ما غابَ بَدْرُ دُجًى منكم ولا غربا

ما غابَ بَدْرُ دُجًى منكم ولا غربا

إلاَّ وأَشْرقَ بدرٌ كانَ مُحتجبا

إلاَّ وأَشْرقَ بدرٌ كانَ مُحتجبا

Never has a full moon of yours vanished into darkness or set

No full moon of the dark night among you has vanished or set,

But another radiant moon, once veiled, has risen.

without another, once veiled, shining forth.

لا ينزع الله مجداً كانَ مُعطيَه

لا ينزع الله مجداً كانَ مُعطيَه

آل النبيّ ولا فضلاً ولا أدبا

آل النبيّ ولا فضلاً ولا أدبا

God does not take away a glory He once bestowed—

God does not take away a glory He has bestowed

Not from the Prophet’s house, nor merit, nor refinement.

upon the Prophet's family, nor excellence or refinement.

الكاشفون ظلام الخطب ما برحوا

الكاشفون ظلام الخطب ما برحوا

بيض الوجوه وإنْ صالوا فبيض ظبا

بيض الوجوه وإنْ صالوا فبيض ظبا

They have never ceased to scatter the darkness of calamity;

Those who dispel calamity's darkness have never ceased to be

Fair are their faces—and, when they charge, fair are their blades.

bright of face—and when they charge, bright of blade.

من كلّ أَبلَجَ يزهو بهجةً وسناً

من كلّ أَبلَجَ يزهو بهجةً وسناً

تخاله بضياء الصُّبح منتقبا

تخاله بضياء الصُّبح منتقبا

Each is radiant, resplendent in his splendor and worldly grace;

Each is radiant-browed, glowing with beauty and brilliance;

In the morning’s brilliance, you would think him veiled in light.

you would think him veiled in the light of dawn.

قد أنفَقوا في سبيل الله ما ملكوا

قد أنفَقوا في سبيل الله ما ملكوا

واستَسْهلوا في طِلاب العزّ ما صَعبا

واستَسْهلوا في طِلاب العزّ ما صَعبا

They spent in God’s path all that they possessed,

They have spent in God's cause all they owned,

And deemed easy every hardship in the pursuit of honor.

and deemed easy, in pursuit of honor, whatever was hard.

هم الجبال اشمخرَّتْ رفعةً وعُلًى

هم الجبال اشمخرَّتْ رفعةً وعُلًى

هم الجبال وأَمَّا غيرهم فربا

هم الجبال وأَمَّا غيرهم فربا

They are mountains, towering in loftiness and height;

They are the mountains, towering in stature and height;

They are the mountains—all others are mere hillocks.

they are the mountains; all others are mere hills.

أبناء جدٍّ فما تدنو نفوسهُم

أبناء جدٍّ فما تدنو نفوسهُم

من الدنيَّة لا جدًّا ولا لعبا

من الدنيَّة لا جدًّا ولا لعبا

Sons of one forefather, their souls will never stoop

Sons of nobility, their souls never draw near

To baseness, whether in earnestness or play.

to baseness, neither in earnest nor in jest.

عارون من كلّ ما يزري ملابسه

عارون من كلّ ما يزري ملابسه

يكسوهم الحُسن أبراداً لهم قُشُبا

يكسوهم الحُسن أبراداً لهم قُشُبا

They are free of every fault that might disgrace their garb;

Bare of everything that disgraces its wearer,

Beauty clothes them in fresh and splendid robes.

beauty clothes them in fresh robes of their own.

ومُنْيَةً قد حثَثْناها فتحسبها

ومُنْيَةً قد حثَثْناها فتحسبها

نجائباً لا وجًى تشكو ولا لغبا

نجائباً لا وجًى تشكو ولا لغبا

We drove our cherished quest onward until you would think it

And a cherished wish we have spurred onward—you would take it

A train of noble she-camels complaining neither weariness nor fatigue.

for noble camels complaining of neither sore feet nor fatigue.

