وَأَوقَدتُ نارِي بِاليَفاعِ فَلَم تَدَع

وَأَوقَدتُ نارِي بِاليَفاعِ فَلَم تَدَع

لِنيرانِ أَعدائِي بِنُعماكَ مَوقِدا

لِنيرانِ أَعدائِي بِنُعماكَ مَوقِدا

And I kindled my fire on the high ground, so it left

I lit my fire with dry wood, leaving

no place for my enemies' fires to burn, thanks to your bounty.

No place for my enemies' fires, thanks to your bounty.

وَمَا كانَ مَالي طَارِفاً عَن تِجَارَةٍ

وَمَا كانَ مَالي طَارِفاً عَن تِجَارَةٍ

وَمَا كَانَ مِيرَاثاً مِن المَالِ مُتلَدا

وَمَا كَانَ مِيرَاثاً مِن المَالِ مُتلَدا

And my wealth was not newly gained through trade,

My wealth was not from profitable trade

nor was it an inheritance of long-held wealth,

Or inherited fortune left to me.

وَلَكِن عَطَاءٌ مِن إِمامٍ مُبارَكٍ

وَلَكِن عَطَاءٌ مِن إِمامٍ مُبارَكٍ

مَلا الأَرضَ مَعروفاً وَعَدلاً وَسُؤدُدا

مَلا الأَرضَ مَعروفاً وَعَدلاً وَسُؤدُدا

but a gift from a blessed leader,

But a gift from a blessed Imam

who filled the earth with kindness, justice, and nobility.

Who filled the land with good, justice and help.

شَكَوتُ إِليهِ ثِقلَ غُرمٍ لَوَ انَّه

شَكَوتُ إِليهِ ثِقلَ غُرمٍ لَوَ انَّه

وَمَا أَشتَكِي مِنهُ عَلَى الفيلِ بَلّدا

وَمَا أَشتَكِي مِنهُ عَلَى الفيلِ بَلّدا

I complained to him of a heavy debt: were it

I complained to him of the burden of debt, as if

and what I suffer laid upon an elephant, it would bring it to a standstill.

I complained of an elephant, not just a mule foal.

فَلَمَّا حَمِدناهُ بِمَا كانَ أَهلَهُ

فَلَمَّا حَمِدناهُ بِمَا كانَ أَهلَهُ

وَكَانَ حَقيقاً أَن يُسَنَّى وَيُحمَدا

وَكَانَ حَقيقاً أَن يُسَنَّى وَيُحمَدا

So when we praised him as he deserved,

When we praised him as was his due,

and he was worthy of exaltation and praise,

For he deserved to be praised and lauded,

تَبَلَّجَ لِي وَاهتَزَّ حَتَّى كَأَنَّما

تَبَلَّجَ لِي وَاهتَزَّ حَتَّى كَأَنَّما

هَزَزتُ بِهِ لِلمَجدِ سَيفاً مُهَنَّدا

هَزَزتُ بِهِ لِلمَجدِ سَيفاً مُهَنَّدا

he beamed at me and thrilled, as though

He beamed at me and shook as if

I had brandished, in him, a sword of Indian steel for glory.

I had shaken a sharp sword in praise.

أَخو فَجرٍ لَم يَدرِ مَا البُخلُ سَاعةً

أَخو فَجرٍ لَم يَدرِ مَا البُخلُ سَاعةً

وَلا أَن ذا جُودٍ عَلَى البَذلِ أنفَدا

وَلا أَن ذا جُودٍ عَلَى البَذلِ أنفَدا

A man of lavish bounty, he never knew for a moment what stinginess was,

A brother of dawn who never knew avarice

nor that a generous man could exhaust his wealth through giving.

And one so generous could never be impoverished.

وَإِن تُذكَرِ النُّعمَى الَّتِي سَلَفَت لَه

وَإِن تُذكَرِ النُّعمَى الَّتِي سَلَفَت لَه

فَأَكرِم بِها عِندِي إِذا ذُكِرَت يَدا

فَأَكرِم بِها عِندِي إِذا ذُكِرَت يَدا

And if his former favor is recalled,

If past favors to him are mentioned

how noble a hand it is in my eyes when remembered!

Honor them when recalled, O hand of gifts.

