على ذكرها فليعرفِ الحقَّ جاهلُهْ

على ذكرها فليعرفِ الحقَّ جاهلُهْ

ويُؤمنْ بأنّ البغيَ شتَّى غَوائلُهْ

ويُؤمنْ بأنّ البغيَ شتَّى غَوائلُهْ

At its mention, let one ignorant of the truth learn it,

In his remembrance, let the ignorant know the truth,

and believe that oppression's calamities are manifold.

And believe that rebellion's ways are manifold.

هِيَ الغزوةُ الكبرى هَوى الشّركُ إذ رمت

هِيَ الغزوةُ الكبرى هَوى الشّركُ إذ رمت

جَحافِلُها العظمى وولّت جَحافلُهْ

جَحافِلُها العظمى وولّت جَحافلُهْ

It is the great battle: idolatry fell at the onslaught

It was the Greatest Battle when polytheism attacked,

of its mighty hosts, and idolatry's hosts fled.

And its great armies charged while its armies retreated.

وأصبح دينُ اللهِ قد قام رُكنُهُ

وأصبح دينُ اللهِ قد قام رُكنُهُ

فَأقصرَ من أعدائهِ مَن يُطاوله

فَأقصرَ من أعدائهِ مَن يُطاوله

And God's religion now had its pillar established,

And God's religion now stands firm,

so those of its enemies who challenged it desisted.

So whoever strives against it, his striving is short.

بَنَتْهُ سيوفُ اللهِ بالعزمِ إنّه

بَنَتْهُ سيوفُ اللهِ بالعزمِ إنّه

لأصلبُ من صُمِّ الجلاميدِ سائله

لأصلبُ من صُمِّ الجلاميدِ سائله

God's swords built it with resolve; indeed,

God's swords have built it with resolve,

its fluid substance is harder than solid boulders.

For it is firmer than the rocks of statues.

تَكِلُّ قُوى الجبّارِ عما تُقيمه

تَكِلُّ قُوى الجبّارِ عما تُقيمه

عليه يَدُ الباني وتنبو مَعاوِله

عليه يَدُ الباني وتنبو مَعاوِله

The tyrant's powers fail against what is raised

The forces of the tyrant fail to undo

upon it by the builder's hand, and his pickaxes glance off.

What the Builder's hand has established and its tools.

أهاب رسولُ اللهِ بالجندِ أقدِموا

أهاب رسولُ اللهِ بالجندِ أقدِموا

ولا ترهبوا الطاغوتَ فاللّهُ خاذله

ولا ترهبوا الطاغوتَ فاللّهُ خاذله

God's Messenger urged the troops: Advance!

God's Messenger urged the troops, "Advance!

And do not fear the tyrannical power, for God will forsake it.

And fear not the tyrant, for God has forsaken him."

أما تنظرون الأرض كيف أظلَّها

أما تنظرون الأرض كيف أظلَّها

من الشّركِ دينٌ أهلك النّاسَ باطله

من الشّركِ دينٌ أهلك النّاسَ باطله

Do you not see the earth, how it is overshadowed

Do you not see the land, how polytheism

by a faith of idolatry whose falsehood has destroyed mankind?

Has covered it with a religion that destroyed people in vain?

خُذوه ببأسٍ لا تطيشُ سهامُه

خُذوه ببأسٍ لا تطيشُ سهامُه

فأنتم مَناياهُ وهَذي مقاتله

فأنتم مَناياهُ وهَذي مقاتله

Assail it with a might whose arrows never miss;

Take it with might, let not its arrows go astray,

for you are its doom, and these are its vulnerable points.

For you are its purpose, and this is its battlefield.

علينا الهُدَى إمّا بآياتِ ربّنا

علينا الهُدَى إمّا بآياتِ ربّنا

وإمّا بحدِّ السّيفِ لا خابَ حامله

وإمّا بحدِّ السّيفِ لا خابَ حامله

It falls to us to guide, either with our Lord's signs

We have the guidance, either through our Lord's signs,

or with the sword's edge—may its bearer never fail.

Or through the sword's edge that never fails its wielder.

إذا أنكر القومُ البراهينَ أخضعت

إذا أنكر القومُ البراهينَ أخضعت

براهينُه أعناقَهم ودلائله

براهينُه أعناقَهم ودلائله

If the people deny the proofs, bowed will be

When people reject proofs, proofs

their necks by its proofs and its arguments.

Subdue their necks, and their evidence.

مضى البأسُ بَدْرِيَّ المشاهدِ تَرتمِي

مضى البأسُ بَدْرِيَّ المشاهدِ تَرتمِي

أعاصيرهُ ناراً وتَغلِي مراجله

أعاصيرهُ ناراً وتَغلِي مراجله

Battle-might advanced, its scenes those of Badr; there hurtled

War passed in Badr, its storms surging,

its whirlwinds of fire, and its cauldrons boiled.

Its seas boiling and its cauldrons aflame.

وضَجَّ رسولُ الله يدعو إلهه

وضَجَّ رسولُ الله يدعو إلهه

فيا لكَ من جندٍ طوى الجوَّ جافله

فيا لكَ من جندٍ طوى الجوَّ جافله

And God's Messenger cried aloud, calling upon his God.

