أضحتْ ثغورُ النّصرِ تبسمُ بالظَفَر

أضحتْ ثغورُ النّصرِ تبسمُ بالظَفَر

وغدتْ خيولُ النّصرِ واضحةَ الغُرر

وغدتْ خيولُ النّصرِ واضحةَ الغُرر

The mouths of victory now smile in triumph.

The lips of victory smile with triumph,

And victory's horses now display bright white blazes.

And the steeds of victory display their pearls.

يا ابنَ السّراةِ ذوي العُلى من هاشمٍ

يا ابنَ السّراةِ ذوي العُلى من هاشمٍ

والأكرمينَ أُولي المناقبِ من مُضرْ

والأكرمينَ أُولي المناقبِ من مُضرْ

O son of the nobles, men of eminence from Hashim,

O son of the saddle-makers, the lofty Hashimites,

And of the most noble, possessors of virtues from Mudar,

And the most generous, the nobles of Mudar.

مُتقلّدي الذِّكر المنزَّل فيهمُ

مُتقلّدي الذِّكر المنزَّل فيهمُ

إنْ نازلوا بَدلاً العَضْب الذَّكرْ

إنْ نازلوا بَدلاً العَضْب الذَّكرْ

Girded with the Revelation sent down among them,

Bearers of the Revealed Remembrance descended among them,

And, if they fight, with the keen, sturdy sword instead.

When they come down to a land, the Remembrance comes down.

أَنتَ ابنُ عمِّ المصطفى وسميُّه

أَنتَ ابنُ عمِّ المصطفى وسميُّه

أَبشرْ فإنّكَ بعدَهُ خيرُ البشرْ

أَبشرْ فإنّكَ بعدَهُ خيرُ البشرْ

You are the Chosen One's cousin and namesake.

You are the cousin of Mustafa and his namesake,

Rejoice, for after him you are the best of humankind.

Receive good tidings, for after him you are the best of men.

من راحتيكَ المُزن في المَحْلِ اجتدى

من راحتيكَ المُزن في المَحْلِ اجتدى

وإلى سَناكَ البدرُ في الليلِ افتقرْ

وإلى سَناكَ البدرُ في الليلِ افتقرْ

From your two palms the rain clouds begged in drought,

From your rest the misfortunes became energetic,

And the full moon at night needed your radiance.

And to your brilliance the full moon in the night needed.

أَدنى وليٍ في رضاكَ مُعظّم

أَدنى وليٍ في رضاكَ مُعظّم

وأَجلُّ ذي مُلْكٍ بسخطكَ مُحتقرْ

وأَجلُّ ذي مُلْكٍ بسخطكَ مُحتقرْ

The humblest ally is exalted by your favor,

The lowest of your allies is revered,

And the greatest sovereign is despised under your displeasure.

And the greatest king is despised by your anger.

أضحى حمى الباغي رضاكَ ممنّعاً

أضحى حمى الباغي رضاكَ ممنّعاً

بينَ الورى وغدا دمُ الباغي هدَرْ

بينَ الورى وغدا دمُ الباغي هدَرْ

The sanctuary of one seeking your favor has become impregnable

The sanctuary of the rebel has become forbidden by your pleasure,

Among mankind, while the rebel's blood is forfeit.

And the blood of the rebel free among mankind.

لو كنتَ في زمنِ النبيِّ لأُنزِلتْ

لو كنتَ في زمنِ النبيِّ لأُنزِلتْ

في هذهِ السِّير التي لكم سُورْ

في هذهِ السِّير التي لكم سُورْ

Had you lived in the Prophet's time, there would have been revealed

If you were in the time of the Prophet,

Chapters on these deeds of yours.

Verses would have been revealed in these biographies that are dedicated to you.

بكمُ الورى في نعمةٍ لا تنقضي

بكمُ الورى في نعمةٍ لا تنقضي

لا تنقضي واللّه نعمةُ من شكَرْ

لا تنقضي واللّه نعمةُ من شكَرْ

Through you mankind enjoys a blessing that never ends.

Through you mankind lives in unending bounty,

By God, the blessing of whoever gives thanks never ends.

A bounty that, by God, will not end through one who gives thanks.

في أَنفسٍ بكم تُقرُّ وأَلنسٍ

في أَنفسٍ بكم تُقرُّ وأَلنسٍ

بكمُ يقرُّ وأَعينٍ بكم تقرْ

بكمُ يقرُّ وأَعينٍ بكم تقرْ

In souls kept secure through you, and tongues

In souls appeased through you, in softness,

That acknowledge you, and eyes gladdened by you.

Through you it appeases, and in eyes, through you they see.

