أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ اللَهَ أَعطى فَخَصَّنا

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ اللَهَ أَعطى فَخَصَّنا

بِأَبيضَ قَرمٍ مِن أميَّةَ أَزهَرا

بِأَبيضَ قَرمٍ مِن أميَّةَ أَزهَرا

Have you not seen that God has granted us special favor

Have you not seen that Allah has gifted and honored us

with a fair-faced, radiant chieftain of Umayya,

With a shining white leader from Banu Umayyah?

طَلوعِ ثَنايا المَجدِ سامٍ بِطَرفِه

طَلوعِ ثَنايا المَجدِ سامٍ بِطَرفِه

إِذا سُئِلَ المَعروفَ لَيسَ بأوغَرا

إِذا سُئِلَ المَعروفَ لَيسَ بأوغَرا

a climber of glory's mountain passes, holding his gaze high,

The dawn of glory rises gently with his gaze

who, when asked for a favor, is not resentful?

When asked for kindness, he is never too proud

فَلَولا أَبو مَروانَ بِشرٌ لَقَد غَدَت

فَلَولا أَبو مَروانَ بِشرٌ لَقَد غَدَت

رِكابيَ في فَيفٍ مِن الأَرضِ أَغبَرا

رِكابيَ في فَيفٍ مِن الأَرضِ أَغبَرا

But for Abu Marwan, Bishr, forth would surely have gone

Had it not been for Abu Marwan as a bearer of good tidings

my riding camels across a dusty wilderness,

My feet would have been covered in dust far from home

سِراعاً إِلى عَبدِ العَزيزِ دَوائِباً

سِراعاً إِلى عَبدِ العَزيزِ دَوائِباً

تَخلَّلُ زَيتوناً بِمِصرَ وَعَرعَرا

تَخلَّلُ زَيتوناً بِمِصرَ وَعَرعَرا

hastening toward Abd al-Aziz, tireless,

Rushing to Abd al-Aziz steadily

threading through olive trees in Egypt and junipers.

Passing through olive trees in Egypt murmuring

وَحارَبتُ في الاسلامِ بَكرض بنَ وائِلٍ

وَحارَبتُ في الاسلامِ بَكرض بنَ وائِلٍ

كَحَربِ كُلَيبٍ أَو أَمَرَّ وَأَمقَرا

كَحَربِ كُلَيبٍ أَو أَمَرَّ وَأَمقَرا

And I would have fought Bakr ibn Wa'il under Islam,

And I fought for Islam against Bakr ibn Wa'il

a war like Kulayb's, or more bitter and more acrid.

As fiercely as Kulayb or Amr or Amqar

إِذا قادتِ الاسلامَ بكرُ بنُ وائِلٍ

إِذا قادتِ الاسلامَ بكرُ بنُ وائِلٍ

فَهَب ذاكَ ديناً قَد تَغَيَّرَ مُهتِرا

فَهَب ذاكَ ديناً قَد تَغَيَّرَ مُهتِرا

If Bakr ibn Wa'il should lead Islam,

When Bakr ibn Wa'il leads Islam

then deem that a faith changed and grown senile.

That religion has surely changed and become corrupt

بأيِّ بَلاءٍ أَم بأيِّ نَصيحَةٍ

بأيِّ بَلاءٍ أَم بأيِّ نَصيحَةٍ

تُقَدِّمُ حَجّاراً أَمامي ابنَ أَبجَرا

تُقَدِّمُ حَجّاراً أَمامي ابنَ أَبجَرا

For what service, or for what loyal counsel,

With what tribulation or what good advice

do you place Hajjar ibn Abjar ahead of me?

Do you put stones before me, O son of Abjar?

وَما زِلتُ مذ فارقتُ عُثمانَ صادياً

وَما زِلتُ مذ فارقتُ عُثمانَ صادياً

وَمَروانَ مُلتاحاً عَن الماءِ أَزورا

وَمَروانَ مُلتاحاً عَن الماءِ أَزورا

Ever since I parted from Uthman, I have remained thirsty,

Since I left Uthman calling out

and Marwan—parched, turned aside from water.

And Marwan panting for water away from the well

أَلا لَيتَني قُدِّمتُ وَاللَهِ قَبلَهُم

أَلا لَيتَني قُدِّمتُ وَاللَهِ قَبلَهُم

وأن أَخي مَروانَ كانَ المُؤَخَّرا

وأن أَخي مَروانَ كانَ المُؤَخَّرا

Ah, would that, by God, I had gone before them,

Oh if only I had gone before them

and that my brother Marwan had been the one left behind.

And my brother Marwan was the last left behind

بِهم جُمِعَ الشَملُ الشَتيتُ وَأَصلَحَ الا

بِهم جُمِعَ الشَملُ الشَتيتُ وَأَصلَحَ الا

لَهُ وداوى الصَدعَ حَتّى تَجَبَّرا

لَهُ وداوى الصَدعَ حَتّى تَجَبَّرا

Through them the scattered ranks were reunited, and God set things right,

Through them the fragmented community was reunited

and healed the rift until it mended.

And discord healed until it mended

قَضى اللَهُ لا ينفكُّ منهم خَليفَةٌ

قَضى اللَهُ لا ينفكُّ منهم خَليفَةٌ

كَريمٌ يسوسُ الناسَ يَركَبُ منبَرا

كَريمٌ يسوسُ الناسَ يَركَبُ منبَرا

God has decreed that a caliph shall always be from among them,

Allah has decreed, an honorable caliph from them

noble, ruling the people and mounting a pulpit.

Will rule the people and ascend the pulpit