أَطلقتI loosed فيin مَدحpraise of الإِمامthe Imam الصادقِal-Sadiq
أَطلقت في مَدح الإِمام الصادقِ
أَسمىthe loftiest جَوادsteed لِلقَريحةof poetic inspiration سابقِracing
أَسمى جَواد لِلقَريحة سابقِ
In praise of Imam al-Sadiq, I loosed
the loftiest racing steed of poetic inspiration.
فَجَرىand so it ran بِتُونسَin Tunis فيin مَيادينthe fields الثَناof praise
فَجَرى بِتُونسَ في مَيادين الثَنا
خَبباًat a trot وَمَصرٌand Egypt عَنهُafter it أَوّلthe first لاحقto follow
خَبباً وَمَصرٌ عَنهُ أَوّل لاحق
It ran in Tunis through the fields of praise,
at a trot, with Egypt first to follow it.
وَاِمتازand it won distinction مِنfrom قصبthe prize-reeds الرهانof the race بِماthrough that which بِهِby it
وَاِمتاز مِن قصب الرهان بِما بِهِ
أَنسىmade forgotten بِأَندلسٍin al-Andalus غَنائمَthe spoils طارقof Tariq
أَنسى بِأَندلسٍ غَنائمَ طارق
And it won from the race a prize so great
that it eclipsed Tariq's spoils in al-Andalus.
وَاِزدادand it increased تَشريفاًin honor لِنسبتهthrough its association إِلىwith
وَاِزداد تَشريفاً لِنسبته إِلى
هَذاthis الإِمامImam بِمغربin the West وَمَشارقand eastern lands
هَذا الإِمام بِمغرب وَمَشارق
And it gained still greater honor through its association with
this Imam, in western and eastern lands.
لِمَwhy لاnot وَقَدand indeed غَمَرhe inundated الأَنامhumankind جَميعهمall of them
لِمَ لا وَقَد غَمَر الأَنام جَميعهم
مِنfrom فَيضthe overflow راحَتِهِof his palm بِغَيثwith rain دافقgushing
مِن فَيض راحَتِهِ بِغَيث دافق
Why not? He has flooded all humanity
with gushing rain from his overflowing palm.
وَمَحاand he erased بِنَشرby spreading العَدلjustice فيin أَوطانهhis lands
وَمَحا بِنَشر العَدل في أَوطانه
آثارthe traces جورٍof tyranny للبريةto humankind ماحقdevastating
آثار جورٍ للبرية ماحق
And by spreading justice in his lands, he erased
the traces of tyranny that ravaged humankind.
وَتَفاخَرَتand vied in pride أَقطارthe regions أَفريقيةof Africa
وَتَفاخَرَت أَقطار أَفريقية
مِنهُthrough him بِسُلطانin a sovereign خَطيرeminent حاذقskillful
مِنهُ بِسُلطان خَطير حاذق
And the regions of Africa vied in pride,
having in him an eminent, skillful sovereign.
وَمَلاand he filled بِقاعthe expanses الأَرضof the earth أَمناًwith safety بَعدَafter ماthat
وَمَلا بِقاع الأَرض أَمناً بَعدَ ما
كانَتthey were تَخافfearing أَذىharm عَدوّof an enemy مارقrenegade
كانَت تَخاف أَذى عَدوّ مارق
And he filled the earth's expanses with safety, after
they had feared harm from a renegade foe.
وَزهَتand blossomed بِدَولتهunder his rule رِياضthe gardens مَدارسٍof schools
وَزهَت بِدَولته رِياض مَدارسٍ
دَرستeffaced مَعالمthe traces جاهلof an ignorant man وَمُنافقand a hypocrite
دَرست مَعالم جاهل وَمُنافق
And under his rule the gardens of schools flourished,
effacing the traces of the ignorant and the hypocrite.
