صَحا بَعدَ جَهلٍ فَاِستَراحَت عَواذِلُه

صَحا بَعدَ جَهلٍ فَاِستَراحَت عَواذِلُه

وَأَقصَرنَ عَنهُ حينَ أَقصَرَ باطِلُه

وَأَقصَرنَ عَنهُ حينَ أَقصَرَ باطِلُه

He came to his senses after folly, and his reproachers found relief.

He awoke after ignorance, so his transgressions found rest,

And they left him alone when his frivolity ceased.

And they shrank from him when his falsehood was diminished.

وَقالَ الغَواني قَد تَوَلّى شَبابُهُ

وَقالَ الغَواني قَد تَوَلّى شَبابُهُ

وَبُدِّلَ شَيبا بِالخِضابِ يُقاتِلُه

وَبُدِّلَ شَيبا بِالخِضابِ يُقاتِلُه

And the beautiful women said: his youth has departed,

And the lovesick one said, his youth had passed away,

And gray hair has replaced it; he battles it with dye.

And gray hair was replaced with dye fighting against it,

يُقاتِلُهُ كَيما يَحولَ خِضابُهُ

يُقاتِلُهُ كَيما يَحولَ خِضابُهُ

وَهيهاتَ لا يَخفى عَلى اللَحظِ ناصِلُه

وَهيهاتَ لا يَخفى عَلى اللَحظِ ناصِلُه

He battles it so that his dye may screen it,

Fighting against it so that his dye would conceal it.

But in vain! The gray showing through cannot escape the eye.

Alas! The telltale signs cannot be hidden from keen eyes.

وَمَن مُدَّ في أَيّامِهِ فَتَأَخَّرَت

وَمَن مُدَّ في أَيّامِهِ فَتَأَخَّرَت

مَنِيَّتُهُ فَالشَيبُ لا شَكَّ شامِلُه

مَنِيَّتُهُ فَالشَيبُ لا شَكَّ شامِلُه

And whoever has his days prolonged, thus delaying

He whose days were prolonged, so his demise was delayed,

His death—gray hair will surely spread over him.

Undoubtedly, gray hair will encompass him.

إِلَيكَ قَصَرنا النِصفَ مِن صَلَواتِنا

إِلَيكَ قَصَرنا النِصفَ مِن صَلَواتِنا

مَسيرَةَ شَهرٍ بَعدَ شَهرٍ نُواصِلُه

مَسيرَةَ شَهرٍ بَعدَ شَهرٍ نُواصِلُه

On our way to you, we shortened our prayers by half,

For you, we shortened half of our prayers,

Continuing a journey of one month after another.

Traveling the distance of a month after a month to reach you.

فَلا نَحنُ نَخشى أَن يَخيبَ رَجاؤُنا

فَلا نَحنُ نَخشى أَن يَخيبَ رَجاؤُنا

إِلَيكَ وَلكِن أَهنأُ الخَيرِ عاجِلُه

إِلَيكَ وَلكِن أَهنأُ الخَيرِ عاجِلُه

So we do not fear that our hope will fail

We do not fear our hopes in you will be dashed,

In you; yet the most welcome bounty is what comes promptly.

But the best of goodness is to hasten to attain it.

هُوَ المَرءُ أَمّا دينُهُ فَهوَ ما نِعٌ

هُوَ المَرءُ أَمّا دينُهُ فَهوَ ما نِعٌ

صَئونٌ وَأَمّا مالَهُ فَهوَ باذِلُه

صَئونٌ وَأَمّا مالَهُ فَهوَ باذِلُه

He is the man: as for his faith, he defends it,

The man himself, his religion is submissive obedience,

And guards it closely; as for his wealth, he gives it freely.

And his money is spending it.

أَمَرَّ وَأَحلى ما بَلا الناسُ طَعمَهُ

أَمَرَّ وَأَحلى ما بَلا الناسُ طَعمَهُ

عِقاب أَمير المُؤمِنينَ وَنائِلُه

عِقاب أَمير المُؤمِنينَ وَنائِلُه

The bitterest and sweetest things people have tasted are

The most bitter and sweetest taste people have savored

The punishment of the Commander of the Faithful and his bounty.

