1. يا أبا أحمدٍ ومثلُك لا يَغْ

    فَلُ أن يستفيد بالجاه حَمْدَا

    O Abu Ahmad, one like you does not neglect

    to gain praise through his influence.

  2. أنا حُرٌّ وهبتُ نفْسيَ عبْداً

    لك بالحقِّ فاتَّخذني عَبْدا

    I am free, and have given myself as a slave

    to you in truth; take me, then, as your slave.

  3. وعلى العبد أن يرى نُصْحَ مولا

    هُ سبيلاً فيها هُدَاهُ وَوَكْدا

    And a servant must regard advising his master

    as a path to his guidance and a fixed aim.

  4. ومن النصح أن أبثَّكَ ما يقْ

    بُحُ عندي إن كان عنْدِي عندا

    And counsel includes telling you what seems

    ugly to me, even if my judgment is obstinate.

  5. ليس من جاء عائذاً فتطوَّلْ

    تَ بتكليمه يرى ذاك قصدا

    One who comes seeking refuge, whom you graciously

    address, does not regard that as his goal.

  6. ليتَ من جاءه رسولُك عمداً

    بكتابٍ ضخمٍ يرى العمدَ عمْدا

    Would that the man your messenger deliberately visits

    with a substantial letter recognized intent as intent.

  7. قالت المكرماتُ لستُ لمجتا

    ز ولكن لصامدٍ ليَ صَمْدا

    Noble deeds said, "I am not for a passerby,

    but for one who resolutely makes straight for me."

  8. فاكتب الكُتْبَ وابعث الرسْلَ في حا

    جة راجيك إنّ في ذاك مجدا

    So write letters and send messengers to meet the

    need of one who hopes in you; therein lies glory.

  9. ولو استَرْكَبَتْكَ حاجةُ ملهو

    فٍ لمَا كان ذاك عندك إدّا

    And even if a distressed man's need made you ride out,

    that would not seem grievous to you.

  10. أنت من لم يزل كذاك وما زا

    ل عليٌّ كذاك سعْياً وحشْدا

    You are one who has always been so, and

    Ali was always so, in striving and mustering aid.

  11. لم يَزل طرْفُهُ حبيساً على العُر

    ف يرى الغيَّ في المكارم رُشدا

    His gaze was always fixed on

    kindness, deeming excess in noble deeds right guidance.

  12. ويكدُّ الجثمانَ والروحَ والجا

    هَ طويلاً ولا يرى الكدَّ كدّا

    He taxes his body, his spirit, and his

    standing at length, yet does not regard toil as toil.

  13. أكرمُ الناس في العِدات اعترافاً

    للمرجِّي وفي الصنائع جَحْدا

    Most generous of men in acknowledging promises

    to the hopeful, and in disclaiming his benefactions.

  14. وتراه لا يقتضي الحمد رَغْباً

    منه فيه يخاله الناس زهدا

    And you see him not demanding praise, out of desire

    for it; people take this for indifference.

  15. ليس إلا لأن تكون أيادي

    هِ زُلالاً لا غَوْل فيه وشهدا

    It is only so that his favors may be

    pure water, with no harm in it, and honey.

  16. رُبَّ وعدٍ مُقَدَّمٍ لَعَليٍّ

    نَتَجَ اللّه منه غوثاً ورفداً

    Many a promise offered beforehand by Ali—

    God brought forth from it relief and support.

  17. وكثيراً ما كان يفعل ما يح

    سن من غير أن يقدّم وعدا

    And often he would do what was

    good, without first making a promise.

  18. فإذا كان منه وعد رأى الإخ

    لاف نكْثاً كما رأى الوعد عهدا

    Whenever a promise came from him, he deemed

    its breach a betrayal, just as he deemed the promise a covenant.

  19. ولأنتَ ابنُه المورَّثُ ذاك ال

    زنْدَ أكرِمْ بذلك الزندِ زَنْدا

    And you are his son, heir to that

    fire-stick—how noble a fire-stick it is!

  20. فَتَوَخَّ الإِعذار وارغب عن التَّعْ

    ذِير يا بن المعدود في المجد فردا

    So strive to do all that can be done, and shun

    half-hearted effort, O son of the man deemed peerless in glory.

  21. لا تكوننَّ كالذي نبذ النَّص

    ل مُعَرَّىً وهَزَّ للحرب غمدا

    Do not be like one who cast away the

    bare blade and brandished a scabbard for war.

  22. وتوكَّدْ على أبي الحسن المحْ

    سِن في أن يكون في الخير نجدا

    And press Abu al-Hasan, the beneficent,

    to be valiant in doing good.

  23. ولْتجدْهُ نوائبُ العرف شهماً

    ناهضاً بالثقيل منهنّ جلدا

    Let the demands of kindness find him noble-spirited,

    taking up their heavy burdens with fortitude.

  24. لا يقولنَّ قائلٌ لمرجِّي

    ه وقد خاب زاده الله بعدا

    Let no speaker say to one who hoped in him,

    when disappointed, "May God put him farther away!"

  25. وهو الوعد فليصنْه وما زا

    ل بعيداً أن يجعل الوعد وغدا

    And he is the promise: let him preserve it; he has always

    been far from making the promise a scoundrel.

  26. لا يكوننَّ ما رجَوْتَ من الدِّي

    مَة والوبل منه برقاً ورعدا

    Let not what you hoped for of steady

    rain and downpour from him become mere lightning and thunder.

  27. وليحاذر أُحْدُوثَةَ السُّوء لا من

    نِيَ لكن من أهل حَضْرٍ ومَبْدى

    And let him beware ill report—not from

    me, but from townsfolk and desert-dwellers.

  28. والفتى مُلْبسٌ من الأمر يسعى

    فيه برداً مُقَلَّدٌ منه عِقْدا

    A man is clothed by the work he pursues

    in a mantle, and adorned by it with a necklace.

  29. فليكن ما استطاع ساعي المساعي

    أحسن اللابسين عقداً وبردا

    Let the pursuer of worthy deeds, as far as he can,

    be the finest wearer of necklace and mantle.

  30. ليس للنفس دونك ابنَ عَلي

    مَقْصَرٌ لا ولا وراءك مَعْدى

    For my soul, short of you, O son of Ali,

    there is no stopping-place—no, nor any way beyond you.

  31. ومتى خِفْت من زمانيَ نحساً

    أطلع الله لي بوجهك سعدا

    And whenever I feared ill fortune from my times,

    God made good fortune rise for me through your face.

  32. جعل الله جندك العرف ما عش

    ت وحسبي بذلك الجندِ جندا

    May God make kindness your army as long as you

    live; that army is army enough for me.