إلى عليٍّ عليِّ القدر مرجعها

إلى عليٍّ عليِّ القدر مرجعها

نقيبُ أَشرافٍ غرّ السَّادة النُّجبا

نقيبُ أَشرافٍ غرّ السَّادة النُّجبا

Toward ʿAlī—destiny’s chosen one—lay its destination:

Its destination is Ali, exalted in rank,

The chief of illustrious nobles, the glory of eminent lords.

chief of the nobles, the illustrious, highborn lords.

الواهب المال جمًّا غير مكترثٍ

الواهب المال جمًّا غير مكترثٍ

والمستقلّ مع الإِكثار ما وهبا

والمستقلّ مع الإِكثار ما وهبا

He gives wealth in abundance, utterly unconcerned,

Giving wealth in abundance, without a care,

And however much he grants, he counts the gift as little.

and deeming what he gives little, however much he bestows.

يريك وفر العطايا من مكارمه

يريك وفر العطايا من مكارمه

يوم النوال وإنْ عاديتَه العطبا

يوم النوال وإنْ عاديتَه العطبا

The fullness of his bounty reveals his noble nature;

He shows you abundant gifts from his generous virtues

On the day of giving, even his enemy beholds the wonder.

on the day of giving—and, if you oppose him, destruction.

قد شرَّف الله فرعاً للنبيّ سما

قد شرَّف الله فرعاً للنبيّ سما

إلى السَّماء إلى أنْ طاولَ الشُّهبا

إلى السَّماء إلى أنْ طاولَ الشُّهبا

God has raised a branch of the Prophet so high

God has ennobled a branch of the Prophet's line that rose

That it reached the heavens and rivaled the shooting stars.

to the heavens, until it rivaled the shooting stars.

لِمْ لَمْ يُشرَّف على الدُّنيا بأجمعها

لِمْ لَمْ يُشرَّف على الدُّنيا بأجمعها

من كانَ أشرف هذي الكائنات إبا

من كانَ أشرف هذي الكائنات إبا

How could he not be exalted above the whole world,

Why should he not be exalted above the whole world,

When the noblest of all creation is his forefather?

he whose forefather was the noblest of these beings?

هذا هو المُجد مجدٌ غير مكتسب

هذا هو المُجد مجدٌ غير مكتسب

وإنَّما هو ميراثٌ أباً فأبا

وإنَّما هو ميراثٌ أباً فأبا

This is true glory—glory never newly acquired;

This is glory—glory not acquired,

It is an inheritance handed down from father to father.

but an inheritance, father after father.

من راح يحكيهم بين الورى نشباً

من راح يحكيهم بين الورى نشباً

فليس يحكيهم بين الورى نسبا

فليس يحكيهم بين الورى نسبا

Whoever among mankind claims a lineage like theirs

Whoever rivals them among mankind in wealth

Will find no lineage among mankind that equals theirs.

does not rival them among mankind in lineage.

أنتُم رؤوس بني الدُّنيا وسادتها

أنتُم رؤوس بني الدُّنيا وسادتها

إنْ عُدَّ رأسُ سواكم لاغتدى ذنبا

إنْ عُدَّ رأسُ سواكم لاغتدى ذنبا

You are the chiefs of the people of this world and its masters;

You are the heads of the world's people and its masters;

If another is counted a head beside you, let him be counted a tail.

if another were reckoned a head, he would surely become a tail.

لكم خوارق عادات متى ظهرت

لكم خوارق عادات متى ظهرت

على العوالم كادتْ تخرق الحجبا

على العوالم كادتْ تخرق الحجبا

You possess wonders that, whenever they appear,

Yours are marvels beyond the ordinary; whenever they appear

Would almost pierce the veils spread over all the worlds.

before the worlds, they nearly pierce the veils.

