الناسُ ما لَم يَرَوكَ أَشباهُ

وَالدَهرُ لَفظٌ وَأَنتَ مَعناهُ

People are mere phantoms until they look upon you,

And Time is but a word, while you are its meaning.

وَالجودُ عَينٌ وَأَنتَ ناظِرُها

وَالبَأسُ باعٌ وَأَنتَ يُمناهُ

Generosity is an eye, and you are its vision,

And Might is an outstretched arm, with you as its right hand.

أَفدي الَّذي كُلُّ مَأزِقٍ حَرِجٍ

أَغبَرَ فُرسانُهُ تَحاماهُ

I ransom him whom every tight, critical strait—

Dusty from battle, and shunned by other knights—he dares to face.

أَعلى قَناةِ الحُسَينِ أَوسَطُها

فيهِ وَأَعلى الكَمِيَّ رِجلاهُ

The highest point of al-Husayn's spear becomes its middle,

Buried in the foe, whose feet become his highest point.

تُنشِدُ أَثوابُنا مَدائِحُهُ

بِأَلسُنٍ مالَهُنَّ أَفواهُ

Our very garments recite his eulogies,

With tongues that possess no mouths.

إِذا مَرَرنا عَلى الأَصَمِّ بِها

أَغنَتهُ عَن مِسمَعَيهِ عَيناهُ

If we passed by a deaf man wearing them,

His eyes would suffice him in place of his ears.

سُبحانَ مَن خارَ لِلكَواكِبِ بِالـ

ـبُعدِ وَلَو نِلنَ كُنَّ جَدواهُ

Glory to Him who chose distance for the stars,

For had they been reachable, they would be his gift.

لَو كانَ ضَوءُ الشُموسِ في يَدِهِ

لَصاعَهُ جودُهُ وَأَفناهُ

If the light of the suns were held within his hand,

His generosity would scatter it until it was gone.

يا راحِلاً كُلُّ مَن يُوَدِّعُهُ

مُوَدِّعٌ دينَهُ وَدُنياهُ

O departing one, anyone who bids him farewell,

Is bidding farewell to his religion and his world.

إِن كانَ فيما نَراهُ مِن كَرَمٍ

فيكَ مَزيدٌ فَزادَكَ اللَهُ

If there is, in the nobility we witness in you,

Room for increase, then may God increase you.