سبحان من في كلِّ شيء شاهدُ

سبحان من في كلِّ شيء شاهدُ

أنَّا عبيدٌ وهو مولى واحد

أنَّا عبيدٌ وهو مولى واحد

Glory be to Him who, in everything, is witness

Glory to Him: in everything there is a witness

that I am but a humble servant, and He the sole Master.

that we are servants, and He is the one Master.

سبحان من ظهرت بمخلوقاته

سبحان من ظهرت بمخلوقاته

آياتُ حقٍ لا يراها الجاحد

آياتُ حقٍ لا يراها الجاحد

Glory be to Him whose creatures have disclosed

Glory to Him, through whose creatures have appeared

signs of truth the denier cannot see.

signs of truth that the denier does not see.

سبحان من لا ملك إلاَّ ملكه

سبحان من لا ملك إلاَّ ملكه

ذلَّ الطَّريف لعزه والتالد

ذلَّ الطَّريف لعزه والتالد

Glory be to Him—there is no dominion but His;

Glory to Him: there is no dominion but His;

before His might, new-won and inherited wealth are humbled.

the newly acquired and the inherited bowed to His might.

سبحان من سبق الوجودَ وجودُهُ

سبحان من سبق الوجودَ وجودُهُ

فله البقاء وكلُّ شيء بائد

فله البقاء وكلُّ شيء بائد

Glory be to Him whose existence preceded existence;

Glory to Him, whose existence preceded existence;

permanence is His, while everything must perish.

His is eternity, and everything passes away.

سبحان من هو واحد في مجدِهِ

سبحان من هو واحد في مجدِهِ

لا الرَّب مولود ولا هو والد

لا الرَّب مولود ولا هو والد

Glory be to Him, the One alone in majesty:

Glory to Him, unique in His majesty;

the Lord is neither begotten nor a begetter.

the Lord is not begotten, nor is He a begetter.

بهر العقولَ بديعُ مصنوعاتِهِ

بهر العقولَ بديعُ مصنوعاتِهِ

لما تقدَّمها الدليلُ القاصد

لما تقدَّمها الدليلُ القاصد

The wonder of His handiwork dazzled minds

His wondrous handiwork dazzled minds

when clear, direct proof appeared before them.

when the purposeful guide went before them.

وتقلبت هذي البريّةُ كلُّها

وتقلبت هذي البريّةُ كلُّها

في جوده والكلُّ منهم واحد

في جوده والكلُّ منهم واحد

This whole created world moves

And all this creation moved about

within His bounty, all of them alike.

in His bounty, and all of them are as one.

وبدت القلوب مشاهِدٌ

وبدت القلوب مشاهِدٌ

تبدو لها بين الجفون شواهد

تبدو لها بين الجفون شواهد

And hearts appeared as places of vision,

And hearts appeared as places of witnessing;

before which witnesses arise between the eyelids.

witnesses appear to them between the eyelids.

أغنى الفقير وللزمان مفاقر

أغنى الفقير وللزمان مفاقر

وحمى الضعيف وللعدو مكائد

وحمى الضعيف وللعدو مكائد

He enriched the poor, though time brings deprivation,

He enriched the poor, though time has its causes of poverty;

and protected the weak, though the enemy lays plots.

and protected the weak, though the enemy has plots.

يا ناظراً وكأنما هو مطرقٌ

يا ناظراً وكأنما هو مطرقٌ

مستيقظاً وكأنما هو راقد

مستيقظاً وكأنما هو راقد

O gazer who seems to lower his eyes,

O you who look, yet seem to bow your head,

awake, though seeming to sleep:

awake, yet as though you were asleep:

احضر فؤادك إن أردتَ إجابة

احضر فؤادك إن أردتَ إجابة

وابسط يديك فللدعاء فوائد

وابسط يديك فللدعاء فوائد

bring your heart fully present if you desire an answer,

bring your heart to attention if you desire an answer,

and stretch out your hands, for prayer brings benefits.

and stretch out your hands, for supplication has benefits.

