كلُّ بَعيدٍ قَعْرُهُ غامِرٌ

كلُّ بَعيدٍ قَعْرُهُ غامِرٌ

يَغْرَقُ في تَيَّارِكَ الغَامِرِ

يَغْرَقُ في تَيَّارِكَ الغَامِرِ

Every engulfing flood whose bed lies far below

Every far place, its depths are teeming

drowns in your overwhelming current.

Drowning in your overwhelming current

أَنتَ الذي أَمستْ عقولُ الوَرى

أَنتَ الذي أَمستْ عقولُ الوَرى

حَائِرةً في فعلهِ الباهِرِ

حَائِرةً في فعلهِ الباهِرِ

You are the one who has left the minds of mankind

You are the one whose deeds the minds of people

bewildered by your dazzling deed.

Are lost and confused in wondering

فُتَّ مدَى القولِ فماذا عسى

فُتَّ مدَى القولِ فماذا عسى

يَبلُغُ وَصْفُ اللِسن الشَّاعِرِ

يَبلُغُ وَصْفُ اللِسن الشَّاعِرِ

You have surpassed the reach of words—what, then, can

Speech is abbreviated, so what can

the eloquent poet's description attain?

The eloquence of tongues of poets possibly attain

وَعَمَّ افضَالُكَ حتّى غَدا

وَعَمَّ افضَالُكَ حتّى غَدا

في نيْلِهِ الغَائبُ كالحَاضِرِ

في نيْلِهِ الغَائبُ كالحَاضِرِ

And your bounty spread so widely that

And your favors have spread until

in receiving it, the absent became like the present.

The absent have become like the present in obtaining them

ولم يكنْ بالمَالِ مُسْتأثِراً

ولم يكنْ بالمَالِ مُسْتأثِراً

لا يَصْلُحُ المُلكُ لمستأثِرِ

لا يَصْلُحُ المُلكُ لمستأثِرِ

And he did not keep wealth for himself;

You were not monopolizing wealth

kingship does not befit a hoarder.

Monopoly does not suit the monopolizer

أَنتَ على بُعْدِكَ تُدْنيهُمُ

أَنتَ على بُعْدِكَ تُدْنيهُمُ

أُنْساً وهم كالنَّعمِ النَّافِرِ

أُنْساً وهم كالنَّعمِ النَّافِرِ

Despite your distance, you bring them close

Despite your distance, you bring them close

with friendly warmth, though they are like skittish livestock.

With intimacy, while they are like recoiling blessings

فما لِمَنْ خَانكَ من قَابِلٍ

فما لِمَنْ خَانكَ من قَابِلٍ

ولا لِمَنْ لامَكَ من عَاذِرِ

ولا لِمَنْ لامَكَ من عَاذِرِ

So none will welcome anyone who betrayed you,

So what can await one who betrayed you

nor excuse anyone who blamed you.

Or one who blamed you, of excuse

بل عادةٌ للهِ مألوفَةٌ

بل عادةٌ للهِ مألوفَةٌ

عندكَ واللهُ مع الصَّابِرِ

عندكَ واللهُ مع الصَّابِرِ

Rather, it is God's familiar custom

Rather, it is a habit with God, well-known

with you—and God is with the steadfast—

To you, and God is with the patient

اِطْعامُكَ النصرَ على من بغى

اِطْعامُكَ النصرَ على من بغى

وما لمنْ يُخذَلُ من ناصِرِ

وما لمنْ يُخذَلُ من ناصِرِ

to feed you victory over whoever has rebelled;

Your feeding victory over those who were unjust

and whoever is forsaken has no helper.

And there is no helper for one who is abandoned

ويوم أَسْفَارٍ وأَشياعِهِ

ويوم أَسْفَارٍ وأَشياعِهِ

لم يَحْظَ انعامُك بالشَّاكِرِ

لم يَحْظَ انعامُك بالشَّاكِرِ

And on the day of Asfar and his followers,

And the day of journeys and partings

your bounty found no grateful recipient.

Your gifts were not met with gratitude

باتوا يُغِدّونَ فَغَادَاهُم

باتوا يُغِدّونَ فَغَادَاهُم

عاصٍ على هَجْهَجَةِ الزَّاجِرِ

عاصٍ على هَجْهَجَةِ الزَّاجِرِ

They spent the night seething; at dawn they were assailed

They persisted insolently despite the deterring clamor

by one defying the restrainer's shouted commands,

Wearing two garments of his shedding

يُلبِسُهُم ثَوبينَ من نَقْعِهِ

يُلبِسُهُم ثَوبينَ من نَقْعِهِ

ومن نَجِيْعِ العَلَقِ المائِرِ

ومن نَجِيْعِ العَلَقِ المائِرِ

clothing them in two robes—one of his dust,

And the flowing milk of the pregnant camel

and one of dark, surging blood.

When they saw your face, they fell prostrate

لما رَأوا وَجْهَكَ خرُّوا لهُ

لما رَأوا وَجْهَكَ خرُّوا لهُ

والشَّمسُ لا تَخْفَى على ناظِرِ

والشَّمسُ لا تَخْفَى على ناظِرِ

When they saw your face, they fell prostrate before it;

And the sun cannot be hidden from the beholder

and the sun is not hidden from any beholder.

You were only a blessing raincloud

ما كنتَ الا عارضاً مُمْطِراً

ما كنتَ الا عارضاً مُمْطِراً

حطَّ رواقَ الرهج الثَّائِرِ

حطَّ رواقَ الرهج الثَّائِرِ

You were nothing but a rain-bearing cloud

That descended on the raging meadow

that brought down the canopy of swirling dust.

Do not meet the sword's edge attacking

لا تلقَ حدَّ السيفِ مُسْتَلَماً

لا تلقَ حدَّ السيفِ مُسْتَلَماً

فانَّما الخَاسِرُ للحَاسِرِ

فانَّما الخَاسِرُ للحَاسِرِ

Do not meet the sword's edge clad in armor;

For the loser is to the winner

for the loser falls to the unarmored fighter.

And curb our passionate desire, it is

واجفُ الهُوينا مركباً انَّها

واجفُ الهُوينا مركباً انَّها

مَطِيَّةُ المُضْطَجعِ الفاتِرِ

مَطِيَّةُ المُضْطَجعِ الفاتِرِ

And shun slow ease as a mount, for it is

The riding beast of the apathetic layabout

the mount of the reclining, listless man.

And tell death, how excellent

وقل لوجه الموتِ يا حبَّذا

وقل لوجه الموتِ يا حبَّذا

شَخصُكَ عندَ الضيَّم من زائِرِ

شَخصُكَ عندَ الضيَّم من زائِرِ

And say to the face of death, 'How welcome

Is your turning away from the oppressed as a visitor

you are as a visitor in the hour of dishonor!'

Who can convey on my behalf before the guidance

مَنْ مُبْلِغٌ عنّي أمامَ الهُدَى

مَنْ مُبْلِغٌ عنّي أمامَ الهُدَى

رسَالةَ المؤتَمَنِ الخابِرِ

رسَالةَ المؤتَمَنِ الخابِرِ

Who will convey from me to the Imam of Guidance

The message of the honest trustee

the message of a trusted, well-informed man?

God has not decreed for any successor

ما طَبَعَ اللهُ لِمْستَخْلِفٍ

ما طَبَعَ اللهُ لِمْستَخْلِفٍ

أقَطعَ من صَمْصامِكَ البَانِرِ

أقَطعَ من صَمْصامِكَ البَانِرِ

God has forged for no one appointing a deputy

More cutting than your sharp separating sword

anything sharper than your cleaving sword.