يا مالِكَ الناسِ في مَسيرِهِمُ

يا مالِكَ الناسِ في مَسيرِهِمُ

وَفي المُقامِ المُطيرِ مِن رَهَبِه

وَفي المُقامِ المُطيرِ مِن رَهَبِه

O master of the people in their journeys,

O guide of people in their journey

and in the station that sends them flying in dread of him.

And in the fearful abode of his awe

لا تَخشَ غَدري وَلا مُخالَفَتي

لا تَخشَ غَدري وَلا مُخالَفَتي

كُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ راجِعٌ إِلى حَسَبِه

كُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ راجِعٌ إِلى حَسَبِه

Do not fear my treachery or my opposition;

Do not fear my betrayal or defiance

every man returns to his ancestral honor.

For each man returns to his worth

كَشَفتَ عَن مَرتَعٍ دُجُنَّتَهُ

كَشَفتَ عَن مَرتَعٍ دُجُنَّتَهُ

عَوداً وَكُنتَ الطَبيبَ مِن وَصَبِه

عَوداً وَكُنتَ الطَبيبَ مِن وَصَبِه

You lifted a pasture's darkness

You have uncovered a pasture after it was obscured

once more, and were the physician for its sickness.

A stick, while you were the healer of its pain

وَلَستَ بِالحازِمِ الجَليلِ إِذا اِغ

وَلَستَ بِالحازِمِ الجَليلِ إِذا اِغ

تَرَّ وَلا بِالمُغتَرِّ في نَسَبِه

تَرَّ وَلا بِالمُغتَرِّ في نَسَبِه

Nor are you the august man of resolve when

You are not the wise and grand when angry

he is deceived, nor one deluded about his lineage.

Nor the deceived in his lineage

وَرُبَّما رابَني النَذيرُ فَعَم

وَرُبَّما رابَني النَذيرُ فَعَم

مَيتُ رَجاءَ الأَصَمِّ عَن رِيَبِه

مَيتُ رَجاءَ الأَصَمِّ عَن رِيَبِه

At times the warner unsettled me, and so I

And sometimes the warner saddens me, so I acted

blinded the deaf man's hope to his misgivings.

Deaf, despairing the doubts of the blind

عِندي مِنَ الشُبهَةِ البَيانُ وما

عِندي مِنَ الشُبهَةِ البَيانُ وما

تَطلُبُ إِلّا البَيانَ مِن حَلَبِه

تَطلُبُ إِلّا البَيانَ مِن حَلَبِه

I have clarity amid doubt, and you do not

I have proof against suspicions, and only

seek anything but clarity from milking him.

Seek proof from its pure origin

إِن كُنتَ تَنوي بِهِ الهَلاكَ فَما

إِن كُنتَ تَنوي بِهِ الهَلاكَ فَما

تَعرِفُ رَأسَ الهَلاكِ مِن ذَنَبِه

تَعرِفُ رَأسَ الهَلاكِ مِن ذَنَبِه

If you intend destruction through him, then you do not

If you intend destruction with it, then you don’t

know destruction's head from its tail.

Know the head of destruction from its tail

وَإِن يُدافِع بِكَ الخُطوبَ فَما

وَإِن يُدافِع بِكَ الخُطوبَ فَما

دافَعتَ خَطباً بِمِثلِهِ مَلَبِه

دافَعتَ خَطباً بِمِثلِهِ مَلَبِه

And if he fends off calamities through you, never

And if calamities defend you, then you haven’t

have you repelled a calamity with his like [unclear word].

Defended from the like of its afflictions

سَيفُكَ لا تَنثَني مَضارِبُهُ

سَيفُكَ لا تَنثَني مَضارِبُهُ

يَهتَزُّ مِن مائِهِ وَفي شُطَبِه

يَهتَزُّ مِن مائِهِ وَفي شُطَبِه

Your sword's striking edges do not bend;

Your sword - its strikes do not bend

it quivers with its watery sheen and along its grooves.

It shakes from its wetness, even when in its scabbard

تَرنو إِلَيهِ العَروسُ عائِذَةً

تَرنو إِلَيهِ العَروسُ عائِذَةً

فَلا يَمَلُّ الحَدّابُ مِن عَجَبِه

فَلا يَمَلُّ الحَدّابُ مِن عَجَبِه

The bride gazes at it, seeking refuge,

The bride flees to it for refuge

so the solicitous man never tires of his amazement.

So the passionate does not tire of its wonder

يَصدُقُ في دينِهِ وَمَوعِدِهِ

يَصدُقُ في دينِهِ وَمَوعِدِهِ

نَعَم وَيُعطى النَدى عَلى كَذِبِه

نَعَم وَيُعطى النَدى عَلى كَذِبِه

He is truthful in his faith and his promise,

He is truthful in his religion and promise

yes, and he is given largesse for his lies.

Yes, and the clouds grant favor upon his lies

لِلَهِ ما راحَ في جَوانِحِهِ

لِلَهِ ما راحَ في جَوانِحِهِ

مِن لُؤلُؤٍ لا يُنامُ عَن طَلَبِه

مِن لُؤلُؤٍ لا يُنامُ عَن طَلَبِه

To God belongs what stirs within his breast—

To God belongs what stirs in his conscience

pearls, in whose pursuit no one sleeps.

