وارثُ السيف والعِمامةِ والرا

وارثُ السيف والعِمامةِ والرا

يةِ مطويّةً وذاتِ القيودِ

يةِ مطويّةً وذاتِ القيودِ

Heir to the sword, the turban, and the banner,

The heir of the sword, the turban, and the lofty banner

folded up, and the armor with its fastenings,

Folded, and the shackles,

منه والبلغةُ التي كان والحر

منه والبلغةُ التي كان والحر

بُ عليها يَلقاه يومَ الوُفودِ

بُ عليها يَلقاه يومَ الوُفودِ

from him, and the mule [text: 'provision'], on which, in war,

Inherited from him, and the eloquence that he had

he would meet him on the day of delegations.

And the war against which he met the day of delegations,

وكفاه بأنّه سبقَ النا

وكفاه بأنّه سبقَ النا

سَ بفضلِ الصلاةِ والتوحيدِ

سَ بفضلِ الصلاةِ والتوحيدِ

And enough for him is that he preceded the people

It was enough for him that he preceded people

through the merit of prayer and professing God's oneness,

By virtue of prayer and monotheism,

حُججاً قبلَهم كواملَ سبعاً

حُججاً قبلَهم كواملَ سبعاً

بركوعٍ أو بسجودِ

بركوعٍ أو بسجودِ

seven full years before them,

Arguments before them, perfect sevenths

with bowing or prostration.

By bowing or prostrating.

وكفاه بألفِ ألف حديثٍ

وكفاه بألفِ ألف حديثٍ

قد وَعاهنّ من وحيٍّ مَجيدِ

قد وَعاهنّ من وحيٍّ مَجيدِ

And enough for him are a thousand thousand sayings

It was enough for him with a thousand thousand hadiths

which he retained from glorious revelation.

Which he memorized from a glorious revelation,

قد وَعاها في مجلس بمعاني

قد وَعاها في مجلس بمعاني

ها وأسبابِها ووقتِ الحُدودِ

ها وأسبابِها ووقتِ الحُدودِ

He grasped them in a sitting, with their meanings,

He memorized them in a council with their meanings,

their causes, and when the legal limits apply.

Their causes and the time of limits.

كان من قولِه ألا تعودوا

كان من قولِه ألا تعودوا

بعد موتي في رِدِّةِ وعُنودِ

بعد موتي في رِدِّةِ وعُنودِ

Among his sayings was: “Do not return,

It was from his words, do not relapse

after my death, to apostasy and defiance,

After my death in rejection and obstinacy,

تَلقّحوا الحربَ بينكم فتصيروا

تَلقّحوا الحربَ بينكم فتصيروا

في فريقين قائدٍ ومَقودِ

في فريقين قائدٍ ومَقودِ

breeding war among yourselves, so that you become

Do not start war between yourselves and become

two factions: one leading, the other led.

In two parties, a leader and led,

ولئن أنتمُ فُتنتم وخِلتم

ولئن أنتمُ فُتنتم وخِلتم

في عَمىً حائلٍ وفي تَرديدِ

في عَمىً حائلٍ وفي تَرديدِ

And if indeed you are tempted and fall into delusion,

And if you are tried and deviated

in obscuring blindness and wavering,

In confusing blindness and hesitation,

لَتروني وفي يدي السيفُ صلتاً

لَتروني وفي يدي السيفُ صلتاً

وعليّاً في فيلقٍ كالأسودِ

وعليّاً في فيلقٍ كالأسودِ

you will surely see me, the sword unsheathed in my hand,

You will see me, and in my hand the double-edged sword,

and Ali amid a host like lions,

And Ali in a regiment like lions.

تحته بَغلتي ودرعي عليه

تحته بَغلتي ودرعي عليه

وحُسامي في كفِّهِ وعَمودي

وحُسامي في كفِّهِ وعَمودي

my mule beneath him and my armor upon him,

Under him my she-camel and my armor upon him

and my blade in his palm, and my mace,

And my sword in his grip and my pillar,

فوقَه رايتي تَطيرُ بها الري

فوقَه رايتي تَطيرُ بها الري

حُ عليكم في يومِ نَحسٍ مبيدِ

حُ عليكم في يومِ نَحسٍ مبيدِ

above him my banner, borne aloft by the wind

Above him my banner which the wind makes fly

against you on an ill-omened, annihilating day.”

Upon you on an inauspicious day of annihilation.