1. أبا طالب لله درّ مناقب

    تحليتها بل سدت أهل المكارم

    O Abu Talib, how splendid are the virtues

    With which you adorned yourself—indeed, you surpassed the men of noble deeds.

  2. أبا طالب لله درّ مناقب

    تحليتها بل سدت أهل المكارم

    O Abu Talib, how splendid are the virtues

    With which you adorned yourself—indeed, you surpassed the men of noble deeds.

  3. أبى الله إلا المجد فيك سجيّة

    وطبعا كما كان الندى طبع حاتم

    God ordained nothing but glory as your inborn disposition,

    And your nature, just as generosity was Hatim's nature.

  4. حويت العلى والعلم والدين والتقى

    بهمّة ماضي العزم عال يالدعائم

    You possessed eminence, knowledge, religion, and piety,

    With the ambition of one firm in resolve, lofty in supporting pillars.

  5. سما بك في الآداب جدّ كما سمت

    مناسبُ قوم من قريش وهاشم

    Diligence raised you high in letters, just as rose

    The lineages of people from Quraysh and Hashim.

  6. وغاليت في علم الأسانيد فاغتدت

    رحابك في طلابها كالمواسم

    And you excelled in knowledge of transmission chains, so that

    Your courtyards, in the quest for them, became like seasonal fairs.

  7. رأى منك أصحاب الحديث موثقا

    فقيها كريما من أناس أكارم

    The scholars of hadith saw in you a trusted authority,

    A jurist, a noble man from noble people.

  8. كفى عكبرا فحرا بأنك شيخا

    وأنهض أهليها الرد المظالم

    Ukbara has pride enough in having you as its elder,

    And the readiest of its people to redress injustices,

  9. وأحزمهم رأيا إذا ما رزيّة

    دهت وألمت من خطوب عظائم

    And the wisest of them in judgment, whenever a calamity

    Strikes and descends among grievous misfortunes.

  10. وأنك مهما ضمّك الدهر مجلس

    وقوما لخطب معضل متفاقم

    And whenever time brings you into an assembly

    With others to face a knotty, worsening crisis,

  11. لفظت بفصل القوم والحكم عن شبا

    لسان كهندي المناسب صارم

    You utter their decisive settlement and judgment from the edge

    Of a tongue as keen as a sword of Indian lineage.

  12. فجليتها عنهم برأي موفق

    وقول سديد عن قريحة عالم

    So you dispel it from them with well-guided judgment,

    And sound speech from a scholar's natural insight.

  13. وكم عائذ يوما بجاهك صنته

    وأنجبته من فادحات الجرائم

    And many a man seeking refuge one day in your influence you protected,

    And rescued him from the crushing burden of crimes.

  14. وكم طالب جدواك أخصبت رحله

    وكم غارم أنقذته من مغارم

    And many a seeker of your bounty—you made his dwelling flourish;

    And many a debtor you rescued from debts.

  15. وكم هارب من ريب دهر أجرته

    وأمنته من ريبه المتعاظم

    And many a fugitive from time's misfortunes you sheltered,

    And made him safe from its mounting misfortunes.

  16. وكم وافد أغنيته وأعنته

    فأصبح في عز بعزك دائم

    And many a visitor you enriched and helped,

    So he came to enjoy lasting honor through your honor.

  17. وكم يمّم العافي ببابك يرتجي

    فقوّمته فافترّ عن رأي حازم

    And how often a petitioner made for your door in hope,

    So you set him right, and he smiled, revealing prudent judgment.

  18. وكم من أمير أو وزير قائد

    حللت له بالحق عقد العزائم

    And many an emir or a minister in command—

    You untied for him, through truth, the knots of resolve.

  19. فبصّرته رشد الحليم وقد رأى

    بعين الهوى أو رام هتك المحارم

    Thus you showed him the wise man's right course, though he had looked

    Through passion's eye, or sought to violate sacred limits.

  20. وكم من رئيس أو عظيم عشيرة

    غدوت له خلا على رغم راغم

    And many a chief or great man of a clan—

    You became his intimate friend, despite the resentful.

  21. وأنت لدى الأشراف ايضا معظمٌ

    كما أنت أيضا في صدور الديالم

    And you are also revered among the nobles,

    As you are also in the hearts of the Daylamites.

  22. وصاهرك القاضي ابن عثمان فالتقى

    ثبير ورضوى من ثبير وجاحم

    And the judge Ibn Uthman became your kinsman by marriage, and so met

    Thabir and Radwa, from Thabir and Jahim.

  23. فعزّكما عزّ منوط بسعده

    ورفعته بالنسر أو بالنعائم

    So your shared honor is honor bound to its good fortune,

    And its height is with the Eagle or the Ostriches.

  24. وما قلت هذا الشعر ملتمسا جدا

    ولا طالبا بالمدح بذل الدراهم

    And I did not compose this poem seeking bounty,

    Nor seeking through praise the bestowal of dirhams.

  25. ولكن أراني الحق مدحك لازما

    ومدح جميع الخلق لي غير لازم

    But truth showed me that praising you was my duty,

    And praising all humankind is no duty of mine.

  26. ففسّرت ما يرجى ويخشى ويتّقى

    وشانيك من ريب الردى غير سالم

    So I explained what is hoped for, feared, and guarded against,

    And your hater is not safe from the hazards of death.