Of pearls that do not sleep from seeking Him

يَخرُجنَ مِن فيهِ لِلنَديِّ كَما

يَخرُجنَ مِن فيهِ لِلنَديِّ كَما

يَخرُجُ ضَوءُ السِراجِ مِن لَهَبِه

يَخرُجُ ضَوءُ السِراجِ مِن لَهَبِه

They emerge from his mouth into the assembly, just as

They come out of his mouth as narration

the lamp's light emerges from its flame.

As lamp light comes out from its flame

زَورُ مُلوكٍ عَلَيهِ أُبَّهَةٌ

زَورُ مُلوكٍ عَلَيهِ أُبَّهَةٌ

تَعرِفُ مِن شِعرِهِ وَمِن خُطَبِه

تَعرِفُ مِن شِعرِهِ وَمِن خُطَبِه

A visitor to kings, he bears a majesty

The lies of kings - pretentiousness is upon it

you recognize in his poetry and his speeches.

You recognize it from his poetry and sermons

يَقومُ بِالقَومِ يَومَ جِئتَهُمُ

يَقومُ بِالقَومِ يَومَ جِئتَهُمُ

وَلا يَخيبُ الرُوّادُ في سَبَبِه

وَلا يَخيبُ الرُوّادُ في سَبَبِه

He leads the people on the day you came to them,

He stands with the people the day you came to them

and the scouts are not disappointed in his aid.

And visitors do not fail in their pursuit

مُؤَبَّدُ البَيتِ وَالقَرارَةِ وَال

مُؤَبَّدُ البَيتِ وَالقَرارَةِ وَال

تَلعَةِ في عُجمِهِ وَفي عَرَبِه

تَلعَةِ في عُجمِهِ وَفي عَرَبِه

Enduring are his house, the valley-bottom, and the

Lasting in lineage, settlement, and

hill-slope, among his non-Arabs and his Arabs.

Fluency in Persian and in Arabic

لَو قامَ بِالحادِثِ العَظيمِ لَما

لَو قامَ بِالحادِثِ العَظيمِ لَما

عَيَّ بِعُمرانِهِ وَلا خَرِبِه

عَيَّ بِعُمرانِهِ وَلا خَرِبِه

Were he to undertake the great calamity, he would not

If faced with the great calamity, it would not

falter in building it up or laying it waste.

Ruin his civilization or leave it in ruins

لا يَعبُدُ المالَ حينَ يَجمَعُهُ

لا يَعبُدُ المالَ حينَ يَجمَعُهُ

وَلا يُصَلّي لِلبَيتِ مِن صُلُبِه

وَلا يُصَلّي لِلبَيتِ مِن صُلُبِه

He does not worship wealth when he gathers it,

He does not worship money when he gathers it

nor pray for the household sprung from his loins.

Nor prays to the house from his own loins

تِلعابَةٌ تَعكِفُ النِساءُ بِهِ

تِلعابَةٌ تَعكِفُ النِساءُ بِهِ

يَأخُذنَ مِن جِدِّهِ وَمِن لَعِبِه

يَأخُذنَ مِن جِدِّهِ وَمِن لَعِبِه

A playful man, around whom women linger,

A flirtatious one - women gather around him

taking from his earnestness and his play.

Taking from his seriousness and his playfulness

يَزدَحِمُ الناسُ كُلَّ شارِقَةٍ

يَزدَحِمُ الناسُ كُلَّ شارِقَةٍ

بِبابِهِ مُشرِعينَ في أَدَبِه

بِبابِهِ مُشرِعينَ في أَدَبِه

People crowd together at every sunrise

People cram every street

at his door, pressing eagerly into his learning.

With his door, well-mannered in his etiquette

شابَ وَقَد كانَ في شَبيبَتِهِ

شابَ وَقَد كانَ في شَبيبَتِهِ

شَهماً يَبولُ الرِئبالُ مِن غَضَبِه

شَهماً يَبولُ الرِئبالُ مِن غَضَبِه

He has grown gray, though in his youth he was

He matured, and in his youth he was

valiant: his wrath made the lion urinate.

Valiant - cowardice urinates from his anger

حَتّى إِذا دَرَّتِ الدَرورُ لَهُ

حَتّى إِذا دَرَّتِ الدَرورُ لَهُ

وَرَغَّثَتهُ الرُواةُ في نَسَبِه

وَرَغَّثَتهُ الرُواةُ في نَسَبِه

Until, when the milk-rich beast yielded milk for him

Until the pearls circulated for him

and the reciters milked him over his lineage,

And the transmitters exaggerated his lineage

قَضى الإِمامُ المَهدِيُّ طَعنَتَهُ

قَضى الإِمامُ المَهدِيُّ طَعنَتَهُ

عَن رَأسِ أُخرى كانَت عَلى أَرَبِه

عَن رَأسِ أُخرى كانَت عَلى أَرَبِه

the Imam al-Mahdi carried out his thrust,

The Imam Mahdi ended his life

away from the head of another that had suited his purpose.

From another head that was at its edge

فَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ لا أُساعِفُ بِال

فَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ لا أُساعِفُ بِال

لَهوِ وَلا أَنتَهي بِمُكتئِبهِ

لَهوِ وَلا أَنتَهي بِمُكتئِبهِ

So praise be to God: I do not lend myself to

So praise be to God - I do not aid

amusement, nor end in grief over him.

Frivolity, nor conclude with depression