ماnot محاerased الذنبَthe guilt عنfrom ذويthose guilty of الاقترافِwrongdoing
ما محا الذنبَ عن ذوي الاقترافِ
قَطُّever كالاعتذارlike apology والاِعترافِand confession
قَطُّ كالاعتذار والاِعترافِ
Nothing has ever erased guilt from those who commit it
Wrongdoing is not erased by mere apologies and confessions.
like apology and confession.
Your sincere apology we accepted when you came
قدindeed قبِلْناwe accepted اعتذارَكyour apology المحضَsincere لمّاwhen
قد قبِلْنا اعتذارَك المحضَ لمّا
جِئْتَyou came مُسْتَجْدِياًbegging لعَفْوٍfor a pardon معافِrestoring well-being
جِئْتَ مُسْتَجْدِياً لعَفْوٍ معافِ
We accepted your sincere apology when
Seeking pardon for your trespass.
you came begging for a healing pardon.
We forgave a slip that was not intended by you,
وصَفَحْناand we pardoned عنfor زَلَّةٍa lapse لمnot تكنْwas مِنfrom
وصَفَحْنا عن زَلَّةٍ لم تكنْ مِن
كَyou مُراداًintended ولاnor أَتَتit arose عنfrom خِلافِdissent
كَ مُراداً ولا أَتَت عن خِلافِ
And we pardoned a lapse that had not been
Nor did it arise from malice.
intended by you, nor arisen from dissent.
My knowledge of your pure affection suffices me,
إنindeed عِلمِيmy knowledge بمحضof the purity of وُدِّكyour affection مُغْنٍsufficient
إن عِلمِي بمحض وُدِّك مُغْنٍ
لكfor you عِنديin my eyes عنin place of اعتِذاركyour apology كافِenough
لك عِندي عن اعتِذارك كافِ
Indeed, my knowledge of your pure affection suffices
Making your apology to me adequate.
to spare you an apology; in my eyes it is enough.
Yet the wise one whose sleep is not disturbed
غَيرَexcept أَنthat اللبِيبَthe wise person منone who لمnot يَنَمْslept عنconcerning
غَيرَ أَن اللبِيبَ من لم يَنَمْ عن
شُبُهاتِambiguities الأُمورِaffairs والاختلافand disagreement
شُبُهاتِ الأُمورِ والاختلاف
Yet the wise man is one who does not sleep through
By ambiguities and differences of opinion,
the ambiguities of affairs and disagreements.
His judgment is to take a weighty and clear view.
حُكْمُthe rule منone who قَدَّمgave precedence to النباهةَalertness أنto يَغْgo forth (first part)
حُكْمُ من قَدَّم النباهةَ أن يَغْ
دوgo forth (completion) برأْيٍwith judgment جَزْلٍsound وفِكرٍand thought صافِclear
دو برأْيٍ جَزْلٍ وفِكرٍ صافِ
The rule for one who puts alertness first is to
Had your wrong sprung from intent, not inadvertence,
go forth with sound judgment and clear thought.
We would have sought justice and redress.
لوif أتىarose الذنْبُthe fault منكfrom you فيin غيرِother than سهوٍinadvertence
لو أتى الذنْبُ منك في غيرِ سهوٍ
لقبِلناwe would have accepted الإنصافfairness والانتصافِand redress
لقبِلنا الإنصاف والانتصافِ
Had your fault arisen from anything but inadvertence,
We know you as the loyal keeper of secrets,
we would have accepted fairness and redress.
The guardian of trust, the just mediator.
قدindeed علمناwe know بأنّكthat you are المخلِصُthe sincere one الحاthe guardian (first part)
قد علمنا بأنّك المخلِصُ الحا
فظguardian (completion) لِلغيبِin absence والولِيُّand the loyal friend المصافيsincere in friendship
فظ لِلغيبِ والولِيُّ المصافي
We know you are sincere, one who keeps faith
In my eyes you have a status that poetry’s meters
in absence, a loyal and devoted friend.
Could never reckon or enumerate.
لكfor you عنديwith me فقَرَّso be content عيناin the eye منof المُكْthe standing (first part)
لك عندي فقَرَّ عينا من المُكْ
نَةstanding (completion) ماwhat لاnot تُحْصِيهcan reckon it مِنّيfrom me القوافيthe rhymes
نَة ما لا تُحْصِيه مِنّي القوافي
With me—so let your eyes find comfort—you have such
My backing you each morning springs not
standing as no rhymes of mine can measure.
From you, but from my nature and upbringing.
ليسis not نصرِيmy support لكfor you الغداةَthis morning بِنَاءٍfar away
ليس نصرِي لك الغداةَ بِنَاءٍ
عنكfrom you منّيfrom me ولاnor حِفاظِيmy loyal care بعافِfaded
عنك منّي ولا حِفاظِي بعافِ
My support for you this morning is not far
How often, by the just Imam, when they attacked
from you, nor has my loyal care faded.
With sharp blades, did we shelter your feathers.
كمhow often سَقَيناwe made drink عِداكyour enemies عِنْدَbefore الإمامthe Imam الthe
كم سَقَينا عِداك عِنْدَ الإمام ال
عَدْلِjust إذwhen فَنَّدُواthey found fault بِسُمّwith poison ذعافِdeadly
عَدْلِ إذ فَنَّدُوا بِسُمّ ذعافِ
How often we made your foes drink before the Imam,
When you were stripped bare of retainers and guards
the just, when they found fault, a deadly poison!
It was I who, for your sake, showed grace and favor.
وكَسَوْناand we clothed رِيشاًfeathers جناحَيْكyour two wings لمّاwhen
وكَسَوْنا رِيشاً جناحَيْك لمّا
عِرياboth were bare مِنof قوادمٍprimary flight feathers وخوافِand secondary flight feathers
عِريا مِن قوادمٍ وخوافِ
And we clothed your two wings in feathers when
I look upon you with the eye of one whose affection
they were bare of primary and secondary flight feathers.
Flows as pure as clear draughts of wine.
وأَناand I فيconcerning الجميلِthe kindness عنكon your behalf لنفسِيto myself
وأَنا في الجميلِ عنك لنفسِي
شاكرٌgrateful حامدٌpraising وجازٍand rewarding مُكافِrepaying
شاكرٌ حامدٌ وجازٍ مُكافِ
And for the kindness, on your behalf I give myself
I watch over your welfare until I see
thanks and praise, reward and repayment.
Its roots nourished, not withering and dry.
إنّنيindeed I ناظرٌlooking إليكat you بعَيْنَيْwith the two eyes of
إنّني ناظرٌ إليك بعَيْنَيْ
مَنْone who صَفَاbecame pure وُدُّهُhis affection صفاءَwith the purity of السُّلافِthe choicest wine
مَنْ صَفَا وُدُّهُ صفاءَ السُّلافِ
Indeed, I look upon you with the eyes
of one whose affection is pure as the choicest wine.
ومُراعٍand tending لحُسْنِto the goodness of حالكyour condition حتّىso that
ومُراعٍ لحُسْنِ حالك حتّى
لاnot أرىI see غَرْسَهاits plant سريعَrapid in الجفافِdrying out
لا أرى غَرْسَها سريعَ الجفافِ
And I tend your well-being, so that
I do not see its plant quickly dry out.
Partial English translation: 26 of 30 Arabic lines translated.