And God's Messenger called out to his God,

And what a host, whose rushing throng swept through the sky!

What an army that covered the horizon in squadrons!

تَنّزلَ يُزجي النصرَ تنسابُ من عَلٍ

تَنّزلَ يُزجي النصرَ تنسابُ من عَلٍ

شآبيبُه نوراً وينهلُّ وابله

شآبيبُه نوراً وينهلُّ وابله

It descended, bringing victory; from on high flowed

Victory descends from the Most High, shedding

its showers of light, and its heavy rain streamed down.

Its rains of light, pouring its torrents.

أحيزومُ أقدِمْ إنه الجِدُّ لن يرى

أحيزومُ أقدِمْ إنه الجِدُّ لن يرى

سواه عدوٌّ كاذبُ البأسِ هازله

سواه عدوٌّ كاذبُ البأسِ هازله

O Hayzum, advance! This is earnest battle; never will he see

Ahayzum, advance, for this is serious, no enemy

anything else—the foe of sham courage who treats it as a jest.

Will see aught but lies in pretending to be brave.

هو الله يحمي دينَه ويُعزُّه

هو الله يحمي دينَه ويُعزُّه

فمن ذا يناويه ومن ذا يُصاوله

فمن ذا يناويه ومن ذا يُصاوله

It is God who guards His religion and strengthens it;

God protects His religion and gives it glory,

so who will oppose Him, and who will fight Him?

So who dares oppose Him? Who contends with Him?

تمزّقَ جيشُ الكفر وانحلَّ عقدُه

تمزّقَ جيشُ الكفر وانحلَّ عقدُه

فخابت أمانيه وأعيت وسائله

فخابت أمانيه وأعيت وسائله

The army of unbelief was torn apart, and its bond unraveled;

The army of disbelief was torn apart and its pact undone.

so its hopes were dashed, and its means failed.

Its hopes were foiled and its means exhausted.

وما برسولِ الله إذ ناله الأذى

وما برسولِ الله إذ ناله الأذى

سوى ما ارتضت أخلاقُهُ وشمائله

سوى ما ارتضت أخلاقُهُ وشمائله

And when harm befell God's Messenger, he displayed nothing

The Messenger faced harm, but he had only

but what his character and disposition approved.

What his morals had chosen, and his qualities.

نبيٌّ يُحبُّ الله حُبَّ مجاهدٍ

نبيٌّ يُحبُّ الله حُبَّ مجاهدٍ

يرى دَمهُ من حقّه فهو باذله

يرى دَمهُ من حقّه فهو باذله

A prophet who loves God with a warrior's love,

A prophet whom God loves with a warrior's love,

who deems his blood God's due, and so offers it freely.

Who sees shedding his blood as his right, so he sacrifices it.

يُعظّمهُ في نفسِهِ ويُطيعُهُ

يُعظّمهُ في نفسِهِ ويُطيعُهُ

وما يقضِ من أمرٍ له فهو قابله

وما يقضِ من أمرٍ له فهو قابله

He reveres Him in his soul and obeys Him,

He reveres and obeys Him in his soul,

and whatever command He decrees for him, he accepts.

And whatever He decrees, he accepts it.

كذلك كان المسلمونَ الأُلى مضَوْا

كذلك كان المسلمونَ الأُلى مضَوْا

فيا لكَ عصراً يبعثُ الحزنَ زائله

فيا لكَ عصراً يبعثُ الحزنَ زائله

Such were the Muslims who went before;

Thus were the foremost Muslims, they passed away.

and ah, what an age, whose passing awakens sorrow!

What an age that makes grief depart!

صَدفنا عن المُثلى فأصبحَ أمرُنا

صَدفنا عن المُثلى فأصبحَ أمرُنا

إلى غيرنا نَهذِي به وهو شاغله

إلى غيرنا نَهذِي به وهو شاغله

We turned from the ideal path, and our affairs passed

We have strayed from the ideal, so our affairs

to others; we babble about them while others are absorbed in them.

Have gone to others, though the affair is theirs.

يُجالِدُ من يَبغِي الحياةَ عدوَّه

يُجالِدُ من يَبغِي الحياةَ عدوَّه

فيا لعدوٍّ لم يَجد من يُجادله

فيا لعدوٍّ لم يَجد من يُجادله

Whoever seeks life battles his enemy;

Whoever seeks life contends against his enemy,

and what an enemy, who has found no one to contend with him!

What an enemy who finds none to contend with him!

بنا من عوادِي الدّهرِ كلُّ مُسلَّطٍ

بنا من عوادِي الدّهرِ كلُّ مُسلَّطٍ

مَكائدُه مبثوثةٌ وحبائله

مَكائدُه مبثوثةٌ وحبائله

Every scourge of time's assaults is unleashed upon us,

Every tyrant allowed power over us

its plots and its snares spread abroad.

Has scattered plots and snares.

