لَوif قيلَit were said لِلعَبّاسِto al-Abbas ياO اِبنَson of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
لَو قيلَ لِلعَبّاسِ يا اِبنَ مُحَمَّدٍ
قُلsay لاno وَأَنتَand you مُخَلَّدٌimmortal ماnot قالَهاhe would say it
قُل لا وَأَنتَ مُخَلَّدٌ ما قالَها
If al-Abbas were told, “O son of Muhammad,
Say ‘no,’ and you shall be immortal,” he would not say it.
ماnot إِنemphatic particle أَعُدُّI count مِنَamong المَكارِمِnoble virtues خِصلَةًa trait
ما إِن أَعُدُّ مِنَ المَكارِمِ خِصلَةً
إِلّاexcept وَجَدتُكَI found you عَمَّهاits paternal uncle أَوor خالَهاits maternal uncle
إِلّا وَجَدتُكَ عَمَّها أَو خالَها
I count no trait among the noble virtues
Without finding you its paternal or maternal uncle.
وَإِذاand when المُلوكَthe kings تَسايَرواtraveled together فيin بَلدَةٍa town
وَإِذا المُلوكَ تَسايَروا في بَلدَةٍ
كانواthey were كَواكِبَهاits stars وَكُنتَand you were هِلالَهاits crescent moon
كانوا كَواكِبَها وَكُنتَ هِلالَها
And when kings travel together in a town,
They are its stars, and you its crescent moon.
إِنَّindeed المَكارِمَnoble virtues لَمdid not تَزَلcease to be مَعقولَةًhobbled
إِنَّ المَكارِمَ لَم تَزَل مَعقولَةً
حَتّىuntil حَلَلتَyou untied بِراحَتَيكَwith your two palms عِقالَهاtheir hobbling cord
حَتّى حَلَلتَ بِراحَتَيكَ عِقالَها
Indeed, noble virtues had always been hobbled,
Until you untied their hobbling cord with your two palms.
Sol 6.1