ياO بَنِيsons of الحارثِal-Harith بنson of كَعْبٍKa'b سَلامُpeace
يا بَنِي الحارثِ بن كَعْبٍ سَلامُ
أَذْهَبَremoved الرِّجْسَdefilement عَنكمُfrom you الإسلامُIslam
أَذْهَبَ الرِّجْسَ عَنكمُ الإسلامُ
O sons of al-Harith ibn Ka'b, peace!
O sons of Al-Harith ibn Ka'b, peace be upon you
Islam has removed defilement from you.
Islam has removed filth from you
جاءكمcame to you خالدٌKhalid بدعوةِwith a call حقٍّtruth
جاءكم خالدٌ بدعوةِ حقٍّ
فاستجبتمso you responded ماnot عابكمmarred you إحجامُreluctance
فاستجبتم ما عابكم إحجامُ
Khalid came to you with a call to truth,
Khalid came to you with the call of truth
so you responded; no reluctance marred you.
So you responded, no hesitation did you show
عَظُمَتْwas great نِعمةُfavor النبيِّthe Prophet عليكمupon you
عَظُمَتْ نِعمةُ النبيِّ عليكم
فاعرفواso know دِينَهُhis religion وكيفand how يُقامُis upheld
فاعرفوا دِينَهُ وكيف يُقامُ
Great has been the Prophet's favor upon you;
Great is the blessing of the Prophet upon you
so know his religion and how it is upheld.
So recognize his religion and how it is maintained
كلُّall ماthat which تَكرَهُabhor النُّفُوسُsouls منof البَغْoppression (beginning)
كلُّ ما تَكرَهُ النُّفُوسُ من البَغْ
يِoppression (ending) وَسُوءِand evil الصّنيعِconduct فيهin it حَرامُforbidden
يِ وَسُوءِ الصّنيعِ فيه حَرامُ
All that souls abhor of oppression
All that displeases the souls in terms of injustice and ill-treatment is forbidden in it
and evil conduct is forbidden in it.
Fighting is not permissible except with truth
لاnot يحلُّis lawful القتالُfighting إلاexcept بحقٍّfor a just cause
لا يحلُّ القتالُ إلا بحقٍّ
وَهْوَand it is حَقٌّa right مؤكّدٌconfirmed وذِمامُand a binding pledge
وَهْوَ حَقٌّ مؤكّدٌ وذِمامُ
Fighting is lawful only for a just cause,
And it is an affirmed, binding truth
and it is an established right and a binding pledge.
You are the people, no blame is upon you
أنتمُyou القومُthe people ماno عليكمupon you مَلامُblame
أنتمُ القومُ ما عليكم مَلامُ
قُضِيَwas settled الأمرُthe matter واسْتَراحَand rested الحُسامُthe sharp sword
قُضِيَ الأمرُ واسْتَراحَ الحُسامُ
You are the people; no blame rests upon you.
The matter has been judged and the swords have been sheathed
The matter is settled, and the sword has come to rest.
And it is wondrous that when the truth appears clearly
وعجيبٌand strange إذاwhen بَداappeared الحقُّtruth طَلْقاًradiant
وعجيبٌ إذا بَدا الحقُّ طَلْقاً
أنthat تَضِلَّgo astray العقولُminds والأحلامُand judgments
أن تَضِلَّ العقولُ والأحلامُ
And strange it is, when truth appears radiant,
The minds and dreams go astray
that minds and judgments should go astray.
O sons of Al-Harith ibn Ka'b, you have settled
ياO بَنِيsons of الحارثِal-Harith بنِson of كعبٍKa'b نزلتمyou settled
يا بَنِي الحارثِ بنِ كعبٍ نزلتم
فيin حِمَىthe sanctuary of اللهِGod مَنزلاًan abode لاnot يُرامُcan be assailed
في حِمَى اللهِ مَنزلاً لا يُرامُ
O sons of al-Harith ibn Ka'b, you have settled
In the sanctuary of God, an unassailable abode
within God's sanctuary, in an unassailable abode.
This is Yathrib and this is the Imam
هاbehold هُناhere هاbehold هناhere يَطيبُis pleasant المقامthe stay
ها هُنا ها هنا يَطيبُ المقام
هذهthis يَثرِبٌYathrib وهذاand this الإمامُthe Imam
هذه يَثرِبٌ وهذا الإمامُ
Here—here—it is sweet to dwell;
Have you seen the glory of prophethood in what
this is Yathrib, and this is the Imam.
People have recognized or what groups have witnessed
أرأيتمhave you seen? عِزَّglory of النبوَّةِprophethood فيماin what
أرأيتم عِزَّ النبوَّةِ فيما
عَرَفَknew النَّاسُpeople أوor رَأىsaw الأقوامُpeoples
عَرَفَ النَّاسُ أو رَأى الأقوامُ
Have you seen the glory of prophethood in anything
Neither the ancient prophets attained
people have known or nations have witnessed?
Some of this nor the great kings
لاnot النبيُّونَthe prophets أوّلَat the beginning of الدهرِtime نالواattained
لا النبيُّونَ أوّلَ الدهرِ نالوا
بعضَa part of هذاthis ولاnor الملوكthe kings العِظامُmighty
بعضَ هذا ولا الملوك العِظامُ
The prophets of earliest times did not attain
He said, and He is the All-Knowing, when He addressed the people
even a part of this, nor did the mighty kings.
