عظِيمٌ لَعَمْري أنْ يُلِمّ عظيمُ

عظِيمٌ لَعَمْري أنْ يُلِمّ عظيمُ

بآلِ علِيّ والأنامُ سَليمُ

بآلِ علِيّ والأنامُ سَليمُ

Grievous indeed, by my life, that a grave affliction should befall

It is grievous, by my life, that a grave calamity should befall

the house of ʿAlī while all mankind is well.

the house of ʿAlī, while mankind remains unharmed.

ولكِنّهُمْ أهلُ الحَفائظِ والعُلى

ولكِنّهُمْ أهلُ الحَفائظِ والعُلى

فهُمْ لمُلِمّاتِ الزمانِ خُصومُ

فهُمْ لمُلِمّاتِ الزمانِ خُصومُ

Yet they are a house of steadfast honor and high glory,

But they are defenders of honor, men of lofty worth;

and so stand as foes to the calamities of Time.

so they are adversaries of time's calamities.

فإنْ باتَ منها فيهمُ وَعْكُ عِلّةٍ

فإنْ باتَ منها فيهمُ وَعْكُ عِلّةٍ

ففيها جِراحٌ منهمُ وكُلُومُ

ففيها جِراحٌ منهمُ وكُلُومُ

If one such calamity spends the night among them, fevered and sick,

If a fever of illness from those calamities lodges among them overnight,

it bears wounds and gashes dealt by them.

then those calamities bear wounds and gashes dealt by them.

هَنيئاً لأهلِ العَصْرِ بُرْءُ محَمّدٍ

هَنيئاً لأهلِ العَصْرِ بُرْءُ محَمّدٍ

وإنْ كانَ منهمْ جاهِلٌ وعَليمُ

وإنْ كانَ منهمْ جاهِلٌ وعَليمُ

Joy to the people of this age at Muhammad’s recovery,

May Muḥammad's recovery bring joy to the people of this age,

whether ignorant or learned among them.

even though among them are the ignorant and the learned.

ألَدُّ بِحَدّيْ سَيْفِهِ وسِنانِهِ

ألَدُّ بِحَدّيْ سَيْفِهِ وسِنانِهِ

إذا لم يُغَلَّبْ غيرَ ذَيْنِ خَصِيمُ

إذا لم يُغَلَّبْ غيرَ ذَيْنِ خَصِيمُ

Most implacable, with the twin points of his sword and spear,

He is fiercest in dispute with his sword's edge and his spear's point,

when no adversary is vanquished by any but those two.

when no contender but these two is granted victory.

لكَ اللهُ لا تَذْعَرْ وَليّاً بغَضْبةٍ

لكَ اللهُ لا تَذْعَرْ وَليّاً بغَضْبةٍ

لعَلّ له عُذْراً وأنتَ تَلومُ

لعَلّ له عُذْراً وأنتَ تَلومُ

God keep you: do not alarm a loyal friend with an angry outburst;

May God be with you; do not frighten a friend with an angry outburst:

perhaps he has an excuse even as you blame him.

he may have an excuse, even as you reproach him.

فلو زارَ أهلَ الخُلْدِ عتْبُكَ زوْرَةً

فلو زارَ أهلَ الخُلْدِ عتْبُكَ زوْرَةً

لأوْهَمَهُمْ أنّ الجِنانَ جَحيمُ

لأوْهَمَهُمْ أنّ الجِنانَ جَحيمُ

If your reproach paid the immortals a single visit,

For if your reproach paid the dwellers of eternal Paradise a single visit,

it would make them think the gardens of Paradise were Hell.

it would make them think the Gardens were Hell.

إذا عَصَفَتْ بالرّوْضِ أنفاسُ ناجِرٍ

إذا عَصَفَتْ بالرّوْضِ أنفاسُ ناجِرٍ

فأيُّ وَميضٍ للغَمامِ أشيمُ

فأيُّ وَميضٍ للغَمامِ أشيمُ

When the breaths of Nājir rage through the meadow,

When Nājir's breaths blast the garden,

what lightning-flash am I to scan in the rainclouds?

then what lightning-flash from the clouds shall I watch for?