واشكر إلهاً لا يغبك حفظه

واشكر إلهاً لا يغبك حفظه

والناس إما شامت أو حاسد

والناس إما شامت أو حاسد

Give thanks to a God whose guardianship never leaves you,

And thank a God whose protection never deserts you,

while people are either gloating or envious.

while people are either gloating or envious.

أو ما ترى الألطاف وهي كثيرة

أو ما ترى الألطاف وهي كثيرة

عمدت بها الآفات وهي شدائد

عمدت بها الآفات وهي شدائد

Do you not see the acts of grace, numerous as they are,

Or do you not see the gracious favors, so many,

amid afflictions that have spread everywhere, grievous as they are?

with which calamities were struck, grievous though they were?

ووراء ما تخشى الأنامُ خليفةٌ

ووراء ما تخشى الأنامُ خليفةٌ

أيامه للمعلوات معاهد

أيامه للمعلوات معاهد

Beyond what humankind fears there stands a caliph

And behind what humankind fears stands a caliph;

whose days are meeting places for lofty deeds.

his days are meeting places for all that is exalted.

حَسُنت به الأغوار فهي حدائق

حَسُنت به الأغوار فهي حدائق

وزكت به الأنجاد فهي مساجد

وزكت به الأنجاد فهي مساجد

Through him the lowlands grew radiant and became gardens;

Through him the lowlands grew beautiful: they are gardens;

through him the highlands flourished and became mosques.

and through him the uplands grew pure: they are mosques.

هادٍ إلى طرق الحقيقة مرشد

هادٍ إلى طرق الحقيقة مرشد

متأول فيما يحاول راشد

متأول فيما يحاول راشد

A guide and teacher upon the paths of truth,

A guide to the paths of truth, directing aright;

discerning and rightly guided in whatever he undertakes.

an interpreter in what he undertakes, rightly guided.

معقود أزرار القميص على التُّقى

معقود أزرار القميص على التُّقى

واللهُ حافظه له والعاقد

واللهُ حافظه له والعاقد

The buttons of his shirt are fastened upon piety,

His shirt-buttons fastened upon piety,

and God is his guardian and the one who fastened them.

and God is its keeper for him, and the one who fastens it.

دَانَت له الدنيا ولم يُسفَك دَمٌ

دَانَت له الدنيا ولم يُسفَك دَمٌ

وَتَقَلَّدَتهُ ولم يُنَبَّه راقد

وَتَقَلَّدَتهُ ولم يُنَبَّه راقد

The world submitted to him without blood being shed,

The world submitted to him, and no blood was shed;

and invested him without rousing a sleeper.

and it wore him as a necklace, and no sleeper was roused.

ولطال ما خدعت سواه فقد رأت

ولطال ما خدعت سواه فقد رأت

أن ليس ينخدعُ الإمام الزاهد

أن ليس ينخدعُ الإمام الزاهد

Long had it deceived others, until it saw

And long it deceived others; now it has seen

that the ascetic imam could not be deceived.

that the ascetic imam is not deceived.

حكمت له بالفتح نفسٌ حرة

حكمت له بالفتح نفسٌ حرة

وَيَدٌ مؤيدة وذهن واقد

وَيَدٌ مؤيدة وذهن واقد

A free soul judged that victory was his,

A noble soul decreed victory for him,

with an aided hand and a keen, alert mind.

and a strengthened hand, and a blazing mind.

وكفته أعمال الجياد سعادة

وكفته أعمال الجياد سعادة

أضحت له الأقدارُ وهي سواعد

أضحت له الأقدارُ وهي سواعد

The exploits of noble steeds sufficed him as good fortune;

And good fortune spared him the labors of steeds;

destiny itself became supporting arms for him.

the decrees of fate became supporting arms for him.

