يا ليتَ شعري عن الأحبابِ ما فعلوا

يا ليتَ شعري عن الأحبابِ ما فعلوا

هَلْ خيّموا بكثيب الجزع أم رحلوا

هَلْ خيّموا بكثيب الجزع أم رحلوا

If only I knew what my loved ones have done!

Oh how I wish I knew what the loved ones did

Did they camp at the dune by the valley bend, or depart?

Did they camp at the sand dune of sorrow or did they leave?

وليتَ شعري أذاك الشمْلُ مجتَمعٌ

وليتَ شعري أذاك الشمْلُ مجتَمعٌ

كمثلِ عهدي وذاك الحبلُ متّصِل

كمثلِ عهدي وذاك الحبلُ متّصِل

And if only I knew: is that company still united,

And I wish I knew if that group is still together

As I remember it, and is that cord unbroken?

Like my pact with them and that rope still tied

إن باعدُوا فهم في مهجتي قربُوا

إن باعدُوا فهم في مهجتي قربُوا

أوْ سَافروا فهمُوا في أضْلُعي نَزلوا

أوْ سَافروا فهمُوا في أضْلُعي نَزلوا

If they have gone far away, they have drawn near in my heart's core;

If they went far, in my heart they came close

Or if they have traveled, they have lodged within my ribs.

Or if they traveled, they resided in my ribs

أزورهم بعدَ يومٍ بعدمَا ذهبت

أزورهم بعدَ يومٍ بعدمَا ذهبت

لي السنونُ فيبدوا منهم الملل

لي السنونُ فيبدوا منهم الملل

I visit them after a day, after there have passed

I will visit them after a day once

The years of my life, and boredom shows in them.

The years have passed and boredom appeared from them

خَفِظتُ عهدَهم والقومُ ما حَفظُوا

خَفِظتُ عهدَهم والقومُ ما حَفظُوا

سألتُ عن حالهم والقومُ مَا سألوا

سألتُ عن حالهم والقومُ مَا سألوا

I kept their pledge, but they did not keep it.

I kept my pact with them while the people did not keep theirs

I asked about their well-being, but they did not ask.

I asked about their condition while the people did not ask

لهم سَهرتُ وهم للغير قد سهروا

لهم سَهرتُ وهم للغير قد سهروا

بهم شُغِلْتُ وهم بالغير قد شُغِلُوا

بهم شُغِلْتُ وهم بالغير قد شُغِلُوا

For them I kept vigil; they kept vigil for others.

For them I stayed up while for others they stayed up

I was occupied with them; they were occupied with others.

I was busy with them while with others they were busy

أنا وَهُمْ نشبهِ الاعشى وخَلّتَهُ

أنا وَهُمْ نشبهِ الاعشى وخَلّتَهُ

وقُوله بينَ أربابِ الحجَا مَثَل

وقُوله بينَ أربابِ الحجَا مَثَل

They and I resemble al-Aʿshā and his beloved,

I and them are like Al-A'sha and his band

And his saying is a proverb among the wise:

And his saying amongst the people of Hijaz an example

علقتُها عَرضاً وعُلّقتْ رجُلاً

علقتُها عَرضاً وعُلّقتْ رجُلاً

غيري وعلّقَ أخرى ذلك الرجل

غيري وعلّقَ أخرى ذلك الرجل

I fell in love with her by chance, but she loved a man

I tied her to show off while another tied her leg

Other than me, and that man loved another woman.

Another man and he tied another, that man

عَسَى تُديلُ الليالي من قساوتها

عَسَى تُديلُ الليالي من قساوتها

تعّطفاً فالليالي للورى دُوَل

تعّطفاً فالليالي للورى دُوَل

Perhaps the nights will replace their harshness

Maybe the nights will show kindness from their harshness

With kindness; for humankind, the nights bring turns of fortune.

Out of sympathy, for the nights for mankind revolve

يا أهل زينبَ مَا فقري يدومُ ولا

يا أهل زينبَ مَا فقري يدومُ ولا

غِنَاكُمُ بلْ أرى الحالاتِ تَنتقِل

غِنَاكُمُ بلْ أرى الحالاتِ تَنتقِل

O family of Zaynab, my poverty will not last, nor

Oh People of Zainab, my poverty does not last nor

Your wealth; rather, I see circumstances changing.

