ليت شعري أيقظةً أم مناما

ليت شعري أيقظةً أم مناما

نَظَرت مُقلَتاي هذا المقاما

نَظَرت مُقلَتاي هذا المقاما

Would that I knew: was I awake or dreaming

Is it a dream or am I awake,

when my two eyes beheld this place?

As I look around this place?

بلَّغَتني الأيامُ ما كنتُ أرجوهُ

بلَّغَتني الأيامُ ما كنتُ أرجوهُ

فشأني أن أشكرَ الأيَّاما

فشأني أن أشكرَ الأيَّاما

The days have brought me what I hoped for,

The days have brought me what I hoped for,

so my task is to give thanks to the days.

So it's fitting that I thank the days.

وقَّفَتني ببَيتِ مَن كانتِ الأملاكُ

وقَّفَتني ببَيتِ مَن كانتِ الأملاكُ

قدماً لبيتهِ خُدَّاما

قدماً لبيتهِ خُدَّاما

They set me at the house of one whom the angels

It stopped me at the home of one for whom

had served in his home in days of old.

The angels themselves were but servants.

بِبَني جَعفر بن عمِّ رسول اللَه

بِبَني جَعفر بن عمِّ رسول اللَه

أرجو من الخطوب اعتِصاما

أرجو من الخطوب اعتِصاما

In the sons of Jaʿfar, son of the uncle of God's Messenger,

The clan of Ja'far, the Prophet's cousin—

I seek protection from calamities.

In them I seek refuge from misfortunes.

مَعشَر أشرِّقَت بهم سبُل الحقّ

مَعشَر أشرِّقَت بهم سبُل الحقّ

ولولاهُم لكانت ظلاما

ولولاهُم لكانت ظلاما

A people through whom the paths of truth shone bright;

A people who illuminated the paths of truth;

and without them, those paths would have been darkness.

Without them there would only be darkness.

طالما جاءهم من اللَه جبريلُ

طالما جاءهم من اللَه جبريلُ

فأهدى تحيَّةً وسلاما

فأهدى تحيَّةً وسلاما

How often Gabriel came to them from God,

To them Gabriel often descended from God,

and brought greetings and peace.

Extending greetings and peace.

علَّمونا كيف الطريقُ إلى كلِّ

علَّمونا كيف الطريقُ إلى كلِّ

رشاد وبَيَّنُوا الأحكاما

رشاد وبَيَّنُوا الأحكاما

They taught us the way to all

They taught us the road to every

right guidance, and explained the rulings.

Guidepost and explained all the laws.

لُذتُ منهم بباسم الثغرِ طَلق الوجه

لُذتُ منهم بباسم الثغرِ طَلق الوجه

يَرعَى للمُعتفين الذماما

يَرعَى للمُعتفين الذماما

I sought refuge with one of them, smiling-lipped and cheerful-faced,

I delighted in their smiling Bāsim,

who honors his duty of protection toward seekers of bounty.

Who quenches the thirst of the protected.

لستُ أخشى خَطباً وجَدباً وقد قا

لستُ أخشى خَطباً وجَدباً وقد قا

بَلتُ بدراً منه وزدتُ غَمَاما

بَلتُ بدراً منه وزدتُ غَمَاما

I fear neither calamity nor drought, now that I have

I have no fear of poverty or drought now that

met in him a full moon and gained a raincloud besides.

I have attained the full moon and added clouds.

شاقَني ما سمعتُهُ من عطاياهُ

شاقَني ما سمعتُهُ من عطاياهُ

فوافيتُ البحرَ أشكو الأُوَاما

فوافيتُ البحرَ أشكو الأُوَاما

What I heard of his gifts stirred my longing,

What I heard of their generosity

so I came to the sea, complaining of burning thirst.

Drove me to the sea to complain of my life.

حاز سبَقَ الفضيلتين مَتَى ما

حاز سبَقَ الفضيلتين مَتَى ما

شاءَ هَزَّ السيوفَ والأقلاما

شاءَ هَزَّ السيوفَ والأقلاما

He won preeminence in both virtues; whenever

Whenever he wished, he claimed precedence

he wills, he brandishes swords and pens.

In the two excellences, brandished swords and pens.

فتَراه عُطَارِداً وإِذا ما

فتَراه عُطَارِداً وإِذا ما

حَلَّ خَطبٌ رَأَيتَه بَهراما

حَلَّ خَطبٌ رَأَيتَه بَهراما

Thus you see him as Mercury; and whenever

You would see him giving chase at times,

calamity strikes, you see him as Bahrām.

And a hero when disaster struck.

يعجَبُ السامعون في الصَّوم لما

يعجَبُ السامعون في الصَّوم لما

قُمتُ أجلو منها عليهم مُداماً

قُمتُ أجلو منها عليهم مُداماً

The listeners marvel during the fast, when

Listeners are amazed during fasting when

I rise to unveil before them aged wine drawn from it.

I stand to serve them wine from it openly.