حَدِّثاني عن عليّ حَدثاني

حَدِّثاني عن عليّ حَدثاني

ودَعَاني عَنْ فلانٍ وفلانِ

ودَعَاني عَنْ فلانٍ وفلانِ

Tell me of Ali, you two, tell me.

Tell me about Ali, tell me of him

And spare me talk of so-and-so and so-and-so.

And dissuade me of so-and-so and so-and-so

وانظرا هَلْ تَرَيا مَا عِشْتما

وانظرا هَلْ تَرَيا مَا عِشْتما

غيرَه لِلْمصْطَفى المختارِ ثاني

غيرَه لِلْمصْطَفى المختارِ ثاني

And look: will you ever see, as long as you both live,

And look, did you ever see in your lives

anyone but him as a second to al-Mustafa, the Chosen One?

Anyone other than him as the Chosen One's successor?

كيفَ أُخفي حبِّهُ وهو الّذي

كيفَ أُخفي حبِّهُ وهو الّذي

قرنَ الباري تعالَى بالقُرانِ

قرنَ الباري تعالَى بالقُرانِ

How can I conceal love for him, when he is the one

How can I hide my love for him when he is the one

the Creator—exalted be He—joined with the Qur'an?

Whom the Exalted Creator paired with the Quran?

إنّ دِيني واعْتقادي حُبُّه

إنّ دِيني واعْتقادي حُبُّه

ونَجَاني يومَ حَشْري وأماني

ونَجَاني يومَ حَشْري وأماني

Indeed, my religion and my creed are love for him,

Indeed my religion and belief is loving him

and it saves me on the day I am gathered and is my security.

He saved me on the Day of Gathering and granted my wishes

أيّها السَّائِلُ عَنّي جاهِلاً

أيّها السَّائِلُ عَنّي جاهِلاً

أنا مَنْ قد عَلِمَ الناسُ مكاني

أنا مَنْ قد عَلِمَ الناسُ مكاني

O you who ask about me in ignorance,

O questioner, ignorant of me

I am one whose standing people already know.

I am the one whose status all people know

قَسَماً لو لم يكنْ لي مَفْخَرٌ

قَسَماً لو لم يكنْ لي مَفْخَرٌ

غير حُبّي لِعَليٍّ لَكَفاني

غير حُبّي لِعَليٍّ لَكَفاني

I swear: if I had no source of pride

By God, if I had no pride

other than my love for Ali, it would suffice me.

Other than my love for Ali, that would suffice me

مَعَ أنّي في أَعَالي ذروةٍ

مَعَ أنّي في أَعَالي ذروةٍ

كلَّ عَن غاياتها مَرْمَى العِيان

كلَّ عَن غاياتها مَرْمَى العِيان

Though I stand on the uppermost heights of a summit

Despite my being at the pinnacle of glory

whose utmost limits lie beyond the reach of sight.

All fall short of its heights in estimation

أَنَا مَنْ أخوالُه مِنْ هاشِمِ

أَنَا مَنْ أخوالُه مِنْ هاشِمِ

ضُمَّر الْحَلْبَةِ في يوم الرِّهانِ

ضُمَّر الْحَلْبَةِ في يوم الرِّهانِ

I am one whose maternal uncles are of Hashim,

I am the one whose uncles are Hashim's

lean steeds of the racecourse on the day of the wager;

Tucked into a nook on the day of the wager

أنجبتْهُ سادةً مِنْ حميرٍ

أنجبتْهُ سادةً مِنْ حميرٍ

يَنثَني عن فخْرِهم كلُّ مُداني

يَنثَني عن فخْرِهم كلُّ مُداني

whom nobles of Himyar brought forth,

Nobles of Hudhayl bore him

from whose glory every rival turns back.

Each lowly one falls short of their pride

أهلَ بيتِ المصْطفى ودّي لكُم

أهلَ بيتِ المصْطفى ودّي لكُم

دونَ أهلِ الأرضِ من قاصٍ وداني

دونَ أهلِ الأرضِ من قاصٍ وداني

O household of al-Mustafa, my love is for you,

O People of the Prophet's House, my love to you

rather than for all others on earth, far and near.

Above all people, near or far

لاَمَني قومٌ على مَدْحي لكم

لاَمَني قومٌ على مَدْحي لكم

وبه أحوي فراديسَ الجِنان

وبه أحوي فراديسَ الجِنان

Some people blamed me for my praise of you,

A people blamed me for praising you

and through it I attain the paradises of heaven.

And through it I gained the gardens of Paradise

إن يكنْ مدحُ عليٍّ مُنكِراً

إن يكنْ مدحُ عليٍّ مُنكِراً

فَمَنِ الأَوْلى بأبكارِ المعاني

فَمَنِ الأَوْلى بأبكارِ المعاني

If praise of Ali is condemned,

If praising Ali is a denial

then who is worthier of virgin meanings?

Then who is most worthy of the finest poems?

سوفَ أرعَى ما اسْتطالَ العُمر مِن

سوفَ أرعَى ما اسْتطالَ العُمر مِن

حُبّهِ ما أَبوايَ استودعاني

حُبّهِ ما أَبوايَ استودعاني

I will safeguard, as long as life endures,

I will tend, as long as my life lasts

the love for him that my parents entrusted to me.

My love for him, which my parents entrusted me with

سَأُوَالي مِدَحي فيه وفي

سَأُوَالي مِدَحي فيه وفي

آله ما مَلك النّطْقَ لِساني

آله ما مَلك النّطْقَ لِساني

I will continue my praises of him and of

I will ally my praise of him and of

his family, as long as my tongue commands speech.

His family, for as long as my tongue can speak