يا عَلِيُّ الذي دَعَوْهُ عَلِيًّا

يا عَلِيُّ الذي دَعَوْهُ عَلِيًّا

سِمَةً أَخْبَرَتْ عَنِ العَلْيَاءِ

سِمَةً أَخْبَرَتْ عَنِ العَلْيَاءِ

O Ali, whom they named Ali—

O Ali, whom Ali has called

a name that spoke of loftiness.

A mark that told of loftiness

أَنتَ كالماءِ غَيْرَ أَنْ لَسْتَ تَصْفُو

أَنتَ كالماءِ غَيْرَ أَنْ لَسْتَ تَصْفُو

وقبيحٌ بالماءِ تَرْكُ الصَّفَاءِ

وقبيحٌ بالماءِ تَرْكُ الصَّفَاءِ

You are like water, except that you are not clear,

You are like water, though not pure

and for water to forsake clarity is shameful.

And it is ugly for water to lack clarity

أّيُّ فَضْلٍ للأَصدقاءِ إِذا كُنْ

أّيُّ فَضْلٍ للأَصدقاءِ إِذا كُنْ

تَ تراهم بحالةِ الأَعْداءِ

تَ تراهم بحالةِ الأَعْداءِ

What advantage do friends have if you

What virtue in friends if you

regard them as enemies?

See them in the state of enemies

كُلّ يَوْمِ يأْتي بخَلْقٍ جديدٍ

كُلّ يَوْمِ يأْتي بخَلْقٍ جديدٍ

غيرِ مستحسَن مِنَ الخُلَطَاءِ

غيرِ مستحسَن مِنَ الخُلَطَاءِ

Each day brings a new guise,

Every day comes with new creations

not approved by companions.

Disliked from the impure

قد تّلّوَّنْتَ أَيها الشمسُ حتَّى

قد تّلّوَّنْتَ أَيها الشمسُ حتَّى

قُلْتُ أُلْبِسْت جِلْدَةَ الحرباءِ

قُلْتُ أُلْبِسْت جِلْدَةَ الحرباءِ

You have changed your colors, O sun, until

You have changed colors oh sun, till

I said, 'You have been clothed in a chameleon's skin.'

I said you have worn the skin of a chameleon