ألا طرقتنا هندُ والرَّكبُ هُجَّعُ

وطافَ لها منّي خيالٌ مروِّعُ

Behold, Hind came to us when the caravan rested

And an alarming fantasy of her came to me

عجبتُ لها أنّى سَرت فَتَعسَّفَتْ

ظلامَ الدجى والليل أعبسُ أسفَعُ

I wondered how she walked in the darkness of night

While the night was gloomy, bleak and dark

فأنَّى اهتدت للركبِ والركبُ مُعْرِسٌ

بحيث يَظلّ الطيرُ والوحشُ تَرْتَعُ

How did she find the way to the caravan while it was halted

In a place where even the beasts and birds do not roam

وعَهدي بها ترتاعُ من صوتِ وَطئِها

ومَن فَيَّها بين المقاصيرِ تَجزعُ

I knew her to be timid of the sound of her own steps

And to panic amidst the dwellings

فقلتُ لها يا هندُ أهلاً ومرحباً

وبتُّ بِها من لَيلتي أتمتَّعُ

So I said: Welcome, O Hind, greetings

And I remained enjoying my night with her

بِضَمٍّ وتقبيلٍ على غير رِقبةٍ

وطيبِ عناق ليس فيه تمنُّعُ

With an embrace and kisses upon her soft neck

And the sweetness of an unrestrained caress

ألا حظُ منها الوجهَ كالشمسِ تطلعُ

وألثُمُ منها الثغرَ كالمِسك يَسطعُ

Behold, I gained from her a face like the rising sun

And kissed from her lips like musk exhaling fragrance

وأرشُف من فيها رُضاباً كأنّه

مُعتّقه راحٌ بماءٍ تُشَعْشَعُ

And drank from her mouth sips as if it were

Pure wine mixed with cool scented water

فيا طيبَ ليلٍ بتّ فيه مُمَتَّعاً

إلى أن بدا وجهٌ من الصّبحِ يَشنُعُ

So excellent was the night I enjoyed till dawn

Drew a face from which ugliness exudes

فقمتُ حزيناً آكلُ الكفَّ حسرةً

وأعلم أن قد كنتُ في النوم أُخدَعُ

Then I arose, biting my hand in regret

Knowing I had been deluded in my dream

أما تَرحمي يا هندُ صبّا متيَّماً

وكادَ اشتياقاً قلبُه يَتقطَّعُ

Will you not have mercy, O Hind, on one passionately in love

Whose heart almost splits for yearning

يبيتُ وقد قرَّتْ بوصِلكِ عينُه

ويُضحي وما في نظرةِ منك يَطمَعُ

Who sleeps with his eyes soothed by the hope of your union

And wakes with no hopeful glance from you to aspire to

فيا ليتَ شعري هل لديكِ لِوامقٍ

سبيلٌ وإلاّ هل عن الحبِّ مَرجعُ

Oh, would that I know! Can one like me have

Any way to you, or is there any escape from love?

بلى في هوى آل النبيِّ محمدٍ

لمثلي تَعلٍّ عن هَواك ومَقنَعُ

Yes! In the love of the Prophet's family

Is hope for the likes of me and sufficiency

ألا أنّما العبدُ الذي هو مؤمنٌ

يقيناً هو المرءُ الذي يَتَشَّيعُ

Indeed, the true servant and believer

Is he who professes loyalty to them

إذا أنا لم أهوَ النبيًّ وآلهَ

فمن غيرُهم لي في القيامةِ يَشفعْ

If I do not love the Prophet and his family

Who then at Judgement Day would intercede for me?

ومن يسقني رِيّاُ من الحوضِ شربةً

هنالك إلاّ أصلعُ الرأسِ أنزَعُ

And who would give me a drink from the Pond

If not the bright faced, pure al-Salsal?

ومَن قائلٌ للنار إذْ ما وَرَدْتُها

ذَرى ذا وجُلُّ الناسِ في النّارِ وقَّعُ

And who will say to the Fire, when I reach it:

"Peace! This is the most eminent man of mankind."

ومن بِلواءِ الحمدِ ثَمَّ يُظلّني

سواهُ وشمسُ الحشرِ في الوجهِ تَلذَعُ

And who will shade me with the Standard of Praise

On the Day when the Sun blazes faces?