And the likes of it makes speech pleasant
قالَhe said وهوand he is العليمُthe knowledgeable one إذwhen كلَّمَaddressed القوthe people (beginning)
قالَ وهو العليمُ إذ كلَّمَ القو
مَthe people (ending) ومِنْand from مثلهِone like him يَطيبُis sweet الكلامُspeech
مَ ومِنْ مثلهِ يَطيبُ الكلامُ
He, the knowledgeable one, said as he addressed the people—
With what were you occupied in the Days of Ignorance
and speech is sweet from one such as he—
Seeking victory when the clash grew intense
بِمَby what means? كُنتمyou were فيin الجاهليّةِthe age of ignorance تستعyou gain ascendancy (beginning)
بِمَ كُنتم في الجاهليّةِ تستع
لونyou gain ascendancy (ending) بالنصرِthrough victory حينwhen يحمَىgrows fierce الصِّدامُthe clash
لون بالنصرِ حين يحمَى الصِّدامُ
“By what means, in the age of ignorance, did you gain
So they answered Him, that is because we were altogether
the upper hand through victory when the clash grew fierce?”
United by kinship
فأجابوهso they answered him ذلكمthat (addressing you all) أنّناthat we كنwere (verb fragment)
فأجابوه ذلكم أنّنا كن
ناwe (verb ending) جميعاًall together تضمُّناbind us together الأرحامُties of kinship
نا جميعاً تضمُّنا الأرحامُ
They answered him: “That was because we were
Sincere in valor, the hearts being one
all bound together by ties of kinship,
When they advanced and the ranks drew together
صادِقيsteadfast in البأسِbattle للقلوبِfor the hearts اتّحادٌunity
صادِقي البأسِ للقلوبِ اتّحادٌ
حِينَwhen تَمضيthey advance وللصُّفوفِand for the ranks الْتِئَامُcohesion
حِينَ تَمضي وللصُّفوفِ الْتِئَامُ
steadfast in battle, our hearts united
A boulder that does not shatter or crumble
when they advanced, and our ranks close-knit—
Even if the pebbles scatter and the gravel flies
صَخْرَةٌa rock ماnot تَطيرُflies أوor تَتفرَّىshatters
صَخْرَةٌ ما تَطيرُ أو تَتفرَّى
إنif تَفرَّىshattered الحصَىpebbles وَطَارَand flew الرَغامُdust
إن تَفرَّى الحصَى وَطَارَ الرَغامُ
a rock that neither flies away nor shatters,
Then we would not initiate wrong against people
even if pebbles shatter and dust flies.
He who pardons is virtuous
ثمthen كنَّاwe were لاnot نَبدأُwe begin النّاسَpeople بالظلwith wrongdoing (beginning)
ثم كنَّا لا نَبدأُ النّاسَ بالظل
مِwrongdoing (ending) نَعافُwe shun الذيwhat يَعافُshun الكِرَامُthe noble
مِ نَعافُ الذي يَعافُ الكِرَامُ
Then too, we were never the first to wrong people;
We dislike evil, though able, and refrain
we shunned what noble men shun.
And evil in the souls is repulsive
نَكرهُwe hate الشَّرَّevil قادرِينَcapable ونأباand we reject
نَكرهُ الشَّرَّ قادرِينَ ونأبا
هُit وللشَّرِّand for evil فيin النُّفوسِsouls اضْطِرامُblazing
هُ وللشَّرِّ في النُّفوسِ اضْطِرامُ
We hated evil, though capable of it, and rejected
He said, truly you have spoken the truth and for the wrongdoers
it, while evil blazed within souls.”
Continuity was not to be hoped for
قالhe said حقّاًtruly لقدindeed صدقتمyou spoke truth وماand not كاwas (beginning)
قال حقّاً لقد صدقتم وما كا
نَwas (ending) ليُرجَىto be hoped for للظالِمينَfor wrongdoers دَوامُpermanence
نَ ليُرجَى للظالِمينَ دَوامُ
He said: “Truly, you have spoken truth; never was
Indeed, Zaid is your commander so recognize him
permanence to be hoped for the unjust.
And fall in line with every orderly matter
إنّindeed زيداًZayd أميركمyour commander فَاعْرِفُوهso acknowledge him
إنّ زيداً أميركم فَاعْرِفُوه
وَاسْتَقِيمواand be upright لكلِّfor every أمرٍundertaking نظامُorder
وَاسْتَقِيموا لكلِّ أمرٍ نظامُ
Indeed, Zayd is your commander, so acknowledge him,
The way of God is inevitable for the people
and be upright; every undertaking has its order.
To have a leader the reins are cast to
سُنَّةthe established way of اللهِGod ليسthere is not للقومِfor the people بدٌّescape
سُنَّة اللهِ ليس للقومِ بدٌّ
منfrom رئيسٍa leader يُلْقَىis handed إليهto him الزِمامُthe reins
من رئيسٍ يُلْقَى إليه الزِمامُ
Such is God's way: the people cannot do without
Return in goodness, O son of Al-Husayn, and grace
a leader to whom the reins are handed.
Today you are indeed the noble leader
عُدْreturn بخيرٍwith good fortune ياO ابنَson of الحصينِal-Huṣayn ونُعمَىand blessing
عُدْ بخيرٍ يا ابنَ الحصينِ ونُعمَى
إنّكindeed you are اليومَtoday لَلرئيسُsurely the leader الهُمامُvaliant
إنّك اليومَ لَلرئيسُ الهُمامُ
Return with good fortune and blessing, O son of al-Huṣayn;
today you are indeed the valiant leader.”
Partial English translation: 42 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1