مَتى أَنا قائِمٌ أَعلى مَقامِ

وَلاقٍ نورَ وَجهِكَ بِالسَلامِ

When shall I stand upon the loftiest station

and greet the light of your face with peace,

وَمُنصَرِفٌ وَقَد أَثقَلتَ عِطفي

مِنَ النَعماءِ وَالمِنَنِ الجِسامِ

then depart, my shoulders laden by you

with blessings and tremendous favors?

وَلي أَمَلٌ أَطَلتُ الصَبرَ فيهِ

لَوَ أَنَّ الصَبرَ يَنقَعُ مِن أُوامي

I have a hope for which I have long been patient—

if only patience could quench my burning thirst.

وَما خِفتُ النَوائِبَ تَرتَمي بي

وَقَد أَقعى بِجامِحِها لِجامي

I did not fear the calamities hurled at me,

for my bridle had mastered their headstrong steed.

أَيَعرُقُني الطَوى وَالرَوضُ حالٍ

وَيَغلِبُني الظَما وَالبَحرُ طامِ

Shall hunger gnaw me while the meadow is verdant,

and thirst overcome me while the sea brims full?

وَلي قُربى رَؤومٌ كُنتُ أَرجو

يَمينَكَ أَن تُقَرِّبَ لي مَرامي

I have a tender bond of kinship, through which I hoped

your right hand would bring my aspiration near.

وَبابُ الإِذنِ مِنّي كُلَّ يَومٍ

يُقَعقِعُ بِالقَوافي وَالنِظامِ

Every day the door of audience, at my hand,

is rattled by odes and ordered verse.

لَكُم أَرجاءُ زَمزَمَ وَالمُصَلّى

وَبَطحاءُ المَشاعِرِ وَالمَقامِ

Yours are the precincts of Zamzam and the prayer place,

the Batha, the holy sites, and the Station.

وَأَنتُم أَطوَلُ العُظَماءِ طَولاً

وَأَندى في المُحولِ مِنَ الغَمامِ

Among the great, you rise to the greatest height

and in years of drought give more freely than the clouds.

وَأَبعَدُ مَوطِناً مِن كُلِّ عارٍ

وَأَمنَعُ جانِباً مِن كُلَّ ذامِ

Your dwelling stands farthest from every shame,

your flank most secure against every censurer.

وَأَجرى عِندَ مُختَلَفِ العَوالي

وَأَفلَجُ عِندَ مُعتَرَكِ الخِصامِ

You are boldest where the tall spears cross

and most victorious in the clash of dispute,

بِئاباءِ مَضوا وَهُمُ عَوارٍ

مِنَ القَولِ المُهَجَّنِ وَالمَلامِ

through forefathers who passed away unstained

by base speech or blame,

وَأُماتٍ دَرَجنَ عَلى اللَيالي

وَهُنَّ أَصَحُّ مِن بَيدِ النَعامِ

and mothers who departed with the passing nights,

purer than ostrich eggs,

وَعِزٍّ لا يُزَعزَعُ بِالرَزايا

وَطودٍ لا يُضَعضَعُ بِالزِحامِ

and a might no calamity can shake,

a mountain no press of crowds can unsettle,

وَفَخرٍ شامِخِ العِرنَينِ عالٍ

وَمَجدٍ طائِرِ العَزَباتِ سامِ

and pride with lofty brow held high,

and glory soaring into distant heights, sublime.

تَسيلُ إِلَيهِمُ أَيدي المَطايا

بِكُلِّ أَشَمِّ مَعروقِ العِظامِ

The forelegs of the mounts stream toward them,

each proud, lean-boned camel,

يُغَلِّبنَ البِعادَ عَلى التَداني

وَيُؤثِرنَ المَسيرَ عَلى المَقامِ

choosing distant reaches over nearness

and travel over remaining still,

وَيُعلِفنَ الذَميلَ وَلا سَبيلٌ

إِلى الغُدرانِ وَالنُطَفِ الطَوامي

accustomed to the rapid pace, with no road

to pools or overflowing waters.

