أزرت بجودِ عليٍ خيفَةُ العدَمِ

أزرت بجودِ عليٍ خيفَةُ العدَمِ

فصَدَ منهزماً عن شأو ذي الهِمَمِ

فصَدَ منهزماً عن شأو ذي الهِمَمِ

Fear of destitution diminished Ali's generosity.

The generosity of Ali dispelled the gloom of non-existence

So he turned away, defeated, from the reach of the high-minded.

It routed in defeat the one of lofty ambition

لو كانَ من فارسٍ في بيتِ مكرمَةٍ

لو كانَ من فارسٍ في بيتِ مكرمَةٍ

أو كانَ من وَلَدِ الأملاكِ في العجمِ

أو كانَ من وَلَدِ الأملاكِ في العجمِ

Had he been from Persia, in a house of nobility,

Had he been a knight in a house of honour

Or descended from kings among the non-Arabs,

Or a prince of the non-Arabs in the lands of Persia

أو كانَ أولُه أهلُ البِطاحِ أو الر

أو كانَ أولُه أهلُ البِطاحِ أو الر

كبِ الملبونَ إهلالاً الى الحرَمِ

كبِ الملبونَ إهلالاً الى الحرَمِ

Or had his forebears been the people of al-Bitah, or the

Or had his origin been the chiefs of the vale or the mounted warriors

Riders calling 'Here I am!' aloud toward the Sacred Precinct,

Making pilgrimage in throngs to the Holy Sanctuary

أيام تتخَذُ الأصنامُ الهةً

أيام تتخَذُ الأصنامُ الهةً

فلا ترى عاكِفاً إلا على صَنَمِ

فلا ترى عاكِفاً إلا على صَنَمِ

In the days when idols were taken as gods,

In days when idols were worshipped as gods

So you saw no devotee except at an idol,

You would not see anyone bow down except to an idol

لشجعتهُ على فِعل المُلوك لهم

لشجعتهُ على فِعل المُلوك لهم

طبائعٌ لم ترُعها خيفَةُ العَدَمِ

طبائعٌ لم ترُعها خيفَةُ العَدَمِ

He would have been spurred to kingly deeds by their

I would have urged him on to the deeds of kings

Natures, never daunted by fear of destitution.

Whose natures were not daunted by the gloom of non-existence

لم تسندَ كفاكَ من بذلِ النَوالِ كما

لم تسندَ كفاكَ من بذلِ النَوالِ كما

لم يندَ سيفُك مُذ قلدته بدَمِ

لم يندَ سيفُك مُذ قلدته بدَمِ

Your hands have offered no support through giving bounty, just as

Your palm did not refrain from bestowing bounty

Your sword has not been wet with blood since you girded it on.

Nor has your sword, since you girded it on, refrained from blood

كنت آمراً رفعتهُ فِتنَةٌ فعلا

كنت آمراً رفعتهُ فِتنَةٌ فعلا

أيامها غادراً بالعهدِ والذمَمِ

أيامها غادراً بالعهدِ والذمَمِ

You were a commander whom turmoil raised up, and so you rose,

You were a commander whom sedition exalted

In its days, treacherous to covenants and pledges,

In those days it deserted both covenant and obligations

حتى إذا انكشفت عنا عمايتُها

حتى إذا انكشفت عنا عمايتُها

وَرُتبَ الناسُ بالاحسابِ والقِدَمِ

وَرُتبَ الناسُ بالاحسابِ والقِدَمِ

Until, when its blindness lifted from us

Until, when its darkness dispersed from us

And people were ranked by ancestral honor and ancient standing,

And the people were ranked in order of merit and precedence

ماتَ التخلُقُ وارتدتكَ مرتجعَاً

ماتَ التخلُقُ وارتدتكَ مرتجعَاً

طبيعةٌ نذلةُ الأخلاقِ والشيَمِ

طبيعةٌ نذلةُ الأخلاقِ والشيَمِ

Affectation died, and you were reclaimed once more

Dissimulation died and you came back repentant

By a nature base in morals and traits.

With a nature base in disposition and traits

كذاك من كان لا رأساً ولا ذنباً

كذاك من كان لا رأساً ولا ذنباً

كزَّ اليدينِ حديثَ العهدِ بالنعَمِ

كزَّ اليدينِ حديثَ العهدِ بالنعَمِ

Such is one who was neither head nor tail,

So it is with him who is neither head nor tail

Tight-fisted, only lately acquainted with blessings.

Like hands clapping, new to bounty

هيهاتَ ليسَ بحمّالِ الدياتِ ولا

هيهاتَ ليسَ بحمّالِ الدياتِ ولا

مُعطي الجزيلَ ولا المرهُوبِ ذي النقَمِ

مُعطي الجزيلَ ولا المرهُوبِ ذي النقَمِ

Far from it! He is no bearer of blood-money, nor

Far from him is the payment of blood-money

A giver of lavish bounty, nor a feared wielder of vengeance.

Or generous giving or being feared for his vengeance