أوجزbe brief مديحكyour praise فالمقامfor the station عظيمgreat
أوجز مديحك فالمقام عظيم
منfrom دونهbelow it المنثورprose والمنظومand verse
من دونه المنثور والمنظوم
Be brief in your praise, for the station is great.
Summarize your praise, for the position is great,
Beneath it lie prose and verse.
Without it prose and verse are deficient,
منhe who كانَwas فيin سورthe chapters of الكتابthe Book مديحهhis praise
من كانَ في سور الكتاب مديحه
ماذاwhat تساورstrives to reach فكرةٌa thought وترومand seeks
ماذا تساور فكرةٌ وتروم
He whose praise is in the chapters of the Book—
He whose praise is in the chapters of the Book,
what can thought aspire to and seek?
What thought crosses the mind and what does it scheme?
جبريلGabriel راويtransmitter of نصّهits text الأحلىthe sweetest وفيand on
جبريل راوي نصّه الأحلى وفي
ورقthe leaves of الجنانParadise كتابهits record مرقومinscribed
ورق الجنان كتابه مرقوم
Gabriel transmits its sweetest text, and on
Gabriel conveyed its most beautiful text, and on
the leaves of Paradise its record is inscribed.
The parchment of heavens His book is prescribed,
قلsay ياO محمدMuhammad تفصحspeak clearly الأكوانthe worlds عنof
قل يا محمد تفصح الأكوان عن
حمدٍpraise كأنَّas though مزاجهits blend تسنيمTasnim (a heavenly spring)
حمدٍ كأنَّ مزاجه تسنيم
Say 'O Muhammad,' and the worlds speak of
Say O Muhammad you articulate creation about
praise as though its blend were Tasnim.
Praise as if its temperament is a gentle breeze,
بدرٌa full moon تألَّقshone forth فالطريقso the road محجَّةa clear highway
بدرٌ تألَّق فالطريق محجَّة
لذويfor those possessing الهدايةguidance والصراطand the path قويمstraight
لذوي الهداية والصراط قويم
A full moon shone forth; the road is a clear highway
A full moon that shone so the path is crowded
for the guided, and the path is straight.
For those guided and the straight path substantive,
حرستwas guarded بمولدِهat his birth السماءheaven منfrom الذيthe one who
حرست بمولدِه السماء من الذي
أصغىlistened in زماناًfor a time فالنجومso the stars رجومmissiles
أصغى زماناً فالنجوم رجوم
At his birth heaven was guarded against the one who
With his birth the heaven was protected from one who
listened in for a time; the stars became missiles.
Listened for an era, thus the stars cast,
وتشرَّفتand was ennobled أرضٌearth بموطئِby the tread of نعلهِhis sandal
وتشرَّفت أرضٌ بموطئِ نعلهِ
وسمتand rose high حصاهاits pebbles فالرجومso the missiles نجومstars
وسمت حصاها فالرجوم نجوم
And earth was ennobled by the tread of his sandal,
And a land was honored by his sandal’s stomp,
and its pebbles rose high: the missiles became stars.
And its pebbles were illuminated thus cast stars,
وخبتand died down بهِthrough him نيرانthe fires of فارسPersia آيةa sign
وخبت بهِ نيران فارس آية
يدريknows بهاof it منfrom قبلbeforehand إبراهيمAbraham
يدري بها من قبل إبراهيم
Through him Persia's fires died down—a sign
The fires of Persia waned through him, a sign
that Abraham knew beforehand.
Known before by Abraham,
لوif لمnot يكنhe were فيin صلبِهِhis loins ماnot بدَّلتwere transformed
لو لم يكن في صلبِهِ ما بدَّلت
نيرانهhis fires فرجعناso we returned وهيwhile they were نعيمbliss
نيرانه فرجعنا وهي نعيم
Had he not been in his loins, they would not have been transformed—
Had there not been in his ancestry, it would not have
his fires; so we returned, while they were bliss.
Changed its fire, so we retreated and it is bliss,
وكفىand suffices لأمَّتهfor his community بذاكwith that بشارةgood tidings
وكفى لأمَّته بذاك بشارة
أنthat سوفَwill تخمدbe quenched فيin الجنانParadise جحيمhellfire
أن سوفَ تخمد في الجنان جحيم
And that suffices as good tidings for his community:
And enough for his nation is that good news
that hellfire will be quenched in Paradise.
That hellfire will be extinguished in heavens,
هيit آيةa sign أولىa first one ووسطىand a middle one تقتضيcalls for
هي آية أولى ووسطى تقتضي
فيat الحشرthe Gathering أخرىanother والشفيعand the intercessor كريمgenerous
في الحشر أخرى والشفيع كريم
It is a first sign; a middle one calls for
It is the first, middle, and last sign that necessitates
another at the Gathering, and the intercessor is generous.
Another in the resurrection, and the intercessor is generous,
ونبوَّةٌand prophethood شفتhealed القلوبthe hearts وبينتand made clear
ونبوَّةٌ شفت القلوب وبينت
إنindeed الكتابthe Book كماas رأيتyou have seen حكيمwise
إن الكتاب كما رأيت حكيم
And prophethood healed hearts and made clear:
And a prophecy that quenched hearts and showed
Indeed, the Book, as you have seen, is wise.
That the Book, as you saw, is wise,
ياO صفوةchoicest of الرسلthe messengers الذيwho لولاهwithout him لمnot
يا صفوة الرسل الذي لولاه لم
يثبتstand firm علىat حدِّthe boundary of المقامthe station كليمone addressed by God
يثبت على حدِّ المقام كليم
O choicest of messengers, without whom
O elite of messengers, without whom no
God's interlocutor would not have stood firm at the station's boundary.
