أما اذا سَلِمَ الاِمامُ الأعْظمُ

وسليلهُ دَقَّ الجليلُ المُعْظَمُ

When the Greatest Imam is safe

And his noble descendant strikes the revered illustrious one

عَزَّ العَزاءُ وهانَ حين بَقِيتُها

فالمجدُ باكٍ طَرْفهُ مُتَبسِّمُ

Solace is difficult when part of it remains

So glory weeps while its eyelid smiles

يُمْهي لنا الحُزْنَ الأليمَ عزاؤهُ

فيكُفُّهُ كوْنُ الخليفةِ يَسْلَمُ

His solace calms our intense sorrow

So the Caliph's survival suffices it

وبقاءُ شمس الصبح حدث سلوةً

فينا اذا بدْرٌ هَوى أو أنْجُمُ

The dawn sun's survival brought some solace

When a full moon or stars fell

للّهِ ثاوٍ في التُّرابِ وطالما

زُهيَ النَّديُّ به وتاهَ المَقْدَمُ

To Allah belongs one who rests in dust, and often

Morning dew was sullied by him, and skulls cracked

ومُطَعَّنٌ بشب الحِمامِ وطَالما

رَوِيَ الحُسامُ بكفِّهِ واللَّهْذمُ

A youth whose hand thrust with swords, and often

The blade was bloodied by it, and skulls smashed

ومُمنَّعُ الأقوالِ يحصرُ بعدما

نطق البليغةَ والفصيحُ مُجمجِمُ

One whose exceptional words were halted, after

The eloquent, articulate skull spoke

كُفَّتْ يداهُ عن النَّدى من بعدما

حسدَ الغمامُ بَنانهُ والخِضْرِمُ

His hands were stopped from giving gifts, after

The clouds envied his fingertips and greenery

ونَبتْ عزائمهُ وكانَ مَضاؤها

في الخطب يرهبهُ الطَّريرُ المِخذم

His resolves sprouted, and their glare

In speeches terrified the squeaking, rumbling camel

وأجَنَّ غَرَّته الثَّرى من بعدما

عادَ الصَّباحَ بها البَهيمُ المُظْلمُ

The soil hid his pride, after

The brutish, gloomy morning returned it

نُهدي الصَّلاةَ له ويكرُ قدْرُه

ومحلُّهُ منْ أن يُقالَ تَرَحُّمُ

We send prayers upon him, though his merit

Cannot be expressed, with condolences

اِنيِّ لنًدَّابٌ أخاً لخليفةٍ

وعن الصميمِ من النِّجار مُترجم

I who console a brother of the Caliph

And who intimately knows the carpenter's son

فاذا اختصرت القول تخصميني العلى

واذا أطَلْتُ مقالتي لا تُسْأمُ

When I summarize my words, the sublime criticizes me

And when I prolong my speech, it does not bore

يبكيك ضِيفانُ الشتاءِ عَشيَّةً

والعامُ مُغْبرُّ المَطالعِ أقْتَمُ

The winter's two guests weep for you at night

And the dusty year, bleary-eyed, is tearful

حيث المَواقدُ من تَعاقب رِهْمةٍ

يقَقٌ ولُوحُ الجوِّ جَوْنٌ أدهم

Where the fires from the smoke's procession

Smoulder, and the air's expanse is dusky

فهناكَ كان نَداكَ غيرَ مُمَنَّعٍ

يُكفى الخميصُ به ويثْري المُعدم

For there was your calling, unrestrained

Sufficient for the meager, and enriching the destitute

يبكيكَ مرعوبُ الفؤادِ تخاذلَتْ

عنه الملوكُ فكلُّ حَيٍّ مُسْلمُ

A terrified, anxious soul cried out for you

While kings abandoned him, and all the living submit

ناداكَ يخْفضُ صوتَه مِن رعبهِ

فعطفْتَ توسِعهُ الحَريمَ وتعْصم

He called you, lowering his voice in fright

So you were kind, securing him and protecting

من بعدما يبكيك أروعُ قانِتٌ

مُسترشدٌ باللّهِ بَرٌّ مُنْعِمُ

After, the finest worshipper weeps for you

Guided by Allah, righteous and gracious

السَّاهرُ اللَّيلَ البَهيمَ مُحاولاً

حِفْظَ الرَّعيةِ والرعيَّةُ نُوَّمُ

Staying awake the brutal night, striving

To protect the commoners while they sleep

والصَّائمُ اليوم الهَجيرِ تَقَّيةً

رْمضاؤهُ منْ لفْحِهِ يَتَضرَّمُ

And fasting the hot day cautiously

His breath from thirst pants and exhales

وهناك أنكَ مِتَّ تحت لوائهِ

