يَميناً ما لِمَدْيَنَ من قَرارِ

يَميناً ما لِمَدْيَنَ من قَرارِ

فَبُعْدَاً للقطينِ وللديارِ

فَبُعْدَاً للقطينِ وللديارِ

I swear: Midian has no rest.

What rest is there for Midian?

Away, then, with the dwellers and the dwellings!

So farewell to Ghatna and the dwellings

شُعَيْبٌ كيفَ أنتَ وأينَ قَوْمٌ

شُعَيْبٌ كيفَ أنتَ وأينَ قَوْمٌ

عَصُوكَ وما الذي فَعَلَ الذرارِي

عَصُوكَ وما الذي فَعَلَ الذرارِي

Shuʿayb, how are you, and where are the people

Shu'ayb, how are you and where are the people

who disobeyed you—and what did the children do?

Who disobeyed you and what did the little ones do?

همُ اتّخذُوا الهَوَى رَبّاً وسَارُوا

همُ اتّخذُوا الهَوَى رَبّاً وسَارُوا

من العهدِ القديمِ على غِرارِ

من العهدِ القديمِ على غِرارِ

They made desire their lord and followed

They took their desires as a god and walked

the pattern of ancient times.

Off the ancient path on a bridge

أتى الإسلامُ فَاجْتَنبوهُ حِرصاً

أتى الإسلامُ فَاجْتَنبوهُ حِرصاً

على دينِ المهانةِ والصَّغارِ

على دينِ المهانةِ والصَّغارِ

Islam came, and they shunned it, intent

Islam came so they shunned it greedily

on the faith of degradation and humiliation.

For the religion of disgrace and pettiness

وصَدُّوا عن سبيلِ الله بَغياً

وصَدُّوا عن سبيلِ الله بَغياً

وكان البَغْيُ مَجلبةَ الدَّمارِ

وكان البَغْيُ مَجلبةَ الدَّمارِ

And they barred others from God's path in tyranny,

And they blocked the path of God out of hatred

and tyranny was the cause of destruction.

And hatred brings destruction

سَمَا زَيْدٌ إليهم بالمنايا

سَمَا زَيْدٌ إليهم بالمنايا

تُرِيكَ مَصَارِعَ الأُسْدِ الضَّوارِي

تُرِيكَ مَصَارِعَ الأُسْدِ الضَّوارِي

Zayd advanced upon them, bearing death,

Zayd attacked them with death

showing you where the ravening lions fell.

You see the meadows of the ferocious lions

تَأمّلْ يا شُعَيْبُ أما تَرَاهُ

تَأمّلْ يا شُعَيْبُ أما تَرَاهُ

شديدَ البأسِ مُلتَهِبَ المغارِ

شديدَ البأسِ مُلتَهِبَ المغارِ

Look closely, Shuʿayb—do you not see him,

Look, O Shu'ayb, don't you see him

fierce in battle, aflame in his assault?

Fierce in might, blazing caves

تَوَقَّى القومُ صَوْلَتَهُ فَضَنُّوا

تَوَقَّى القومُ صَوْلَتَهُ فَضَنُّوا

بِأنْفُسِهِم وجَادوا بالفِرارِ

بِأنْفُسِهِم وجَادوا بالفِرارِ

The people evaded his onslaught, and were miserly

The people avoided his onslaught so they were stingy

with their lives, yet generous with flight.

With themselves and were generous in fleeing

لَبِئْسَ الجُودُ تَلْبَسُهُ سَوَاداً

لَبِئْسَ الجُودُ تَلْبَسُهُ سَوَاداً

وُجُوهُ القومِ من خِزْيٍ وعَارِ

وُجُوهُ القومِ من خِزْيٍ وعَارِ

How wretched that generosity, donned as blackness

Evil is the generosity that is clad in blackness

by the people's faces, from shame and disgrace!

The faces of the people in shame and dishonor

تَلفَّتتِ النِّساءُ ولا رِجالٌ

تَلفَّتتِ النِّساءُ ولا رِجالٌ

سِوَى السُّرُجِ الزواهرِ كالدّراري

سِوَى السُّرُجِ الزواهرِ كالدّراري

The women looked about, but there were no men,

The women wandered with no men

save lamps shining like brilliant stars.

