أعليٌّ أحلَّك الذُروةَ العَلياء

أعليٌّ أحلَّك الذُروةَ العَلياء

عيصٌ من أشرف الأعياصِ

عيصٌ من أشرف الأعياصِ

O Ali, you were set upon the loftiest summit

You are the highest, the most sublime peak,

by a lineage among the noblest lineages.

A noble branch of the noblest trees.

حُزتَ أقصى الكمال والفضل حتَّى

حُزتَ أقصى الكمال والفضل حتَّى

بهما سُدت كلَّ دانٍ وقاص

بهما سُدت كلَّ دانٍ وقاص

You attained the utmost perfection and excellence, so that

You have attained the utmost perfection and merit,

through both you became lord of all, near and far.

With which you have filled every cup to the brim.

أنت بدرُ وتمُّه لكمالٍ

أنت بدرُ وتمُّه لكمالٍ

وتمامُ البدورِ للانتقاص

وتمامُ البدورِ للانتقاص

You are a full moon whose fullness marks perfection,

You are the full moon, perfect in your glory,

while the fullness of moons heralds their waning.

While other moons only wax and wane.

لم تكن متحفي ومجدك لولا

لم تكن متحفي ومجدك لولا

إنَّك البحر درّة الغوّاص

إنَّك البحر درّة الغوّاص

By your glory, you would not have bestowed on me—were it not

Your fame would not shine, were you not

that you are the sea—a diver's pearl.

The sea, the diver's precious pearl.

يا بن من لانتجاعِ روضِ المزايا

يا بن من لانتجاعِ روضِ المزايا

ليس إلاَّ إليه وخدُ القِلاص

ليس إلاَّ إليه وخدُ القِلاص

O son of him—for pasture in the meadow of virtues,

O son of the one whose meadow of virtues

the young she-camels trot toward him alone.

Has no match, whose cheek is the wish of all.

أقعدت عن شواردِ النظم فكري

أقعدت عن شواردِ النظم فكري

عللٌ عُقنهُ عن الإقتناص

عللٌ عُقنهُ عن الإقتناص

My thought was kept from the elusive strays of verse

Preoccupations distracted my thoughts from verse

by ailments that held it back from the hunt.

Ailments prevented their harvest.

لو يبارحنني قليلاً لأتحف

لو يبارحنني قليلاً لأتحف

تُك منه بالمُطربِ الرقّاص

تُك منه بالمُطربِ الرقّاص

If they left me for a little while, I would present

If they would leave me briefly, I would gift you

you with some of its delight-giving, dancing verse.

Songs from a throat melodious and supple.

غير أنّي أقولُ إذ راضَ فكري

غير أنّي أقولُ إذ راضَ فكري

من صِعاب القريض ذات اعتياص

من صِعاب القريض ذات اعتياص

Yet I say, since my thought has tamed

But I say, though my mind is gratified

an obstinate one among poetry's unruly verses:

By the difficulty of crafting analogies,

احتذى أخمُصاك خصمك يا بن

احتذى أخمُصاك خصمك يا بن

النفرِ البيض والكرام الخِماص

النفرِ البيض والكرام الخِماص

Your feet's two arches have taken your foe for footwear, O son

Your rival, o son of chivalrous whites,

of the bright-faced company and the noble, lean-bellied men.

Has grasped your stirrup-strap, so beware!

قد ضربت القِباب في مفرق الأنجم

قد ضربت القِباب في مفرق الأنجم

فاعقد أطنابَها بالنواصي

فاعقد أطنابَها بالنواصي

You have pitched your pavilions at the parting of the stars' hair;

You have pitched tents at the celestial pole,

so tie their guy ropes to the forelocks.

So tether their ropes to the stars,

وأقم في سلامةٍ وحبورٍ

وأقم في سلامةٍ وحبورٍ

رافَه البالِ مستطابَ العِراص

رافَه البالِ مستطابَ العِراص

And dwell in safety and joy,

And live in peace and joy,

easy of mind, with pleasant courtyards.

Calm of mind, gentle of manner.