رعى الله نجراً زينبياً تألَّقتْ

رعى الله نجراً زينبياً تألَّقتْ

معاليه حتى خابط الليل موضِحُ

معاليه حتى خابط الليل موضِحُ

May God watch over a Zaynabid scion, whose high qualities shone

May God preserve a Zaynabi lineage: so brightly shone

until even one blundering through night could see clearly.

its lofty honors that one groping through the night walks in daylight.

تفارطَ فامْتاح الجمامَ من العُلى

تفارطَ فامْتاح الجمامَ من العُلى

وغادر للورَّاد ما ليس ينْضحُ

وغادر للورَّاد ما ليس ينْضحُ

He strode far ahead, drawing copious waters from the heights of glory,

It went ahead and drew the brimming waters of eminence,

yet left for later drawers what no drawing could drain.

and left those coming to drink what would not yield a drop.

أقرَّ فخاراً في عَليَّينِ لم أزلْ

أقرَّ فخاراً في عَليَّينِ لم أزلْ

بمجدهما أُثْني ملياً وأمْدَحُ

بمجدهما أُثْني ملياً وأمْدَحُ

Through two exalted ones he secured proud renown; never have I ceased

It established glory in two Alis; I have never ceased

long to praise and extol the glory of them both.

to extol and praise their glory at length.

فخُضَّ طِرادٌ والحسين برحمةٍ

فخُضَّ طِرادٌ والحسين برحمةٍ

مذاهبها من واسع الخرق أفْسحُ

مذاهبها من واسع الخرق أفْسحُ

So may Ṭirād and al-Ḥusayn be steeped in a mercy

So may Tirad and al-Husayn be favored with mercy,

whose courses are broader than the widest open waste.

whose paths are wider than the vast open wilderness.

وللهِ فخرُ الدين أنَّ مَقامهُ

وللهِ فخرُ الدين أنَّ مَقامهُ

شهير إذا عُدَّ المقامُ المُمدحُ

شهير إذا عُدَّ المقامُ المُمدحُ

By God, Fakhr al-Din—his station

And God be praised for Fakhr al-Din: his standing

is renowned whenever praiseworthy stations are counted.

is renowned whenever praiseworthy stations are reckoned.

أغَرُّ غَماميُّ البَنانِ وأنهُ

أغَرُّ غَماميُّ البَنانِ وأنهُ

لأغدق من ماء الغمام وأسمحُ

لأغدق من ماء الغمام وأسمحُ

Radiant, his fingertips like rain clouds—and indeed

Radiant, with cloudlike fingertips; and indeed he

more bountiful than the rain cloud's water, more generous.

is more bountiful than the clouds' water, and more generous.

يخفُّ إلى نصرِ الطَّريد بسالَةً

يخفُّ إلى نصرِ الطَّريد بسالَةً

ويُربي على الأطواد حلماً ويرجح

ويُربي على الأطواد حلماً ويرجح

Valiantly he hastens to the aid of the pursued,

He hastens bravely to aid the hunted man,

and in forbearance rises above the mountains and outweighs them.

and surpasses the mountains in forbearance, outweighing them.

ويحبسهُ فرطُ الحِرانِ عن الدُّنا

ويحبسهُ فرطُ الحِرانِ عن الدُّنا

فإنْ عَنَّ مجد ظل يجري ويجمحُ

فإنْ عَنَّ مجد ظل يجري ويجمحُ

Utter proud aversion restrains him from all that is base;

And his fierce reluctance holds him back from base pursuits;

but let glory appear, and he keeps running, charging unbridled.

but if glory appears, he keeps running and bolts unbridled.

تبارى شَبا أقواله واعتزامهِ

تبارى شَبا أقواله واعتزامهِ

وكلٌّ قطوعٌ في الصناديد يجرح

وكلٌّ قطوعٌ في الصناديد يجرح

The keen edges of his words and his resolve vie with each other;

The sharp edges of his words and his resolve vie with each other,

each cuts deep, wounding mighty chiefs.

and each cuts keenly, wounding mighty champions.

فماضي السطا أمضى من السيف سورةً

فماضي السطا أمضى من السيف سورةً

وبادي النهى من أوضح الصبح أوضح

وبادي النهى من أوضح الصبح أوضح

In the fury of assault, he strikes keener than the sword,

So his keen assault is sharper than the sword in fury,

while his manifest judgment is clearer than the clearest dawn.

and his manifest wisdom is clearer than the clearest dawn.

فتىً مِلءُ بُرْديه إذا ما بلوتَهُ

فتىً مِلءُ بُرْديه إذا ما بلوتَهُ

نهوضٌ بأعباء المغارم أسجحُ

نهوضٌ بأعباء المغارم أسجحُ

When tested, he proves a man of substance, filling both his robes,

A young man who fills his two cloaks, whenever you test him,

ready, most graciously, to shoulder burdensome debts.

ready to shoulder financial burdens, and easygoing.

وما كنتُ بالمُثْنى عليه تملُّقاً

وما كنتُ بالمُثْنى عليه تملُّقاً

ألا أنَّ علْياهُ من الشعر أفْيحُ

ألا أنَّ علْياهُ من الشعر أفْيحُ

Never have I praised him out of flattery—

And I have not praised him out of flattery:

behold, his lofty merit is more spacious than poetry.

indeed, his lofty glory is vaster than poetry.