إِنَّindeed عَليّاًAli سادَrose to eminence بِالتَكَرُّمِthrough generosity
إِنَّ عَليّاً سادَ بِالتَكَرُّمِ
وَالحِلمِand forbearance عِندَat غايَةِthe utmost limit of التَحَلُّمِself-restraint
وَالحِلمِ عِندَ غايَةِ التَحَلُّمِ
Indeed, Ali rose to eminence through generosity,
Ali excelled in generosity
And forbearance at the utmost limit of self-restraint.
And forbearance at the peak of endurance
هَداهُguided him رَبّيmy Lord لِلصِراطِto the path الأَقوَمِthe most upright
هَداهُ رَبّي لِلصِراطِ الأَقوَمِ
بِأَخذِهِthrough his embracing الحِلَّthe lawful وَتَركِand forsaking المَحرَمِthe forbidden
بِأَخذِهِ الحِلَّ وَتَركِ المَحرَمِ
My Lord guided him to the most upright path,
My Lord guided him to the straightest path
Through his embracing the lawful and forsaking the forbidden.
By taking what's permitted and leaving what is forbidden
كَاللَيثِlike the lion عِندَamong اللَبُواتِthe lionesses الضَيغَمِthe fierce biter
كَاللَيثِ عِندَ اللَبُواتِ الضَيغَمِ
يُرضِعنَthey suckle أَشبالاًcubs وَلَمّاand not yet تُفطَمِare weaned
يُرضِعنَ أَشبالاً وَلَمّا تُفطَمِ
Like a fierce lion among lionesses,
Like a lion with cubs still suckling
Who suckle cubs not yet weaned.
He feeds them until they are weaned
فَهوَso he يَحاميguards غَيرَةًjealously وَيَحتَميand protects himself
فَهوَ يَحامي غَيرَةً وَيَحتَمي
عَبلُthick الذِراعَينِof both forelegs كَريهfearsome شَدقَمِwide-mouthed
عَبلُ الذِراعَينِ كَريه شَدقَمِ
So he guards jealously and protects himself,
Then he becomes protective with jealousy and guarded
Thick of forelegs, fearsome and wide-mouthed,
With arms like pillars ugly and muscular
مُجَوَّفُhollow الجَوفِof belly نَبيلُlarge المَحزَمِaround the girth
مُجَوَّفُ الجَوفِ نَبيلُ المَحزَمِ
نَهدٌmassive كَعادِيِّlike Ad-built البِناءِmasonry المُبهَمِsealed
نَهدٌ كَعادِيِّ البِناءِ المُبهَمِ
Hollow of belly, broad around the girth,
With a hollow interior, noble waist
Massive as the sealed masonry of Ad.
A firm build like a well-constructed edifice
يَزدَجِرُgives warning الوَحيُthe swift one بِصَوتٍin a voice أَعجَمِinarticulate
يَزدَجِرُ الوَحيُ بِصَوتٍ أَعجَمِ
تَسمَعُyou hear بَعدَafter الزَبرِthe snarling rebuke وَالتَقَحُّمِand headlong charging
تَسمَعُ بَعدَ الزَبرِ وَالتَقَحُّمِ
The swift one gives warning in an inarticulate voice;
Revelation roars at him in an unfamiliar tongue
You hear, after his snarling and headlong charging,
Audible even over the clash and clamor
مِنهُfrom him إِذاwhen حَشَّrouses لَهُfor him ترَمرمa low growl
مِنهُ إِذا حَشَّ لَهُ ترَمرم
مُندَلِقُrushing الوَقعِin his stride جَرِيُّdaring المُقدَمِin attack
مُندَلِقُ الوَقعِ جَرِيُّ المُقدَمِ
From him, whenever he is roused, a low growl.
