سلوا قلبي Salou Qalbi (Ask My Heart)

سَلوا قَلبي غَداةَ سَلا وَثابا — لَعَلَّ عَلى الجَمالِ لَهُ عِتابا

Salu qalbi ghadata sala wa-thaba — la'alla 'ala l-jamali lahu 'itaba

Ask my heart, the morning it forgot and then relapsed — perhaps it holds some reproach against beauty ✦ ✦

وَيُسأَلُ في الحَوادِثِ ذو صَوابٍ — فَهَل تَرَكَ الجَمالُ لَهُ صَوابا

Wa-yus'alu fi l-hawadithi dhu sawabin — fa-hal taraka l-jamalu lahu sawaba

In hard times people consult the clear-headed man — but has beauty left him any clear head at all? ✦

وَكُنتُ إِذا سَأَلتُ القَلبَ يَومًا — تَوَلّى الدَمعُ عَن قَلبي الجَوابا

Wa-kuntu idha sa'altu l-qalba yawman — tawalla d-dam'u 'an qalbi l-jawaba

Whenever I put a question to my heart — my tears would take the answer upon themselves

وَلي بَينَ الضُلوعِ دَمٌ وَلَحمٌ — هُما الواهي الَّذي ثَكِلَ الشَبابا

Wa-li bayna d-dulu'i damun wa-lahmun — huma l-wahi lladhi thakila sh-shababa

Within my ribs there is blood, there is flesh — one frail thing together, mourning its own lost youth

تَسَرَّبَ في الدُموعِ فَقُلتُ وَلّى — وَصَفَّقَ في الضُلوعِ فَقُلتُ ثابا

Tasarraba fi d-dumu'i fa-qultu walla — wa-saffaqa fi d-dulu'i fa-qultu thaba

It drained away in tears, and I said: it is gone — then it beat against my ribs, and I said: it has returned

وَلَو خُلِقَت قُلوبٌ مِن حَديدٍ — لَما حَمَلَت كَما حَمَلَ العَذابا

Wa-law khuliqat qulubun min hadidin — lama hamalat kama hamala l-'adhaba

Had hearts been forged out of iron — they could not have carried what mine has carried of torment

وَلا يُنبيكَ عَن خُلُقِ اللَيالي — كَمَن فَقَدَ الأَحِبَّةَ وَالصَحابا

Wa-la yunbika 'an khuluqi l-layali — ka-man faqada l-ahibbata wa-s-sahaba

And no one can tell you the true nature of the nights — like one who has lost his loved ones and companions

فَمَن يَغتَرُّ بِالدُنيا فَإِنّي — لَبِستُ بِها فَأَبلَيتُ الثِيابا

Fa-man yaghtarru bi-d-dunya fa-inni — labistu biha fa-ablaytu th-thiyaba

Let others be deceived by this world — I have worn its garments and worn them through ✦

جَنَيتُ بِرَوضِها وَردًا وَشَوكًا — وَذُقتُ بِكَأسِها شُهدًا وَصابا

Janaytu bi-rawdiha wardan wa-shawkan — wa-dhuqtu bi-ka'siha shuhdan wa-saba

In its garden I gathered both rose and thorn — and from its cup I tasted honey and bitter aloes

فَلَم أَرَ غَيرَ حُكمِ اللَهِ حُكمًا — وَلَم أَرَ دونَ بابِ اللَهِ بابا

Fa-lam ara ghayra hukmi llahi hukman — wa-lam ara duna babi llahi baba

So I have found no judgment but the judgment of God — and I have found no door short of the door of God ✦

وَأَنَّ البِرَّ خَيرٌ في حَياةٍ — وَأَبقى بَعدَ صاحِبِهِ ثَوابا

Wa-anna l-birra khayrun fi hayatin — wa-abqa ba'da sahibihi thawaba

And righteousness is best while a man still lives — and outlasts its doer as enduring reward

نَبِيُّ البِرِّ بَيَّنَهُ سَبيلًا — وَسَنَّ خِلالَهُ وَهَدى الشِعابا

Nabiyyu l-birri bayyanahu sabilan — wa-sanna khilalahu wa-hada sh-shi'aba

The Prophet of righteousness marked it out as a road — traced its ways and guided through the mountain passes

وَكانَ بَيانُهُ لِلهَديِ سُبلًا — وَكانَت خَيلُهُ لِلحَقِّ غابا

Wa-kana bayanuhu li-l-hadyi sublan — wa-kanat khayluhu li-l-haqqi ghaba

His eloquence became highways for guidance — and his horses a forest of lances around the truth

وَعَلَّمَنا بِناءَ المَجدِ حَتّى — أَخَذنا إِمرَةَ الأَرضِ اِغتِصابا

Wa-'allamana bina'a l-majdi hatta — akhadhna imrata l-ardi ghtisaba

He taught us how glory is built — until we seized command of the earth by storm

وَما نَيلُ المَطالِبِ بِالتَمَنّي — وَلَكِن تُؤخَذُ الدُنيا غِلابا

Wa-ma naylu l-matalibi bi-t-tamanni — wa-lakin tu'khadhu d-dunya ghilaba

Goals are never attained by wishing — the world is only ever taken by striving ✦

وَما اِستَعصى عَلى قَومٍ مَنالٌ — إِذا الإِقدامُ كانَ لَهُم رِكابا

Wa-ma sta'sa 'ala qawmin manalun — idha l-iqdamu kana lahum rikaba

And no prize has ever defied a people — who make boldness the mount they ride ✦

أَبا الزَهراءِ قَد جاوَزتُ قَدري — بِمَدحِكَ بَيدَ أَنَّ لِيَ اِنتِسابا

Aba z-Zahra'i qad jawaztu qadri — bi-madhika bayda anna liya ntisaba

Father of al-Zahra, in praising you I have overreached my station — and yet I claim a kinship of my own ✦

فَما عَرَفَ البَلاغَةَ ذو بَيانٍ — إِذا لَم يَتَّخِذكَ لَهُ كِتابا

Fa-ma 'arafa l-balaghata dhu bayanin — idha lam yattakhidhka lahu kitaba

For no master of speech has ever known eloquence — unless he took you for his book

مَدَحتُ المالِكينَ فَزِدتُ قَدرًا — فَحينَ مَدَحتُكَ اِقتَدتُ السَحابا

Madahtu l-malikina fa-zidtu qadran — fa-hina madahtuka qtadtu s-sahaba

I praised the kings, and my standing grew — but when I praised you, I led the rainclouds by the rein ✦

سَأَلتُ اللَهَ في أَبناءِ ديني — فَإِن تَكُنِ الوَسيلَةَ لي أَجابا

Sa'altu llaha fi abna'i dini — fa-in takuni l-wasilata li ajaba

I have petitioned God for the children of my faith — and if you are my intercessor, He will answer

وَما لِلمُسلِمينَ سِواكَ حِصنٌ — إِذا ما الضَرُّ مَسَّهُمُ وَنابا

Wa-ma li-l-muslimina siwaka hisnun — idha ma d-durru massahumu wa-naba

The Muslims have no fortress but you — when harm has touched them and calamity bitten deep