قضينا المدى ما تستقيمُ أمورنا

قضينا المدى ما تستقيمُ أمورنا

وهل يستقيم الأمرُ عاليه سافله

وهل يستقيم الأمرُ عاليه سافله

We have spent our days with our affairs never set right;

We spent our days, but our affairs are not right,

and can affairs be set right when their top is their bottom?

Can an affair be right if its high and low are inverted?

عَجِبتُ لقومي عُطّلَ الدّينُ بينهم

عَجِبتُ لقومي عُطّلَ الدّينُ بينهم

وجُنُّوا به والجهلُ شتَّى منازله

وجُنُّوا به والجهلُ شتَّى منازله

I marvel at my people: religion is left idle among them,

I wonder at my people whose religion has been suspended among them

yet they are crazed for it; ignorance's abodes are many.

And they have wronged it, while ignorance resides in its every abode.

يُحبّونه حُبَّ الذي ضلَّ رأيُه

يُحبّونه حُبَّ الذي ضلَّ رأيُه

فَقاطعهُ منهم سواء وواصله

فَقاطعهُ منهم سواء وواصله

They love it with the love of one whose judgment has strayed;

They love it with the love of one whose opinion is misguided,

so its forsaker among them and its adherent are alike.

So their connection to it is equal, and their separation from it.

صلاةٌ وصَومٌ يَركضُ الشرُّ فيهما

صلاةٌ وصَومٌ يَركضُ الشرُّ فيهما

حَثيثاً تَهزُّ المشرقَيْنِ صَواهِله

حَثيثاً تَهزُّ المشرقَيْنِ صَواهِله

Prayer and fasting, with evil galloping through both,

Prayer and fasting, but evil runs rampant through them,

at full speed, its neighing steeds shaking the two Easts!

Shaking the two horizons with its slipping calamities.

وكيف يقومُ الدّينُ ما بين أمّةٍ

وكيف يقومُ الدّينُ ما بين أمّةٍ

إذا عُطِّلتْ آدابُه وفضائله

إذا عُطِّلتْ آدابُه وفضائله

And how can religion stand among a nation

How can religion stand if courtesy and virtue

if its moral precepts and virtues are neglected?

Are suspended in a community that wrongs it?

سلامٌ علينا يوم يصدقُ بأسُنا

سلامٌ علينا يوم يصدقُ بأسُنا

فيمضِي بنا في كلّ أمرٍ نُحاوله

فيمضِي بنا في كلّ أمرٍ نُحاوله

Peace be upon us the day our might proves true,

Peace be upon us the day our might proves true,

and carries us forward in every undertaking we attempt;

And takes us through whatever matter we attempt.

ويومَ تكونُ الأرض تحت لوائِنا

ويومَ تكونُ الأرض تحت لوائِنا

فليس عليها من لواءٍ يُماثله

فليس عليها من لواءٍ يُماثله

and the day the earth lies beneath our banner,

And the day the earth is under our banner,

for no banner upon it is its equal.

None can match it or equal it.

أنمشي بِطاءً والخطوبُ تَنوبُنا

أنمشي بِطاءً والخطوبُ تَنوبُنا

سِراعاً وعادِي الشرِّ ينقضُّ عاجله

سِراعاً وعادِي الشرِّ ينقضُّ عاجله

Shall we walk slowly while calamities assail us

We walk slowly while disasters befall us swiftly,

swiftly, and evil's onslaught swoops down at once?

And the common evil breaks its fetters and hastens.

ألا همّةٌ بدريّةٌ تكشفُ الأذى

ألا همّةٌ بدريّةٌ تكشفُ الأذى

وتشفِي من الهمِّ الذي اهتاجَ داخله

وتشفِي من الهمِّ الذي اهتاجَ داخله

Is there no Badr-like resolve to dispel affliction

Come now, a Badrian zeal that removes harm

and cure the grief whose depths are in turmoil?

And alleviates the anguish that shakes one's insides.

ألا أمةٌ تنهَى النفوسَ عن الهوى

ألا أمةٌ تنهَى النفوسَ عن الهوى

وتُصْغِي إلى القولِ الذي أنا قائله

وتُصْغِي إلى القولِ الذي أنا قائله

Is there no nation that restrains souls from caprice

Come now, a community that restrains souls from passion

and listens to the words I speak?

And listens to the words I am saying.

ألا دولةٌ للحقِّ تسلك نهجه

ألا دولةٌ للحقِّ تسلك نهجه

وتمشِي على آثارهِ ما تُزايله

وتمشِي على آثارهِ ما تُزايله

Is there no state for truth that follows its path

Come now, a state for the truth that follows its path

and walks in its footsteps, never leaving it?

And walks upon its traces, never diverging from it.

إذا نحن لم نَرشدْ ولم نتبعِ الهُدَى

إذا نحن لم نَرشدْ ولم نتبعِ الهُدَى

فلا تنكروا يا قومُ ما الله فاعله

فلا تنكروا يا قومُ ما الله فاعله

If we do not act rightly and do not follow guidance,

If we do not provide guidance or follow the guidance,

then do not object, my people, to what God will do.

Then do not reject, my people, what God will do.