من عاشق ناء هواه دان — Safi Al Din Al Hilli

مِن عاشِقٍ ناءٍ هَواهُ دانِ

ناطِقِ دَمعٍ صامِتِ اللِسانِ

From a far-off lover whose love is near,

Whose tears speak, whose tongue is silent,

مَوثَقِ قَلبٍ مُطلَقِ الجُثمانِ

مُعَذَّبٍ بِالصَدِّ وَالهِجرانِ

Whose heart is bound, whose body is free,

Tormented by rejection and estrangement,

طَليقِ دَمعٍ قَلبُهُ في أَسرِ

مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ كَسَبَت يَداهُ

Whose tears run free, whose heart is captive,

For no sin his hands have earned,

غَيرَ هَوىً نَمَّت بِهِ عَيناهُ

شَوقاً إِلى رُؤيَةِ مَن أَشقاهُ

Save a passion his eyes betrayed,

Yearning to see the one who made him wretched,

كَأَنَّما عافاهُ مَن أَبلاهُ

إِذ كانَ أَصلُ نَفعِهِ وَالضِرِّ

As though the one who afflicted him had healed him,

Since he was the source of his benefit and harm.

يا وَيحَهُ مِن عاشِقٍ ما يَلقي

مِن أَدمُعٍ مَنهَلَّةٍ ما تَرقا

Alas for him, a lover—what he suffers!

From streaming tears that never cease.

ذابَ إِلى أَن كادَ يَفنى عِشقا

وَعَن دَقيقِ الفِكرِ عَنهُ دَقّا

He melted until he nearly perished of love,

And grew finer than the keenest thought about him,

فَكادَ يَخفى عَن دَقيقِ الفِكرِ

لَم يَبقَ مِنهُ غَيرَ طَرفٍ يَبكي

So he nearly eluded the keenest thought.

Nothing remains of him but an eye that weeps,

بِأَدمُعٍ مِثلِ نِظامِ السِلكِ

يُخمِدُ نيرانَ الهَوى وَيُذكي

With tears like beads arranged upon a thread;

It quenches the fires of love and kindles them.

كَأَنَّها قَطرَ السَماءِ تَحكي

هَيهاتَ هَل قيسَ دَمٌ بِقَطرِ

As though they mimicked the rain of heaven.

Far from it! Can blood be compared with rain?

إِلى غَزالٍ مِن بَني النَصارى

فَضَّلَ بِالحُسنِ عَلى العَذارى

To a gazelle from among the Christians,

Favored for beauty above the maidens;

كُلُّ الوَرى مِنذُ نَشا حَيارى

في رِبقَةِ الحُبِّ لَهُ أَسارى

Since he grew up, all mankind are bewildered,

In love's halter, captives to him.

يُنشِدُ قَولَ مُدرِكٍ في عَمرِو

يا عَمرُو ناشَدتُكَ بِالمَسيحِ

He recites Mudrik's words concerning Amr:

O Amr, I adjure you by Christ,

أَلّا سَمِعتَ القَولَ مِن نَصيحِ

يُعرِبُ عَن قَلبٍ لَهُ جَريحِ

Will you not hear the words of a sincere adviser,

Who speaks of his wounded heart,

لَيسَ مِنَ الحُبِّ بِمُستَريحِ

كَسيرِ قَلبٍ ما لَهُ مِن جَبرِ

That finds no respite from love,

A broken heart for which there is no mending?

يا عَمرُو بِالحَقِّ مِنَ اللاهوتِ

وَالروحِ روحِ القُدسِ وَالناسوتِ

O Amr, by the truth of divinity,

And the Spirit—the Holy Spirit—and human nature,

ذاكَ الَّذي خَصَّ مِنَ النِعوتِ

بِالنُطقِ في المَهدِ وَبِالسِكوتِ

He who, among his attributes, was distinguished

By speech in the cradle and by silence,

وَأَنشَرَ المَيتَ بِبَطنِ القَبرِ

بِحَقِّ ناسوتٍ بِبَطنِ مَريَمِ

And raised the dead man within the grave;

By the human nature within Mary's womb,

حَلَّ مَحَلَّ الروحِ مِنها في الفَمِ

ثُمَّ اِستَحالَ في القَنومِ الأَقدَمِ

That occupied the spirit's place in her mouth,

Then was transformed within the most ancient hypostasis,

يُكَلِّمُ الناسَ وَلَمّا يُفطَمِ

مُصَرِّحاً عَن أُمِّهِ بِالعُذرِ

Speaking to the people before he was weaned,

Declaring his mother's innocence;