وَطَوىand he rolled up بِساطthe carpet المُلحدينof the heretics بِصارمwith a keen sword
وَطَوى بِساط المُلحدين بِصارم
فيin لَيلthe night مضمارof the arena الفَجاعةof calamity بارقflashing
في لَيل مضمار الفَجاعة بارق
And he rolled up the heretics' carpet with a keen sword
flashing in the night of calamity's arena.
وَرَمىand he assailed مبيراًa ravager ضلwho strayed عَنfrom طرقthe paths الهُدىof guidance
وَرَمى مبيراً ضل عَن طرق الهُدى
حَتّىuntil أَبادhe annihilated جُنودَهُhis troops بِصَواعقwith thunderbolts
حَتّى أَباد جُنودَهُ بِصَواعق
And he assailed a ravager who strayed from the paths of guidance,
until he annihilated his troops with thunderbolts.
وَقَضىand he put an end عَلىto مَنwhoever كانَwas يَعملemploying فكرهhis thought
وَقَضى عَلى مَن كانَ يَعمل فكره
فيin جَمعamassing أَموالwealth بِقَطعby severing عَلائقties
في جَمع أَموال بِقَطع عَلائق
And he put an end to whoever bent his mind
on amassing wealth by severing ties.
وَاِختارَand he chose خَيرKhayr الدينal-Din صَدراًas chief minister للملاfor the people
وَاِختارَ خَير الدين صَدراً للملا
فيin ملكهhis realm فَجَلاand so he dispersed جُموعthe bands السارقof the thief
في ملكه فَجَلا جُموع السارق
And he chose Khayr al-Din as chief minister for the people
in his realm; he then scattered the thieves' bands.
وَصَفتand became clear بِهِthrough him للعالمينfor all people مَواردٌwater sources
وَصَفت بِهِ للعالمين مَواردٌ
لَولاهbut for him ماnot جادَتthey would have yielded بِماءwith water رائقclear
لَولاه ما جادَت بِماء رائق
And through him, water sources grew clear for all people;
without him, they would not have yielded limpid water.
وَبِأَمرand by order of حَضرتهHis Highness العليهthe Exalted جدّhe strove فيin
وَبِأَمر حَضرته العليه جدّ في
حلsolving المَشاكلthe problems بَعدَafter كَشفuncovering حَقائقfacts
حل المَشاكل بَعدَ كَشف حَقائق
And by command of His Exalted Highness, he strove to
solve problems after bringing the facts to light.
وَبِنَفسهand in his own person وَهُوَand he is الإِمامthe Imam المرتضىthe chosen
وَبِنَفسه وَهُوَ الإِمام المرتضى
يَهديhe guides لِماtoward what فيهِin it رضاءthe pleasure الخالقof the Creator
يَهدي لِما فيهِ رضاء الخالق
And he himself—the chosen Imam—
guides toward whatever wins the Creator's pleasure.
وَيُباشرand he carries out الأحكامthe judgments مِنهُfrom him بِهمةwith resolve
وَيُباشر الأحكام مِنهُ بِهمة
مِنfrom دُونِهاbeneath it هممthe resolves الرَشيدof al-Rashid وَواثقand Wathiq
مِن دُونِها همم الرَشيد وَواثق
And he administers judgments with a resolve
surpassing that of al-Rashid and Wathiq.
وَيَقومand he fulfills للشرعfor the sacred law الشَريفthe noble بِواجبa duty
وَيَقوم للشرع الشَريف بِواجب
أَبَداًalways وَيَدفعand he repels عَنهُfrom it شَرّthe evil الفاسقof the evildoer
أَبَداً وَيَدفع عَنهُ شَرّ الفاسق
And he fulfills his duty to the noble sacred law
always, and protects it from the evildoer's harm.
وَيَعظمand he reveres العلماءthe scholars وَهوَand he is أَجلهمthe greatest of them
وَيَعظم العلماء وَهوَ أَجلهم
قَدراًin standing وَيكرمand he honors كُلevery حبرlearned scholar فائقoutstanding
قَدراً وَيكرم كُل حبر فائق
And he reveres scholars, though he is their most eminent
in standing, and honors every outstanding scholar.
