عجبتُ لكرِّ صروفِ الزمانِ

عجبتُ لكرِّ صروفِ الزمانِ

ولأمر أبي خالدٍ ذي البيانِ

ولأمر أبي خالدٍ ذي البيانِ

I marveled at time's recurring vicissitudes,

I wondered at the turns of fickle Time,

And at the affair of Abu Khalid, the eloquent one,

And Abu Khalid's command so clear,

ومن رَدِّهِ الأمرَ لا يَنثني

ومن رَدِّهِ الأمرَ لا يَنثني

إلى الطيّبِ الطُهْرِ نورِ الجِنانِ

إلى الطيّبِ الطُهْرِ نورِ الجِنانِ

And at his referring the matter without wavering,

Whose firm resolve none could make bend,

To the good, pure one, the light of Paradise,

To the sweet pure Light of the Gardens of EdenAli is my Leader whom I do not doubt,

عليٍّ وما كان من عَمَّه

عليٍّ وما كان من عَمَّه

بردِّ الإمامةِ عَطفَ العِنانِ

بردِّ الإمامةِ عَطفَ العِنانِ

Ali—and what came from his uncle,

And I have freed my words "be" and "it was".

Yielding the imamate and turning the reins,

The Prophet came, goodly and Hussein;

وتحكيمِه حَجراً أسوداً

وتحكيمِه حَجراً أسوداً

وما كان من نُطقه المُستَبانِ

وما كان من نُطقه المُستَبانِ

And his appointing a black stone as arbiter,

And sat they down a space to play,

And the clear speech that issued from it,

He left them then again drew nigh

بتسليمِ عمٍّ بغيرِ امتراءِ

بتسليمِ عمٍّ بغيرِ امتراءِ

إلى ابن أخٍ مَنطِقاً باللسانِ

إلى ابن أخٍ مَنطِقاً باللسانِ

Of an uncle's submission, without doubt,

And there they were, still in that place.

To a brother's son, in words uttered by the tongue.

So they set forth, clasped to his shoulders,

شهدتُ بذلك صِدقاً كما

شهدتُ بذلك صِدقاً كما

شهدتُ بتصديقِ آيِ القُرآنِ

شهدتُ بتصديقِ آيِ القُرآنِ

I testified truthfully to that, just as

A fine steed he, and brave riders they!

I testified to the truth of the Qur'an's verses.

Their mother is the excellent Barra',

عليٌّ إماميَ لا أمتري

عليٌّ إماميَ لا أمتري

وخلّيتُ قَولي بكانَ وكانَ

وخلّيتُ قَولي بكانَ وكانَ

Ali is my imam; I have no doubt,

A mare made pure for the stallion's assay.

And I abandoned my talk of 'it was, and it was.'

And their elder is Ibn Abi Talib Ali Then fine the colts, and the parents fine!

أتى حسناً والحسين النبيُّ

أتى حسناً والحسين النبيُّ

وقد جَلسا حَجْرَةً يَلعبانِ

وقد جَلسا حَجْرَةً يَلعبانِ

The Prophet came to Hasan and Husayn,

My friend, seek not misguidance, and know

As the two sat off to one side, playing.

That right guidance is not as ye claim;

فقدّاهُما ثم حَيَّاهما

فقدّاهُما ثم حَيَّاهما

وكانا لديه بذاكَ المكانِ

وكانا لديه بذاكَ المكانِ

Then he offered himself as their ransom [uncertain reading], then greeted them,

Blind doubt after sure faith,

And the two were with him in that place.

And dimmed vision after clear sight,

فراحا وتحتَهما عاتِقاه

فراحا وتحتَهما عاتِقاه

فنعم المطيّةُ والراكبانِ

فنعم المطيّةُ والراكبانِ

Then they went off, his two shoulders beneath them—

Are aberrance. So contend not therein,

How fine the mount and the two riders!

Evil such qualities for you twain!

وَليدان أمُّهما بَرَّةٌ

وَليدان أمُّهما بَرَّةٌ

حَصانٌ مطهَّرةٌ للحَصانِ

حَصانٌ مطهَّرةٌ للحَصانِ

Two boys whose mother was righteous,

Can Ali, the Guide, e’er be doubted?

Chaste and purified, for a chaste man.

And shall Uthman be hoped for by the Misguided ones?

وشيخُهما ابن أبي طالبٍ

وشيخُهما ابن أبي طالبٍ

فنعم الوليدانِ والوالدانِ

فنعم الوليدانِ والوالدانِ

And their father was the son of Abu Talib—

And Ibn Harb with his followers be hoped for,

How fine the two boys and the two parents!

And the ranting zealots of Nehrawan?

خليليّ لا تُرجيا واعلما

خليليّ لا تُرجيا واعلما

بأنَّ الهدى غيرُ ما تَزعُمانِ

بأنَّ الهدى غيرُ ما تَزعُمانِ

My two friends, do not defer judgment; know

That their leader in the Return

That guidance is not what you two suppose,

Be one ill of purpose, yet true to loam and stone?

وأنّ عمى الشكِّ بعد اليقين

وأنّ عمى الشكِّ بعد اليقين

وضَعفَ البصيرةِ بعد العيِانِ

وضَعفَ البصيرةِ بعد العيِانِ

And that the blindness of doubt after certainty,

May God reward Hashim’s sons for us

And weakness of insight after direct sight,

For Ahmad's sake, highest of the Gardens of Eden!

ضلالٌ فلا تَلجَجا فيهما

ضلالٌ فلا تَلجَجا فيهما

فبئستْ لَعمرُكما الخَصلتانِ

فبئستْ لَعمرُكما الخَصلتانِ

Are error—so do not persist in either,

All of them pure, immaculate,

For, by your lives, how evil those two traits are!

Noble, sweet of tongue and deeds!

أيُرجى عليٌّ إمامُ الهدى

أيُرجى عليٌّ إمامُ الهدى

وعثمانُ ما أعند المُرجِيانِ

وعثمانُ ما أعند المُرجِيانِ

Is judgment deferred on Ali, the imam of guidance,

And Uthman? How obstinate those two deferrers are!

ويرُجى ابن حربٍ وأشياعُه

ويرُجى ابن حربٍ وأشياعُه

وُهوجُ الخوارجِ بالنَّهروانِ

وُهوجُ الخوارجِ بالنَّهروانِ

And is judgment deferred on Ibn Harb and his followers,

And the headstrong Kharijites at Nahrawan?

يكونُ إمامُهُمُ في المَعاد

يكونُ إمامُهُمُ في المَعاد

خبيثَ الهوى مؤمَن الشَيصَبانِ

خبيثَ الهوى مؤمَن الشَيصَبانِ

Their imam in the Hereafter will be

Wicked in desire, protected by al-Shaysaban.

جَزى الله عنّا بني هاشم

جَزى الله عنّا بني هاشم

بإنعام أحمدَ أعلى الجِنانِ

بإنعام أحمدَ أعلى الجِنانِ

May God reward the sons of Hashim on our behalf,

For Ahmad's beneficence, with the highest gardens of Paradise.

فكلُّهمُ طيِّبٌ طاهِر

فكلُّهمُ طيِّبٌ طاهِر

كريمُ الشمائلِ حُلوُ اللّسانِ

كريمُ الشمائلِ حُلوُ اللّسانِ

For each of them is good and pure,

Noble in character and sweet of tongue.