رقَّتْ شمائِلُكَ اللاّتي ترقُّ لنا

رقَّتْ شمائِلُكَ اللاّتي ترقُّ لنا

حتَّى كأَنَّك مخلوق نسيم صبا

حتَّى كأَنَّك مخلوق نسيم صبا

So gentle are your qualities, which soften themselves toward us,

Your qualities, tender toward us, have grown so gentle

That one might think you were created from the morning breeze.

that you seem made of the east wind's breeze.

وفيك والدَّهر يخشى من حوادثه

وفيك والدَّهر يخشى من حوادثه

ويرتجى رهباً إذ ذاك أو رغبا

ويرتجى رهباً إذ ذاك أو رغبا

In you is firmness when men fear the accidents of time,

And in you—while Time is feared for its calamities

And in you they place their hopes, whether in dread or desire.

and looked to then in dread or desire—

صلابةٌ قطّ ما لانتْ لحادثةٍ

صلابةٌ قطّ ما لانتْ لحادثةٍ

وقد تلين خطوب الدَّهر ما صلبا

وقد تلين خطوب الدَّهر ما صلبا

A hardness that has never yielded to calamity,

is a firmness that has never yielded to misfortune,

Though even the hardest trials of time may soften.

though Time's calamities can soften what was hard.

وعزمةٍ مثل ورْي الزّند لو لمست

وعزمةٍ مثل ورْي الزّند لو لمست

مَوْجاً من اليمّ أضحى موجه لهبا

مَوْجاً من اليمّ أضحى موجه لهبا

And a resolve like a spark struck blazing from the firestone:

And a resolve like a fire-stick's flame: were it to touch

Were it to touch the surging sea, its waves would turn to flame.

a wave of the sea, its waves would become flame.

تجنَّب البخل بالطَّبع الكريم كما

تجنَّب البخل بالطَّبع الكريم كما

تجنَّب الهجر والفحشاء واجتنبا

تجنَّب الهجر والفحشاء واجتنبا

By his noble nature he shuns avarice, just as

He shunned miserliness through his noble nature, just as

He shuns desertion, obscenity, and every shameful act.

he shunned foul speech and obscenity, keeping clear of them.

فنال ما نالَ آباءٌ له سلفت

فنال ما نالَ آباءٌ له سلفت

ندبٌ إلى الشَّرف الأَعلى قد انتدبا

ندبٌ إلى الشَّرف الأَعلى قد انتدبا

Thus he attained what his forefathers before him attained,

Thus he attained what his forefathers had attained,

Advancing toward the highest honor when honor called.

a gallant man who stepped forth toward the highest honor.

إنْ كانَ آباؤه بالجود قد ذهَبوا

إنْ كانَ آباؤه بالجود قد ذهَبوا

فقد أعاد بهذا الجود ما ذهَبا

فقد أعاد بهذا الجود ما ذهَبا

If his forefathers departed renowned for generosity,

If his forefathers departed, taking generosity with them,

Through this same generosity he has restored what departed.

he has restored, with this generosity, what had gone.

فانظر لأيديه إنْ جادتْ أنامله

فانظر لأيديه إنْ جادتْ أنامله

بالصيّب الهامل الهامي ترى عجبا

بالصيّب الهامل الهامي ترى عجبا

Look upon his hands whenever his fingertips pour forth gifts:

Look, then, at his benefactions: if his fingertips give

In their streaming, abundant rain you will behold a marvel.

a streaming, gushing downpour, you will see a marvel.

أينَ الكواكبُ من تلك المناقب إذ

أينَ الكواكبُ من تلك المناقب إذ

تزهو كما زَهَتْ بالقطر زهر رُبا

تزهو كما زَهَتْ بالقطر زهر رُبا

What are the stars beside such virtues,

Where are the stars beside those noble qualities, when

When those virtues bloom like flowers on rain-fed hills?

they flourish as hillside flowers flourish in the rain?

