سَلِمتَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَلى الدَهرِ
وَلا زِلتَ فينا باقِياً واسِعَ العُمرِ
You have greeted the Commander of the Faithful for ages,
And you remain among us with abundant life.
حَلَلتَ الثُرَيّا خَيرَ دارٍ وَمَنزِلٍ
فَلا زالَ مَعموراً وَبورِكَ مِن قَصرِ
You have settled in the best abode and dwelling,
So it remains inhabited and blessed from the palace.
فَلَيسَ لَهُ فيما بَنى الناسُ مُشبَهٌ
وَلا ما بَناهُ الجِنُّ في سالِفِ الدَهرِ
It has no match among what people have built,
Nor what jinn built in ancient times.
وَما زالَ يَرعاهُ الإِمامُ بِرَأيِهِ
وَبِالعُزِّ وَالتَقديمِ وَالنَهيِ وَالأَمرِ
The Imam still manages it with his wisdom,
With might, precedence, prohibition, and command.
فَتَمَّ فَما في الحُسنِ شَيءٌ يُريدُهُ
لِسانٌ وَلا قَلبٌ بِقَولٍ وَلا فِكرِ
It is complete, so nothing remains desired in beauty
By a tongue, heart, words, or thought.
سَيُثني عَلَيهِ مِن مَحاسِنِ قَصرِهِ
مَدائِحَ لَيسَت مِن كَلامٍ وَلا شِعرِ
Its fine qualities will inspire eulogies
That are beyond speech and poetry,
يُشيرُ إِلى رَأيٍ مُصيبٍ وَحِكمَةٍ
وَجَودٍ لَدى الإِنفاقِ بِالبيضِ وَالصُفرِ
Pointing to insightful opinions and wisdom,
And generosity when spending white and yellow coin.
جِنانٌ وَأَشجارٌ تَلاقَت غُصونُها
فَأَورَقنَ بِالأَثمارِ وَالوَرَقِ الخُضرِ
Gardens and trees with intertwining branches
That have leafed out with fruits and greenery.
تَرى الطَيرَ في أَغصانِهُنَّ هَواتِفاً
تَنَقَّلُ مِن وَكرٍ لَهُنَّ إِلى وَكرِ
You see birds twittering in their nests
Moving from one burrow to another.
هَجَرتَ سِواها كُلَّ دارٍ عَرَفتَها
وَحَقَّ لِدارٍ غَيرِ دارِكَ بِالهَجرِ
You have abandoned all other known abodes
And it is right that any home but yours is shunned.
وَبُنيانُ قَصرٍ قَد عَلَت شَرَفاتُهُ
كَصَفِّ نِساءٍ قَد تَرَبَّعنَ في الأُزرِ
A palace whose parapets are highly placed
Like rows of women sitting with braids.
وَأَنهارُ ماءٍ كَالسَلاسِلِ فُجِّرَت
لِتُرضِعَ أَولادَ الرَياحينِ وَالزَهرِ
Streams of water like necklaces unleashed
To nurse the winds’ and flowers’ children.
وَميدانُ وَحشٍ تَركُضُ الخَيلَ وَسطَهُ
فَيُؤخَذُ مِنها ما يَشاءُ عَلى قَدرِ
An arena where horses race amidst the wild
And from them is taken what is desired accordingly.
إِذا ما رَأَت ماءَ الثُرَيّا وَنَبتَهُ
يَسيرُ وَثَوبُ الكَلبِ فيهِنَّ وَالصَقرِ
If they see the Thurayya’s water and vegetation,
The dog and hawk’s clothing moves among them.
عَطايا إِلَهٍ مُنعِمٍ كانَ عالِماً
بِأَنَّكَ أَوفى الناسِ فيهُنَّ بِالشُكرِ
Gifts of a beneficent, knowing God
Who knew you are most grateful among people for them.
حَكَمتَ بِعَدلٍ لَم يَرى الناسُ مِثلَهُ
وَداوَيتَ بِالرُفقِ الجُموحَ وَبِالقَهرِ
You have ruled with unmatched justice,
And healed obstinacy with kindness and coercion.
وَلا بَأسَ أَنكى مِن تَثَبُّطِ حازِمٍ
وَلا دِرعَ أَوقى لِلنُفوسِ مِنَ العُمرِ
No harm that the caution of resolute men
Or armor protects souls better than you.
وَما زِلتَ حَيَّ المُلكِ تُرجى وَتُتَّقى
وَتَفتَرِسُ الأَعداءَ بِالبيضِ وَالسُمرِ
You remain the living king, hoped for and feared,
Who hunts enemies with white and brown steeds.
وَما لَيثُ غابٍ يَهدِمُ الجَيشَ خَوفُهُ
بِمَشيَةِ وَثّابٍ عَلى النَهيِ وَالزَجرِ
No absent lion who frightens armies with his awe
With the gait of a reproacher of prohibition and deterrence,
يَجُرُّ إِلى أَشبالِهِ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ
عَقيرَةَ وَحشٍ أَو قَتيلاً مِنَ السَفرِ
Drags to his cubs each night
The prey of beasts or victim of travel.
إِذا ما رَأوهُ طارَ جَمعُهُمُ مَعاً
كَما طَيَّرا النَفخُ التُرابَ عَنِ الجَمرِ
When they see him, their group takes flight together
As blowing scatters dust from embers.
جَريءٌ أَبيٌّ يَحسِبُ الأَلفَ واحِداً
بَعيدٌ إِذا ما كَرَّ يَوماً مِنَ الفَرِّ
Bold, refusal, deeming one thousand as one,
Remote, when one day he turns to flee.
يُزَعزِعُ أَحشاءَ البِلادِ زَئيرُهُ
وَيُبطِلُ أَبطالَ الرِجالِ مِنَ الذُعرِ
His roar shakes the innards of the land
And undoes the heroes of men with panic.
إِذا ضَمَّ قِرناً بَينَ كَفَّيهِ خِلتَهُ
يُعاني عَروساً في غَلائِلِها الحُمرِ
If he clasps a horn in his two paws
He makes it suffer like a bride in her red apparel.
فَحَرَّمَ أَرضَ الحائِرينَ وَمائَها
فَهَيهاتَ مَن يَغدو عَلَيها وَمَن يَسري
He has made the land of the perplexed and its water prohibited,
So it is unthinkable that any would go or walk there,
بِأَجرَأَ مِنهُ حَدَّ بَأسٍ وَعَزمَةٍ
إِذا ما نَزا قَلبُ الجَبانِ إِلى النَحرِ
More daring than him, with greater ferocity and resolve,
When the coward’s heart inclines toward the gullet.
فَكُلُّ أُناسٍ يُشهِرونَ أَكُفَّهُم
دَعاءً لَهُ بِالعِزِّ فيهِم وَبِالنَصرِ
So all people brandish their palms,
Praying for his might over them and victory.
