تَفَرَّدتَ بِالمَجدِ دونَ الأُمَم

وَحُزتَ مِنَ العَزمِ ما لَم يُرَم

You have excelled in glory over other nations,

And harvested resolve that none had envisioned to reap.

فَما لِحَديثٍ أَتى في العُلا

حَديثٌ وَلا لِقَديمٍ قَدَم

So neither a new tale that came in eminence,

Nor an old precedent in age could rival you.

وَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ ثَناءٌ يَسيرُ

وَمَجدٌ يَخُصُّ وَجودٌ يَعُمّ

And each day a meager praise travels,

And a particular glory, and an overflowing munificence.

سَلَكتَ إِلى نَيلِ ما رُمتَهُ

سَبيلاً لِغَيرِكَ لَم يَستَقِم

You have tread the path to your aspired attainment

In a way that would not have lead another straight.

وَقَد أَعجَزَ الناسَ هَذا الصُعودُ

وَما بَلَغَت مُنتَهاها الهِمَم

And this ascent has wearied mankind,

Nor could ambitions reach its apex.

وَلَو لَم يَكُن لَكَ إِلّا الفَعالُ

لَأَغناكَ عَن فَخرِ خالٍ وَعَمّ

And if you had no deeds but your feats

It would suffice you against vaunting an intimate or a stranger.

عَلى أَنَّ مَعشَرَكَ الضارِبو

نَ هَبراً حِيالَ حِيالِ النِعَم

Yet your distinguished band

Set out neck to the bestowments of bounty.

هُمُ القَومُ يَبلُغُ مَولودُهُم

مَدى الحِلمِ قَبلَ بُلوغِ الحُلُم

They are the tribe whose scion reaches

The frontier of wisdom before the advent of maturity.

إِذا خوشِنوا فَبِحارُ الرَدى

وَإِن حوسِنوا فَبِحارُ الكَرَم

Magnanimous when intimate, oceans of benevolence when estranged

And even if they lacked but yourself to pride in

وَلَو لَم يَكُن لَهُمُ مَفخَرٌ

سِواكَ لَقالَ الوَرى حَسبُهُم

Mankind would say their pedigree suffices them

And in the garden of your halcyon days,

وَفي رَوضِ أَيّامِكَ المونِقاتِ

تَنَزَّهَ طَرفُ المُنى فَلتَدُم

The whims of bliss take delight, so may they endure

For time has smiled in wonder at them

فَقَد ضَحِكَ الدَهرُ عُجباً بِها

وَما كانَ مِن قَبلِها يَبتَسِم

And had not done so in what preceded them

You have lit the nights of the people of Syria

أَنَرتَ لَيالِيَ أَهلِ الشَآمِ

وَكانَ نَهارُهُمُ مُدلَهِمّ

While their days were darkened

And whitened with justice the blackened faces

وَبَيَّضتَ بِالعَدلِ سودَ الوُجوهِ

وَسَوَّدتَ بِالأَمنِ بيضَ اللِمَم

And blackened with security the sharp swords.

The grip of your sword refused to relinquish to the knot

أَبى حَلُّ سَيفِكَ عَقدَ العِدى

لِعَقدِ الخِلافَةِ أَن يَنفَصِم

Of caliphate its bond so it may sever

By God! How wondrous is your structure and your forefathers onslaught

فَلِلَّهِ جِدُّكَ ماذا بَنى

وَإِقبالُ جَدِّكَ ماذا هَدَم

And by God! The sword of Ali, so how many

A nose it has filled with disgrace so profound

وَلِلَّهِ سَيفُ عَلِيٍّ فَكَم

أَشَمَّ المَذَلَّةَ أَنفاً أَشَمّ

You have sicced the steeds that roam the desert,

And if you did not hurl at their rule it would not hurl.

