جَدير بِالثَنا حبرٌ أَجلُّ

جَدير بِالثَنا حبرٌ أَجلُّ

لَهُ سبقٌ وَمَعرفة وَفَضلُ

لَهُ سبقٌ وَمَعرفة وَفَضلُ

Worthy of praise, a most exalted scholar;

Worthy of praise is a most illustrious scholar,

his are precedence, knowledge, and merit,

Possessing precedence, knowledge, and merit,

وَذهن ثاقب في كُل فَنٍّ

وَذهن ثاقب في كُل فَنٍّ

عَن الإشكال لَست تَراه يَخلو

عَن الإشكال لَست تَراه يَخلو

and a penetrating mind in every discipline—

And a penetrating mind in every art;

faced with a difficult problem, you never find him at a loss.

You never see it free of perplexity.

كَخَير الناس أَتقاهم عَليّ

كَخَير الناس أَتقاهم عَليّ

وَأَهداهم إِذا ما القَومُ ضَلوا

وَأَهداهم إِذا ما القَومُ ضَلوا

ʿAlī is like the best of men, the most God-fearing of them,

Like Ali, the best and most devout of men,

and the best-guided whenever the people stray.

And their most rightly guided when the people stray.

وَنسبته إِلى سبكٍ تَباهَت

وَنسبته إِلى سبكٍ تَباهَت

بِها سبكٌ وَعَنها زالَ جَهل

بِها سبكٌ وَعَنها زالَ جَهل

His affiliation with Sabk became a source of pride;

And his affiliation with Sabk is a source of pride

through it Sabk exulted, and ignorance departed from her.

To Sabk, from which ignorance has vanished.

أَلَيسَ وَإِنَّهُ قطب كَبير

أَلَيسَ وَإِنَّهُ قطب كَبير

لَهُ نُور يُضيء بِهِ المحلُّ

لَهُ نُور يُضيء بِهِ المحلُّ

Is he not—and indeed he is—a mighty pole,

Is he not indeed a great spiritual pole,

possessed of a light by which the whole place shines?

Whose light illumines the place?

أَلَيسَ وَإِنَّهُ في كُل شَيء

أَلَيسَ وَإِنَّهُ في كُل شَيء

إمامٌ قَوله حَقٌّ وَفَصل

إمامٌ قَوله حَقٌّ وَفَصل

Is he not—and indeed he is—in every matter

Is he not indeed, in every matter,

a leader whose word is truth and decisive judgment?

A leader whose word is truth and decisive judgment?

أَما إِني بَلغت بِما حَباني

أَما إِني بَلغت بِما حَباني

بِهِ ما لَيسَ يبلغه الأَجلُّ

بِهِ ما لَيسَ يبلغه الأَجلُّ

Indeed, through what he bestowed upon me, I attained

Indeed, through what he bestowed on me, I attained

what even the most exalted cannot attain.

What even the most eminent cannot attain.

أَما إِني تجاوَزت الثريا

أَما إِني تجاوَزت الثريا

بِما أَولاه وَهوَ عَلَيهِ سَهل

بِما أَولاه وَهوَ عَلَيهِ سَهل

Indeed, I passed beyond the Pleiades

Indeed, I have surpassed the Pleiades

through what he granted—and that was easy for him.

Through what he bestowed—an easy thing for him.

أَما هوَ خصَّني قَبل التَلاقي

أَما هوَ خصَّني قَبل التَلاقي

بِآداب بِها المخفوض يَعلو

بِآداب بِها المخفوض يَعلو

Indeed, even before we met, he singled me out

Indeed, he singled me out before we met

with refinements through which the lowly rise.

With literary graces through which the lowly rise.

وَفضلني بِأخلاق وَخلق

وَفضلني بِأخلاق وَخلق

وَأَوصاف عَن الإحصا تجلُّ

وَأَوصاف عَن الإحصا تجلُّ

He deemed me distinguished in character and form,

And he exalted me for my character and form,

with qualities too sublime to enumerate;

And qualities too exalted to be numbered.

