تُلاقِي الشِّفَا وَعُيُونَ الأثَرْ

تُلاقِي الشِّفَا وَعُيُونَ الأثَرْ

بِبابِ الأميرِ السَّخِيّ الأبَرْ

بِبابِ الأميرِ السَّخِيّ الأبَرْ

You encounter al-Shifā and ʿUyūn al-Athar

You meet healing and the eyes of influence

At the gate of the generous, most righteous prince,

At the door of the generous prince, the righteous

عَلِي بْنِ حُسَينْ وقاه الإلا

عَلِي بْنِ حُسَينْ وقاه الإلا

ه وَأبناءَهُ الغُرَّ من كلّ شَرْ

ه وَأبناءَهُ الغُرَّ من كلّ شَرْ

ʿAlī ibn Ḥusayn—may God protect him

Ali ibn Hussein, may God protect him

And his radiant sons from every evil.

And his sons from all evil

وَقَدْ كَانَ ثَانِيهِمَا زَارَهُ

وَقَدْ كَانَ ثَانِيهِمَا زَارَهُ

وَقَدْ لاَزَمَ البَابَ لَمَّا صَدَرْ

وَقَدْ لاَزَمَ البَابَ لَمَّا صَدَرْ

And the second of the two had already visited him,

And the second of them had visited him

And had remained at the gate upon coming out.

And remained at the door when he left

فَقَالَ الشِّفَاءُ لَهُ ظَعَناً

فَقَالَ الشِّفَاءُ لَهُ ظَعَناً

أقَمْتَ طَويلاً فَمَاذا الخَبَرْ

أقَمْتَ طَويلاً فَمَاذا الخَبَرْ

Then al-Shifā said to him at departure:

So Shifa said to him complaining

You have stayed a long time—so what is the news?

You stayed long, so what is the news?

فَقَالَ وَفَدْتُ لِحَضرَتِكُمْ

فَقَالَ وَفَدْتُ لِحَضرَتِكُمْ

وَسُيِّرْتُ سِيرَةَ خَيرِ البَشَرْ

وَسُيِّرْتُ سِيرَةَ خَيرِ البَشَرْ

He replied: I came to your presence,

He said, I came to your excellency

And was dispatched as the life-story of the best of humankind.

And traveled the path of the best of creation

وَفِيهَا رَوَيْتُ لَكُمْ أنَّهُ

وَفِيهَا رَوَيْتُ لَكُمْ أنَّهُ

يَفِيضُ عَلَى الوَفدِ فَيض المَطَرْ

يَفِيضُ عَلَى الوَفدِ فَيض المَطَرْ

And in it I related to you that he

And in it I told you that

Pours forth upon the delegation as rain pours.

He pours on the delegation the rain of generosity

وَإنَّ الأميرَ كَذا شَأنُهُ

وَإنَّ الأميرَ كَذا شَأنُهُ

مَعَ الوَفدِ غَيرْ أصَرْ

مَعَ الوَفدِ غَيرْ أصَرْ

And the prince's way is likewise

And that is the way of the prince

With the delegation, without stint.

With the delegation, nothing held back

فَبَلِّغْهُ عَنِّي وَأنْتَ الشِّفَا

فَبَلِّغْهُ عَنِّي وَأنْتَ الشِّفَا

تَعَيَّنْتُ فيك بُلُوغَ الوَطَرْ

تَعَيَّنْتُ فيك بُلُوغَ الوَطَرْ

So convey this to him from me, you who are al-Shifā:

Convey it from me, O Shifa

I have chosen to attain my desire through you.

I entrusted you to reach the destination

فَإمَّا حَنَانٌ كَعَادَتِهِ

فَإمَّا حَنَانٌ كَعَادَتِهِ

وَإمَا جَوابٌ يُزِيلُ الكَدَرْ

وَإمَا جَوابٌ يُزِيلُ الكَدَرْ

So either kindness, as is his custom,

Either it is affection as is his habit

Or an answer that dispels distress.

Or an answer that removes sorrow

فَقَالَ الشِّفَاءُ لَهُ مُهدِنٌ

فَقَالَ الشِّفَاءُ لَهُ مُهدِنٌ

لَهُ العُذْرُ وَاقطعْ بِكشفِ الضَّرَرْ

لَهُ العُذْرُ وَاقطعْ بِكشفِ الضَّرَرْ

Then al-Shifā said to him reassuringly:

Shifa said to him gently

He has his excuse; be certain that harm will be removed.

He has the excuse, so cease disclosing harm

فَصَاحِبُنَا فَضلُهُ بَيِّنٌ

فَصَاحِبُنَا فَضلُهُ بَيِّنٌ

وَأنْتَ لِلإكْرَامِ خيرُ مُقِرْ

وَأنْتَ لِلإكْرَامِ خيرُ مُقِرْ

For our companion's merit is clear,

For our friend his merit is clear

And you are the best at acknowledging generosity.

And you are best qualified for kindness

عَلَى أنَّنا ضَامِنَانِ لَهُ

عَلَى أنَّنا ضَامِنَانِ لَهُ

نَجَاحاً يُوَافِيهِ أيْنَ حَضَرْ

نَجَاحاً يُوَافِيهِ أيْنَ حَضَرْ

Moreover, we both guarantee him

On the condition that we guarantee him

Success that reaches him wherever he is.

Success that meets him wherever he is present

فَقَالاَ نَعَمْ وَعَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ

فَقَالاَ نَعَمْ وَعَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ

سَلاماً يُحَدُّ بِفَضلِ السُّوَرْ

سَلاماً يُحَدُّ بِفَضلِ السُّوَرْ

Then both said: Yes, and peace be upon him—

They both said “yes” and upon him be peace

A greeting of peace measured by the merit of the surahs.

A greeting bounded by the superiority of the chapters