لَوَكَّلتَ طَيّاً بِطَيِّ القِفارِ

وَلَو لَم تَرُم مُلكَهُم لَم يُرَم

And you have dispersed them into factions in the lands,

Tell me: was your resolve torrents of hosts?

وَفَرَّقتَهُم فِرَقاً في البِلادِ

فَهَل كانَ عَزمُكَ سَيلَ العَرِم

And if they have associated with Rome in their polytheism

Then they have not been allotted luck from their rule.

فَإِن شَرِكوا الرومَ في شِركِهِم

فَما رُزِقوا الحَظَّ مِن مُلكِهِم

Upon them double the curses than what is upon them

While they possess naught of what they possess.

عَلَيهِم مِنَ اللَعنِ أَضعافُ ما

عَلَيهِم وَلَيسَ لَهُم ما لَهُم

So they must not feel secure of the aid of polytheists

For they have over them what lies in their hands

فَلا يَأمَنوا نُصرَةَ المُشرِكينَ

فَعِندَهُمُ فَوقَ ما عِندَهُم

I marvel at one routed taking refuge

In one routed by the strikes of the routed

عَجِبتُ لِمُنهَزِمٍ عائِذٍ

بِمُنهَزِمٍ مِن يَدَي مُنهَزِم

And from a Muslim who betrayed his Islam

And shows openly to paganism the mocking of restrictions.

وَمِن مُسلِمٍ خانَ إِسلامَهُ

وَيُظهِرُ لِلشِركِ رَعيَ الذِمَم

They have plainly lacked insight and so sought aid

From those defeated when relied upon for victory

لَقَد عَدِموا الرَأيَ فَاِستَنصَروا

طَرائِدَ مَن ذَلَّ في نَصرِهِم

So, Byzantine tribes have not been apprised

While the Qahtānīs are who they betrayed

فَهَب آلَ يونانَ لَم يُخبَروا

فَأَبناءُ قَحطانَ مَن غَرَّهُم

Ignorance in the ignorant is not as ugly

As ignorance is in who is learned

وَما يَقبُحُ الجَهلُ مِن جاهِلٍ

كَما يَقبُحُ الجَهلُ مِمَّن عَلِم

And their disregard made them trespass and tempted them their luck

So restore their land under the troops of the Imām

وَقَد أَطمَعَ القَومَ إِهمالُهُم

فَعاثوا وَأَغراهُمُ حَينُهُم

To erase what al-Mu‘taṣim has perpetrated

And make comfortable with Caesarea fair allotment

فَرُد أَرضَهُم في جُيوشِ الإِمامِ

لِتُنسِيَ ما فَعَلَ المُعتَصِم

In its wilderness, evil be their abode

For long they have descended upon infertile land

وَوَفِّر بِقَسطونَ قِسطَ النُزولِ

بِصَحرائِها فَالمُسيؤونَ هُم

So you have made their settlements ablaze with infertility,

Heading behind the roads

فَقَد طالَما نَزَلوا بِالرَقيمِ

فَصَبَّحتَ أَحياءَهُم بِالرَقِم

To join the disgraced, disgraced band

So the brownness of spears complained of obscurity

وَيَمِّم بِها مِن وَراءِ الدُروبِ

لِيَلحَقَ بِالمُستَذِمَّ المُذِمّ

And the whiteness of swords complained of hot ashes

Those are their drinks in the chests

فَسُمرُ الرِماحِ تَشَكّى الظَما

وَبيضُ الصِفاحِ تَشَكّى القَرَم

And these are their foods on the tops of peaks

And they said: the two formidable foes have desired meeting

فَتِلكَ مَشارِبُها في الصُدورِ

وَهَذي مَطاعِمُها في القِمَم

And promised war, or so the rumor goes

So I said: his vaunting will fell him prone

وَقالوا بَغى القُطَّبانُ اللِقاءَ

وَأَوعَدَ بِالحَربِ فيما زَعَم

Just as it felled Ṣāliḥ struck byUO

And a promise revealed in who informed him

فَقُلتُ سَيَصرَعُهُ بَغيُهُ

كَذاكَ بَغى صالِحٌ فَاِختُرِم

Like the scent of northern wind made evident to one sensing

As for the eunuch, what fight, and what meeting?

