أَبوfather of حَسَنHasan لَهُfor him القدحthe lot-arrow المُعَلىhighest-valued
أَبو حَسَن لَهُ القدح المُعَلى
وَقَدرand a rank فَوقَabove أَوجthe zenith النَجمof the star عَلىrose high
وَقَدر فَوقَ أَوج النَجم عَلى
Abu Hasan has the highest winning lot,
Abu Hassan has the highest virtue
And a rank that rose above the star's zenith.
And worth above the stars' apex
كَريمnoble الأَصلlineage مِنfrom قَومٍa people كِرامnoble
كَريم الأَصل مِن قَومٍ كِرام
إمامan imam زادهincreased him الرَحمَنthe All-Merciful فَضلاin excellence
إمام زاده الرَحمَن فَضلا
Noble in lineage, from a noble people,
Noble descent of generous people
An imam whose excellence the All-Merciful increased.
The guided Imam excels in merit
هُوَhe البَحرthe sea المُحيطencompassing بِكُلwith every علمknowledge
هُوَ البَحر المُحيط بِكُل علم
فَماso how أَصفىclear مَواردهhis springs وَأَحلىand sweet
فَما أَصفى مَوارده وَأَحلى
He is the ocean encompassing all knowledge;
He is the endless sea of all knowledge
So how clear his springs, and how sweet!
How refined are its springs and sweet!
عليAli نعتهhis description فيin الكتبthe books بادmanifest
علي نعته في الكتب باد
تَقيpious فَضلهhis excellence فيamong الناسthe people يُتلىis recited
تَقي فَضله في الناس يُتلى
Ali—his description is manifest in the books;
His virtues in books have spread
A pious man whose excellence is recited among the people.
His overwhelming virtue among people is recited
أَميرcommander المُؤمنينof the faithful أَبوfather of ترابdust
أَمير المُؤمنين أَبو تراب
وَصَفوةand the choicest of هاشمHashim فرعاًin branch وَأَصلاand in root
وَصَفوة هاشم فرعاً وَأَصلا
Commander of the Faithful, Abu Turab,
The Commander of the Faithful, father of soil
And the choicest of Hashim, in branch and root.
And elite of Hashim, branch and origin
حَبيبbeloved of المُصطفىal-Mustafa (the Chosen One) وَقَدand indeed اِرتَضاهhe chose him
حَبيب المُصطفى وَقَد اِرتَضاه
لِفاطمةfor Fatima البتولthe chaste one الطهرthe pure one بعلاas a husband
لِفاطمة البتول الطهر بعلا
Beloved of al-Mustafa, who had indeed chosen him
Beloved of the Chosen who approved him
As a husband for Fatima, the chaste, pure one.
As virtuous husband for the maiden Fatima
فَكانَso was المُرتَضىal-Murtada (the Approved One) كفواًa worthy match كَريماnoble
فَكانَ المُرتَضى كفواً كَريما
وَقَدand indeed كانَتshe was لَهُfor him الزَهراءal-Zahra (the Radiant One) أَهلاa fitting match
وَقَد كانَت لَهُ الزَهراء أَهلا
Thus al-Murtada was a noble, worthy match,
So he was the honored, generous match
And al-Zahra was indeed a fitting match for him.
And she was right for him, the luminous
أَميرprince النَحلof the bees يَعسوبa king-bee غضوبwrathful
أَمير النَحل يَعسوب غضوب
عَلىfor الدينthe faith القَويمupright لِمَنagainst whoever تَوَلىturned away
عَلى الدين القَويم لِمَن تَوَلى
Prince of the bees, their wrathful king,
Prince of bees, hot-tempered
For the upright faith, against whoever turns away.
For the upright faith of those loyal
فَسَلso ask عَنهُabout him القناthe spears وَالبيضand gleaming swords أَماdid he not
فَسَل عَنهُ القنا وَالبيض أَما
أَبادdestroyed الأَشقياthe wicked طَعناًwith thrusts وَقَتلاand slaying
أَباد الأَشقيا طَعناً وَقَتلا
So ask the spears and gleaming swords about him: did he not
Ask about him the parties of Qinnasrin
Destroy the wicked with thrusts and slaughter?
He slew the wretched, attacking and killing
وَسَلand ask عَنabout بابthe gate خَيبرKhaybar إِذwhen دَحاهاhe hurled it aside
وَسَل عَن باب خَيبر إِذ دَحاها
وَأورثand bequeathed أَهلهاits people ضَعفاًweakness وَذُلاand humiliation
وَأورث أَهلها ضَعفاً وَذُلا
And ask about Khaybar's gate, when he hurled it aside,
And ask about Khaybar's gate when he destroyed it
And bequeathed its people weakness and humiliation.
And made its people doubly abased
هُوَhe البَطَلthe hero الغَيورzealous إِذاwhen تَلاقَتmet in battle
هُوَ البَطَل الغَيور إِذا تَلاقَت
جُموعhosts الكُفرof unbelief وَالمِغوارand the daring warrior وَلىfled
جُموع الكُفر وَالمِغوار وَلى
He is the zealous hero when battle is joined
He's the zealous hero if assembled
By the hosts of unbelief, and the daring warrior flees.
The hordes of blasphemy would retreat
فَكَمso how many بَطَلاًa champion أَبادَhe destroyed وَكَمand how many شُجاعاًa brave man
فَكَم بَطَلاً أَبادَ وَكَم شُجاعاً
يسقيهhe makes him drink القناthe spears علاًa second draught وَنهلاand a first draught
يسقيه القنا علاً وَنهلا
So how many champions he destroyed, and how many brave men
So many warriors he slew, so many brave
He makes drink of spears, draught upon draught!
