اصخ لي أيها الملك الهمام

اصخ لي أيها الملك الهمام

عليك صلاة ربك والسلام

عليك صلاة ربك والسلام

Hearken to me, O valiant King.

Give ear to me, O valiant king;

Upon you be your Lord’s blessing and peace.

May your Lord's blessing and peace be upon you.

إليك ركائب الآمال أمت

إليك ركائب الآمال أمت

تيقن أن مطلبها امام

تيقن أن مطلبها امام

To you the mounts of hope have made their way;

Toward you the riding camels of hope have journeyed,

know for certain: the one they seek is an Imam.

certain that the one they seek is an imam.

أتيتك شاكياً من ريب دهر

أتيتك شاكياً من ريب دهر

به عز المعين فلا يرام

به عز المعين فلا يرام

I have come to you complaining of the treachery of Time:

I came to you complaining of an age's vicissitudes,

in it, a helper has grown too rare to be hoped for;

in which a helper is scarce and beyond reach.

به عيل الوفاء فلا وفلاء

به عيل الوفاء فلا وفلاء

به فقد الذمام فلا ذمام

به فقد الذمام فلا ذمام

in it, fidelity has run dry—there is no fidelity;

In it fidelity is exhausted, and no fidelity remains.

in it, the sacred bond is lost—no bond remains.

In it honor's bond is lost, and no such bond remains.

ولا الآباء والابناء فيه

ولا الآباء والابناء فيه

ولا الاخوان بينهم التآم

ولا الاخوان بينهم التآم

In it, neither fathers nor sons,

Neither fathers and sons within it

nor brothers, have any concord among them.

nor brothers have any harmony among themselves.

وفدت على كريم اريحي

وفدت على كريم اريحي

سخي ليس يعروه السآم

سخي ليس يعروه السآم

I have come as a petitioner to a noble, open-handed man,

I have come to a noble, openhearted man,

generous, whom weariness has never known.

a generous man whom weariness never overtakes.

يجود بصافنات الخيل تزهو

يجود بصافنات الخيل تزهو

بعسجدها إذا شح اللآم

بعسجدها إذا شح اللآم

He lavishes poised steeds, proudly resplendent

He gives poised steeds, resplendent

in their gold, when ignoble men grow stingy.

in their gold when the ignoble grow miserly.

يجود بيعملات العيس تنؤ

يجود بيعملات العيس تنؤ

باثقال يجاذبها الزمام

باثقال يجاذبها الزمام

He lavishes marked white camels that journey far,

He gives swift, pale she-camels, straining

laden with burdens that strain against the rein.

under heavy loads, with reins tugging against them.

بكم لا شك تنتظم المعالي

بكم لا شك تنتظم المعالي

كسلك الدر يجمعه النظام

كسلك الدر يجمعه النظام

Through you, beyond doubt, lofty glories are strung together,

Through you, without doubt, lofty virtues are strung together,

like pearls upon a strand, gathered by their thread.

like a strand of pearls gathered by a thread.

وأنت أبا الحسين أجل قدراً

وأنت أبا الحسين أجل قدراً

من الاكفا وإن جحدوا ولاموا

من الاكفا وإن جحدوا ولاموا

And you, Abu al-Husayn, are greater in stature

And you, Abu al-Husayn, are greater in rank

than your peers, though they deny it and reproach.

than your peers, though they deny it and reproach you.

علوت عليهم كرما وفضلا

علوت عليهم كرما وفضلا

وما استوت المناسم والسنام

وما استوت المناسم والسنام

You have risen above them in generosity and merit:

You have risen above them in generosity and excellence;

the camel’s hooves were never equal to its hump.

and the camel's feet and hump are never on one level.

تلذ لك المروأة وهى توذي

تلذ لك المروأة وهى توذي

ومن يعشق يلذ له الغرام

ومن يعشق يلذ له الغرام

Magnanimity is sweet to you, though it brings pain;

Noble conduct is sweet to you, though it causes pain,

whoever falls in love finds love’s torment sweet.

and whoever loves finds passion sweet.

لقد حسنت بك الأيام حتى

لقد حسنت بك الأيام حتى

كأنك فى فم الدهر ابتسام

كأنك فى فم الدهر ابتسام

Through you the days have grown so fair

Indeed, through you the days have grown so lovely

that you seem a smile upon the mouth of Time.

that you seem a smile in the mouth of Time.