عيدٌa feast بِماwith what يَهوىdesires الإمامُthe Imam يَعودُreturns
عيدٌ بِما يَهوى الإمامُ يَعودُ
ماas long as اخضَرَّgrows green فيupon وَجهِthe face of البَسيطةِthe earth عودُa bough
ما اخضَرَّ في وَجهِ البَسيطةِ عودُ
A feast returns with all that the Imam desires,
A feast as the Imam desires comes again
so long as a bough grows green upon the face of the earth.
No freshness lit the plain’s face, nor promise of rain
لولاwere it not for لزومُthe obligation of الشَّرعِreligious law لمdid not نَحفَلwe pay heed بِهِto it
لولا لزومُ الشَّرعِ لم نَحفَل بِهِ
إِذfor كُلُّevery يَومٍday فيin ذُراهhis lofty abode لعيدُindeed a feast
إِذ كُلُّ يَومٍ في ذُراه لعيدُ
Were it not for religious law's obligation, we would pay it no heed,
Were it not for the Law we had paid it no heed
for every day in his lofty abode is indeed a feast.
For to us every day was as good as a feast
حَيَّاsaluted بِماwith what لِلعيدِis for the feast بَدرِfull moon of خِلافَةٍthe caliphate
حَيَّا بِما لِلعيدِ بَدرِ خِلافَةٍ
يَهنيهِcongratulates him أَنَّthat قِرانَهُhis conjunction لسَعيدُindeed auspicious
يَهنيهِ أَنَّ قِرانَهُ لسَعيدُ
It saluted the caliphate's full moon as befits the feast,
Greetings on this feast day, when the moon is shown
congratulating him on his truly auspicious conjunction.
To the Caliph; his company is joy full-blown
وأتىand it came يُجَرِّرُdrags بِالمَجَّرِةalong the Milky Way ذَيلهُits train
وأتى يُجَرِّرُ بِالمَجَّرِة ذَيلهُ
رَكضاًracing وإِنَّand although مَزارَهُits destination لبَعيدُindeed far away
رَكضاً وإِنَّ مَزارَهُ لبَعيدُ
And it came dragging its train along the Milky Way,
He came rushing, the train of his gown flowing free
racing, though its destination is indeed far away.
At full gallop, though far off the goal he must see
وكأَنَّمَاand as though أضنَأهُwasted it away شَوقُlonging for لِقائِهِmeeting him
وكأَنَّمَا أضنَأهُ شَوقُ لِقائِهِ
أمِنَis there among الأهِلَّةِthe crescents هائِمٌlove-distraught وعَميدُand love-stricken
أمِنَ الأهِلَّةِ هائِمٌ وعَميدُ
And it is as though longing to meet him had wasted it away—
As if longing to join his loved ones had wand’red him wild
is there among the crescents one distraught and love-stricken?
From outcast to honoured guide become mild
لمdid not تثنِهِturn it aside الأشواقُlongings عَنfrom حَسَدٍenvy لهُof him
لم تثنِهِ الأشواقُ عَن حَسَدٍ لهُ
إِحدىone of العجائبthe wonders وامِقٌa lover وحَسودُand an envier
إِحدى العجائب وامِقٌ وحَسودُ
Longing did not turn it from envy of him;
No yearning could keep him from envy, unique in repute
one of the wonders—a lover and an envier!
Marvellous being, he envies and fumes and disputes
بُشرَىgood tidings أميرَCommander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful فَإِنَّهُfor it is
بُشرَى أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ فَإِنَّهُ
عيدٌa feast حَدَتهُhave driven it onward لِلفُتوحِtoward conquests سُعودُauspicious stars
عيدٌ حَدَتهُ لِلفُتوحِ سُعودُ
Good tidings, Commander of the Faithful, for it is
Hail, Prince of the Faithful! For conquests have made
a feast driven toward conquests by auspicious stars.
This feast thine, and triumphs shall come to thine aid
طَرِبَrejoiced الجَوادُthe steed وقَدand indeed عَلوتَyou mounted بِمَتنِهِupon its back
طَرِبَ الجَوادُ وقَد عَلوتَ بِمَتنِهِ
حَتَّىuntil كأنَّas though صَهيلةهُits neighing تَغريدُbirdsong
حَتَّى كأنَّ صَهيلةهُ تَغريدُ
The steed rejoiced when you mounted its back,
The steed prances proudly; thou bearest his back
until its neighing seemed like birdsong.
