سدْ يا عليُّ فلا نكراً ولا عجبا

سدْ يا عليُّ فلا نكراً ولا عجبا

واعقدْ لبيتكَ في نجمِ السما طنبا

واعقدْ لبيتكَ في نجمِ السما طنبا

Reign, O Ali—there is nothing strange or wondrous in that;

Be preeminent, O Ali: no strangeness, no wonder.

and fasten your house’s tent-rope to a star in heaven.

And fasten your house's tent-rope to a star of heaven.

وافخر على الناسِ نفساً بالعلى شرُفت

وافخر على الناسِ نفساً بالعلى شرُفت

كما فخرت عليهم قبلَ ذاكَ أبا

كما فخرت عليهم قبلَ ذاكَ أبا

Take pride before mankind in a soul ennobled by lofty glories,

And take pride above others in a soul ennobled by greatness,

as, before you, that forebear took pride over them.

As you earlier took pride above them in your father.

أمَّا القريضُ فقد أنفقتَ كاسِدَه

أمَّا القريضُ فقد أنفقتَ كاسِدَه

حتَّى جعلتَ لهُ بين الورَى سببا

حتَّى جعلتَ لهُ بين الورَى سببا

Poetry came seeking us, for you made its unsaleable wares sell,

As for poetry, you have given currency to its unsold wares,

until you gave it a place among humankind.

Until you gave it a means of support among humankind.

يقولهُ وندى علياكَ يمطرُهُ

يقولهُ وندى علياكَ يمطرُهُ

كأنَّكَ البحرُ يُحبى بعضَ ما وَهبا

كأنَّكَ البحرُ يُحبى بعضَ ما وَهبا

A man recites it while the bounty of your eminence showers him,

One recites it while the dew of your greatness rains upon him,

as though you were the sea, presented with some of what it had itself bestowed.

As though you were the sea, receiving some of what it gave.

شكراً لها من معانٍ فيكَ طالعةً

شكراً لها من معانٍ فيكَ طالعةً

لو أنَّ طالعها للنجمِ ما غرُبا

لو أنَّ طالعها للنجمِ ما غرُبا

Thanks to her for meanings rising in you—

Thanks to those meanings dawning in you;

had their ascendant belonged to a star, it would never have set.

Were their rising a star's, it would never set.

مستملحٌ حسنها في عين ناظرِهِ

مستملحٌ حسنها في عين ناظرِهِ

هذا على أنَّهُ في الذوقِ قد عذُبا

هذا على أنَّهُ في الذوقِ قد عذُبا

Her beauty delights the eye of whoever beholds her;

Their beauty is deemed charming in its beholder's eye,

and beyond all this, she has already grown sweet upon the palate.

This, although it has proved sweet to the taste.

وغادةٍ من بناتِ الفكرِ سافرةٍ

وغادةٍ من بناتِ الفكرِ سافرةٍ

ولو تحجب ذاكَ النورُ ما حجبا

ولو تحجب ذاكَ النورُ ما حجبا

A graceful maiden, one of thought’s daughters, stands unveiled;

And a maiden among the daughters of thought, unveiled—

even were that radiance veiled, it could never be concealed.

Even if that light veiled itself, it would not be hidden.

غريبة اللفظِ إن جالَ اليراعُ بها

غريبة اللفظِ إن جالَ اليراعُ بها

على الطروسِ رأيتَ البانَ والعذبا

على الطروسِ رأيتَ البانَ والعذبا

Novel in diction: when the reed pen roams with her

Rare in wording: if the reed pen roams with her

across the pages, you see slender bān trees and sweet waters.

Upon the pages, you see moringa trees and boughs.

تذكَّرتْ عهدَ جيرانٍ لها فشدتْ

تذكَّرتْ عهدَ جيرانٍ لها فشدتْ

فيهم بأعبق نشرٍ من نسيمِ صبا

فيهم بأعبق نشرٍ من نسيمِ صبا

She remembered the days of neighbors once hers, and sang

She remembered her days with neighbors, then sang

of them with fragrance richer than the breath of the east wind.

