً ما وَصَلْنا ذُنوبا

My prayer—love’s prayer—to you is this: do not answer.

You may leave passion's summons unanswered.

We kept apart in piety, deeming our union sinful.

In piety we abandoned what we had embraced in sin.

قَفَوْنا غرورَك حتى أنجلتْ

قَفَوْنا غرورَك حتى أنجلتْ

أمورٌ أريْنَ العيونَ العيوبا

أمورٌ أريْنَ العيونَ العيوبا

We followed delusion until there unfolded

We followed your deception until there emerged

events that showed our eyes the faults.

matters that revealed the faults to our eyes.

نَصِبْنَا لها أو بلَغنا بها

نَصِبْنَا لها أو بلَغنا بها

نُهىً لم تدعْ لك فينا نصيبا

نُهىً لم تدعْ لك فينا نصيبا

We marshaled reason against it—or through it attained

We toiled for them—or through them attained

a wisdom that left you no share in us.

understanding that left you no share in us.

وهبنا الزمانَ لها مقْبلا

وهبنا الزمانَ لها مقْبلا

وغصنَ الشبيبة غضّاً قشيبا

وغصنَ الشبيبة غضّاً قشيبا

We granted love its season while time smiled upon it

We gave them time in its prime,

and the bough of youth was tender and fresh.

and youth's branch, tender and fresh.

فقل لمخوّفنا أن يحول

فقل لمخوّفنا أن يحول

صباً هَرَماً وشبابٌ مَشيبا

صباً هَرَماً وشبابٌ مَشيبا

Then say: what frightens us in its transforming

Tell the one who frightens us with the turning of

youth into decrepitude, and young vigor into gray age?

boyhood to decrepitude, and youth to gray hair:

ودِدْنا لعفّتِنا أننا

ودِدْنا لعفّتِنا أننا

وُلدنا إذا كُرِهَ الشَّيْبُ شِيبا

وُلدنا إذا كُرِهَ الشَّيْبُ شِيبا

For chastity’s sake, we wished that we

For our chastity's sake, we wished that we

had been born gray-haired, if gray hair must be hated.

had been born gray-haired, even if gray hair is loathed.

وبلِّغ أخا صحبتي عن أخيك

وبلِّغ أخا صحبتي عن أخيك

عشيرته نائيا أو قريبا

عشيرته نائيا أو قريبا

Bear to my companion, from your brother,

Tell my companion, on your brother's behalf,

greetings for his people, whether distant or near.

and his clan, whether far away or near:

تبدّلتُ من ناركم رَبَّها

تبدّلتُ من ناركم رَبَّها

وخُبثِ مواقدِها الخُلدَ طِيبا

وخُبثِ مواقدِها الخُلدَ طِيبا

I exchanged your fire for its Lord;

I traded your fire for its Lord,

its hearths died down, and eternity grew sweet.

and its hearths' foulness for fragrant Paradise.

حَبستُ عنانِيَ مستبصرا

حَبستُ عنانِيَ مستبصرا

بأيّةِ يستبقون الذُّنوبا

بأيّةِ يستبقون الذُّنوبا

I reined myself in, seeing clearly:

I held back my reins, seeing clearly

for what prize do they race one another into sin?

by what means they race one another toward sins.

نصحتكُمُ لو وجدتُ المُصيخَ

نصحتكُمُ لو وجدتُ المُصيخَ

وناديتكم لو دعوتُ المجيبا

وناديتكم لو دعوتُ المجيبا

I would counsel you, if only I found someone who listened,

I counseled you—if only I had found a listener;

and call to you, if only I called one who answered.

and called to you—if only I had summoned one who answered.

أفيئوا فقد وعد اللّه في

أفيئوا فقد وعد اللّه في

ضلالةِ مثلكُمُ أن يتوبا

ضلالةِ مثلكُمُ أن يتوبا

Return: God has promised that

Return, for God has promised, regarding

one as lost as you may repent.

the straying of such as you, to accept repentance.

وإلا هلمّوا أُباهيكُمُ

وإلا هلمّوا أُباهيكُمُ

فمن قامَ والفَخْرَ قام المصيبا

فمن قامَ والفَخْرَ قام المصيبا

Otherwise, come—let me vie with you in glory;

Otherwise, come: I will vie with you in glory;

for whoever rises in pride rises having struck true.

for whoever stands with glory stands in the right.