He'd make drink death's cup, exalted
إِذاwhen ضَرَبcast lots الكِرامthe noble بِكُلwith every سَهمlot-arrow
إِذا ضَرَب الكِرام بِكُل سَهم
فَإِنthen indeed لِمثلهfor one like him القَدحthe lot-arrow المُعلىhighest-valued
فَإِن لِمثله القَدح المُعلى
When the noble cast every lot-arrow,
If the generous draw each arrow
Then one like him surely holds the highest winning lot.
To its like belongs the highest calabash
بَداappeared للأجلحfor the bald-templed one المفضالthe bountiful فَضلexcellence
بَدا للأجلح المفضال فَضل
وَقَدرand a rank فَوقَabove أَوجthe zenith النجمof the star عَلىrose high
وَقَدر فَوقَ أَوج النجم عَلى
The bountiful, bald-templed one's excellence shone forth,
Outstanding virtue manifest to Africans
And a rank that rose above the star's zenith.
And worth beyond the stars atop
أَعدrepeat ليto me ذكرهmention of him فيat كُلِّevery آنmoment
أَعد لي ذكره في كُلِّ آن
فَياso, oh أَهلاًwelcome بِذكراهto his remembrance وَسَهلاand ease
فَيا أَهلاً بِذكراه وَسَهلا
Speak of him to me again at every moment;
Ready for me always his mention
So a warm welcome to his remembrance!
Welcome, his recollection and plains!
فَمَنso who ليfor me أَنthat أشمI smell ثَراهhis earth يَوماًone day
فَمَن لي أَن أشم ثَراه يَوماً
وَأكحلand I apply kohl to ناظِريmy eye وَالطَرفand the sight يُجلىis cleared
وَأكحل ناظِري وَالطَرف يُجلى
So who will grant me the chance to smell his earth one day,
Who will grant me to scent his earth one day
And line my eye with kohl, as sight is made clear?
And kohl my eyes as vision clears?
وَمَنand who ليfor me أَنthat أَرىI see قَبراًa grave مُنيراًradiant
وَمَن لي أَن أَرى قَبراً مُنيراً
بِجانبهbeside it قَديمancient الوَحيthe revelation يُتلىis recited
بِجانبه قَديم الوَحي يُتلى
And who will grant me the chance to see a radiant grave,
Who will grant me to see an illuminated tomb
Beside which the ancient revelation is recited?
Beside it, the ancient revelation being recited?
وَمَنand who ليfor me أَنthat أُقابلهI meet him بذلin humility
وَمَن لي أَن أُقابله بذل
وَمَدمعand the tears مُقلَتيof my eye يَزدادincrease هَطلاin pouring
وَمَدمع مُقلَتي يَزداد هَطلا
And who will grant me the chance to meet him in humility,
Who will grant me to face him with humility
While my eye's tears pour down ever more heavily?
As tears increasingly pour?
دخيلa seeker of protection ياO هداةguides الخَلقof creation أَنيthat I
دخيل يا هداة الخَلق أَني
ذَليلاًhumbled جئتكمI came to you وَالذُلand humility أولىmore fitting
ذَليلاً جئتكم وَالذُل أولى
I seek protection, O guides of creation, for I
An intruder am I, O guides of creation
Have come to you humbled, and humility is more fitting.
Humbled, I've come to you, and humbleness more befitting
صلونيshow me kindness وَاجبرواand mend كَسريmy brokenness وَداوواand heal
صلوني وَاجبروا كَسري وَداووا
جِراحwounds القَلبof the heart أنfor العُمرlife وَلىhas gone by
جِراح القَلب أن العُمر وَلى
Show me kindness, mend my brokenness, and heal
Pray over me and mend my brokenness And cure love's sickness, for life has deserted me
The heart's wounds, for life has gone by.
Through your stature heaviness was lifted from me
بِجاهكمby your standing رفعتI lifted الوزرthe burden عَنيfrom me
بِجاهكم رفعت الوزر عَني
فَلَمso not أَسطعI could لِذاكَfor that الوزرburden حملاbearing
فَلَم أَسطع لِذاكَ الوزر حملا
By your standing, I lifted the burden from myself,
I couldn't carry that load
For I could not bear that burden.
How would your praiser be wronged when you are
فَكَيفَso how يُضامis wronged مادحكمyour praiser وَأَنتُمwhile you
فَكَيفَ يُضام مادحكم وَأَنتُم
نَبيكمyour Prophet عَلَيهِupon him اللَهGod صَلىsent blessings
نَبيكم عَلَيهِ اللَه صَلى
How, then, can your praiser be wronged, when you
Your prophet, God's prayers on him?
Have a Prophet upon whom God has sent blessings?
Through Hussein's stature heal Hussein
بِجاهby the standing of حسينكمyour Husayn داوواheal حُسيناHusayn
بِجاه حسينكم داووا حُسينا
فَتىa youth أَضحىbecame لَكُمyours عَبداًa slave وَمَولىand a client
فَتى أَضحى لَكُم عَبداً وَمَولى
By the standing of your Husayn, heal Husayn—
A youth who for your sake became a slave and loyal friend
A youth who has become your slave and client.
Partial English translation: 45 of 46 Arabic lines translated.