جَاءَ الرّسولُ كِتابُه بيمينِهِ

جَاءَ الرّسولُ كِتابُه بيمينِهِ

واليمنُ في فمهِ وَفْوَق جَبينِهِ

واليمنُ في فمهِ وَفْوَق جَبينِهِ

The envoy came, his letter in his right hand,

The envoy came, his letter in his right hand,

with good fortune upon his lips and above his brow.

and good fortune on his lips and above his brow.

وَافَى إمامَ المُرسلينَ مُبشّراً

وَافَى إمامَ المُرسلينَ مُبشّراً

بالمؤمنينَ من الملوكِ بدينهِ

بالمؤمنينَ من الملوكِ بدينهِ

He reached the leader of the messengers, bearing glad tidings

He came to the leader of the messengers with glad tidings

of kings who had believed in his faith.

of kings who believed in his faith.

بعثوا إليه رسولهم وكتابَهم

بعثوا إليه رسولهم وكتابَهم

أن ليس مُتَّبَعٌ لهم مِن دونه

أن ليس مُتَّبَعٌ لهم مِن دونه

They sent to him their envoy and their letter,

They sent him their envoy and their letter,

declaring that they followed none besides him.

declaring they had no one to follow but him.

قالوا اعْتَصمنا باليقينِ فَزادنا

قالوا اعْتَصمنا باليقينِ فَزادنا

دِينُ الهُدى والمرءُ عِندَ يقينِهِ

دِينُ الهُدى والمرءُ عِندَ يقينِهِ

They said, “We held fast to certainty, and we were increased

They said: We held fast to certainty, and we were strengthened

by the faith of guidance—for a man stands by his certainty.

by the faith of guidance; a man stands by his conviction.

ولقد قتلنا المشركينَ نُريدُه

ولقد قتلنا المشركينَ نُريدُه

فتحاً يَشُجُّ الشِّركَ في عِرْنِينهِ

فتحاً يَشُجُّ الشِّركَ في عِرْنِينهِ

We have indeed slain the polytheists, seeking

Indeed, we slew the idolaters, seeking thereby

a victory that cleaves polytheism upon the bridge of its nose.

a victory that cleaves idolatry at the bridge of its nose.

أقيالُ حِمْيَرَ لانَ جانِبُ عِزِّهم

أقيالُ حِمْيَرَ لانَ جانِبُ عِزِّهم

لِمُسلَّطٍ لِينُ الظُّبَى مِن لِينهِ

لِمُسلَّطٍ لِينُ الظُّبَى مِن لِينهِ

The princes of Himyar—the proud flank of their might grew gentle

The proud might of Himyar's princes yielded

before a sovereign whose gentleness softened even sword-blades.

before a mighty one: sword edges take their softness from his.

سَنَّ السّبيلَ بِسيفهِ وَلِسانِهِ

سَنَّ السّبيلَ بِسيفهِ وَلِسانِهِ

فتهافتَ الأقوامُ في مَسْنُونِه

فتهافتَ الأقوامُ في مَسْنُونِه

He laid down the way with his sword and his tongue,

He laid the path with his sword and his tongue,

and peoples rushed headlong into the way he ordained.

and the peoples rushed onto the path he laid.

لا شيءَ كالحقِّ المُسلَّحِ للفتى

لا شيءَ كالحقِّ المُسلَّحِ للفتى

يَشفِيهِ من كَلَبِ الهَوى وجُنونِهِ

يَشفِيهِ من كَلَبِ الهَوى وجُنونِهِ

Nothing serves a young man like truth armed,

Nothing serves a man like armed truth,

curing him of passion’s rabid hunger and madness.

curing him of desire's rabid frenzy and madness.

اللّيثُ في مِحرابِهِ وكتابِهِ

اللّيثُ في مِحرابِهِ وكتابِهِ

واللّيثُ في أشبالِهِ وعَرِينهِ

واللّيثُ في أشبالِهِ وعَرِينهِ

A lion in his prayer-niche and beside his Book,

The lion in his prayer niche and his book,

and a lion among his cubs and within his den.”

and the lion among his cubs and in his lair.

رَجَع الرسولُ على هُدَىً برسالةٍ

رَجَع الرسولُ على هُدَىً برسالةٍ

فيها الهُدَى يَمحُو الظّلامَ لِحينهِ

فيها الهُدَى يَمحُو الظّلامَ لِحينهِ

The envoy returned with guidance in a message;

The envoy returned rightly guided, bearing a message

therein guidance dispelled the darkness at once.

in which guidance erases darkness at once.

