فصم عن نسيبِ الغواني ولا

فصم عن نسيبِ الغواني ولا

تخلّط وأعلنْ بمدحِ الإمامْ

تخلّط وأعلنْ بمدحِ الإمامْ

So abstain from love poetry about fair women, and do not

Turn away from the beloved of pleasures, and refrain

mix themes; proclaim the Imam's praise:

From mixing with those who praise the imam.

بلعرب العادل المرتضى

بلعرب العادل المرتضى

سلالةُ سلطانَ نسلَ الكرامْ

سلالةُ سلطانَ نسلَ الكرامْ

Balʿarab, the just, the chosen,

Instead, praise the just and upright Arab,

Sultan's scion, offspring of the noble.

The offspring of the sultan, the lineage of nobles.

أقرّ لهُ بالغدى شهرةً

أقرّ لهُ بالغدى شهرةً

وفضلَ المساعِي جميعُ الأنامْ

وفضلَ المساعِي جميعُ الأنامْ

In the mornings, his renown was acknowledged,

Acknowledge his fame at daybreak,

and the excellence of his endeavors, by all humankind.

And that all people prefer his great efforts,

ولا عيبَ فيه سوَى أنَّهُ

ولا عيبَ فيه سوَى أنَّهُ

أخُو شرفٍ بالعطايا الجِسامْ

أخُو شرفٍ بالعطايا الجِسامْ

And there is no fault in him, save that he is

His only fault is that he is

a man of honor through his immense gifts.

The brother of Sharaf, known for his immense generosity.

فتى عنده البخلُ عيبٌ بمن

فتى عنده البخلُ عيبٌ بمن

يسمى فتى كارتكابِ الحرامْ

يسمى فتى كارتكابِ الحرامْ

A noble youth who deems miserliness a fault in anyone

He is a young man who sees stinginess as a fault in one

called a noble youth, like committing what is forbidden.

Who claims to be noble, like committing sins.

هو الندبُ في الحربِ ليثُ الوغى

هو الندبُ في الحربِ ليثُ الوغى

وقد صارَ في السِّلم غيثَ الطعامْ

وقد صارَ في السِّلم غيثَ الطعامْ

He is the gallant in war, the lion of battle,

In war, he is a ferocious lion,

and in peace he has become a life-giving rain of food.

And in peace, he is a rain cloud of provisions.

وفي البذلِ أكرمُ مِنْ حاتمٍ

وفي البذلِ أكرمُ مِنْ حاتمٍ

وفي الحربِ ذُو عزةٍ وانْتقامْ

وفي الحربِ ذُو عزةٍ وانْتقامْ

And in giving he is more generous than Hatim,

In generosity, he is more honorable than Hatim,

and in war he possesses might and vengeance.

And in war, he has might and vengeance.

وآباؤه الغرُّ هُمْ سادةٌ

وآباؤه الغرُّ هُمْ سادةٌ

وأهل الندى والجفان الضخامْ

وأهل الندى والجفان الضخامْ

And his illustrious forefathers are lords,

His forefathers are eminent lords

and men of bounty and enormous serving bowls.

And people of benevolence with strong resolve.

فتى لا يبالِي بأعدائِه

فتى لا يبالِي بأعدائِه

وإنْ عَظُم الضربُ عندَ الزِّحامْ

وإنْ عَظُم الضربُ عندَ الزِّحامْ

A noble youth who takes no heed of his enemies,

A sovereign who the healing of hearts is found in seeing him

even if the blows grow fierce amid the crush of battle.

And his smile is the cure to illnesses.

يُنسى المحبينَ أحبابَهم

يُنسى المحبينَ أحبابَهم

ويتركُ شجعانَهم كالنعامْ

ويتركُ شجعانَهم كالنعامْ

He makes lovers forget their beloveds,

His prosperity makes the land thrive with bounty

and leaves their brave men like ostriches.

And in his palm, death to adversities.

