إِذا نَحنُ فَضَّلنا عَلِيّاً فَإِنَّنا

إِذا نَحنُ فَضَّلنا عَلِيّاً فَإِنَّنا

روافِضُ بِالتَفضيلِ عِندَ ذَوي الجَهلِ

روافِضُ بِالتَفضيلِ عِندَ ذَوي الجَهلِ

If we prefer Ali, then we are

When we prefer Ali, they say we are rafida,

Rafidis for that preference, in the eyes of the ignorant.

The ignorants accuse us of excess in partiality.

وَفَضلُ أَبي بَكرٍ إِذا ما ذَكَرتُهُ

وَفَضلُ أَبي بَكرٍ إِذا ما ذَكَرتُهُ

رُميتُ بِنَصبِ عِندَ ذِكري لِلفَضلِ

رُميتُ بِنَصبِ عِندَ ذِكري لِلفَضلِ

And whenever I mention Abu Bakr's merit,

And when I mention the excellence of Abu Bakr,

I am accused of hostility to Ali for mentioning that merit.

I am accused of being a nasibi when I acknowledge merit.

فَلا زِلتُ ذا رَفضٍ وَنَصبِ كِلاهُما

فَلا زِلتُ ذا رَفضٍ وَنَصبِ كِلاهُما

بِحِبَّيهِما حَتّى أُوَسَّدَ في الرَملِ

بِحِبَّيهِما حَتّى أُوَسَّدَ في الرَملِ

So may I never cease to bear both 'rejection' and 'hostility,'

So I have remained both a rafida and a nasibi,

Through my love for them both, until I am laid to rest in the sand.

Out of love for both, until I lie in the sand.