محمد ما أخلفتنا ما وعدتنا

محمد ما أخلفتنا ما وعدتنا

صدقت وقال الحق فيك ضمير

صدقت وقال الحق فيك ضمير

Muhammad, you did not fail us in what you promised us.

Muhammad, you did not fail us, you did not break your promise

You kept your word, and conscience spoke the truth about you.

You were truthful and spoke the truth, you have a conscience

فأنت خضم العلم حال سكونه

فأنت خضم العلم حال سكونه

وأنت خضم العلم حين تثور

وأنت خضم العلم حين تثور

For you are the ocean of knowledge when it is still,

You are learned when knowledge is still, and learned when it stirs

and you are the ocean of knowledge when you surge.

You are the prince of retention, speech, and prohibition

وأنت أمير الحفظ والقول والنهى

وأنت أمير الحفظ والقول والنهى

إذا لم ينل تلك الثلاث أمير

إذا لم ينل تلك الثلاث أمير

And you are the prince of memory, speech, and reason,

If those three do not have a prince

when no prince has attained those three.

You are above the learned of the people, their teacher

ففوق عليم القوم منك معلِّم

ففوق عليم القوم منك معلِّم

وفوق وزير القوم منك وزير

وفوق وزير القوم منك وزير

For in you is a teacher above the people's scholar,

And above the advisors of the people, their advisor

and in you is a minister above the people's minister.

If our opponents are ignorant towards us one day

إذا جهلت يوما علينا خصومنا

إذا جهلت يوما علينا خصومنا

فإنك من جهل الخصوم مجير

فإنك من جهل الخصوم مجير

If one day our adversaries act insolently toward us,

You protect us from the ignorance of opponents

then you protect us from the adversaries' insolence.

And if they brandish their pens, you brandish after them

وإن جردوا الأقلام جردت إثرها

وإن جردوا الأقلام جردت إثرها

يراعا له في الخافقين صرير

يراعا له في الخافقين صرير

And if they unsheathe their pens, you unsheathe in their wake

Watching out for him among the horizons a whistle

a reed pen whose scratching resounds in East and West.

If he prays he meets the hatred of the people with hatred

إذا صال لاقى ضيغم القوم ضيغما

إذا صال لاقى ضيغم القوم ضيغما

له في نفوس الشانئين زئير

له في نفوس الشانئين زئير

When the people's lion charges, he meets a lion

For him in the souls of detractors a roar

whose roar resounds in the souls of those who hate him.

And you are near in loyalty, hoped for

وأنت قريب في الولاء مؤمل

وأنت قريب في الولاء مؤمل

وأنت أبىّ في الخصام كبير

وأنت أبىّ في الخصام كبير

And in loyalty you are close, a source of hope;

And you are great in argument, aloof

and in conflict you are unyielding and formidable.

And I admire you when you do not endure

ويعجبني منك ألتقى حين لا تقى

ويعجبني منك ألتقى حين لا تقى

وجدك حين الهازلون كثير

وجدك حين الهازلون كثير

And I admire your piety when there is no piety,

And I find you when there are many jesters

and your earnestness when those who jest abound.