تلك المزايا كنظم العقد لو تُلِيَتْ

تلك المزايا كنظم العقد لو تُلِيَتْ

على الرَّواسي لهزَّت عطفها طَرَبا

على الرَّواسي لهزَّت عطفها طَرَبا

Those excellences are like a necklace’s ordered pearls;

Those virtues are like a strung necklace; were they recited

Were they scattered upon mountains, the mountains would sway with joy.

to the rooted mountains, they would sway their flanks in delight.

يرضى العلاء متى يرضى على أحدٍ

يرضى العلاء متى يرضى على أحدٍ

ويغضب الدَّهر أحياناً إذا غضبا

ويغضب الدَّهر أحياناً إذا غضبا

Sublimity is pleased whenever he is pleased with anyone,

Glory is pleased whenever he is pleased with someone,

And time itself sometimes grows angry when he is angry.

and Time sometimes grows angry when he is angered.

قد بلَّغت نعم العافين أنعمه

قد بلَّغت نعم العافين أنعمه

فلم تدعْ لهُمُ في غيره إرَبا

فلم تدعْ لهُمُ في غيره إرَبا

His favors have so enriched those who seek his bounty

His favors have brought blessings to seekers of bounty,

That they have no need left to seek from anyone else.

leaving them no desire for anyone else.

يقول نائلُه الوافي لوافده

يقول نائلُه الوافي لوافده

قد فازَ جالب آمالي بما جلبا

قد فازَ جالب آمالي بما جلبا

His ample gift says to the visitor who comes to him:

His ample bounty says to his visitor:

The bearer of my hopes has won all that he sought.

"The bearer of my hopes has won what he brought."

أكرِمْ بسيّد قومٍ لا يزال له

أكرِمْ بسيّد قومٍ لا يزال له

مكارمٌ تركت ما حاز منتهبا

مكارمٌ تركت ما حاز منتهبا

How noble a master of his people, whose

How noble a lord of his people, whose unceasing

Generous deeds have left every treasure as spoil for others.

generous deeds leave all he has acquired free for the taking!

نَوْءُ السَّحائب منهلٌّ على يده

نَوْءُ السَّحائب منهلٌّ على يده

فلا فقدنا به الأَنواء والسُّحبا

فلا فقدنا به الأَنواء والسُّحبا

Rain clouds pour from his open hand;

The clouds' rain pours down upon his hand;

May we never, through losing him, lose rain clouds and showers.

so may we never lose in him the rainstorms and clouds.

الكاسب الحمد في جود وبذل ندًى

الكاسب الحمد في جود وبذل ندًى

يرى لكل امرئٍ في الدَّهر ما كسبا

يرى لكل امرئٍ في الدَّهر ما كسبا

He earns all praise through earnest purpose and lavish gifts,

He earns praise through generosity and the bestowing of bounty;

Knowing that every person receives what he has earned in time.

he sees that everyone in life has what he has earned.

نهزُّ غصناً رطيباً كلّ آونةٍ

نهزُّ غصناً رطيباً كلّ آونةٍ

يساقط الذَّهب الإِبريز لا الرّطبا

يساقط الذَّهب الإِبريز لا الرّطبا

We shake a tender, fruitful branch at every moment,

At every moment we shake a tender branch

And pure, refined gold falls—not ordinary dates.

that showers pure gold, not ripe dates.

فما وجدتُ إلى أيَّامه سبباً

فما وجدتُ إلى أيَّامه سبباً

إلاَّ وجدتُ إلى نيل الغنى سببا

إلاَّ وجدتُ إلى نيل الغنى سببا

Whenever I found a path leading into his days,

I never found a path to his days

I found along it a path to wealth and sufficiency.

without finding a path to the attainment of wealth.

وحبَّذا القرم في أيَّام دولته

وحبَّذا القرم في أيَّام دولته

حَلَبْتُ ضرع مرام قطُّ ما حلبا

حَلَبْتُ ضرع مرام قطُّ ما حلبا

How splendid is this noble lord, in whose days

How splendid the great lord! In the days of his ascendancy,

The udder of unattainable hopes has yielded what it never yielded before.