أما العادة لخوفه فَمَرُوعَةٌ

أما العادة لخوفه فَمَرُوعَةٌ

والليثُ يرهبه النَّعام الشاردُ

والليثُ يرهبه النَّعام الشاردُ

As for his enemies, fear of him has struck them with terror;

As for custom, it is terrified by fear of him;

even the lion is feared by the fleeing ostrich.

and the fleeing ostriches fear the lion.

سمعت نداءَ البيض وهي صوامتٌ

سمعت نداءَ البيض وهي صوامتٌ

وَرأت عيونَ السُّمر وهي أباعد

وَرأت عيونَ السُّمر وهي أباعد

They heard the call of the white blades, though they were silent,

It heard the call of white blades, though they were silent;

and saw the eyes of the brown spears, though far away.

and saw the eyes of brown spears, though they were distant.

فاليوم لا غير المُجَدّل وارد

فاليوم لا غير المُجَدّل وارد

منها ولا غير الحتوف موارد

منها ولا غير الحتوف موارد

Today none but the felled come to them,

So today none but the felled comes to drink

and none but deaths depart from them.

from them, and there are no watering places but death.

هذا الإِمام وكلُّ باغ راغم

هذا الإِمام وكلُّ باغ راغم

هذا السعيد وكُلِّ غادٍ جاهد

هذا السعيد وكُلِّ غادٍ جاهد

This is the imam, and every aggressor is abased;

This is the imam, and every rebel is humbled;

this is the fortunate one, while every comer strives.

this is the fortunate one, while every morning traveler toils.

عمت سياستُه فيُسعَدُ صالح

عمت سياستُه فيُسعَدُ صالح

في نظرةٍ منه ويصلح فاسد

في نظرةٍ منه ويصلح فاسد

His governance embraced all: the righteous prospers

His governance embraces all: the upright are made happy

at a single glance from him, and the corrupt is reformed.

by a glance from him, and the corrupt become upright.

بأسٌ كما اهتز الحسامُ المنتضى

بأسٌ كما اهتز الحسامُ المنتضى

جودٌكما انبجس الغمام الرَّاعد

جودٌكما انبجس الغمام الرَّاعد

Prowess like the quivering of an unsheathed sword;

Might like the unsheathed sword as it quivers;

generosity like the bursting of a thundercloud.

generosity like the thundering cloud as it gushes.

فَلَهُ من الوصف المقدَّم موعد

فَلَهُ من الوصف المقدَّم موعد

وله من الوصف المؤخر واعد

وله من الوصف المؤخر واعد

The praise already offered keeps its appointed tryst with him,

So in the former attribute he has one who threatens;

and praise still to come pledges itself to him.

and in the latter attribute he has one who promises.

ضمنت له نجحَ المقاصدِ فكرةٌ

ضمنت له نجحَ المقاصدِ فكرةٌ

غابت عن الأفكار وهي تشاهد

غابت عن الأفكار وهي تشاهد

A thought assured him of success in his purposes,

A thought guaranteed him success in his aims,

hidden from other minds while itself beholding.

hidden from other thoughts, though it is witnessed.

قل كيف لا يلقى النجاح خليفةٌ

قل كيف لا يلقى النجاح خليفةٌ

أمِنَ الوليُ به وخاف المارد

أمِنَ الوليُ به وخاف المارد

Say: how could a caliph fail to encounter success

Say: how can a caliph fail to attain success,

when through him the newborn is secure and the rebellious one afraid?

through whom the ally felt safe and the rebel feared?

فوراءَ دولتِهِ ثناءٌ نازلٌ

فوراءَ دولتِهِ ثناءٌ نازلٌ

وأمام دعوته دعاء صاعد

وأمام دعوته دعاء صاعد

Behind his state, praise descends,

So behind his reign praise descends,

and before his summons, praise ascends.

and before his call supplication ascends.

والله يكلأ أمره ويديمه

والله يكلأ أمره ويديمه

فهو الحسام لديننا والسَّاعد

فهو الحسام لديننا والسَّاعد

God watches over his cause and preserves him,

And God guards his cause and makes it endure;

for he is the sword and supporting arm of our faith.

for he is the sword and arm of our faith.