شُغلانِ مِن عَذلِ وَمِن تَفنيدِ
وَرَسيسِ حُبٍّ طارِفٍ وَتَليدِ
Lovelorn young men in the throes of longing and languishing,
Smitten by ardent love and consumed by yearning,
وَأَما وَأَرآمِ الظِباءِ لَقَد نَأَت
بِهَواكَ أَرآمُ الظِباءِ الغيدِ
As for the white gazelles, your love has made
The white gazelles waste away in agony.
طالَعنَ غَوراً مِن تِهامَةَ وَاِعتَلى
عَنهُنَّ رَملا عالِجٍ وَزَرودِ
They ascended the slopes of Tihama then climbed
The sand dunes of ‘Alīj, rugged and rocky terrain,
لَمّا مَشَينَ بِذي الأَراكِ تَشابَهَت
أَعطافُ قُضبانٍ بِهِ وَقُدودِ
When they walked by Dhī Al-’Arāk, they swayed gently
Like slender twigs bent by the breeze.
في حُلَّتي حِبرٍ وَرَوضٍ فَاِلتَقى
وَشيانِ وَشيُ رُباً وَوَشيُ بُرودِ
In their dresses of ink and meadows they met;
A she-camel mingled with a stallion camel in rut.
وَسَفَرنَ فَاِمتَلَأَت عُيونٌ راقَها
وَردانِ وَردُ جَناً وَوَردُ خُدودِ
When they set out their eyes brimmed over
With dewdrops and rose gardens and rosy cheeks.
وَضَحِكنَ فَاغتَرَفَ الأَقاحي مِن نَدىً
غَضٍّ وَسَلسالِ الرِضابِ بَرودِ
They laughed and the goblets sipped the dew
Of their soft lips and pearl necklaces so cool.
نَرجو مُقارَبَةَ الحَبيبِ وَدونُهُ
وَخدٌ يُبَرِّحُ بِالمَهارى القودِ
We long to be near the beloved, though his cheek
Would slay the enamored with its deadly sparks.
وَمَتى يُساعِدُنا الوِصالُ وَدَهرُنا
يَومانِ يَومُ نَوىً وَيَومُ صُدودِ
When will union assist us when our days are
A day of intent and a day blocked by refusal?
طَلَبَت أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ رِكابُنا
مِن مَنزَعٍ لِلطالِبينَ بَعيدِ
We sought the Commander of the Faithful though his threshold
Is far for seekers to attain.
فَالخِمسُ بَعدَ الخِمسِ يَذهَبُ عِرضُهُ
في سَيرِها وَالبيدُ بَعدَ البيدِ
Loss after loss wears away its honor
As it travels on while ruin after ruin comes to pass.
نَجلو بِغُرَّتِهِ الدُجى فَكَأَنَّنا
نَسري بِبَدرٍ في الدَآدي السودِ
By his veil he cloaked the darkness so it was as if
We were travelling by the full moon in the black valleys.
حَتّى وَرَدنا بَحرَهُ فَتَقَطَّعَت
غُلَلُ الظَما عَن بَحرِهِ المَورودِ
Until we arrived at his sea and the shackles of gloom
Were severed from his abundant, flowing sea.
في حَيثِ يَعتَصِرُ النَدى مِن عودِهِ
وَيُرى مَكانُ السُؤدُدِ المَنشودِ
Where the sap is pressed from his fragrant wood
And the place of the beloved goal is visible.
عَجِلٌ إِلى نُجحِ الفَعالِ كَأَنَّما
يُمسي عَلى وِترٍ مِنَ المَوعودِ
Swift to accomplish the deed as if
He will fulfil his promise this very eve.
يَعلو بِقَدرٍ في القُلوبِ مُعَظَّمِ
أَبَداً وَعِزٍّ في النُفوسِ جَديدِ
He is eternally exalted in hearts and renewed glory
In souls forever dignified.
في هَضبَةِ الإِسلامِ حَيثُ تَكامَلَت
أَنصارُهُ مِن عُدَّةٍ وَعَديدِ
On the plateau of Islam where his supporters united
From all tribes and clans.
مُتَرادِفينَ عَلى سُرادِقِ أَغلَبٍ
تَعنو لَهُ نَظَرُ المُلوكِ الصيدِ
Crowding his pavilion, their eyes fixed
On the king of hunters.
جَوٌّ إِذا رُكِزَ القَنا في أَرضِهِ
أَيقَنتَ أَنَّ الغابَ غابُ أُسودِ
An atmosphere, when the spear is fixed in its earth,
You know the jungle is a black lion.