I milked the udder of an ambition never milked before.

بمثله كانت الأَيَّام توعدنا

بمثله كانت الأَيَّام توعدنا

فحانَ ميعاد ذاك الوعد واقتربا

فحانَ ميعاد ذاك الوعد واقتربا

The days had long promised us a man like him;

Time had been promising us one like him;

Now the promised hour has come and drawn near.

so the appointed time of that promise arrived and drew near,

حتَّى أجابته إذ نادى مآربه

حتَّى أجابته إذ نادى مآربه

بمنصب لو دعاه غيره لأبى

بمنصب لو دعاه غيره لأبى

When he called upon his aspirations, they answered him

until his wishes answered him when he called,

With a rank that would have refused itself to anyone else.

with an office that would have refused another's call.

موفَّق للمعالي ما ابتغى طلباً

موفَّق للمعالي ما ابتغى طلباً

إلاَّ وأدرك بالتَّوفيق ما طلبا

إلاَّ وأدرك بالتَّوفيق ما طلبا

Favored in every lofty aim he undertook,

Granted success in lofty pursuits, he never sought a goal

He never sought a thing but, through divine favor, attained it.

without, through that favor, attaining what he sought.

سبَّاق غايات قومٍ لا لحاق له

سبَّاق غايات قومٍ لا لحاق له

وكم جرى إثره من سابقٌ فكبى

وكم جرى إثره من سابقٌ فكبى

He is first to every finish line, beyond all overtaking;

First to reach others' goals, none can catch him;

How many a swift contender raced behind him only to stumble.

and many a front-runner has raced behind him, only to stumble!

مذْ كنتَ أَنْتَ نقيباً سيِّداً سنداً

مذْ كنتَ أَنْتَ نقيباً سيِّداً سنداً

أوْضَحتَ آثار تلك السَّادة النُّقبا

أوْضَحتَ آثار تلك السَّادة النُّقبا

From the moment you were appointed naqīb—a master and support—

Since you have been a chief, a lord, a mainstay,

You made the marks of that noble authority clear.

you have made plain the legacy of those lordly chiefs.

أَضْحكتَ بعد بكاء المجد طلعته

أَضْحكتَ بعد بكاء المجد طلعته

وقد تبسَّم مجدٌ بعد ما انتحب

وقد تبسَّم مجدٌ بعد ما انتحب

Your countenance made glory laugh after its long weeping,

You made Glory's face laugh after its weeping,

And glory smiled again after all its lamentation.

and Glory has smiled after sobbing.

أحيَيْتَ ما ماتَ من فضلٍ ومن أدبٍ

أحيَيْتَ ما ماتَ من فضلٍ ومن أدبٍ

فلتفتخر في معاني مدحك الأدبا

فلتفتخر في معاني مدحك الأدبا

You brought back to life what had died of virtue and refinement;

You revived what had died of excellence and refinement;

Let the poets take pride in the meanings of your praise.

so let men of letters take pride in the themes of your praise.

يا آل بيت رسول الله إنَّ لكم

يا آل بيت رسول الله إنَّ لكم

عليَّ فضلاً حباني الجاه والنشبا

عليَّ فضلاً حباني الجاه والنشبا

O household of the Messenger of God, you possess

O family of the house of God's Messenger, to you I owe

A claim upon me: favor that granted me standing and wealth.

a favor that granted me prestige and wealth,

وأيدياً أوْجَبتْ شكري لأنعمها

وأيدياً أوْجَبتْ شكري لأنعمها

فاليوم أقضي لكم بالمدح ما وجبا

فاليوم أقضي لكم بالمدح ما وجبا

You have bestowed such kindnesses that gratitude became my duty;

and benefactions that bound me to gratitude for their blessings;

Today, through praise of you, I repay what I owe.

so today, through praise, I discharge what I owe you.