هَلّاwhy not سَأَلتَyou asked وَأَنتَwhile you are خَيرُthe best خَليفَةٍcaliph
هَلّا سَأَلتَ وَأَنتَ خَيرُ خَليفَةٍ
عَنabout حَورِturning back غايَتِناour goal وَبُعدِand the distance مَداناour reach
عَن حَورِ غايَتِنا وَبُعدِ مَدانا
Why did you not ask, you who are the finest caliph,
Why not ask, O best successor,
about our goal’s turning back and the far extent of our reach?
About the heavenly maidens and the extent of our longing,
أَهلُthe people of النُبُوَّةِprophethood وَالخِلافَةِand the caliphate وَالتُقىand piety
أَهلُ النُبُوَّةِ وَالخِلافَةِ وَالتُقى
اللَهُGod أَكرَمَناhonored us بِهِwith it وَحَباناand favored us
اللَهُ أَكرَمَنا بِهِ وَحَبانا
We are the people of prophethood, the caliphate, and piety;
The people of prophethood, caliphate and piety,
God has honored us with this and favored us.
God has honored us with them and granted us favor,
حَوضُpool النَبِيِّthe Prophet وَحَوضُناand our pool مِنfrom زَمزَمٍZamzam
حَوضُ النَبِيِّ وَحَوضُنا مِن زَمزَمٍ
ظَمِئَmay he thirst اِمرُؤٌa man لَمdid not يَروِهِquench his thirst حَوضاناour two pools
ظَمِئَ اِمرُؤٌ لَم يَروِهِ حَوضانا
The Prophet’s pool, and our pool from Zamzam—
The Prophet's pond and our pond from Zamzam,
may the man whom our two pools do not quench go thirsty.
A thirsty man who has not seen our two ponds,
عَلِمَتknew قُرَيشٌQuraysh أَنَّناthat we أَعيانُهُمtheir foremost men
عَلِمَت قُرَيشٌ أَنَّنا أَعيانُهُم
مَنwhoever قامَrose يَمدَحُpraises قَومَهُhis people اِستَثناناmade an exception for us
مَن قامَ يَمدَحُ قَومَهُ اِستَثنانا
Quraysh knows that we are its foremost men;
Quraysh knew that we are their prominent ones,
whoever rose to praise his people made an exception for us.
Who stands praising his people while excluding us,
وَلَناand we have أَسامٍnames ماnot تَليقُbefit بِغَيرِناanyone other than us
وَلَنا أَسامٍ ما تَليقُ بِغَيرِنا
وَمَشاهِدٌand assemblies تَهتَلُّbeam with joy حينَwhen تَراناthey see us
وَمَشاهِدٌ تَهتَلُّ حينَ تَرانا
And we have names that befit no others,
And we have names that befit none but us,
and assemblies that beam with joy when they see us.
And shrines that exult when they see us,
وَيَسودُand holds sway سَيِّدُناour chief بِغَيرِwithout تَكَلُّفٍstrain
وَيَسودُ سَيِّدُنا بِغَيرِ تَكَلُّفٍ
هَوناًwith ease وَيُدرِكُand obtains تَبلُهُhis vengeance مَولاناour client
هَوناً وَيُدرِكُ تَبلُهُ مَولانا
And our chief holds sway without strain,
And our master acts with ease, not pretension,
with ease; and our client exacts his revenge.
Gently reaching the heights, our guardian.
Sol 6.1