IN PRAISE OF ALI is one of Charbel Baini's books translated by from Arabic by Naji Mourad, Joseph G. Yamouni, Elias Shaanin

Psalm 1

-1-

I asked you about myself,

Answer me.

How can I save myself?

How can I flee a world

Which tires me

And which is devoid of honest men?

-2-

I asked you about my life.

About my religion,

About ALLAH whom you sustain

Through your words.

They injected lies into my veins,

Rid me of the lies.

-3-

All my feelings are in my psalms,

And my psalms are the feeling of all.

Oh Ali..

You possess my thoughts,

Through which,

You may appear.

-4-

Oh, greater than my love,

I cherish you.

Oh, light overflowing with light!

Had I not crowned you

Upon my heart

It would have falsified

Previous coronations.

-5-

To me,

Your name,

Image and body

Are a revered holy trinity.

Thinker,

Muse,

Preacher,

Soldier,

A master who defies description.

-6-

Your voice is a field,

Your books are clouds,

Continuously watering our crops

To nourish us in times of gloom

And strengthen us for the harvest.

-7-

You who are self perfected,

You the secret,

And keeper of secrets.

Through your philosophy,

Through your sayings,

A sun has shone

And a day emerged.

-8-

.. Your stance

Upon the pulpit,

Carried us on the wing of the wind.

By the raising of your hand

We were glorified,

Oh Ali..

And praise of ALLAH were voiced.

**