وَإِذا السِلاحُ أَضاءَ فيهِ حَسِبتَهُ
بَرّاً تَأَلَّقَ فيهِ بَحرُ حَديدِ
And when the swords shine bright in it you’d think it
A land whose sea is raging with steel.
وَمُدَرَّبينَ عَلى اللِقاءَ يَشُفُّهُم
شَوقٌ إِلى يَومِ الوَغى المَوعودِ
His trained warriors are consumed with longing
For the day of battle promised to come.
لَحِقَت خُطاهُ الخالِعينَ وَأَثقَبَت
عَزَماتُهُ في الصَخرَةِ الصَيخودِ
His steps overtook those who rebelled and his resolve
Pierced the flinty boulders.
وَرَمى سَوادَ الأَرمَنينَ وَقَد عَدا
في عُقرِ دارِهِمِ قُدارُ ثَمودِ
He attacked the darkness of the Armenians after he raided
The settlements of Thamūd in their homeland.
فَغَدَوا حَصيداً لِلسُيوفِ تَكُبُّهُم
أَطرافُهُنَّ وَقائِماً كَحَصيدِ
So they became prey for the swords that harvest them
With their blades while they stand like the harvested crop.
أَحيا الخَليفَةُ جَعفَرٌ بِفَعالِهِ
أَفعالَ آباءٍ لَهُ وَجُدودِ
Ja‘far revived through his actions the deeds
Of ancestors of his, men of merit.
تَتَكَشَّفُ الأَيّامُ مِن أَخلاقِهِ
عَن هَديِ مَهدِيٍّ وَرُشدِ رَشيدِ
Through his character time reveals
The guidance of Mahdī and wisdom of the rightly guided.
وَلَهُ وَراءَ المُذنِبينَ وَدونَهُم
عَفوٌ كَظِلِّ المُزنَةِ المَمدودِ
Behind and before the sinful he has
Forgiveness like the shade of the outstretched tent
وَأَناةُ مُقتَدِرٍ تُكَفكِفُ بَأسَهُ
وَقَفاتُ حِلمٍ عِندَهُ مَوجودِ
And the forbearance of the Almighty that curbs his might
And the patience found with him and present.
أَمسَكنَ مِن رَمَقِ الجَريحِ وَرُمنَ أَن
يُحيينَ مِن نَفسِ القَتيلِ المودي
He withheld the dying breath and refused
To revive the soul of his slain enemy.
حاطَ الرَعِيَّةَ حينَ ناطَ أُمورُها
بِثَلاثَةٍ بَكَروا وُلاةَ عُهودِ
He protected the flock when he appointed as heirs
Three faultless leaders.
قُدّامَهُم نورُ النَبِيِّ وَخَلفَهُم
هَديُ الإِمامِ القائِمِ المَحمودِ
Before them the light of the Prophet, behind them
The guidance of the rightly guided Imam.
لَن يَجهَلَ الساري المَحَجَّةَ بَعدَ ما
رُفِعَت لَنا مِنهُم بُدورُ سُعودُ
None who brandish the standard will remain ignorant
Now that their brilliant constellations have risen for us.
كانوا أَحَقَّ بِعَقدِ بَيعَتِها ضُحاً
وَبِنَظمِ لُؤلُؤِ تاجِها المَعقودِ
They were most deserving to be bound by its pledge openly
And to string the pearls of its crown, well-knotted.
عُرِفوا بِسيماها فَلَيسَ لِمُدَّعٍ
مِن غَيرِهِم فيها سِوى الجُلمودِ
They were recognized by its mark so none but them
Can lay claim to it, the rest merely pretend.
فَنِيَت أَحاديثُ النُفوسِ بِذِكرِها
وَأَفاقَ كُلُّ مُنافِسٍ وَحَسودِ
Talk of rivals faded away with mention of them
And every jealous opponent was humbled.
وَاليَأسُ إِحدى الراحَتَينِ وَلَن تَرى
تَعَباً كَظَنِّ الخائِبِ المَكدودِ
Despair is a kind of rest—you will never see
Toil like the notion of the despairing disappointed one.
فَاِسلَم أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَلا تَزَل
مُستَعلِياً بِالنَصرِ وَالتَأَييدِ
So submit to the Commander of the Faithful and may you remain
Ever victorious and supported!
نَعتَدُّ عِزَّكَ عِزَّ دينِ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَنَرى بَقاءَكَ مِن بَقاءِ الجودِ
We see your power as the might of Muhammad’s religion
And we consider your existence an essence of generosity.