وَشبهني بِأَقمار وَشَمس

وَشبهني بِأَقمار وَشَمس

وَسَيف صارم ما فيهِ فلُّ

وَسَيف صارم ما فيهِ فلُّ

he likened me to moons and to a sun,

And he likened me to moons and a sun,

to a keen sword without a single notch,

And a keen sword without a notch,

وَلَيثٍ يَلتَقي الأَعدا بِصَدر

وَلَيثٍ يَلتَقي الأَعدا بِصَدر

رَحيب لا يَهاب وَلا يمل

رَحيب لا يَهاب وَلا يمل

and to a lion that meets its foes broad-chested,

And a lion meeting its foes with a chest

fearing nothing and never losing heart;

Broad, unafraid, and never weary,

وَظبي راتع في رَوض أنس

وَظبي راتع في رَوض أنس

يَميس كَأَنَّهُ غُصنٌ مظل

يَميس كَأَنَّهُ غُصنٌ مظل

and to a gazelle grazing in a garden of delight,

And a gazelle grazing in a garden of delight,

swaying as though a shade-giving bough.

Swaying as though it were a shade-giving bough.

لعل إمامنا لَما تَصدَّى

لعل إمامنا لَما تَصدَّى

لِمَدحي وَهوَ للتبجيل أَهل

لِمَدحي وَهوَ للتبجيل أَهل

Perhaps, when our leader undertook

Perhaps our imam, when he undertook

to praise me—though he is worthy of veneration—

To praise me—though he himself deserves reverence—

تَخيل أَنني موسى زَماني

تَخيل أَنني موسى زَماني

فَأطنب في الثَناء وَصح نقل

فَأطنب في الثَناء وَصح نقل

he imagined I was the Moses of my age,

Imagined I was the Musa of my age,

so he lavished praise, and the account proved true.

So he praised at length, and the report proved true.

وَهَل أَحد سِوى مُوسى جَدير

وَهَل أَحد سِوى مُوسى جَدير

بِمَدح كُلما كَررتُ يَحلو

بِمَدح كُلما كَررتُ يَحلو

And who besides Moses is worthy

And is anyone but Musa worthy

of praise that grows sweeter whenever repeated?

Of praise that grows sweeter each time I repeat it?

بِهِ شرفت منوفٌ حَيث أَضحى

بِهِ شرفت منوفٌ حَيث أَضحى

لَها سنداً نَوالُ يَديه وَبْل

لَها سنداً نَوالُ يَديه وَبْل

Through him Menouf was ennobled, since there became

Through him Menouf gained honor, for he became

for her a support—the bounty of his hands, a downpour.

Its support; the bounty of his hands is a downpour.

وَكَيفَ وَإِنَّهُ حصن حَصين

وَكَيفَ وَإِنَّهُ حصن حَصين

لِمعشره إِذا ما هاجَ فحل

لِمعشره إِذا ما هاجَ فحل

How could it be otherwise? Indeed, he is an impregnable fortress

And how not, when he is an impregnable fortress

for his people whenever a formidable champion rages.

For his people whenever a bull camel rages?

هُوَ اِبن الأَكرمين أَبو المَعالي

هُوَ اِبن الأَكرمين أَبو المَعالي

سَديد الرَأي لِلمَعروف أَصل

سَديد الرَأي لِلمَعروف أَصل

He is the son of the noblest, father of lofty virtues,

He is the son of the noblest, father of lofty honors,

sound in judgment, a wellspring of all good;

Sound in judgment, a source of kindness,

أَثيل المَجد ذُو حَزم وَعَزم

أَثيل المَجد ذُو حَزم وَعَزم

وَحلم زانَهُ علم وَعَقل

وَحلم زانَهُ علم وَعَقل

deep-rooted in glory, endowed with prudence and resolve,

Of deep-rooted glory, endowed with firmness and resolve,

and with forbearance adorned by knowledge and reason.

And forbearance adorned by knowledge and reason.

هُوَ المَولى وَنَحنُ لَهُ عَبيد

هُوَ المَولى وَنَحنُ لَهُ عَبيد

نَقوم بِشُكره ما عز وَصل

نَقوم بِشُكره ما عز وَصل

He is the master, and we are his servants;

He is the master, and we are his slaves;

we fulfill our duty of thanks while our cherished bond endures,

We offer him thanks while union remains dear,

وَننشر فَخره ما قُلت مَدحاً

وَننشر فَخره ما قُلت مَدحاً

جَدير بِالثَنا حبر أَجلُّ

جَدير بِالثَنا حبر أَجلُّ

and proclaim his glory for as long as I utter panegyrics:

And proclaim his glory whenever I say in praise:

worthy of praise, a most exalted scholar.

Worthy of praise is a most illustrious scholar.