الخطبُ أكبر في النفوسِ وأعظم

من أنْ تُراقَ له الدموعُ أو الدَّمُ

The sorrows in souls are greater and more sublime

Than tears to be shed or blood to flow for them

عَزَّ العزاءُ فكلُّ جلْدٍ عاجِزٌ

عما ألمَّ وكلُّ أفْوهَ مُفْحَمُ

Consolations have failed, so every patient one is helpless

Against what hurts him, and every eloquent one is silenced

سبقَ الغَمامُ بنُدْبةٍ وبعَبْرَةٍ

فبدا لنا منه الرَّعودُ المُثْجِمُ

The clouds advanced with a dirge and tears

So thunderbolts appeared to us, violent and terrifying

ولو أنَّ شمس الصبح راقبت العُلى

لتغيَّبتْ فالصُّبحُ داجٍ مُظْلِمُ

Had the morning sun kept watch over the firmament

It would have disappeared, for the dawn is dark and gloomy

وتكوَّرتْ حُزناً لفقدِ خليفةٍ

شَهدَ السِّنانُ ببأسهِ والمِخْذَمُ

Grieving the loss of a caliph, it curled up in sorrow

Whose boldness the spears witnessed, and the swords

ألقانِتُ الأوَّابُ ساهِرُ ليْلهِ

يحمي الرَّعِيَّةَ والرعيَّةُ نُوَّمُ

The devoted worshipper, wakeful through his night

Protecting the commoners while they slept

ألمُقْتفي أمر الإلهِ ومنْ لهُ

شَرفُ المساعي والمَقامُ الأعْظَمُ

Seeking the command of God, he whose

Endeavors are noble, and station is supreme

زجَلُ المخَادعِ والمعاركِ عندهُ

في حالتيهِ تلاوةٌ وتَغَمْغُمُ

The clamor of deceivers and battles are to him

In both states, reciting and murmuring

فعلى الحَوادسِ والقَوانس دعوةٌ

ما إنْ تُرَدُّ وصارِمٌ لا يكْهَمُ

So the vigilant and brave are called

A call unfailing, and a blade that does not dull

ومُعَفِّرُ التِّيجانِ تحتَ لوائِهِ

طوعاً وكَرْهاً إذْ تَدينُ وتُهزمُ

The tiaras underneath his banner willingly and unwillingly

Bow down since they are vanquished and defeated

كانت نِعالُ جيادهِ في حرْبهِ

هاماً تُصانُ عن العيونِ وتُكْرمُ

His steeds’ shoes in war

Are protected from eyes and held in esteem

يعصيه ملْثومُ الصَّعيدِ فينْثني

لصعيدِ مأزقِهِ يشَمُّ ويلْثَمُ

The slippery ground disobeys him, so it recoils

To the tricky terrain, smelling and licking the ground

فإذا غَزا وقَرى فمنْ أنْصارِه

يهديه عنه مُهَنَّدٌ أو لَهْذَمُ

So when he campaigns and raids, among his supporters

Is there one to guide him away from it, submissive or crushed?

