سَرى ثَوبَهُ عَنكَ الصِبا المُتَخايِلُ

سَرى ثَوبَهُ عَنكَ الصِبا المُتَخايِلُ

وَوَدَّعَ للبَينِ الخَليطُ المُزايلُ

وَوَدَّعَ للبَينِ الخَليطُ المُزايلُ

Swaggering youth has stripped its robe from you,

His robe was swept away from you by the flirtatious morning breeze

And the departing companions have bidden farewell at parting.

And the motley throng bade farewell to separation

إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المؤمنينَ تَجاوَزَت

إِلَيكَ أَميرَ المؤمنينَ تَجاوَزَت

بِنا بيدَ أَجوازِ الفَلاةِ الرَواحِلُ

بِنا بيدَ أَجوازِ الفَلاةِ الرَواحِلُ

Toward you, Commander of the Faithful, have journeyed

O Commander of the Faithful, we have come to you

The riding-camels, carrying us across the wastes at the desert's heart.

Led through the barren wilderness by the traveling camels

يَزُرنَ أمرأً لا يُصلحُ القَومَ أَمرُهُ

يَزُرنَ أمرأً لا يُصلحُ القَومَ أَمرُهُ

وَلا يَنتَجي الأدنينَ فيما يُحاوِلُ

وَلا يَنتَجي الأدنينَ فيما يُحاوِلُ

They visit a man whose command does not set the people right,

To visit a man whose rule does not set his people right

Nor privately consults those closest to him about what he undertakes.

Nor can the lowliest seek refuge in his machinations

إِذا ما أَبى شَيئاً مَضى كالَّذي أَبى

إِذا ما أَبى شَيئاً مَضى كالَّذي أَبى

وَإِن قالَ إِنّي فاعِلٌ فَهوَ فاعِلُ

وَإِن قالَ إِنّي فاعِلٌ فَهوَ فاعِلُ

When he refuses something, he stands firm in his refusal;

If he refuses something, he persists like one who refused

And if he says, "I shall act," he acts.

And if he says “I will do it”, then he does it

كَريمٌ لَه وَجهانِ وَجهٌ لَدى الرِضا

كَريمٌ لَه وَجهانِ وَجهٌ لَدى الرِضا

أَسيلٌ وَوَجهٌ في الكَريهَةِ باسِلُ

أَسيلٌ وَوَجهٌ في الكَريهَةِ باسِلُ

Noble, he has two faces: one, when pleased,

A generous man of two faces - calm when content

Smooth; the other, fierce in battle.

And grim when discontented

وَلَيسَ بِمُعطي العفوِ عَن غَيرِ قُدرَةٍ

وَلَيسَ بِمُعطي العفوِ عَن غَيرِ قُدرَةٍ

وَيَعفو إِذا ما أَمكَنَنَته المَقاتِلُ

وَيَعفو إِذا ما أَمكَنَنَته المَقاتِلُ

And he grants no pardon out of powerlessness,

He does not grant pardon beyond his power

And he pardons when the vital parts lie within his reach.

But pardons when the warriors enable him

لَهُ لَحَظاتٌ عَن حَفافي سَريرِهِ

لَهُ لَحَظاتٌ عَن حَفافي سَريرِهِ

إِذا كَرَّها فيها عِقابٌ وَنائِلُ

إِذا كَرَّها فيها عِقابٌ وَنائِلُ

He casts glances from the two sides of his throne;

He has moments away from the edge of his bed

When he turns them again, they carry punishment and bounty.

When he dislikes the punishment that awaits

فأمَّ الَّذي آمَنتَ آمِنَةُ الرَدى

فأمَّ الَّذي آمَنتَ آمِنَةُ الرَدى

وَأُمُّ الّذي حاوَلتَ بالثُكلِ ثاكِلُ

وَأُمُّ الّذي حاوَلتَ بالثُكلِ ثاكِلُ

So the mother of him you protect is safe from death,

By the Lord of her who found faith a protective fortress

And the mother of him you assail mourns, bereft of her child.

And the Lord of her who by losing you was left childless

أَتَيناكَ نُزجي حاجَةً وَوَسيلَةً

أَتَيناكَ نُزجي حاجَةً وَوَسيلَةً

إِلَيكَ وَقَد تَحظى لَدَيكَ الوَسائِلُ

إِلَيكَ وَقَد تَحظى لَدَيكَ الوَسائِلُ

We have come to you, bringing a request and a means of approach

We have come to make a request, an entreaty, to you

To you; such means may find favor with you.

And such requests may find acceptance with you

وَنَذكُرُ وُدّا شَدَّهُ اللَهُ بَينَنا

وَنَذكُرُ وُدّا شَدَّهُ اللَهُ بَينَنا

عَلى الدَهرِ لَم تَدبب إِلَيهِ الغَوائِلُ

عَلى الدَهرِ لَم تَدبب إِلَيهِ الغَوائِلُ

And we recall a bond of affection God has strengthened between us,

We recall affection whose bond Allah made firm between us

Through time, no calamities have crept toward it.

That no calamities could undermine over time

فَأُقسِمُ ما أَكبي زِنادَكَ قادِحٌ

فَأُقسِمُ ما أَكبي زِنادَكَ قادِحٌ

وَلا أَكذَبَت فيكَ الرَجاءَ القَوابِلُ

وَلا أَكذَبَت فيكَ الرَجاءَ القَوابِلُ

So I swear: no striker has failed to draw fire from your fire-sticks,

I swear by the flint that ignites your tinder

Nor have the midwives belied the hope placed in you.

And by the hopes that never proved false regarding you

وَلا رَجَّعَت ذا حاجَةٍ عَنكَ علَّةٌ

وَلا رَجَّعَت ذا حاجَةٍ عَنكَ علَّةٌ

وَلا عاقَ خَيراً عاجِلا مِنكَ آجِلُ

وَلا عاقَ خَيراً عاجِلا مِنكَ آجِلُ

Nor has an excuse turned anyone in need away from you,

No illness has ever turned away anyone with a request from you

Nor has a deferred favor delayed an immediate kindness from you.

No goodness, immediate or delayed, has been denied by you

وَلا لامَ فيكَ الباذِلُ الوَجهَ نَفسَهُ

وَلا لامَ فيكَ الباذِلُ الوَجهَ نَفسَهُ

وَلا اِحتَكَمَت في الجودِ مِنكَ المَباخِلُ

وَلا اِحتَكَمَت في الجودِ مِنكَ المَباخِلُ

Nor has one who offers his face to you in petition reproached himself,

No blamer ever faulted you for offering your face

Nor have motives for stinginess held sway over your generosity.

Nor did the misers argue generosity with you

لَهُم طينَةٌ بَيضاءُ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

لَهُم طينَةٌ بَيضاءُ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ

إِذا اسوَدَّ مِن لؤمِ التُرابِ القَبائِلُ

إِذا اسوَدَّ مِن لؤمِ التُرابِ القَبائِلُ

Theirs is white clay, from the house of Hashim,

They have an unsullied Hashimite clay

When the tribes turn black from the baseness of the soil.

That is blackened by the ignominy of the common tribes

رَأَيتُكَ لَم تَعدِل عَن الحَقِّ مَعدِلاً

رَأَيتُكَ لَم تَعدِل عَن الحَقِّ مَعدِلاً

سِواهُ وَلَم تَشغَلكَ عَنهُ الشَواغِلُ

سِواهُ وَلَم تَشغَلكَ عَنهُ الشَواغِلُ

I have seen you never turn from the truth toward a course

I have seen you never swerve from the truth for another’s sake

Other than it; nor have distractions drawn you away from it.

Nor let anything distract you from it