عيونكِyour eyes أزهىmore radiant منthan النرجسِthe narcissus
عيونكِ أزهى من النرجسِ
وريقكِand your saliva أشهىmore delectable منthan الأكؤسِthe goblets
وريقكِ أشهى من الأكؤسِ
Your eyes are more radiant than the narcissus.
Your eyes are more radiant than daffodils
And your saliva is more delectable than the goblets.
And your cheeks more alluring than goblets
ووجهكِand your face كالصبحlike dawn فيهin it الهدىguidance
ووجهكِ كالصبح فيه الهدى
لمنfor whoever ضلّlost his way فيin شعركِyour hair الحُندسpitch-dark
لمن ضلّ في شعركِ الحُندس
And your face is like dawn, with guidance in it
Your face shines like the dawn, guiding
for whoever is lost in your pitch-dark hair.
Those lost in the maze of your wavy hair
وقدّكِand your figure كالرمحlike a spear منfrom فوقهabove it
وقدّكِ كالرمح من فوقه
نبالُthe arrows لحاظِكِof your glances تحتbeneath القِسِيthe bows
نبالُ لحاظِكِ تحت القِسِي
And your figure is like a spear; above it
Your stature is like a spear atop which
are the arrows of your glances beneath the bows.
Are missiles from your glances beneath the veil
ولمand not أرI see قبلكِbefore you شمسthe sun الضحىof forenoon
ولم أر قبلكِ شمس الضحى
تبدّتappeared منfrom الفلكthe celestial sphere الأطلسيstarless
تبدّت من الفلك الأطلسي
And before you I never saw the forenoon sun
Never before have I seen the dawn sun
emerge from the starless celestial sphere.
Rise from the crystal sphere of the heavens
فياso, O بانةًa bān tree غصنهاits branch المجتليrevealed to view
فيا بانةً غصنها المجتلي
بغيرin anything other than فؤاديَmy heart لمnot يُغرَسbe planted
بغير فؤاديَ لم يُغرَس
So, O bān tree, whose revealed branch
O you whose bending branch cannot be grafted
has been planted nowhere but in my heart.
Except onto my heart that pines no other
رعىmay preserve اللهGod ماwhat مرّpassed لمّاwhen حلاgrew sweet
رعى الله ما مرّ لمّا حلا
لقلبيَto my heart منfrom وصلكunion with you الأنفسmost precious
لقلبيَ من وصلك الأنفس
May God preserve the past, when it grew sweet
May God tend what was joined when you met me
to my heart through your most precious union.
The most precious union of souls
فإنfor if كنتI should أنساهI forget it لاmay not نالنيreach me
فإن كنت أنساه لا نالني
حنانُthe kindness عليِّof Ali الرضاal-Rida الكيّسthe discerning
حنانُ عليِّ الرضا الكيّس
For if I forget it, may I never receive
If I forget you, no kindness comforts me
the kindness of Ali al-Rida, the discerning.
From the wise satisfied with me
همامa noble man عرِيfree منof جميعall العيوبfaults
همام عرِي من جميع العيوب
ولكنّهbut he بالبهاin splendor مكتسيis clothed
ولكنّه بالبها مكتسي
A noble man, free of every fault,
My passion is free of all faults
yet he is clothed in splendor.
Though clad in amazing splendor
تفرّعbranched forth منfrom سدرةthe Lote Tree المنتهىof the Utmost Boundary
تفرّع من سدرة المنتهى
كثيرabundant الجنىin fruit طيّبgood المغرسin planting-ground
كثير الجنى طيّب المغرس
He sprang as a branch from the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary,
It stems from the Lote Tree of the endpoint
rich in fruit, planted in goodly soil.
Abundant, goodly and deep-rooted
فكانthus there was لهfor him قَدمٌa footing بالتراثthrough inheritance
فكان له قَدمٌ بالتراث
رفيعٌhigh علىabove شامخlofty الأرؤسheads
رفيعٌ على شامخ الأرؤس
Thus, through inheritance, he had a footing
Thus it has a sublime footing in tradition
high above the loftiest heads.