When war excites his soul, he rumbles
Swift in his stride, daring in attack,
Swiftly marching forward into the fray
لَيثُlion اللُيوثِof lions فيin الصِدامِcombat مِصدَمِa mighty batterer
لَيثُ اللُيوثِ في الصِدامِ مِصدَمِ
وَكَهَمسِand a lion اللَيلِof the night مِصَكّa hard striker مِلدَمِa pounder
وَكَهَمسِ اللَيلِ مِصَكّ مِلدَمِ
Lion of lions, a mighty batterer in combat,
The lion of lions in the clash, a smasher
And a lion of the night, striking and pounding,
Like the whispers of night, a bloodied hammer
عُفروسِa fierce lion آجامٍof thickets عُقارِa mauler of الأَقدَمِthe boldest
عُفروسِ آجامٍ عُقارِ الأَقدَمِ
كَرَوَّسِthick الذَفرِيat the nape أَغَمّshaggy مكدمbiting
كَرَوَّسِ الذَفرِي أَغَمّ مكدم
A lion of the thickets, a mauler of the boldest,
A noble steed of ancient pedigree
Thick at the nape, shaggy and biting,
Like the neck of an ostrich, gloomy and somber
ذوpossessing جَبهَةٍa forehead غَرّاًbright وَأَنفٍand a nose أَختَمِblack-tipped
ذو جَبهَةٍ غَرّاً وَأَنفٍ أَختَمِ
يُكنىis called by the epithet مِنَfor البَأسِferocity أباAbu (father of) مُحَطِّمِMuhattim (crusher)
يُكنى مِنَ البَأسِ أبا مُحَطِّمِ
With a bright brow and a black-tipped nose.
With an intense brow and sealing nose
For his ferocity he is called Abu Muhattim.
Nicknamed the destroyer in valor
قَسورَةa fierce lion عَبسٍfrowning صَفِيِّexceptional شَجعَمِhuge
قَسورَة عَبسٍ صَفِيِّ شَجعَمِ
صمَّsolid صَماتsilent مُصَلخَدٍrock-hard صَلدَمِunyielding
صمَّ صَمات مُصَلخَدٍ صَلدَمِ
A fierce lion, frowning, exceptional and huge,
Scowling with purity, courageous and daring
Solid, silent, rock-hard and unyielding,
Deafening any deafness, silencing any uproar
مُصَمَّتِsolidly built الصُمِّamong the solid صَموتٍsilent سِرطِمvoracious
مُصَمَّتِ الصُمِّ صَموتٍ سِرطِم
إِذاwhen رَأَتهُthey see him الأُسدُthe lions لَمdo not تَرَمرَمِgrowl
إِذا رَأَتهُ الأُسدُ لَم تَرَمرَمِ
Solid among the solid, silent and voracious.
When lionesses see him they do not roar
When lions see him, they do not growl,
For fear of death, they do not bare teeth
مِنfrom هَيرَةِdread of المَوتِdeath وَلَمand do not تُجَمجِمِmurmur
مِن هَيرَةِ المَوتِ وَلَم تُجَمجِمِ
رَهبَةَfor fear of مَرهوبِone dreaded اللِقاءِin encounter ضَيغَمِa fierce lion
رَهبَةَ مَرهوبِ اللِقاءِ ضَيغَمِ
From dread of death, nor do they murmur,
Fearful of the feared meeting, gloomy
For fear of a fierce lion dreaded in encounter,
Snarling in manner, harmful and malignant
مُجَرمِزٍcoiled to spring شانٍgrim ضِرارٍdestructive شَيظَمِtowering
مُجَرمِزٍ شانٍ ضِرارٍ شَيظَمِ
عِندَduring العِراكِthe struggle كَالفَنيقِlike the prized stud camel الأَعلَمِsplit-upper-lipped
عِندَ العِراكِ كَالفَنيقِ الأَعلَمِ
Coiled to spring, grim, destructive and towering,
In battle like the foremost flag
In the struggle, like a slit-lipped stud camel.
Making the enemy flee with known weapons
يَفريrends الكَمِيَّthe armored warrior بِالسِلاحِwith weapons المُعلَمِmarked
يَفري الكَمِيَّ بِالسِلاحِ المُعلَمِ
مِنهُof his بِأَنيابٍwith fangs وَلَمّاand not yet تُقضَمِare chipped
مِنهُ بِأَنيابٍ وَلَمّا تُقضَمِ
He rends the armored warrior bearing marked weapons,
With fangs but no compromise
With fangs of his that have not yet been chipped.
