أغيرك يُرْجَى لِخَطْبٍ نَزَلْ

أغيرك يُرْجَى لِخَطْبٍ نَزَلْ

فَتُزجَى إليهِ ركابُ الأمَلْ

فَتُزجَى إليهِ ركابُ الأمَلْ

Is anyone but you looked to when calamity strikes,

Is there anyone else hoped for in times of distress,

so that hope's mounts are driven toward him?

So that hopes flock to him?

لقد فاز من كان في أمرِه

لقد فاز من كان في أمرِه

على ربّه وعليكَ اتّكلْ

على ربّه وعليكَ اتّكلْ

He has surely prospered who, in his affairs,

He who puts his trust in his Lord and you shall be successful.

relied on his Lord and on you.

How many hardships, had they not occurred,

فكم مِن شدائد لَوْ لم تكنْ

فكم مِن شدائد لَوْ لم تكنْ

لِتَفْريجها أبداً ما حَصَلْ

لِتَفْريجها أبداً ما حَصَلْ

How many hardships—had you not been there

Their relief would never have come.

to relieve them—would never have found relief!

You attained the ultimate glory,

حويتَ من المجد غاياتِه

حويتَ من المجد غاياتِه

وغيرك قصّر عنها وكلّ

وغيرك قصّر عنها وكلّ

You attained the furthest reaches of glory,

While others fell short of it.

and others fell short of them and grew weary.

You inherited generosity from Qasim,

ورثتَ المكارمَ من قاسمٍ

ورثتَ المكارمَ من قاسمٍ

سميِّك والكرم أصلُ العَسَلْ

سميِّك والكرم أصلُ العَسَلْ

You inherited noble qualities from Qasim,

Your namesake, and generosity is the origin of honey.

your namesake—and generosity is the source of honey.

What an excellent young man you are, if an affliction occurs,

لَنِعم الفتى أنتَ إنْ حادثٌ

لَنِعم الفتى أنتَ إنْ حادثٌ

ألمَّ وإن ريب دهرٍ أَطل

ألمَّ وإن ريب دهرٍ أَطل

How excellent a young man you are when calamity

Or the vicissitudes of time continue.

strikes, and when time's vicissitudes loom!

Your determination comes from Hashimite men,

نمتك جَحاجحُ من هاشمٍ

نمتك جَحاجحُ من هاشمٍ

غدوا لِوجوه المعالي مُقَلْ

غدوا لِوجوه المعالي مُقَلْ

You descend from mighty chiefs of Hashim,

Who rose to the horizons of glory.

who became eyes in the faces of lofty honors.

Noble ones ascended to the highest heaven,

كرامُ سموا في سماء العُلَى

كرامُ سموا في سماء العُلَى

لأبعدَ مرقى وأعلَى مَحَلْ

لأبعدَ مرقى وأعلَى مَحَلْ

Noble men who rose in the sky of high honor

To the farthest and loftiest place.

to the farthest ascent and the highest station.

They performed acts of generosity until

وشادوا المكارم حتى اغتدتْ

وشادوا المكارم حتى اغتدتْ

مكارمُهمْ في البرايا مثَلْ

مكارمُهمْ في البرايا مثَلْ

And they built up noble deeds until

Their generosity became proverbial.

their noble deeds became a byword among humankind.

So many scholars and workers among them,

فكم عالمٍ منهمُ عاملٍ

فكم عالمٍ منهمُ عاملٍ

نبيلٍ وكم مِن همامٍ بطَلْ

نبيلٍ وكم مِن همامٍ بطَلْ

How many a scholar among them lives by his knowledge,

Noble and heroic men.

a noble man—and how many a valiant hero!

Glory to the one who followed the one in whose shade,

له المجدُ أتبع من ظِلّه

له المجدُ أتبع من ظِلّه

فإن سارَ سارَ وإن حلّ حَلْ

فإن سارَ سارَ وإن حلّ حَلْ

Glory follows him more closely than his own shadow:

He walks if he walks and settles if he settles.

if he travels, it travels; if he settles, it settles.

