نبئتُ أن أَباناً كانَ عن أنسٍ

نبئتُ أن أَباناً كانَ عن أنسٍ

يَروي حديثاً عجيباً مُعجباً عَجبا

يَروي حديثاً عجيباً مُعجباً عَجبا

I was told that Aban, on Anas's authority,

I was told that a man called Aban

related a wondrous, astonishing account—a marvel—

Was narrating a wondrous and amazing tale

في طائرٍ جاء مشويّاً به بَشَرٌ

في طائرٍ جاء مشويّاً به بَشَرٌ

يوماً وكان رسولُ الله مُحْتَجِبا

يوماً وكان رسولُ الله مُحْتَجِبا

about a bird that someone brought roasted

About a bird that Bashar had brought roasted

one day, when God's Messenger was in seclusion.

One day, while Allah's Messenger was secluded

أدناه منه فلمّا أن رآه دَعا

أدناه منه فلمّا أن رآه دَعا

ربّاً قريباً لأهلِ الخيرِ مُنْتَجِبا

ربّاً قريباً لأهلِ الخيرِ مُنْتَجِبا

He brought it close to him; when he saw it, he called upon

He brought it near him, but when he saw it, he prayed

a Lord close at hand, who chooses the virtuous:

To a Lord close to the virtuous and hidden

أَدْخِل إليَّ أَحبَّ الخَلقِ كلهمِ

أَدْخِل إليَّ أَحبَّ الخَلقِ كلهمِ

طرّاً إليكَ فأعطاهُ الذي طلبا

طرّاً إليكَ فأعطاهُ الذي طلبا

“Bring in to me the most beloved of all creatures,

"Admit to me the most beloved of all people,

without exception, to You”; and He granted him what he asked.

Who strives toward You, so grant him what he sought"

فاغترّ بالباب مُغترّاً فقالَ لهم

فاغترّ بالباب مُغترّاً فقالَ لهم

من ذا وكان وراءَ الباب مُرتَقِبا

من ذا وكان وراءَ الباب مُرتَقِبا

Then, caught unawares at the door, he said to them,

So he knocked at the door, knocking in wonder, and said to them

“Who is there?”—he was keeping watch behind the door.

"Who is this?" while behind the door he was waiting

من ذا فقال عليٌّ قال إن له

من ذا فقال عليٌّ قال إن له

شأناً له اهتمَّ منه اليومَ فاحتَجَبا

شأناً له اهتمَّ منه اليومَ فاحتَجَبا

“Who is there?” He replied, “Ali.” He said, “He has

"Who is this?" So Ali said "He has a matter

a matter of his own that concerns him today, so he has secluded himself.”

That has concerned him today, so he secluded himself"

فقال لا تحجِبَنْ منّي أبا حَسن

فقال لا تحجِبَنْ منّي أبا حَسن

يَوماً وأبصرَ في أَسرارِه الغَضَبا

يَوماً وأبصرَ في أَسرارِه الغَضَبا

He said, “Never keep Abu Hasan from me,

So he said "Do not seclude yourself from me, O Abul Hasan

even for a day”; and anger in his features was seen

One day he saw him sulking in secret

من رَدّهُ المرّةًَ الأولى وقال له

من رَدّهُ المرّةًَ الأولى وقال له

لُجْ وأحمدِ اللهَ واقبلْ كلَّ ما وَهَبا

لُجْ وأحمدِ اللهَ واقبلْ كلَّ ما وَهَبا

by the one who had turned him away the first time; and he said to him,

He who had turned him away the first time, and told him

“Enter, praise God, and accept all that He has bestowed.

"Enter and praise Allah and accept all He has granted"

أهلاً وسهلاً بِخُلصاني وذي ثقتي

أهلاً وسهلاً بِخُلصاني وذي ثقتي

ومن له الحبّ من ربِّ السّما وجبا

ومن له الحبّ من ربِّ السّما وجبا

Welcome to my intimate friend and the one I trust,

Welcome, welcome to my intimate and trusted one

and the one for whom the Lord of heaven's love is assured.”

And the one for whom the Lord of the heavens has affection

وقال ثمَّ رسولُ اللهِ يا أنسُ

وقال ثمَّ رسولُ اللهِ يا أنسُ

ماذا أصابَ بك التخليطُ مكتَسَبا

ماذا أصابَ بك التخليطُ مكتَسَبا

Then God's Messenger said, “O Anas,

Then Allah's Messenger said "O Anas

what gain has your muddled conduct brought you?

What confusion has addled you to make this up?"

