تَذَكَّر أَميرَ اللَهِ وَالعَهدُ يُذكَرُ

تَذَكَّر أَميرَ اللَهِ وَالعَهدُ يُذكَرُ

مَقامي وَإِنشاديكَ وَالناسُ حُضَّرُ

مَقامي وَإِنشاديكَ وَالناسُ حُضَّرُ

Remember, O prince of God—as the old bond is recalled—

Remember the Prince of God, and let the covenant be remembered,

Remember, O Prince of God—for old pledges are meant to be recalled—

my standing before you and my reciting to you, with the people assembled;

My ode and my singing to you, while people gather,

My standing before you, reciting verse while the gathered crowds bore witness,

وَنَثري عَلَيكَ الدُرَّ يا دُرَّ هاشِمٍ

وَنَثري عَلَيكَ الدُرَّ يا دُرَّ هاشِمٍ

فَيا مَن رَأى دُرّاً عَلى الدُرِّ يُنثَرُ

فَيا مَن رَأى دُرّاً عَلى الدُرِّ يُنثَرُ

and my scattering pearls upon you, O pearl of Hashim.

And I strew pearls upon you, O pearl of Hashim,

And how I scattered pearls of praise upon you, O Pearl of Hashim;

Who, then, has seen pearls scattered upon a pearl!

So one who saw a pearl strewn upon a pearl,

For who has ever seen pearls scattered upon a Pearl before?

أَبوكَ الَّذي لَم يَملِكِ الأَرضَ مِثلَهُ

أَبوكَ الَّذي لَم يَملِكِ الأَرضَ مِثلَهُ

وَعَمُّكَ موسى صِنوُهُ المُتَحَيِّرُ

وَعَمُّكَ موسى صِنوُهُ المُتَحَيِّرُ

Your father, whose equal has never ruled the earth,

Your father, who none ruled the land like him,

Your father, the likes of whom the earth has never known as sovereign,

and your uncle Musa, his bewildered brother;

And your uncle Musa, his glory bewildered,

And your uncle Musa, his peerless twin in glory;

وَجَدّاكَ مَهدِيُّ الهُدى وَشَقيقُهُ

وَجَدّاكَ مَهدِيُّ الهُدى وَشَقيقُهُ

أَبو أُمِّكَ الأَدنى أَبو الفَضلِ جَعفَرُ

أَبو أُمِّكَ الأَدنى أَبو الفَضلِ جَعفَرُ

and your two grandfathers, Mahdi of right guidance and his full brother,

Made you the Guided Mahdi and his brother,

Your grandfathers: Al-Mahdi, the guide of righteousness, and his brother,

your mother's own father, Abu al-Fadl Ja'far.

The father of your mother, the younger, Abu Al Fadl Ja'far,

Your mother's closest kin, Abu al-Fadl Ja'far.

وَما مِثلُ مَنصوريكَ مَنصورِ هاشِمٍ

وَما مِثلُ مَنصوريكَ مَنصورِ هاشِمٍ

وَمَنصورِ قَحطانٍ إِذا عُدَّ مَفخَرُ

وَمَنصورِ قَحطانٍ إِذا عُدَّ مَفخَرُ

And none match your two Mansurs—Mansur of Hashim

And none like your supporter Mansur of Hashim,

And none compare to your two Mansours: the Mansour of Hashim,

and Mansur of Qahtan—when claims to glory are counted.

And Mansur of Qahtan, if his glories are recounted,

And the Mansour of Qahtan, when boasts of lineage are tallied.

فَمَن ذا الَّذي يَرمي بِسَهمَيكَ في الوَرى

فَمَن ذا الَّذي يَرمي بِسَهمَيكَ في الوَرى

وَعَبدُ مُنافٍ والِداكَ وَحِميَرُ

وَعَبدُ مُنافٍ والِداكَ وَحِميَرُ

Who, then, among humankind can shoot with your two arrows,

So who is it that can shoot arrows at you in the land,

Who among mankind can strike with two arrows such as yours,

when your two forefathers are 'Abd Manaf and Himyar?

The servant of Manaf, your fathers, and Khumayr,

When both Abd Manaf and Himyar claim you as their son?

تَحَسَّنَتِ الدُنيا بِوَجهِ خَليفَةٍ

تَحَسَّنَتِ الدُنيا بِوَجهِ خَليفَةٍ

هُوَ الصُبحُ إِلّا أَنَّهُ الدَهرَ مُسفِرُ

هُوَ الصُبحُ إِلّا أَنَّهُ الدَهرَ مُسفِرُ

The world has grown beautiful through the face of a caliph.

The world was beautified by the face of a caliph,

The world has been beautified by the face of a Caliph,

He is the dawn, except that he is forever radiant.

He is the dawn, except that he is eternally radiant,

Who is the very Morning, save that his light shines eternally.

إِمامٌ يَسوسُ المُلكَ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

إِمامٌ يَسوسُ المُلكَ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

عَلَيهِ لَهُ مِنهُ رِداءٌ وَمِئزَرُ

عَلَيهِ لَهُ مِنهُ رِداءٌ وَمِئزَرُ

An imam who governs the realm for ninety years,

An imam who rules the kingdom for ninety arguments,

An Imam who shall govern the realm for ninety years,

he wears a cloak and waist-wrapper of sovereignty, both his own.

For him, from him, is a cloak and waist wrapper,

Clothed in the mantle and raiment of absolute authority.

يُشيرُ إِلَيهِ الجودُ مِن وَجَناتِهِ

يُشيرُ إِلَيهِ الجودُ مِن وَجَناتِهِ

وَيَنظُرُ مِن أَعطافِهِ حينَ يَنظُرُ

وَيَنظُرُ مِن أَعطافِهِ حينَ يَنظُرُ

Generosity points to him from his cheeks,

Generosity gestures to him from its cheeks,

Generosity signals its presence from his very cheeks,

and looks out from his sides when he looks.

And looks from its sides when it looks,

And gazes forth from his bearing whenever he turns his gaze.

مَضَت لي شُهورٌ مُذ حَبِستُ ثَلاثَةٌ

مَضَت لي شُهورٌ مُذ حَبِستُ ثَلاثَةٌ

كَأَنِّيَ قَد أَذنَبتُ ما لَيسَ يُغفَرُ

كَأَنِّيَ قَد أَذنَبتُ ما لَيسَ يُغفَرُ

Three months have passed for me since I was imprisoned,

Months have passed for me, three are detained,

Three months have passed since I was cast into this confinement,

as though I had committed a sin that cannot be forgiven.

As if I had sinned what cannot be forgiven,

As though I had committed a sin that can never be forgiven.

فَإِن كُنتُ لَم أُذنِب فَفيمَ حَبَستَني

فَإِن كُنتُ لَم أُذنِب فَفيمَ حَبَستَني

وَإِن كُنتُ ذا ذَنبٍ فَعَفوُكَ أَكبَرُ

وَإِن كُنتُ ذا ذَنبٍ فَعَفوُكَ أَكبَرُ

So if I have not sinned, why have you imprisoned me?

If I had not sinned, why did you detain me?

If I am innocent of sin, for what cause do you hold me?

And if I am guilty of a sin, your pardon is greater.

And if I had sinned, your pardon is greater.

And if I am indeed guilty, surely your mercy is greater still.