وَيَنصُلُ لَيلُها عَن كُلِّ عَنسٍ

غَضيضِ الطَرفِ فاتِرَةِ البُغامِ

Night sloughs away from every she-camel

whose gaze is lowered and whose lowing is languid,

أَحَفَّت مِن جَوانِبِها الفَيافي

وَساقَطَ نَحضَها خَعضُ الظَلامِ

hemmed in on every side by desert wastes,

her flesh worn away by the buffeting darkness.

تُناخُ بِمالِىءِ الدُنيا نَوالاً

وَصادِعِ بَيضَةِ المَلِكِ الهُمامِ

They are made to kneel before one who fills the world with bounty

and cleaves the crown of kingship—the valiant one—

بِبَأسٍ مِثلِ غَربِ السَيفِ ماضٍ

وَجودٍ مِثلِ ماءِ المُزنِ هامِ

with courage keen as the edge of a sword

and generosity like the cloud’s pouring water,

وَصَولاتٍ أَمَرَّ مِنَ المَنايا

عَلى بَشَرٍ أَلَذَّ مِنَ المُدامِ

with assaults more bitter than death

joined to a countenance sweeter than wine.

أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَأَنتَ أَولى

بِغاياتِ الفَخارِ مِنَ الأَنامِ

Commander of the Faithful, you are the worthiest

of all mankind to reach the pinnacles of glory.

وَأَنتَ مُمَلَّكٌ شَرقاً وَغَرباً

حَريمَ الأَرضِ وَالبَلَدِ الحَرامِ

You are sovereign over East and West,

over the earth’s sanctuary and the Sacred Precinct.

أَجِب صَوتي إِلَيكَ فَكُلُّ مَلكٍ

يَلَذُّ عَلى مَسامِعِهِ كَلامي

Answer my voice: every king

finds my words sweet upon his hearing.

وَجَرَّدَني تُلاقِ الدَهرَ مِنّي

بِمَسمومٍ مَضارِبُهُ حُسامِ

The encounters of time have drawn me forth from myself

as a sword whose striking edges bear poison.

وَلا تَتَغاضَيَنَّ عَنِ القَوافي

فَقَد أَربَت عَلى طولِ الجِمامِ

Do not turn your gaze away from these poems:

they have outgrown their long repose.

وَإِنّي نِعمَ دامِغُ كُلِّ قِرنٍ

يُرادي بِالعَداوَةِ أَو يُرامي

I am an excellent crusher of every rival

who meets me in enmity or shoots at me,

وَدافِعُ كُلُّ داهِيَةٍ نَآدٍ

وَقائِدُ كُلِّ ذي لَجَبٍ لُهامِ

the repeller of every crushing calamity

and leader of every vast, clamorous host.

لَعَلّي بالِغٌ أَمري وَلاقٍ

مُنى نَفسي مِنَ النِعَمِ العِظامِ

Perhaps I shall attain my purpose and encounter

the great blessings my soul desires,

وَأَمراً مِنكَ يَحذَرُهُ الأَعادي

فَيَلحَظُهُ بِأَجفانِ دَوامِ

and receive from you a decree the enemies will fear

and watch with sleepless eyelids.

فَأَعيُنُهُم لِبَغضَتِهِ غَواضٍ

وَهُنَّ لِعُظمِ مَنظَرِهِ سَوامِ

Their eyes lower themselves in hatred of it,

yet its imposing grandeur holds their gaze.

تَهَنَّ قُدومَ صَومِكَ يا إِماماً

يَصومُ عَلى الزَمانِ مِنَ الأَثامِ

Blessed be the advent of your fast, O Imam

who throughout time fasts from sin.

إِذا ما المَرءُ صامَ مِنَ الدَنايا

فَكُلُّ شَهورِهِ شُهرُ الصَيامِ

When a man fasts from all that is base,

every month of his is the month of fasting.

أَلانَ جَذَبتَ مِن أَيدي اللَيالي

عِناني وَاِشتَمَلتَ عَلى زَمامي

Now you have drawn from the hands of the nights

my reins, and taken full command of my bridle.

فَما أَخشى الزَمانَ وَلَو تَلاقَت

يَداهُ مِن وَرائي أَو أَمامي

I no longer fear Time, even if

its two hands should meet behind me and before me—

وَلا سيما وَقَد أَمسى عَليٌّ

ظَهيري وَالسَفيرَ إِلى إِمامي

especially now that Ali has become

my supporter and my envoy to my Imam.