لا تعجب الناسُ من كرِّي مدائحَه

فليس ذلك مني موضِعَ العَجبِ

People should not be surprised at my abundant praise for him,

For that is not strange coming from me.

أوصافُه علَّمتْني كلَّ مُعْجِزةٍ

من الغرائب لا التَّجويدُ في الأدبِ

His virtues have taught me every miracle,

Of wonders, not excellence in literature.

وأين مِثْلُ عليٍّ في مفاخِرهِ

اذا تنازعتِ السَّاداتُ في الرُّتبِ

And who is like Ali in his glories

When the nobles compete in rank?

له عليهم اذا راموا مُماثَلَةً

الفضلُ في السعي والتفضيلُ في النسب

He has superiority over them if they seek to equal him,

In striving and in noble lineage.

الوجهُ كالبدرِ لا زوراً ولا مَلَقاً

والحلم كالطَّود والكفَّان كالسحب

His face is like the full moon, neither false nor made up,

And his forbearance like a mountain, his palms like clouds.

اُبعدْتُ بالفضل عمَّن قبله سَفَهاً

وبتُّ بالفضل منه أيَّ مُقْتربِ

I have been distanced by merit from those before him in ignorance,

And I have come close by merit to him, whichever way I turn.

والفضل كالصُّبح يهدي من له نظرٌ

ولا يصيرُ به الأعمى إِلى أرَبِ

And merit is like the dawn, guiding those who can see,

Yet the blind cannot come any closer to it.