سِهَامُ الرَّدَى تُخْطِي الذِي قَصدَ الْهَبْطِي

سِهَامُ الرَّدَى تُخْطِي الذِي قَصدَ الْهَبْطِي

إِمَامٌ هُمَامٌ لاَ مَرَدَّ لِمَا يُعْطِي

إِمَامٌ هُمَامٌ لاَ مَرَدَّ لِمَا يُعْطِي

Death's arrows miss the one who seeks al-Habti.

The arrows of ruin miss the one who seeks Al-Habti,

A magnanimous imam; what he gives cannot be turned back.

A heroic Imam whose bestowed gifts cannot be turned away.

جَوَادٌ لَهُ بَحْرٌ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ مُزْبِدٌ

جَوَادٌ لَهُ بَحْرٌ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ مُزْبِدٌ

وَلَكِنَّهُ عَذْبٌ مُحِيطٌ بِلاَ شَطِّ

وَلَكِنَّهُ عَذْبٌ مُحِيطٌ بِلاَ شَطِّ

A generous man, possessing a foaming sea of bounty,

A generous soul possessing a foaming sea of grace,

Yet it is sweet, an ocean without a shore.

Yet it is a sweet, encompassing ocean without a shore.

أَتَاكَ ابْنُ زَاكُورٍ أَمَوْلاَيَ إِذْ نَأَى

أَتَاكَ ابْنُ زَاكُورٍ أَمَوْلاَيَ إِذْ نَأَى

بِهِ الْبَيْنُ عَنْ أَرْضِ الْقَرَابَةِ وَالرَّهْطِ

بِهِ الْبَيْنُ عَنْ أَرْضِ الْقَرَابَةِ وَالرَّهْطِ

Ibn Zakur came to you, O my lord, when he was borne far

Ibn Zakur has come to you, O my master, when separated

By separation from the land of kin and clan.

By the distance of parting from the lands of his kin and tribe.

وَأَمَّكَ وَالأَوْجَالُ تُضْرِمُ نَارَهَا

وَأَمَّكَ وَالأَوْجَالُ تُضْرِمُ نَارَهَا

وَقَدْ لَجَّ سُوءُ الظَّنِّ فِي الْحَلِّ وَالرَّبْطِ

وَقَدْ لَجَّ سُوءُ الظَّنِّ فِي الْحَلِّ وَالرَّبْطِ

And he sought you while fears kindled their fire,

He sought you out while his fears were igniting their fires,

And foreboding persisted in every loosening and binding.

And dark mistrust had stubbornly entangled every binding and unbinding.

وَقَدْ عَلِقَتْ سُودُ الْخَوَاطِرِ بِالْحَشَا

وَقَدْ عَلِقَتْ سُودُ الْخَوَاطِرِ بِالْحَشَا

كَمَا عَلِقَتْ سُودُ الذَّوَائِبِ بِالْمُشْطِ

كَمَا عَلِقَتْ سُودُ الذَّوَائِبِ بِالْمُشْطِ

And black thoughts had clung to his heart,

Dark thoughts have clung fiercely to his innermost depths,

As black tresses cling to a comb.

Just as dark locks of hair cling tightly to a comb.

فَسَدِّدْ إِلَى الأَوْجَالِ سَهْمَ عِنَايَةٍ

فَسَدِّدْ إِلَى الأَوْجَالِ سَهْمَ عِنَايَةٍ

مَرِيشاً بِعَزْمٍ لاَ يَطِيشُ وَلاَ يُخْطِيِ

مَرِيشاً بِعَزْمٍ لاَ يَطِيشُ وَلاَ يُخْطِيِ

So aim at these fears an arrow of care,

So aim at these fears the arrow of your providence,

Fletched with resolve, neither swerving nor missing its mark.

Fletched with a resolve that neither strays nor misses.

وَإِلاَّ فَإِنِّي لِلْعُلاَ غَيْرُ عَاذِرٍ

وَإِلاَّ فَإِنِّي لِلْعُلاَ غَيْرُ عَاذِرٍ

يُلاَمُ الْعُلاَ إِمَّا تَدَرَّعَ بِاللَّطِّ

يُلاَمُ الْعُلاَ إِمَّا تَدَرَّعَ بِاللَّطِّ

Otherwise, I shall grant greatness no excuse:

For otherwise, I hold no excuse for nobility;

Greatness is blamed if it dons the armor of refusal.

Nobility is to be blamed if it wears the armor of withholding.

حَنَانَيْكَ هَلْ كَأْسٌ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ مُتْرَعٌ

حَنَانَيْكَ هَلْ كَأْسٌ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ مُتْرَعٌ

يُبَرِّدُ أَحْشَاءً تَلَظَّتْ مِنَ الضَّغْطِ

يُبَرِّدُ أَحْشَاءً تَلَظَّتْ مِنَ الضَّغْطِ

I beg your mercy! Is there a brimming cup of bounty

I beseech your mercy: is there a brimming cup of grace

That cools the inward parts set aflame by distress,

To cool a heart ablaze from the pressure of hardship?

وَيُذْهِبُ إِظْلاَمَ الْفُؤَادِ صَبَاحُهُ

وَيُذْهِبُ إِظْلاَمَ الْفُؤَادِ صَبَاحُهُ

كَمَا أَذْهَبَتْ لَيْلَ الْهَوَى سُرُجُ الْقِسْطِ

كَمَا أَذْهَبَتْ لَيْلَ الْهَوَى سُرُجُ الْقِسْطِ

And whose dawn dispels the heart's darkness,

A cup whose morning radiance dispels the darkness of the soul,

As the lamps of justice dispelled the night of caprice?

Just as the lamps of justice dispel the night of wayward passions.