فيها قُوى الإسلامِ مُحكَمةُ العُرَى

فيها قُوى الإسلامِ مُحكَمةُ العُرَى

لِمَن ابْتَغَى الخيراتِ في تَمكينهِ

لِمَن ابْتَغَى الخيراتِ في تَمكينهِ

Therein the bonds of Islam are firmly knit

Within it, Islam's strengths are firmly bound,

for whoever seeks goodness beneath its dominion.

for whoever seeks good through its firm establishment.

فيها شَعائرهُ ومَظهرُ مجدهِ

فيها شَعائرهُ ومَظهرُ مجدهِ

ونظامُ دَولتِهِ وأُسُّ شُؤونِهِ

ونظامُ دَولتِهِ وأُسُّ شُؤونِهِ

Therein are its rites and the manifestation of its glory,

Within it are its rites and the display of its glory,

the order of its state and the foundation of its affairs.

and the order of its state and the foundation of its affairs.

أخَذَ الملوكَ بواضحٍ من هَدْيهِ

أخَذَ الملوكَ بواضحٍ من هَدْيهِ

مُتبلِّجٍ لم يَأْلُ في تَبْيينهِ

مُتبلِّجٍ لم يَأْلُ في تَبْيينهِ

He won over kings with the manifest light of his guidance,

He held the kings to a clear teaching of his guidance,

radiant, sparing no effort to make it plain.

radiant, which he spared no effort to explain.

وَرَمى إليهم بالوصيَّةِ سمحةً

وَرَمى إليهم بالوصيَّةِ سمحةً

يَقضِي الأمينُ بها زِمامَ أمينِهِ

يَقضِي الأمينُ بها زِمامَ أمينِهِ

He sent them a gracious injunction

And he sent them a gracious injunction,

whereby a trustee fulfills the charge of the one who trusted him:

by which the trustworthy one fulfills his trusted agent's charge:

أن أكْرِموا رُسلِي الذين تَرَوْنَهم

أن أكْرِموا رُسلِي الذين تَرَوْنَهم

يرجون فضلَ الله عِندَ ديُونهِ

يرجون فضلَ الله عِندَ ديُونهِ

“Honor these envoys of mine whom you see;

Honor my envoys whom you see

they hope for God’s bounty as they discharge what is owed.

hoping for God's bounty as they attend to His dues.

أَوصيتُ زرعةَ أن يكونَ لهم يداً

أَوصيتُ زرعةَ أن يكونَ لهم يداً

كَيَدِ القرينِ يَشُدُّ أزْرَ قرينِهِ

كَيَدِ القرينِ يَشُدُّ أزْرَ قرينِهِ

I charged Zurʿa to lend them his hand,

I instructed Zur'ah to be a helping hand to them,

like a companion’s hand that braces his companion’s back.

like a companion's hand strengthening his companion's back.

ولقد جعلتُ إلى معاذٍ أمرهُمْ

ولقد جعلتُ إلى معاذٍ أمرهُمْ

فجعلتُه لِزَعيمهِ وضَمينهِ

فجعلتُه لِزَعيمهِ وضَمينهِ

I have entrusted their affairs to Muʿadh,

Indeed, I entrusted their business to Mu'adh,

making him their responsible guardian and guarantor.

and thus placed it with its overseer and guarantor.

لا يرجعنَّ إليَّ إلا راضياً

لا يرجعنَّ إليَّ إلا راضياً

والله عَوْنُ نَصيرِه وَمُعينِهِ

والله عَوْنُ نَصيرِه وَمُعينِهِ

Let him return to me only well pleased;

Let him return to me only when satisfied,

God grants aid to whoever supports and helps him.”

and God aids whoever supports and helps him.

يا حارثُ اشْكُرْ فَضْلَ رَبِّكَ إنّه

يا حارثُ اشْكُرْ فَضْلَ رَبِّكَ إنّه

أعطاكَ حَظّاً زَادَ في تَحسينِهِ

أعطاكَ حَظّاً زَادَ في تَحسينِهِ

O al-Harith, thank your Lord for His grace: He

O Harith, thank your Lord for His bounty, for He

gave you a portion and increased its beauty.

gave you a share and made it finer still.

أوَ لستَ أوّلَ مُسلمٍ من حِمْيَرٍ

أوَ لستَ أوّلَ مُسلمٍ من حِمْيَرٍ

وَرَدَ الهُدى وَمَضى بِصَفْوِ مَعينِهِ

وَرَدَ الهُدى وَمَضى بِصَفْوِ مَعينِهِ

Were you not the first Muslim of Himyar,

And are you not the first Muslim of Himyar

who came to guidance and departed with the pure water of its spring?

to come to guidance and leave with its pure springwater,

وأقامَ للشركِ المذمَّمِ مَأتماً

وأقامَ للشركِ المذمَّمِ مَأتماً

يَستعذِبُ الإسلامُ رَجْعَ أنينِهِ

يَستعذِبُ الإسلامُ رَجْعَ أنينِهِ

You raised a wake for blameworthy polytheism,

and to hold a mourning rite for reviled idolatry,

while Islam found sweetness in the echo of its groaning.

whose echoing groans Islam finds sweet?

