أرِجَ النَّسيمُ فقلتُ نشرُ خميلةٍ

أرِجَ النَّسيمُ فقلتُ نشرُ خميلةٍ

فغمَتْ أنوفَ بَواكِرٍ وأصائلِ

فغمَتْ أنوفَ بَواكِرٍ وأصائلِ

The breeze grew fragrant; I said, "The scent of a leafy grove

The breeze blew gently, so I said let us spread out a pleasure garden,

that filled the nostrils of mornings and late afternoons,

With early blossoms and trailing vines,

أو رُفْقةٍ يَمَنيَّةٍ عَدنيَّةٍ

أو رُفْقةٍ يَمَنيَّةٍ عَدنيَّةٍ

فَضُّوا عِيابَهُمُ بليْلٍ شامِلِ

فَضُّوا عِيابَهُمُ بليْلٍ شامِلِ

or of a company from Yemen, from Aden,

Or a Yemeni paradise garden,

who opened their trunks in an all-enveloping night."

Where they shed their robes in an all-enveloping night.

طرِبتْ نفوسُ الركب حتى خلتُهم

طرِبتْ نفوسُ الركب حتى خلتُهم

شَرْباً تُرَنِّحُهُمْ سُلافةُ بابِل

شَرْباً تُرَنِّحُهُمْ سُلافةُ بابِل

The riders' souls rejoiced until I thought them

The souls of the riders were excited until I thought them

a band of drinkers swayed by Babylon's choicest wine.

A draft that makes them stagger, the draft of Babylon,

فطفقتُ أعجب من تضوُّع روضةٍ

فطفقتُ أعجب من تضوُّع روضةٍ

للمُعْرقين ونبْتُها بجُلاجِلِ

للمُعْرقين ونبْتُها بجُلاجِلِ

So I began to marvel at a garden's wafting fragrance

So I marveled at the greening of a garden

reaching travelers bound for Iraq, though its plants grew in Julajil.

For the intoxicated, with all its creeping vines,

وإذا أريجُ النَّشْر ذكْر خليفةٍ

وإذا أريجُ النَّشْر ذكْر خليفةٍ

مَلأ الزَّمانَ بعَدْلِهِ والنَّائلِ

مَلأ الزَّمانَ بعَدْلِهِ والنَّائلِ

Yet behold, that fragrant scent was the mention of a caliph

When the fragrance of blossoms recalled a caliph

who filled the age with his justice and bounty:

Who filled time with his justice and petitioners,

ذِكرُ الإمام المُسْتضيءِ وحمده

ذِكرُ الإمام المُسْتضيءِ وحمده

مِن راحِلٍ بالمْكرُماتِ وقافِلِ

مِن راحِلٍ بالمْكرُماتِ وقافِلِ

the mention of Imam al-Mustadi' and praise of him

The remembrance of the shining imam and his praise

from a traveler departing with his favors, and one returning.

From a mounted traveller, with gifts and a caravan,

أحْيا حقوقَ الدين وهي دَريسةٌ

أحْيا حقوقَ الدين وهي دَريسةٌ

مَنْسيَّةٌ وأماتَ نفْسَ الباطلِ

مَنْسيَّةٌ وأماتَ نفْسَ الباطلِ

He revived religion's rights when they were worn away,

He revived the rights of religion, once forgotten

forgotten, and slew the very soul of falsehood.

And extinguished the soul of falsehood,

واسْتصغر العدل العميم لأنْفُسٍ

واسْتصغر العدل العميم لأنْفُسٍ

ظَمِئَتْ فأتْبَعَهُ بجودٍ هاطِلِ

ظَمِئَتْ فأتْبَعَهُ بجودٍ هاطِلِ

And he deemed all-embracing justice too little for souls

And deemed the widespread justice too small for souls

that thirsted, so he followed it with a downpour of generosity.

Thirsting, so he followed with pouring generosity,

وإذا المجامعُ كالرِّياضِ ونشْرُها

وإذا المجامعُ كالرِّياضِ ونشْرُها

كَرُّ الثَّناءِ بكلِّ راوٍ فاضِلِ

كَرُّ الثَّناءِ بكلِّ راوٍ فاضِلِ

And behold, the gatherings are like gardens, and their fragrance

When the assemblies were like gardens in bloom, and their fragrance

is praise repeated by every worthy reciter.

Spread renown with each noble narrator,

فإذا دَنَتْ منها وديقَةُ جاحِدٍ

فإذا دَنَتْ منها وديقَةُ جاحِدٍ

رفَعَ الإِمامُ لَها سَحابَةَ وابِلِ

رفَعَ الإِمامُ لَها سَحابَةَ وابِلِ

And whenever an ingrate's scorching heat draws near them,

If an envious slanderer approached them

the Imam raises for them a cloud of pouring rain.

The imam raised up for her a cloud of pouring rain,

فترى البلادَ بهيجةً مُخْضَرَّةً

فترى البلادَ بهيجةً مُخْضَرَّةً

بعُلاهُ بينَ مكارِمٍ ومَقاوِلِ

بعُلاهُ بينَ مكارِمٍ ومَقاوِلِ

Thus you see the land joyful and green,

You see the country joyous and verdant

through his greatness, amid noble deeds and chieftains.