As though his loud neigh were a songbird’s sweet clack
يَهُفوflutters بِعِطفَيهِin its two flanks المَراحُhigh spirits فَيَرتَميand so it bounds
يَهُفو بِعِطفَيهِ المَراحُ فَيَرتَمي
لعِباًplayfully ويَنقُصُand decreases تارَةًat times وَيَزيدُand increases
لعِباً ويَنقُصُ تارَةً وَيَزيدُ
High spirits flutter in both its flanks, and it bounds
playfully, now slackening, now quickening.
وَلرُبَّمَاand indeed sometimes سالتflowed عَليهِover it سَكينَةًtranquility
وَلرُبَّمَا سالت عَليهِ سَكينَةً
حَتّىuntil تَخَالَyou imagine بِعِطفَتَيهِin its two flanks خُمودُstillness
حَتّى تَخَالَ بِعِطفَتَيهِ خُمودُ
And sometimes tranquility flows over it,
until you imagine both its flanks sunk in stillness.
يُزهَىis proud فَيُظهِرُand so displays نَخوَةًproud spirit لمّاwhen رأىit saw
يُزهَى فَيُظهِرُ نَخوَةً لمّا رأى
بِكَthrough you أَنَّهُthat it فيin حُسنِهِits beauty محمودُpraised
بِكَ أَنَّهُ في حُسنِهِ محمودُ
It grows proud and displays its proud spirit, having seen
that, through you, it is praised for its beauty.
كَيفَhow استَقَلَّit bore بِطَودِwith a mountain of حِلمٍforbearance راجِحٍweighty
كَيفَ استَقَلَّ بِطَودِ حِلمٍ راجِحٍ
والطَّودُand the mountain يَثقُلُis heavy حِملُهُits burden وَيَؤُودُand weighs one down
والطَّودُ يَثقُلُ حِملُهُ وَيَؤُودُ
How could it bear a mountain of weighty forbearance,
when a mountain's burden is heavy and weighs one down?
لوif كُنتَyou were تَرضَىwilling نَعَّلتهُwould shoe it خُدودَهَاtheir cheeks
لو كُنتَ تَرضَى نَعَّلتهُ خُدودَهَا
مُستَشرِفينَseeking honor بِهthrough it الملوكُthe kings الصيِّدُproud
مُستَشرِفينَ بِه الملوكُ الصيِّدُ
If you were willing, they would shoe it with their cheeks—
the proud kings, seeking honor through it.
مَلِكٌa king تَوَدُّwish النِّيِّراتُthe celestial lights لوَif only أنَّهاthat they
مَلِكٌ تَوَدُّ النِّيِّراتُ لوَ أنَّها
حليٌjewels عَلىupon أعطافِهِhis shoulders وفَريدُand precious pearls
حليٌ عَلى أعطافِهِ وفَريدُ
A king—the celestial lights wish they were
jewels upon his shoulders and precious pearls.
أوَand (interrogative) ماnot كَفاهَاsufficed them أنَّthat شِسعَthe thong of نِعَالِهِhis sandals
أوَ ما كَفاهَا أنَّ شِسعَ نِعَالِهِ
بَجَبينِupon the brow of أشرَفِهَاthe noblest of them سَنَاin radiance مَعقودُtied
بَجَبينِ أشرَفِهَا سَنَا مَعقودُ
And is it not enough for them that the thong of his sandals
is tied upon the brow of the most radiant among them?
يَاO مَنyou who يَرومُseeks بُلوغَreaching بَعضِsome of صِفاتِهِhis qualities
يَا مَن يَرومُ بُلوغَ بَعضِ صِفاتِهِ
هَيهَاتَfar from it لَيسَthere is no لِكُنهِهَاto their essence تَحديدُlimit
هَيهَاتَ لَيسَ لِكُنهِهَا تَحديدُ
O you who seek to encompass some of his qualities,
far from it! Their essence admits no bounds.
كَمhow long ذاthis تُحَاوِلُyou try عَدَّcounting زَهرِthe blossoms of خِصَالِهِhis virtues
كَم ذا تُحَاوِلُ عَدَّ زَهرِ خِصَالِهِ
أقصِرdesist فَمَاfor there is no لأَقَلِّهاfor the least of them تَعديدُenumeration
أقصِر فَمَا لأَقَلِّها تَعديدُ
How long will you try to count the blossoms of his virtues?
Desist, for even the least of them cannot be counted.
Partial English translation: 16 of 34 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1