وهل ليَ في ظِلّ النَّعامِ تَقَيّلٌ

وهل ليَ في ظِلّ النَّعامِ تَقَيّلٌ

إذا منَعَتْ ظِلَّ الأراكِ سَمومُ

إذا منَعَتْ ظِلَّ الأراكِ سَمومُ

And can I find a noonday rest in al-Naʿām’s shade

And can I take my noonday rest in the ostriches' shade,

when a simoom has withheld the shade of the arāk trees?

when a scorching wind denies me the shade of arāk trees?

وما كنْتُ أدري أنّ مثلَكَ يشْتكي

وما كنْتُ أدري أنّ مثلَكَ يشْتكي

ولم يَتَغَيّرْ للرّياحِ نَسيمُ

ولم يَتَغَيّرْ للرّياحِ نَسيمُ

Never did I know that one like you could fall ill,

And I had not known that one like you could fall ill,

or that winds could ever alter a breeze.

while the winds' breeze remained unchanged,

ولم تُطبِقِ الدنيا الفِجاجَ على الوَرَى

ولم تُطبِقِ الدنيا الفِجاجَ على الوَرَى

فيَهْلِكَ محمودٌ بها وذَميمُ

فيَهْلِكَ محمودٌ بها وذَميمُ

Nor has the world closed its broad passes upon humankind,

and the world had not shut its mountain passes upon humankind,

so that the praiseworthy and the blameworthy alike should perish in it.

so that the praiseworthy and the blameworthy alike would perish in it.

فإنْ نالَ منكَ السُّقْمُ حظّاً فطالما

فإنْ نالَ منكَ السُّقْمُ حظّاً فطالما

رأيْتُ هِلالَ الأفْقِ وهْوَ سَقيمُ

رأيْتُ هِلالَ الأفْقِ وهْوَ سَقيمُ

And if illness has taken some share of you, how often

For if sickness has claimed a share of you, many a time

have I seen the horizon’s crescent looking pale and sick.

have I seen the crescent on the horizon while it was ailing.

إذا أدركَ البَيْنُ السِّماكَ ظعَنْتُمُ

إذا أدركَ البَيْنُ السِّماكَ ظعَنْتُمُ

وخُوضوا المَنايا والسِّماكُ مُقيمُ

وخُوضوا المَنايا والسِّماكُ مُقيمُ

Should separation overtake al-Simāk, you all would journey away—

When separation overtakes al-Simāk, you will depart;

then plunge into death’s perils, while al-Simāk remains fixed.

and plunge into death's perils while al-Simāk remains fixed.

فآلُ الثّرَيّا والفَراقِدِ أنْتُمُ

فآلُ الثّرَيّا والفَراقِدِ أنْتُمُ

وإنْ شَبّهَتْكُمْ بالعِبادِ جُسومُ

وإنْ شَبّهَتْكُمْ بالعِبادِ جُسومُ

For you are the kindred of the Pleiades and the Farqad stars,

For you are the kin of the Pleiades and the Farāqid,

though bodies have made you resemble mortal men.

though your bodies make you resemble mortals.

فإنّ نُجومَ الأرضِ ليس بغائبٍ

فإنّ نُجومَ الأرضِ ليس بغائبٍ

سَناها وفي جَوّ السماء نُجومُ

سَناها وفي جَوّ السماء نُجومُ

For the radiance of earth’s stars is never absent,

For the stars of earth do not lack

and in heaven’s vault there too are stars.

their radiance, while there are stars in the sky's expanse.

فلَيْتَكَ للأفْلاكِ نورٌ مُخَلَّدٌ

فلَيْتَكَ للأفْلاكِ نورٌ مُخَلَّدٌ

يَزُولُ بنا صَرْفُ الرّدى وتَدومُ

يَزُولُ بنا صَرْفُ الرّدى وتَدومُ

Would that you were an immortal light for the celestial spheres,

Would that you were an everlasting light for the celestial spheres,

so death’s vicissitude might carry us away while you endure.

with death's vicissitudes carrying us away while you endure,

يَراهُ بَنو الدهرِ الأخيرِ بِحالِهِ

يَراهُ بَنو الدهرِ الأخيرِ بِحالِهِ

كما أبصرتْهُ جُرْهُمٌ وأَمِيمُ

كما أبصرتْهُ جُرْهُمٌ وأَمِيمُ

The latest-born sons of Time would see it unchanged,

seen unchanged by the children of the last age,

just as Jurhum and Umaym beheld it.

just as Jurhum and Amīm beheld it.