الشَيبُ يَنشُرُ عُمراً ثُمَّ يَطويهِ

وَالدَهرُ يُبعِدُ هَمّاً ثُمَّ يُدنيهِ

Old age spreads out a lifetime then folds it up,

And time makes a worry distant then draws it near.

وَصاحِبُ العُمرِ لم تفرَق مَفارقُه

من البَياضِ وَاِن لَجَّت عَواديه

My lifetime's companion - his leave-taking cannot be avoided

By my white hair, though its occasions have pressed hard.

لي أَربعونَ تَمَلَّيتُ الاشدَّ بها

وَلي اِثنَتانِ حَليفٌ لا أُواليه

I have had forty years wherein I was the firmest companion,

And I have had two others as allies - I cannot do without them.

وَلَم أَعجّ بِأَقراني اِذا شَهدوا

بَياضَ شعري وَأَشكُ من تعدّيه

I am not surprised that my peers bear witness

To my white hair, though I doubt its advancing.

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ اِذ كانَ المَشيبُ عَلى الت

تَوحيدِ وَالعَدلِ لا جَبرٍ وَتشبيه

Thanks be to God that white hair comes

To one devoted to Unity and Justice, not Determinism or Anthropomorphism.

وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ اِذ كانَ المَشيبُ عَلى

دينِ التَشيُّعِ لا دينٍ يُنافيهِ

Thanks be to God that white hair comes

To the religion of Shi'ism, no other religion opposes it.

وَلا أُفَضِّلُ إِلّا مَن تَفضِّلُهُ

أَفعالُهُ وَتَزكّيهِ مَساعيه

I prefer only him whom his deeds prefer

And his efforts purify and sustain him.

مَن كَالوَصِيِّ عَلِيٍّ عِندَ سابِقَةٍ

وَالقَومُ ما بَينَ تَضليلٍ وَتَسفيه

One like the successor 'Ali, present at any raid

While the people waver between going astray and foolishness.

مَن كَالوَصِيِّ عَلِيٍّ عِندَ ملحمةٍ

وَالسَيفُ يَأخُذُ مَن يَهوى وَيُعطيه

One like the successor 'Ali, when battle was joined

While the sword struck whom it would, according him the merit.

مَن كَالوَصِيِّ عَليٍّ عِندَ مُشكِلَةٍ

وَعلمُهُ البَحرُ قَد فاضَت نَواحيهِ

One like the successor 'Ali, when a problem was obscure,

While his knowledge was an overflowing sea on every side.

مَن كَالوَصِيِّ عَليّ عِند مخمَصةٍ

قَد جادَ بِالقوتِ ايثاراً لعافيهِ

One like the successor 'Ali, when all shifts were exhausted

Who was generous with sustenance, preferring others to himself

فَما يُحاذِرُ من جوعٍ وَلا عطشٍ

وَاللَهُ يُشبِعُه وَاللَهُ يَرويه

So he had no fear of hunger or thirst,

While God would sate him, and God would water him.

بابُ المَدينَة لا تَبغوا بِهِ بَدَلاً

لِتَدخُلوها وَخلّوا جانِبَ التيهِ

The gate to the City - do not seek with it a substitute

To enter by, and leave free the side of error.

كَفو البتول وَلا كفو سواهُ لَها

وَالأَمر يَكشِفُهُ أَمرٌ يُوازيهِ

Equal to the virgin daughter and no equal to her but she

While the matter reveals the thing that would rival it.

يا يَومَ بَدرٍ تجشَّم ذكرَ موقِفِهِ

فَاللَوحُ يَحفَظُهُ وَالوَحيُ يُمليهِ

O day of Badr, the mention of its stand remains preserved

So the Tablet preserves it, and Revelation dictates it!

وَأَنتَ يا أُحدُ قُل ما في الوَرى أَحدٌ

يَطيقُ جحداً لما قد قُلتُهُ فيهِ

And You, O Uhud, say: is there anyone in the world

Who can disbelieve what I have said concerning it?

