ودانٍ ألمّت بالكثيبِ ذوائِبُه

وجنحُ الدّثجى وحفٌ تجولُ غياهِبُه

The wady with sways of its sand dunes shone,

And the wings of darkness fluttered while its veils roamed around.

تُقهقهُ في تلكَ الرُّبوعِ رعودُهُ

وتبكي على تلك الطُّلولِ سحائبُه

Its thunders rumbled in those prairies,

And its clouds wept over those hills.

أرِقتُ له لمّا توالت بروقُه

وحُلّت عزاليهِ وأُسبلَ ساكبُه

I was sleepless because of its continuous lightening,

While its rain poured down and its clouds spread.

الى أن بدا مِن أشقرِ الصُّبحِ قادمٌ

يُراعُ له من أدهمِ اللَّيلِ هاربُه

Until the blonde morning became visible

Chasing its dark night that was escaping.

وأصبحَ ثغرُ الأُقحوانةِ ضاحكاً

تُدغدغُهُ ريحُ الصّبا وتُداعِبُه

And the mouth of springs smiled

As the morning breeze tickled and played with it.

تمرُّ على نبتِ الرّياضِ بليلةً

تُجمّشُهُ طوراً وطوراً تلاعِبُه

The night passed by the garden’s plants

Caressing them again and again.

وأقبلَ وجهُ الأرضِ طلقاً وطالما

غدا مكفراً موحشاتٍ جوانبُه

And the face of earth appeared bright after

It became covered with darkened aspects.

كساهُ الحيا وشياً من النّبتِ فاخراً

فعادَ قشيباً غورُه وغواربُه

Luxuriance clothed it with splendid vegetation,

So its barren tract of land and watercourses returned.

كما عادَ بالمستنصرِ بنِ محمدٍ

نظامُ المعالي حينَ قلّت كتائبُه

As Al-Mustansir Billah brought back

The system of glories when its battalions were few.

امامٌ تحلّى الدين منه بماجدٍ

تحلّت بآثارِ النبيِّ مناكِبُه

A leader adorned with the religion’s glories

That the traces of the Prophet ornamented his shoulders.

هو العارض الهتّانُ لا البرقُ مخلفٌ

لديهِ ولا أنوارهُ وكواكِبُه

He is the brilliant, no mere lightning

With no lights or planets revolving around him.

اذا السّنةُ الشهباءُ شحّت بطِلّها

سخا وابلٌ منه وسحّت سواكبُه

When the grey Sunnah lacked its rays

He brought abundant showers and poured its stars.

فأحيا ضياءَ البرقِ ضوءُ جبينهِ

كما نحلت حودَ الغوادي مواهبُه

The light of his forehead revived the lightning’s light

As his talents adorned the valleys of heavy rain.

له العزماتُ اللائي لولا نضالُها

تزعزعَ ركنُ الدّينِ وانهدَّ جانبُه

His wills by which if he did not fight

The pillar of the religion would have collapsed.

بصيرٌ بأحوالِ الزّمانِ وأهلهِ

حذورٌ فما تُخشى عليه نوائبُه

He sees the state of the time and its people,

So no misfortunes are feared to afflict him.

بديهتُه تغنيهِ في كلّ مشكلٍ

وإن حنّكتهُ في الأمورِ تجاربُه

His intelligence suffices him in any problem,

And his experience in matters makes him extremely prudent.

حوىَ قصباتِ السّبقِ مذ كان يافعاً

وأربت على زُهرِ النُّجومِ مناقِبُه

He contained the shoots of precedence when he was young,

And his achievements towered over the stars.

تزيّنتِ الدُّنيا بهِ وتشرفّت

بنوها فأضحى خافِضَ العيشِ ناصبُه

The life was adorned by him and honored

To have a debaser of pleasures as its raiser.

لئن نوهّت باسمِ الامامِ خلافةٌ

ورفّعتِ الزّاكي النِّجارِ مناسِبُه

If I declare the name of the Imam as Caliph,

And raise the status of the carpenter, the most appropriate one,

فأنتَ الإمامُ العدلُ والمُعرِقُ الذي

به شرفت انسابُهُ ومناصِبُه

You are the just Imam and the purest

By whom his lineage and positions were ennobled.

جمعتَ شتيتَ المجدِ بعدَ افتراقهِ

وفرقّتَ جمعَ المالِ فانهالَ كاثِبُه

You united the dispersed glories after being separated,

And distributed the collected money so it poured to you.

وأغنيتَ حتى ليس في الأرضِ معدمٌ

يجورُ عليه دهرُه ويحارِبُه

You enriched until no needy one remains on earth

Whose fortunes and life fight against him.

ألا يا أميرَ المؤمنينَ ومن غَدت

على كاهلِ الجوزاءِ تعلو مراتبُه

O Prince of the Believers, you whose ranks

Rise above the Giant Star constellation.

ومن جدُّهُ عمُّ النبيِّ وخِدنُهُ

اذا صارمتهُ أهلهُ وأقاربُه

And whose grandfather was the Prophet’s uncle and intimate friend,

When his family and relatives antagonized him.

أيحسنُ في شرعِ المعالي ودينِها

وأنتَ الذي تُعزى اليه مذاهِبُه

How can the commandments of glories and religion be good

While you are the one to whom its doctrines are attributed?

