شَهَد اللَّهُ وهو عدلٌ رضيُّ

شَهَد اللَّهُ وهو عدلٌ رضيُّ

أنَّ عبدَ القويِّ عبدٌ قويُّ

أنَّ عبدَ القويِّ عبدٌ قويُّ

God has borne witness—and He is just and trustworthy—

God witnessed, and He is just and pleased,

That ʿAbd al-Qawī is a strong servant,

that the servant of the Strong is strong.

آخَذُ الناسِ كلهم لكتَابٍ

آخَذُ الناسِ كلهم لكتَابٍ

أَخْذَ يَحيى لكنَّ يحيى نبيُّ

أَخْذَ يَحيى لكنَّ يحيى نبيُّ

The most forceful of all people in taking up a book,

Taking all people to account for a book,

As Yahya took it—but Yahya was a prophet.

as John took them - but John was a prophet,

وهو يحيى لولا النجاسةُ والجهْ

وهو يحيى لولا النجاسةُ والجهْ

لُ وإن لم يَجِئْ به زكريُّ

لُ وإن لم يَجِئْ به زكريُّ

And he would be Yahya, but for impurity and igno-

and he was John; were it not for impurity and ignorance,

rance—even though Zakariyya did not bring him forth.

he'd have come, even had Zechariah not.