يا سَيداً دانَت لَهُ السادات

يا سَيداً دانَت لَهُ السادات

وَتَتابَعَت في فعلِهِ الفعلات

وَتَتابَعَت في فعلِهِ الفعلات

O master to whom all masters submit,

O master to whom the masters have submitted,

Whose noble deeds follow one another in unbroken succession,

and in whose conduct deeds have followed one another.

وَتَواصَلَت نَعماؤهُ عِندي فلي

وَتَواصَلَت نَعماؤهُ عِندي فلي

مِنهُ هبات خلفهنّ هَبات

مِنهُ هبات خلفهنّ هَبات

Whose favors toward me continue without cease, until I have

His blessings to me have continued, so I have

Gifts from him, with yet more gifts behind them.

gifts from him, followed by gifts.

نِعَم ثَنَت عَني الزَمان وَخَطبه

نِعَم ثَنَت عَني الزَمان وَخَطبه

مِن بَعد ما هيبت لَهُ غَدوات

مِن بَعد ما هيبت لَهُ غَدوات

Indeed, his favors have turned Time and its calamities away from me,

Blessings that turned Time and its calamity away from me,

After I had dreaded its morning assaults.

after mornings had been made fearsome on its account.

فادلت مِن زَمَنٍ منيت بغشمه

فادلت مِن زَمَنٍ منيت بغشمه

أَيامَ لِلأَيام بي سَطوات

أَيامَ لِلأَيام بي سَطوات

They gave me victory over an age whose tyranny had afflicted me,

So they gave me ascendancy over a time whose tyranny afflicted me,

And through me my days gained mastery over the days of Time.

on days when the days wielded power against me.

فلميت آمالي لَدَيهِ حَياتِهِ

فلميت آمالي لَدَيهِ حَياتِهِ

وَلِحاسِدي نعمى يَديهِ مَمات

وَلِحاسِدي نعمى يَديهِ مَمات

With him my hopes found their very life,

So, with him, my dead hopes live through his life;

While to the envier, the favors of his hands are death.

and to my envier, the bounty of his hands is death.

أَولَيتَني مِنَناً تجلُّ وَتَعتَلي

أَولَيتَني مِنَناً تجلُّ وَتَعتَلي

عَن أَن يَحيط بِوصفهِنّ صِفات

عَن أَن يَحيط بِوصفهِنّ صِفات

You have bestowed upon me favors, glorious and exalted,

You have bestowed favors on me that are great and rise

Beyond all that descriptions can encompass.

beyond any description's power to encompass them.

فَإِذا نثثن بِمَنطق مِن مادح

فَإِذا نثثن بِمَنطق مِن مادح

فَالمَدح مني وَالثَناء صُمات

فَالمَدح مني وَالثَناء صُمات

When they are scattered through a panegyrist’s speech,

When a praiser recounts them in speech,

All praise and eulogy from me become silence.

then my praise and eulogy are silence.

عَجنا عَن المِدَح الَّتي اِستحقَقتها

عَجنا عَن المِدَح الَّتي اِستحقَقتها

وَاللَهُ يَعلم ما تَعي النيات

وَاللَهُ يَعلم ما تَعي النيات

We are incapable of praising you as you deserve,

We have turned aside from the praises you have earned,

And God knows what intentions hearts conceal.

and God knows what intentions hold.

يا ماجِداً فعل المحامد دينه

يا ماجِداً فعل المحامد دينه

وَسَماحه صَوم لَهُ وَصَلاة

وَسَماحه صَوم لَهُ وَصَلاة

O glorious one whose creed is the doing of praiseworthy deeds,

O noble man whose religion is doing praiseworthy deeds,

Whose generosity is to him as fasting and prayer:

and whose generosity is his fasting and prayer.

فَيبيتُ يَشفَع راجِياً بِتَطوع

فَيبيتُ يَشفَع راجِياً بِتَطوع

مِنهُ وَقَد غَشى العُيونَ سُباتُ

مِنهُ وَقَد غَشى العُيونَ سُباتُ

He spends the night interceding, hopeful of a voluntary gift

So he spends the night interceding for a supplicant with voluntary giving

From him, while slumber has covered every eye.

from himself, while slumber has veiled the eyes.

