يحرك وجدي قدك المتمايل

وقلبي الى ذاك التحول مايل

Your swaying stature stirs my passion,

and my heart inclines toward that movement.

على قدك المياس قدرا فماله

نظير بتكميل البها ومعادل

Your graceful stature is exalted in worth; it has

no peer in perfect beauty, no equal.

تسلطن في ملك القلوب فانه

الى الظلم ميال عن العدل عادل

It reigns in the kingdom of hearts, for it

inclines toward tyranny and turns away from justice.

هواك فناء مطلق فبعصره

على الخلق تعميم المنية شال

Love of you is utter annihilation; in its age,

death's universal sway rises over creation.

فمن ذاقه قد مات ذوقاً وكل من

بذ الذوق لم يقتل له الغبن قاتل

Whoever tastes it dies from that taste, and whoever

is not slain by this taste is slain by regret.

تمشيت تعظيما لفدك في الثرى

بدت من قيام الدارسين الزلازل

You walked; in homage to your stature, beneath the earth

earthquakes arose from the rising of the dead.

تكلمت تشريفا للفظك في السما

من الملاء الاعلين قامت هلاهل

You spoke; to honor your words, in heaven

the highest assembly raised cries of rejoicing.

ملا الأرض سحورا وطرفك في الملا

يقول لما في الأرض إني جاعل

The earth filled with enchantments; your gaze, amid the assembly,

says to what is on earth, 'I am indeed the maker.'

رأيتك قد بانت على عواقبي

وحقق أمر في الأواخر حاصل

I saw you; my ultimate fate became plain to me,

and what would happen in the end was confirmed.

كناظر مراة يرى ما وراءه

يبين أحوال الوراء المقابل

Like one looking into a mirror, who sees what is behind him,

it reveals the state of what lies behind, facing it.

من البعد هم قد تكمل في الحشا

على قدر خطواتي الى القرب ذايل

The grief of separation, grown complete within my breast,

fades in proportion to my steps toward nearness.

كنور الذكا في البدر عند كماله

تنقصه في السير قرباً منازل

Like the sun's light in the moon when it is full,

the stations of its course diminish it as it draws near.

بسطت بساط الحسن للبيع والشرى

واهل الوفا شوقا اليك ممايل

You spread beauty's carpet for sale and purchase,

and the faithful incline toward you in longing.

خذ الروح مني للوصال مسامحا

فلا عيب ان راعي العميل معامل

Take my soul from me in exchange for union, dealing generously;

there is no shame if a dealer favors his customer.

لسانك حلو لحظ طرفك ساحر

كانك حلى وارضك بابل

Your tongue is sweet; your eye's glance is bewitching,

as though you were from Hilla and your land were Babylon.

حبيبي لك الترجيح في الحسن والبها

على كل من في مسند الحسن كامل

My beloved, in beauty and splendor you take precedence

over everyone perfected upon beauty's throne.

تقاربك الأشرار بالبيت بينهم

وبينك توفيق التباعد حايل

The wicked draw near you in the house; between them

and you, the grace of keeping apart stands as a barrier.

مزاجك ميال وطبعك مشفق

وحولك بالكيد العظيم الاراذل

Your temperament is yielding, your nature compassionate,

and around you are the vile, with their mighty schemes.

وانت كماء في اللطافة والصفا

وحاذبة للملأ طبعا اسافل

You are like water in delicacy and purity,

and low places naturally draw the multitude.

وانت كمراةٍ بلطف طبيعة

وكل لطيف للتأثر قابل

You are like a mirror in your delicate nature,

and everything delicate is susceptible to influence.

اخاف على عرض الجمال من الردى

فوارى ضعيف ذلك الخوف هايل

I fear ruin for beauty's honor;

my heart is weak, and that fear is immense.

حبيبي متاع الحسن فيك امانة

وانت امين للامانة حامل

My beloved, beauty's treasure is a trust placed in you,

and you are a faithful bearer of that trust.

عليك بحسن الحظ ان لمنهية

به الغصب من اهل الخطا متطاول

Guard it well; indeed, [the wording is unclear],

wrongdoers reach out insolently to seize it.

فلا تظلم التقوى والا مجازيا

يعاد بك سلطان التقى وهو عادل

Do not wrong piety; otherwise, in requital,

the sovereign of piety will oppose you—and he is just.

امامٍ مبين في تصور دركه

تصرف اوهام العوارف عاطل

A manifest imam: at the thought of comprehending him,

the workings of discerning minds' imaginings are powerless.

ولي وصي حين حصر صفاته

تصور ادراك المعارف باطل

A saintly guardian, an appointed successor: in encompassing his attributes,

the thought that knowledge could comprehend them is vain.