When he carries the shield in his hand,

إذا حَمل الطِّرسَ في كفِّهِ

إذا حَمل الطِّرسَ في كفِّهِ

أو الرمحَ تدعو العُلَى لا شلَلْ

أو الرمحَ تدعو العُلَى لا شلَلْ

When he holds a parchment in his palm,

Or the spear, he calls the exalted, no weakness.

or a spear, the heights pray: 'May his hand never be palsied!'

And you are the one gathered in their arena,

وأنتَ المجلّي بميدانِهم

وأنتَ المجلّي بميدانِهم

وحائز تحت ظلِّ الأسَلْ

وحائز تحت ظلِّ الأسَلْ

And you are the winning racer in their arena,

Acquiring beneath the shadow of the chieftains.

and a victor beneath the shade of spears;

You have the longest hand in glory,

وأطولهم في المعالي يداً

وأطولهم في المعالي يداً

وأثبتُهم تحت ظلِّ الأسَلْ

وأثبتُهم تحت ظلِّ الأسَلْ

and your hand reaches furthest among them in lofty honors,

And the firmest beneath the shadow of the spears.

and you stand firmest among them beneath the shade of spears.

You are the resolute one who donned

وإنّكَ أنتَ الهمام الَّذي

وإنّكَ أنتَ الهمام الَّذي

تردّى رِداء العُلَى واشتَملْ

تردّى رِداء العُلَى واشتَملْ

And you are indeed the valiant man who

The cloak of exaltation and wore it.

donned the robe of high honor and wrapped himself in it.

What knowing woman has not attained,

فأيّةُ عارفةٍ لم تُنِلْ

فأيّةُ عارفةٍ لم تُنِلْ

وأيّةُ مكرمةٍ لم تَنَلْ

وأيّةُ مكرمةٍ لم تَنَلْ

What kindness, then, have you not bestowed,

And what generous woman has not received,

and what honor have you not attained?

From you the light of guidance? I complain to you

إليكَ ضياء الهدى أشتكي

إليكَ ضياء الهدى أشتكي

هموماً أقَمْنَ وصبراً رحَلْ

هموماً أقَمْنَ وصبراً رحَلْ

To you, O Radiance of Guidance, I complain

Of sorrows that stayed and patience that journeyed,

of worries that stayed, and patience that departed;

And a heart that sickness corrupted when

وقلباً أعلّلهُ إن غلَتْ

وقلباً أعلّلهُ إن غلَتْ

مراجلُه بعَسَى أو لعَلّ

مراجلُه بعَسَى أو لعَلّ

and a heart I soothe whenever

Its furnaces were stirred with anxiety and hope,

its cauldrons boil, with 'perhaps' or 'maybe';

And a debt whose sake I have become

ودَيْناً عَدا صِيرتُ من أجْلِه

ودَيْناً عَدا صِيرتُ من أجْلِه

على وَجَلٍ من هجومِ الأَجل

على وَجَلٍ من هجومِ الأَجل

and a debt grown excessive, on whose account I am left

Agitated by the onslaught of death,

in dread of death's assault;

And the vicissitudes of a painful time I have not cared for,

وأحداثَ دهرٍ عِلّةٍ لم أُبَلّ

وأحداثَ دهرٍ عِلّةٍ لم أُبَلّ

منها ومن غُلّةٍ لَمْ تُبَلْ

منها ومن غُلّةٍ لَمْ تُبَلْ

and time's misfortunes—an illness I have not recovered

Nor for its bitterness that was not sweetened.

from, nor from a burning thirst still unquenched;

How much sickness I did not care for,

وكم لِيَ من عِلّةٍ لم أُبَلّ

وكم لِيَ من عِلّةٍ لم أُبَلّ

منها ومن غُلّةٍ لَمْ تُبَلْ

منها ومن غُلّةٍ لَمْ تُبَلْ

and many an illness of mine I have not recovered

Nor for its bitterness that was not sweetened,

from, nor from a burning thirst still unquenched;

