سألْتُI asked إِلهِيmy God أنْthat يعيشَhe live بغِبْطَةٍin bliss
سألْتُ إِلهِي أنْ يعيشَ بغِبْطَةٍ
إِمامُthe imam الهُدىguidance ماas long as أرْزَمَتْlows أمُّa mother of حائلِa female camel-calf
إِمامُ الهُدى ما أرْزَمَتْ أمُّ حائلِ
I asked my God that he might live in bliss—
I asked my God that the Imam of Guidance may live in bliss
The imam of guidance—as long as a she-camel with a female calf lows.
As long as the resolute mother of misfortunes is tied down
فحِفْظُfor preserving العُلىlofty honor والمَأثُراتِand glorious deeds بحِفْظِهِby preserving him
فحِفْظُ العُلى والمَأثُراتِ بحِفْظِهِ
يُصَرِّفُهاhe directs them ما(adverbial particle) بينَbetween حَزْمٍresolve ونائلِand generosity
يُصَرِّفُها ما بينَ حَزْمٍ ونائلِ
For preserving lofty honor and glorious deeds depends on preserving him;
Protecting the sublime and the glorious is through protecting him
He directs them between resolve and generosity.
Who steers them between resolve and attainment
سَقىhe watered هامِداتِdormant things الخيرِgoodness عَدْلاًjustice ورحْمَةًand mercy
سَقى هامِداتِ الخيرِ عَدْلاً ورحْمَةً
وجوداًand generosity فأضْحَتْso they became غُبْرُهاits dusty wastes كالخمائلِlike lush groves
وجوداً فأضْحَتْ غُبْرُها كالخمائلِ
He watered dormant goodness with justice and mercy,
He quenched the barren lands of good with justice and mercy
And generosity, so its dusty wastes became like lush groves.
Such that their dust turned into meadows
ولمand did not يَرْضَbe content بالعَدْلِwith justice العَميمِall-embracing فَزادَهُso he added to it
ولم يَرْضَ بالعَدْلِ العَميمِ فَزادَهُ
نَوافِلَextra gifts منْfrom معْروفِهِhis beneficence والفَواضِلِand bounties
نَوافِلَ منْ معْروفِهِ والفَواضِلِ
He was not content with all-embracing justice, but added to it
Not content with all-encompassing justice, he increased it
Extra gifts of his beneficence and bounty.
With supererogatory good deeds and merits
مَريرُfirm of القُوىstrength ماضِيresolute in العَزائمِpurposes رائحٌgoing forth
مَريرُ القُوى ماضِي العَزائمِ رائحٌ
معَwith الحَزْمِresolve مُشْقيwearying نيبهِhis aged she-camels والعَواذِلِand the reproaching women
معَ الحَزْمِ مُشْقي نيبهِ والعَواذِلِ
Firm of strength, resolute in purpose, he goes forth
Bitter are the morrows for the unyielding, a wind
With resolve, wearying his aged she-camels and the reproaching women.
That brings misery, along with wisdom, to the obstinate
كريمٌgenerous يَرىhe regards أمْوالَهُhis riches كَعُداتِهِlike his foes
كريمٌ يَرى أمْوالَهُ كَعُداتِهِ
فيَغْزوهُماso he assails them both غَزْوَthe assault of الكَميِّthe armored warrior المُباسِلِthe valiant
فيَغْزوهُما غَزْوَ الكَميِّ المُباسِلِ
Generous, he regards his riches like his foes,
A generous man who sees his wealth like his weapons
And assails both with a valiant, armored warrior's assault.
Raiding them both like a fighter in a night raid
فيضْرِبُso he strikes فيat أعْدائهِhis enemies غيرَnot ناكِلٍflinching
فيضْرِبُ في أعْدائهِ غيرَ ناكِلٍ
ويَفْتِكُand ravages فيin أمْوالِهِhis riches غيرَnot باخِلِstingy
ويَفْتِكُ في أمْوالِهِ غيرَ باخِلِ
He strikes at his enemies without flinching,
Striking his enemies relentlessly
And ravages his riches without stint.
