يَاO نَسِيمَbreeze الرَّقَمتَيْنِal-Raqmatayn
يَا نَسِيمَ الرَّقَمتَيْنِ
وَضِياءَand light النَيِّرَيْنthe two luminaries
وَضِياءَ النَيِّرَيْن
O breeze of al-Raqmatayn,
O breeze of the two meadows
and light of the two luminaries,
And radiance of the two lights
أبلِغَاconvey, you two مِنِّيfrom me سَلاماًgreetings
أبلِغَا مِنِّي سَلاماً
لِعَليّto Ali بنِson of حُسَينHusayn
لِعَليّ بنِ حُسَين
Convey my greetings, you two,
Convey my greetings
to Ali ibn Husayn,
To Ali son of Hussein
طَالِعِrising star السعدِgood fortune المَعلىthe exalted
طَالِعِ السعدِ المَعلى
وكَرِيمِand generous الرَّاحَتَينboth palms
وكَرِيمِ الرَّاحَتَين
the exalted rising star of good fortune,
The rising of good fortune
and generous with both palms.
And generous of the two rests
مَلِكٌa king أثنَىpraised عَلَيهِupon him
مَلِكٌ أثنَى عَلَيهِ
فِعلُهُhis deeds فِيin الرَّامَتَينِal-Ramatayn
فِعلُهُ فِي الرَّامَتَينِ
A king praised
A king whose deeds in the two spear-throws
by his deeds at al-Ramatayn.
Have earned him praise
وَفَّرَstrengthened المُلكَsovereignty بِرِفْقٍwith gentleness
وَفَّرَ المُلكَ بِرِفْقٍ
جَعَلَmade الأصْعَبَthe hardest هَينeasy
جَعَلَ الأصْعَبَ هَين
He strengthened his rule with gentleness,
Who eased kingship with gentleness
He made the hardest easy,
And made the most difficult easy
بِخِصَالٍthrough qualities لَمْdid not يَحُزْهَاpossess them
بِخِصَالٍ لَمْ يَحُزْهَا
يَزَنٌYazan أوْor ذُوDhu (possessor of) رُعَينْRuʿayn
يَزَنٌ أوْ ذُو رُعَينْ
through qualities never possessed
With qualities unmatched
by Yazan or Dhu Ruʿayn.
By any highly-esteemed knight
طَيِّبُkind القَلبِthe heart عَفِيفٌvirtuous
طَيِّبُ القَلبِ عَفِيفٌ
فِيin لِسَانٍtongue وَيَدَيْنand both hands
فِي لِسَانٍ وَيَدَيْن
Kind of heart and virtuous
Pure of heart and chaste of speech
in tongue and both hands.
Of tongue and hands serene
ذوpossessed of وقارٍdignity ماnot رأيناwe have seen
ذو وقارٍ ما رأينا
مثلهhis like فيin لسانٍtongue ويدينand both hands
مثله في لسانٍ ويدين
Possessed of dignity—we have never seen
Of dignity, none have we seen
his like in tongue and both hands.
His equal in tongue and hands
ليسthere is not فيin ملكهhis rule كبرٌarrogance
ليس في ملكه كبرٌ
ويرىand he regards الإحسانَbenevolence دينa creed
ويرى الإحسانَ دين
There is no arrogance in his rule,
No arrogance in his rule
and he regards benevolence as a creed.
He sees kindness as faith
يسبكhe casts الألْفَاظَthe words تِبْراًunminted gold
يسبك الألْفَاظَ تِبْراً
بَعْدَمَاafter كَانَتْthey had been لُجَيْنsilver
بَعْدَمَا كَانَتْ لُجَيْن
He casts words into gold,
He casts words into fine pearls
after they had been silver.
After they were unsmooth terrain
يَعرِفُrecognizes التوفِيقَdivine favor فِيهِin him
يَعرِفُ التوفِيقَ فِيهِ
مَنْwhoever لَهُhe has قَلبٌa heart وَعَيْنand an eye
مَنْ لَهُ قَلبٌ وَعَيْن
The divine favor in him is recognized
Those with heart and insight know
by anyone with a heart and an eye.
The guidance granted him
أصْدَقُmost truthful الناسِof people حَدِيثاًin speech
أصْدَقُ الناسِ حَدِيثاً
أينَwhere مَنْone who يَحكِيهِmatches him أيْنwhere
أينَ مَنْ يَحكِيهِ أيْن
The most truthful of people in speech—
Truest of men in speech
where is one who matches him, where?
Where is one who speaks of him? Where?
فَهْوَso he is مِنْbecause of ذَاكَthat حَبِيبٌbeloved
فَهْوَ مِنْ ذَاكَ حَبِيبٌ
لِقُلُوبِto the hearts الثَّقَلَيْنhumankind and jinn
لِقُلُوبِ الثَّقَلَيْن
So, for that reason, he is beloved
For he is beloved to the hearts
to the hearts of humankind and jinn.
