العَفوُ مِن شِيَمِ الكِرامْ

العَفوُ مِن شِيَمِ الكِرامْ

وَالصّفحُ مِن شَأنِ العِظامْ

وَالصّفحُ مِن شَأنِ العِظامْ

Forgiveness is among the traits of the noble.

Forgiveness is a trait of the generous

And pardon is the way of the great.

And pardoning is the way of the honorable

وَأَخو الشّهامَةِ من عَفا

وَأَخو الشّهامَةِ من عَفا

عَن قُدرةٍ على الاِنتِقامْ

عَن قُدرةٍ على الاِنتِقامْ

And a man of gallantry is one who forgives

He who forgives has the spirit of valor

While possessing the power to take revenge.

By having the power to take revenge, yet refraining

لَيسَ الكَريمُ بِواجدٍ

لَيسَ الكَريمُ بِواجدٍ

وَالحِقدُ مِن طَبْعِ اللّئام

وَالحِقدُ مِن طَبْعِ اللّئام

The noble man bears no resentment,

The noble one does not hold a grudge

And rancor is the nature of the ignoble.

Malice is the nature of the ignoble

لَولا الجِنايَةُ ما حَلا

لَولا الجِنايَةُ ما حَلا

عَفوُ الفَتى بَينَ الأَنام

عَفوُ الفَتى بَينَ الأَنام

Were it not for wrongdoing, there would be no sweetness

Without wrongdoing, the youth's

In a young man's forgiveness among humankind.

Forgiveness would not shine among people

الخَوفُ يَكفي مَن جَنى

الخَوفُ يَكفي مَن جَنى

عَن ذَوقِهِ طَعمَ الحُسام

عَن ذَوقِهِ طَعمَ الحُسام

Fear is enough for one who has done wrong,

Fear is enough to restrain one

Sparing him a taste of the keen sword.

Who has tasted the blade of swords

ذُلُّ الذُّنوبِ أَمَرُّ مِن

ذُلُّ الذُّنوبِ أَمَرُّ مِن

ذَوقِ المنيَّةِ وَالحِمام

ذَوقِ المنيَّةِ وَالحِمام

The humiliation of sins is bitterer than

The disgrace of sins is more bitter

Tasting death and demise.

Than tasting death and annihilation

وَرِداؤُها بِئسَ الرّدى

وَرِداؤُها بِئسَ الرّدى

وَسخامُها بِئسَ السّخام

وَسخامُها بِئسَ السّخام

And their cloak is the vilest of cloaks,

Its garment is the worst of evil

And their soot is the foulest soot.

And its stench is the worst stench

يا وَيحَ جانٍ قَد هَفا

يا وَيحَ جانٍ قَد هَفا

مُتَرَدِّياً ثَوبَ اِحتِرام

مُتَرَدِّياً ثَوبَ اِحتِرام

Alas for a wrongdoer who has erred,

Oh what a pity, O soul

While wearing a robe of respectability.

Who casts off the garb of dignity

وَالحرُّ يُقبَلُ عُذرُهُ

وَالحرُّ يُقبَلُ عُذرُهُ

مِن غَيرِ صَدٍّ أَو مَلام

مِن غَيرِ صَدٍّ أَو مَلام

And the honorable man's excuse is accepted

The free man, his apology is accepted

Without rebuff or blame.

Without hostility or blame

وَلَه يقابلُ مِنّةً

وَلَه يقابلُ مِنّةً

بِبَشاشةٍ ثمَّ اِبتِسام

بِبَشاشةٍ ثمَّ اِبتِسام

And he receives him as an act of grace,

And he meets a favor

With cheerfulness, then a smile.

With cheerful smiles

وَإِلَيهِ ينظرُ مُقبِلاً

وَإِلَيهِ ينظرُ مُقبِلاً

وَيَمنُّ في لينِ الكَلام

وَيَمنُّ في لينِ الكَلام

And looks toward him, turning to face him,

And looks to him kindly

And grants favor with gentle words.

Speaking gentle words

وَيَقولُ أَهلاً مَرحبا

وَيَقولُ أَهلاً مَرحبا

وَلَهُ يُحيّي بِالسّلام

وَلَهُ يُحيّي بِالسّلام

And says, 'Welcome, welcome!'

Saying "welcome, hello"

And greets him with peace.

And greets him with peace

وَيَرى تَذلُّلَه لَهُ

وَيَرى تَذلُّلَه لَهُ

فَوقَ العُقوبَةِ بِالسّلام

فَوقَ العُقوبَةِ بِالسّلام

And regards his humbling himself before him

And sees his humility to him

As outweighing punishment with stones.

Above punishing him with peace

وَلَقد رَأيتُ أخا عُلىً

وَلَقد رَأيتُ أخا عُلىً

وَخَدينَ مَجدٍ وَاِحتِرام

وَخَدينَ مَجدٍ وَاِحتِرام

And I have indeed seen a man of lofty rank,

I saw a noble brother

And a close companion of glory and honor.