وَلاَ تَنْسَ يَا شَمْسَ الْهُدَى لِيَ وَالِداً

وَلاَ تَنْسَ يَا شَمْسَ الْهُدَى لِيَ وَالِداً

مُسِنّاً ضَعِيفَ الْجِسْمِ وَالرَّأْيِ وَالضَّبْطِ

مُسِنّاً ضَعِيفَ الْجِسْمِ وَالرَّأْيِ وَالضَّبْطِ

And do not forget, O sun of guidance, a father of mine,

And do not forget for my sake, O Sun of Guidance, a father,

Aged and weak in body, judgment, and self-command;

Elderly, frail in body, in judgment, and in memory.

وَمَنْ طَرَّزَتْ أَنْوَارُهُ حُلَّةَ الْهُدَى

وَمَنْ طَرَّزَتْ أَنْوَارُهُ حُلَّةَ الْهُدَى

كَمَا طَرَّزَ الْقِرْطَاسَ مُسْتَبْدَعُ الْخَطِّ

كَمَا طَرَّزَ الْقِرْطَاسَ مُسْتَبْدَعُ الْخَطِّ

And him whose lights embroidered the robe of guidance,

And he whose lights have embroidered the garment of guidance,

As exquisite script embroidered the page;

Just as creative calligraphy embroiders the parchment.

مَلاَذِي ابْنَ مَسْعُودَ الرِّضَى الْحَسَنَ الذِي

مَلاَذِي ابْنَ مَسْعُودَ الرِّضَى الْحَسَنَ الذِي

لَهُ هِمَّةٌ تُعْزَى إِلَى الْحَسَنِ السِّبْطِ

لَهُ هِمَّةٌ تُعْزَى إِلَى الْحَسَنِ السِّبْطِ

My refuge, the esteemed al-Hasan ibn Masud, whose

My refuge, Ibn Mas'ud, the pleasing Al-Hasan,

Lofty resolve is traced to al-Hasan, the Grandson;

Whose noble resolve traces back to Al-Hasan, the Prophet's grandson.

وَبَدْرَ السَّمَاحِ الْمُقْدِمِي لِمَقَامِكُمْ

وَبَدْرَ السَّمَاحِ الْمُقْدِمِي لِمَقَامِكُمْ

بِشَرْطِ دُعَاءٍ فِيهِ نَاهِيكَ مِنْ شَرْطِ

بِشَرْطِ دُعَاءٍ فِيهِ نَاهِيكَ مِنْ شَرْطِ

And the full moon of generosity, who brought me to your presence

And the full moon of grace who presented me to your station,

On condition of a prayer there—what a condition!

Upon the condition of a prayer—and what a sufficient condition that is!

مُحَمَّدٌ الْمَوْلَى أَجَلُّ بَنِي الرِّضَى

مُحَمَّدٌ الْمَوْلَى أَجَلُّ بَنِي الرِّضَى

أَخِيكَ ابْنِ رَيْسُونٍ أَخِي الْخُلُقِ السَّبْطِ

أَخِيكَ ابْنِ رَيْسُونٍ أَخِي الْخُلُقِ السَّبْطِ

Master Muhammad, noblest of the sons of that esteemed man,

Muhammad the master, the most majestic of the pleasing sons,

Your brother Ibn Raysun, a man of gentle character;

Your brother Ibn Raysun, the man of smooth and generous character.

وَفَرْخَيْنِ لِي أَهْوَى ارْتِيَاشَهُمَا بِمَا

وَفَرْخَيْنِ لِي أَهْوَى ارْتِيَاشَهُمَا بِمَا

يَحُوطُهُمَا إِنْ جَلَّ خَطْبٌ مِنَ الْقَحْطِ

يَحُوطُهُمَا إِنْ جَلَّ خَطْبٌ مِنَ الْقَحْطِ

And my two nestlings, whom I long to see feathered with what

And two little fledglings of mine, whose growth I desire,

Will shield them both should a calamity from drought grow grave.

To protect them should a great calamity of drought befall.

وَصَلِّ إِلَهِي يَا مُجِلَّ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَصَلِّ إِلَهِي يَا مُجِلَّ مُحَمَّدٍ

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةً عَرْفُهَا نَافِحُ الْقُسْطِ

عَلَيْهِ صَلاَةً عَرْفُهَا نَافِحُ الْقُسْطِ

And, my God, O You who exalt Muhammad, bestow

And send blessings, my God, O You who exalt Muhammad,

Upon him a blessing with the wafting fragrance of costus,

Upon him, a blessing whose fragrance breathes the scent of sweet costus,

وَآلِهِ طُرّاً وَالصَّحَابَةِ كُلِّهِمْ

وَآلِهِ طُرّاً وَالصَّحَابَةِ كُلِّهِمْ

وَمَنْ لَهُ فِي إِجْلاَلِهِمْ أَيُّمَا قِسْطِ

وَمَنْ لَهُ فِي إِجْلاَلِهِمْ أَيُّمَا قِسْطِ

And upon all his family and every one of the Companions,

And upon his entire family, and all of his companions,

And upon whoever has any share in honoring them.

And upon whoever holds any share in venerating them.

وَنَظِّمْ إِلَهِي سَعْيَنَا بِطَرِيقِهِمْ

وَنَظِّمْ إِلَهِي سَعْيَنَا بِطَرِيقِهِمْ

وَسُنَّتِهِمْ نَظْمَ الْجَوَاهِرِ فِي السِّمْطِ

وَسُنَّتِهِمْ نَظْمَ الْجَوَاهِرِ فِي السِّمْطِ

And string our striving, my God, along their path

And string together, my God, our endeavors upon their path,

And their practice, as jewels are strung in a necklace.

And their tradition, like the stringing of jewels upon a necklace.