Your wealth, but I see conditions change

كم جَفّ شطٌ وكان النيل يكْنُفهُ

كم جَفّ شطٌ وكان النيل يكْنُفهُ

وكم قفارٍ سقاها الوابلُ الهَطِل

وكم قفارٍ سقاها الوابلُ الهَطِل

How many a bank has dried, though the Nile once enfolded it!

How many dried riverbeds which the Nile embraced

And how many barren lands have been watered by pouring rain!

And how many barren lands the pouring rains watered

لله دَرِي ما أنكرتُ معرفةً

لله دَرِي ما أنكرتُ معرفةً

ولاَ جحدت ذوي الأحْسَان مَا فعلوا

ولاَ جحدت ذوي الأحْسَان مَا فعلوا

God bless me! I have never disowned an acquaintance,

By God I did not deny a favor

Nor denied what benefactors have done.

Nor rejected those who did good what they did

ولا كفرت صنيعاً مِن صَنائعهم

ولا كفرت صنيعاً مِن صَنائعهم

ولا غمَطُتُ لما أوْلُو ومَا بَذلوا

ولا غمَطُتُ لما أوْلُو ومَا بَذلوا

Nor been ungrateful for any of their kindnesses,

Nor disbelieved an act of their acts

Nor belittled what they bestowed or what they gave.

Nor blamed what first they did and what they spent

ولاَ عداني عن شيد العلاَ عَدَمٌ

ولاَ عداني عن شيد العلاَ عَدَمٌ

ولا ثناني عن بذلِ الْندى عَذَل

ولا ثناني عن بذلِ الْندى عَذَل

Nor did poverty keep me from building the heights of honor,

Nor kept me from the honored summit lack

Nor did reproach turn me from dispensing bounty.

Nor discouraged me from generosity stinginess

ولا أضعْتُ لما قالَوا ومَا حفِظُوا

ولا أضعْتُ لما قالَوا ومَا حفِظُوا

ولا قطعْتُ يدَ البِرَ التي وَصلوا

ولا قطعْتُ يدَ البِرَ التي وَصلوا

Nor did I neglect what they said or what they preserved,

Nor underestimated what they said and what they memorized

Nor sever the hand of kindness they extended.

Nor cut off the hand of righteousness which they connected

تزيدني قسوةُ الأيام طيبَ ثنا

تزيدني قسوةُ الأيام طيبَ ثنا

كالمندلِ الرطبِ حيث النار تشتعل

كالمندلِ الرطبِ حيث النار تشتعل

The harshness of the days makes praise of me more fragrant,

The harshness of days increases my gentle praise

Like moist aloeswood when the fire blazes.

Like a moist scarf where fire is lit

وكيفَ أجحد مِنْ شَيْخي عواجية

وكيفَ أجحد مِنْ شَيْخي عواجية

فضلاً به تشهدُ الأفاقُ والسُّبُل

فضلاً به تشهدُ الأفاقُ والسُّبُل

And how could I deny what came from the two shaykhs of Awajiyah—

And how can I reject the exceptional merit

A favor to which the horizons and roads bear witness?

Of my elder with it the horizons and paths testify

ولست أنكر أشياخاً إذا سئلوا

ولست أنكر أشياخاً إذا سئلوا

أعطوا وإن طال ما أعطوا وما سئلوا

أعطوا وإن طال ما أعطوا وما سئلوا

Nor do I disown shaykhs who, when asked,

And I do not deny elders when asked

Give, however long their giving and the requests continue.

They gave even if long what they gave and what was asked

منذ كنْتُ مَا حُجبوا عني لعارفة

منذ كنْتُ مَا حُجبوا عني لعارفة

يوماً ولا شِربُوا دوني ولاَ أكلوا

يوماً ولا شِربُوا دوني ولاَ أكلوا

As long as I have lived, they have never been inaccessible to me for a kindness,

Since I was, they never veiled knowledge from me

Even for a day; nor have they drunk or eaten without me.

A day, nor drank without me nor ate

أسرة كبدور التم طالعة

أسرة كبدور التم طالعة

أنوارها في ظلام الليل تشتعل

أنوارها في ظلام الليل تشتعل

A family like full moons rising,

A family like stars of Temu their lights

Their lights blaze in the darkness of night.

In the darkness of night are lit

لاَ تضِربَنّ بهم في فضلِهم مثلاً

لاَ تضِربَنّ بهم في فضلِهم مثلاً

فما لهم في البرايا يُضْرَبُ المَثَل

فما لهم في البرايا يُضْرَبُ المَثَل

Do not draw a comparison for them in their excellence,

Do not compare them in their merit an example

For among created beings no likeness can be drawn to them.

