1. على القلب جل الشوق يسعى وخيَّما

    وكان به عشق فصار متيّما

    The weight of longing hastens over the heart and pitches camp;

    Love was within it, and it became enthralled.

  2. وما ذاك والرحمن عشق لغادة

    خدلَّجة كالعاج صفواً ولا لما

    Yet that, by the Merciful, is no love for a maiden,

    Plump and pure as ivory, nor for what

  3. يهيم به المفتون من شرب قهوة

    وعزف قيان أو لطبل ترنما

    Enraptures the infatuated man—drinking wine,

    And singing girls' music, or chanting to a drum.

  4. ولكن لعزف الخيل يوماً بوقعة

    ترى الطفل فيها بالقتير معمما

    Rather, for the music of horses on a day of battle,

    Where you see a child turbaned with gray hair.

  5. تصول بها الأبطال نصراً لدينهم

    وتملا رحاب الأرض بالفرث والدما

    There heroes charge to bring their faith victory,

    And fill the earth's expanses with gut contents and blood.

  6. فتلك التي واللّه يصبح بعدها

    أخو الحسد المذموم بالكبر مرغما

    That is the battle after which, by God,

    The man of blameworthy envy is humbled in his pride.

  7. ويعلم أن الحق مذ كان لم يكن

    بغير العوالي والعناجيج والكما

    And learns that truth, ever since it existed, has never stood

    Without tall lances, swift steeds, and armored warriors;

  8. وأن له بالسيف عزاً ومنعة

    إِذا سل يوماً أصبح الدين قيما

    And that through the sword it has honor and protection:

    If it is drawn one day, the faith stands upright.

  9. وأن رسول اللّه أسر عصبة

    ببدر ولم يثخن فصار ملوَّما

    And that God's Messenger took a band captive

    At Badr, before thoroughly subduing the foe, and was reproached,

  10. لقول إلهي جلّ كاد عذابنا

    يمسكم لولا كتاب تقدما

    For my God—exalted is He—said, 'Our punishment almost

    Touched you, but for a decree already given.'

  11. وإِن هجوم المسلمين مصوَّب

    على كل من ناوى وعاش محرّما

    And the Muslims' assault is rightly directed

    Against everyone who shows hostility and lives as a transgressor.

  12. وإن عليّ بن الحصين إِمامنا

    رآى قتل أهل البغي في اللّه مغنما

    And ʿAli ibn al-Ḥuṣayn, our imam,

    Held killing rebels in God's cause to be a gain.

  13. لقد قال يوماً في قديد لجيشه

    أجيزوا على من فرّ أو كان مجثما

    He once said to his army at Qudayd:

    'Finish off whoever flees or lies fallen.'

  14. كذا قال للمختار في آل مكة

    أطعني ولا ترجم بقولي فتندما

    So he told al-Mukhtar concerning the people of Mecca:

    'Obey me; do not cast aspersions on my words, lest you regret it.'

  15. وكل زمان فيه حكم وإنهم

    يخونونك الميثاق والعهد والدما

    Every age has its ruling, and they

    Betray you in covenant, pledge, and blood.

  16. فلو كان في الأحيا أبو الحرّ لم ينم

    ولم تضمن الأجفان أسيافنا الظما

    Were Abu al-Ḥurr among the living, he would not sleep,

    Nor would scabbards enclose our thirsty swords.

  17. ولا قهرت أيتامنا وضعافنا

    ولا كان فينا منهج الحق أطسما

    Nor would our orphans and weak be oppressed,

    Nor would truth's path among us be effaced.

  18. ولكنه ولّى وأصبح بعده

    رجال يرون الذل في السلم سلَّما

    But he has departed, and after him have come

    Men who see abasement in peace as a ladder.

  19. أولئك أقوام شروا وتخيروا

    بأخراهم والعدل والدين درهما

    Those are men who have bought and chosen

    A dirham in exchange for their hereafter, justice, and faith.

  20. أولئك أقسا من حجار جلامد

    وأضعف من دم إِذا ما تسقَّما

    Those men are harder than massive boulders,

    And weaker than a tiny tick when it falls ill.

  21. أولئك والرحمن عن أخذ رأيهم

    نهاك ابن محبوب وقد كان محكما

    Those are the men whose counsel, by the Merciful,

    Ibn Maḥbub forbade you to take; his judgment was sound.

  22. أقول لمن أضحى ضنيناً ودّاً بعرسه

    وقرَّ بها واكتن عني وخيّما

    I say to him who jealously clings to his wife in love,

    And rests content with her, hides from me, and pitches camp,

  23. وعزز أهل الفسق ودّاً وخيفة

    ولم يخش رحماناً له الأرض والسما

    And strengthens the ungodly out of love and fear,

    Yet does not fear the Merciful, whose are earth and heaven,

  24. وحاول ذم الدين إِذ لم يجد له

    سوى الطعن فيه مستلاذاً ومعصما

    And seeks to disparage the faith, finding for himself

    No refuge or protection except in attacking it:

  25. تعلى إلي نحو الامام فإنه

    إِذا زاغ شبراً عاد إِن كان مسلما

    Come up to me, toward the imam; for he

    Returns if he strays a span—if he is a Muslim.

  26. وقام بما حمّلته متكرماً

    وكنت لديه في الوغى منقحما

    And nobly fulfills the charge you laid upon him,

    While you plunge into battle at his side.

  27. وإن كنت في الاسلام أثبت مطعناً

    فحسبك ما قد صرت فيه من العما

    And if you have established a ground for reproaching Islam,

    The blindness you have fallen into is enough for you.

  28. فليس الذي أصبحت فيه بهين

    ولكنه واللّه أصبح معظما

    For the state you have entered is no light matter,

    But, by God, it has become grave.