بِحَقِّ مَن بَعدَ المَماتِ قُمَّصا

ثَوباً عَلى مِقدارِهِ ما قُصِّصا

By him who after death was clothed

In a robe his size that had not been cut,

وَكانَ لِلَّهِ تَقِياً مُخلِصاً

وَمُبرِئاً مِن أَكمِهِ وَأَبرَصا

Who was devout and sincere toward God,

And cured those born blind and the leprous,

بِما لَديهِ مِن خَفِيَّ السِرِّ

بِحَقِّ مُحيِي صورَةِ الطُيورِ

Through the hidden mystery he possessed;

By the giver of life to the form of birds,

بِالنَفخِ في المَوتى وَفي القُبورِ

وَمَن إِلَيهِ مَرجِعُ الأُمورِ

By breathing into the dead and into graves,

And by him to whom all affairs return,

يَعلَمُ ما في البَرِّ وَالبُحورِ

وَما بِهِ صَرفُ القَضاءِ يَجري

Who knows what is on land and in the seas,

And that through which the course of fate proceeds;

بِحَقِّ مَن في شامِخِ الصَوامِعِ

مِن ساجِدٍ لِرَبِّهِ وَراكِعِ

By whoever is in lofty monasteries,

Prostrating to his Lord and bowing,

يَبكي إِذا ما نامَ كُلِّ هاجِعِ

خوفاً مِنَ اللَهِ بِدَمعٍ هامِعِ

Weeping when every sleeper has fallen asleep,

For fear of God, with streaming tears,

وَيَهجُرُ اللَذّاتِ طولَ العُمرِ

بِحَقِّ قَومٍ حَلَقوا الرُؤوسا

And forsaking pleasures all his life;

By people who have shaved their heads,

وَعالَجوا طولَ الحَياةِ بوسا

وَقَرَعوا في البَيعَةِ الناقوسا

And endured misery all their lives,

And rang the bell within the church,

مُشَمعِلينَ يَعبُدونَ عيسى

قَد أَخلَصوا في سِرِّهِم وَالجَهرِ

Zealously hastening to worship Jesus,

Sincere in private and in public;

بِحَقِّ ماري مَريَمٍ وَبولُسِ

بِحَقِّ شَمعونَ الصَفا وَبُطرُسِ

By Mar Maryam and Paul,

By Simon the Rock and Peter,

بِحَقِّ دانيلٍ وَحَقِّ يونُسِ

بِحَقِّ حَزقيلَ وَبَيتِ المَقدِسِ

By Daniel and by Jonah,

By Ezekiel and Jerusalem,

وَكُلَّ أَوّابٍ رَحيبِ الصَدرِ

وَنينَوى إِذ قامَ يَدعو رَبَّهُ

And every open-hearted penitent;

And Nineveh, when he rose to invoke his Lord,

مُطَهِّراً مِن كُلِّ ذَنبٍ قَلبَهُ

وَمُستَقيلٍ فَأُقيلَ ذَنبُهُ

Cleansing his heart of every sin,

And by one who sought pardon and whose sin was pardoned,

وَنالَ مِن أَبيهِ ما أَحَبَّهُ

إِذ رامَ مِن مَولاهُ شَدَّ الأَزرِ

And obtained from his father what he desired,

When he asked his Master to strengthen his back;

بِحَقِّ ما في قُلَّةِ المَيرونِ

مِن نافِعِ الأَدواءِ لِلجُنونِ

By what is in the jar of chrism,

Of what is beneficial against ailments, against madness;

بِحَقِّ ما يُؤثَرُ عَن شَمعونِ

مِن بَرَكاتِ النَخلِ وَالزَيتونِ

By what is handed down from Simon,

Of the blessings of palms and olives,

خِصبِ البِلادِ في السِنينَ الغُبرِ

بِحَقِّ أَعيادِ الصَليبِ الزُهرِ

The land's abundance in dusty years;