وَعيدٌ تَبَيَّنَ فيمَن أَتاهُ

كَتَبيِينِ ريحِ الصَبا في إِضَم

And how would real men battle the cowardly lot?

While you have killed the bravest of them

وَما لِلخَصِيِّ وَما لِلِّقاءِ

وَكَيفَ تُلاقي الرِجالَ الحُرَم

So what does the most abased of servants assume?

Neither you waxing bold nor their driving

وَأَنتَ قَتَلتَ أَعَزَّ الفُحولِ

فَما ذا يَظُنُّ أَذَلُّ الخَدَم

Has dismayed those cattle: the clumsy creatures

Are they partisans of the religion of the best of mankind

وَلا وَاِعتِزامِكَ لا رُوِّعَت

بِتِلكَ البَهائِمِ هَذي البُهَم

Pleased to have the truth compromised?

Lo, the ordain what the religion of guidance necessitates

أَأَنصارَ مِلَّةِ خَيرِ الوَرى

أَتَرضَونَ لِلحَقِّ أَن يُهتَضَم

So your Lord would fulfill His promise!

For this is the path to the eternal Garden

أَلا فَاِقتَضوا دَينَ دينِ الهُدى

لِيُنجِزَ رَبُّكُمُ وَعدَكُم

So one who strays from it will have cause for regret

Now it is time for the truth to be regained

فَهَذي الطَريقُ إِلى جَنَّةِ ال

خُلودِ فَمَن حادَ عَنها نَدِم

As it was time for the disease to have its knot cut

So stand the Imām of guidance with an ordeal

وَقَد آنَ لِلحَقِّ أَن يُستَرَدَّ

كَما آنَ لِلداءِ أَن يَنحَسِم

As expected from the like of yourselves

That you may come to your God in the return

فَأَبلوا أَمامَ إِمامِ الهُدى

بَلاءً يُؤَمَّلُ مِن مِثلِكُم

With deed rather than lineage

Spend yourselves! For dignity lies solely

لِتَأتوا إِلَهَكُمُ في المَعادِ

بِأَعمالِكُم دونَ أَنسابِكُم

In the withered wood so it may be kindled

And why would a group fear demise

وَجودوا بِأَنفُسِكُم إِنَّما

يُصانُ الوَشيجُ لِكَي يَنحَطِم

When safety lies in their wounds?

