مهْلاً فإن سِهامَ العيْنِ حينَ رمَتْ

مهْلاً فإن سِهامَ العيْنِ حينَ رمَتْ

ولمْ تُصِبْ نالَ منها المُعْتَدي وَصَبا

ولمْ تُصِبْ نالَ منها المُعْتَدي وَصَبا

Easy—for when the eye shot its arrows

Slow down, for when the arrows of the eyes missed their mark

and missed, the aggressor suffered from them.

And did not strike the transgressor, he obtained nothing from them but sobriety

بُعْداً لقائِلِ زُورٍ فاهَ مِقْوَلُهُ

بُعْداً لقائِلِ زُورٍ فاهَ مِقْوَلُهُ

بما يؤكّدُ منّا للرّضَى سَبَبا

بما يؤكّدُ منّا للرّضَى سَبَبا

Away with the speaker of falsehood, whose tongue uttered

How far is the saying of the liar whose mouth

what confirms grounds for favor on our part.

Utters what affirms for us a cause of consent

أتى ليُخْفي الرِّضى منّا فأظْهَرَ منْ

أتى ليُخْفي الرِّضى منّا فأظْهَرَ منْ

سِرّ الإرادةِ ما قدْ كانَ مُحْتَجِبا

سِرّ الإرادةِ ما قدْ كانَ مُحْتَجِبا

He came to conceal our favor, yet revealed

He came to hide consent from us, so he revealed from

what had been veiled in the secret of intent.

The secret of will what had been concealed

ألقَى أحاديثَ لكن لسْتُ أسمَعُها

ألقَى أحاديثَ لكن لسْتُ أسمَعُها

إلا لذِكْرى لها قَلبي صَغا وصَبا

إلا لذِكْرى لها قَلبي صَغا وصَبا

He recounted tales, but I do not heed them

He threw words, but I do not hear them

except for a memory to which my heart inclined and yearned.

Except for the memories that my heart was small and sober towards

رامَ القَطيعةَ حيثُ البغْيُ شيمَتُهُ

رامَ القَطيعةَ حيثُ البغْيُ شيمَتُهُ

لازالَ من بغْيِهِ قصْداً ولا أرَبا

لازالَ من بغْيِهِ قصْداً ولا أرَبا

He sought estrangement, for wrongdoing is his nature.

He wanted separation where betrayal was his trait

May he attain neither aim nor desire through his wrongdoing.

He still had the intention of betrayal and did not refrain

وكيفَ والحِلْمُ منّي آيةٌ طلعَتْ

وكيفَ والحِلْمُ منّي آيةٌ طلعَتْ

بمظْهَرِ العدْلِ تُبْدي منهُ ما احْتَجَبا

بمظْهَرِ العدْلِ تُبْدي منهُ ما احْتَجَبا

And how could that be, when my forbearance is a sign that has arisen

How could he when patience from me is a sign that emerged

in justice's guise, revealing what of it was hidden?

With the appearance of justice that shows from it what was hidden

وكيفَ والفضلُ منّي شيمةٌ شرُفَتْ

وكيفَ والفضلُ منّي شيمةٌ شرُفَتْ

تُجيرُ مَنْ لمْ يزَل للصّدْقِ مُنتَسِبا

تُجيرُ مَنْ لمْ يزَل للصّدْقِ مُنتَسِبا

And how, when my generosity is a noble trait

And how when merit from me is a noble trait

that shelters whoever has remained allied with truth?

That protects whoever remains faithful to the truth

لنا الوفاءُ الذي تأبَى مكارِمُنا

لنا الوفاءُ الذي تأبَى مكارِمُنا

أن تسْترِدّ منَ الأفضالِ ما وهَبا

أن تسْترِدّ منَ الأفضالِ ما وهَبا

Ours is a fidelity such that our noble virtues refuse

We have the loyalty that our virtues refuse

to reclaim any of the favors it has bestowed.