حيث الملائكُ ماثِلاتٌ تَخدِمُ

And there you died under his banner

Where angels stand in service

لَهْفي عليه لا بَوادرُ نَصْرهِ

تحْمي الصَّريخَ ولا المكارم تثجمُ

My anguish for him, no glimmers of victory

Protect the cry, nor virtues silence

فثَوى بموحِشةِ الكسور شقاؤها

بسوي نَعيمِ مَعادهِ لا يُنْجِمُ

So he dwelled in the desolation of grief

Despite the bliss of his destination, stars don't shine

في زُمْرةٍ قطعوا الأحِبَّة عَنْوةً

وحَدا ببَيْنهمُ القَضاءُ المُبْرمُ

Amongst a group who forcibly severed loved ones

And destiny separated them decisively

رحلوا على غير الركابِ وعَرَّسوا

مُعرَّسٍ ثاويهِ لا يَتَرمْرَمُ

They journeyed without mounts, and traveled

On a conveyance with prone rider, unmoving

مُتجاورين كأنهمْ لتَهاجُرٍ

مُتباعدونَ فمُنْجدونَ ومُتْهِمُ

As though emigrating, distanced

Scattered, then assembled and blamed

مُنعوا عن الشكوى فلا أبيهُمُ

آبٍ ولا مِنْطيقُهمْ يتكَلَّمُ

Silenced from complaining, so neither their fathers

Nor mothers speak

أغْضوا على جَوْرِ المَنون وطالما

أغْضى للحْظِهمُ الخميسُ المعْلم

They ignored the injustice of fate, and often

The inauspicious ignored their misfortune

وتوسَّدوا عَمِدَ التُّراب ولم يزل

ملْقى نعالهم الدِّمَقْسُ المُعْلَمُ

And they pillowed the pillars of dust, and never

Ceased to be where their slippers tread, known

ركضتْ حُروبُهُمُ لهم فتمنَّعوا

ومَشى الحِمامُ اليهمُ فاستسلموا

Their wars galloped to them, so they resisted

While doves submitted and surrendered to them

من كلِّ أغْلب لو تصوَّر موْتُهُ

في مَنْسرٍ أرْداهُ منهُ تَقَحُّمُ

If one imagined his death in a boudoir

Which he spurned, he would barge in aggressively

ما ينفعُ الأسْوانَ طولُ بُكائهِ

واللّهُ يفْعلُ ما يشاءُ ويحْكمُ

Lengthy weeping does not avail the helpless

While Allah does as He wills, and judges

حُمَّ القضاءُ فالكدَّنيِّ مُمَجَّدٌ

عند المماتِ وكالجَبانِ مُصَمِّمُ

Destiny insisted, so the coward in death

Is honored, and the resolute, determined

يا حامليهِ تكَثَّروا ما اسْطَعْتمُ

فالشِّلْوُ طوْدٌ والفريدُ عرمرمُ

O you who carried him, you were numerous, but dimmed

For the weak are a burden, and the unique aloof

وتوسعوا في الأرض شقَّ ضريحه

ماشئتُمُ فالطَّوْدُ طَوْدٌ أيْهَمُ

And you widened his grave however you wished

For the cumbersome is cumbersome, whoever it is

لا زالَ رجَّافُ العَشي مُزجراً

جَمَّ الرُّعودِ لهُ ركامٌ مُرْزِمُ

The evening's thunder still roars, warning

The mass of clouds, for it a mound piles up

مُتفارطُ التَّسْكابِ كلُّ مُسفَةٍ

منه تُذامِرُ أخْتَها اذْ تُقدِمُ

Pouring rain uncontrolled, every downpour

Cascades into its sister when it arrives

ثقُلتْ سحائبُه وأجْلبَ صوْبُه

فكأنَّ عُطَّلَهُ عِشارٌ رُزَّمُ

Its clouds are heavy and its direction twisted

As if its slackness is a tied bundle

جمعتْ شتاتيهِ الدَّبورُ ولم تزلْ

وُطْفَ السَّواري والغوادي تلئمُ

The returning rain has gathered its scattered parts

And the valley runoffs and streams join together

حتى اذا مَخَضْتهُ عند كَمالهِ

مخْض السِّقاءِ اسْتنَّ لا يَتَلوَّم

Until when it gave birth at its peak

Like the drawing of water, steady, uncorrupted

يُلْقي على جَدَثِ الأميرِ بِعاعَه

والدمعُ أهْمى لو يُقاسُ وأثْجَم

It throws its sprinkles on the prince's tomb

While tears, if measured, would be copious

لا يُحْزنِ اللّهُ الاِمامَ فانهُ

ليجِلُّ عن حَزنِ النفوس ويعظمُ

God does not sadden the Imam, for he

