فماَ إلى أدناهمُ منهُ بيِّعاً

فماَ إلى أدناهمُ منهُ بيِّعاً

توسّم فيه خيرَ ما يُتَوسُّمُ

توسّم فيه خيرَ ما يُتَوسُّمُ

So he [turned] to the seller among them nearest to him,

He went to the poorest of them to trade

He discerned in him the best that could be discerned.

Hoping for the best of what he wished

فقال له بِعني طعاماً فباعَه

فقال له بِعني طعاماً فباعَه

جميلَ المحيّا ليسَ منه التَجَهُّمُ

جميلَ المحيّا ليسَ منه التَجَهُّمُ

He said to him, “Sell me some food,” and he sold it to him—

He said, sell me food, so he sold it

Fair of face, with no scowling from him.

With a beautiful smile, no frowning from him

فكال له حبّاً به ثمّ ردَّه

فكال له حبّاً به ثمّ ردَّه

إليه وأرزاق العباد تقسَّمُ

إليه وأرزاق العباد تقسَّمُ

He measured grain for him in exchange for it, then returned it

He weighed for him grains, then gave it back

To him—and people's provisions are apportioned.

To him, and God portions people’s sustenance

فآب برزقٍ ساقَه اللهُ نحوَه

فآب برزقٍ ساقَه اللهُ نحوَه

إلى أهله والقومُ للجوعِ رُزَّمُ

إلى أهله والقومُ للجوعِ رُزَّمُ

So he returned with sustenance God had brought his way,

So he came with sustenance God guided to him

To his family, while the people lay prostrate with hunger.

To his family, while the people were needy and desperate

فلا ذلك الدينارُ أُحْمِيَ تِبره

فلا ذلك الدينارُ أُحْمِيَ تِبره

يَقيناً وأما الحَبُّ فاللهُ أعلمُ

يَقيناً وأما الحَبُّ فاللهُ أعلمُ

So that dinar's raw gold had not been heated,

Neither did that dinar protect its gold

Certainly; as for the grain, God knows best:

Certainly, but the grains, God knows best

أمِنْ زرعِ أرضٍ كان أم حبُّ جَنَّةٍ

أمِنْ زرعِ أرضٍ كان أم حبُّ جَنَّةٍ

حَباه به من نالَه منه أنعُمُ

حَباه به من نالَه منه أنعُمُ

Was it from an earthly crop, or grain of Paradise,

If it was from the crop of land, or grains of a garden

Bestowed on him by the One whose blessings had reached him?

God gifted whoever He blessed from it and prospered

وبيَّعهُ جبريلُ أطهرُ بيِّعٍ

وبيَّعهُ جبريلُ أطهرُ بيِّعٍ

فأيُّ أيادي الخيرِ من تلكَ أعظمُ

فأيُّ أيادي الخيرِ من تلكَ أعظمُ

And his seller was Gabriel, the purest of sellers;

Gabriel sold it, the purest seller

Which of those gracious favors could be greater?

So which of these good hands is greater

يكلِّمُ جبريلُ الأمينُ فإنّه

يكلِّمُ جبريلُ الأمينُ فإنّه

لأفضلُ من يَمشي ومَن يَتَكلَّمُ

لأفضلُ من يَمشي ومَن يَتَكلَّمُ

Gabriel the Trustworthy speaks to him, for he

Gabriel the Trustworthy speaks, he is

Is surely the best of those who walk and those who speak.

Better than any walker or speaker

وكان له من أحمدٍ كل شارق

وكان له من أحمدٍ كل شارق

قُبَيْلَ طلوعِ الشمس أو حين تَنْجُمُ

قُبَيْلَ طلوعِ الشمس أو حين تَنْجُمُ

And from Ahmad he had, at every dawn,

And he had from Ahmad every rising

Just before sunrise, or when it emerged,

Before the sun rose or when it shone

إذا ما بدَت مثل الطَلايةِ دخلةٌ

إذا ما بدَت مثل الطَلايةِ دخلةٌ

يَقومُ فيأتي بابَه فيسلَّمُ

يَقومُ فيأتي بابَه فيسلَّمُ

As it appeared like a ṭalāya [image uncertain], an audience:

When rays appeared like a new moon rising

He would rise, come to his door, and offer greetings.