أمثل محمدٍ المصطفَى

أمثل محمدٍ المصطفَى

إذا الحكم وُلِّيتُموه لبيبا

إذا الحكم وُلِّيتُموه لبيبا

I hold up Muhammad, the Chosen One,

Is anyone like Muhammad the Chosen,

as discerning whenever you entrust judgment to him;

in wisdom, if judgment is entrusted to you,

بعدلٍ مكانَ يكون القسيمَ

بعدلٍ مكانَ يكون القسيمَ

وفصلٍ مكانَ يكون الخطيبا

وفصلٍ مكانَ يكون الخطيبا

just wherever an arbiter is needed,

in justice, wherever he is the apportioner,

and decisive wherever an orator is needed;

and in decisive speech, wherever he is the orator,

وثَبْتٍ إذا الأصلُ خان الفروعَ

وثَبْتٍ إذا الأصلُ خان الفروعَ

وفضلٍ إذا النقصُ عاب الحسيبا

وفضلٍ إذا النقصُ عاب الحسيبا

steadfast when the root betrays its branches,

and in steadfastness, when the root betrays the branches,

and excellent when deficiency shames the noble-born;

and in excellence, when deficiency disgraces the highborn,

وصَدْقٍ بإقرار أعدائه

وصَدْقٍ بإقرار أعدائه

إذا نافق الأولياءُ الكذوبا

إذا نافق الأولياءُ الكذوبا

truthful, by his enemies’ own admission,

and in truthfulness, as his enemies acknowledge,

when his allies hypocritically utter lies.

when allies flatter the inveterate liar?

أبان لنا اللّهُ نَهْجَ السبيلِ

أبان لنا اللّهُ نَهْجَ السبيلِ

ببعثته وأرانا الغيوبا

ببعثته وأرانا الغيوبا

Through him God made the path of guidance clear to us

God made the path clear to us

and, by sending him, showed us the unseen.

by sending him, and showed us the unseen.

لئن كنتُ منكم فإنّ الهجي

لئن كنتُ منكم فإنّ الهجي

ن يُخرِجُ في الفَلَتاتِ النجيبا

ن يُخرِجُ في الفَلَتاتِ النجيبا

Though I am one of you, I am the crossbred one...

If indeed I am one of you, the baseborn

...that, in a rare throw, may bring forth a thoroughbred.

does, in rare instances, bring forth the wellborn.

ألِكْنيِ إلى مَلِكٍ بالجبا

ألِكْنيِ إلى مَلِكٍ بالجبا

ل يدفعُ دفعَ الجبالِ الخطوبا

ل يدفعُ دفعَ الجبالِ الخطوبا

Bear my homage and gifts to your king,

Carry my message to a king in al-Jibal,

that he may repel calamities with the thrust of mountains—

who repels calamities with the force of mountains.

فتىً يطرُقُ المدحُ من بابه

فتىً يطرُقُ المدحُ من بابه

قِرىً كافيا وجناباً رحيبا

قِرىً كافيا وجناباً رحيبا

a young lord at whose gate praise comes knocking,

A young man at whose door praise knocks,

to find ample hospitality and a spacious court.

finding ample hospitality and a spacious court.

قوافيَّ تلك وَرَدْنَ النمي

قوافيَّ تلك وَرَدْنَ النمي

رَ من جوده ورَعيْنَ الخصيبا

رَ من جوده ورَعيْنَ الخصيبا

Those rhymes of mine came to drink the limpid...

Those rhymes of mine drank the pure water

...water of his bounty and graze the fertile pasture.

of his bounty, and grazed on fertile pasture.

عواريَ تُكسَى أبتساماتِه

عواريَ تُكسَى أبتساماتِه

وفي القول ما يستحقُّ القُطوبا

وفي القول ما يستحقُّ القُطوبا

Naked, they are clothed by his smiles,

Naked, they are clothed in his smiles,

though speech may hold what merits a frown.

though some speech deserves a frown.

ومن آل ضبَّة غصنٌ يُهَزُّ

ومن آل ضبَّة غصنٌ يُهَزُّ

جَنِيّاً ويُغْمَزُ عُوداً صَليبا

جَنِيّاً ويُغْمَزُ عُوداً صَليبا

From the house of Dabba comes a branch that shakes down

And from the House of Dabba, a branch is shaken

ripe fruit and, when tested, proves a sturdy bough.

for ripe fruit, and tested as sturdy wood.

وكانوا إذا فتنةٌ أظلمتْ

وكانوا إذا فتنةٌ أظلمتْ

وأعوزهم مَنْ يُجلِّي الكروبا

وأعوزهم مَنْ يُجلِّي الكروبا

Whenever they were tried and darkness fell,

And they, whenever turmoil grew dark,

and lacked someone to dispel their troubles,

and they lacked someone to dispel their troubles,

تداعوه يا أوحداً كافياً

تداعوه يا أوحداً كافياً

لنا مستخَصّاً الينا حبيبا

لنا مستخَصّاً الينا حبيبا

they called upon him: “Peerless, all-sufficient one,

would call to him: O matchless one, sufficient

ours alone, devoted to us and beloved!”

for us, specially chosen and dear to us!

