ما يكسب المرءُ من إثمٍ ولا يَزَرُ

ما يكسب المرءُ من إثمٍ ولا يَزَرُ

إلا أحاطَ به من ربِّه قَدَرُ

إلا أحاطَ به من ربِّه قَدَرُ

No sin does a man commit, nor guilt does he bear,

A man earns no sin or blame

but a decree from his Lord encompasses him.

Except that his destiny from his Lord surrounds him.

وليس للنَّفس إن خابت وإن خسرت

وليس للنَّفس إن خابت وإن خسرت

إلا عواقبُ ما تأتي وما تَذَرُ

إلا عواقبُ ما تأتي وما تَذَرُ

Nor has a soul, if it fails and suffers loss,

And the self has nothing if it fails and loses

anything but the consequences of what it does and leaves undone.

Except the consequences of what it does and leaves behind.

جلبت يا ابنَ أُبيٍّ شرَّ ما جلبت

جلبت يا ابنَ أُبيٍّ شرَّ ما جلبت

نَفسٌ على قومها لو كنتَ تَعتبِرُ

نَفسٌ على قومها لو كنتَ تَعتبِرُ

You brought, O son of Ubayy, the worst evil ever brought

Oh son of Abi, you have brought the worst evil

by a soul upon its people—if only you would take heed.

Upon your people, if only you were reasonable.

زوَّدت قومك خزياً لم يَدَعْ أحداً

زوَّدت قومك خزياً لم يَدَعْ أحداً

إلا قلاك وأمسى صَدرهُ يَغِرُ

إلا قلاك وأمسى صَدرهُ يَغِرُ

You burdened your people with disgrace, leaving not one

You have provided your people with shame that left no one

who did not loathe you, his breast now seething with rancor.

Except belittling you, with chests burning in rage.

تتابع الوحيُ ترميهم قوارعُه

تتابع الوحيُ ترميهم قوارعُه

لمّا تتابعَ منك اللّغو والهَذرُ

لمّا تتابعَ منك اللّغو والهَذرُ

Revelation came in succession, its crushing blows striking them,

Revelation follows upon revelation, striking them with catastrophes,

as idle talk and babble poured from you in succession.

As your nonsense and empty talk continues.

قالوا استجر برسولِ اللهِ ملتمساً

قالوا استجر برسولِ اللهِ ملتمساً

سُبلَ النجاةِ فما يُغنيك مُنتظَرُ

سُبلَ النجاةِ فما يُغنيك مُنتظَرُ

They said, “Seek refuge with God's Messenger, seeking

They said, plead with the Messenger of God, seeking

paths of deliverance; nothing you await will help you.

Ways of salvation, but your waiting is of no benefit.

إن تُلفهِ حين ترجوه وتسأله

إن تُلفهِ حين ترجوه وتسأله

مُستغفِراً لك لا يَعلَقْ بك الغَمَرُ

مُستغفِراً لك لا يَعلَقْ بك الغَمَرُ

If you find him, when you implore him and ask him,

If you beseech him when you hope and ask him

seeking forgiveness for you, no rancor will cling to you.”

Seeking forgiveness for you, calamity will not befall you.

فقال يا ويلكم ما زلتُ أتبعكم

فقال يا ويلكم ما زلتُ أتبعكم

حتى هلكتُ فلا جاهٌ ولا خَطَرُ

حتى هلكتُ فلا جاهٌ ولا خَطَرُ

He said, “Woe to you! I kept following you

So he said, woe to you, I kept following you

until I was ruined, with neither prestige nor standing.

Until I was destroyed, with no glory or esteem.

لم يبقَ فيما أرى إلا السُّجودُ له

لم يبقَ فيما أرى إلا السُّجودُ له

يُقضى له الحقُّ أو يُقضى به الوطر

يُقضى له الحقُّ أو يُقضى به الوطر

As I see it, nothing remains but to prostrate myself before him,

Nothing remains, as I see, except prostration to Him,

so his due is rendered, or the wish fulfilled thereby.

Truth is fulfilled for Him or by Him comes destruction.

أذلك الجدُّ منكم أم هو السَّخَرُ

أذلك الجدُّ منكم أم هو السَّخَرُ

دعوا اللّجاجَ فهذا مطلبٌ عَسِرُ

دعوا اللّجاجَ فهذا مطلبٌ عَسِرُ

Are you in earnest, or is this mockery?