The steeds must be led by their bridles

وَكَيفَ يَخافُ الرَدى مَعشَرٌ

إِذا عَطَبَ المَرءُ مِنهُم سَلِم

Stout, keen ones helped by resoluteness

Predators beyond long travels

فَلا بُدَّ مِن قَودِها شُزَّباً

طِوالٌ أَعِنَّتُها وَالحُزُم

That wrestle the formidable lion

So all fugitives are grasped by them

جَوامِحُ مِن بَعدِ طولِ السُرى

تُجاذِبُ أُسدَ اللِقاءِ اللُجُم

And all distant ones they yearn to reach

As if I envision them beyond the Gulf

فَكُلُّ طَريدٍ بِها مُدرَكٌ

وَكُلُّ بَعيدٍ عَلَيها أَمَم

Swooping to victory before the conqueror

And the sword of the Imām has met

كَأَنّي بِها مِن وَراءِ الخَليجِ

أَمامَ المُظَفَّرِ تَهوي زِيَم

The sea with surging destruction in its waves

And it swarmed the land so the fearful routed

وَقَد قابَلَ البَحرَ سَيفُ الإِمامِ

بِبَحرِ رَدىً مَوجُهُ مُرتَطِم

No longer had room, terrified, defeated band

So no plain except with mountains across

وَقَد غَصَّ بِالجَيشِ ذاكَ الفَضا

فَضاقَ عَلى الخائِفِ المُنهَزِم

No banner without banners unfurling about

His kingdom he will gift you out of duress

فَما وَهدَةٌ ما بِها صَعدَةٌ

وَلا عَلَمٌ ما عَلَيهِ عَلَم

Not of nobility against such disgrace

It has been etched for you in Preserved Tablet

سَيُعطيكَ مَلكُهُمُ مُلكَهُ

وَعن ذِلَّةٍ ذاكَ لا عَن كَرَم

That no dear soul shall be too dear for you

And the edges of swords have arbitrated you

جَرى لَكَ في اللَوحِ أَلّا عَزيزَ

يَعِزُّ عَلَيكَ وَجَفَّ القَلَم

Ruler over all dignified so seek judgment!

Your fire refused to be lit against its ferocity

وَقَد حَكَّمَتكَ شِفارُ السُيوفِ

عَلى كُلِّ ذي عِزَّةٍ فَاِحتَكِم

And your neighbor refused to be compromised

And you have taken upon yourself the duty of fending enemies

أَبَيتَ فَنارُكَ لا يُصطَلى

لَظاها وَجارُكَ لا يُهتَضَم

So your rising has relieved those who have not risen

The Byzantines must not suppose you to have slumbered

وَقُمتَ بِفَرضِ جِهادِ العَدُوِّ

فَأَغنى قِيامُكَ مَن لَم يَقُم

For ever since the Most High alerted you, you have not slept

Iron-clad resolutions that blaze a path like the ṭuwayyā

فَلا تَحسَبِ الرومُ أَن قَد رَقَدتَ

فَمُذ نَبَّهَتكَ العُلى لَم تَنَم

And peak above every heavenly orb

Among them comets that reveal the foe

عَزائِمُ تَمضي مَضاءَ الظُبى

وَتُربي عَلى كُلِّ نَجمٍ نَجَم

And among them lamps that illuminate the darkness

And which loyalist by them has not been guided?

فَمِنها فَوادِحُ تُجلي العِدى

وَمِنها مَصابِحُ تَجلو الظُلَم

And which enemy by them has not been stoned?

I soften before you the steeds of attainment

فَأَيُّ وَلِيٍّ بِها ما اِهتَدى

وَأَيُّ عَدُوٍّ بِها ما رُجِم

And will Zuḥayr transcend decrepitude?

You have secured me elevation beyond elevation

أَنَختُ لَدَيكَ مَطايا المُنى

وَهَل يَتَعَدّى زُهَيرٌ هَرِم

And you have provided me attainment without attainment

And if this feast had beholders

فَأَمَّنتِني بِالعُلُوِّ الغُلُوَّ

وَأَعدَمتَني بِالنَوالِ العَدَم

They would have lived by the lights of this marks

So may you continue to bid farewell to times past

وَلَو كانَ ذا العيدُ ذا ناظِرٍ

لَأَعشَتهُ أَنوارُ هَذي الشِيَم

And receive forthcoming times afresh

We do not dread the injustice of adversities

فَدُمتَ تُوَدِّعُهُ ما مَضى

وَتَلقاهُ مُستَقبِلاً ما قَدِم

And your justice returns upon who does injustice

When terror befalls us

فَلَسنا نُراعُ لِظُلمِ الخُطوبِ

وَعَدلُكَ عادٍ عَلى مَن ظَلَم

You are replete with dispelling the ominous

So Allah has secured us in you from fear

إِذا ما أَلَمَّ بِنا ما يَهولُ

فَأَنتَ المَليءُ بِدَفعِ المُلِمّ

And inspired us to thank for these blessings

فَأَمَّنَنا اللَهُ فيكَ المَخوفَ

وَأَلهَمَنا شُكرَ هَذي النِعَم