1. مَشيبٌ عراهُ لَو يَدومُ مَشيبُ

    مَشيبٌ بِهِ ثَوبُ الرَشادِ قَئيب

    Gray hair has overtaken him—if only gray hair would endure!

    Gray hair, with which the robe of good sense is [fresh?].

  2. قَشيبٌ وَلكِن يَخلُقُ المَرءُ عِندَهُ

    وَيَلقى ضُروبَ الأُنسِ وَهو مريبُ

    Fresh—yet a man grows threadbare with it,

    And encounters many kinds of companionship while doubtful.

  3. مريبٌ اِذا ما قيل هَل تذكُرُ الظِبا

    وَعَهدي بِجَنبِ الجانِبَين يَطيبُ

    Doubtful whenever he is asked, "Do you remember the gazelles?"

    And my memories beside al-Janibayn are sweet.

  4. يَطيبُ وَتَعدادٌ كَزَورَةِ مُعجِبٍ

    لِعاشِقِهِ وَالزورُ منهُ عَجيب

    Sweet—and recounting them is like a captivating one's visit

    To his lover; a visit from him is wondrous.

  5. عَجيبٌ وَكَم لَزَورَتِهِ الدُجى

    فُؤاداً سَقيماً أَو يَكونُ طَبيبُ

    Wondrous—and how many, for his visit in the darkness,

    Ailing hearts—or might he be a healer?

  6. طَبيبٌ وَلكِنَّ الحَبيبَ طَبيبُهُ

    يُناديهِ مَن يَهوى وَلَيسَ يُجيبُ

    A healer—yet his beloved is his healer.

    His lover calls to him, but he does not answer.

  7. يُجيبُ اِذا أَنحى اِجابَةَ مُعرِضٍ

    فَقَلبي لِعَيني بِالدِماءِ قَليبُ

    He answers, when he inclines to answer, as one turning away.

    So my heart is a well of blood for my eye.

  8. قَليبٌ حكى بَدراً وَكان قَليبُهُ

    يَفورُ دِماءاً وَالدِماءُ صَبيبُ

    A well resembling Badr; and its well

    Seethed with blood, and the blood poured forth.

  9. صَبيبٌ تحدّى ذا الفخارِ بِخَيلِهِ

    عَليٌّ وَأَنّى لِلوَصِيِّ ضَريب

    A flood—he challenged the proud one with his cavalry:

    Ali! And where could the appointed heir have a peer?

  10. ضريبٌ يُدانيهِ اِذا حَمَس الوَغى

    وَسهمُ الرَدى أَنّى يشاءُ يُصيب

    A peer to approach him when battle grows fierce?

    And death's arrow strikes wherever he wills.

  11. يُصيبُ مِنَ الأَبطالِ أَرواحَها الَّتي

    تَردُّ ظُنونَ المَوتِ وَهيَ تَخيب

    It strikes the champions' souls, which

    Repel death's expectations, which fail.

  12. تَخيبُ فَلَمّا أَن تَنمَّرَ حَيدَر

    فَللحتفِ عودٌ في الرِجالِ صَليبُ

    Fail—but when Haydar grew leopard-fierce,

    Death had a sturdy staff among men.

  13. صَليب كَما أَودى بِعمروٍ وَمرحب

    وَذلِكَ نهجٌ في القراع رَحيبُ

    Sturdy, as when he brought death to Amr and Marhab;

    And that is a broad path in combat.

  14. رَحيبٌ عَلى كفِّ الوَصِيِّ وَضَيِّق

    اِذا رامَهُ غَيرُ الوَصِيِّ يَخيب

    Broad upon the appointed heir's palm, yet narrow

    When anyone other than the appointed heir seeks it: he fails.

  15. يَخيبُ وَما عَضَّت عَلى نابِها الرَدى

    وَأَما إِذا عَضَّت فَذاكَ نَخيب

    He fails, though death has not yet bitten down on its fang;

    But when it bites, that man is fainthearted.

  16. نَخيب وَاِن عدّوهُ نخبةَ عَسكَرٍ

    وَكلُّ أَبِيٍّ في القِراعِ خَنيبُ

    Fainthearted, though they count him the pick of an army;

    And every defiant man is cowardly in combat.

