صَحا بَعدَ جَهلٍ فَاِستَراحَت عَواذِلُه

وَأَقصَرنَ عَنهُ حينَ أَقصَرَ باطِلُه

He awoke after ignorance, so his transgressions found rest,

And they shrank from him when his falsehood was diminished.

وَقالَ الغَواني قَد تَوَلّى شَبابُهُ

وَبُدِّلَ شَيبا بِالخِضابِ يُقاتِلُه

And the lovesick one said, his youth had passed away,

And gray hair was replaced with dye fighting against it,

يُقاتِلُهُ كَيما يَحولَ خِضابُهُ

وَهيهاتَ لا يَخفى عَلى اللَحظِ ناصِلُه

Fighting against it so that his dye would conceal it.

Alas! The telltale signs cannot be hidden from keen eyes.

وَمَن مُدَّ في أَيّامِهِ فَتَأَخَّرَت

مَنِيَّتُهُ فَالشَيبُ لا شَكَّ شامِلُه

He whose days were prolonged, so his demise was delayed,

Undoubtedly, gray hair will encompass him.

إِلَيكَ قَصَرنا النِصفَ مِن صَلَواتِنا

مَسيرَةَ شَهرٍ بَعدَ شَهرٍ نُواصِلُه

For you, we shortened half of our prayers,

Traveling the distance of a month after a month to reach you.

فَلا نَحنُ نَخشى أَن يَخيبَ رَجاؤُنا

إِلَيكَ وَلكِن أَهنأُ الخَيرِ عاجِلُه

We do not fear our hopes in you will be dashed,

But the best of goodness is to hasten to attain it.

هُوَ المَرءُ أَمّا دينُهُ فَهوَ ما نِعٌ

صَئونٌ وَأَمّا مالَهُ فَهوَ باذِلُه

The man himself, his religion is submissive obedience,

And his money is spending it.

أَمَرَّ وَأَحلى ما بَلا الناسُ طَعمَهُ

عِقاب أَمير المُؤمِنينَ وَنائِلُه

The most bitter and sweetest taste people have savored

Is the punishment of the Commander of the Faithful and its obtainment.

أَبِيٌّ لِما يَأبي ذَوو الحَزمِ وَالتُقى

فَعولٌ إِذا ما جَدَّ بِالأَمرِ فاعِلُه

He is averse to what the wise and pious dislike,

Decisive when ordered to act.

تَروكُ الهَوى لا السُخطُ مِنهُ وَلا الرِضا

لَدى مَوطِنٍ إِلّا عَلى الحَقِّ حامِلُه

Passion does not make him angry or content

In any abode except carrying the truth.

يَرى أَنَّ مُرَّ الحَقِّ أَحلى مَغَبَّةً

وَأَنجى وَلَو كانَت زُعافاً مَناهِلُه

He sees the bitterness of truth is sweeter

And safer even if its springs are turbulent.

صَحيحُ الضَمريِ سِرُّهُ مِثلُ جُرِهِ

قِياسَ الشِراكِ بِالشِراكِ تُقابِلُه

Sincere in conscience, his secret is like his candor,

Measuring shackle with shackle it counters.

فَإِنَّ طَليقَ اللَهِ مَن هُوَ مُطلِقٌ

وَإِنَّ قَتيلَ اللَهِ مَن هُوَ قاتِلُه

Indeed, whoever Allah releases is free,

And whoever Allah slays, he is his killer.

كَأَنَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّداً

أَبو جَعفَرٍ في كُلِّ أَمرٍ يُحاوِلُه

As if the Commander of the Faithful Muhammad

Is Abu Ja’far in everything he undertakes.

كَفاكُم بِعَبّاس أَبي الفَضلِ والداً

فَما مِن أَبٍ إِلّا أَبو الفَضلِ فاضِلُه

Enough of you is Al-’Abbas Abu Al-Fadl as a father,

For no father is excellent but Abu Al-Fadl is more virtuous.