أبْشِرْ بخيرٍ غيرِ مقطوعِ الجنَى

أبْشِرْ بخيرٍ غيرِ مقطوعِ الجنَى

مِن ربّكَ الأعلى ولا مَمْنونِهِ

مِن ربّكَ الأعلى ولا مَمْنونِهِ

Rejoice in a good whose harvest will never be cut off,

Rejoice in goodness whose fruit is never cut off,

from your Lord Most High, neither withheld nor begrudged.

from your Lord Most High, nor diminished in its yield.

هَذا السّبيلُ فأينَ يذهبُ من أبى

هَذا السّبيلُ فأينَ يذهبُ من أبى

أوَ ليس نُور اللهِ قد كشفَ الدُّجَى

أوَ ليس نُور اللهِ قد كشفَ الدُّجَى

This is the path—where can one who rejects it go?

This is the way: where can one who refuses it go?

Has not God’s light already dispelled the darkness?

And has God's light not already dispelled the darkness?

ليس الذي رَكِبَ الغَوايةَ فَالْتوى

ليس الذي رَكِبَ الغَوايةَ فَالْتوى

كَمَن استقامَ ولا الضَّلالةُ كالهُدَى

كَمَن استقامَ ولا الضَّلالةُ كالهُدَى

One who mounts error and twists aside

One who rode into error and swerved

is not like one who walks straight, nor is error like guidance.

is not like one who walked straight; nor is misguidance like guidance.

أحسنتَ فروةُ إنّ دِينَ مُحمدٍ

أحسنتَ فروةُ إنّ دِينَ مُحمدٍ

لَهُوَ الذي يَشفِي القُلوبَ مِنَ العَمَى

لَهُوَ الذي يَشفِي القُلوبَ مِنَ العَمَى

Well done, Farwa! The faith of Muhammad

Well done, Farwah! Indeed, Muhammad's faith

is indeed what heals hearts of blindness.

is the very thing that cures hearts of blindness.

هذا رسولُكُ جَاءَهُ بِهَديّةٍ

هذا رسولُكُ جَاءَهُ بِهَديّةٍ

فيها لنفسِك كلُّ ما تَهَبُ المُنَى

فيها لنفسِك كلُّ ما تَهَبُ المُنَى

This envoy of yours came to him bearing a gift

This envoy of yours came to him with a gift,

containing for your soul all that hopes might bestow.

containing for your soul all that wishes bestow.

أنت السّعيدُ بها ولو أتْبعَتها

أنت السّعيدُ بها ولو أتْبعَتها

كُلَّ الذي لك لم تَزِدْ إلا غِنَى

كُلَّ الذي لك لم تَزِدْ إلا غِنَى

Through it you are blessed; and had you followed it with

You are blessed through it; even if you followed it with

all that was yours, you would only have grown richer.

all that you possess, you would only grow richer.

ماذا يغيظُ الرُّومَ من مُسْتَبْصِرٍ

ماذا يغيظُ الرُّومَ من مُسْتَبْصِرٍ

صَرَفَ العِنانَ عن الغوايةِ وارْعَوَى

صَرَفَ العِنانَ عن الغوايةِ وارْعَوَى

What is it that enrages the Romans about a man of insight

What angers the Romans about a man with clear insight

who turned the reins away from error and came to his senses?

who turned his reins away from error and came to his senses?

سجنوه حين رَأوْهُ يُطلِقُ نفسَهُ

سجنوه حين رَأوْهُ يُطلِقُ نفسَهُ

في المعشرِ الطُلَقاءِ من سِجنِ الهَوى

في المعشرِ الطُلَقاءِ من سِجنِ الهَوى

They imprisoned him when they saw him setting his soul free

They imprisoned him when they saw him freeing himself

among the liberated—free from passion’s prison.

among those freed from the prison of desire.

وتكنَّفوهُ لِيفتنُوه فزادَ في

وتكنَّفوهُ لِيفتنُوه فزادَ في

إيمانِهِ ما جَرّعوهُ من الأذَى

إيمانِهِ ما جَرّعوهُ من الأذَى

They closed around him to tempt him; yet it only increased

They hemmed him in to turn him from his faith, yet it deepened

his faith—all the hurt they forced him to swallow.

his faith—the suffering they made him swallow.

لو يعقِلُ الملكُ الغَبيُّ لمَا رأى

لو يعقِلُ الملكُ الغَبيُّ لمَا رأى

رَأْيَ الأُلى ضلّوا السّبيلَ ولا غَوَى

رَأْيَ الأُلى ضلّوا السّبيلَ ولا غَوَى

Had the foolish king understood, he would not have embraced

Had the foolish king understood, he would not have adopted

the view of those before him who lost the path and strayed.

the views of those who lost the way, nor gone astray.

