أَقْبِلْ رِفاعَةُ لا مُعَرَّجُ لامْرِئٍ

أَقْبِلْ رِفاعَةُ لا مُعَرَّجُ لامْرِئٍ

يَبغِي الذي تَبغِي ولا مُتَلَوَّمُ

يَبغِي الذي تَبغِي ولا مُتَلَوَّمُ

Come forward, Rifāʿah: there is no turning aside for a man

Come O Rifa'ah, neither hesitating nor distressed,

who seeks what you seek, nor any lingering.

Seeking what you desire without being blamed.

جِئتَ الرسولَ المجتبَى من ربِّهِ

جِئتَ الرسولَ المجتبَى من ربِّهِ

وقدِمتَ تتبعُه فنِعمَ المَقدِمُ

وقدِمتَ تتبعُه فنِعمَ المَقدِمُ

You came to the Messenger, chosen by his Lord,

You came to the chosen Messenger from his Lord,

and came to follow him—what an excellent coming!

And you followed him - what an excellent one who comes early!

أكرمتَ نفسك فانطلقت تُريدُه

أكرمتَ نفسك فانطلقت تُريدُه

دِيناً هو الشّرفُ الأجلُّ الأعظمُ

دِيناً هو الشّرفُ الأجلُّ الأعظمُ

You honored yourself and set out seeking it—

You have honored yourself, so set forth desiring him

a faith that is the loftiest, greatest honor.

As a religion - it is the greatest, most venerable honor.

يَبني الحياةَ على أساسٍ ثابتٍ

يَبني الحياةَ على أساسٍ ثابتٍ

من قُوةِ اللَّهِ التي لا تُهْدَمُ

من قُوةِ اللَّهِ التي لا تُهْدَمُ

It builds life upon a firm foundation,

It builds life on a firm foundation

from God's strength, which cannot be torn down.

Of God's power which cannot be destroyed.

إن شئتَ أن ترقى بنفسِكَ صاعِداً

إن شئتَ أن ترقى بنفسِكَ صاعِداً

فعليكَ بالإيمانِ فهو السُّلَّمُ

فعليكَ بالإيمانِ فهو السُّلَّمُ

If you wish to lift yourself upward,

If you want to ascend with yourself higher and higher

then hold fast to faith, for it is the ladder.

Then you must have faith, for it is the ladder.

وَهْوَ الجناحُ فإن ظَفِرتَ به فَطِرْ

وَهْوَ الجناحُ فإن ظَفِرتَ به فَطِرْ

واطْوِ الجِواءَ فأنتَ أنتَ القَشْعَمُ

واطْوِ الجِواءَ فأنتَ أنتَ القَشْعَمُ

And it is the wing: if you gain it, then fly,

It is the wing - if you gain it, fly

and cross the expanse, for you—you are the mighty eagle.

And traverse the atmosphere, for you are the swift falcon.

لا تنهضُ الهِمَمُ الكِبارُ بغيرِه

لا تنهضُ الهِمَمُ الكِبارُ بغيرِه

سبباً ولا تَسمُو النُّفوسُ الحُوَّمُ

سبباً ولا تَسمُو النُّفوسُ الحُوَّمُ

Great aspirations cannot rise without it

Great ambitions are not stirred without it

as their means, nor can souls circling aloft ascend.

As a cause, nor do downtrodden souls rise high.

سَعِدَ الغُلامُ كما سَعِدَت وربّما

سَعِدَ الغُلامُ كما سَعِدَت وربّما

خَدَمَ السّعيدُ فكان مِمّن يُخْدَمُ

خَدَمَ السّعيدُ فكان مِمّن يُخْدَمُ

The lad was blessed, as you were; and sometimes

The boy was fortunate, as you were fortunate, and perhaps

a blessed man serves, then becomes one who is served.

The fortunate one served, becoming one who is served.

عَزَّت بسيّدِهِ العوالمُ أرضُها

عَزَّت بسيّدِهِ العوالمُ أرضُها

وسماؤُها وَهوَ الأعزُّ الأكرمُ

وسماؤُها وَهوَ الأعزُّ الأكرمُ

Through his master the worlds were exalted—their earth

Through its master the worlds gained might - its land

and their heaven—and he is the most exalted, the noblest.

And its sky - and He is the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.

