أَدائي عِندَ أَقوامٍ أَدائي

أَدائي عِندَ أَقوامٍ أَدائي

وَقَد غَدَروا وَفاءَ لَهُم وَفائي

وَقَد غَدَروا وَفاءَ لَهُم وَفائي

Is my fulfillment of duty, in some people's eyes, my affliction?

My performance with people is my performance

My conduct among the people is my true conduct,

And though they betrayed me, my loyalty returned to them.

Though they betrayed, their loyalty was mine

For though they betrayed, my loyalty to them is my loyalty.

إِمامُ الدينِ وَالدُنيا أَمامي

إِمامُ الدينِ وَالدُنيا أَمامي

وَرَأي الحسنِ وَالحُسنى وَرائي

وَرَأي الحسنِ وَالحُسنى وَرائي

The leader of faith and worldly life is before me,

The leader of faith and world leads me

The Imam of Faith and the World stands before me,

and the thought of beauty and goodness lies behind me.

And the view of beauty and goodness is behind me

And the view of Al-Hasan and the Ultimate Good supports me.

يَسُبُّني الحَسودُ وَلا أُبالي

يَسُبُّني الحَسودُ وَلا أُبالي

بَقائي مُهجَتهُ بَقائي

بَقائي مُهجَتهُ بَقائي

The envious man insults me, and I do not care.

The envious abuse me but I do not care

The envious one reviles me, yet I do not care;

My survival—his lifeblood—my survival.

My survival makes their survival miserable

My survival is the torment of his soul—my very survival.

يُنافِسُني وَهذا المَوتُ حَتمٌ

يُنافِسُني وَهذا المَوتُ حَتمٌ

فَنَأيُ الشَأوِ دان مِن فنائي

فَنَأيُ الشَأوِ دان مِن فنائي

He vies with me, while this death is inevitable;

Death competes with me and death is certain

He competes with me, though this death is inevitable,

so the distant finish lies close to my demise.

So I avoid the evil and move away from my demise

And the limit of ambition is near to my own end.

ثوى عَبد الغَني هَوىً بِقَلبي

ثوى عَبد الغَني هَوىً بِقَلبي

فَلَيسَ وَإِن نَأى عَنّي بِنائي

فَلَيسَ وَإِن نَأى عَنّي بِنائي

Abd al-Ghani has settled as love within my heart;

The love of Abdul Ghani resides in my heart

Abd al-Ghani has settled as a love within my heart,

so, though he is far from me, he is not truly distant.

Though his home is far from me

So he is not remote, even if he has departed from me.

صَغيرُ السِنِّ لَو دامَت سُنوهُ

صَغيرُ السِنِّ لَو دامَت سُنوهُ

عَقَدتُ عَلى السِماكِ بِهِ لِوائي

عَقَدتُ عَلى السِماكِ بِهِ لِوائي

Young in years—had his years endured,

The young man, if his years persisted

Young in age—had his years but endured,

I would have fastened my banner to al-Simak through him.

I would have tied my banner to the sky with him

I would have tied my banner to the high stars through him.

لَهُ في كُلِّ مَوعِدَةٍ وَفاء

لَهُ في كُلِّ مَوعِدَةٍ وَفاء

إِذا ما كانَ إخلاف لِوائي

إِذا ما كانَ إخلاف لِوائي

He is faithful in every promise,

He is loyal in every battlefield

He possessed fidelity in every promise,

when my delay amounts to breaking a promise.

Unless disloyalty becomes my banner

Even whenever breach of faith was my own banner.

أَثارَ النَقعَ جَدُّكَ في حُنينٍ

أَثارَ النَقعَ جَدُّكَ في حُنينٍ

وَفي بَدرٍ وَأَثَّرَ في كُداءِ

وَفي بَدرٍ وَأَثَّرَ في كُداءِ

Your grandfather stirred up the dust at Hunayn,

Your grandfather stirred strife at Hunain

Your grandfather stirred the battle-dust at Hunayn,

and at Badr, and left his mark at Kuda'.

And at Badr, and left traces at Kudaa

And at Badr, and left his trace at Kuda.

شَفاني السَيف مِن هامِ الأَعادي

شَفاني السَيف مِن هامِ الأَعادي

وَلكِنَّ المَنِيَّةِ فيكَ دائي

وَلكِنَّ المَنِيَّةِ فيكَ دائي

The sword healed me through my enemies' heads,

The sword relieved me from the zeal of enemies

The sword healed me of the heads of my foes,

and yet your death is my affliction.

But in you is my affliction

But the hand of death upon you is my disease.