Is the punishment of the Commander of the Faithful and its obtainment.

أَبِيٌّ لِما يَأبي ذَوو الحَزمِ وَالتُقى

أَبِيٌّ لِما يَأبي ذَوو الحَزمِ وَالتُقى

فَعولٌ إِذا ما جَدَّ بِالأَمرِ فاعِلُه

فَعولٌ إِذا ما جَدَّ بِالأَمرِ فاعِلُه

He refuses what men of resolve and piety refuse,

He is averse to what the wise and pious dislike,

A man of action when the doer is earnest about a task.

Decisive when ordered to act.

تَروكُ الهَوى لا السُخطُ مِنهُ وَلا الرِضا

تَروكُ الهَوى لا السُخطُ مِنهُ وَلا الرِضا

لَدى مَوطِنٍ إِلّا عَلى الحَقِّ حامِلُه

لَدى مَوطِنٍ إِلّا عَلى الحَقِّ حامِلُه

He shuns caprice: neither his anger nor his pleasure

Passion does not make him angry or content

In any situation drives him to anything but what is right.

In any abode except carrying the truth.

يَرى أَنَّ مُرَّ الحَقِّ أَحلى مَغَبَّةً

يَرى أَنَّ مُرَّ الحَقِّ أَحلى مَغَبَّةً

وَأَنجى وَلَو كانَت زُعافاً مَناهِلُه

وَأَنجى وَلَو كانَت زُعافاً مَناهِلُه

He holds that the bitterness of what is right is sweeter in the end,

He sees the bitterness of truth is sweeter

And safer, even if its watering places were deadly poison.

And safer even if its springs are turbulent.

صَحيحُ الضَمريِ سِرُّهُ مِثلُ جُرِهِ

صَحيحُ الضَمريِ سِرُّهُ مِثلُ جُرِهِ

قِياسَ الشِراكِ بِالشِراكِ تُقابِلُه

قِياسَ الشِراكِ بِالشِراكِ تُقابِلُه

Sound of conscience, his hidden self is like his public self,

Sincere in conscience, his secret is like his candor,

As when you measure one sandal strap against another, matching them.

Measuring shackle with shackle it counters.

فَإِنَّ طَليقَ اللَهِ مَن هُوَ مُطلِقٌ

فَإِنَّ طَليقَ اللَهِ مَن هُوَ مُطلِقٌ

وَإِنَّ قَتيلَ اللَهِ مَن هُوَ قاتِلُه

وَإِنَّ قَتيلَ اللَهِ مَن هُوَ قاتِلُه

For whoever he frees is God's freed man,

Indeed, whoever Allah releases is free,

And whoever he kills is God's slain man.

And whoever Allah slays, he is his killer.

كَأَنَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّداً

كَأَنَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحَمَّداً

أَبو جَعفَرٍ في كُلِّ أَمرٍ يُحاوِلُه

أَبو جَعفَرٍ في كُلِّ أَمرٍ يُحاوِلُه

It is as though Muhammad, Commander of the Faithful,

As if the Commander of the Faithful Muhammad

Were Abu Ja'far in every matter he undertakes.

Is Abu Ja’far in everything he undertakes.

كَفاكُم بِعَبّاس أَبي الفَضلِ والداً

كَفاكُم بِعَبّاس أَبي الفَضلِ والداً

فَما مِن أَبٍ إِلّا أَبو الفَضلِ فاضِلُه

فَما مِن أَبٍ إِلّا أَبو الفَضلِ فاضِلُه

Abbas, Abu al-Fadl, is father enough for you;

Enough of you is Al-’Abbas Abu Al-Fadl as a father,

For no father exists whom Abu al-Fadl does not surpass.

For no father is excellent but Abu Al-Fadl is more virtuous.