سَيِّدي يا اِبنَ جَعفَرٍ أَنتَ أَعلى

سَيِّدي يا اِبنَ جَعفَرٍ أَنتَ أَعلى

هِمَّةً أَن يَعيبَ بَعضَكَ بَعضُ

هِمَّةً أَن يَعيبَ بَعضَكَ بَعضُ

My lord, O son of Ja'far, you are too lofty

My master, O son of Ja'far, you are of the highest ambition

in spirit for one part of you to disparage another.

That some of you would criticize others

أَنتَ شَمسٌ لِلدينِ حَقّاً وَلِلفَضلِ

أَنتَ شَمسٌ لِلدينِ حَقّاً وَلِلفَضلِ

سَماءٌ وَلِلأَخِلّاءِ أَرضُ

سَماءٌ وَلِلأَخِلّاءِ أَرضُ

You are truly a sun for the faith, and for excellence

You are a sun of religion in truth and excellence

a sky, and for friends, the earth.

A sky, and for the loyal, earth

لَكَ بَيتٌ عالي الدَعائِمِ لا يَط

لَكَ بَيتٌ عالي الدَعائِمِ لا يَط

مَعُ في مَجدِهِ المُؤَثَّلِ نَقضُ

مَعُ في مَجدِهِ المُؤَثَّلِ نَقضُ

Yours is a house with lofty pillars; never can

You have a house with high pillars that cannot

ruin hope to assail its firmly rooted glory.

Be marred in its glory by the defective

وَالعَلاءُ الصَريحُ وَالسودَدُ المَح

وَالعَلاءُ الصَريحُ وَالسودَدُ المَح

ضُ وَما كُلُّ سودَدِ الناسِ مَحضُ

ضُ وَما كُلُّ سودَدِ الناسِ مَحضُ

And yours are genuine eminence and unalloyed

Both the evident superior and the pure dark-skinned

nobility—not all men's nobility is unalloyed.

And not every dark-skinned person of the people is pure

فَاِجتَنِب لا تَقِف بِجُهدِكِّ في مَو

فَاِجتَنِب لا تَقِف بِجُهدِكِّ في مَو

ضِعِ عَتبٍ فَإِنَّ عَتبي مُمِضُّ

ضِعِ عَتبٍ فَإِنَّ عَتبي مُمِضُّ

So beware; do your utmost not to stand in a place

So avoid, do not stand with your effort in a place

of reproach, for my reproach stings.

Of reproach, for my reproach is decisive

لا تُمِل غُصنَ دَوحَتي فَهوَ لا يَق

لا تُمِل غُصنَ دَوحَتي فَهوَ لا يَق

بَلُ كَسراً وَعودُهُ اللَدنُ غَضُّ

بَلُ كَسراً وَعودُهُ اللَدنُ غَضُّ

Do not bend the branch of my spreading tree; it cannot bear

Do not burden the branch of my palm tree for it does not accept

breaking, and its supple wood is tender.

Breaking and its nature is always tender

وَهوَ يَجلي وَكُلَّما غُضَّ عِندَ الن

وَهوَ يَجلي وَكُلَّما غُضَّ عِندَ الن

ناسِ مِن قَدرِهِ فَمِنّي يُغَضُّ

ناسِ مِن قَدرِهِ فَمِنّي يُغَضُّ

And it brings distinction; whenever it is diminished among

And it clears away while whenever it is slighted

people in standing, my own standing is diminished.

Amongst the people in its value, it is from me that is slighted

فَاِبقَ ذا مِنَّةٍ وَطَولٍ أَخا عِر

فَاِبقَ ذا مِنَّةٍ وَطَولٍ أَخا عِر

ضٍ نَقِيٍّ ما خالَفَ الطولَ عَرضُ

ضٍ نَقِيٍّ ما خالَفَ الطولَ عَرضُ

So remain endowed with favor and bounty, a man

So remain with graciousness and patience a brother of good birth

of spotless honor, as long as breadth differs from length.

Pure, what opposes length is width

سالِماً وافِراً يَقيكَ مِنَ الأَع

سالِماً وافِراً يَقيكَ مِنَ الأَع

راضِ مَن مالَهُ فَأَهجوهُ عِرضُ

راضِ مَن مالَهُ فَأَهجوهُ عِرضُ

Safe and undiminished—may you be protected from afflictions

Safe and abundant, protecting you from disapproval

by the one with no honor that I could assail in satire.

Whoever has wealth so I satirize him, it is his honor