وان طاب طوع الأولياء بأسرهم

تودده فرض سواه نوافل

Though obedience to all the saints is good,

love for him is obligatory; all else is voluntary devotion.

وان خلق الانسان والحن كلهم

هو المقصد الأقصى سواه وسايل

Though humans and jinn were all created,

he is the ultimate purpose; all besides him are means.

باذن الذي اعلاه قدراً ومنزلاً

له في امور الكاينات مداخل

By leave of Him who raised his rank and station,

he has influence in the affairs of created beings.

ارادته في كل صنع كساعد

وساير اسباب الوجود انامل

In every act of making, his will is like a forearm,

and all other causes of existence are fingertips.

فلو لم يكن مربوطة بولاية

بشخص وجود الممكنات مفاصل

Were they not bound by his spiritual authority—

the joints within the body of contingent existence—

لردت عن الأعراض كرها جواهر

وفرت عن الأرواح رعبا هياكل

substances would recoil unwillingly from accidents,

and bodies would flee from souls in terror.

إلى الدهر قهراً لو شاء بنظرة

تقطع من نظم الوجود السلاسل

If he willed, one glance could forcibly and forever

sever the chains of existence's order.

هو الآية الكبرى صلاحا وسيفه

بلاء على الأعدا من اللَه ناذل

He is the greatest sign in righteousness, and his sword

an affliction descending upon enemies from God.

فكيف اراعي غيره متجاهلاً

امن هو مفصول كمن هو فاصل

How, then, could I heed another, feigning ignorance?

Is one subject to judgment like the one who judges?

فكيف اساوي ذلك الدر بالمصى

امن هو عالٍ مثل من هو سافل

How could I equate that pearl with gravel?

Is one exalted like one who is low?

خلافته لطف على اهل عصره

فمات مع الحرمان منها الأوايل

His caliphate is a grace to the people of his age;

the earlier generations died deprived of it.

فلا شك انا خير خلق وامته

فليس كمهجور الأحبّة واصل

No doubt we, his community, are the best of creation;

one united with loved ones is unlike one they forsake.

ولي على اهل الولاية فايق

على إلى اعلا المدارج نايل

A guardian surpassing all who hold spiritual authority,

Ali, attaining the loftiest ranks.

مطابق دعوى الحق من معجزاته

لحقيته الاسلام قامت دلايل

His miracles bear out his claim to truth;

proofs of his rightful standing in Islam have arisen.

فلو لم يحقق من معلم فيضه

حقيقة اشكال المسايل سايل

Had no questioner learned from the school of his bounty

the truth behind the difficulties of questions,

لدامت على ابهامه وخفانه

إلى الحشر في كل الأمور المسائل

they would have remained obscure and hidden,

until the Resurrection—the questions in every affair.

عناية عمّت على كل من اتى

وما رد ممنوع المنى منه سايل

A care that embraced everyone who came;

no petitioner left him denied his wishes.

لمخلصه حقا وان قل ذكره

بنسبه امر المنى متساهل

For one truly devoted to him, however little he recalls him,

through connection with him, the pursuit of wishes is eased.

لمبعضه جهلا وان ذم فضله

بتذكاره يمناً تحل المشاكل

For one who hates him in ignorance, even if he disparages his merit,

invoking him for blessing resolves difficulties.

فلله علم مختف في ولاية

وجاهل ذاك العلم للّه جاهل

God has a knowledge hidden in spiritual authority,

and whoever lacks that knowledge is ignorant of God.

ولايته لطف من اللَه في الملا

فذ وغفلة عنها عن اللَه غافل

His spiritual authority is a grace from God among the people,

a singular one; neglect of it is heedlessness of God.

مطاوعه بالصدق في الحشر خالص

مبايعه في الدهر للخير عامل

One who obeys him sincerely is saved at the Resurrection;

one who pledges him allegiance works for good throughout life.

تعاديه اولاد الزناء تعصبا

فيا ليت ام الدهر من ذاك حايل

Those born of fornication oppose him out of fanaticism;

would that the mother of time were barren of such offspring!

عليك سلام اللَه يا منبع السخا

ويا من لافعال العجايب فاعل

God's peace be upon you, O fountain of generosity,

and O you who perform wondrous deeds!

فضولي فقير عاجزٌ متحيرٌ

بلطفك محتاج بجودك آمل

Fuzuli is poor, powerless, bewildered,

needing your kindness, hoping for your generosity.

إلى من بين الحال عن مصايب

وانت لا نجاح المطالب كافل

To whom should I explain my plight amid calamities,

when you guarantee the fulfillment of requests?