For the likes of them in virtue in the wilds are not exemplified

فما يشابههم في الفضلِ من أحد

فما يشابههم في الفضلِ من أحد

من البرِيّةِ الاّ الأنبيا الرُّسُل

من البرِيّةِ الاّ الأنبيا الرُّسُل

For no one resembles them in excellence

None resemble them in merit from anyone

Among creation, except the prophets—the messengers.

From the wilderness except the prophets the messengers

عليّ مِنْ مِحَنِ الدنيا لهم ظِلَلُ

عليّ مِنْ مِحَنِ الدنيا لهم ظِلَلُ

ومن أولئك في الأخرى على ظِلَل

ومن أولئك في الأخرى على ظِلَل

Against this world's trials, they have canopies of shelter over me,

For me from the world's trials for them are shades

And from those, in the next life, there are canopies over me.

And from those in the hereafter for me are shades

إنْ قلتُ أنهملي يا سحُبَ جُودِهم

إنْ قلتُ أنهملي يا سحُبَ جُودِهم

عليّ بالجود ضلّت وهي تَنْهَمِلُ

عليّ بالجود ضلّت وهي تَنْهَمِلُ

If I say, “Pour down, O clouds of their generosity,

If I say they are to me, O clouds of their generosity

Upon me with bounty,” they stray, still pouring down.

Upon me in generosity, I would err and it would flow

مَا شاب مذ منحوني صفو ودّهِم

مَا شاب مذ منحوني صفو ودّهِم

في اللهِ لي منه لاهمِلٌ ولاَ مَلَلُ

في اللهِ لي منه لاهمِلٌ ولاَ مَلَلُ

Since they bestowed their pure affection on me, it has never been tainted—

No youth since they favored me pure affection

Affection for God's sake—by neglect of me or weariness.

By God for me from it no fade nor boredom

ومِنْ أبي أحمدٍ في منزلي كرَمٌ

ومِنْ أبي أحمدٍ في منزلي كرَمٌ

أثنى به حيث مَا سارت به الإِبلِ

أثنى به حيث مَا سارت به الإِبلِ

And from Abu Ahmad comes generosity into my home;

And from my father Ahmad in my abode bounty

I am praised for it wherever the camels carry it.

I praised wherever the camels went

مَا زرتُه قطَّ إلاَّ خِلْتُ راحتَه

مَا زرتُه قطَّ إلاَّ خِلْتُ راحتَه

في منزلي وصلَتْ من قبلَ مَا أصِلِ

في منزلي وصلَتْ من قبلَ مَا أصِلِ

I have never visited him without thinking that his palm

I never visited him except I found comfort

Had reached my home before I arrived.

In my abode connected before I arrived

محمَّد بنُ الحسين السمحُ والدُه

محمَّد بنُ الحسين السمحُ والدُه

والنّحْلُ منه لعمري يُولد العَسَل

والنّحْلُ منه لعمري يُولد العَسَل

His father is Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, the munificent;

Muhammad son of Hussein the lenient his lineage

And from bees, by my life, honey is born.

And bees from him by my life produce honey

بجيْلة بكم طالت كما شَرُفتْ

بجيْلة بكم طالت كما شَرُفتْ

فِهْرٌ بإحمدَ ليس الجهلُ يَنْجَهِلُ

فِهْرٌ بإحمدَ ليس الجهلُ يَنْجَهِلُ

Bajilah has risen high through you, just as honor came

With Jumayla how lengthy you are as noble

To Fihr through Ahmad—ignorance does not go unrecognized.

Prey with Ahmad, ignorance does not muddle

أمَّلْتُ فيك على ما كنت أعهدُه

أمَّلْتُ فيك على ما كنت أعهدُه

زيداً وفيك لعمري يصدقُ الأمل

زيداً وفيك لعمري يصدقُ الأمل

I hoped in you, beyond what I had been accustomed to,

I hoped in you for what I was accustomed to

For greater bounty; and in you, by my life, hope comes true.

Zaid, and in you by my life hope proves true

ولم تَزلْ في نعيم مَا هَمَا مَطرٌ

ولم تَزلْ في نعيم مَا هَمَا مَطرٌ

أو ما سرى قمرٌ أو مَارسَا جَبَلُ

أو ما سرى قمرٌ أو مَارسَا جَبَلُ

May you remain in bliss as long as rain pours,

You remain in bounty, no rain threatened

Or as long as the moon travels by night, or a mountain stands firm.

Nor crescent passed, nor mountain treaded