سلامٌ من مَشوقٍ ذاب وَجداً

سلامٌ من مَشوقٍ ذاب وَجداً

يقلِّد جوهرَ التعظيم عِقدا

يقلِّد جوهرَ التعظيم عِقدا

A greeting from one melted by ardent longing,

Greetings sent from a lover melted with passion

Fashioning the jewels of reverence into a necklace.

Imitating the essence of glorification like a necklace

يَفوقُ الشّمسَ في حسنٍ وضوءٍ

يَفوقُ الشّمسَ في حسنٍ وضوءٍ

ويعلو بدرَها نوراً ووَقْدا

ويعلو بدرَها نوراً ووَقْدا

It surpasses the sun in beauty and radiance,

Surpassing the sun in beauty and splendor

And surpasses its full moon in light and blaze.

And rising above its full moon in light and flame

وَيَحكي المِسكَ في نَفحٍ ويُزهى

وَيَحكي المِسكَ في نَفحٍ ويُزهى

عَلى رَوضِ الرّبى زَهراً وَوَردا

عَلى رَوضِ الرّبى زَهراً وَوَردا

It matches musk in fragrance and outshines

Speaking of musk in its scent, excelling

The gardens of the hills in blossoms and roses.

In the garden of bliss like a flower and rose

يُكَرِّرُه المحبُّ بكلِّ وَقتٍ

يُكَرِّرُه المحبُّ بكلِّ وَقتٍ

وَيَجعلُه له حِزباً ووِرْدا

وَيَجعلُه له حِزباً ووِرْدا

The lover repeats it at every moment,

Repeated by the lover at every moment

And makes it his litany and daily recitation.

Making it for himself a party and litany

وَأَشواقٌ يُكابدُها مَشوقٌ

وَأَشواقٌ يُكابدُها مَشوقٌ

حَبَتهُ عَنِ الكرى قلقاً وسُهدا

حَبَتهُ عَنِ الكرى قلقاً وسُهدا

And yearnings endured by one who longs

And yearnings a longing lover withstands

Have bestowed on him restlessness and sleeplessness instead of sleep.

His love kept him restless and sleepless

وَقَد أَوهَت وَأَعيَت مَنكِبَيهِ

وَقَد أَوهَت وَأَعيَت مَنكِبَيهِ

فَأَضحى يَنحَني ظَهراً وَقدّا

فَأَضحى يَنحَني ظَهراً وَقدّا

They have weakened and exhausted both his shoulders,

They weakened his shoulders and tired them

So he has come to stoop in back and stature.

So he stoops his back, firm and erect

وَحَلَّت قَلبَهُ فَغَدا أَخاها

وَحَلَّت قَلبَهُ فَغَدا أَخاها

تَطولُ حَياتُها فيهِ وَتَزدا

تَطولُ حَياتُها فيهِ وَتَزدا

They settled in his heart, and he became their brother;

And settled in his heart so it became her brother

Their life within him lengthens and grows.

Her life in him extends and increases

وَقَد طالَت حَياةٌ أَورَثَتهُ

وَقَد طالَت حَياةٌ أَورَثَتهُ

رِداءَ نُحولِهِ فَرضاً وِردا

رِداءَ نُحولِهِ فَرضاً وِردا

And life has stretched on, bequeathing him

And a long life has made him inherit

The cloak of his wasting as a prescribed daily portion.

The garb of his leanness, obligatory and habitual

وَأثنِيَةٍ سَمَت بِبَديعِ مَدحٍ

وَأثنِيَةٍ سَمَت بِبَديعِ مَدحٍ

يُنوِّعُه بِها شُكراً وَحَمدا

يُنوِّعُه بِها شُكراً وَحَمدا

And tributes soaring with exquisite praise,

And a couplet shot with excellent praise

Which he varies through them in thanks and commendation;

With which he diversifies his thanks and praise

وَأَدعِيَةٍ بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ تُتْلى

وَأَدعِيَةٍ بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ تُتْلى

رَجا إِخلاصُها أَن لا تُرَدّا

رَجا إِخلاصُها أَن لا تُرَدّا

And prayers recited in his absence,

And prayers recited behind the unseen

Whose sincerity hopes they will not be rejected;

