وفي ذاتِ السلاسلِ من سُلَيْمٍ

وفي ذاتِ السلاسلِ من سُلَيْمٍ

غداةَ أتاهمُ الموتُ المُبيرُ

غداةَ أتاهمُ الموتُ المُبيرُ

And at Dhat al-Salasil, among Sulaym,

In that same group of chains from Sulaym,

on the morning when devastating death came upon them,

The next morning death, the annihilator, came upon them.

وقد هَزموا أبا حفصٍ عميراً

وقد هَزموا أبا حفصٍ عميراً

وصاحبَهُ مِراراً فاستُطيروا

وصاحبَهُ مِراراً فاستُطيروا

they had already defeated Abu Hafs, Umayr,

They had defeated Abu Hafs 'Umayr

and his companion repeatedly—then they were panic-stricken.

And his companion Mirar, so they took flight.

وقد قَتلوا من الأنصارِ رهطاً

وقد قَتلوا من الأنصارِ رهطاً

فحلّ النَّذرُ أو وجبتْ نُذورُ

فحلّ النَّذرُ أو وجبتْ نُذورُ

And they had slain a band of the Ansar,

They had killed a group of the Ansar,

so the vow came due, or vows became binding.

So vows became binding or debts came due.

أزار الموتَ مشيخةً ضِخاماً

أزار الموتَ مشيخةً ضِخاماً

جَحاجحةً تُسدُّ بها الثغورُ

جَحاجحةً تُسدُّ بها الثغورُ

He made death visit mighty elders,

Death donned the garb of elderliness, deceptively stout,

great chieftains through whom the frontiers are secured.

With which it blocks up the passes.

وعمرو قد سُقي كأساً بِسَلْعٍ

وعمرو قد سُقي كأساً بِسَلْعٍ

أقبُّ كأنّه أسدٌ مُغيرُ

أقبُّ كأنّه أسدٌ مُغيرُ

And Amr had been made to drink a cup at Salʿ,

And 'Amr was given a poisoned cup at Sal',

lean-bellied, as though he were a charging lion.

Most bitter, as if he were a raiding lion.

فنادى هل بذي حَسَبٍ بِرازٌ

فنادى هل بذي حَسَبٍ بِرازٌ

وهل عندَ امرئٍ حرٍّ نكيرُ

وهل عندَ امرئٍ حرٍّ نكيرُ

Then he cried, “Is there a man of noble lineage for single combat?

So he called out, "Is there anyone of repute, a helper?

And is there defiance in any freeborn man?”

Is there anyone with me, a righter of wrongs?"

وصيُّ محمدٍ وأمينُ غيبٍ

وصيُّ محمدٍ وأمينُ غيبٍ

ونعمَ أخو الإمامةِ والوزيرُ

ونعمَ أخو الإمامةِ والوزيرُ

Muhammad's appointed successor and trustee of the unseen,

The trustee of Muhammad and keeper of confidential talk,

and what an excellent brother in the imamate and minister!

And how excellent the brother of the imamate and vizierate!

إذا ما آيةٌ نَزلت عليه

إذا ما آيةٌ نَزلت عليه

يَضيقُ بها من القومُ الصُّدورُ

يَضيقُ بها من القومُ الصُّدورُ

Whenever a verse descended upon him,

Whenever a revelation would descend upon him,

at which the breasts of some among the people grew tight,

The hearts of the people would be straitened by it.

وعاها صدرُهُ وحنت عليها

وعاها صدرُهُ وحنت عليها

أضالِعُهُ وأحكَمَها الضميرُ

أضالِعُهُ وأحكَمَها الضميرُ

his breast held it, and over it curved

But it expanded his breast and nested upon his ribs,

his ribs, and his inner mind held it firm.

And his conscience absorbed it completely.

هما أخَوان ذا هادٍ إلى ذا

هما أخَوان ذا هادٍ إلى ذا

وذا فينا لأُمّته نذيرُ

وذا فينا لأُمّته نذيرُ

They are two brothers: one guides toward the other,

They are two brothers, both rightly guided,

and the other, among us, is a warner to his community.

And the one is for his community a warner.

فأحمدُ منذرٌ وأخوه هادٍ

فأحمدُ منذرٌ وأخوه هادٍ

دليلٌ لا يَضِلُّ ولا يَحيرُ

دليلٌ لا يَضِلُّ ولا يَحيرُ

So Ahmad is a warner, and his brother a guide,

So Ahmad is a warner, and his brother Had

a guide who neither strays nor is bewildered,

A guide who neither leads astray nor causes confusion.

كسابقِ حَلبةٍ وله مَظَلٌّ

كسابقِ حَلبةٍ وله مَظَلٌّ

أمامَ الخيلِ حيثُ يَرى البصيرُ

أمامَ الخيلِ حيثُ يَرى البصيرُ

like a race's frontrunner, with a shaded place

Like a runner on the racetrack who has a shelter

ahead of the horses, where the keen-eyed can see.

In front of the horses where the keen-sighted one can see.