يُشَرِّفُ مَجداً مِن أَبِيهِ وَجدِّه

يُشَرِّفُ مَجداً مِن أَبِيهِ وَجدِّه

وَقَد أَورَثَا بُنيانَ مَجدٍ مُشَيَّدا

وَقَد أَورَثَا بُنيانَ مَجدٍ مُشَيَّدا

He ennobles the glory inherited from his father and grandfather,

He inherits glory from his father and grandfather

and they had bequeathed a lofty edifice of glory.

Who left a legacy of glorious, firm-founded glory.

أهانَ تِلادَ المَالِ فِي الحَمدِ إِنَّه

أهانَ تِلادَ المَالِ فِي الحَمدِ إِنَّه

إِمامُ هُدىً يَجرِي عَلَى مَا تَعَوَّدا

إِمامُ هُدىً يَجرِي عَلَى مَا تَعَوَّدا

He held ancestral wealth cheap in pursuit of praise; indeed, he is

He disdained wealth's ignobility in praise

a leader of right guidance, following his accustomed course.

A leader of guidance, as was his habit.

فَكَم لَكَ عِندِي مِن عَطاءٍ وَنِعمَةٍ

فَكَم لَكَ عِندِي مِن عَطاءٍ وَنِعمَةٍ

تَسوءُ عَدُواً غائِبِينَ وَشُهَّدا

تَسوءُ عَدُواً غائِبِينَ وَشُهَّدا

And how many gifts and favors you have bestowed on me,

How many gifts and favors you have given me,

that grieve enemies, absent and present alike!

Vexing absent and present enemies!

أُقيمَ بِحَمدٍ مَا أَقَمتُ وَأن أَبِن

أُقيمَ بِحَمدٍ مَا أَقَمتُ وَأن أَبِن

إِلَى غَيرِكُم لَم أحمَدِ المُتَوَدّدا

إِلَى غَيرِكُم لَم أحمَدِ المُتَوَدّدا

I remain full of praise while I stay; and if I depart

I will live in praise as long as I live

to anyone but you, I shall not praise one who courts my friendship.

And never praise those hostile to you.

تَرَدّى بِمَجدٍ مِن أَبيهِ وَجَدِّهِ

تَرَدّى بِمَجدٍ مِن أَبيهِ وَجَدِّهِ

وَقَد أُورِثا بُنيانَ مَجدٍ مُشَيَّدا

وَقَد أُورِثا بُنيانَ مَجدٍ مُشَيَّدا

He robed himself in glory from his father and grandfather,

He is clad in glory from his father and grandfather

and they had been bequeathed a lofty edifice of glory.

Who left him a legacy of glorious, firm-founded glory

تَسور بِه عِندَ العَطِيَّةِ شِيمةٌ

تَسور بِه عِندَ العَطِيَّةِ شِيمةٌ

هِيَ الجُودُ مِنهُ غَير أَن يَتَجَوَّدا

هِيَ الجُودُ مِنهُ غَير أَن يَتَجَوَّدا

A disposition surges within him at the moment of giving:

Nobility accompanies him in generosity

it is his generosity, not an affectation of generosity.

Generosity from him without even trying.

وَلي مِنكَ مَوعودٌ طَلَبتُ نَجاحَهُ

وَلي مِنكَ مَوعودٌ طَلَبتُ نَجاحَهُ

وأَنتَ امرؤٌ لا تُخلِفُ الدَّهرَ مَوعِدا

وأَنتَ امرؤٌ لا تُخلِفُ الدَّهرَ مَوعِدا

And I have your promise, whose fulfillment I have sought,

I asked you for success in what you promised me

and you are a man who never breaks a promise.

And you are one who never breaks his word.

وَعَوَّدتَني أَن لا تَزالَ تُظلُّني

وَعَوَّدتَني أَن لا تَزالَ تُظلُّني

يَدٌ مِنكَ قَد قَدَّمتَ مِن قَبلِها يَدا

يَدٌ مِنكَ قَد قَدَّمتَ مِن قَبلِها يَدا

And you have accustomed me to being always sheltered

You accustomed me that your hand would never cease

by a hand of yours, before which you have already extended another hand.

To shade me, after preceding hands shaded me.