By the radiant feasts of the Cross,

وَعيدِ مارِيّا الرَفيعِ الذِكرِ

وَعيدِ أَشموني وَعيدِ الفِطرِ

And Maria's feast, lofty in renown,

And the feast of Ashmuni and the feast of breaking the fast,

وَبِالشَعانينِ الجَليلِ القَدرِ

مَواسِمٌ تَمنَعُ حَملَ الإِصرِ

And by Palm Sunday, exalted in worth,

Festivals that keep burdens from being borne;

وَعيدِ اَشَعيا وَبِالهَياكِلِ

وَالدُخَنِ اللاتي لِوَضعِ الحامِلِ

And Isaiah's feast, and by the sanctuaries,

And the fumigations for a pregnant woman's delivery,

يَشفى بِها مِن كُلِّ خَبلٍ خابِلِ

وَمِن دَخيلِ السُمِّ في المَفاصِلِ

By which one is healed of every maddening affliction,

And of poison infiltrating the joints,

لِكَونِها مِن كُلِّ داءٍ تَبري

بِحَقِّ سَبعينَ مِنَ العِبادِ

For they cure every disease;

By seventy worshippers,

قاموا بِدينِ اللَهِ في البِلادِ

وَأَرشَدوا الناسَ إِلى الرَشادِ

Who upheld God's religion in the lands,

And guided the people to right guidance,

حَتّى اِهتَدى مَن لَم يَكُن بِالهادي

وَحَقَّقَ الحَقُّ بِكَشفِ السَترِ

Until one who had not been a guide was guided,

And truth proved itself by lifting the veil;

بِحَقِّ الإِثني عَشَرَ مِنَ الأُمَمِ

ساروا إِلى الرَحمَنِ يَتلونَ الحِكَم

By the twelve from among the peoples,

Who journeyed toward the All-Merciful, reciting wisdom,

حَتّى إِذا صُبَحُ الهُدى جَلّا الظُلَم

صاروا إِلى اللَهِ فَفازوا بِالنِعَم

Until the dawn of guidance dispelled the darkness,

They went to God and gained blessings,

ثُمَّ اِستَداموها بِفَرطِ الشُكرِ

بِحَقِّ ما في مُحكَمِ الإِنجيلِ

Then sustained them through abundant gratitude;

By what is in the authoritative Gospel,

مِن مُنزَلِ التَحريمِ وَالتَحليلِ

وَبِالبَتولِ وَالأَبِ الهَيولي

Of revealed prohibitions and permissions,

And by the Virgin and the hylic Father,

بِحَقِّ جيلٍ قَد مَضى وَجيلِ

يُسنَدُ زَيدٌ عِلمَهُ عَن عَمرِو

By a generation gone before and a generation

Where Zayd ascribes his knowledge to Amr;

بِحَقِّ مارعَبدا التَقِيَّ الصالِحِ

بِحَقِّ لوقا بِالحَكيمِ الراجِحِ

By Mar Abda, the devout and righteous,

By Luke, by the wise and judicious one,

وَالشُهَداءِ بِالفَلا الصَحاصِحِ

مِن كُلِّ غادٍ مِنهُمُ وَرائِحِ

And by the martyrs in the vast, level deserts,

Each of them going forth at dawn and returning at dusk,

مُعتَبِرٌ في صَومِهِ وَالفِطرِ

بِحَقِّ مَعمودِيَّةِ الأَرواحِ

Taking heed in his fasting and his breaking of the fast;

By the baptism of souls,

وَالمَذبَحِ المَعمورِ في النَواحي

وَمَن بِهِ مِن لابِسِ الأَمساحِ

And the frequented altar in the regions,

And whoever there is clad in sackcloth,

مِن راهِبٍ باكٍ وَمِن نَوّاحِ

يَذرِفُ لَيلاً دَمعَهُ وَيُذري

A weeping monk, and a mourner,

Shedding his tears at night and scattering them;

بِحَقِّ تَقريبِكَ في الآحادِ

وَشُربِكَ القَهوَةَ كَالفِرصادِ

By your Eucharistic offering on Sundays,

And your drinking wine the color of mulberries,

وَما بِعَينَيكَ مِنَ السَوادِ

بِطولِ تَقطيعِكَ لِلأَكبادِ

And the blackness in your eyes,

By your long rending of livers,

وَسَلبِكَ العُشّاقَ حَسنَ الصَبرِ

بِحَقِّ شَمعونَ وَما يَرويهِ

And your robbing lovers of noble patience;