بَراءَةُ اِسترسلي لِلقَولِ وَاِنبَسطي

فَقَد لبستِ جمالاً من تَوَلّيه

Fair one, flow freely speaking

For you are clothed in a beauty turned entirely towards us.

وَان رجعتُ إِلى يومِ الغَديرِ وَكم

من مَفخرٍ فيهِ أَحكيهِ وَأَرويهِ

And if I return to the day of Ghadir, how much

Is there of glory and pride I relate and transmit!

وَكانَ هارونَ موسى لو تَبَيَّنَهُ

مَن قد غَدا النَصب دون الرشد يَعميه

Had Aaron seen that he whom rancour struck blind below discernment

Would be made successor, it would have astonished him.

وَلو كتبتُ الَّذي حازَ الوَصِيُّ لما

كانَ البساطُ بِساطُ الأَرضِ يَكفيهِ

If I wrote all the successor attained,

The expanse of the earth would not encompass it.

لكِنَّني بِيَسيرِ القَولِ أَنظُمُهُ

أُسِرُّ مَن سُرَّ قَومي من تَوِلّيهِ

But I briefly compose it in verses -

I have a secret from those of my people who support him.

كَما بَلَعني بَني حربٍ وَاسرتهم

أُشجي وَأُرغمُ مَن أَضحى يُعاديهِ

Just as the clan of Harb in their entirety were accursed by me

And I oppose whoever opposes him.

يا سَيدي يا أَمير المُؤمِنين لَقَد

عَلِقتُ مِنكَ بِحَبلٍ لا أُخَلّيه

My master, Commander of the Faithful, verily

I cling to the rope of your alliance; I do not loose it.

أَصبحتَ مَولايَ لا أَبغي بِها بَدلا

أُهدي لهُ المَدح مَدحاً فازَ مُهديه

You have become my master; I desire no substitute.

To you I direct praise, praise which its purpose attains.

وَاللَهُ ما خِفتُ من خَطبٍ وَلا أَملٍ

مُعَلَّقٍ بِكَ لم تَحصُل مَراميه

By God, I have no fear of overweening fortune

Or expectation dependent on you which does not gain its wish.

يا آلَ أَحمدَ لا تَنفَكُّ سائِرَةٌ

فيكُم تُراوِحُ طَبعي أَو تُغاديهِ

O Family of Ahmad, a traveller does not desist

Going round and round you, my nature journeying or taking rest.

تَرومُ شَرقاً وَغَرباً لا وُقوفَ لها

كَأَنَّها قَدَرٌ وَاللَهُ مُجريهِ

It heads East and West, no halting for it,

As if Fate itself, while God is its director!

كَم شاعِرٍ حَرِبت أَشعارُهُ وَكبت

اِبّانَ ما قُلتُ قد سارَت قَوافيهِ

How many poets have I contended with in poetry and subdued

As soon as I said anything its rhymes flowed pleasantly!

مَتى نَظمتُ بِبَيتٍ في مَديحِكُمُ

فَالريحُ تَرفَعُهُ وَالشَمسُ تَرويهِ

Whenever I compose a line in your praise

The wind lifts it up and the sun waters it.

يُقالُ شِعرُ ابنِ عَبّادٍ فَيعبدُهُ

مَن يَطلُبُ الشعرَ يَدري ما مَعانيهِ

People say "the poetry of Ibn 'Abbad," and so he worships

Whoever seeks poetry and knows its meanings.

يا سادَتي من بَني الزَهراء قَد وَرَدت

هذي مَديحَةَ عَبدٍ في مَواليهِ

My masters of the House of Zahra, this eulogy

Has arrived from a slave to his masters.

لَو قالَها بَينَ سُكّانِ الجنانِ غَداً

تَباهَت الحورُ لقطَ الدرِّ من فيهِ

If it were recited tomorrow among the inhabitants of the Gardens

The houris would pride themselves on gathering up its pearls.

يا شَيخَ كوفانَ أَنشَدها مجوَّدَةً

فَحليَةُ الشِعرِ في تَجويدِ راويهِ

O Shaykh of the Two 'Iraqs, recite it slowly

For the adornment of poetry is in the fine style of its reciter.