جَلا الكؤوسَ فجلّى ظلمةَ السَدف

بدرٌ كلِفتُ به حاشاه من كَلَفِ

He brought the cups that unveiled the darkness of the ceiling

A full moon I was tasked with protecting, far from any burden

سمت وقد أَشرَقت راح براحتهِ

كأَنَّها الشَمسُ حلَّت منزلَ الشَرَفِ

It shone as it rose radiantly going in comfort

As if it were the sun settling in the abode of honor

وَضاعَ نشرُ شذاها وهيَ في يده

كأَنَّها وردةٌ في كفِّ مُقتَطفِ

The fragrance of its blossoming faded as it was in his hand

Like a rose in the palm of a gentle plucker

بكرٌ تحلَّت بدُرٍّ من فواقعها

وأَقبلت وهيَ في وشح وفي شَنَفِ

A full moon that donned from its rising places

And leaned in fine silks and fabrics

يا سحبَ نيسان روّي الكرم من كرم

فَفي الحَباب غنىً عَن لؤلؤ الصَدفِ

O April clouds, water the vines with vines

For in love there is glory beyond pearls and shells

شتّانَ ما بين دُرٍّ راح مُرتَشَفاً

رشفَ الثغور ودرٍّ غير مُرتَشفِ

Great is the difference between a pearl that left intoxicated

And moistened the edges, and a pearl not intoxicated

لَم أَنسَ ليلة أُنسٍ بتُّ معتنقاً

فيها الحَبيبَ اِعتناق اللام للألفِ

I haven't forgotten a night of intimacy, hugging

A beloved, the joining of laam to alif

أَمنتُ من رَيب دَهري في خفارته

وَمن يَبت في ضَمان الحبِّ لم يَخفِ

I felt safe from the mischief of my time under its protection

And whoever takes refuge in the covenant of love will not fear

وَرحتُ فيها من الهجران مُنتصِفاً

من بعد ما كُنتُ منه غير مُنتصفِ

And I found relief from estrangement there

After I had long been estranged

أَسطو عليهِ برمحٍ من مَعاطِفِهِ

وَصارمٍ من ظُبى أَجفانِه الوُطُفِ

I took power over it with a spear from its cloaks

And a sword from the gazelles of its gentle eyes

لِلَّه طيب وصالٍ نلتُ من رشأ

بالحسن متَّسمٍ بالطيب متَّصفِ

By God, the pleasure of union I attained was good

Perfumed with beauty and clothed in fragrance

إِذا ضَممت إلى صَدري ترائبَه

كادَت تَذوبُ تَراقيهِ من التَرفِ

When I drew its garments to my chest

Their delicacy almost melted from the luxury

يا محسنَ الوصف إِن رمت النسيبَ فصِف

لنا محاسنَ هَذا الشادن الصَلِفِ

O you who excel in description, if you throw an arrow, then describe

For us the beauty of this firm, stately youth

أَو رمتَ تنسبُ يوماً سيِّداً لعُلاً

فاِنسب إِلى مُنتَهاها سادَة النَجفِ

Or if you one day attribute a master due to nobility

Then attribute to its endpoint the masters of Najaf

واِخصُص بني شرفِ الدين الألى شرفت

بهم بيوتُ العُلى وَالمَجدِ وَالشَرَفِ

And specify the progeny of the honor of religion, whom

The houses of highness, glory and honor were ennobled by them

قوم يحلُّونَ دون الناسِ قاطبةً

بحبوحةَ المجد والباقون في طَرفِ

A people who stand in for all people

With the comforts of glory and those who remain on the sidelines

القائلونَ لدى المعروف لا سرفٌ

في الخير يَوماً كما لا خيرَ في السرفِ

Those who, in the face of benevolence, say no extravagance

In good one day, just as there is no good in extravagance

رَووا حديثَ المَعالي عن أَبٍ فأَبٍ

وَساقَه خلفٌ يرويه عن سلفِ

They narrated the hadith of noble character from a father from a father

And a successor narrates it from a predecessor

هُمُ نجومُ الهدى لَيلاً لمدَّلجٍ

وهم بحارُ الندى نَيلاً لمغترفِ

They are the guiding stars in a dark night

And they are the seas of dew taken by one who draws them

منهم حسينٌ أَدام اللَهُ بهجتَه

وأَيُّ وصفٍ بإحسان الحسين يَفي

Among them is Hussein, may God make his joy last

And what description befits the benevolence of Hussein?

هو الشَريفُ الَّذي فاق الورى شرفاً

سل عن مفاخره من شئت يعترفِ

He is the noble one who surpassed all in nobility

Ask whoever you wish, he will acknowledge

كَم من جَميلٍ له في الخلق مُجملُه

يَلوح كالكَوكب الدرّيّ في السدفِ

How much beauty he has in creation, all of it beautiful

Shining like a starry pearl in a ceiling

فالخَلقُ من خلقه في نزهةٍ عجبٍ

ومن خلائقه في روضةٍ أُنفِ

So creation from his creation is in wondrous charm

And from his traits in a garden of bliss

أَمسى النَدى وَالهُدى وَالمجد مكتنفاً

به وأَصبح منه الدين في كنفِ

The dew, guidance and glory were cloaked around him

And through him religion was sheltered

سَعى إلى الغاية القُصوى الَّتي وقفت

عنها الورى فتعدّاها ولم يَقِفِ

He strove for the ultimate goal which

The people stopped at, but he surpassed without stopping

فَحازَ ما حازه أَقرانُه وَحَوى

ما شذَّ عن سَلفٍ منهم وعَن خلفِ

Thus he achieved what his peers achieved and contained

What diverged from a predecessor or successor