وافى البشير يهني صفوة الرسل

وافى البشير يهني صفوة الرسل

فقم نهني عليَّ المرتضى بعلي

فقم نهني عليَّ المرتضى بعلي

The bearer of glad tidings arrived to congratulate the choicest of messengers.

The bearer of good news came to congratulate the elite of the messengers

Rise, then: let us congratulate Ali al-Murtada on Ali.

So get up and congratulate Ali, the Chosen One, on me

قد عاد عود الحيا الهطَّال منبعثاً

قد عاد عود الحيا الهطَّال منبعثاً

ومن يسدّ طريق العارض الهطل

ومن يسدّ طريق العارض الهطل

The pouring rain has returned, surging forth anew,

The downpour of life has returned, gushing forth

And who can block the path of the pouring rain cloud?

And who can block the path of the pouring rain

بعزمة لم تصادف في السرى خللا

بعزمة لم تصادف في السرى خللا

كالسيف عرّي متناه عن الخلل

كالسيف عرّي متناه عن الخلل

With firm resolve that met no lapse on the night journey,

With determination that did not encounter any flaws in leadership

Like a sword whose two blade-faces are free of flaws.

Like a bare sword, endless in being flawless

كم فدفدٍ مثل ظهر الترس منسرحٍ

كم فدفدٍ مثل ظهر الترس منسرحٍ

خوَّت عليه بطون القلَّص البزل

خوَّت عليه بطون القلَّص البزل

How many a broad plain, outspread like a shield's back,

So much cavalry, like the backs of shields lying down

Above which the bellies of tall, full-grown she-camels hung clear!

Their chests humbled before it, completely submissive

لم يأل يجهد في المسرى ليركبه

لم يأل يجهد في المسرى ليركبه

حتى اعتلاه بايدي العيس والأبل

حتى اعتلاه بايدي العيس والأبل

He spared no effort on the night journey to traverse it,

He did not stop striving on the path to mount it

Until he surmounted it with the forelegs of the pale camel herd.

Until he mounted it with the hands of strength and courage

تثور ناشرةً فيه بكلكلها

تثور ناشرةً فيه بكلكلها

بدءً وتعقب بالعرقوب والكفل

بدءً وتعقب بالعرقوب والكفل

They surge forward, stretching their breasts over it,

It surges wildly in it with all its anklets

First, then following with hocks and rumps.

Starting and continuing with necklaces and bracelets

يا قرحة اقلعت عن صدر يعملة

يا قرحة اقلعت عن صدر يعملة

ولم تزل بصدور الاينق الذلل

ولم تزل بصدور الاينق الذلل

O sore that left the breast of a tireless she-camel,

Oh ulcer that was plucked from the chest of oppression

And never left the breasts of docile she-camels!

And still remains on the chests of the weak and humiliated

عجبت هل كيف تسري الخوص موقرةً

عجبت هل كيف تسري الخوص موقرةً

في البر منه بارسى من ذرى جبل

في البر منه بارسى من ذرى جبل

I marvel: how do the narrow-eyed camels journey by night, laden

I wonder how the special gifts flow revered

Overland with him, more firmly rooted than a mountain's peaks?

On the land from him, smoother than the grains of a mountain

لكنَّ مُضمر سرٍّ حثَّها فسرت

لكنَّ مُضمر سرٍّ حثَّها فسرت

تنحو به النجف الاعلى على عجل

تنحو به النجف الاعلى على عجل

But an inward secret spurred them on, and they journeyed,

But a concealed mystery urged them forth

Bearing him toward lofty Najaf in haste.

Heading with it to the Most High Najaf in haste

سفائن البر الا انها ابلٌ

سفائن البر الا انها ابلٌ

هيم تعوم ببحر يابس البلل

هيم تعوم ببحر يابس البلل

Ships of the land—except that they are camels,

The ships of the land, though they are camels

Thirst-maddened, swimming in a sea whose moisture is dry.