Is this your seriousness or is it mockery?

Leave off your insistence; this is a difficult demand.”

Stop the stubbornness, for this matter is difficult.

وصدَّ مُستكبراً يلوِي لشقوتِه

وصدَّ مُستكبراً يلوِي لشقوتِه

رأساً يغيظ الظُّبَى أن ليس يُهتَصَر

رأساً يغيظ الظُّبَى أن ليس يُهتَصَر

And he turned away arrogantly, twisting, to his own misery,

He turned away arrogantly, twisting his neck in wretchedness,

a head that enraged the sword-edges by remaining unsevered.

A head that enrages gazelles for lacking any gentleness.

يزيده الجهلُ طُغياناً ويصرفه

يزيده الجهلُ طُغياناً ويصرفه

عنِ الهُدى من أفانينِ الهَوى سَكَر

عنِ الهُدى من أفانينِ الهَوى سَكَر

Ignorance feeds his rebellion, while he is turned

Ignorance increases his tyranny and distracts him

from guidance by intoxication with passion's many forms.

From guidance, drunk from the goblets of passion.

قال الرسولُ ونارُ الغيظِ تلفحُهُم

قال الرسولُ ونارُ الغيظِ تلفحُهُم

ألم أقل لك لا تَقْتُلْهُ يا عمر

ألم أقل لك لا تَقْتُلْهُ يا عمر

The Messenger said, as the fire of anger scorched them,

The Messenger said, as the fire of rage flared upon them,

“Did I not tell you, ‘Do not kill him, O Umar’?

Did I not tell you, O Omar, do not kill him?

لو قُمْتَ يومئذٍ بالسّيفِ تأخذُه

لو قُمْتَ يومئذٍ بالسّيفِ تأخذُه

بعثتَها غضبةً جأواءَ تستعر

بعثتَها غضبةً جأواءَ تستعر

Had you risen that day to seize him with the sword,

If on that day you had drawn your sword and seized him,

you would have unleashed a dark fury, blazing fiercely.

You would have started a raging, severe blaze.

تلك الأُنوفُ التي كنّا نُحاذِرُها

تلك الأُنوفُ التي كنّا نُحاذِرُها

أمست سَلاماً فلا خوفٌ ولا حذر

أمست سَلاماً فلا خوفٌ ولا حذر

Those proud noses we once guarded against

Those noses which we feared

have now become peaceable: no fear and no caution.

Have now become safe, with no fear or caution.

لو قلتُ للقومِ جيئوني بهامتِه

لو قلتُ للقومِ جيئوني بهامتِه

رأيتَهم يفعلون اليومَ ما أُمرِوا

رأيتَهم يفعلون اليومَ ما أُمرِوا

Had I told the people, ‘Bring me his head,’

If I had told the people, bring me his head,

you would see them today doing as they were commanded.”

You would have seen them do today what they were ordered.

تبيَّن الرشدُ للفاروقِ وانحسرت

تبيَّن الرشدُ للفاروقِ وانحسرت

عن جانبيهِ غواشي الظنّ والسُّترُ

عن جانبيهِ غواشي الظنّ والسُّترُ

Right judgment dawned on al-Faruq, and fell away

Rightness became clear to Al-Farooq and the covers

from his sides the shrouds of conjecture and the veils.

Of suspicion and concealment rolled away from his sides.

فقال بُوركتَ من هادٍ لأُمّتهِ

فقال بُوركتَ من هادٍ لأُمّتهِ

تعيا بحكمته الألبابُ والفِكَر

تعيا بحكمته الألبابُ والفِكَر

He said, “Blessed are you, a guide to your community,

So he said, blessed are you, a guide to your nation,

whose wisdom leaves minds and thoughts at a loss.

The minds and thoughts understand your wisdom.

لسنا كمثلِكَ في علمٍ ومعرفةٍ

لسنا كمثلِكَ في علمٍ ومعرفةٍ

أنت الإمامُ وهذا النهجُ والأثر

أنت الإمامُ وهذا النهجُ والأثر

We are not like you in learning and knowledge;

We are not like you in knowledge and understanding,

you are the leader; this is the path and the trail.

You are the imam, and this is the path and precedent.