عاصيكمُ لم يقضِ إلاّ نحبَهُ

عاصيكمُ لم يقضِ إلاّ نحبَهُ

من دهرهِ ومطيعكم إلاّ الوَطَرْ

من دهرهِ ومطيعكم إلاّ الوَطَرْ

Whoever disobeys you meets nothing but his death

Whoever disobeys you reaches only his demise

In his lifetime; whoever obeys you gains only his desire.

From his days, and whoever obeys you, only joy.

لما شفعتَ العزمَ وهو مؤيّدٌ

لما شفعتَ العزمَ وهو مؤيّدٌ

بالحزمِ أَسفرَ بالمُنى منكَ السّفَرْ

بالحزمِ أَسفرَ بالمُنى منكَ السّفَرْ

When you redoubled resolve, already sustained

When you combined determination, strengthened

By prudence, your expedition shone with wishes fulfilled.

By wisdom, your travel was illuminated by purpose.

وبرزتَ مثلَ الشمّسِ تُشرق للورى

وبرزتَ مثلَ الشمّسِ تُشرق للورى

وسَناكَ يحجُبُ عنكَ ناظرَ مَنْ نَظَرْ

وسَناكَ يحجُبُ عنكَ ناظرَ مَنْ نَظَرْ

And you appeared like the sun, shining upon mankind,

You appeared like the shining sun, illuminating the world,

And your radiance keeps every beholder's gaze from reaching you.

While your brilliance veils from you the onlooker's sight.

في شيبةٍ مفطورةٍ لله من

في شيبةٍ مفطورةٍ لله من

أَنوارهِ سبحانَهُ فيما فَطَرْ

أَنوارهِ سبحانَهُ فيما فَطَرْ

With white hair fashioned by God from

In a natural whiteness from His lights,

His lights—glory be to Him for what He has fashioned.

Glory be to Him for what He originated.

بيضاء يستسقي بها صوبُ الحيا

بيضاء يستسقي بها صوبُ الحيا

وبأصلها إذ أجدبوا استسقى عُمَرْ

وبأصلها إذ أجدبوا استسقى عُمَرْ

White, through which the pouring rain is sought,

A whiteness whose direction the living petition when thirsty,

And through its forebear Umar sought rain when drought befell them.

And through its origin, when they were barren, Umar petitioned rain.

وكأَنما تلك المظلّةُ هالةٌ

وكأَنما تلك المظلّةُ هالةٌ

وجه الإمام يضيء فيها كالقَمَرْ

وجه الإمام يضيء فيها كالقَمَرْ

And that canopy seems a halo,

As if that shade were a halo,

Within which the Imam's face shines like the moon.

With the Imam's face illuminating through it like the moon.

للهِ جيشٌ للخليفةِ قادَهُ

للهِ جيشٌ للخليفةِ قادَهُ

ربُّ الخليفة بالميامنِ والظّفَر

ربُّ الخليفة بالميامنِ والظّفَر

God be praised for the caliph's army, led

For God is an army led for the Caliph

By the caliph's Lord with good fortune and triumph.

By the Lord of the Caliph with favor and triumph.

مَجْرٌ إذا جَرَّ القنا لا يرتضي

مَجْرٌ إذا جَرَّ القنا لا يرتضي

وَجْهَ المجرَّةِ أَنْ يكونَ لها مَجَرْ

وَجْهَ المجرَّةِ أَنْ يكونَ لها مَجَرْ

An immense host that, when it trails its spears, will not accept

A torrent, when the channels overflow, does not accept

The face of the Milky Way as a course for them.

That its course's direction be a course for it.

أَشجارُ خطٍّ إن تشاجرت العدى

أَشجارُ خطٍّ إن تشاجرت العدى

أَضحتْ لها هاماتُ مُخيطهم ثمر

أَضحتْ لها هاماتُ مُخيطهم ثمر

Trees of Khatt: when the foes clash,

Trees of lineage, if the enemies dispute,

The heads of those they pierce become their fruit.

Become for them stubborn camels whose humps bear fruit.

فوق الجياد الجُردِ ما وردت وغىً

فوق الجياد الجُردِ ما وردت وغىً

إلاّ وخيل عدوّها عنها صَدَرْ

إلاّ وخيل عدوّها عنها صَدَرْ

Above sleek steeds, they never enter a battle

Above the smooth steeds they did not charge disturbance,

Without the horses of their foe retreating from them.

Except their horses' chests defended them from it.

يتركن في الظمأ الزُّلال بصفوه

يتركن في الظمأ الزُّلال بصفوه

ويَرِدْنَ في الرَّوعَ الدِّماء على كَدَرْ

ويَرِدْنَ في الرَّوعَ الدِّماء على كَدَرْ

They leave pure water in its clarity, even when thirsty,

They leave fresh water in thirst for its purity,

And amid battle's terror drink blood, despite its murk.