Hoping their sincerity will not be rejected

إِلى ذي الجاهِ وَالعليا عليٍّ

إِلى ذي الجاهِ وَالعليا عليٍّ

وَمَن أَولى العُلى عِزّاً وَمَجدا

وَمَن أَولى العُلى عِزّاً وَمَجدا

To Ali, possessor of prestige and eminence,

To the One with glory and highest high, Ali

And to him who endowed the heights with honor and glory;

And the one who attained the highest glory and renown

رَضيع المَجدِ في مَهدِ المَعالي

رَضيع المَجدِ في مَهدِ المَعالي

أَخي الشَّرفِ الكريمِ أباً وجدّا

أَخي الشَّرفِ الكريمِ أباً وجدّا

A nursling of glory in the cradle of greatness,

The suckling of glory in the cradle of sublime traits

A brother to honor, noble in father and grandfather;

The brother of noble honor, a father and grandfather

أَخي الإِكرامِ وَالإِحسانِ فَضلاً

أَخي الإِكرامِ وَالإِحسانِ فَضلاً

أَبي المَعروفِ وَالإِقدامِ فَردا

أَبي المَعروفِ وَالإِقدامِ فَردا

A brother to generosity and benevolence in bounty,

The brother of generosity and kindness overflowing

The peerless father of kindness and daring;

The father of good deeds and valor answering readily

خَدين الفَتكِ بِالبيضِ المَواضي

خَدين الفَتكِ بِالبيضِ المَواضي

فَكَم قَدْ قدَّ مِن بَطَلٍ وَأَردى

فَكَم قَدْ قدَّ مِن بَطَلٍ وَأَردى

An intimate of deadly assault with keen white swords:

With cheeks that redden in valor with white swords

So many a champion has he cleft and slain!

So how many a hero did he strike down and fell

وَكَم والَت مَكارِمُه كِراماً

وَكَم والَت مَكارِمُه كِراماً

وَأَولاهُم بِمَعروفٍ وَأَسدى

وَأَولاهُم بِمَعروفٍ وَأَسدى

And how many noble men his bounties have befriended,

And how many honorable men were ennobled by his virtues

And he has favored them with kindness and bestowed favors!

As he endowed them with good and gave generously

وَأَصمى سَهمُه قرْماً جَسوراً

وَأَصمى سَهمُه قرْماً جَسوراً

وَجَندَلَ رمحُه في الأَرضِ أُسْدا

وَجَندَلَ رمحُه في الأَرضِ أُسْدا

And his arrow has killed outright a dauntless champion,

And his arrow rendered the daring lions blind

And his spear has cast lions to the ground.

And his spear dug into the earth like lions

تَصدَّرَ لِلوَرى بِرَحيبِ صَدرٍ

تَصدَّرَ لِلوَرى بِرَحيبِ صَدرٍ

كَذا الصّدرُ الرّحيبُ إِذا تَصدّى

كَذا الصّدرُ الرّحيبُ إِذا تَصدّى

He stood foremost among mankind, broad of breast;

He stepped forward to people with a vast chest

Such is the broad-hearted leader when he steps forth.

Thus is the one with a vast chest when he steps forward

فَعاشَ بِظلِّهِ قرباً محبٌّ

فَعاشَ بِظلِّهِ قرباً محبٌّ

وَمِنهُ عَدوُّه قَد ماتَ صَدّا

وَمِنهُ عَدوُّه قَد ماتَ صَدّا

So a lover lived nearby beneath his shade,

With his shade a loving soul lived close

And his enemy died from being spurned by him.

And because of him his enemy died blocking

وَبَعدُ فَعن خطوري في ضَميرٍ

وَبَعدُ فَعن خطوري في ضَميرٍ

وَخاطِره الشّريف سُئلتُ قَصدا

وَخاطِره الشّريف سُئلتُ قَصدا

Now then: concerning my coming to mind within a heart

Furthermore, my thoughts and noble mind

And in his noble mind, I was expressly asked.