Of them, with a fragrance richer than the east wind's breeze.

ورقّ معنى حديثٍ فهو حينئذٍ

ورقّ معنى حديثٍ فهو حينئذٍ

دمعٌ جرى فقضى في الرُّبعِ ما وَجبا

دمعٌ جرى فقضى في الرُّبعِ ما وَجبا

A fresh-created meaning grew tender, and then

And an utterance's meaning grew tender; then it was

my tears flowed, paying the deserted campsite all that was due.

Tears that flowed and fulfilled at the dwelling what was due.

لم أنسَ ألسنةَ الأحوالِ قائلةً

لم أنسَ ألسنةَ الأحوالِ قائلةً

عوّذْ بياسينَ حسناً للعقولِ سبا

عوّذْ بياسينَ حسناً للعقولِ سبا

I have not forgotten the tongues of circumstance saying:

I have not forgotten the tongues of circumstance saying:

“Protect with Yā-Sīn a beauty that has captivated minds,

Shield with Ya-Sin a beauty that has taken minds captive,

وامدحْ عذوبةَ ألفاظٍ مشعشعة

وامدحْ عذوبةَ ألفاظٍ مشعشعة

قد استوَى عن ذكاها الماءُ والتهبا

قد استوَى عن ذكاها الماءُ والتهبا

and praise the sweetness of radiant words—

And praise the sweetness of radiant words,

through their brilliance, water and flame have become alike.”

Whose blazing brilliance made water boil and burst into flame.

بعدتُ عن بابِ منشيها فوا أسفاً

بعدتُ عن بابِ منشيها فوا أسفاً

وواصلتْني على بعدٍ فواطربا

وواصلتْني على بعدٍ فواطربا

She journeyed far from her creator’s door—alas, what sorrow!—

I was far from their composer's door—alas!

yet reached me across the distance—ah, what delight!

And they kept in touch with me despite the distance—what delight!

من لي بقبلةِ ذاكَ البابِ تأديةً

من لي بقبلةِ ذاكَ البابِ تأديةً

فأَغتدي ساجدَ الأمداح مقتربا

فأَغتدي ساجدَ الأمداح مقتربا

Who will grant me a kiss upon that door in requital,

Who will let me kiss that door in homage,

so I may go forth, prostrate in praise and drawing near?

So I may go forth, prostrating in praise and drawing near?

يا كاتباً تبَّ مسعى من يناضلهُ

يا كاتباً تبَّ مسعى من يناضلهُ

فراحَ يحملُ من أقلامِهِ حطبا

فراحَ يحملُ من أقلامِهِ حطبا

O writer, doomed is the striving of whoever vies with him:

O writer whose challenger's endeavor is doomed,

he goes off carrying firewood made from his own pens.

So he went off carrying his pens as firewood.

حلفتُ أنَّكَ أذكى من حوَى قلماً

حلفتُ أنَّكَ أذكى من حوَى قلماً

تنشي البديعَ وأنحى من نحا أدبا

تنشي البديعَ وأنحى من نحا أدبا

I swear, you are the keenest-witted of all who ever wielded a pen;

I have sworn that you are the brightest of all who have held a pen,

you create rhetorical marvels and know grammar better than any who pursued letters.

You compose marvels, and are the finest grammarian of all who pursue letters.

أليةٌ لو أتاها الفجرُ ما نسبت

أليةٌ لو أتاها الفجرُ ما نسبت

له البريَّةُ في ذيلِ الدُّجى كذِبا

له البريَّةُ في ذيلِ الدُّجى كذِبا

By God, had dawn come upon her, never would

An oath: were dawn to take it, it would never be accused

all creation, beneath night’s trailing hem, falsely ascribe her radiance to it.

By humankind of falsehood in the trailing hem of night.