أَفْضَى إليكَ بأمرِ قومِكَ فَاضْطَلِعْ

أَفْضَى إليكَ بأمرِ قومِكَ فَاضْطَلِعْ

وَاعْزِمْ رِفاعةُ إنّ مثلَكَ يعزِمُ

وَاعْزِمْ رِفاعةُ إنّ مثلَكَ يعزِمُ

He entrusted you with your people's affairs; shoulder them,

He has entrusted you with the affair of your people - take it on

and be resolute, Rifāʿah: one like you shows resolve.

And be determined, O Rifa'ah, for the likes of you are determined.

وَخُذِ الكتابَ مُباركاً ما مثلُه

وَخُذِ الكتابَ مُباركاً ما مثلُه

كتبتْ يَدٌ فيما يُخَطُّ وَيُرقَمُ

كتبتْ يَدٌ فيما يُخَطُّ وَيُرقَمُ

And take the blessed letter: nothing like it

And take the blessed Book - nothing like it

has any hand written among all that is penned and inscribed.

Has been written by a hand in what is transcribed and numbered.

إقرأه مُتَّئِداً عليهم وَادْعُهم

إقرأه مُتَّئِداً عليهم وَادْعُهم

أن يتبَعوكَ إلى التي هِيَ أقْوَمُ

أن يتبَعوكَ إلى التي هِيَ أقْوَمُ

Read it to them unhurriedly, and call upon them

Read it to them as one who spreads out a banquet, and invite them

to follow you toward that which is most upright.

To follow you to that which is most upright.

وَلِمَنْ عَصاكَ مدىً فإنْ بلغوا المدَى

وَلِمَنْ عَصاكَ مدىً فإنْ بلغوا المدَى

فاللّهُ يَقْضِي ما يشاءُ ويَحكمُ

فاللّهُ يَقْضِي ما يشاءُ ويَحكمُ

And for those who disobey you, a term; if they reach its end,

And for those who disobey you for a time - if they exceed the time

then God decrees whatever He wills and judges.

Then God will judge what He wills and rule.

أوَ ما كفى شهرٌ يجرُّ وراءَهُ

أوَ ما كفى شهرٌ يجرُّ وراءَهُ

شَهراً لِمن يبغِي المحَجَّةَ مِنهُمُ

شَهراً لِمن يبغِي المحَجَّةَ مِنهُمُ

And has not a month sufficed, drawing behind it

Or has one month dragging another after it not sufficed

another month, for those among them who seek the clear path?

For those who seek pretexts from amongst them?

للّهِ قَومُكَ يا ابنَ زيدٍ إنّهم

للّهِ قَومُكَ يا ابنَ زيدٍ إنّهم

سمعوا الكِتابَ فشايعوكَ وأسلموا

سمعوا الكِتابَ فشايعوكَ وأسلموا

God bless your people, O son of Zayd! Indeed, they

Your people belong to God, O son of Zayd - they

heard the letter, so they rallied to you and embraced Islam.

Have heard the Book and so they followed you and submitted.

نُورٌ على نورٍ ونُعْمى زادها

نُورٌ على نورٍ ونُعْمى زادها

من فضلِهِ الأوفى الكريمُ المنعِمُ

من فضلِهِ الأوفى الكريمُ المنعِمُ

Light upon light, and a blessing increased

Light upon light, and insight which He added to it

from His fullest bounty by the Generous Bestower.

From His abundant grace - the Most Faithful, the Most Generous!

عَلِمَتْ خزاعةُ بعد جهلٍ فَاهْتَدَتْ

عَلِمَتْ خزاعةُ بعد جهلٍ فَاهْتَدَتْ

وإلى الحقائقِ يَهتدي مَن يعلمُ

وإلى الحقائقِ يَهتدي مَن يعلمُ

Khuzāʿah learned after ignorance, and so found guidance;

Khuza'ah knew after ignorance, so it was guided,

and whoever knows finds guidance to the truths.

And he who knows is guided to the truths.

إن يذكروا فَضْلَ الرجالِ وأيُّهم

إن يذكروا فَضْلَ الرجالِ وأيُّهم

أرْبَى فأنتَ السابقُ المتقدّمُ

أرْبَى فأنتَ السابقُ المتقدّمُ

If they speak of men's merit and which of them

If they mention the excellence of men - which of them

excelled most, then you are the forerunner, the foremost.

Progressed and preceded - you are the foremost and the preceding!