فَالجودُ مِثل قِيامه وَسُجوده

فَالجودُ مِثل قِيامه وَسُجوده

إِن قَيس وَالتَسبيح مِنهُ عِداة

إِن قَيس وَالتَسبيح مِنهُ عِداة

Generosity is like his standing and prostration

His generosity is like his standing in prayer and prostration,

When they are compared; and glorifying God is his constant habit.

when compared; his glorification of God takes the form of promises.

ما زالَ يَلفى جائِداً أَو واعِداً

ما زالَ يَلفى جائِداً أَو واعِداً

وَعداً تَضايق دونَهُ الأَوقات

وَعداً تَضايق دونَهُ الأَوقات

He is never found except giving freely or promising

He is always found giving generously or promising

A promise so great that the available hours fall short of fulfilling it.

a promise for which the allotted times are too narrow.

لِيَمينه بِالنَجح عِندَ عفاته

لِيَمينه بِالنَجح عِندَ عفاته

في لَيل ظَنَهُم البَهيم ثَبات

في لَيل ظَنَهُم البَهيم ثَبات

His right hand assures success to those who seek his bounty,

His right hand, bringing success to his petitioners,

Steadfast through the pitch-black night of their doubts.

stands firm in the pitch-black night of their expectations.

ذو همَةٍ عُلوية تُوفي عَلى

ذو همَةٍ عُلوية تُوفي عَلى

الجَوزاء تُسقط دونَها الهمّات

الجَوزاء تُسقط دونَها الهمّات

Possessor of an aspiration so lofty that it rises above

A man of lofty aspiration that rises above

Gemini, while lesser aspirations fall beneath it.

al-Jawza; other aspirations fall short of it.

تَنأى عَن الأَوهام إِلّا إِنَّها

تَنأى عَن الأَوهام إِلّا إِنَّها

تَدنو إِذا نيطَت بِها الحاجات

تَدنو إِذا نيطَت بِها الحاجات

It lies beyond imagination, yet truly it

It is far beyond imagination, except that it

Draws near whenever people’s needs are entrusted to it.

draws near when needs are entrusted to it.

وَعَزيمة مثل الحسام مَصونة

وَعَزيمة مثل الحسام مَصونة

عَن أَن يُفل بِهِ الزَمان شباةُ

عَن أَن يُفل بِهِ الزَمان شباةُ

And a resolve like a guarded, keen-edged sword,

And a resolve like a keen sword, protected

Protected lest Time blunt its cutting edge.

from any edge in it being blunted by Time.

فَإِذا دَهى خَطب مُهم أَيد

فَإِذا دَهى خَطب مُهم أَيد

خَلى العداة وَجَمعَهُم أَشتات

خَلى العداة وَجَمعَهُم أَشتات

Whenever a grave and mighty ordeal assails,

So when a mighty, grievous calamity strikes,

He leaves the enemy and all their host scattered.

he leaves his foes, their host scattered.

لِأَبي الحُسين سَماحة لَو أَنَّها

لِأَبي الحُسين سَماحة لَو أَنَّها

لِلغَيث لَم تَجدب عَلَيهِ فلاة

لِلغَيث لَم تَجدب عَلَيهِ فلاة

Abu al-Husayn possesses such generosity that, were it

Abu al-Husayn has a generosity that, if it belonged

The raincloud’s, no desert beneath it would go barren.

to the rain, no wilderness would grow barren under it.

وَلَهُ مَساع في العُلى عَدَد الحَصى

وَلَهُ مَساع في العُلى عَدَد الحَصى

في طَيءٍ مِن جلها مَسعاة

في طَيءٍ مِن جلها مَسعاة

His glorious endeavors are as countless as pebbles;

And he has deeds in pursuit of eminence as numerous as pebbles;

Among Tayy, one deed of his ranks among its greatest.

in Tayy there is one achievement among the greatest of these.

كَحيا السَحاب عَلى البِقاع سِماته

كَحيا السَحاب عَلى البِقاع سِماته

وَلَهُ عَلى عافي نَداه سِمات

وَلَهُ عَلى عافي نَداه سِمات

His marks upon the lands are like the raincloud’s life-giving rain,

His marks upon the lands are like the clouds' life-giving rain,

And on the seeker of his bounty its marks are plain.

and he leaves marks upon the seeker of his bounty.

