لما تناهى الصب في تشويقه

درر الدموع اعتاضها بعقيقه

When the lover reached the height of longing,

he exchanged the pearls of his tears for rubies.

متلهفٌ وفؤاده متلهب

كيف البقاء مع احتدام حريقه

He yearns, and his heart is aflame;

how can he survive such a raging fire?

متموج بحر الدموع بنجده

أنى خلاص يرتجى لغريقه

The sea of tears surges over his high ground;

what rescue can a drowning man hope for?

متجرع صاب النوى من هاجرٍ

ما إن يحن للاعجات مشوقه

He swallows the bitterness of separation from one who left,

whenever longing for his beloved stirs in him.

يسبي الخواطر حسنه ببديعه

يصبي النفوس جماله بأنيقه

His beauty, in its splendor, captivates thoughts;

his elegance makes souls fall in love.

قيد النواظر إذ يلوح لرامقٍ

لا تنشى الأحداق عن تحديقه

He holds gazes captive whenever he appears to a watcher;

eyes cannot turn away from looking at him.

للبدر لمحته كبشر ضيائه

للمسك نفحته كنشر فتيقه

The moon has a gleam like the brightness of his face;

musk has a scent like the fragrance of his perfume.

سكرت خواطر لامحيه كأنهم

شربوا من الصبا كأس رحيقه

The minds of those who glimpse him grow drunk, as though

they had drunk a cup of his pure wine in youth.

عطشوا لثغر لا سبيل لريقه

إلا كلمحهم للمع بريقه

They thirst for lips whose moisture they cannot reach,

except by glimpsing the flash of their gleam.

ما ضر مولىً عاشقوه عبيده

لو رق إشفاقاً لحال رقيقه

What harm would it do a master whose lovers are his servants

to soften in pity for the plight of his servant?

عنهه اصطباري ما أنا بمطيعه

مثل السلو ولا أنا بمطيقه

As for patience with him, I cannot obey it,

nor can I bear forgetfulness.

سجع الحمام يشوق ترجيع الهوى

فأثار شجو مشوقه بمشوقه

The doves’ cooing stirs the refrain of love,

rousing one yearning lover’s grief through another’s song.

وبكت هديلاً راعها تفريقه

ويحق أن يبكي أخو تفريقه

A dove cooed in tears, alarmed by separation;

one parted from a beloved has cause to weep.

وبكاء أمثالي حقٌّ لأنني

لم أقض للمولى أكيد حقوقه

And those like me have cause to weep, for I

have not fulfilled my Master’s binding rights.

وغفلت في زمن الشباب المنقضي

أقبح بنسخ بروره بعقوقه

I was heedless during the years of youth now gone;

how ugly to replace dutifulness with disobedience.

وبدا المشيب وفيه زجر ذوي النهى

لو كنت مزدجراً لشيم بروقه

Gray hair appeared, a warning to people of understanding,

if only its signs could make me heed it.

حسبي ندامة آسف مما جنى

يصل النشيج لوزره بشهيقه

Repentance suffices me, grieving for what I have done,

joining sob to gasp beneath the burden of my sin.

ويرم ما خرم الهوى زمن الصبا

ويروم من مولاه رتق فتوقه

It would mend what passion tore in the days of youth,

and seek from its Master the closing of its breaches.

ويردد الشكوى لديه تذللاً

عل الرضا يحبيه درك لحوقه

It repeats its complaint before Him in humility,

perhaps His favor will grant it what it seeks.

فيصح من سكر التصابي صحوه

نسخاً لحكم صبوحه بغبوقه

Then it may sober from the intoxication of youthful passion,

replacing the morning draught’s rule with the evening’s.

لو كنت يممت التقى وصحبته

وسلكت إيثاراً سواء طريقه

Had I turned toward piety and kept its company,

and chosen to follow its straight path,

لأفدت منه فوائداً وفرائداً

عرضت تسام لرإبح في سوقه

I would have gained benefits and rare treasures from it,

offered for profit in its market.

لله أرباب القلوب فإنهم

من حزب من نال الرضا وفريقه

How wondrous are the people of devoted hearts: they

belong to the company of those who have won favor.

قاموا وقد نام الأنام فنورهم

هتك الدجا بضيائه وشروقه

They stood while others slept, and their light

pierced the darkness with its radiance and dawn.

وتأنسوا بحبيبهم فلهم به

بشرٌ لصدق الفضل في تحقيقه

They found companionship with their Beloved, and through Him

the truth of grace brought joy to them.

قصرت عنهم عندما سبقوا المدى

ولسابق فضل على مسبوقه

I fell behind them when they passed the limit;

the one ahead excels the one behind.

لولا رجاء تلمحي من نورهم

يحيى الفؤاد بسيره وطروقه

Were it not for hope of glimpsing their light,

which revives the heart by its passing and arrival,

وتأرجٌ يستاف من أرواحهم

سبب انتعاش الروح طيب خلوقه

and of breathing a fragrance from their souls,

whose fine scent refreshes the spirit,

لفتنت من جراء جرائري التي

من خوفها قلبي حليف خفوقه

my offenses would have driven me to despair;

fear of them keeps my heart trembling.

ومعي رجاء توسل أعددته

ذخراً لصدمات الزمان وضيقه

Yet I have prepared a hope of intercession

as a reserve against time’s blows and hardships:

حبي ومدحي أحمد الهادي الذي

فوز الأنام يصح في تصديقه

my love and praise for Ahmad, the guide,

through belief in whom humankind’s salvation is assured.

أسمى الورى في منصب وبمنسب

من هاشم زاكي النجار عريقه

He is the loftiest of people in rank and lineage,

of the noble, deeply rooted line of Hashim.