Were asked intentionally about their purpose

وَأعربُ أَنّني أُبدي اِعتِذاراً

وَأعربُ أَنّني أُبدي اِعتِذاراً

عَنِ التّقصيرِ إِذ منّي تَبدَّى

عَنِ التّقصيرِ إِذ منّي تَبدَّى

And I declare that I offer an apology

And I profess to present an apology

For the neglect that became evident on my part.

For falling short, since shortcoming appeared from me

وَأَرجو العَفوَ عَنهُ وَعَن قُصوري

وَأَرجو العَفوَ عَنهُ وَعَن قُصوري

وَأَسعِدْ بِالرّجا أَن لا يصدّا

وَأَسعِدْ بِالرّجا أَن لا يصدّا

And I hope for pardon for it and for my shortcomings,

And I hope for forgiveness for it and my inadequacy

And gladden me with hope that it will not be rebuffed.

And I rejoice that I will not be rejected

وَإِنّ العَفو مِن شَأنِ المَعالي

وَإِنّ العَفو مِن شَأنِ المَعالي

وَلَولا العَفوُ ما أَحَدٌ تَعدّى

وَلَولا العَفوُ ما أَحَدٌ تَعدّى

And indeed, pardon is a trait of greatness,

Indeed, forgiveness is the way of the sublime

And were it not for pardon, no one would overstep.

And without forgiveness, no one would transcend

وَأَرجو مِن مَكارِمِهِ وِصالي

وَأَرجو مِن مَكارِمِهِ وِصالي

بِتَحريرٍ يُديمُ إِليَّ وَفدا

بِتَحريرٍ يُديمُ إِليَّ وَفدا

And from his generosity I hope for continued contact,

And I hope from his sublime traits my arrival

Through a letter that comes to me again and again.

With a letter that continually comes to me

تقَرُّ بِهِ عُيوني حينَ يَأتي

تقَرُّ بِهِ عُيوني حينَ يَأتي

وَيُنعِشُني فُؤاداً ثمّ كبدا

وَيُنعِشُني فُؤاداً ثمّ كبدا

My eyes are soothed by it when it arrives,

At which my eyes rejoice when it comes

And it revives my heart, then my liver.

And it revives my heart, then my liver

وَمَهما يُبدِ مِن غَرضٍ فَإِنّي

وَمَهما يُبدِ مِن غَرضٍ فَإِنّي

بِعَونِ اللَّه أَبذل فيهِ جَهدا

بِعَونِ اللَّه أَبذل فيهِ جَهدا

And whatever wish he makes known, I

And whatever purpose he shows, I will exert

Will, with God's help, expend effort upon it.

With God's help every effort for it

وَأَرجو أَنَّه يُحبى بعُمْرٍ

وَأَرجو أَنَّه يُحبى بعُمْرٍ

طَويلٍ بِالسّعودِ يُمَدُّ مدّا

طَويلٍ بِالسّعودِ يُمَدُّ مدّا

And I hope that he may be granted a life

And I hope he will be granted a long

Long, abundantly prolonged through good fortune,

Life with good fortune, extended and lasting

وَتَوفيقٍ وَإِسعافٍ وَعَونٍ

وَتَوفيقٍ وَإِسعافٍ وَعَونٍ

وَعِزّ يعتلي حظّاً وجدّا

وَعِزّ يعتلي حظّاً وجدّا

And success, succor, and help,

And success, aid, support and might

And honor that rises in fortune and prosperity,

A fortune supreme, original and renewed

وعافيةٍ تدوم دوام دهرٍ

وعافيةٍ تدوم دوام دهرٍ

وليست تنتهي أمداً وحدّا

وليست تنتهي أمداً وحدّا

And well-being lasting as long as time,

And well being lasting ages

And never reaching an end or boundary.

Not ceasing for a period or moment

وَتَحريري السّلامُ لَهُ خِتامٌ

وَتَحريري السّلامُ لَهُ خِتامٌ

يَفوقُ بِعَرْفِهِ مِسكاً وندّا

يَفوقُ بِعَرْفِهِ مِسكاً وندّا

And my writing closes with a greeting to him,

And my letter concludes with greetings

Whose fragrance surpasses musk and blended perfume.

Surpassing musk and ambergris in fragrance