Steadfast prophet would stand on the supreme station,
كلاَّno indeed ولاnor سكنdwelt الجنانParadise أبٌa father ولمand did not
كلاَّ ولا سكن الجنان أبٌ ولم
ينهضraise up إلىto الروحlife المسيحthe Messiah رميمdecayed remains
ينهض إلى الروح المسيح رميم
No—nor would the father have dwelt in Paradise, nor
No and heavens would not be inhabited before a father
would the Messiah have raised decayed remains to life.
And the roaming Christ spirit would not be mended,
اللهGod قدindeed صلَّىbestowed blessings عليكupon you فكلّso every ذيpossessor of
الله قد صلَّى عليك فكلّ ذي
مجدٍglory لمجدِكto your glory دأبهhis constant practice التسليمsubmission
مجدٍ لمجدِك دأبه التسليم
God has blessed you; every bearer of
God sent blessings upon you, so everyone with
glory makes submission to your glory his constant practice.
Glory habitually surrenders to your glory,
ودعاكَand He called you فيin الذكرthe Remembrance اليتيمthe orphan وإنماyet indeed
ودعاكَ في الذكر اليتيم وإنما
أسنىmost radiant الجواهرthe jewels ماthat which يقالis called يتيمpeerless (an 'orphan')
أسنى الجواهر ما يقال يتيم
And He called you 'the orphan' in the Remembrance, yet
And invoked you in the bereaved scripture, though
the fairest jewel is the one called 'orphan'—peerless.
The finest jewels said orphan is what is said bereaved,
سبقتsurpassed مناقبكَyour virtues السراةthe nobles ومنand whoever سرىjourneyed by night
سبقت مناقبكَ السراة ومن سرى
فوقَupon البراقBuraq فسبقهso his precedence محتومassured
فوقَ البراق فسبقه محتوم
Your virtues surpassed the nobles; whoever journeyed by night
Your merits preceded messengers, and he who went
upon Buraq is assured of precedence.
Above Al-Buraq, so his precedence is predestined,
أنتَyou الإمامthe imam وربّand the bearer of كلّevery رسالةmessage
أنتَ الإمام وربّ كلّ رسالة
يومon the day of الفخارglory وراءكbehind you المأمومthe follower in prayer
يوم الفخار وراءك المأموم
You are the imam, and every bearer of a message
You are the imam, and the lord of every message
on the day of glory stands behind you, led in prayer.
On the day of Pride while the believers pray behind you,
أنتَyou الختامthe seal لهمfor them وأنتَand you فخارهمtheir glory
أنتَ الختام لهم وأنتَ فخارهم
وبمسكِهand in its musk فليفخرso let it take pride المختومwhat is sealed
وبمسكِه فليفخر المختوم
You are their seal, and you are their glory,
You are their seal, and you are their pride
and let what is sealed take pride in its musk.
And through your handle let the sealed be proud,
أنتyou الغياثthe succor إذاwhen الصحائفthe scrolls نشرتare spread
أنت الغياث إذا الصحائف نشرت
وبداand appeared جناthe fruits of الجنَّاتthe gardens والزَّقومand Zaqqum
وبدا جنا الجنَّات والزَّقوم
You are the succor when the scrolls are spread,
You are the rescue when pages are displayed
and the fruits of Paradise and Zaqqum appear,
And hell and heavens of heavens and hell appear,
يومthe day of الفرارflight منfrom الصديقthe friend فماso there is no لذيfor one possessing
يوم الفرار من الصديق فما لذي
صحبcompanions سوىexcept العرقsweat الصبيبpouring حميمa close friend
صحب سوى العرق الصبيب حميم
on the day of flight from a friend, when one with
The day of fleeing while even the truthful friend has
companions has no close friend but streaming sweat.
No company but the dripping sweat so warm,
والخلقand creation شاخصةgazing fixedly لجاهِat the standing of مشفعan accepted intercessor
والخلق شاخصة لجاهِ مشفع
فردunique الجلالin majesty لشأنهِfor his station التعظيمveneration
فرد الجلال لشأنهِ التعظيم
And creation gazes at the standing of an accepted intercessor,
And people gaze expectantly for the intercessor
unique in majesty, whose station commands reverence.
So the Majesty returns his stature and magnifies it,
بمقامكَthrough your station المرفوعthe exalted (also nominative) يخفضis lowered ذنبناour sin الthe (continued next line)
بمقامكَ المرفوع يخفض ذنبنا ال
منصوبraised up (also accusative) إنَّindeed رجاءَناour hope المجزومthe assured (also jussive)
منصوب إنَّ رجاءَنا المجزوم
Through your exalted station our sin is brought low—
Through your elevated station our sins decrease
though raised up; indeed, our hope is certain.
Though our hopes are pegged, not deputized,
ياO أيُّهاyou البحرthe sea المطهَّرthe purified إنَّناindeed we
يا أيُّها البحر المطهَّر إنَّنا
طلاَّبseekers of حوضكَyour pool يومon the day تسعىhasten الهيمthe thirst-crazed camels
طلاَّب حوضكَ يوم تسعى الهيم
O purified sea, indeed we are
O purified sea, we truly are
seekers of your pool on the day the thirst-crazed camels hasten.
Seekers of your pond, the day the terrified swarm,
سادتreigned supreme بكَthrough you الصلواتthe blessings ماas long as أسرىtraveled by night بناwith us
سادت بكَ الصلوات ما أسرى بنا
للصبحِtoward dawn أشهبa gray steed والظلامand the darkness بهيمpitch-black
للصبحِ أشهب والظلام بهيم
Through you blessings reign supreme, as long as we are carried by night
The prayers rose through you whenever what captivated us
to dawn by a gray steed, while darkness is pitch-black.
To the horizon is a fading evil and darkness beastly,
Sol 6.1