  17. يَغيبُ مناويهِ بغَربِ حُسامِهِ

    إِلى حَيثُ لا يَلقى الحَبيبَ حَبيبُ

    His enemy vanishes at the edge of his sword,

    To where no beloved meets the beloved.

  18. حَبيب إِلى قَلبي التَشيعُ انَّهُ

    لكُلِّ زَكِيِّ الوالِدَينِ نَصيبُ

    Dear to my heart is Shiism; indeed, it is

    A share for everyone born of pure parents.

  19. نَصيبٌ تَهاداهُ المَلائكُ بَينَها

    وَذو النَصبِ مَغلوبٌ هُناكَ حريبُ

    A share the angels passed as a gift among themselves;

    And one hostile to Ali is defeated there, despoiled.

  20. حريبٌ سَليمٌ لِلجَحيمِ مُهَيَّأ

    إِذا حانَ يَومٌ لِلمعادِ عَصيب

    Despoiled, snake-bitten, prepared for Hell,

    When the grievous day of resurrection arrives.

  21. عَصيب عَلى النصّابِ لكِنَّ غصنَهُ

    عَلى الشيعَةِ المُستَمسِكين رَطيب

    Grievous for Ali's foes, yet its branch

    Is fresh for the Shia who hold fast.

  22. رَطيبٌ وَعودُ النَصبِ اذ ذاكَ يابِسٌ

    فَللنارِ في تِلكَ الجُسومِ لَهيب

    Fresh—while hostility's stem is then dry,

    So the fire has a blaze within those bodies.

  23. لَهيبٌ بِقَلبي حينَ أَذكرُ كَربلا

    فَيهلكني بَعد النَحيبِ نَحيبُ

    A blaze in my heart when I recall Karbala;

    So sob after sob destroys me.

  24. نَحيبٌ اِذا قيلَ الحسينُ وَقتلُهُ

    يَزيدُ وَفي قَلبي الحَزينِ وَجيبُ

    Sobbing—when Husayn and his killing are mentioned—

    Grows, and in my grieving heart there is a throbbing.

  25. وَحَبيبٌ أَراهُ واجِباً بَعد سادَةٍ

    تُغادَرُ صَرعى وَالجَميعُ غَريب

    And a beloved one I see fallen, after lords

    Are left slain, and all are strangers.

  26. غَريبٌ بِأَرض الطفِّ تُسبى نِساؤُهُ

    وَزينبُ وَلهى وَالمَرادُ جَديبُ

    A stranger in the land of al-Taff, his women taken captive;

    And Zaynab is distraught, and hope is barren.

  27. جَديبٌ وَلكِنَّ الزَمانَ سَيَنقَضي

    وَيَقبلُ نصرُ اللَهِ وَهو قَريبُ

    Barren—yet time will pass,

    And God's help will come, and it is near.

  28. قَريبٌ كَقُربى من عليٍّ ولايَةً

    بِها كُلَّما خفتُ الذنوبَ أُنيبُ

    Near, like kinship with Ali through allegiance,

    Through which, whenever I fear sins, I repent.

  29. أُنيبُ وَمدحي فيهِ قَد طبَّق الوَرى

    قَصائِد عبّاديَّة سَتُريب

    I repent, and my praise of him has encompassed all mankind:

    Abbadi odes that will unsettle,

  30. تُريبُ رجالَ الحشوِ لَمّا قَمعتُها

    كَأَنّي عَلَيهِم أَين كُنتُ رَقيبُ

    Unsettle the men of Hashw, since I have subdued them;

    As though I were watching them wherever I might be.

  31. رَقيبٌ وَسَيفي وَاِنتِقامي بِمقولي

    رَقيبانِ كلٌّ سامعٌ وَمُجيبُ

    A watcher—my sword and my vengeance, through my tongue,

    Are two watchers, each listening and answering.

  32. مُجيب فَيا كوفيُّ أنشِد مُجَوِّداً

    مشيبٌ عراهُ لو يَدومُ مَشيب

    Answering—so, O Kufan, recite it well:

    Gray hair has overtaken him—if only gray hair would endure!