With cheeks of glory and dignity

في العَفوِ أَكرَم ماجدٍ

في العَفوِ أَكرَم ماجدٍ

بِالصَّفحِ أَسنى ذي اِبتِسام

بِالصَّفحِ أَسنى ذي اِبتِسام

In forgiveness, the most generous nobleman;

In forgiveness, more generous than the glorious

In pardon, the most radiant of those who smile.

In pardoning, more benevolent than the smiling

يَعفو بِحُسنِ تَفَضُّلٍ

يَعفو بِحُسنِ تَفَضُّلٍ

لا عَجزَ فيهِ عَنِ اِنتِقام

لا عَجزَ فيهِ عَنِ اِنتِقام

He forgives with gracious generosity,

He forgives with excellent grace

With no lack of power in him to take revenge.

Not unable to take revenge

يَلتَذُّ في عَفوٍ كَما

يَلتَذُّ في عَفوٍ كَما

يَلتَذُّ في أَحلى الطَّعام

يَلتَذُّ في أَحلى الطَّعام

He delights in forgiveness just as

He delights in pardoning as

He delights in the sweetest food.

He delights in the sweetest food

الضَّيغَمُ اللَّيثُ الَّذي

الضَّيغَمُ اللَّيثُ الَّذي

مِنهُ الضّياغمُ في اِنهِزام

مِنهُ الضّياغمُ في اِنهِزام

The fierce lion, the mighty lion before whom

The formidable lion from whom

The lions flee in defeat.

The predators flee defeated

بَدرُ المَعالي كامِلاً

بَدرُ المَعالي كامِلاً

عالي المَنازِلِ وَالمُقام

عالي المَنازِلِ وَالمُقام

The full moon of lofty virtues, in all its fullness,

The full moon of glory

Exalted in station and rank.

Of high position and status

ذو الطالِعِ المَيمونِ في

ذو الطالِعِ المَيمونِ في

فَلكِ السّعودِ عَلى الدَّوام

فَلكِ السّعودِ عَلى الدَّوام

With an auspicious ascendant in

Of auspicious influence in

The sphere of good fortune, forever.

The sky of prosperity forever

الجَوهرُ الفَردُ الَّذي

الجَوهرُ الفَردُ الَّذي

تَأبى مَحاسِنُهُ اِنقِسام

تَأبى مَحاسِنُهُ اِنقِسام

The indivisible jewel whose

The unique gem whose virtues

Virtues admit no division.

Refuse to be divided

أَعني العَليَّ اِسْماً وَقَد

أَعني العَليَّ اِسْماً وَقَد

راً ثمَّ جاهاً لا يُرام

راً ثمَّ جاهاً لا يُرام

I mean Ali, lofty in name and in

I mean the most high in name and position

Rank, then in prestige beyond all reach.

Then glory that cannot be attained

مَن لاذَ فيهِ فَإِنّهُ

مَن لاذَ فيهِ فَإِنّهُ

بَينَ البريَّةِ لا يُضام

بَينَ البريَّةِ لا يُضام

Whoever seeks refuge in him is surely

Whoever takes refuge in him

Never wronged among humankind.

Will not be harmed among all people

يا أَحنَفَ الحِلم الّذي

يا أَحنَفَ الحِلم الّذي

لي حِلمُه أَسنى مَرام

لي حِلمُه أَسنى مَرام

O Ahnaf of forbearance, whose

O most wise of patience whose

Forbearance is, for me, the loftiest aim.

Patience is the best purpose for me

كُن عافِياً كُن صافِحاً

كُن عافِياً كُن صافِحاً

فَالصّفحُ أَليَقُ بِالكِرام

فَالصّفحُ أَليَقُ بِالكِرام

Be forgiving; be one who pardons,

Be forgiving, be reconciling

For pardon is more fitting for the noble.

For pardoning best befits the generous

وَالمُؤمِنونَ فَغَيظُهم

وَالمُؤمِنونَ فَغَيظُهم

كَالبَرقِ يَلمَعُ في الظَّلام

كَالبَرقِ يَلمَعُ في الظَّلام

And as for believers, their anger

And the believers, their anger

Is like lightning flashing in the darkness.

Flashes like lightning in the dark

إِنّي رَجوتُكَ طامِعاً

إِنّي رَجوتُكَ طامِعاً

فَاِقبَل رَجائي وَالسّلام

فَاِقبَل رَجائي وَالسّلام

I have placed my hope in you, expectant,

I hoped in you, longing

So accept my plea—and peace.

So accept my hope and peace

وَاِسلَم وَدُم في عيشَةٍ

وَاِسلَم وَدُم في عيشَةٍ

تَأبى مُصاحَبَةَ السّقام

تَأبى مُصاحَبَةَ السّقام

And remain safe, and abide in a life

And be safe and live in comfort

That refuses the company of sickness.

Refusing the company of illness

ما فيكَ طابَت مِدْحَتي

ما فيكَ طابَت مِدْحَتي

في حُسْنِ بدءٍ وَاِختِتَام

في حُسْنِ بدءٍ وَاِختِتَام

So long as my praise of you is sweet

You are pure, my praise of you

In the beauty of its opening and its close.

Beautiful in its beginning and end