And spending his money unstintingly
تُشَدُّare fastened حُباهُhis knee-wraps فيin النَّدِيِّthe assembly براجِحٍaround a judicious man
تُشَدُّ حُباهُ في النَّدِيِّ براجِحٍ
رَحيبِvast نَواحيthe reaches of الحِلْمِforbearance جَمِّabundant in الفَضائلِvirtues
رَحيبِ نَواحي الحِلْمِ جَمِّ الفَضائلِ
His knee-wraps are fastened in the assembly about a judicious man,
His love is reinforced in the noble one of many virtues
Vast in the reaches of forbearance, abundant in virtues.
And the vast terrains of forbearance and sublime morals
فتىa youth of الخيرِgoodness لاnot تَعْروafflicts سَجاياهُhis traits غِلظَةٌharshness
فتى الخيرِ لا تَعْرو سَجاياهُ غِلظَةٌ
ولاand not يُخْتَشىis feared منْfrom كَيْدِهhis scheming والمَخاتِلِand deceits
ولا يُخْتَشى منْ كَيْدِه والمَخاتِلِ
A youth of goodness: no harshness touches his character,
The gallant one whose traits are not marred by harshness
Nor is his scheming or trickery to be feared.
Nor is deceit or conspiracy feared from him
ولاand not يرْكبُrides into البَغْيَoppression الشَّنيعَvile اقْتِدارُهُhis power
ولا يرْكبُ البَغْيَ الشَّنيعَ اقْتِدارُهُ
إذاwhen خَفَّfalters حِلْمُthe forbearance of اللَّوْذَعِيِّthe keen-witted man الحُلاحِلِthe mighty chief
إذا خَفَّ حِلْمُ اللَّوْذَعِيِّ الحُلاحِلِ
Nor does his power ride into vile oppression,
Nor does his might make him commit abhorrent aggression
When the keen-witted, mighty chief's forbearance falters.
When the forbearance of the calm tamed one stills tempestuous seas
ولكنْbut سَليمُsound القلْبِof heart مِنfrom صَوَرِthe bias of الهوَىdesire
ولكنْ سَليمُ القلْبِ مِن صَوَرِ الهوَى
رَاياهُhis judgments مِنfrom إِيمانِهِhis faith فيin مَعاقِلِstrongholds
رَاياهُ مِن إِيمانِهِ في مَعاقِلِ
But his heart is sound, free from passion's bias;
Rather, his heart is safe from the images of passion
His judgments lie in strongholds of his faith.
His banner rises from his faith, erected on fortresses
يُضِيءُshines بنورِwith the light of القُدْسِholiness صَلْتُthe smooth expanse of جَبينِهِhis brow
يُضِيءُ بنورِ القُدْسِ صَلْتُ جَبينِهِ
إذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) الدُّجىdarkness ألْقَتْcasts يَداًa hand فيinto الهَواجِلِthe trackless wastes
إذا ما الدُّجى ألْقَتْ يَداً في الهَواجِلِ
His smooth brow shines with the light of holiness,
The light of sanctity illuminates his prayerful forehead
When darkness casts a hand into the trackless wastes.
When darkness extends its hand into terrifying visions
رأىsaw الناسُthe people منهfrom him ماwhat رَأواthey saw منْof مكارِمٍnoble deeds
رأى الناسُ منه ما رَأوا منْ مكارِمٍ
غَدَتْcame بأحاديثِwith tales of الكِرامِthe noble men الأوائلِof old
غَدَتْ بأحاديثِ الكِرامِ الأوائلِ
People saw in him such acts of nobility
People saw in him the noble traits they had seen before
As recalled tales of the noble men of old.
Which became, with the tales of generosity, legacies of early times
فقالواso they said شَبابُthe youth of الدهرِtime عادَreturned وانْشِرَتْand were revived
فقالوا شَبابُ الدهرِ عادَ وانْشِرَتْ
مكارِمُهُits noble deeds مِنْfrom كَفِّthe palm of أبْلَجَa radiant man عادِلِjust
مكارِمُهُ مِنْ كَفِّ أبْلَجَ عادِلِ
So they said, “Time's youth has returned, and revived are
And so they said the prime of time has returned, and its
Its noble deeds, from the hand of a radiant, just man.”