Except the illuminated knights shining like pearls

وَضَجَّتْ تستغيثُ ولا غِياثٌ

وَضَجَّتْ تستغيثُ ولا غِياثٌ

سِوَى العبراتِ والمُهَجِ الحِرَارِ

سِوَى العبراتِ والمُهَجِ الحِرَارِ

And they cried out for help, but no help came,

She cried out for help but no help came

save tears and burning hearts.

Except tears and burning passion

تَوَلَّى الجُندُ بالسَّبْيِ المُخَلَّى

تَوَلَّى الجُندُ بالسَّبْيِ المُخَلَّى

وبالنّصْرِ المُحَجَّلِ والفَخَارِ

وبالنّصْرِ المُحَجَّلِ والفَخَارِ

The troops departed with the abandoned captives,

The army retreated with the abandoned captives

and with white-stockinged victory and glory.

And the deferred victory and pride

فيا لبضاعةٍ للكُفرِ تُزْجَى

فيا لبضاعةٍ للكُفرِ تُزْجَى

ويا للشّوقِ يَجمعُ كُلَّ شارِ

ويا للشّوقِ يَجمعُ كُلَّ شارِ

Oh, what wares of unbelief are driven along!

Oh what a deal for blasphemy arranged

And oh, the longing that gathers every buyer!

Oh what yearning brings every neighbor

ويا لكَ من بُكاءٍ كان حقّاً

ويا لكَ من بُكاءٍ كان حقّاً

لِدينِ اللهِ دَاعِيَةَ افْتِرَارِ

لِدينِ اللهِ دَاعِيَةَ افْتِرَارِ

And oh, what weeping—truly it was

Oh what crying was rightfully due

a cause for God's faith to smile!

To the religion of God, calling for violation

أَتُمْسِي الأمُّ تُعزَلُ عن بَنِيها

أَتُمْسِي الأمُّ تُعزَلُ عن بَنِيها

لِمَوْلىً غيرِ مولاهم وجَارِ

لِمَوْلىً غيرِ مولاهم وجَارِ

Must a mother spend the evening parted from her sons,

Does the mother spend the night separated from her children

belonging to a master other than their master and protector?

For a master other than their master and neighbor?

أَبَى البَرُّ الرّحيمُ فقال رِفْقاً

أَبَى البَرُّ الرّحيمُ فقال رِفْقاً

وتلكَ إهانةُ الهِمَمِ الكِبارِ

وتلكَ إهانةُ الهِمَمِ الكِبارِ

The kindly, merciful one refused and said, “Be gentle!”

The Kind Merciful refused and gently said

And that is an affront to lofty aspirations.

That is the disgrace of great souls

فأمسَكَ كلَّ دَمْعٍ مُستَهلٍّ

فأمسَكَ كلَّ دَمْعٍ مُستَهلٍّ

وَسَكَّنَ كلَّ قلبٍ مُستطارِ

وَسَكَّنَ كلَّ قلبٍ مُستطارِ

So he stopped every flowing tear,

So He held back every tear about to fall

and calmed every panic-stricken heart.

And calmed every raging heart

تتابعتِ المواهبُ والعطايا

تتابعتِ المواهبُ والعطايا

على قَدَرٍ مِن الرحمن جارِ

على قَدَرٍ مِن الرحمن جارِ

Gifts and bounties followed one another,

The gifts and grants continued

under an unfolding decree from the Most Merciful.

Flowing from the Merciful in streams

فَغُنْمٌ بعد غُنْمٍ وَانْتِصَارٌ

فَغُنْمٌ بعد غُنْمٍ وَانْتِصَارٌ

يُنِيرُ المَشْرِقَيْنِ على انتِصارِ

يُنِيرُ المَشْرِقَيْنِ على انتِصارِ

Then spoils upon spoils, and victory

Triumph after triumph and victory

upon victory, lighting up the two Easts.

Illuminating the two horizons in victory

أصَابَ الدّهْرُ بُغْيَتَهُ وأمستْ

أصَابَ الدّهْرُ بُغْيَتَهُ وأمستْ

تَجَلَّتْ حِكمةُ الفلَكِ المُدَارِ

تَجَلَّتْ حِكمةُ الفلَكِ المُدَارِ

Time attained its desire, and now

Fate attained its hatred and it was as if

the wisdom of the revolving heavens stood revealed.

The wisdom of the revolving universe was revealed