كم مدحة قد أجدتها غزلاً

كم مدحة قد أجدتها غزلاً

وقصة المدح بعد لم تقصص

وقصة المدح بعد لم تقصص

How many a praise poem have I perfected as a love lyric,

How many poems of praise I have rendered as romance

while the tale of praise has yet to be told.

Yet the story of praise was left untold

لولا الإمام التقي ما مدحت

لولا الإمام التقي ما مدحت

ولم يكن لي ولا لها مخلص

ولم يكن لي ولا لها مخلص

Were it not for the pious imam, I would not have sung praise,

Had it not been for the pious Imam I would not have praised

nor would there have been a way out for me or for it.

And neither I nor she would have found salvation