And they attain in alarm blood in its turbidity.

فالأرضُ وهي فسيحةٌ ضاقتْ به

فالأرضُ وهي فسيحةٌ ضاقتْ به

وعلى العدى منه فما وجدوا مَقَرْ

وعلى العدى منه فما وجدوا مَقَرْ

So the earth, though vast, grew narrow with it,

So the earth, however spacious, narrowed around him,

And closed in on the foes because of it; they found no refuge.

And the enemies found against him no refuge.

قد أَوقدوا ناراً هم احترقوا بها

قد أَوقدوا ناراً هم احترقوا بها

وشرارِهم متطايرٌ بهم الشَّرَرْ

وشرارِهم متطايرٌ بهم الشَّرَرْ

They kindled a fire in which they themselves burned,

They ignited a fire and were consumed by it,

And the sparks fly, bearing their wicked ones away.

With their ashes and embers scattered about.

لما أَبوا ما فيه خيرُهمُ أَتوا

لما أَبوا ما فيه خيرُهمُ أَتوا

ما فيهم بَشَرٌ نجا إلاّ بِشَرْ

ما فيهم بَشَرٌ نجا إلاّ بِشَرْ

When they refused what held their good, they came—

When they refused what was best for them, they came upon

Not a man among them escaped except with harm.

What was worst for them - none were saved but the wretched.

هذي أميرَ المؤمنين قصيدةٌ

هذي أميرَ المؤمنين قصيدةٌ

غرّاءُ تَقْصدُ قبّةَ الملكِ الأغَرْ

غرّاءُ تَقْصدُ قبّةَ الملكِ الأغَرْ

Here, Commander of the Faithful, is a poem,

This, O Commander of the Faithful, is a poem,

Radiant, seeking the dome of resplendent sovereignty.

Virtuous, seeking the pavilion of the most generous king.

حسناءُ يَهديها وليٌّ مُخلصٌ

حسناءُ يَهديها وليٌّ مُخلصٌ

لكم الولاءَ فأَوْلها حسنَ النّظرْ

لكم الولاءَ فأَوْلها حسنَ النّظرْ

Lovely, offered by an ally sincere

Beautiful - presented by a loyal ally to you -

In his loyalty to you; grant it your kindly regard.

To whom allegiance is due. So begin it with a gracious glance!

صُوَرٌ تقوم بها معانٍ منكمُ

صُوَرٌ تقوم بها معانٍ منكمُ

إنّ المعانيَ زائناتٌ للصُّوَرْ

إنّ المعانيَ زائناتٌ للصُّوَرْ

Forms in which meanings drawn from you take shape;

It is formed of images describing you.

Indeed, meanings adorn forms.

Indeed the meanings are adornments of forms.

دقّتْ لمعنى السِّحر إلاّ أَنّها

دقّتْ لمعنى السِّحر إلاّ أَنّها

راقتْ ورقّتْ مثل أَنفاسِ السّحَرْ

راقتْ ورقّتْ مثل أَنفاسِ السّحَرْ

It has the subtlety of magic, yet

It approaches the meaning of magic, were it not

Is lovely and delicate as the breaths before dawn.

That it flowed and floated like the breaths of magic.

لما رأَيتُ مَنارَ بيتكَ كعبةً

لما رأَيتُ مَنارَ بيتكَ كعبةً

وافيتُ فيمن حَجَّ بيتكَ واعتمرْ

وافيتُ فيمن حَجَّ بيتكَ واعتمرْ

When I saw the beacon of your house as a Kaaba,

When I saw the minaret of your house as a Kaaba,

I came among those who made pilgrimage to your house and performed Umrah.

I came as one performing pilgrimage and umrah to your house.

وهجرتُ أَوطاني إليه ومَن رأَى

وهجرتُ أَوطاني إليه ومَن رأَى

شرفاً له في أَنْ يفارقها هَجَرْ

شرفاً له في أَنْ يفارقها هَجَرْ

And I forsook my homelands for it; whoever sees

I abandoned my homelands to it, and whoever sees

Honor for himself in leaving them departs.

Honor for himself in parting with it, parts.

ونأَيتُ عن قومي ليرفعَ دونهم

ونأَيتُ عن قومي ليرفعَ دونهم

قدري اصطناعُك لي فجئتُ على قدرْ

قدري اصطناعُك لي فجئتُ على قدرْ

And I went far from my people so that, apart from them,

I distanced myself from my people so that

Your patronage might raise my rank; so I came as fate ordained.

My worth might rise above them through your patronage. So I came to match it.