Swimming in a dry sea without moisture

وتنبري تعوج الخيشوم ناشقة

وتنبري تعوج الخيشوم ناشقة

من الغري مهبّ العنبر الشمل

من الغري مهبّ العنبر الشمل

And they press forward, turning their noses to inhale

And snorting, stretching their noses

From al-Ghari the waft of fragrant ambergris.

From the perfumes, the wafting scent of ambergris

لم تلو عنه الخدود الصعر عن كلل

لم تلو عنه الخدود الصعر عن كلل

كأنَّ ارساغها تقوى على الكلل

كأنَّ ارساغها تقوى على الكلل

Their tilted cheeks never turned from it through weariness,

Their cheeks did not avoid it from every anklet

As though their pasterns could withstand exhaustion.

As if their cheekbones can withstand anklets

ليست وان عزَّ منها وردها ذلل

ليست وان عزَّ منها وردها ذلل

تعلو جراجرها للعلِّ والنهل

تعلو جراجرها للعلِّ والنهل

They are no meek beasts, even when their watering is hard to attain,

If their roses have been humbled by it

Whose guttural cries rise for a second draught and a first.

Their branches rise to the heights and streams

سواغب من صوادي الخمس واخدة

سواغب من صوادي الخمس واخدة

على الصدى بخفاف الاربع الفتل

على الصدى بخفاف الاربع الفتل

Hungry, among camels parched by five-day watering intervals, striding

Young she-camels from the meadows of Khamis, rushing

Despite thirst on their four splayed, padded feet.

At the echo with the swiftness of the trained racer

لا غرو لو قد فدينا المقربات بها

لا غرو لو قد فدينا المقربات بها

بغرة النهد يفدى منسم الجمل

بغرة النهد يفدى منسم الجمل

No wonder we should offer treasured steeds as ransom for them:

It's no wonder if we ransomed the holy places with them

A camel's toe is ransomed with a sturdy steed's blaze.

With the slice of a breast the hump of a camel is ransomed

وافت تبوع به البيداء مرقةً

وافت تبوع به البيداء مرقةً

شعثا تثير رمال الارض بالرمل

شعثا تثير رمال الارض بالرمل

They arrived with him, striding swiftly across the desert,

It reached Buwaib overflowing with it

Shaggy, stirring the earth's sands with their trotting,

Disheveled, stirring up the sands of the earth with sand

من بعدما طاف سبعا محرماً وسعى

من بعدما طاف سبعا محرماً وسعى

لِلّه في البيت ذي الاستار والحلل

لِلّه في البيت ذي الاستار والحلل

After he had made seven circuits in consecration and performed the ritual walk,

After circling seven (times) in pilgrim sanctity and pacing

For God, at the House with its curtains and robes.

For God in the House of Veils and Fineries

فحبذا واجبٌ قد جلَّ فارضه

فحبذا واجبٌ قد جلَّ فارضه

ادَّيته عن مبين في الكتاب جلي

ادَّيته عن مبين في الكتاب جلي

How excellent a duty, whose ordainer is exalted,

So blessed is the duty made obligatory

Which you fulfilled by a clear injunction, manifest in the Book.

I performed it from the clear Book's evidence

ان هزَّ عطفيه فيك البيت مفتخرا

ان هزَّ عطفيه فيك البيت مفتخرا

لا غرو فهو حمى آبائك الاول

لا غرو فهو حمى آبائك الاول

If the House shakes its two flanks in pride at you,

If he shook his sides in pride of you, the House

No wonder: it is the sanctuary of your earliest forebears.

No wonder, for it is the protector of your forefathers of old

تخذتموه تراثا من يد ليدٍ

تخذتموه تراثا من يد ليدٍ

فيكم ومن رجل يعطي الى رجل

فيكم ومن رجل يعطي الى رجل

You took it as an inheritance, from hand to hand,

You have taken it as inheritance from hand to hand

Among you, from one man who gives it to another.

Among you, from one man giving to another man

ما زلتم انتم الداعون فيه له

ما زلتم انتم الداعون فيه له

ولم يزل لكم من عالم الازل

ولم يزل لكم من عالم الازل

You yourselves have always been those who call to Him there,

You have not ceased being its callers therein for Him

And it has ever been yours, from the realm before time.