  29. أغرك لما صرت بالبعد خالياً

    فما قل من أضحى خلياً ومفحما

    Did it deceive you when you became secluded far away?

    For not a few have become idle and tongue-tied.

  30. فأيّ زكاة أو جهاد وأيمَّا

    نكاح وقد أصبحت عندي مذمما

    Then what almsgiving, what jihad, and what

    Marriage, when you have become blameworthy in my eyes?

  31. إذا غللت كف بمنع زكاتها

    والقائها سيف البلا إذ تصرما

    When a hand is shackled by withholding its alms,

    And by casting aside the sword of trial when it breaks,

  32. ستلفح نار الخلد وجهاً عن الهدى

    لوى حسداً من بعد ما كان أقسما

    The eternal fire will scorch a face that from guidance

    Turned in envy, after having sworn an oath.

  33. دع الطعن في الاسلام واحذر عواقباً

    تحلك دار الفاسقين جهنما

    Stop attacking Islam, and beware of consequences

    That lodge you in the sinners' abode—Hell.

  34. دع الحسد المذموم والكبر إنني

    أراك حريصاً أن أكون محرما

    Abandon blameworthy envy and pride; for I

    See you eager for me to be a transgressor.

  35. ذكرت بأني لا أبالك مجرم

    بتركي لغسل الناكثين تغشما

    You claimed that I—may you have no father!—am a sinner,

    Rashly, for my refusal to wash the oath-breakers.

  36. ولم ترتقب إلا ولا ذمة ولم

    تكن في الذي قد رمته متوسما

    You respected neither kinship nor covenant, nor

    Were you discerning in what you attempted.

  37. أكنت بصفين فشاهدت غسلهم

    أأم بقديد كنت إذ رمت مكلما

    Were you at Siffin, and did you witness their washing?

    Or were you at Qudayd, when you sought a point of attack?

  38. ألما يقل ذو العرش في قوله ولا

    تصل على من مات منهم فاعلما

    Has the Lord of the Throne not said in His words, 'And do not

    Pray over any of them who dies'? So know this.

  39. وهل فعلوا غير القعود بأرضهم

    خلاف رسول اللّه إذ سار وارتمى

    Did they do anything but remain in their land,

    In defiance of God's Messenger, when he marched and charged?

  40. كأنك لم تعلم بأني عالم

    بسيرة أهل العدل ممن تصرما

    It is as though you did not know that I am versed

    In the conduct of the people of justice who have passed away.

  41. وهل أنا إلا تابع لسبيلهم

    وهل لي إلا منهج الحق منتمى

    Am I anything but a follower of their path?

    Have I any allegiance except to truth's path?

  42. رأيت صلاح الدين فيما أتيته

    وذو العرش علاّم بما بان وانتمى

    I saw the faith's good in what I did,

    And the Lord of the Throne knows what is evident and what is reported.

  43. وليس لمأموم إذا ما أمامه

    أشار بشيء أن يقول لما وما

    A follower has no right, when his imam

    Directs a matter, to ask, 'Why?' and 'What?'

  44. كفاك لأني تبت لما تركتهم

    عن الصلت يوماً حين كنت موهما

    Enough for you: I repented when I abandoned them,

    Over al-Ṣalt one day, when I was mistaken.

  45. أعيذك بالرحمن يا من تعذرت

    عليه لفوظ الخير أن يمسك الفما

    I seek the Merciful's protection for you, O you

    For whom good words are hard, that your mouth may be restrained.

  46. فما قمت في أمس فنرجوك في غد

    ولم تترك الأهوا فتدعا مكرَّما

    You did not rise yesterday, that we might hope in you tomorrow,

    Nor have you abandoned whims, to be called honorable.

  47. وخذها ففيها مستلاذ وعصمة

    لمن حث في حرب العداة وصمما

    Take it: within it are refuge and protection

    For whoever presses on and stands firm in war against foes.

  48. ولكنها تسقي الحسود ومن سقى

    عقول ضعاف الدين بالشك علقما

    But it makes the envious—and whoever has watered

    Minds weak in faith with doubt—drink bitter colocynth.

  49. على أنني أحكمتها وجعلتها

    لقطع المعاذير المخلات مصرما

    Indeed, I have perfected it and made it

    A blade to sever ruinous excuses,

  50. لكي لا يموت الدين بعد أولي النهى

    لقول ضعيف مفتن إن تكلما

    So the faith may not die after those endowed with understanding,

    At the words of a weak troublemaker, should he speak.

  51. وسميتها الزهراء لما تألقت

    وصارت لأهل الدين والعلم معلما

    I named it al-Zahra when it shone,

    And became a beacon for people of faith and learning.

  52. وأتممتها بالشكر والحمد والثنا

    لرب حباني بالجهاد وأكرما

    I completed it with thanks, praise, and acclaim

    To the Lord who blessed me with jihad and honored me,

  53. ونزهني عن وصف من كان عابداً

    على جرف هار وزار جهنما

    And kept me from being like one who worshipped

    On a crumbling bank, and visited Hell.

  54. وأيدني نصراً بأكرم أمة

    رعية وادي حضرموت المنظما

    And aided me to victory through the noblest community,

    The people of well-ordered Wadi Hadramawt.

  55. ولكن ترى فيهم على الأرض أنجما

    كما قد ترى في الجو بالليل أنجما

    But you see among them stars upon the earth,

    Just as you may see stars in the sky at night.

  56. سلام على الاخوان في الدين أينما

    تولوا لسفر أو أرادوا مخيما

    Peace upon the brothers in faith, wherever

    They turn in travel or choose a campsite.

  57. وصلى على المختار أحمد ربنا

    وصلى عليه ثم صلى وسلما

    May our Lord bless the Chosen One, Ahmad,

    And bless him, then bless him and grant him peace.