Through his eminence, with virtues and fine qualities,

طابتْ به طيبَ الوصال لعاشِقٍ

طابتْ به طيبَ الوصال لعاشِقٍ

وزهَتْ به زَهْوَ الرياض بحافِل

وزهَتْ به زَهْوَ الرياض بحافِل

Through him it grew sweet, as union is sweet to a lover,

By him the scent of union was sweet for a lover

and through him bloomed, as gardens bloom with abundant rain.

And by him the beauty of gardens flowed with splendor,

فكأنَّها منهُ عَروسٌ بَرْزَةٌ

فكأنَّها منهُ عَروسٌ بَرْزَةٌ

منْ بعدِ ما كانت كَأمٍّ ثاكِلِ

منْ بعدِ ما كانت كَأمٍّ ثاكِلِ

So through him it seemed a bride come forth,

It was as if by him she had become a radiant bride

after it had been like a mother bereaved of her child.

After she had been a mother indifferent and distracted,

حَبْرٌ وبحرٌ ما لجُمَّة فضْلِهِ

حَبْرٌ وبحرٌ ما لجُمَّة فضْلِهِ

وعُبابِ فيْضِ بَنانهِ من ساحِلِ

وعُبابِ فيْضِ بَنانهِ من ساحِلِ

A sage and a sea, whose deep pool of excellence

Ink and sea, what breach in the plenty of his merit?

and surging flood from his fingertips have no shore.

And billows of the outpouring of his springs from the shore?

فالمحْلُ والرَّجُل العليمُ كِلاهما

فالمحْلُ والرَّجُل العليمُ كِلاهما

مُسْتَهْلكانِ بِنائلٍ ودَلائلِ

مُسْتَهْلكانِ بِنائلٍ ودَلائلِ

Both drought and the learned man

Both the position and the learned man suit each other,

are overcome by his bounty and his proofs.

Busied with attainments and proofs,

صافي الطَّويَّةِ لا يغُشُّ رَعيَّةً

صافي الطَّويَّةِ لا يغُشُّ رَعيَّةً

لا بالخَدوعِ لهُمْ ولا بالخاتِلِ

لا بالخَدوعِ لهُمْ ولا بالخاتِلِ

Pure of heart, he does not deceive his subjects,

Pure of intention, he does not cheat the commoners,

neither a deceiver of them nor a treacherous schemer.

Neither by guile toward them nor by striking harshly,

مُستودعين بساهرٍ غَفلوا به

مُستودعين بساهرٍ غَفلوا به

عنْ هَمِّ أنفُسهم وليس بغافِلِ

عنْ هَمِّ أنفُسهم وليس بغافِلِ

Entrusted to one ever watchful, through him they forget

Trusting in a wakeful guardian, they forgot

their own cares, while he is never heedless.

Their own concerns, while he is not neglectful,

زوْلٌ يُزرُّ قميصهُ في سَلْمِه

زوْلٌ يُزرُّ قميصهُ في سَلْمِه

بأغَرَّ فيَّاضِ النَّوالِ حُلاحِلِ

بأغَرَّ فيَّاضِ النَّوالِ حُلاحِلِ

A marvel of a man: in peace his shirt is buttoned

A shadow who demeans his shirt in his peace

about a radiant, mighty lord overflowing with gifts.

With the most glistening ample endowment,

فإذا تَنَكَّر نِيطَ منهُ نِجادُهُ

فإذا تَنَكَّر نِيطَ منهُ نِجادُهُ

بمُهنَّدٍ صافي الحَديدةِ قاصِلِ

بمُهنَّدٍ صافي الحَديدةِ قاصِلِ

But when he turns stern, his sword-belt is slung upon him—

But if he changes and dons his battle dress,

an Indian blade, pure of steel and keen to cleave.

With bright polished sword blades that slash,

يَتباريانِ فعَزْمُهُ وحُسامُه

يَتباريانِ فعَزْمُهُ وحُسامُه

سِيَّانِ حِذْقُهُما بعلْمِ مَقاتِل

سِيَّانِ حِذْقُهُما بعلْمِ مَقاتِل

The two vie—his resolve and his sword,

His resolve and his sword vie

equal in their skill at knowing the vital spots.

In skill and in the knowledge of how to fight,

فبقيت يا شمس الزَّمانِ وعَيْشه

فبقيت يا شمس الزَّمانِ وعَيْشه

لرَشادِ حَيْرانٍ وثَرْوةِ عائلِ

لرَشادِ حَيْرانٍ وثَرْوةِ عائلِ

May you endure, O sun of the age and its life,

So you remained, O sun of the age and its life,

to guide the bewildered and enrich the needy,

To guide the perplexed and enrich the destitute,

تنْضو ملابس كلِّ عيدٍ ذاهِبٍ

تنْضو ملابس كلِّ عيدٍ ذاهِبٍ

وتُجِدُّ آخرَ مُقْبلاً في القابِل

وتُجِدُّ آخرَ مُقْبلاً في القابِل

shedding the garments of every departing festival

Shedding the garb of each departed feast

and renewing another, approaching in the coming year,

And renewing the next one in the coming seasons,

ما جَنَّ ليلٌ واسْتقلَّ بطَرْدِهِ

ما جَنَّ ليلٌ واسْتقلَّ بطَرْدِهِ

صُبْحٌ وبوركَ في الإِمامِ العادِل

صُبْحٌ وبوركَ في الإِمامِ العادِل

as long as night falls, and to drive it off there rises

No night has gloomed and taken over with its shadows

a dawn; and may the just Imam be blessed.

A morn on which the blessings of the just imam were invoked.