A pillar of strength with firm, determined jaws
رُكنٍstalwart مُماضيغٍa mighty chewer بِلَحيٍwith a jaw سَلجَمِlong
رُكنٍ مُماضيغٍ بِلَحيٍ سَلجَمِ
حاميguardian of الذِمارِwhat must be defended وَهوَand he لَمّاnot yet يُكدَمِis bitten
حامي الذِمارِ وَهوَ لَمّا يُكدَمِ
Stalwart, a mighty chewer with a long jaw,
Defending his rights without being subdued
A guardian of his charges, himself not yet bitten.
You see the horses bleed from his attack
تَرىyou see مِنَfrom الفَرسِrending prey بِهِon him نَضحَspray of الدَمِblood
تَرى مِنَ الفَرسِ بِهِ نَضحَ الدَمِ
بِالنَحرِat the throat وَالشِدقَينِand both mouth-corners لَونَthe color of العَندَمِred dye
بِالنَحرِ وَالشِدقَينِ لَونَ العَندَمِ
You see on him blood-spray from rending prey,
From throat to cheek, the color of red stain
At his throat and both mouth-corners, the hue of red dye.
He has often bloodied snobbish noses
أَغلَبُthick-necked كَمhow many رَضَّcrushed أُنوفَnoses of الرُغَّمِthe humbled
أَغلَبُ كَم رَضَّ أُنوفَ الرُغَّمِ
إِذاwhen الأسودُthe lions أَحجَمَتdrew back لَمdid not يَحجمِretreat
إِذا الأسودُ أَحجَمَت لَم يَحجمِ
Thick-necked—how many noses of the humbled he has crushed!
When the lions shrink away, he does not refrain
When lions draw back, he does not retreat.
Vicious and audacious with slyness and guile
خُبَعثَنٌmassive أَشوسُfierce-eyed ذوpossessing تَهَكُّمِmenace
خُبَعثَنٌ أَشوسُ ذو تَهَكُّمِ
مُشتَبِكُinterlocking الأَنيابِfangs ذوpossessing تَبَرطُمِsullen rage
مُشتَبِكُ الأَنيابِ ذو تَبَرطُمِ
Massive, fierce-eyed, full of menace,
Baring interlocked fangs with savagery
His fangs interlocking, filled with sullen rage,
With awe and terror, seriousness and purpose
وَذوand possessing أَهاويلَterrors وَذوand possessing تَجَهُّمِscowling menace
وَذو أَهاويلَ وَذو تَجَهُّمِ
ساطٍassailing عَلىagainst اللَيثِthe lion الهِزَبرِthe mighty one الضَيغَمِthe fierce biter
ساطٍ عَلى اللَيثِ الهِزَبرِ الضَيغَمِ
And full of terrors, and full of scowling menace,
Throwing down the fierce lion, gloomy and dim
Assailing the mighty, biting lion.
With eyes like flaming comets
وَعَينُهُand his eye مِثلَlike الشِهابthe firebrand المُضرَمblazing
وَعَينُهُ مِثلَ الشِهاب المُضرَم
وَهامُهُand his head كَالحَجرِlike a stone المُلَملَمِrounded
وَهامُهُ كَالحَجرِ المُلَملَمِ
And his eye is like a blazing firebrand,
And zeal like polished rocks
And his head like a rounded stone.
When whispering to himself, he says: decide!
إِذاwhen تُناجيwhispers النَفسthe soul قالَتit says صَمِّمpress on resolutely
إِذا تُناجي النَفس قالَت صَمِّم
غَمغَمَةًin a low murmur فيwithin جَوفِهاits depths المُغَمغَمِmuffled
غَمغَمَةً في جَوفِها المُغَمغَمِ
When the soul whispers, it says, 'Press on!'
Murmuring in his murmuring soul
In a low murmur within its muffled depths.
More cutting than a sharp and clever tongue
أَغضَفَshaggy رِئبالٍa lion خِدَبٍmassive فَدغَمِhulking
أَغضَفَ رِئبالٍ خِدَبٍ فَدغَمِ
مُنتَشِرُspreading العُرفِthe mane هَضيمlean-bellied هَيصَمِmighty
مُنتَشِرُ العُرفِ هَضيم هَيصَمِ
A shaggy lion, massive and hulking,
Spreading his scent, tearing and ripping to shreds
His mane spreading wide, lean-bellied and mighty.
Partial English translation: 45 of 46 Arabic lines translated.