Virtues have bloomed from the palm of an impartial,白 one
ولوand if عَلِمواthey knew ماwhat باتَspent the night يُضْمِرُharboring قَلْبُهُhis heart
ولو عَلِموا ما باتَ يُضْمِرُ قَلْبُهُ
ويَنْويهِand intends it منْof مُسْتَقْبَلِfuture الخيرِgoodness شامِلِall-embracing
ويَنْويهِ منْ مُسْتَقْبَلِ الخيرِ شامِلِ
Had they known what his heart harbored through the night,
Had they known what his heart secretly harbors
And its plans for all-embracing goodness yet to come,
And what forthcoming good he intends inclusively
لَقالواthey would have said حَسَوْناwe sipped نَغْبَةًa mouthful ووَرءاهاand beyond it
لَقالوا حَسَوْنا نَغْبَةً ووَرءاها
غَطامِطُsurging waters of يَمٍّa sea لاnot يُكَفُّis contained بِساحِلِby a shore
غَطامِطُ يَمٍّ لا يُكَفُّ بِساحِلِ
They would have said, “We have sipped a mouthful, and beyond it
They would have said, we felt some bliss, but behind it
Lie the surging waters of a sea no shore can contain.”
Were billows of a sea that no coast can restrain
كأنَّas though الإِمامَthe imam المُسْتَضيءal-Mustadi’ وهَديَهُand his guidance
كأنَّ الإِمامَ المُسْتَضيء وهَديَهُ
غَداةَon the morning when أدالَgave victory to الحَقَّtruth مِنْover كُلِّevery باطِلِfalsehood
غَداةَ أدالَ الحَقَّ مِنْ كُلِّ باطِلِ
It is as though Imam al-Mustadi’ and his guidance,
As if the rightly-guided Imam and his guidance
On the morning he gave truth victory over every falsehood,
At daybreak, after the truth prevailed over every falsehood
سَنىthe radiance of الصُّبْحِdawn أعطىgave خابِطَthe one stumbling through الوعْرrough ground رُشدَهُhis bearings
سَنى الصُّبْحِ أعطى خابِطَ الوعْر رُشدَهُ
إلىtoward لَقَمٍa broad road سَهْلِeasy المَسالِكِthe paths آهِلِfrequented
إلى لَقَمٍ سَهْلِ المَسالِكِ آهِلِ
Were dawn's radiance, giving one stumbling on rough ground his bearings,
Orientation of morn, gave the lost wanderer in rugged terrain
Toward a broad, frequented road of easy passage.
Guidance towards an easy path, crowded and lively
فبورِكَso blessed be منْas حَبْرٍa learned man إِمامٍan imam مُؤيَّدٍstrengthened
فبورِكَ منْ حَبْرٍ إِمامٍ مُؤيَّدٍ
تُقاهُhis piety دُروعٌcoats of mail ضافياتُample and trailing الذَّلاذِلِthe skirts
تُقاهُ دُروعٌ ضافياتُ الذَّلاذِلِ
So blessed be this learned, strengthened imam,
Blessed thus is the ink of a supported, rightly-guided Imam
His piety is armor with ample, trailing skirts.
Shielded by impenetrable coats of mail
إِمامٌan imam تَساوىare equal فيin فَريضَةِthe duty of حَمْدِهِpraising him
إِمامٌ تَساوى في فَريضَةِ حَمْدِهِ
ضَميرُthe inner heart of الذيthe one who يُثْنيpraises وجمْعُand the throngs of المَحافِلِthe assemblies
ضَميرُ الذي يُثْني وجمْعُ المَحافِلِ
An imam whose praise is a duty shared equally
An Imam whose praise equates in obligation
By the praiser's inner heart and the throngs in assemblies.
The conscience of the one who praises and the crowds in the assemblies
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.