وَيدبرand he manages الأَحوالthe affairs مِنهُfrom him بِيقظةwith vigilance
وَيدبر الأَحوال مِنهُ بِيقظة
أَنوارهاits lights تَبدوappear لِعَينto the eye الرامقof the beholder
أَنوارها تَبدو لِعَين الرامق
And he manages affairs with a vigilance
whose lights appear to the beholder's eye.
وَيَغضand he overlooks إِلاexcept عَنregarding عُقوبةthe punishment مجرمof a criminal
وَيَغض إِلا عَن عُقوبة مجرم
وَيَردّand he redresses مظلمةa wrong بَدَتthat arose مِنfrom فاسقan evildoer
وَيَردّ مظلمة بَدَت مِن فاسق
And he is lenient, save in punishing a criminal,
and redresses a wrong arising from an evildoer.
وَيعمand he embraces مِنهُfrom him بِرَأفةwith compassion أَبويةfatherly
وَيعم مِنهُ بِرَأفة أَبوية
كُلَّall العِبادpeople عَلىin بَديعwondrous تناسقharmony
كُلَّ العِباد عَلى بَديع تناسق
And he embraces with his fatherly compassion
all people in wondrous harmony.
وَيَصونand he safeguards أَموالthe wealth اليَتيمof the orphan بحفظهاby preserving it
وَيَصون أَموال اليَتيم بحفظها
مِنfrom طامعone coveting فيin أَكلِهاdevouring it وَمماذقand a false friend
مِن طامع في أَكلِها وَمماذق
And he protects the orphan's wealth by keeping it safe
from anyone eager to devour it, and from false friends.
وَيحلُّand he dwells بِالتَقوىthrough piety وَمَعْهاand with it قَدindeed نَشاhe grew up
وَيحلُّ بِالتَقوى وَمَعْها قَد نَشا
فيat رَأسthe summit طودٍof a mountain للعبادةof worship شاهقtowering
في رَأس طودٍ للعبادة شاهق
And through piety, with which he grew up, he dwells
at the summit of a towering mountain of worship.
وَبحسنand by the goodness of سيرتهhis conduct يَهيمis enraptured مؤمِّلٌone who hopes
وَبحسن سيرته يَهيم مؤمِّلٌ
لِلعَفوfor pardon عَنfor عَبدٍa servant مُسيءerring آبقrunaway
لِلعَفو عَن عَبدٍ مُسيء آبق
And his fine conduct enraptures one who hopes
for pardon for an erring, runaway servant.
لاmay not زالَhe cease فيon تَختthe throne الإِمامةof the imamate جالِساًsitting
لا زالَ في تَخت الإِمامة جالِساً
ماas long as اِزدانَتis adorned الدُنياthe world بِطَلعةby the appearance of شارقa rising sun
ما اِزدانَت الدُنيا بِطَلعة شارق
May he ever remain seated upon the throne of the imamate,
as long as the world is adorned by the rising sun's face,
أَوor ماas long as أَتىcomes العامthe year الجَديدnew مهنّئاًoffering greetings
أَو ما أَتى العام الجَديد مهنّئاً
فيهِin it الهِلالthe crescent لَهُto him بِمدحةwith the praise وامقof a loving admirer
فيهِ الهِلال لَهُ بِمدحة وامق
or as long as the new year comes with greetings,
its crescent hailing him with a loving admirer's praise;
أَوor قلتI say بِالإِخلاصwith sincerity فيهِof him مؤرِّخاًcomposing a chronogram
أَو قلت بِالإِخلاص فيهِ مؤرِّخاً
عامa year أَضاءshone لأنسfor the joy of وَجهِthe face of الصادقal-Sadiq
عام أَضاء لأنس وَجهِ الصادق
or I speak sincerely of him in this chronogram:
"A year shone with the joy of al-Sadiq's face."