Of mankind and jinn alike
لَوْif نَضَاcast off عَنهُfrom himself كِسَاهُhis clothing
لَوْ نَضَا عَنهُ كِسَاهُ
لَبَدَاhe would appear فِيin حُلَّتَيْنtwo robes
لَبَدَا فِي حُلَّتَيْن
If he cast off his clothing,
If his robe were lifted from him
he would appear in two robes,
He would shine in two garments
مِنْof جَمَالٍbeauty وَكَمَالٍand perfection
مِنْ جَمَالٍ وَكَمَالٍ
أغْنَيَاboth removed the need عَنْfor كُلّevery زَيْنadornment
أغْنَيَا عَنْ كُلّ زَيْن
of beauty and perfection,
Of such beauty and perfection
both making every adornment needless.
Beyond all other adornment
يَاO أخَاbrother of المَعْرُوفِbenevolence حَقّاًtruly
يَا أخَا المَعْرُوفِ حَقّاً
يَاO ضِيَاءَlight المُقْلَتَيْنboth eyes
يَا ضِيَاءَ المُقْلَتَيْن
O true brother of benevolence,
O brother of kindness in truth
O light of both eyes,
O radiance of my two eyelids
بَيْعَتِيmy pledge of allegiance وَاللهِby God صِدقاٌsincere
بَيْعَتِي وَاللهِ صِدقاٌ
ثابتاًsteadfast ماno فيهin it مينfalsehood
ثابتاً ما فيه مين
my pledge of allegiance is, by God, sincere,
My pledge by God is sincere
steadfast, with no falsehood in it.
Secure, without wavering
ولناand we have منكمfrom you أمانassurance of safety
ولنا منكم أمان
قبلbefore هذاthis مرتينtwice
قبل هذا مرتين
And we have had your assurance of safety
And we have safety from you
twice before this.
Twice before this
وأناand I am واللهby God صفرٌdestitute
وأنا والله صفرٌ
منof كلاboth مالٍproperty وعينand cash
من كلا مالٍ وعين
And I am, by God, destitute
By God, all I own
of both property and cash.
Of possessions is not worth two hundred
لَيْسَthere is not عِندِيin my possession مَاanything that يُسَاوِيis worth
لَيْسَ عِندِي مَا يُسَاوِي
مِنْof أثَاثٍhousehold goods مَائِتَيْنtwo hundred
مِنْ أثَاثٍ مَائِتَيْن
I have nothing worth
Save for a house we live in
two hundred in household goods,
With five sons and two daughters
غَيْرَexcept دَارٍa house نَحْنُwe فِيهَاin it
غَيْرَ دَارٍ نَحْنُ فِيهَا
خَمْسُfive أبْنَاsons وابْنَتَيْنand two daughters
خَمْسُ أبْنَا وابْنَتَيْن
except a house in which we live—
Barely getting by on barley
five sons and two daughters.
For two years now
غَالِبُmost of القُوتِthe food شَعِيرٌbarley
غَالِبُ القُوتِ شَعِيرٌ
عِنْدَنَاin our household مُذْfor سَنَتَيْنtwo years
عِنْدَنَا مُذْ سَنَتَيْن
Most of the food has been barley
Cursed be this lying world
in our household these past two years.
And again cursed two curses
لُعِنَmay be cursed الكَاذِبُthe liar دُنْيَاin this world
لُعِنَ الكَاذِبُ دُنْيَا
ثُمَّthen أخْرَىthe next world لَعْنَتَيْنtwo curses
ثُمَّ أخْرَى لَعْنَتَيْن
May the liar be cursed in this world,
Be my protection from enviers
then in the next—two curses.
Far be their evil from you
كُنْbe مُجِيرِيmy protector منfrom حسودٍan envious man
كُنْ مُجِيرِي من حسودٍ
فِعْلُهُhis conduct حَاشَاكَfar be it from you شَيْنa disgrace
فِعْلُهُ حَاشَاكَ شَيْن
Be my protector from an envious man,
My emir knows I have served him
whose conduct—far be it from you—is a disgrace.
And he is my light always
قَدْindeed سَعْىinformed بِيagainst me لأمِيرِيto my prince
قَدْ سَعْى بِي لأمِيرِي
وَهْوَand he is نُورِيmy light كُلَّevery حِينmoment
وَهْوَ نُورِي كُلَّ حِين
He has denounced me to my prince,
So protect me from his harm
who is my light at every moment.
O most generous of two brothers
فَاحفَظُونِيso protect me مِنْfrom أذَاهُhis harm
فَاحفَظُونِي مِنْ أذَاهُ
يَاO كَرِيمَgenerous one الأخَوَيْنthe two brothers
يَا كَرِيمَ الأخَوَيْن
So protect me from his harm,
May God protect your heights
O generous one of the two brothers.
By the Prophet and the two Hassans
حَفِظَmay preserve اللهُGod عُلاَكُمْyour exalted rank
حَفِظَ اللهُ عُلاَكُمْ
بِالنَّبِيthrough the Prophet وَالحَسَنَيْنand Hasan and Husayn
بِالنَّبِي وَالحَسَنَيْن
May God preserve your exalted rank,
through the Prophet, Hasan, and Husayn.
Partial English translation: 52 of 54 Arabic lines translated.