قال اعْتَزِلْ دِينَ الذينَ هُمُ العِدَى

قال اعْتَزِلْ دِينَ الذينَ هُمُ العِدَى

إن كنتَ تُؤثِرُ أن تُرَدَّ على رِضَى

إن كنتَ تُؤثِرُ أن تُرَدَّ على رِضَى

He said, “Forsake the religion of those who are our enemies,

He said: Abandon the faith of those who are enemies,

if you wish to be restored to favor.

if you wish to be restored to favor.

لك عند قومِكَ ما تحبُّ وتَشتهِي

لك عند قومِكَ ما تحبُّ وتَشتهِي

في ذلكَ الحَرمِ المُمنَّعِ والحِمَى

في ذلكَ الحَرمِ المُمنَّعِ والحِمَى

Among your own people you shall have all you love and desire,

Among your people you may have all you love and desire,

within that inviolate sanctuary and protection:

within that well-defended sanctuary and refuge:

المجدُ والشرفُ الرفيعُ وما ترى

المجدُ والشرفُ الرفيعُ وما ترى

من نعمةٍ خضراءَ دانيةِ الجَنى

من نعمةٍ خضراءَ دانيةِ الجَنى

glory, exalted honor, and what you see

glory, lofty honor, and all you see

of verdant plenty, its fruit hanging near.”

of verdant bounty with fruit close at hand.

قال اقْتصِدْ ما أنْتَ أنْتَ ولا أنا

قال اقْتصِدْ ما أنْتَ أنْتَ ولا أنا

أنا قد مضى من أمرِنا ما قد مَضى

أنا قد مضى من أمرِنا ما قد مَضى

He said, “Be measured: you are not yourself, nor am I.

He replied: Be measured; you are not yourself, nor am I

As for me, what has passed in our affair has passed.

myself; what has passed of our affair has passed.

إنّي اصطفيتُ مُحمداً وهو الذي

إنّي اصطفيتُ مُحمداً وهو الذي

أوصى به عيسَى فَنِعمَ المُصطفى

أوصى به عيسَى فَنِعمَ المُصطفى

I have chosen Muhammad—and he is the one

I have chosen Muhammad, and he is the one

whom Jesus commended; how excellent the Chosen One!

whom Jesus commended—how excellent the chosen one!

وأراكَ تَعلمُ غيرَ أنّكَ مُولَعٌ

وأراكَ تَعلمُ غيرَ أنّكَ مُولَعٌ

بالمُلكِ تكرهُ أن يكونَ له مدَى

بالمُلكِ تكرهُ أن يكونَ له مدَى

I see that you know, but you are infatuated

I see that you know, but you are infatuated

with kingship and hate that it should have an end.”

with kingship, unwilling that it should have an end.

قال اقتلوهُ فراحَ يَلقى ربَّهُ

قال اقتلوهُ فراحَ يَلقى ربَّهُ

فَرِحاً بما حَفِظَ الأمانةَ وَاتَّقَى

فَرِحاً بما حَفِظَ الأمانةَ وَاتَّقَى

He said, “Kill him.” So Farwa went to meet his Lord,

He said: Kill him! So he went to meet his Lord,

joyful that he had kept the trust and remained God-fearing.

joyful that he had kept his trust and feared God.

صَلبوهُ من حَنَقٍ عليه فويحهم

صَلبوهُ من حَنَقٍ عليه فويحهم

أفَلَمْ يكنْ في قتلِ فروةَ ما كَفَى

أفَلَمْ يكنْ في قتلِ فروةَ ما كَفَى

They crucified him out of rancor against him—woe to them!

They crucified him in their rage against him—woe to them!

Was there not enough in killing Farwa?

Was killing Farwah not enough?

نِعْمَ الشهيدُ وبِئْسَ ما صَنعوا به

نِعْمَ الشهيدُ وبِئْسَ ما صَنعوا به

وسيعلمون لِمَنْ يكونُ المُنتهى

وسيعلمون لِمَنْ يكونُ المُنتهى

Excellent the martyr; vile was what they did to him.

What a noble martyr, and how vile their treatment of him!

And they shall know to whom the final outcome belongs.

They will learn to whom the final outcome belongs.

تِلكَ العقيدةُ حكمُها وسبيلُها

تِلكَ العقيدةُ حكمُها وسبيلُها

إمّا سبيلُ المؤمنينَ أوِ الرَّدى

إمّا سبيلُ المؤمنينَ أوِ الرَّدى

Such is the creed—its judgment and its way:

Such is the creed, its decree and its path:

either the path of the believers, or ruin.

either the believers' way, or destruction.