مَحاerased الدَّهْرُtime آثارَthe traces of الْكِرامِthe noble فَلَمْand did not يَدَعْleave
مَحا الدَّهْرُ آثارَ الْكِرامِ فَلَمْ يَدَعْ
مِنَof الْبَأْسِvalor وَالْمَعْرُوفِand beneficence غَيْرَexcept رُسُومِvestiges
مِنَ الْبَأْسِ وَالْمَعْرُوفِ غَيْرَ رُسُومِ
Time erased the traces of the noble, leaving nothing
Time has erased the traces of generosity, leaving behind
Of valor and beneficence but vestiges.
No goodness or kindness, except faint customs.
وَأَصْبَحْتُand I have come to أَسْتَجْدِيI beg الْبخِيلَthe miser نَوالَهُhis bounty
وَأَصْبَحْتُ أَسْتَجْدِي الْبخِيلَ نَوالَهُ
وَأَحْمَدُand I praise فِيin اللَّزْباتِhardships كُلِّevery ذَمِيمِcontemptible man
وَأَحْمَدُ فِي اللَّزْباتِ كُلِّ ذَمِيمِ
And I have come to beg the miser for his bounty,
I've become one who begs from the miser his crumbs,
And praise every contemptible man in times of hardship.
And find praiseworthy the vilest of blames.
سِوىexcept أَنَّthat مِنْfrom آلِthe house of الزَّرافِيِّal-Zarafi مَعْشَراًa company
سِوى أَنَّ مِنْ آلِ الزَّرافِيِّ مَعْشَراً
وَفَوْاthey kept faith لِيَwith me لَمّاwhen خانَbetrayed كُلُّevery حَمِيمِdear friend
وَفَوْا لِيَ لَمّا خانَ كُلُّ حَمِيمِ
Except that a company from the house of al-Zarafi
Except that I still have a tribe of Zarafi kinsmen
Kept faith with me when every dear friend betrayed me.
Who came to my aid when all intimates betrayed.
هُمُthey جَبَرُواset عَظْمِيmy bone الْكَسِيرَbroken وَلاءَمُواand they stitched together
هُمُ جَبَرُوا عَظْمِي الْكَسِيرَ وَلاءَمُوا
عَلَىdespite طُولِthe long duration of صَدْعِthe rending by النّائِباتِcalamities أَدِيمِيmy skin
عَلَى طُولِ صَدْعِ النّائِباتِ أَدِيمِي
They set my broken bone and stitched together
They mended my broken being, reproached those
My skin, though calamities had long torn it.
Who blamed me for the long rending of my robes.
مَتىwhenever خِفْتُI feared حالاًa plight حالَintervened بَيْنِيbetween me وَبَيْنَهاand between it
مَتى خِفْتُ حالاً حالَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَها
تَخاطُرُهُمْtheir proud striding مِنْof بُزَّلٍfull-grown camels وَقُرُومِand mighty camel sires
تَخاطُرُهُمْ مِنْ بُزَّلٍ وَقُرُومِ
Whenever I feared a plight, between me and it stood
Whenever I fear a condition that comes between me
Their proud striding—full-grown camels and mighty camel sires.
And them, their commiseration saves me from abasement.
وَإِنَّكَand indeed you مِنْهُمْamong them ياO عَلِيُّAli لَناصِريsurely my champion
وَإِنَّكَ مِنْهُمْ يا عَلِيُّ لَناصِري
عَلَىagainst كُلِّevery خَطْبٍcalamity لِلزَّمانِof time عَظِيمِgrievous
عَلَى كُلِّ خَطْبٍ لِلزَّمانِ عَظِيمِ
And you, Ali, are surely my champion among them
You, O Ali, are one of them, my champion
Against every grievous calamity of time.
Against every grave peril these times make supreme.
Sol 6.1