فكان لنا قمرا ما دجتْ

فكان لنا قمرا ما دجتْ

وماءً إذا هي شُبَّتْ لهيبا

وماءً إذا هي شُبَّتْ لهيبا

He was a moon to us whenever darkness deepened,

So he was a moon for us whenever it grew dark,

and water whenever the crisis flared into flame.

and water whenever it was kindled into flame.

أرى مُلْكَ آلِ بُوَيْه أرتدَى

أرى مُلْكَ آلِ بُوَيْه أرتدَى

عَواراً بأن راح منه سليبا

عَواراً بأن راح منه سليبا

I see the realm of the House of Buwayh clothed

I see the kingdom of the House of Buwayh clad

in shame, now that he has departed from it, torn away.

in disgrace, since it is bereft of him.

فإن يُمِس مَوضعُه خاليا

فإن يُمِس مَوضعُه خاليا

فما تُعْرَفُ الشمسُ حتى تغيبا

فما تُعْرَفُ الشمسُ حتى تغيبا

If his place should stand empty by evening,

If his place stands empty at evening,

the sun is known only after it sets.

the sun's worth is known only when it sets.

لك الخير مَوْلىً رَمَيتُ المنى

لك الخير مَوْلىً رَمَيتُ المنى

رِشاءً إليه فروَّى قَلِيبا

رِشاءً إليه فروَّى قَلِيبا

All good be yours, my lord! I cast my hopes

Blessings upon you, patron! I cast my hopes

like a well-rope toward him, and it drew from a deep well.

as a well-rope toward him, and he replenished a well.

لحظِّيَ في حبس سَيْرِي الي

لحظِّيَ في حبس سَيْرِي الي

ك رَأْيٌ سأنُظرُهُ أن يؤوبا

ك رَأْيٌ سأنُظرُهُ أن يؤوبا

For two moments, while my journey to you was checked—

My fortune has a plan in delaying my journey to

a thought I shall reconsider, should it return.

you; I shall give it time to return.

إذا قلت ذا العامُ شافٍ بدت

إذا قلت ذا العامُ شافٍ بدت

قوارفٌ منعٍ تُجِدُّ النُّدوبا

قوارفٌ منعٍ تُجِدُّ النُّدوبا

Whenever I say, “This year has healed me,” there appear

Whenever I say, 'This year brings healing,' there appear

fresh sores that keep the scars from closing.

hurtful refusals that reopen the scars.

ولي عزمةٌ في ضمانِ القبولِ

ولي عزمةٌ في ضمانِ القبولِ

سَتُدْرِكُ إن ساعدتني هُبوبا

سَتُدْرِكُ إن ساعدتني هُبوبا

Yet I have a firm resolve, assured of acceptance,

And I have a resolve, with acceptance assured;

that will attain its aim if favoring winds assist me.

it will rise into action if it lends me its aid.

وإلا فتحمِلُ شكرا إليك

وإلا فتحمِلُ شكرا إليك

يشُوقُ الخلىَّ ويُغرِي الطروبا

يشُوقُ الخلىَّ ويُغرِي الطروبا

Otherwise, bear to yourself my gratitude—

Otherwise, it will carry gratitude to you

gratitude that makes the carefree yearn and stirs the enraptured—

that makes the carefree yearn and entices the impassioned,

وعذراءَ تُذْكِر نُعماك بي

وعذراءَ تُذْكِر نُعماك بي

وإن كنتُ لستُ بها مستريبا

وإن كنتُ لستُ بها مستريبا

and a virgin poem recounting your favors to me,

and a maiden poem to remind your bounty of me,

though you harbor no doubt about them.

though I have no doubts about it.

فوفِّ فقد جَعَلَ الدَّينُ ما

فوفِّ فقد جَعَلَ الدَّينُ ما

تنفَّلتَ في الجودِ فرضا وُجوبا

تنفَّلتَ في الجودِ فرضا وُجوبا

Fulfill it: faith has made

Then pay in full, for debt has made what

what you freely bestowed in generosity a binding duty.

you offered freely in generosity a binding duty.

وقد كنتُ عبدا قصيّا وجدُتَ

وقد كنتُ عبدا قصيّا وجدُتَ

فكيف وقد صرتُ خِلاًّ نسيبا

فكيف وقد صرتُ خِلاًّ نسيبا

Though I was a distant servant, I found you;

I was a distant servant, and you were generous;

how much more now that I have become an intimate and a kinsman?

how then, now that I have become an intimate friend and kinsman?