كريمٌ بخيلٌ بعليائِه

كريمٌ بخيلٌ بعليائِه

تعرَّفها قبلَ وقتِ الفِطَامْ

تعرَّفها قبلَ وقتِ الفِطَامْ

Generous, yet miserly with his lofty honor,

A generous man, yet frugal in his pride

he came to know it before the time of weaning.

Recognized before the time of weaning.

فمنْ أينَ أنسى ثنائي له

فمنْ أينَ أنسى ثنائي له

وَجَدْواه تترى علينا دَوَامْ

وَجَدْواه تترى علينا دَوَامْ

How, then, could I forget my praise of him,

How can I forget praising him

while his bounty comes to us in endless succession?

When their friendship is everlasting upon us?

مليكٌ لقاهُ شفاءُ القلوبِ

مليكٌ لقاهُ شفاءُ القلوبِ

ورؤيَا محيّاهُ برءُ السقَامْ

ورؤيَا محيّاهُ برءُ السقَامْ

A king—meeting him is healing for hearts,

A king whom seeing brings solace to hearts

and a vision of his face is a cure for sickness.

And beholding his smile, cures ailments.

ويمناه تغنى الورَى بالندَى

ويمناه تغنى الورَى بالندَى

وفي كفِّ يُسْراه موتُ الزُّؤامْ

وفي كفِّ يُسْراه موتُ الزُّؤامْ

And his right hand enriches humankind with bounty,

His prosperity brings abundance to the land,

and in the palm of his left hand is sudden death.

And in his palm, death to hardships.

شجاعٌ قوىٌّ له هيبةٌ

شجاعٌ قوىٌّ له هيبةٌ

يقومُ مقامَ الخميسِ اللُّهَامْ

يقومُ مقامَ الخميسِ اللُّهَامْ

Brave and strong, he commands awe;

A brave and strong man of formidable bearing,

he stands in the place of a vast army.

Taking the place of the protector on Fridays.

وأنصارُ الغرُّ منصورةٌ

وأنصارُ الغرُّ منصورةٌ

بجند المهيمنِ عند اللطامْ

بجند المهيمنِ عند اللطامْ

And the illustrious supporters are granted victory,

And the supporters of the eminent are victorious

by the Guardian's host amid the clash of blows.

With the army of the Guardian during skirmishes.

وألويةُ العزِّ منشورةٌ

وألويةُ العزِّ منشورةٌ

بعدلِ ابن سلطان وافِى الذمامْ

بعدلِ ابن سلطان وافِى الذمامْ

And banners of glory are unfurled,

The banners of glory are unfurled

through the justice of Sultan's son, faithful to his pledges.

With the justice of the son of the sultan, pure in purpose.

وأيدِي أعادِيه مقهورةٌ

وأيدِي أعادِيه مقهورةٌ

بزُرْقٍ العوالي وحَدّ الحُسَام

بزُرْقٍ العوالي وحَدّ الحُسَام

And the hands of his enemies are subdued,

And the hands of his enemies are subdued

by blue spearheads and the sharp sword's edge.

By the striking blades and sharpened swords.

عليه صلاقانِ مِنْ ربه

عليه صلاقانِ مِنْ ربه

وأطيبُ رَدٍّ وأزكى سَلامْ

وأطيبُ رَدٍّ وأزكى سَلامْ

Upon him be [two blessings?] from his Lord,

Upon him, prayers from his Lord,

and the finest response and the purest greeting of peace.

And the finest approvals and purest peace.

ودُونَكَها مِنْ فتى مالَهُ

ودُونَكَها مِنْ فتى مالَهُ

سِوى مَدْحِكم بالقوافي مَرَامْ

سِوى مَدْحِكم بالقوافي مَرَامْ

And here it is for you, from a youth who has no

And below them, the only ambition of a lad like me

aim but to praise you in rhymed verse.

Is to praise you in verse and poetry.