ماذا دعاكَ إلى أن صارَ خالِصتي

ماذا دعاكَ إلى أن صارَ خالِصتي

وخيرُ قومي لديك اليومَ مُحْتَجِبا

وخيرُ قومي لديك اليومَ مُحْتَجِبا

What prompted you, so that my chosen friend

"What led you to make my intimate and best of my people

and the best of my people was kept out by you today?”

Secluded from me today?"

فقال يا خيرَ خلقِ اللهِ كلّهمِ

فقال يا خيرَ خلقِ اللهِ كلّهمِ

أردتُ حين دعوتُ اللهِ مطَّلِبا

أردتُ حين دعوتُ اللهِ مطَّلِبا

He said, “O best of all God's creatures,

So he said "O best of all Allah's creation

I wished, when I called upon God in supplication,

When I prayed to Allah seeking something

بأن يكونَ من الأنصارِ ذاك لكي

بأن يكونَ من الأنصارِ ذاك لكي

يكونَ ذاك لنا في قومِنا حَسبا

يكونَ ذاك لنا في قومِنا حَسبا

that the man might be one of the Ansar, so that

I wanted it to be from the Helpers, so that

this might be an honor for us among our people.”

It would give us status among our people"

فقد دعا ربَّه المحجوبُ في أنسٍ

فقد دعا ربَّه المحجوبُ في أنسٍ

بأن يَحُلَّ به سُقم حَوى كَرَبا

بأن يَحُلَّ به سُقم حَوى كَرَبا

So the one who had been kept out called upon his Lord concerning Anas,

So the secluded one prayed to his Lord in intimacy

that an illness laden with distress might befall him.

To afflict him with an illness that brought hardship

فناله السوءُ حتى كان يَرفَعُهُ

فناله السوءُ حتى كان يَرفَعُهُ

في وجههِ الدهرَ حتى مات مُنْتَقِبا

في وجههِ الدهرَ حتى مات مُنْتَقِبا

Then affliction struck him, so that he bore it

So harm befell him until he was raised up

on his face all his life, until he died with his face veiled.

By fate until he died, waiting

إِنا وجدنا له فيما نخبِّرهُ

إِنا وجدنا له فيما نخبِّرهُ

بعروةِ العرش مَوصولاً بها سببا

بعروةِ العرش مَوصولاً بها سببا

Indeed, we have found for him, in what we recount,

"We found for him, in what we inform him

a cord joined to the Throne's loop,

A connection to the Throne's handhold, a cause

حبلاً متيناً بكفَّيه له طرفٌ

حبلاً متيناً بكفَّيه له طرفٌ

شدَّ العِراجُ إليه العَقدَ والكَرَبا

شدَّ العِراجُ إليه العَقدَ والكَرَبا

a sturdy rope, with one end in his two hands;

A strong rope whose end he grasped

the ascenders fastened the knot and lashings to it.

Misfortune pulled the knot and hardship taut

من يَعتصم بالقُوى من حبلِه فلهُ

من يَعتصم بالقُوى من حبلِه فلهُ

أن لا يكونَ غداً في حالِ من عَطبا

أن لا يكونَ غداً في حالِ من عَطبا

Whoever holds fast to the strands of his rope is assured

Whoever holds firm to the rope of his covenant

that tomorrow he will not share the plight of the ruined.

Will not be tomorrow in a state of ruin

قومٌ غلوا في عليٍّ لا أباً لهمُ

قومٌ غلوا في عليٍّ لا أباً لهمُ

وجَشَّموا أنفساً في حُبّه تَعبا

وجَشَّموا أنفساً في حُبّه تَعبا

Some people went to extremes over Ali—may they have no father!—

A people went too far in their love of Ali

and burdened themselves with hardship in loving him.

Having no father, and branding themselves for him in toil

قالوا هو اللهُ جلَّ اللهُ خالقُنا

قالوا هو اللهُ جلَّ اللهُ خالقُنا

من أن يكون ابنَ أمِّ أو يكونَ أبا

من أن يكون ابنَ أمِّ أو يكونَ أبا

They said, “He is God.” God, our Creator, is exalted

They said "He is God, Glory be to God our Creator

above being a mother's son or being a father.

That he could be the son of a mother or have a father"

فمن أدار أمور الخلقِ بينَهمُ

فمن أدار أمور الخلقِ بينَهمُ

إذ كان في المهدِ أو في البطنِ مُحتجِبا

إذ كان في المهدِ أو في البطنِ مُحتجِبا

Then who managed the affairs of creation among them

So who steered the affairs of creation between them

while he was in the cradle or concealed in the womb?

When he was an infant or secluded in the womb?"