تدري من الأمر ما تخفى ظواهرُه

تدري من الأمر ما تخفى ظواهرُه

وما لنا فيه إلا الرأيُ والنظر

وما لنا فيه إلا الرأيُ والنظر

You know of the matter things whose outward signs are hidden,

You know what is hidden in the matter,

while we have only opinion and reflection concerning it.

While we only have opinion and consideration.

في مُعجزاتِكَ للغاوين تبصرةٌ

في مُعجزاتِكَ للغاوين تبصرةٌ

وفي عُلومِكَ للجُهَّالِ مُزدَجر

وفي عُلومِكَ للجُهَّالِ مُزدَجر

In your miracles is enlightenment for the misguided,

In your miracles is insight for the misguided,

and in your knowledge a deterrent for the ignorant.

And in your knowledge is warning for the ignorant.

صلَّى عليكَ الذي آتاك من شرفٍ

صلَّى عليكَ الذي آتاك من شرفٍ

ما ليس يَبلغُه جِنٌّ ولا بشر

ما ليس يَبلغُه جِنٌّ ولا بشر

May He bless you—the One who bestowed upon you such honor

May blessings be upon you from the One who gave you nobility

as neither jinn nor human can attain.”

That no jinn or human can attain.

هذا ابنه جاءه غضبانَ يمسكه

هذا ابنه جاءه غضبانَ يمسكه

دون المدينةِ للمختارِ ينتصر

دون المدينةِ للمختارِ ينتصر

Here is his son: he came to him angry, holding him back

Before Madinah, taking revenge for the Chosen One.

outside Medina, championing the Chosen One.

He says those are lands you will not enter

يقول تلك دِيارٌ لستَ تدخلها

يقول تلك دِيارٌ لستَ تدخلها

حتى تَفِيء وحتّى يُعلمَ الخبر

حتى تَفِيء وحتّى يُعلمَ الخبر

He says, “Those are dwellings you shall not enter

Until you turn back and until the news is known.

until you return to the right course and the matter is made known.

You are the most humiliated, so say it sincerely,

أنت الأذلُّ فَقُلْها غيرَ كاذبةٍ

أنت الأذلُّ فَقُلْها غيرَ كاذبةٍ

إن كنتَ حُرّاً فبئس الكاذبُ الأشِرُ

إن كنتَ حُرّاً فبئس الكاذبُ الأشِرُ

You are the lowliest; say it without falsehood,

If you are free, for the insincere liar is wicked.

if you are a free man; vile is the insolent liar!”

So he said it once, burning his soul,

فقالها مُرّةً حَرَّى وأرسلها

فقالها مُرّةً حَرَّى وأرسلها

كأنّها روحُه من فِيهِ تَنحدِر

كأنّها روحُه من فِيهِ تَنحدِر

He said it, bitter and burning, and let it escape,

As if it were his spirit flowing out from his mouth.

as though it were his soul flowing from his mouth.

The most honorable, noble, and highest ranked of humanity

مشى أعزُّ بني الدنيا وأشرفُهم

مشى أعزُّ بني الدنيا وأشرفُهم

قَدْراً وأرفعهُم ذِكراً إذا ذُكِروا

قَدْراً وأرفعهُم ذِكراً إذا ذُكِروا

The most honored of the world's sons walked on, and their noblest

In status and mention when remembered, walked.

in rank, and highest in renown whenever they are named.

The lion of battle entered Madinah,

حلَّ المدينةَ منه لَيْثُ ملحمةٍ

حلَّ المدينةَ منه لَيْثُ ملحمةٍ

لا النَّصرُ يُخطِئهُ فيها ولا الظَفَر

لا النَّصرُ يُخطِئهُ فيها ولا الظَفَر

In his person, a lion of battle entered Medina,

With neither victory nor triumph failing him therein.

whom neither victory nor triumph eludes there.

So let a people know the truth whose guide has strayed

فليعرفِ الحقَّ قومٌ ضلَّ رائدُهم

فليعرفِ الحقَّ قومٌ ضلَّ رائدُهم

وارتدَّ قائدُهم خَزيانَ يعتذر

وارتدَّ قائدُهم خَزيانَ يعتذر

So let the truth be recognized by a people whose scout went astray

And whose leader retreated in disgraceful apology.

and whose leader returned disgraced, offering apologies.