أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ بَثَثتَ فينا

صَنائِعَ بَعضُها خَطَرٌ عَظيمُ

O Commander of the Faithful, you have instilled in us

Masterpieces, some of immense danger

وَما اِقتَعَدَ العُلى إِلّا شُجاعٌ

وَلا بَلَغَ المُنى إِلّا كَريمُ

None ascends to glory except the valiant

And none attains his goal except the noble

لِمِثلِكَ تُحرِزُ المالَ اللَيالي

وَأَولى الناسِ بِالعُدمِ اللَئيمُ

For the likes of you, wealth is amassed in the nights

While the basest of people deserve annihilation

وَأَنتَ حَمَيتَنا مِن كُلِّ ضَيمٍ

وَقَد ضَرِيَت عَلى الطَمَعِ الخُصومُ

You have protected us from all harm

While greed has frustrated the litigants

أَنَفتَ بِنا عَلى قِمَمِ الأَعادي

وَكادَ الجَدُّ يُدرِكُ ما يَرومُ

You have enabled us to rise above the peaks of enemies

And seriousness almost achieves what is intended

خَلائِقُ مِنكَ نَعرِفُها يَقيناً

وَكُلُّ فَتىً بِشيمَتِهِ عَليمُ

We know your traits for certain

And every young man knows his own qualities

فِداؤُكَ كُلُّ مُنتَحِلِ المَعالي

يُقَطَّعُ دونَهُ النَسَبِ الصَميمُ

The redemption of every pretentious person

Is the cutting off of his origins

بِأَخلاقٍ كَما دَجَتِ اللَيالي

وَأَحسابٌ كَمَ نَغِلَ الأَديمُ

With morals as numerous as the nights

And lineages as abundant as leather

وَآخَرَ هَزَّ عِطفَيهِ اِغتِراراً

بِحِلمِكَ يَومَ يُفتَقَدُ الحَليمُ

Another has proudly shaken his shoulders

Relying on your forbearance on a day when the forbearing are missed

تَبَلَّجَ فيهِ وَسمُكَ وَالمَطايا

تُغَلغِلُ في حَوارِكِها الوُسومُ

Your brand has shone through him and the knives

Stab through their sheaths

وَكَم فَوقَ البَسيطَةِ مِن شَريفٍ

أَغَرَّ الوَجهِ شيمَتُهُ بَهيمُ

And how many honorable men from the highlands

Whose noble traits have fooled him into arrogance

لَكَ الجَبَلُ المُمَنَّعُ إِن تَسامى

عَدُوٌّ لا يَنامُ وَلا يُنيمُ

The impregnable mountain is for you if an

Enemy rises whom neither sleeps nor slumbers

جَذَبتَ عَنِ المُطيعِ زِمامَ عِزٍّ

أَطاعَ الوَخدُ مِنهُ وَالرَسيمُ

You have pulled from the obedient the reins of glory

The pillow and the meadow have obeyed it

سَما بِكَ خَيرُ آباءٍ وَلَكِن

مَضَوا طَلَقاً وَمَجدُهُمُ مُقيمُ

Goodness knows your fathers were excellent but

They have passed away while their glory remains

دَعَوتُكَ يا إِمامُ وَمِن وَرائي

سَفيهُ الرَأيِ يَعذُلُ أَو يَلومُ

I have called on you, O Imam, while behind me

A fool criticizes or blames

وَحَسبي أَن تَعيشَ عَلى اللَيالي

سَليماً لا يُطَلِّقُكَ النَعيمُ

It suffices me that you live through the nights

Unharmed, with bliss unwilling to release you

فَإِنَّ العَيشَ ما جُرِّدتَ مِنهُ

حِمامٌ وَالصَحيحُ بِهِ سَقيمُ

For living whence you are stripped

Is like an ailing man feigning health

رَجَوتُكَ وَالرَجاءُ يَمُدُّ باعي

وَأَنتَ لِكُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ حَميمُ

I have hoped in you, and hope extends the reach of the hopeful

While you are intimate with every honor

وَإِنّي إِن دَعَوتُكَ لِلمَعالي

لَأَعلَمُ أَيَّ بارِقَةٍ أَشيمُ

And truly if I call on you for glories

I know which lightning strike I mimic

وَقَبلَكَ ضاعَ حَقّي في اللَيالي

كَما ضاعَ الغَريبُ أَوِ اليَتيمُ

Before you, my right wandered in the nights

Like a lost stranger or orphan

وَنَعماءٍ شَقيتُ بِها وَلَكِن

غَدا حَظّي مِنَ الرِيحِ السَمومُ

And delights I endured hardship with, but

My fortune turned into poisonous winds

وَمَن لي أَن أَراكَ وَلي مُقامٌ

بِدارِكَ لا أَزولُ وَلا أَريمُ

Who do I have to see you when I have a place

In your house where I neither waver nor depart

وَما لي لا أَصولُ عَلى الأَعادي

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ دارَكَ لي حَريمُ

Why wouldn’t I assail the enemies

When I know your house is a sanctuary for me

تَدارَكَني صَنيعُكَ وَالأَماني

تُفَلَّلُ مِن جَوانِبِها الهُمومُ

Your kindness has rescued me and wishes

Shed their worries from all sides

وَلَولا ما أَنَلتَ مَشَت بِرَحلي

نَقيبُ الخُفِّ حِليَتُها الكُلومُ

Had it not been for what you bestowed, the straps of my saddle

Would have been worn out by the heel of the slipper

وَإِلطافٌ تَساقَطَ مِنكَ وَهناً

عَلَيَّ كَما تَهَوَّرَتِ النُجومُ

And gentleness falling from you as weakness

Upon me as the stars tumbled down

أَعَدتَ سَوادَ أَيّامي بَياضاً

وَأَيّامُ الوَرى بيضٌ وَشيمُ

You have turned the blackness of my days into whiteness

While the days of people are white and bleak

وَقَد عَطَفَت عَلَيَّ بَناتُ دَهري

كَما عَطَفَت عَلى السَقَبِ الرَؤومُ

The daughters of my fortune have inclined toward me

As heavy rainclouds have inclined toward clear sky

وَمِنكَ تَوَلَّتِ الأَنواءُ رَيّي

وَطَبَّقَ أَرضِيَ الكَلَأُ العَميمُ

From you, the streams have diverted to irrigate me

And green fodder has blanketed my land

فَلا غَرِضَت سِنوكَ مِنَ اللَيالي

وَعُمرُ عَدُوِّ مَجدِكَ لا يَدومُ

May your years never expire through the nights

And may the life of your enemy not last

تَذوبُ عَلى مَنازِلِكَ الغَوادي

وَيَركُضُ في حَدائِقِكَ النَسيمُ

Enemies melt away in your dwellings

And breeze roams through your gardens