وأنت الذي يعني حبيبٌ بقولهِ

ألا هكذا فليكسبِ الحمدَ كاسِبُه

And you are the one Habib means in his words:

“So win praise in this way, its earner.”

بأنِّي أخوضُ الدوَّ والدوُّ مقفرٌ

سباريتُه مغبرَّةٌ وسباسِبُه

That I plunge into destruction and destruction is barren,

Its horses covered with dust and dirt.

وأرتكبُ الهولَ المخوفَ مخاطراً

بنفسي ولا أعيا بما أنا راكِبُه

And I undertake fearful adventures, risking

Myself without tiring of what I ride.

وقد رصدَ الأعداءُ لي كلُّ مرصدٍ

فكلُّهمُ نحوي تدُبَّ عقاربُه

The enemies lie waiting for me in every ambush.

All of them crept towards me, their snakes twisted.

وآتيكَ والعضبُ المهنَّدُ مُصلت

طريرٌ شباهُ قانياتٌ ذوائبُه

And I come to you while the unsheathed sword is sharpened,

Its blade as white as mirrors.

وأُنزِلُ آمالي ببابِكَ راجياً

فواضلَ جاهٍ يبهرُ النَّجمَ ثاقبُه

And I unload my hopes at your door, hoping

For the intercession of glory that dazzles the shining star.

فتقبلُ منّي عبدَ رقٍّ فيفتدي

له الدهر عبداً طائعاً لا يغالبُه

So accept from me a slave of humility and he will be ransomed

As an obedient slave whom destiny will not fight.

وتُنعِمُ في حقي بما انت أهلهُ

وتُعلي محلّي فالسُّها لا يقاربُه

And favor me with what you are worthy of

And raise my position so none can rival it.

وتُلبسني مِن نسجِ ظلّكَ ملبساً

يُشرِّفُ قدرَ النيِّرينِ جلاببُه

And clothe me in the fabric of your shade a garment

That brings prestige to the status of the luminous.

وتُركبني نُعمى أياديكَ مركباً

على الفلكِ الأعلى تسيرُ مواكِبه

And mount me on the carriage of your favors,

Riding the highest sphere with its entourage.

وتسمحُ لي بالمالِ والجاهُ بُغيتي

وما الجاهُ الا بعضُ ما أنتَ واهِبُه

And allow me wealth and glory I desire

And glory is but some of what you grant.

ويأتيكَ غيري مِن بلادٍ قريبةٍ

له الأمنُ فيها صاحبٌ لا يجانِبُه

And others come to you from nearby lands

Where security dwells, and no companion leaves them.

وما اغبرَّ مِن جوبِ الفلا حُرُّ وجههِ

ولا أُنضيت بالسيرِ فيها ركائبُه

Not worn out were their bright faces from traveling through the deserts

Nor were their carriages covered with dust from journeying.

فيلقى دنوّاً منكَ لم ألقَ مثلهُ

ويحظى ولا أحظى بما أنا طالبُه

They gain nearness from you I did not attain

And intimacy I do not have though I request it.

وينظرُ مِن لألاءِ قدسِك نظرة

فيرجعُ والنُّورُ الاماميُّ صاحِبُه

They look from the splendor of your sanctity a look

Then return while the guiding Imamic light accompanies them.

ولو كانَ يعلوني بنفسٍ ورتبةٍ

وصدقِ ولاءٍ لستُ فيه أُصاقبُه

Even if they know I equal them in self and position,

Loyalty and devotion, I do not rival them.

لكنتُ أُسَلّي النفسَ عمّا ترومهُ

وكنتُ أذودُ العينَ عمّا تراقبُه

I would distract myself from what it seeks

And prevent my eyes from what they observe.

ولكنّه مثلي ولو قلتُ انَّني

أزيدُ عليه لم يعِب ذاكَ عائبُه

But he is like me, and even if I say I exceed him,

That would not shame his critic.

وما أنا ممن يملأ المالُ عينهُ

ولا بسوى التقريبِ تُقضى مآرِبُه

I am not one whose eyes are filled with money,

Nor will wishes be fulfilled except by getting near you.

ولا بالذي يُرضيهِ دونَ نظيرِه

ولو أُنعِلت بالنيِّراتِ مراكِبُه

I am not pleased with less than my peer,

Even if his carriages were shod with brilliants.

وبي ظمأٌ رؤياكَ منهلُ ريِّهِ

ولا غرو أن تصفو لوردي مشارِبُه

I am thirsty for seeing you, the spring of my contentment,

And it is no wonder that my sweet water is clear.

ومشن عجبٍ أنّي لدى البحرِ واقفٌ

وأشكو الظّما والبحرُ جمٌّ عجائِبُه

It is no strange matter that I stand at the sea

Complaining of thirst while the sea is full of wonders.

وغيرُ ملومٍ من يؤمُّكَ قاصداً

اذا عظُمت أغراضُه ومطالبُه

One who hopes to gain your favor is not blamed

If his purposes and requests are great.

وقد رُضتُ مقصودي فتمّت صدورُه

ومنك أُرجِّي أن تتمَّ عواقبُه

I am pleased with my intention so its appearance is complete,

And I hope from you its consequences will be perfected.