By Simon and what he relates,

بِالحَمدِ لِلَّهِ وَبِالتَنزيهِ

وَكُلِّ ناموسٍ لَهُ فَقيهِ

By praise to God and by declaring his transcendence,

And every sacred law with its jurist,

مُؤتَمَنٍ في دينِهِ وَجيهِ

مُتَّبَعٍ في نَهيِهِ وَالأَمرِ

Trusted in his religion and held in honor,

Whose prohibitions and commands are followed;

شَيخَينِ كانا مِن شُيوخِ العِلمِ

وَبَعضِ أَركانِ التُقى وَالحِلمِ

Two elders who were masters of learning,

And among the pillars of piety and forbearance,

لَم يَنطِقا قَطُّ بِغَيرِ الفَهمِ

مَوتُهُما كانَ حَياةَ الخَصمِ

Who never spoke without understanding,

Their deaths were their adversary's life,

وَعَنهُما أَخبَرَ كُلَّ حِبرِ

بِحُرمَةِ الأُسقُفِّ بِالمُطرانِ

And he told every scholar about them;

By the sanctity of the bishop, by the metropolitan,

وَالجاثِليقِ العالِمِ الرَبّاني

وَالقِسِّ وَالشَمّاسِ وَالغُفرانِ

And the catholicos, the godly scholar,

And the priest, the deacon, and forgiveness,

وَالبَطرَكِ الأَكبَرِ وَالرَهبانِ

وَالمُقرَبانِ ذي الخِصالِ الزُهرِ

And the supreme patriarch and the monks,

And the Muqraban, possessor of radiant virtues;

بِحُرمَةِ المَحبوسِ في أَعلى الجَبَل

بِحَقِّ لوقا حينَ صَلّى وَاِبتَهَل

By the sanctity of the one confined atop the mountain,

By Luke, when he prayed and supplicated,

وَبِالمَسيحِ المُرتَضى وَما فَعَل

وَبِالكَنيساتِ القَديماتِ الأُوَل

And by Christ, the chosen one, and what he did,

And by the ancient, earliest churches,

وَبِالَّذي يُتلى بِها مِن ذِكرِ

بِكُلِّ ناموسٍ لَهُ مُقَدَّمِ

And by the invocations recited there;

By every sacred law with its leader,

يُعَلِّمُ الناسَ وَلَما يَعلَمِ

بِحُرمَةِ الصَومِ الكَبيرِ الأَعظَمِ

Who teaches people although he has not yet learned;

By the sanctity of the great, supreme fast,

وَما حَوى الميلادُ لِاِبنِ مَريَمِ

مِن شَرَقٍ سامٍ عَظيمِ الفَخرِ

And what the birth of Mary's son contained,

Of lofty radiance and mighty glory;

بِحَقِّ يَومِ الذَبحِ في الإِشراقِ

وَلَيلَةِ الميلادِ وَالسُلاقِ

By the day of sacrifice at sunrise,

And the night of the Nativity and the Ascension,

بِالذَهَبِ الإِبريزِ لا الأَوراقِ

بِالفِصحِ يا مُهَذَّبَ الأَخلاقِ

By pure gold, not silver coinage,

By Easter, O one of refined character,

وَكُلِّ ميقاتٍ جَليلِ القَدرِ

أَلّا سَعَيتَ في رِضى أَديبِ

And every season exalted in worth;

Will you not strive to please a man of letters,

باعَدَهُ الحُبُّ عَنِ الحَبيبِ

فَذابَهُ شَوقاً إِلى المُذيبِ

Whom love has kept far from the beloved,

And melted with longing for the one who melts him?

أَعلى مُناهُ أَيسَرُ القَريبِ

مِن بَسطِ أَخلاقٍ وَحُسنِ بِشرِ

His highest wish is the easiest thing within reach:

A gracious manner and a welcoming smile.

وَاِنظُر أَميري في صَلاحِ أَمري

مُحتَسِباً فَيَّ عَظيمَ الأَجرِ

And, my prince, attend to setting my affairs right,

Seeking a great reward through me,

مُكتَسِباً مِنّي جَميلَ الشُكرِ

في نَظمِ أَلفاظِ وَنَظمِ شِعرِ

Winning from me beautiful thanks,

In arranged words and composed verse;

فَفيكَ نَظمي أَبَداً وَنَثري

For my verse and prose are forever about you.