فؤادُheart عليٍّof Ali بالسَّماحِto generosity عَلوقُdeeply attached
فؤادُ عليٍّ بالسَّماحِ عَلوقُ
وبِشْرُand the smiling face عليٍّof Ali بالسَّماحِwith generosity يَروقُdelights
وبِشْرُ عليٍّ بالسَّماحِ يَروقُ
Ali's heart is devoted to generosity,
Ali's heart is high with generosity,
And Ali's smiling face delights through generosity.
And Ali's face radiates with generosity.
فمَنْso whoever كانَwas أضحَىbecame للمَكارِمِto noble deeds صاحباًa companion
فمَنْ كانَ أضحَى للمَكارِمِ صاحباً
فأَنتَthen you لهاto them ياO ابْنَson الحُسَينِof al-Husayn شَقيقُa full brother
فأَنتَ لها يا ابْنَ الحُسَينِ شَقيقُ
If anyone has become a companion to noble deeds,
Whoever is a companion of virtues,
Then you are their full brother, O son of al-Husayn.
You, O son of Hussein, are his brother.
طَرَقتُكَI visited you by night مُمتاحاًseeking bounty وليسَand there is no لِطَارِقٍfor a night visitor
طَرَقتُكَ مُمتاحاً وليسَ لِطَارِقٍ
يَرومُكَseeking you منbecause of وَقْعِthe onslaught الضَّريبِof frost طَريقُa path
يَرومُكَ من وَقْعِ الضَّريبِ طَريقُ
I came to you by night seeking bounty, though no visitor
I came to you seeking refuge, while no seeker
Seeking you has a path through the frost's onslaught.
Aims at you fearing hardship from you.
جَنوبٌa south wind تَحُثُّdrives المُزْنَthe rain clouds حَثّاًforcefully وشَمْأَلٌand a north wind
جَنوبٌ تَحُثُّ المُزْنَ حَثّاً وشَمْأَلٌ
يُعَبِّسُfrowns منهbecause of it الوجهُthe face وهوthough it is طَليقُcheerful
يُعَبِّسُ منه الوجهُ وهو طَليقُ
A south wind drives the rain clouds fiercely, and a north wind
Makes even a cheerful face frown.
Scorching heat clothed the land with its garment,
وحَرُّand the heat حريقٍof a blaze ألبسَclothed الأَرْضَthe earth ثَوبَهits robe
وحَرُّ حريقٍ ألبسَ الأَرْضَ ثَوبَه
يُخافُis feared علىfor الأَقدامِthe feet منهfrom it حَريقُburning
يُخافُ على الأَقدامِ منه حَريقُ
And the heat of a blaze has clothed the earth in its robe;
Feared by feet with its burning.
One fears that it will burn the feet.
The morning breeze stirs up turbulence in the air,
تُثيرُstirs up الصَّباthe east wind فيin الجَوِّthe air منهfrom it عَجاجَةًa dust cloud
تُثيرُ الصَّبا في الجَوِّ منه عَجاجَةً
كماjust as انتشَرَscattered الكافورُcamphor وهوwhile it is سَحيقُfinely powdered
كما انتشَرَ الكافورُ وهو سَحيقُ
The east wind stirs up from it a dust cloud in the air,
As camphor spreads while ground.
As camphor scatters when ground to powder.
The new moon deserted visiting its companion,
فقدfor indeed هجرَabandoned الخُلُّthe close friend الوَصولُdevoted خَليلَهhis companion
فقد هجرَ الخُلُّ الوَصولُ خَليلَه
ولمand did not يَحْظَenjoy good fortune فيهin it بالصَّديقِwith a friend صَديقُa friend
ولم يَحْظَ فيه بالصَّديقِ صَديقُ
For the devoted friend has abandoned his companion,
And no friend obtained loyalty from a friend.
And in it no friend has enjoyed a friend's company.
Light duty turned away while crumpled,
وعادَand became خَفيفُlight الفَرْضِobligatory worship وهوwhile it was مُنَفَّلٌsupplemented with voluntary devotions
وعادَ خَفيفُ الفَرْضِ وهو مُنَفَّلٌ
عليَّfor me ورَقَّand grew thin الدِّينُreligion وهوthough it was صَفيقُthickly woven
عليَّ ورَقَّ الدِّينُ وهو صَفيقُ
And light obligatory worship, with voluntary devotions added, grew burdensome
Burdening me while the debt is light.
To me; religion grew thin, though its fabric was thick.
The limit of ability loosened only with coffee
وماand not انفلَّwas blunted حَدُّthe edge القُرِّof bitter cold إلاexcept بِقَهْوَةٍby wine
وما انفلَّ حَدُّ القُرِّ إلا بِقَهْوَةٍ
تَرَقرَقُshimmers فيin كاساتِهاits cups فَتَرُوقُand so delights
تَرَقرَقُ في كاساتِها فَتَرُوقُ
And the edge of bitter cold was blunted only by wine,
That ripples in its cups attractively.
Which shimmers in its cups and delights the eye.
If it wears its clothes, it is precious,
إذاwhen لَبِسَتْit dons أثوابَهاits garments فعَقيقَةٌthen it is carnelian
إذا لَبِسَتْ أثوابَها فعَقيقَةٌ
وإنand if نَشَرَتْit releases أنفاسَهاits breaths فَخَلوقُthen it is saffron perfume
وإن نَشَرَتْ أنفاسَها فَخَلوقُ
When it dons its garments, it is a carnelian gem;
And if it spreads its breaths, it is gentle.
And if it releases its breaths, it is saffron perfume.
Its cup circulates among us in waves,
تَدورُgoes round عليناamong us كأسُهاits cup فيin غَلائِلٍfine robes
تَدورُ علينا كأسُها في غَلائِلٍ
رِقاقٍthin تَرُدُّrestores العَيْشَlife وهوthough it is رَقيقُfrail
رِقاقٍ تَرُدُّ العَيْشَ وهو رَقيقُ
Its cup goes round among us in robes
Fine, making life pleasant and delicate.
Fine-spun, restoring life though it is frail.
So dress me with it when I recover,
فألبسso I put on منهاfrom it جنةa shield حينwhen انتشىbecome tipsy
فألبس منها جنة حين انتشى
وأخلعهاand I take it off بالكرهreluctantly حينwhen أفيقI sober up
وأخلعها بالكره حين أفيق
So I don a shield of it when I grow tipsy,
And take it off unwillingly when I wake up.
And reluctantly take it off when I sober up.
I am content with calling you for it,
وإنّيand I am indeed خَليقٌworthy منfrom نَداكَyour bounty بنَيْلِهاof obtaining it
وإنّي خَليقٌ من نَداكَ بنَيْلِها
وأنتَand you بماof what أُولِيتُI was granted منكَfrom you خَليقُworthy
وأنتَ بما أُولِيتُ منكَ خَليقُ
And I am worthy of receiving it from your bounty,
And you are, with what I have been given by you, content.
And you are worthy of what you have bestowed on me.
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.