يُحيي بِنائله نُفوساً مثلَما

يُحيي بِنائله نُفوساً مثلَما

يَحيا بِجود الهاطِلات نَبات

يَحيا بِجود الهاطِلات نَبات

By his gifts he revives souls, just as

He gives souls life with his gifts, just as

Vegetation is revived by the bounty of pouring clouds.

plants live through the bounty of pouring rains.

شادَ العَلاءَ أَبو الحُسين وَحازَهُ

شادَ العَلاءَ أَبو الحُسين وَحازَهُ

عَن سادَة هُم شائِدون بُناة

عَن سادَة هُم شائِدون بُناة

Abu al-Husayn raised glory high and inherited it

Abu al-Husayn built eminence and acquired it

From noble lords who built its edifices.

from masters who are founders and builders.

سبّاق غايات تَقطَع دونَها

سبّاق غايات تَقطَع دونَها

سِباقُها إِن مدت الحَلبات

سِباقُها إِن مدت الحَلبات

A forerunner toward goals before which others fall short,

A forerunner to goals before which

When the rival racecourses are stretched out.

their racers fall short, however long the courses stretch.

فَإِذا سَعوا نَحوَ العُلى وَسَعى لَها

فَإِذا سَعوا نَحوَ العُلى وَسَعى لَها

مُتَمَهِّلاً خَيَرَت لَهُ القَصَبات

مُتَمَهِّلاً خَيَرَت لَهُ القَصَبات

When they strive toward glory and he too strives for it,

So when they strive toward eminence and he strives for it

He goes unhurried, yet the victor’s reeds are awarded him.

unhurriedly, the victory-reeds are awarded to him.

مُستَوفز عِندَ السَماح وَإِن تَقس

مُستَوفز عِندَ السَماح وَإِن تَقس

أَحَداً بِهِ في الحلم قُلت حَصاة

أَحَداً بِهِ في الحلم قُلت حَصاة

Ever poised when generosity calls; and if you compare

Quick to spring up for generosity; yet if you compare

Anyone with him in forbearance, you would call the other a pebble.

anyone with him in forbearance, you say, 'A pebble.'

طَود يَلوذ بِهِ الزَمان وَعِندَهُ

طَود يَلوذ بِهِ الزَمان وَعِندَهُ

لَجَميع أَحداث الزَمان أَداة

لَجَميع أَحداث الزَمان أَداة

A mountain in whom Time itself seeks refuge, and with him

A mountain in whom Time seeks refuge; and he has

Lies a remedy for every vicissitude of Time.

a means to meet every calamity of Time.

بِيَمينه قَلَم إِذا ما هَزَّه

بِيَمينه قَلَم إِذا ما هَزَّه

في أَوجِهِ الأَيام قُلت قَناة

في أَوجِهِ الأَيام قُلت قَناة

In his right hand is a pen which, whenever he brandishes it

In his right hand is a pen that, whenever he brandishes it

In the faces of the days, you would call a spear.

in the faces of the days, you call a spear.

في سَنَّه بَأس السنان وَهيبة

في سَنَّه بَأس السنان وَهيبة

السَيف الحسام وَقَد حَوَتهُ دَواة

السَيف الحسام وَقَد حَوَتهُ دَواة

In its nib is the might of a spearhead and the awe

In its nib are the spearhead's might and the awe

Of the keen-edged sword—though an inkwell contains it.

of the keen-edged sword, though an inkwell holds it.

سُحبان عَيّا وَهُوَ عِيّاً باقل

سُحبان عَيّا وَهُوَ عِيّاً باقل

عجل إِلى النَجوى وَفيهِ أَناة

عجل إِلى النَجوى وَفيهِ أَناة

Sahban would be tongue-tied before him, as inarticulate as Baqil;

Sahban falls speechless; in its silence it is Baqil.

Swift to private counsel, yet possessed of deliberation;

Swift to intimate speech, yet it holds deliberation.

