قالوا صَدَقتَ فَكانَ الصِدقَ ما قالوا

قالوا صَدَقتَ فَكانَ الصِدقَ ما قالوا

ما كُلُّ مُنتَسِبٍ لِلقَولِ قَوّالُ

ما كُلُّ مُنتَسِبٍ لِلقَولِ قَوّالُ

They said, “You spoke the truth,” and what they said was the truth.

They said you were truthful, so truth became what they said

Not everyone claiming the art of speech is an eloquent speaker.

Not everyone who claims speech is a speaker

هَذا قَريضي وَهَذا قَدرُ مُمتَدَحي

هَذا قَريضي وَهَذا قَدرُ مُمتَدَحي

هَل بَعدَ هَذَينِ إِحكامٌ وَإِجلالُ

هَل بَعدَ هَذَينِ إِحكامٌ وَإِجلالُ

This is my verse, and this the stature of the one I praise;

This is my poor rhyme, that my eulogy’s extent

Can there be greater mastery and reverence than these two?

After these two, is there solemnity and veneration?

إِنّي لَأُبصِرُ في أَثناءِ بُردَتِهِ

إِنّي لَأُبصِرُ في أَثناءِ بُردَتِهِ

نوراً بِهِ تَهتَدي لِلحَقِّ ضُلّالُ

نوراً بِهِ تَهتَدي لِلحَقِّ ضُلّالُ

Indeed, I see within the folds of his mantle

In the midst of his robe, I see a light

A light by which those astray are guided to the truth.

With it, the misguided find the truth

حَلَلتُ داراً بِها تُتلى مَناقِبُهُ

حَلَلتُ داراً بِها تُتلى مَناقِبُهُ

بِبابِها اِزدَحَمَت لِلناسِ آمالُ

بِبابِها اِزدَحَمَت لِلناسِ آمالُ

I alighted at a house where his virtues are recited;

I entered a house, in which his virtues are recited

At its door the people's hopes thronged.

At its door, people’s hopes are crowded

رَأَيتُ فيها بِساطاً جَلَّ ناسِجُهُ

رَأَيتُ فيها بِساطاً جَلَّ ناسِجُهُ

عَلَيهِ فاروقُ هَذا الوَقتِ يَختالُ

عَلَيهِ فاروقُ هَذا الوَقتِ يَختالُ

There I saw a carpet whose weaver was exalted;

I saw in it a carpet, its weaver is glorious

Upon it the Faruq of this age walks proudly,

Upon it, this time’s Farooq walks proudly

بِمَشيَةٍ بَينَ صَفَّي حِكمَةٍ وَتُقىً

بِمَشيَةٍ بَينَ صَفَّي حِكمَةٍ وَتُقىً

يُحِبُّها اللَهُ لا تيهٌ وَلا خالُ

يُحِبُّها اللَهُ لا تيهٌ وَلا خالُ

With a gait between two ranks of wisdom and piety,

With a gait between rows of wisdom and piety

Which God loves, with neither arrogance nor conceit.

God loves it, not lost nor alone

تَبَسَّمَ المُصطَفى في قَبرِهِ جَذَلاً

تَبَسَّمَ المُصطَفى في قَبرِهِ جَذَلاً

لَمّا سَمَوتَ إِلَيها وَهيَ مِعطالُ

لَمّا سَمَوتَ إِلَيها وَهيَ مِعطالُ

Al-Mustafa smiled joyfully in his grave,

Al-Mustafa smiled broadly in his grave

When you rose to her while she was unadorned;

When you aspired to it while it was abandoned

فَكانَ لَفظُكَ دُرّاً حَولَ لَبَّتِها

فَكانَ لَفظُكَ دُرّاً حَولَ لَبَّتِها

العَدلُ يَنظِمُ وَالتَوفيقُ لَآلُ

العَدلُ يَنظِمُ وَالتَوفيقُ لَآلُ

So your speech became pearls around her throat:

So your words were pearls around its essence

Justice strings them, and divine favor is the pearl dealer.

Justice composes and success refines

لي كُلَّ حَولٍ لِبَيتِ الجاهِ مُنتَجَعٌ

لي كُلَّ حَولٍ لِبَيتِ الجاهِ مُنتَجَعٌ

كَما تُشَدُّ لِبَيتِ اللَهِ أَرحالُ

كَما تُشَدُّ لِبَيتِ اللَهِ أَرحالُ

Each year I seek bounty at the house of eminence,

Every year, I take refuge in the house of glory

As saddles are fastened for the House of God.

As pilgrims flock to God’s house

وَزَهرَةٌ غَضَّةٌ أَلقى الإِمامَ بِها

وَزَهرَةٌ غَضَّةٌ أَلقى الإِمامَ بِها

لَها عَلى أُختِها في الرَوضِ إِدلالُ

لَها عَلى أُختِها في الرَوضِ إِدلالُ

And a tender flower with which I meet the Imam

A blossoming flower, the Imam threw it

Vaunts itself over its sister in the garden.

It is pampered over its sister in the meadow

تَفَتَّحَ الحَمدُ عَنها حينَ أَسعَدَها

تَفَتَّحَ الحَمدُ عَنها حينَ أَسعَدَها

مِنكَ القَبولُ وَفيها نَوَّرَ القالُ

مِنكَ القَبولُ وَفيها نَوَّرَ القالُ

Praise unfolded to reveal it when it was gladdened

Praise burst forth from it when you made it joyful

By your acceptance, and speech blossomed within it.

With your acceptance, and through it the speech shone

نَثَرتُ مَنظومَ تيجانِ المُلوكِ بِها

نَثَرتُ مَنظومَ تيجانِ المُلوكِ بِها

فَراحَ يَنظِمُهُ في وَصفِكَ البالُ

فَراحَ يَنظِمُهُ في وَصفِكَ البالُ

I scattered within it the strung jewels of kings' crowns;

I scattered the composed crowns of kings with it

Then my mind began stringing them together in describing you.

And the mind started composing your description

يا مَن تَيَمَّنَتِ الفُتيا بِطَلعَتِهِ

يا مَن تَيَمَّنَتِ الفُتيا بِطَلعَتِهِ

أَدرِك فَتاكَ فَقَد ضاقَت بِهِ الحالُ

أَدرِك فَتاكَ فَقَد ضاقَت بِهِ الحالُ

O you whose presence has blessed the giving of fatwas,

O he whom the youth are blessed by his rising

Come to your young man's aid, for his circumstances have grown straitened.

Reach your young man, for the situation has narrowed