يمشي الخميسُ به فإنْ لم يستطع

أمْضى قواتِلَه زَنيقٌ مُحْكَمُ

On Thursdays he walks with pride, but if he cannot

His lethal warriors, resolute, accomplish it

فعلى العدوِّ بصُبحه وبليلهِ

جيشانِ منه صَيْلَمٌ وعرمْرمُ

Against the enemy, at dawn and night

Two armies of his, assaulting and overwhelming

لو كان خصمُك غر محتومِ الردى

كسفَ الغزالةَ مُسْتثارٌ أقْتَمُ

Had your opponent been an untamed horse

It would lower its neck, provoked and bite

وتألَّق الجوْنُ الكثيفُ ببارقٍ

يهمي إذا سَحَّ الرِّقابَ ويَسْجُم

The thick clouds flashed with lightning

That attacks necks when it flickers and pierces

تتلو سِباعُ الطَّير كِسْف عجاجه

في السيرِ فهي على الغطارف حُوَّم

The beasts of prey circle over his prey during travel

As if hooked vultures hovering above

وتناقلتْ بالدَّارعينَ كأنها

مُعْطٌ يُحثحثها عنيفٌ صِلْدِمُ

Passing the dervish’s bowls amongst themselves as if

A violent pouring person is shaking them insistently

ترْعى شَكيرَ الهامِ وهو مُمَنَّعٌ

وتُبيحُ وِرْدَ الهامِ وهو محرَّمُ

They graze the meadows luxuriously while prohibited

And make lawful the meadows’ roses while forbidden

ويَطأنَ غُرَّانَ السَّراةِ كأنها

صوَّانُ رعْنٍ بالسَّنابك يُهْشمُ

Trampling the wild cows’ pastures as if they are

Secured cows in the cattle pens, breaking them

وتدافع القاني الصَّبيبُ على الثرى

فكأنَّ سافِحهُ أتِيٌّ مُفْعِمُ

The warriors’ spears compete over the ground

As if their flooding is an abundant downpour

لكنهُ المقدورُ لا مُسْتأخَرٌ

عنه إذا وافى ولا مُتقدَّمُ

But it is the predetermined, neither delayed

Nor advanced when it comes

يبكي نَداك المُعْتفونَ عَشيَّةً

والعامُ يُخْلفُ نوْؤُهُ والأنجمُ

Your lament, O confidants, makes the evenings weep

While the public succeeds it, though the stars weep

والبُؤس قد سلب الثَّريَّ بجوره

فغنيُّ معشره مُسيفٌ مُصْرِمُ

Misery has wrongfully robbed the wealthy ones

So the rich ones of its people became impoverished and broke

حيث المَواقدُ كالمَواردِ لا غَضاً

يُعْلي الضِّرامَ ولا شياعٌ يُجحم

Where hearths were once like pastures, neither miserly

Elevating the cooking pots, nor gathered crowds pushing

أوسعْتهم كرماً فباتَ شَقيُّهُمْ

في ظلِّ نُعماك النَّضيرةِ يَنْعَمُ

You were most generous to them, so the wretched among them

Slept in the shade of your great blessings, content

للّهِ ما ضَمَّ الضَّريحُ فإنهُ

طودٌ أشمُّ وذو عُبابٍ خِضْرِمُ

By God, the tomb did not contain him, for it is

A fragrant abode with fresh green plants

أغضى الجفون ولم يكن عن حادثٍ

يُغْضي ولا عن ناجِمٍ يَتَلَوَّمُ

He closed his eyelids, not for any accident

That made him close them, nor for any star that winked

وثوى وكان يبُثُّ شكْوى سيرهِ

وسُراهُ حافِرُ طِرْفهِ والمَنْسم

He passed away, though he used to voice complaint of his life

And his career—the edge of his toe and his incisor tooth

لا يَرْكُننَّ إلى الحياةِ مُمَتَّعٌ

فالبُعْدُ دانٍ والمَدى مُتَصرِّمُ

Let no delighted one incline toward life

For the distance has drawn near and the course is hazardous

ووراءَ آمالِ الرجالِ مَنِيَّةٌ

يعْدو بفارسها حثيثٌ مِرْجَمُ

Beyond the hopes of men is death

For which one rides quickly with his horse girded

فسَقى مقامكَ يابنَ عمِّ مُحمدٍ

وحِماكَ رجَّافُ العَشيَّةِ مُرزِم

Your place has quenched the burning thirst, O son of Muhammad’s uncle

And your protection has cooled the heat of evenings, O pillar

مُتَبعِّقٌ كَندى بنانكَ ساكِبٌ

باقٍ كخيرك في الورى لا يُنْجِمُ

Your clouds pouring down like your fresh rain

Remaining as your goodness remains in the world, unwavering

واللّهُ يُحسنُ للإمامِ عَزاءهُ

ويُطيبُ مثوى المُستَجَنِّ ويُكرم

God will send comfort to the Imam in his grief

And make pleasant the abode of the one who seeks refuge and honors him

ويُحقِّقُ الآمالَ في مُسْتنجدٍ

باللّهِ يحميهِ الإِلهُ ويَعْصِمُ

And will fulfill the hopes in the one who seeks help

God will protect him, the God who guards him and makes him infallible