وَسِنان إِلّا إِنَّهُ متنبهٌ

وَسِنان إِلّا إِنَّهُ متنبهٌ

يَقظان مِنهُ الزَهو وَالأَخبات

يَقظان مِنهُ الزَهو وَالأَخبات

Drowsy, yet nonetheless alert—

Drowsy, except that it is alert,

In him both pride and humility remain awake.

wakeful, with pride and humility issuing from it.

لَم يَخطُ في ظُلمات لَيل مِدادِهِ

لَم يَخطُ في ظُلمات لَيل مِدادِهِ

إِلا اِنجَلَت عَنّا بِهِ الظُلُمات

إِلا اِنجَلَت عَنّا بِهِ الظُلُمات

His ink never writes amid the darkness of night

It never stepped through the darkness of its ink's night

But through it the darkness is dispelled.

without the darkness lifting from us through it.

وَأَبو عَلي أَحمَد بِن مُحَمَد

وَأَبو عَلي أَحمَد بِن مُحَمَد

قَد نَمَقَت عَني لَدَيهِ هنات

قَد نَمَقَت عَني لَدَيهِ هنات

And Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad—

And Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad—

Before him hostile allegations against me have been embellished.

petty faults about me have been embellished before him.

فَتَقاعَسَت دوني عَوائد فَضلِهِ

فَتَقاعَسَت دوني عَوائد فَضلِهِ

وَسَعَت سُعاة بَينِنا وَعِداة

وَسَعَت سُعاة بَينِنا وَعِداة

So the accustomed favors of his grace have been withheld from me,

So his accustomed favors drew back from me,

While slanderers and enemies have striven between us.

and informers and enemies busied themselves between us.

فَافتله عَن طول العُقوق وَهَزَه

فَافتله عَن طول العُقوق وَهَزَه

فَلَهُ لَدى فعل العُلى هِزات

فَلَهُ لَدى فعل العُلى هِزات

So turn him from prolonged estrangement and stir him,

So turn him from prolonged neglect and rouse him,

For noble action always stirs him.

for noble deeds awaken eager stirrings in him.

وَاللَهُ ما شَأني المَديحَ وَبَذلِهِ

وَاللَهُ ما شَأني المَديحَ وَبَذلِهِ

لِمُؤمِّل لِيَمينِهِ نَفحات

لِمُؤمِّل لِيَمينِهِ نَفحات

By God, praise and its bestowal are not my concern

By God, praise and lavishing it are not my concern

For just any man whose right hand is hoped to breathe forth gifts,

on one who hopes for it, whose right hand wafts gifts,

إِلا مُجازاة لِمَن أَضحَت لَهُ

إِلا مُجازاة لِمَن أَضحَت لَهُ

عِندي يَدٌ أُغذى بِها وَأَقات

عِندي يَدٌ أُغذى بِها وَأَقات

Except as recompense to one whose favor has become mine—

except as repayment to one who has come to have

A favor that compels and binds me.

a helping hand for me, by which I am nourished and sustained.

وَالمَسمعي لَهُ لَديّ صَنائع

وَالمَسمعي لَهُ لَديّ صَنائع

أَيامُهنَّ لطيِّها ساعات

أَيامُهنَّ لطيِّها ساعات

Al-Misma‘i has rendered me good offices,

And al-Misma'i has done me kindnesses,

Whose delightful days seem mere hours.

whose days, folded away, are only hours.

فَأَخالها عَهد الشَباب وَحُسنه

فَأَخالها عَهد الشَباب وَحُسنه

إِذ طابَ لي في ظِلِها اللذات

إِذ طابَ لي في ظِلِها اللذات

I imagine them the age of youth and all its beauty,

So I imagine them the season of youth and its beauty,

When pleasures were sweet to me beneath its shade.

when delights were sweet to me beneath their shade.

خُذها الغَداة أَبا الحُسين قَصيدة

خُذها الغَداة أَبا الحُسين قَصيدة

ضيمت بِها الراءات وَالكافات

ضيمت بِها الراءات وَالكافات

Take it this morning, Abu al-Husayn—a poem

Take it this morning, Abu al-Husayn: a poem

In which I have brought together the rāʾs and kāfs.

in which the ra-letters and kaf-letters have been wronged.