عليٌّ وصيُّ المصطفى ووزيرُه

وناصرُه والبيضُ بالبيضِ تُقرَعُ

‘Ali, the executant of the Chosen One, his vizier and helper

The one who aided him, striking the whites with the whites

وأكرمُ خلق الله صنو محمد

ومن ليس عن فضلٍ إذا عُدّ يُدفعُ

The best of Allah's creation after Muhammad

Such that if one counts excellence, none would surpass him

ومن معه صلّى وصامَ لربِّهِ

وللاّت قومٌ ساجدونَ وركَّعُ

Whoever prayed and fasted for His Lord with him

As people bow and prostrate in worship

فذاك أمير المؤمنينَ ومن له

فضائلُ ما كادتْ لخِلقٍ تَجَمَّعُ

That is the Prince of the Faithful, and whoever possesses

Merits that can hardly be combined in any other

هو الخاطرُ المختالُ يَمشي بِسيفِهِ

إلى أهلِ بدرٍ والأَسَّنةُ تُنْزَعُ

He is valiant, walking with sword, to the people of Badr

As the swords clash and scrape

وقد زُفّت الحربُ العوانُ إليهمُ

عليها حِليٌّ من قواضبَ تَلمَعُ

There, the battalions were driven against him

Adorned with gleaming coats of mail

فجاشت لها نفسُ الشجاعِ مخافةً

وقصّر عنها الفارسُ المتسرِّعُ

But the soul of the brave feared for them

As the swift knight held back

واحجم عنها المسلمونَ ولم يكن

ليثبتَ إلاّ رابطُ الجأشِ أروعُ

And the Muslims shrank from them, but none remained firm

Except the sturdy, awestriking lion

مشى باذِلاً للموتِ في الله نفسَهُ

وأيّده واللهُ ما شاء يَصنعُ

He strode, sacrificing himself for Allah

And Allah aided him to achieve what He willed

هناك بَرى هامَ الكُماةِ بصارمٍ

له من سيوفِ الهند ما مَسّ يَقْطَعُ

There his blade tasted the thick-haired chieftains

Cutting them with a sword like none forged by Indian smiths

وفي خيبرٍ فاسأل به آل خيبرٍ

أَمِن ضربِهم بالسيفِ هل كان يَشبَعُ

And ask the people of Khaybar about his blows

Did the sword ever grow weary of striking them?

ألم يُردِ فيها مَرحباً فارسَ الوغى

صَريعاً لجنبيهِ ذئابٌ وأَضبُعُ

Did it not receive the horsemen of calamity as booty

With wolves and hyenas feasting on their corpses?

أما فتحَ الحصنَ المَشيدَ بناؤُّهُ

وقد كاعَ عنه قبل ذلك تُبَّعُ

Was not their mighty fortress toppled by him

After others despaired of it?

ومن قَلعتَ يُمنى يديه رِتاجه

وقد قصَّرت عنه أكفٌّ وأذرعُ

Who else wrenched off with his right hand their flag

When other hands and arms failed?

ومن ذا سَبى منه حصاناً كريمَةَ

يَذُبّ هُمامُ القومِ عنها ويَدفعُ

Who else captured their noble steed

As the tribe's champions vie and compete for it?

فقرَّ رسولُ الله عيناً بقربِها

وقد طَمِعَتْ منها نفوسٌ تَطلَّعُ

The Messenger of Allah said, while they resented what he said

On the morning of Tabuk while they impugned

ومن ذا له قال النبيُّ محمدٌ

غداةَ تَبوكٍ حين قالوا وشنّعوا

The words grieved the Prince of the Faithful

And his eyelids nearly shed tears of sorrow

فغَمّ أميرَ المؤمنين مقالُهم

وكادت أماقيه من الحُزنِ تَدمَعُ

So Allah's Messenger stood up, telling them

His merits, even if that availed them naught,

فقام رسول الله فيهم مبلِّغاُ

لهم فضلّه لو كان ذلك يَنجَعُ

‘Ali said: "Know from your Prophet

That my station to him is as was Aaron's to Moses." So desist and refrain!

فقالَ عليٌّ فاعلموا من نبيّكمْ

كهارونَ من موسى فكفُّوا وأَقلِعوا

Who else did he appoint for them on the day of Khumm

Saying what he said to them collectively:

ومن ذا لهم في يوم خُمٍّ أقامَه

وقال لهم فيه مَقالاً فأجمعوا

"For whomsoever I am his master, ‘Ali

Is his master, to be obeyed and heeded."

فقال فمن قد كنتُ مولاه منكمُ

فهذا له مَولىً يُطاعُ ويُسمَعُ

Whom the wind carried above the cloud by the power

Of the Lord, elevating as He willed?

ومن حملته الريحُ فوق سحابةٍ

بقدرةِ ربٍّ قدرَ من شاء يَرفعُ

Who passed by the Companions of the Cave, greeting

And they returned the greeting from the cave, loudly

ومرّ بأصحابِ الرقيمِ مسلِّماً

فردّوا من الكهفِ السلامَ فأسمعوا

Who struck the barren rock for his troops

And a spring gushed from it, flowing for the people?

ومن فجَّر الصخرَ الأصمَّ لجندِه

ففاضَ معيناً منه للقوم يَنُبعُ

For whom is the afternoon prayer, at the time of its setting

Delayed, while the white sun still gleams?

ومن لصلاةِ العَصر عند غُروبها

تُرَدُّ له والشمسُ بيضاُ تَلمَعُ

He prayed the afternoon prayer, then it sped for him

At the speed of lightning, and lightning is fast

فصلّى صلاةَ العصرِ ثم انثنتْ له

تَسير كَسَيرِ البرقِ والبرقُ مُسرعُ

So, you blamer of my love for them, desist!

For I am passionately infatuated with loving the Prince of the Faithful

فيا لائمي في حُبّهم كُفَّ إنّني

بحبِّ أميرِ المؤمنينَ لَمولَعُ

I have professed no religion but the love of Muhammad's family

And nothing avails me more in the Hereafter

ولا دِنْتُ إلاّ حبَّ آل محمدٍ

ولا شيءً منه في القيامة أنفَعُ

Since justice, monotheism and his love

Fill my heart, then I am a volunteer worshipper

إذا العدلُ والتوحيدُ كانا وحبُّه

بقلبي فإنّي العابدُ المُتطَوِّعُ

I am the master poet composing verses in their praise

That split the hearts of the hateful dissenters

أنا السيّد القوَال فيهم مدائحاً

تمرُّ بقلبِ الناصِبينَ فتَصدَعُ