فَلَمّا قَضاهُ اللَهُ لَم يَدعُ مُسلِماً

فَلَمّا قَضاهُ اللَهُ لَم يَدعُ مُسلِماً

لِبَيعَتِهِ إِلا أَجابَ وَسَلَّما

لِبَيعَتِهِ إِلا أَجابَ وَسَلَّما

And when God ordained it, he left not a single Muslim

So when God decreed it, no Muslim he summoned

unbidden to his allegiance: each answered and submitted.

To pledge him allegiance failed to answer and submit.

يَنالُ الغِنى وَالعِزَّ مَن نالَ وُدَّهُ

يَنالُ الغِنى وَالعِزَّ مَن نالَ وُدَّهُ

وَيَرهَبُ مَوتاً عاجِلاً مَن تَشأَّما

وَيَرهَبُ مَوتاً عاجِلاً مَن تَشأَّما

Whoever wins his affection wins wealth and honor;

Whoever gains his affection gains wealth and honor,

whoever takes him for an evil omen dreads an imminent death.

And whoever takes an ill-omened course fears a swift death.

أَلَم تَرَه أَعطَى الحَجيجَ كَأَنَّما

أَلَم تَرَه أَعطَى الحَجيجَ كَأَنَّما

أنالَ بِما أَعطَى مِنَ المالِ دِرهَما

أنالَ بِما أَعطَى مِنَ المالِ دِرهَما

Have you not seen him give to the pilgrims, as though

Have you not seen him give to the pilgrims, as though

of all the wealth he bestowed, he had given but one dirham?

For all the wealth he gave, he had bestowed just one dirham?

تَفَقَّدَ أَهلَ الأَخشَبَينِ فَكُلّهم

تَفَقَّدَ أَهلَ الأَخشَبَينِ فَكُلّهم

أَنالَ وَأَعطَى سَيبَهُ المُتَقَسِّما

أَنالَ وَأَعطَى سَيبَهُ المُتَقَسِّما

He sought out the people of the Two Akhshabs, and every one of them

He looked after the people of the two Akhshab mountains; to them all

he enriched, giving each his apportioned largesse.

He granted and gave his bounty, apportioned among them.

فَراحُوا بِما أَسدَى إِلَى كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

فَراحُوا بِما أَسدَى إِلَى كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

بِحَمدٍ يهزُّونَ المَطِيَّ المُخَزَّما

بِحَمدٍ يهزُّونَ المَطِيَّ المُخَزَّما

So they departed for every town with what he had bestowed,

So, for what he had bestowed, they set out to every town,

praising him as they set their nose-ringed mounts swaying.

With praise, urging their nose-ringed camels onward.

كَشَمسِ نَهارٍ أبت لِلناسِ إِن بَدَت

كَشَمسِ نَهارٍ أبت لِلناسِ إِن بَدَت

أَضاءَت وَإِن غابَت مَحَتهُ فَأَظلَما

أَضاءَت وَإِن غابَت مَحَتهُ فَأَظلَما

Like the daytime sun, aloof from mankind: when it appears,

[You are] like the sun of day to the people: when it appears,

it gives light; when it vanishes, it effaces the day, and darkness falls.

It shines; when it sets, it effaces the day, leaving it dark.

تَرَى الرَاغِبينَ المُرتَجِينَ نَوالَه

تَرَى الرَاغِبينَ المُرتَجِينَ نَوالَه

يُحَيُّونَ بَسامَ العَشِيّات خِضرِما

يُحَيُّونَ بَسامَ العَشِيّات خِضرِما

You see those who desire and hope for his bounty

You see the eager seekers, hoping for his bounty,

encircling one who smiles at evening, a boundless sea.

Greeting an ocean of generosity, ever smiling in the evenings.

كَأَنَّهُم يَستَمطِرونَ بِنَفعِه

كَأَنَّهُم يَستَمطِرونَ بِنَفعِه

رَبيعاً مَرَته المُعصِرات فَأَثجَما

رَبيعاً مَرَته المُعصِرات فَأَثجَما

as though through his beneficence they were seeking rain—

As though through his beneficence they were calling down

spring rain the laden clouds had milked forth—so it poured.

Spring rain, milked by rain-bearing clouds, pouring without cease.