Lofty over the highest summits
وأمستand became حماةُHama لهfor him كالعروسlike a bride
وأمست حماةُ له كالعروس
بغيرwith anything other than مزاياهhis virtues لمnot تَأنسfeel at ease
بغير مزاياه لم تَأنس
And Hama became like a bride to him,
And its protectors have become like brides
finding comfort in nothing but his virtues.
Who find no charm but its virtues
فتىa young man حملُهhis bearing لمnot يزلcease دائماًalways
فتى حملُه لم يزل دائماً
يقابلmeets بالصفحwith pardon فعلَthe deed المسيof the wrongdoer
يقابل بالصفح فعلَ المسي
A young man whose bearing has always
The burden it bears has always been
met the wrongdoer's deed with pardon.
To reward harm with forgiveness
تضيقfeel constricted المحافلthe assemblies شوقاًout of longing إليهfor him
تضيق المحافل شوقاً إليه
إذاwhen هوhe فيin الصدرthe place of honor لمnot يجلسsit
إذا هو في الصدر لم يجلس
Assemblies are distressed by longing for him
Gatherings feel too small, so eager
when he does not sit in the place of honor.
Are they for it when it does not sit
فياso, O سيّداًmaster غيرother than حاليsweet طلاwine
فيا سيّداً غير حالي طلا
مدائحِهhis praises قطّever لاnot أحتسيI sip
مدائحِه قطّ لا أحتسي
So, O master, none but the sweet wine
My lord, change my state for I cannot
of his praises do I ever sip.
Sing his praises, I have no gift
وياand O مقصداًdestination منذsince يمّمتهI turned toward it
ويا مقصداً منذ يمّمته
لنيلto attain رجائيَmy hope لمnot أيأَسI despair
لنيل رجائيَ لم أيأَس
And O destination, since I turned toward it,
He is the goal I sought when I resolved
I have not despaired of attaining my hope.
To attain my hopes and not despair
بجدّكby your grandsire عذراًpardon لشخصٍfor a man غداhas become
بجدّك عذراً لشخصٍ غدا
لدىwhen مدحpraising قدركyour worth كالمفلسlike a bankrupt
لدى مدح قدرك كالمفلس
By your grandsire, pardon a man who has become
Your merit excuses one who has become
in praising your worth, like a bankrupt.
Bankrupt at praising your worth
فكلّfor every فصيحٍeloquent speaker لهhe has فطنةٌinsight
فكلّ فصيحٍ له فطنةٌ
يرىis seen فيin رحابكyour spacious courts كالأخرسlike a mute
يرى في رحابك كالأخرس
For every eloquent speaker endowed with insight
For every eloquent man of wisdom
appears like a mute in your spacious courts.
Is mute in awe of your nobility
ودمand live on لاحظتكmay they watch over you السعودthe auspicious stars الّتيwhose
ودم لاحظتك السعود الّتي
سناthe radiance نورهاof their light قطُّever لمnot يطمسbe blotted out
سنا نورها قطُّ لم يطمس
And live on, watched over by the auspicious stars whose
And I noticed the good fortune you have shaped
light's radiance has never been blotted out,
Whose pure light time can never obscure
مدىthroughout الدهرall time ماas long as صحّproved true فيكin you الرجاhope
مدى الدهر ما صحّ فيك الرجا
وماand as long as طابwas pleasing مدحكpraising you للأنفُسto souls
وما طاب مدحك للأنفُس
throughout time, so long as hope in you proves true,
As long as sincerity in you holds true
and so long as praise of you delights souls,
And praising you nourishes souls
وماand as long as قالsaid صبٌّa lovesick lover لمحبوبةٍto a beloved woman
وما قال صبٌّ لمحبوبةٍ
عيونكِyour eyes أزهىmore radiant منthan النرجسthe narcissus
عيونكِ أزهى من النرجس
and so long as a lovesick lover says to a beloved woman:
No lover said to his beloved
Your eyes are more radiant than the narcissus.
Your eyes are more radiant than daffodils