الحق أظهره عقيب خفائه

والدين نظمه لدى تفريقه

He revealed the truth after it had been hidden,

and set religion in order when it was scattered.

ونفى هداه ضلالةً من جائرٍ

مستوثق بنعوته ولعوقه

His guidance dispelled the error of one who strayed,

though he had clung firmly to its marks and hindrances.

سبحان مرسله إلينا رحمة

يهدى ويهدي الفضل من توفيقه

Glory to the One who sent him to us as a mercy,

guiding and granting grace through His favor.

والمعجزات بدت بصدق رسوله

وحقيقه بالمأثرات خليقه

Miracles appeared in proof of His Messenger’s truth,

and he was worthy of noble deeds.

كالظبي في تكليمه والجذع في

تحنينه والبدر في تشقيقه

Such as the gazelle speaking to him, and the tree trunk

moaning for him, and the moon being split.

والنار إذ خمدت بنور ولاده

وأجاج ماءٍ قد حلا من ريقه

And the fire going out at the light of his birth,

and brackish water turning sweet through his saliva.

والزاد قل فزاد من بركاته

فكفى الجيوش بتمره وسويقه

Provisions were scarce, then grew through his blessings,

so that his dates and ground grain sufficed armies.

ونبوع ماء الكف من آياته

وسلام أحجار غدت بطريقه

Water springing from his hand was among his signs,

as was the greeting of stones along his path.

والنخل لما أن دعاه مشى له

ذا سرعة بعروقه وعذوقه

When he called the palm tree, it came to him,

swiftly, with its roots and fruit clusters.

والأرض عاينها وقد زويت له

فقريب ما فيها رأى كسحيقه

He looked upon the earth when it was drawn together for him,

and saw its near places as clearly as its distant ones.

وكذا ذراع الشاة قد نطقت له

نطق اللسان فصيحه وذليقه

The sheep’s foreleg likewise spoke to him,

with speech as clear and fluent as a tongue’s.

ورمى عداه بكف حصباء فانثنت

هرباً كمذعور الجنان فروقه

He threw a handful of pebbles at his enemies, and they turned

and fled like frightened, fainthearted men.

وعليه آيات الكتاب تنزلت

تتلى بعلو جلاله وبسوقه

The verses of the Book descended upon him,

recited in their lofty majesty and ordered course.

فأذيق من كأس المحبة صرفها

سبحان ساقيه بها ومذيقه

He was given the pure draught of love’s cup;

glory to the One who poured it and gave him to taste.

حاز السناء وناله بعروجه

جاز السماء طباقها بخروقه

He attained splendor through his ascent,

passing through the layered heavens.

ولكم له من آية من ربه

ورعاية وعناية بحقوقه

How many signs he received from his Lord,

and how much care and protection befitting him.

يا خيرة الأرسال عند إلهه

يا محرز العليا على مخلوقه

O choicest of messengers before his God,

O you who gained the highest station among His creatures:

علقت آمالي بجاهك عدة

والقصد ليس يخيب في تعليقه

I have fastened my hopes to your standing as my provision,

and hope does not fail when fastened there.

ووثقت من حبل اعتمادي عمدة

لتمسكي بقويه ووثيقه

I have secured a support from the cord of my trust

by holding firmly to its strength and soundness.

ولئن غدوت أخيذ ذنبي إنني

أرجو بقصدك أن أرى كطليقه

Though I am held captive by my sin,

I hope, by seeking you, to be freed.

وكساد سوقي مذ لجأت إلى بابكم

يقضي حصول نفوذه ونفوقه

Since I sought refuge at your door, my stagnant market

may gain circulation and thriving trade.

ويحن قلبي وهو في تغريبه

لمزاره لرياك في تشريقه

My heart yearns, even while far away,

for a visit to him and the eastern glow of seeing you.

وتزيد لوعته متى حث السرى

حاد حداً بجماله وبنوقه

Its anguish grows whenever, urging night travel onward,

a camel driver sings to his camels.

وأرى قشيب العمر أمسى بالياً

ومرور دهري جد في تمزيقه

I see the fresh fabric of life grown worn;

the passing of my days has set about tearing it.

وأخاف أن أقضي ولم أقض المنى

بنفوذ سهم منيتي ومروقه

I fear I will die before attaining my wish,

when the arrow of my death strikes and passes through.

فمتى أحط على اللوى رحلي وقد

بلغت ركابي للحمي وعقيقه

When shall I set down my baggage at al-Liwa,

my mounts having reached the sanctuary and al-Aqiq?

وأمرغ الخدين في تربٍ غدا

كالمسك في أرج شذا منشوقه

When shall I press my cheeks into earth

as fragrant to the breath as musk?

وأعيد إنشادي وإنشائي الثنا

ببديع نظم قريحتي ورقيقه

When shall I sing again and compose praise

in the fine and tender verse of my imagination,

حتى أميل العاشقيين تطرباً

كالغصن مر صباً على ممشوقه

until I move lovers with delight,

like a branch bent by a breeze over a slender form?

وتحية التسليم أبلغ شافعي

وثنا المديح حديثه وعتيقه

Let my greeting of peace be the strongest intercessor for me,

together with praise, both new and old.

ولذي الفخار وذي العلى ووزيره

صديقه وأخي الهدى فاروقه

And to the possessor of honor and high rank, his minister,

his companion, and the guide’s brother, al-Faruq:

مني السلام عليهم كالزهر في

تأليفها والزهر في تأليفه

from me be peace upon them, like flowers

in their arrangement and blossoms in their composition.