To take back from favors what it granted

وكُلُّ أمْرٍ إذا جلّتْ مواقِعُهُ

وكُلُّ أمْرٍ إذا جلّتْ مواقِعُهُ

فالصّبْرُ باليُسْرِ تقْضي عندهُ عجَبا

فالصّبْرُ باليُسْرِ تقْضي عندهُ عجَبا

And every matter, when its consequences grow grave—

And every matter, when its timings become clear

with patience, you accomplish wonders with ease.

Patience therein resolves its wonders with ease

وكُلّ مَلْكِ إذا فَدّى خِلافَتَنا

وكُلّ مَلْكِ إذا فَدّى خِلافَتَنا

ما كان يقضي لها الحقَّ الذي وجَبا

ما كان يقضي لها الحقَّ الذي وجَبا

And every king, even if he offered ransom for our caliphate,

And every kingdom, if it redeems our caliphate

would not have rendered it its rightful due.

That the right which is due would not decree for it

أنا الإمامُ الذي تُرْجَى مكارمُهُ

أنا الإمامُ الذي تُرْجَى مكارمُهُ

للهِ منها خِلالٌ فاقَتِ السُّحُبا

للهِ منها خِلالٌ فاقَتِ السُّحُبا

I am the imam whose generous deeds are hoped for;

I am the Imam whose merits are hoped for

God be praised for virtues among them that surpass the clouds!

For God, glories higher than the clouds

أنا الهُمامُ الذي تُخْشى عزائِمُهُ

أنا الهُمامُ الذي تُخْشى عزائِمُهُ

في الحرْبِ إنْ كتّبَ الأجْنادَ أو كتَبا

في الحرْبِ إنْ كتّبَ الأجْنادَ أو كتَبا

I am the valiant one whose resolves are feared

I am the protector whom people fear his resolves

in war, whether he marshals the troops or writes.

In war, if He destines the soldiers or destinies

فكيفَ تُخْفَرُ عندِي ذمّةٌ ثَبَتَتْ

فكيفَ تُخْفَرُ عندِي ذمّةٌ ثَبَتَتْ

لديّ أخبارُها طبْعاً ومُكْتَسبا

لديّ أخبارُها طبْعاً ومُكْتَسبا

How, then, could a covenant be broken in my keeping, when

So how can a pact made with me be violated

its record is firmly known to me, by nature and by learning?

When I have knowledge of it inherently and habitually

لا دَرُّ دَرُّ امرئٍ يُرْديهِ مذْهَبُهُ

لا دَرُّ دَرُّ امرئٍ يُرْديهِ مذْهَبُهُ

كَلّا ولا نالَ قصْداً أيّةً ذَهَبا

كَلّا ولا نالَ قصْداً أيّةً ذَهَبا

May no bounty flow for a man whose way destroys him!

No, no, the affairs of a man whom his doctrine ruins

No indeed; nor may he attain his aim, whichever way he goes.

Never, and he attained no intention in any way

واللهُ يَكلأنا منْ عيْنِ ذي حسَدٍ

واللهُ يَكلأنا منْ عيْنِ ذي حسَدٍ

رَمى فعادَ عليهِ السهْمُ مُنقَلِبا

رَمى فعادَ عليهِ السهْمُ مُنقَلِبا

And God protects us from the eye of an envious man

And God suffices us from the eye of an envious one

who shot, only for the arrow to turn back upon him,

Who shot, so the arrow turned back inverted upon him

حتّى يبيدَ العِدَى طُرّاً ويُنجِزَهُ

حتّى يبيدَ العِدَى طُرّاً ويُنجِزَهُ

وعْداً كَريماً لنصْرِ الدّينِ مُرْتَقَبا

وعْداً كَريماً لنصْرِ الدّينِ مُرْتَقَبا

until He annihilates every foe and fulfills for him

Until He destroys enmity utterly and fulfills

a noble, awaited promise of victory for the faith.

A noble promise for the victory of religion hoped for