Transcends saddening souls and is grand

حاشا خَلائقهِ تُسامُ تَصَبُّراً

والصَّبرُ من تلْقائهِ يُتَعلَّمُ

Far from it! His creation shows patience

And patience by itself is learned

يقسو على طعنِ الكُماةِ فؤادهُ

ويَرِقُّ للمستضعفينَ ويَرْحَمُ

His heart is harsh towards the blow of fools

And soft for the weak, showing mercy

المُستهلُّ اذا تَجِنُّ شَديدةٌ

والمُسْتقلُّ اذا يَؤددُ المَغْرَمُ

When disaster strikes the independent

Or debt burden the beholden

ولقد عجبتُ من المَنيَّةِ اِذ غَدا

منها مُطيعٌ ما أردْتَ ومُجْرِمُ

And I am amazed by death, when it rendered

From it obedient, whatever I desired or criminal

تعْصيك في اصِّنْعو الشقيق سفاهةً

وتُطيعُ أمْرَكَ والقَنا تتَحطَّمُ

Disobeying you in viciously killing a brother

Yet obeying your command, while the spear shatters

فاذا سلمت فكلُّ بؤس نِعْمةٌ

واذا بقيتَ فكلُّ غُرْمِ مَغْنَمُ

So if you are safe, then every adversity is bounty

And if you remain, then all debt is profit

يا ابْن الجحاجح من قريش والاُلى

فضلوا الورى في البأسِ والنَّعماءِ

O son of Juhajha, from Quraysh and its allies

Who surpassed people in might and bounty

والمُتْلفينَ المال في بذْلِ النَّدى

اِتلافَهُمْ للسُّمْرِ في الهَجياءِ

And united wealth with generosity

Like their gathering at night for chatter

مَلكوا ببذْلِ نوالهمْ وببيأسهمْ

مُهَجَ العُفاةُ وأنْفُس الأعْداءِ

They ruled with their support and valor

Subduing the nomads and the souls of enemies

وسعْيتَ بعدهم فنلْتَ محلَّةً

أرْبَتْ على الأسلافِ والآباءِ

And you strove after them, attaining a position

Towering over predecessors and forefathers

تأبى مُصانعةَ العدوِّ بَسالةً

اِلا بضرْبِ طَلىً وسَفْكِ دماءِ

Refusing to reconcile with enemies except

By striking with sharp swords and shedding blood

ولرُّبَّ يومٍ بالعَراءِ مُنَوَّرٍ

بَدَّلْتَهُ باللَّيلةِ اللَّيْلاءِ

And for many a day in the wild you made radiant

Exchanging it for the darkest night

غادرْتَ فيه السَّابقاتِ ظَميئةً

والمَشْرَفيَّةَ فيه غيرَ ظِماءِ

On it, you surpassed previous morning glooms

While the shining residence in it had no thirst

مالي أُنادي منكَ أكرمَ من وعى

حِكَمَ الكلامِ فلا يُرَدُّ نِدائي

Why should I call upon one more heedful than aware

Of the wisdom of words, so my call goes unanswered

وأشيمُ برق الجودِ وهو على الورى

هامي السَّحابِ فلا يُبَلُّ صدائي

And perceive the lightning of generosity which upon people

Is my raving, so my echo dies unrepeated

بقصائدٍ غرٍّ كأنَّ بُيوتَها

حَصْباءُ دُرٍ أو نجومُ سَماءِ

With crude poems, as though their rhymes

Are pebbles of pearls or stars in the sky

جُمَعِيَّةٍ لكنها منْ جَوْدةٍ

أرْبتْ على حوْليَّةِ الاِنْشاءِ

Assembled, but from excellence

Towering over the best compositions

حاشاك تزي من طوى أرض العدى

يرجو النَّدى بشَماتةِ الأعْداءِ

Far from you being adorned by an enemy land

Seeking gifts with the gloating of enemies

أو أنْ تُذمَّ من الحمام لمُهْجمةٍ

فتُميتها بالفقْرِ والَّلأواءِ

Or that you be blamed for an attack on doves

So you kill them with poverty and misery

أو أمْلأَ الدنيا بحمْدكَ دائماً

فيكونَ حِرْماني جوابَ ثَنائي

Or I fill the world with your perpetual praise

And my deprivation is the response to my eulogy

واذا نظرْتَ فكلُّ ما تحوي يَدٌ

فانِ وذِكْرٌ صالحٌ لبَقاءِ

And if you look, all that a hand contains

Is fleeting, except for benefaction and righteous mention