And from preoccupation, worries prevented me,

ومِنْ شُغلٍ مَنَعَتْني الكَرَى

ومِنْ شُغلٍ مَنَعَتْني الكَرَى

وما شُغَلُ القَلبِ إلاّ شُعَلْ

وما شُغَلُ القَلبِ إلاّ شُعَلْ

and of preoccupations that have denied me sleep;

But the heart’s preoccupation is raging flames.

and the heart's cares are nothing but flames.

By my life, that is the way of time,

وذاك لعمري دأبُ الزّمان

وذاك لعمري دأبُ الزّمان

فكم مِثلها مَعَ مِثلي فَعَلْ

فكم مِثلها مَعَ مِثلي فَعَلْ

And that, by my life, is time's habit:

How many like me has it done the same?

how often it has done the same to one like me!

For how long does it not rest its eye,

فحتّى مَتَى طرفهُ ما غَفا

فحتّى مَتَى طرفهُ ما غَفا

وحتّى متى صرفُه ما غَفَلْ

وحتّى متى صرفُه ما غَفَلْ

How long, then, will its eye remain unsleeping,

And for how long does its vicissitude not neglect?

and how long will its adversity remain ever watchful?

Does time thicken for me once

فهل يغلظُ الدّهر لي مرة

فهل يغلظُ الدّهر لي مرة

بعطفٍ وهل نافعي قولُ هَلْ

بعطفٍ وهل نافعي قولُ هَلْ

Will time, for once, grow harsh toward me

With kindness? And is my saying “if only” of benefit?

with kindness? And will saying 'will it?' help me?

Oh, how far I deviated from its kindness!

ويا بُعد ما رمتُ من عَطْفِهِ

ويا بُعد ما رمتُ من عَطْفِهِ

مَتَى حالَ عن حالِه وانتقَلْ

مَتَى حالَ عن حالِه وانتقَلْ

And oh, how far away the kindness I have sought from it!

When did its state change and transform?

When has it ever turned from its ways and changed?

I have determined it to be the opposite of its nature,

لَقد سمتُه الضدَّ من طبعِهِ

لَقد سمتُه الضدَّ من طبعِهِ

وكيفَ يُنيلُ الشفا من أَعَلُّ

وكيفَ يُنيلُ الشفا من أَعَلُّ

I have indeed demanded of it the opposite of its nature;

So how can the exalted gain healing?

and how can one who caused illness bestow a cure?

Am I not like one who seeks

وهل أَنا إلاّ كمنْ يَبْتغي

وهل أَنا إلاّ كمنْ يَبْتغي

مِن العَلْقمِ المرّطعمَ العَسَلْ

مِن العَلْقمِ المرّطعمَ العَسَلْ

And am I not merely like one who seeks

Honey from aloes?

the taste of honey from bitter colocynth?

But through your effort, O son of the Prophet,

ولكِنْ بسَعْيكَ يا بْنَ النبي

ولكِنْ بسَعْيكَ يا بْنَ النبي

يَنَال المؤمَّل أَقصى الأَمَلْ

يَنَال المؤمَّل أَقصى الأَمَلْ

But through your striving, O son of the Prophet,

The hopeful attains the utmost hope.

the one given hope attains the utmost hope.

You know best my state, and about

وأنت الخبيرُ بحالي وعن

وأنت الخبيرُ بحالي وعن

زيادة نقصانها لا تَسَلْ

زيادة نقصانها لا تَسَلْ

And you know my condition well; and about

Its increase or decrease, do not ask.

its growing decline, do not ask.

Shall I explain my state when you are the one

أَأَشرح حالي وأنت الّذي

أَأَشرح حالي وأنت الّذي

لديكَ تفاصيلُها والجُمَلْ

لديكَ تفاصيلُها والجُمَلْ

Shall I explain my plight, when you are the one

Who has its details and its whole?

who has its particulars and its broad outlines?