He would stand and come to his door and greet

يقول إذا جاء السلامُ عليكم

يقول إذا جاء السلامُ عليكم

ورحمةُ ربّي إنّه مُتَرحِّمُ

ورحمةُ ربّي إنّه مُتَرحِّمُ

When he arrived, he would say, “Peace be upon you,

When he came, he would say “Peace be upon you”

And my Lord's mercy; He is merciful.”

And God’s mercy, he is most merciful

فيُلْقى بترحيبٍ ويجلسُ ساعةً

فيُلْقى بترحيبٍ ويجلسُ ساعةً

ويُؤْتى بفضلٍ من طعامٍ فيُطْعَمُ

ويُؤْتى بفضلٍ من طعامٍ فيُطْعَمُ

He would be welcomed and sit for a while,

He would be welcomed and sit for a while

And surplus food would be brought to him, and he would be fed.

And be brought the best of food to eat

ويدعو بِسِبْطَيهِ حناناً ورقةً

ويدعو بِسِبْطَيهِ حناناً ورقةً

فيُدنيهما منهُ قريباً ويُكرمُ

فيُدنيهما منهُ قريباً ويُكرمُ

And he would call for his two grandsons, tenderly and gently,

And he would call his two grandsons, Hasan and Hussein

Then draw them both close to him and honor them.

Bring them close to him, honoring them

يَضمُّهما ضمَّ الحبيبِ حَبيبَه

يَضمُّهما ضمَّ الحبيبِ حَبيبَه

إلى صدرِه ضَمّاً وشمّاً فَيَلْثُمُ

إلى صدرِه ضَمّاً وشمّاً فَيَلْثُمُ

He would embrace them as one who loves embraces his beloved,

He would hug them, a lover hugging his beloved

To his breast, clasping them and breathing their scent, then kissing them.

To his chest, hugging and kissing them

ومارقةٍ من دينهِم فارقوا الهُدى

ومارقةٍ من دينهِم فارقوا الهُدى

ولم يأتلوا بغياً عليهِ وحَكَّمُوا

ولم يأتلوا بغياً عليهِ وحَكَّمُوا

And renegades from their religion forsook guidance,

But the dissenters who left the right path

And spared no effort in wronging him, and invoked divine judgment.

Did not restrain their wrongdoing against him and judged

سَطَوا بابنِ خبّابٍ وألقى بنفسِهِ

سَطَوا بابنِ خبّابٍ وألقى بنفسِهِ

وقتلُ ابن خبابٍّ عليهم محرََّمُ

وقتلُ ابن خبابٍّ عليهم محرََّمُ

They assaulted Ibn Khabbab, and he gave himself up,

They assaulted the son of Khabbab and he sacrificed himself

And killing Ibn Khabbab was forbidden to them.

Killing the son of Khabbab was forbidden to them

فلما أبوا في الغَيِّ إلاّ تمادياً

فلما أبوا في الغَيِّ إلاّ تمادياً

سَما لهمُ عَبلُ الذّراعين ضَيْغَمُ

سَما لهمُ عَبلُ الذّراعين ضَيْغَمُ

So when they insisted on nothing but persisting in error,

When they insisted on wrongdoing and transgression

A thick-armed lion rose against them.

The Lord of the Two Arms afflicted them with defeat

فأضحَوْا كعادِ أو ثمودٍ كأنّما

فأضحَوْا كعادِ أو ثمودٍ كأنّما

تَساقوا عُقاراً أسكرتهم فنَوّموا

تَساقوا عُقاراً أسكرتهم فنَوّموا

They became like ʿAd or Thamud, as though

They became like Aad or Thamud as if

They had passed round wine that intoxicated them, then were put to sleep.

Given a poisonous drink that intoxicated and made them sleep