غَيَبنَ عَنها خِتلة أَخواتِها

غَيَبنَ عَنها خِتلة أَخواتِها

عِندَ النَشيد فَما لَها أَخوات

عِندَ النَشيد فَما لَها أَخوات

One trait of its sister-poems has been made absent from it:

Their sisters stealthily kept them absent from it

When it is recited, it has no sisters.

at recitation, so it has no sisters.

وَلَو اِنَهُنَّ شَهِدنَ لاز

وَلَو اِنَهُنَّ شَهِدنَ لاز

دَوَجَت لَها الغينات وَالأَلفات

دَوَجَت لَها الغينات وَالأَلفات

And had those sisters indeed been present, there would have been—

And had they been present, then

Paired with it—the ghayns and alifs.

the ghayn-letters and alif-letters would have paired for it.

فَاِسعَد أَبا عَبدالاله بِها إِذا

فَاِسعَد أَبا عَبدالاله بِها إِذا

شقيت بِلَثغة مُنشد أَبيات

شقيت بِلَثغة مُنشد أَبيات

So delight Abu Abdullah with it when

So rejoice in it, Abu Abd al-Ilah, when

The reciter of its verses is afflicted by a lisp.

a verse-reciter's lisp makes you suffer.

نَقَصَت فَتَمَت في السَماع وَالغيت

نَقَصَت فَتَمَت في السَماع وَالغيت

مِنها الَّتي هِيَ بَينَها آفات

مِنها الَّتي هِيَ بَينَها آفات

Its deficiency made it perfect to the ear, and excluded

It was diminished, yet perfected in hearing, and removed

From it those things that would be blemishes within it.

from it were the letters that were blemishes within it.

صفيتها مَثل المَدام لَهُ فما

صفيتها مَثل المَدام لَهُ فما

فيها لَدى حُسنِ السَماع قذاة

فيها لَدى حُسنِ السَماع قذاة

I purified it for him like wine, so that

I filtered it like wine for him, so there is no

In it, to a discerning ear, there is no speck.

mote in it when the recital is fair.

مَعشوقة تَسبي العُقول بِحُسنِها

مَعشوقة تَسبي العُقول بِحُسنِها

ياقوتة في اللين وَهِيَ صَفاة

ياقوتة في اللين وَهِيَ صَفاة

A beloved who captivates minds with her beauty,

Beloved, it captivates minds with its beauty,

A ruby in softness, though a solid rock;

a ruby in softness, though it is a hard, smooth stone.

عَلوية حَسَنية مَزهوة

عَلوية حَسَنية مَزهوة

تَزهى بِحُسن نَشيدِها اللَهوات

تَزهى بِحُسن نَشيدِها اللَهوات

Alid, Husayni, proudly resplendent—

Alid, Hasanid, proud—

Throats are adorned by the beauty of reciting it.

throats take pride in the beauty of its recitation.

ميزانها عِندَ الخَليل معدل

ميزانها عِندَ الخَليل معدل

متفاعلن متفاعلن فِعلات

متفاعلن متفاعلن فِعلات

Its meter, by al-Khalil’s standard, is perfectly balanced:

Its meter, according to al-Khalil, is balanced:

mutafāʿilun, mutafāʿilun, faʿilāt.

mutafāʿilun, mutafāʿilun, fiʿlāt.

لَو واصل بن عَطاء الباني لَها

لَو واصل بن عَطاء الباني لَها

تُلِيَت توهم انها آيات

تُلِيَت توهم انها آيات

Had Wasil ibn Ata been its craftsman,

Had Wasil ibn Ata been its builder,

When recited it would be taken for sacred verses.

when recited, he would have imagined it verses of revelation.

لَولا اِجتِنابي أَن يُملَّ سَماعها

لَولا اِجتِنابي أَن يُملَّ سَماعها

لَأطلتُها ما خَطَت التاءات

لَأطلتُها ما خَطَت التاءات

Were it not for my avoiding the chance that he might tire of hearing it,

Were I not wary that hearing it might grow tiresome,

I would have lengthened it as far as the tāʾs could trace.

I would prolong it as long as ta-letters are penned.