1. ما رأت في الناس عيني

    فاضلاً مثل حسينِ

    Never among men has my eye seen

    a man of merit like Husayn:

  2. واسع النقل غزير ال

    عقل مبسوط اليدين

    vast in transmitted learning, rich in

    intellect, generous with both hands;

  3. طيب النفس لطيف ال

    غرس غرس الأبوين

    good of soul, of fine

    stock—the planting of both parents.

  4. في محيَّاه وجدنا

    ثالثاً للقمرين

    In his face we found

    a third beside the two moons.

  5. وله رأى كمثل ال

    سيف ماضي الشفرتين

    And he has judgment like a

    sword, keen on both edges;

  6. نظر تنقسم الشع

    رة منه شعرتين

    a discernment that splits a

    hair into two hairs;

  7. ويقين خالص في ال

    قلب ما شيب بمين

    and pure certainty within the

    heart, unmixed with falsehood;

  8. ولسان وجنان

    خلقا مقتدرين

    and a tongue and a heart,

    both created powerful.

  9. بهما فاق البرايا

    والفتى بالأصغرينِ

    Through them he surpassed mankind—

    and a man's worth lies in his two smaller organs.

  10. ويراعٍ راع بالتح

    رير أهل المشرقين

    And his reed pen, through writing, astonished

    the people of the two Easts:

  11. قلم يلعب يوم ال

    روع بالرمح الرديني

    a pen that plays, on the day of

    terror, with the Rudayni spear.

  12. فإذا خطَّ على القر

    طاس أبدى العجبين

    And when it writes upon the

    paper, it displays the twin marvels

  13. من جمالٍ وكمالٍ

    حَسُنَا في كل عين

    of beauty and perfection,

    both lovely to every eye,

  14. بمداد أحمر يخ

    طِفُ نور البصرين

    with red ink that steals

    the light from both eyes.

  15. تحسب المكتوب منه

    ذهباً فوق لُجين

    You would take its writing for

    gold upon silver;

  16. وجمال الخط للكا

    تب زَينٌ فوق زين

    and beauty of script, for the

    writer, is adornment upon adornment.

  17. قد تصاحبنا فكنا

    بمكان الأخوين

    We became companions, and were

    like two brothers;

  18. وسنبقى مثلما ك

    نا قديماً صاحبين

    and we shall remain, as we

    were of old, companions.

  19. فليمت في الغيظ واشٍ

    بينه يسعى وبيني

    So let the talebearer die of rage,

    who runs between him and me.