أيها السيد الذي ورث السؤ

أيها السيد الذي ورث السؤ

دد عن كل سيد صندِيدِ

دد عن كل سيد صندِيدِ

O lord who inherited preeminence

O master who inherited glory

from every valiant lord,

Above every eminent master

والذي راح يحمل الظَّرْف والحج

والذي راح يحمل الظَّرْف والحج

جَةَ حمل الذكيِّ غير البليدِ

جَةَ حمل الذكيِّ غير البليدِ

and who came to wield wit and argument

Who went on to carry knowledge and proof

as a clever man does, not a dullard,

The burden of the wise, not the foolish

غَزَليّاً وتارةً جَدَليَّا

غَزَليّاً وتارةً جَدَليَّا

مستعداً لكل خصم عنيدِ

مستعداً لكل خصم عنيدِ

as a love-poet, and at times a debater,

At times unraveling, at others tying knots

ready for every stubborn opponent:

Ready for every stubborn opponent

أحي ما أبْدأتْ يداك من العُر

أحي ما أبْدأتْ يداك من العُر

ف بعَوْدٍ من مُبدئٍ ومُعيدِ

ف بعَوْدٍ من مُبدئٍ ومُعيدِ

revive the kindness your hands first bestowed

Revive what your hands initiated

with renewed giving, from one who begins and renews.

With a new beginning and repetition

واذكرِ الجعْد وارعَهُ فيَّ واحفظ

واذكرِ الجعْد وارعَهُ فيَّ واحفظ

حُرْمَتينا بالعدل والتوحيدِ

حُرْمَتينا بالعدل والتوحيدِ

And remember al-Ja‘d, honor him in me, and safeguard

And remember the covenant and nurture it in me

the honor due us both through justice and God's oneness.

And preserve our sanctity with justice and monotheism

فهما يجمعانِنا وولاءٌ

فهما يجمعانِنا وولاءٌ

ثالثٌ وهو قوْلنا بالوعيدِ

ثالثٌ وهو قوْلنا بالوعيدِ

For these two unite us, and a bond of allegiance

For they unite us, and allegiance

comes third: our affirmation of the threat of punishment.

Is a third, it being our word of warning

عبدُ شمسٍ أبوك وهو أبونا

عبدُ شمسٍ أبوك وهو أبونا

لا نُنَاديك من مكانٍ بعيدِ

لا نُنَاديك من مكانٍ بعيدِ

‘Abd Shams is your forefather, and he is ours;

Servant of a sun, your father, and he is our father

we do not call to you from a distant place.

We do not call you from a distant place

عَقْدُنا واحدٌ وهاتيك قُربَى

عَقْدُنا واحدٌ وهاتيك قُربَى

مَسُّها مثلُ مسِّ حبلِ الوريدِ

مَسُّها مثلُ مسِّ حبلِ الوريدِ

Our creed is one, and that is a kinship

Our bond is one, and these are relatives

whose touch is like the touch of the jugular vein.

Whose touch is like the touch of a vein's cord

فارْعَ شيخاً لو استماحك حيَّاً

فارْعَ شيخاً لو استماحك حيَّاً

ما رأيتَ الرضا له بالزهيدِ

ما رأيتَ الرضا له بالزهيدِ

So honor an elder: had he sought your bounty while alive,

So tend to a sheikh, if he seeks your pardon alive

you would not have deemed a paltry gift enough for him.

You would not see him satisfied with the ascetic

وتَوَهَّمْه شافعاً فيَّ مكْرو

وتَوَهَّمْه شافعاً فيَّ مكْرو

ثاً لضيق أصبحتُ فيه شديدِ

ثاً لضيق أصبحتُ فيه شديدِ

And imagine him interceding for me, distressed

And imagine him an intercessor for me, worried

by the severe straits in which I now find myself.

For I have fallen into terrible straits

حقُّه واجبٌ عليك وحقي

حقُّه واجبٌ عليك وحقي

بانتحال المقال عين السديدِ

بانتحال المقال عين السديدِ

His claim is binding upon you, and mine likewise,

His right is obligatory upon you, and my right

for professing the doctrine that is soundness itself.

In properly conveying this discourse lies

وأراني إليك أقربَ منه

وأراني إليك أقربَ منه

بمَمِيلي إلى الوصيِّ الشهيدِ

بمَمِيلي إلى الوصيِّ الشهيدِ

And I see myself as closer to you than he is,

And I see myself closer to you than him

through my leaning toward the martyred Successor.

In my inclination to the martyred successor

أنا من شيعةِ الوصيِّ عليه

أنا من شيعةِ الوصيِّ عليه

صَلَواتٌ من الحميد المجيدِ

صَلَواتٌ من الحميد المجيدِ

I am among the Successor's followers; upon him

I am of the successor's supporters

be blessings from the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.

Blessings be upon the Praiseworthy, the Mighty