دع نظم كلّ تغزّلِ

دع نظم كلّ تغزّلِ

في كلّ طرفٍ أكحلِ

في كلّ طرفٍ أكحلِ

Abandon composing every love poem

Let the composition of all love poetry cease,

about every kohl-dark eye.

In every eyelid lined with kohl.

فلقد تحوّل حلوُ تف

فلقد تحوّل حلوُ تف

فاح الملاح لحنظل

فاح الملاح لحنظل

For the sweet apples

For the sweetness of rhyme has changed,

of the fair have indeed turned to bitter colocynth.

And the salt of song turned bitter.

وطوى العفاف بساطه

وطوى العفاف بساطه

وفشا فسادُ الجهّل

وفشا فسادُ الجهّل

And chastity has rolled up its carpet,

Modesty has folded up its carpet,

and the corruption of the ignorant has spread.

And the ignorance of the foolish spreads corruption.

وغدت رؤوس أولى النهى

وغدت رؤوس أولى النهى

والفضل تحت الأرجل

والفضل تحت الأرجل

And the heads of those endowed with reason

The heads of piety and virtue,

and virtue have come to lie underfoot.

Lie beneath ignorant feet.

وأخو الفتوّة والمرو

وأخو الفتوّة والمرو

ءة مثل حرفٍ مهمل

ءة مثل حرفٍ مهمل

And the man of chivalry and honor

The brother of chivalry and manliness,

is like a neglected, unpointed letter.

Is like a neglected letter.

والناس يظهر زيفها

والناس يظهر زيفها

في وقع داء معضل

في وقع داء معضل

And people's falseness is exposed

And people reveal their hypocrisy,

when an intractable illness strikes.

In the grip of an intricate affliction.

فابعد وكن عنهم إذا

فابعد وكن عنهم إذا

رمتَ النجاة بمعزل

رمتَ النجاة بمعزل

So withdraw from them, and if

So turn away and distance yourself from them,

you seek deliverance, remain apart.

If you seek deliverance in isolation.

واشفع مسيرك بالسُرى

واشفع مسيرك بالسُرى

في جنح ليلٍ أليل

في جنح ليلٍ أليل

And couple your journey with night-travel

And accompany your journey with travel by night,

in the gloom of a pitch-dark night,

In the wings of a dark, tranquil night,

حتّى تلوح لك السوا

حتّى تلوح لك السوا

حلُ كالعرئس تنجلي

حلُ كالعرئس تنجلي

until the shores appear to you,

Until the horizons shine out for you,

unveiling themselves like brides.

Like a radiant bride unveiled.

لا سيّما عكا الّتي اف

لا سيّما عكا الّتي اف

تخرت بخير مبجّل

تخرت بخير مبجّل

Especially Acre, which

Especially Acre, which was honored,

has gloried in a revered man of goodness:

With the best and most eminent.

بعلّيها مَن عزمُه

بعلّيها مَن عزمُه

فوق السماكِ الأعزل

فوق السماكِ الأعزل

in her Ali, whose resolve

Its lord, whose determination,

is above al-Simak the Unarmed.

Is above the loftiest peaks.

سمحٌ إذا قابلتَه

سمحٌ إذا قابلتَه

صادفتَ أعظم منهل

صادفتَ أعظم منهل

Generous—when you meet him,

Magnanimous, if you meet him,

you find the greatest wellspring.

You find the greatest spring.

ورأيت خلقاً فيه أل

ورأيت خلقاً فيه أل

طفَ من نسيم الشمأل

طفَ من نسيم الشمأل

And you see in him a disposition gentler

And see in him the finest nature,

than the breeze of the north wind.

Gentler than the breeze at dusk.

وتراه إن دارت رحى ال

وتراه إن دارت رحى ال

هيجاء ليثَ الجحفل

هيجاء ليثَ الجحفل

And when battle's millstone turns, you see him

And if the millstone of war turns,

as the lion of the host.

He is a fierce lion uneasy to provoke.

وكأنّما هو بدر تم

وكأنّما هو بدر تم

مٍ في سحاب القسطل

مٍ في سحاب القسطل

And it is as though he were a full moon

As if he is a full moon, rising

amid clouds of battle-dust.

In clouds of gathered darkness.

أعداؤه مثل القطا

أعداؤه مثل القطا

وجنابه كالأجدل

وجنابه كالأجدل

His enemies are like sandgrouse,

His enemies are like insects,

and his noble person is like a falcon.

And his side like Indian aloeswood.

فطنٌ ترى آراءه

فطنٌ ترى آراءه

خلقت لحلّ المشكّل

خلقت لحلّ المشكّل

Astute—you see his counsels

Keen, his views appear,

fashioned to resolve the difficult.

Made to solve the difficult.

في الخير خفَّ كما النسي

في الخير خفَّ كما النسي

مُ وفي الوقار كيذبل

مُ وفي الوقار كيذبل

In good deeds, swift as the breeze,

He is gentle in goodness, like a soft breeze,

and in dignity, like Yadhbul.

And dignified like a withering stalk.

ورقى وخلّف حاسدي

ورقى وخلّف حاسدي

ه في الحضيض الأسفل

ه في الحضيض الأسفل

And he has risen, leaving his enviers

He ascended and left his envious detractors,

in the lowest depths.

In the lowest hollow.

سامي الذرى أمُّ المكا

سامي الذرى أمُّ المكا

رمِ بعده لم تحبل

رمِ بعده لم تحبل

Lofty of summit: the mother of noble deeds

Sublimely unique, the mother of settlements,

has not conceived again after him.

After him shall never again conceive.

فكأنّما هو في الأنا

فكأنّما هو في الأنا

م من الطراز الأوّل

م من الطراز الأوّل

So it is as though, among mankind,

It is as if he is of the finest calibre,

he were of the first rank.

Among people, with no equals.

لا يدّعي مثلاً له

لا يدّعي مثلاً له

في الناس غير الأحول

في الناس غير الأحول

None claims he has an equal

He claims no likeness to him,

among men, save the cross-eyed.

Among people, except the twisted and corrupt.

فلكم قصدت جنابه

فلكم قصدت جنابه

عند الزمان الممحل

عند الزمان الممحل

For how often I have sought his presence

So I headed to his side,

in barren times!

In a time of peril and crisis.

فسمعت همّته تقو

فسمعت همّته تقو

لُ وتلك مثل المُنصُل

لُ وتلك مثل المُنصُل

And heard his lofty resolve say—

And I heard his ambitions say,

and that resolve is like a sword-blade:

Like an awakening call:

لا سيف إلّا ذو الفقا

لا سيف إلّا ذو الفقا

ر ولا فتىً إلّا علي

ر ولا فتىً إلّا علي

“There is no sword but Dhu al-Fiqar,

“No sword but Dhu al-Faqar,

and no champion but Ali.”

And no youth but Ali!”