My time was kind to me for a while,

وقد رقّ لي زَمني بُرْهَةٌ

وقد رقّ لي زَمني بُرْهَةٌ

وكاد ولكنّه ما فَعَلْ

وكاد ولكنّه ما فَعَلْ

And my time grew tender toward me for a while,

But then it did not do so.

and almost acted—but it did not.

It brought me in the presence of the guiding Sun

وبوّاني عند شمسِ الهدى

وبوّاني عند شمسِ الهدى

مَحَلاًّ تقاصرَ عنه زُحَلْ

مَحَلاًّ تقاصرَ عنه زُحَلْ

And it lodged me beside the Sun of Guidance

To a position out of reach of Saturn.

in a station that Saturn fell short of.

I was pampered with its blessings,

وكنتُ رفَلْتُ بنعمائِه

وكنتُ رفَلْتُ بنعمائِه

حسان المطارف فيمَن رَفَلْ

حسان المطارف فيمَن رَفَلْ

And through his favors I had strutted

Among those pampered with fine gazes.

in fine cloaks among those who strutted.

My time saddened me for what I attained,

فأحزنَ دهريَ ما نلْته

فأحزنَ دهريَ ما نلْته

فعاد لِتلكَ الخِلال الأُولْ

فعاد لِتلكَ الخِلال الأُولْ

So what I had gained grieved my time,

So it returned to those old faults.

so it returned to those former ways.

When I feared what you already know,

ولمّا تخوّفتُ ما قَدْ عَلمتَ

ولمّا تخوّفتُ ما قَدْ عَلمتَ

تقَنّعتُ عن بحرِه بالوشَلْ

تقَنّعتُ عن بحرِه بالوشَلْ

And when I feared what you already know,

I sufficed myself from its sea with a handful.

I contented myself with a trickle instead of his sea.

So be my intercessor, O my master,

فكنْ أنت يا مالكي شافعي

فكنْ أنت يا مالكي شافعي

إلى مَنْ لِهَامِ السّماك انتَعَلْ

إلى مَنْ لِهَامِ السّماك انتَعَلْ

So be my intercessor, O my master,

To the one for whom wraps were made into shoes.

to him who has taken al-Simak's heads for sandals,

And the one whose righteous deeds

ومَن بمآثِرِهِ الصَّالحات

ومَن بمآثِرِهِ الصَّالحات

تُزْهى العًلَى وتُزان الدُّوَلْ

تُزْهى العًلَى وتُزان الدُّوَلْ

and through whose righteous deeds

Adorn the exalted and straighten nations.

the heights are made proud and states adorned:

The imam of the time, companion of the Qur’an,

إمامِ الزَّمانِ قرين القُرانِ

إمامِ الزَّمانِ قرين القُرانِ

أَمانِ الأَنامِ إذا الخطبُ جَل

أَمانِ الأَنامِ إذا الخطبُ جَل

the Imam of the age, companion of the Quran,

The safety of mankind when matters are serious.

humankind's safeguard when calamity grows grave.

If I was heavy in my request,

وإن أَنا ثقَّلْتُ في مَطلبي

وإن أَنا ثقَّلْتُ في مَطلبي

فمثلكَ من للصديق احتَملْ

فمثلكَ من للصديق احتَملْ

And if I have pressed too hard in my request,

Then one like you can tolerate a friend.

then one like you bears the burden for a friend.

You remained for us after the striking light vanished,

بقيتَ لَنا ما شَرى بارقٌ

بقيتَ لَنا ما شَرى بارقٌ

وما سار ذكْركَ فِينا مَثَلْ

وما سار ذكْركَ فِينا مَثَلْ

May you remain ours as long as lightning flashes,

And after your mention continued as a proverb among us.

and as long as your renown travels among us as a byword.