تَليدُ النَّدَى أَرسَى بِمُكَّةَ مَجده

تَليدُ النَّدَى أَرسَى بِمُكَّةَ مَجده

عَلَى عَهدِ ذِي القَرنَينِ أَو كَانَ أَقدما

عَلَى عَهدِ ذِي القَرنَينِ أَو كَانَ أَقدما

Of ancient generosity, he planted his glory firmly in Mecca

Heir to generosity, he anchored his glory in Mecca,

in the age of Dhu al-Qarnayn—or it was earlier still.

In the age of Dhu al-Qarnayn—or it was earlier still.

فَهُم بَيَّنُوا مِنها مَناسِكَ أَهلِها

فَهُم بَيَّنُوا مِنها مَناسِكَ أَهلِها

وَهُم حَجَروا الحِجرَ الحَرامَ وَزَمزَما

وَهُم حَجَروا الحِجرَ الحَرامَ وَزَمزَما

For it was they who set forth therein the rites of its people,

So they marked out there its people's pilgrimage sites,

and they who made the sacred al-Hijr and Zamzam inviolable.

And they set apart the sacred Hijr and Zamzam.

وَهُم مَنَعُوا بِالمَرجِ مِن بَطنِ رَاهِط

وَهُم مَنَعُوا بِالمَرجِ مِن بَطنِ رَاهِط

بِبِيضِ الصَّفيحِ حَوضهم أَن يُهَدَّما

بِبِيضِ الصَّفيحِ حَوضهم أَن يُهَدَّما

It was they who, at al-Marj in the vale of Rahit, defended

And at the Marj, in the valley of Rahit, they defended

their watering place with bright blades from being razed.

With gleaming sword-blades their watering pool against destruction.

عَلَيهِم مِن الماذِي جدل تَخالها

عَلَيهِم مِن الماذِي جدل تَخالها

تُريكَ سُيول فِي نهاءٍ مُصَرَّما

تُريكَ سُيول فِي نهاءٍ مُصَرَّما

Upon them were close-woven coats of fine steel mail; you would think them

On them are tightly woven coats of shining mail; you might think they

showing you Canopus, splintered across pools.

Show you floodwaters in isolated pools.

فَمَن يَكتُمِ الحَقَّ المُبينَ فَإِنَّني

فَمَن يَكتُمِ الحَقَّ المُبينَ فَإِنَّني

أبيتُ بِما أُعطيتُ إِلا تَكَلَّما

أبيتُ بِما أُعطيتُ إِلا تَكَلَّما

Whoever may conceal the manifest truth—as for me,

Whoever may conceal the manifest truth, I for my part

because of what I have been given, I refuse all but speech.

Have refused all but speaking of what I have been given.

وَإِنِّي لأَرجُو مِن نَداكَ رَغيبَةً

وَإِنِّي لأَرجُو مِن نَداكَ رَغيبَةً

أُفيدُ غِنىً مِنها وَأفرجُ مغرَما

أُفيدُ غِنىً مِنها وَأفرجُ مغرَما

Indeed, I hope from your bounty for a coveted boon

And I surely hope for a lavish gift from your bounty;

through which I may gain wealth and relieve a debtor.

From it I would gain wealth and ease a burden of debt.

مشابِهُ صِدقٍ مِن أَبيك وَشيمَةٌ

مشابِهُ صِدقٍ مِن أَبيك وَشيمَةٌ

أَبَت لَك بِالمَعروفِ أَلا تَقَدّما

أَبَت لَك بِالمَعروفِ أَلا تَقَدّما

In you is a true likeness of your father, and a disposition

True likenesses to your father, and a disposition

that refuses to let you fail to lead in beneficence.

That never lets you fail to lead in doing good.

فَإِنَّك من أَعزَرتَ عز وَمَن تُرِد

فَإِنَّك من أَعزَرتَ عز وَمَن تُرِد

هَضيمَتَه لَم يُحمَ أَن يَتَهَضَّما

هَضيمَتَه لَم يُحمَ أَن يَتَهَضَّما

For whomever you exalt grows mighty; and whomever you intend

For anyone you uphold grows mighty; and anyone you wish

to humble has no shield against being crushed.

To abase has no protection from abasement.