1. عَلى عذبات البان فاقدة الألف

    تَغَنت فَأَغنت عَن مئات وَعَن ألف

    On the slender boughs of the ban trees, one bereft of her mate,

    She sang, and made hundreds and a thousand needless.

  2. دَعَتها دَواعي الشَوق لِلنَوح فَاِنثَنَت

    تردد ألحاناً تجل عَن الوَصف

    Longing's urgings called her to lament, and she turned,

    Repeating melodies too sublime for description.

  3. حَكَتني وَقَد فارَقت بِالأَمس رَوضة

    مقدسة الأَرجاء طيبة العرف

    She mirrored me, for yesterday I had left a garden,

    Holy in its precincts, sweet in fragrance.

  4. مَنازِهُ قَد شادَت بِقَلبي مَنازِلاً

    أَقامَت مَقام القرط ذاك وَالشَنف

    Gardens of delight that built dwellings in my heart,

    Taking the place of that earring and upper-ear ornament.

  5. فَواللَه لا أَنسى لَيال تَصَرمَت

    بِها وَعُيون الدَهر تَنظُر عَن ضعف

    So, by God, I shall not forget the nights that passed

    There, while the eyes of Time looked on feebly.

  6. مَنازل سامراء تاهَت بِفَضلِها

    لما انَّها كَالمعصم الغَض لِلكف

    Samarra's dwellings gloried in their distinction,

    For they are like the tender wrist to the hand.

  7. بِها العَسكري الطاهر الحسن الرِضا

    وَغَيث الوَرى المنهل مِن عالم اللطف

    There is al-Askari, the pure Hasan al-Rida,

    And humankind's rain, pouring from the realm of grace.

  8. وَسَيدنا الهادي علي أَخو العلى

    وَرَب المَعالي الغُر إِذ قامَ بِالعرف

    And our master al-Hadi, Ali, brother of exalted glory,

    And lord of radiant honors, as he acted with benevolence.

  9. وَحجة أَرباب المَعالي مُحمد

    وَلي الهُدى المهدي بِالواضح الصرف

    And Muhammad, the proof of the lords of eminence,

    Guardian of guidance, al-Mahdi, through unalloyed clarity.

  10. أَئمة فَضل زَينوا العلم بِالتُقى

    وَلَم يَعرِفوا في تابعيهم سِوى العطف

    Imams of excellence who adorned knowledge with piety,

    And knew only compassion toward their followers.

  11. علت برَسول اللَه مِنهُم مَراتب

    عَن الأَلف عِندَ اللَه واحدها يَكفي

    Through God's Messenger, their ranks rose

    Above a thousand; before God, a single one suffices.

  12. نجار بِه طابَ الوُجود فَإِن ترد

    بَياناً فَراجع هَل أَتى وَائت بِالصف

    A lineage through which existence grew sweet; so if you seek

    Clarification, consult Hal Ata and bring forth al-Saff.

  13. وَفي سورة الأَحزاب إِن كُنت قارِئاً

    تَنَزه وَدَع قَول الحَسود الَّذي يَنفي

    And in Surah al-Ahzab, if you are a reader,

    Stroll at leisure, and disregard the envious one's words of denial.

  14. وَفَخر لَه زَهر النُجوم تَقاعَسَت

    وَكادَت تَميل الشَمس مِنهُ إِلى الحتف

    And a glory before which the shining stars fell back,

    And because of it the sun nearly inclined toward death.

  15. أَبوهُم أَجل المُرسلَين وَأُمُهُم

    أَجل نِساء العالمين بِلا وقف

    Their forefather is the most exalted of messengers, and their mother

    The most exalted of the women of all worlds, without hesitation.

  16. وَوالدهم بَحر العُلوم الَّذي لَه

    وَقائع في الإِسلام مَحمودة الوَصف

    And their father is an ocean of knowledge, whose

    Exploits in Islam are praised in their telling.

  17. كِرام عِظام أَهل بَيت نُبوة

    مَحلهم مِن سائر الناس كَالأَنف

    Noble and great, the people of the house of prophecy,

    Their station among all other people is like that of the nose.

  18. هُم ملجئي في الحادِثات وَعدتي

    وَمَرمى مَرامي دائِماً وَهُم كَفي

    They are my refuge in calamities and my provision,

    And always the goal of my striving, and they suffice me.

  19. تَشرفت فيهم إِذ لَثمت قُبورهم

    وَأَكحَلت مِن آثار تربتهم طَرفي

    I was honored among them when I kissed their graves,

    And used traces of their grave-dust as kohl for my eye.

  20. وَجاوَرتهُم حَتّى رَأَيت جوارهم

    أَحب لِقَلبي مِن مُجاورة الأَلف

    And I dwelt beside them until I found their nearness

    Dearer to my heart than dwelling beside a beloved companion.

  21. كِرام نَزَلنا في خِلال بُيوتهم

    فَكانَ قراهم وَالنَوال عَلى حرف

    Noble ones: we lodged amid their houses,

    So their hospitality and bounty stood on an edge.

  22. فَأبصَرت نور الاهتدا بِبَصيرَتي

    وَما ضَرني إِن النَواظر في ضعف

    So I saw the light of guidance with my inner sight,

    And it did not harm me if my eyes were weak.

  23. وَهَيهات أَن أَرضى بِذاك وَإِن لي

    حُقوق جوار كُل يَوم عَلى ضَعف

    Yet far be it that I should be content with that; indeed, I have

    Rights of neighborliness that double with each day.

  24. فَأَرجو بِهم يَوم المعاد شَفاعة

    أحل بِها مِن رَحمة اللَه في لطف

    So through them I hope for intercession on the Day of Return,

    Through which I may dwell in gentle favor from God's mercy.

  25. ولم حليمة

    سَليلة بيت المُصطفى فتية الطف

    And did not ... Halima.

    A female descendant of the house of al-Mustafa; the youths of al-Taff.

  26. محمد

    لِذلك عدت فيهِ مِن ذَلِكَ الصنف

    Muhammad.

    For that reason, in him I became one of that class.

  27. وَحَقهم لا حَلت عَن شَغفي بِهم

    وَأضربت عَن قَوم زَعانفة غلف

    And by their right, may I never turn from my ardor for them,

    And I turned away from a rabble with sealed hearts.

  28. لَهُم نَسب عال وَمَجد مؤثل

    وَعلم وَعرفان فَقُل لِلعِدى أَف

    They have exalted lineage and deeply rooted glory,

    And knowledge and spiritual insight; so say to the foes, 'Fie!'

  29. لَقَد وَرثوا سر الحَقيقة باطِناً

    عَن المُصطفى لا عَن جفي وَلا جلف

    Indeed, they inherited the secret of truth inwardly,

    From al-Mustafa, not from a coarse man, nor a boor.

  30. عَلَيهِ صَلاة اللَه ما غَردَت ضُحى

    عَلى عَذبات البان فاقِدة الألف

    Upon him be God's blessing, as long as at midmorning there warbles

    On the slender boughs of the ban trees, one bereft of her mate.