And for you has been from the Knower of eternity

فالبيت بيتكم والحجر حجركم

فالبيت بيتكم والحجر حجركم

والركن ركنكم يا عترة الرسل

والركن ركنكم يا عترة الرسل

So the House is your House, and the Stone your Stone,

So the House is your House, and the stone your stone

And the Corner your Corner, O family of the messengers.

And the corner your corner, O People of the Messengers

كم ذا وكم لك من سعي خصصت به

كم ذا وكم لك من سعي خصصت به

دون الانام وجدٍّ يا عليّ علي

دون الانام وجدٍّ يا عليّ علي

How many such deeds, how much striving have you been singled out for,

How much effort have you allocated exclusively

Apart from all mankind—and what a lofty grandsire, O Ali!

Apart from people, O Ali, with passion, O Ali

اذا نظرنا بني الدنيا بأجمعها

اذا نظرنا بني الدنيا بأجمعها

نراك منها مكان الكحل للمقل

نراك منها مكان الكحل للمقل

When we behold all the sons of this world,

If we look at the people of the world altogether

We see you among them as kohl is to the eyes.

We see you among them in the place of kohl to the eyelid

ما كل ما اسودَّ في الاجفان تحسبه

ما كل ما اسودَّ في الاجفان تحسبه

كحلا وشتان بين الكحل والكحل

كحلا وشتان بين الكحل والكحل

Do not reckon everything that darkens the eyelids

Not all that is blackened on the eyelids is thought

As kohl—how far apart are kohl and natural eyelid-darkness!

To be kohl, and vast is the difference between kohls

هو المجير من الجلَّى اذا دهمت

هو المجير من الجلَّى اذا دهمت

وهو المعدُّ لريب الحادث الجلل

وهو المعدُّ لريب الحادث الجلل

He is the protector from great calamity when it strikes,

It is the refuge from horrors when they strike suddenly

And he is ready for the vicissitudes of grave misfortune.

And it is the readiness for the fears of tremendous trials

مازال يقطع بالبرهان ما وصلوا

مازال يقطع بالبرهان ما وصلوا

بمفرد الرأي في مستحكم الجمل

بمفرد الرأي في مستحكم الجمل

He keeps severing with proof what they have joined

It continues to prove through evidence what they have not reached

By opinion alone in tightly constructed propositions.

Through solitary opinion in intricate problems

حلّى عواطل جيد الفضل في درر

حلّى عواطل جيد الفضل في درر

نيطت عليه فزانته لدى العطل

نيطت عليه فزانته لدى العطل

He decked excellence's bare neck in pearls,

It adorned the necks of the excellence of merit with pearls

Hung upon it, adorning it in its bareness.

That are strung on it, so its beauty still dazzles minds

خذ ما تراه ودع شيئاً سمعت به

خذ ما تراه ودع شيئاً سمعت به

في طلعة البدر ما يغنيك عن زحل

في طلعة البدر ما يغنيك عن زحل

Take what you see, and leave aside what you have heard of;

Take what you see and leave something you heard of

The sight of the full moon leaves you no need of Saturn.

In the rising of the moon, it will not benefit you without Saturn

يا ابن الاولى ضربوا جوداً قبابهم

يا ابن الاولى ضربوا جوداً قبابهم

للطارقين بملحوب من السبل

للطارقين بملحوب من السبل

O son of those who generously pitched their domed tents

O son of the foremost, they have pitched the high canopy of their munificence

For nighttime visitors along a well-trodden road,

For visitors, with a smooth approach of the paths

إسلم ودم واعطِ واسعف واستمل وانل

إسلم ودم واعطِ واسعف واستمل وانل

واعطف وجد وترفق من رقَّ صلِ

واعطف وجد وترفق من رقَّ صلِ

Be safe and endure; give, help, win hearts, and bestow;

Submit, be gentle, give, help, request humbly, gain favors, have compassion and be kind

And be compassionate, generous, and gentle; keep ties with the tender-hearted.

Be affectionate, exert effort, be lenient when the course is difficult