بَدا ضوْءٌ وليسَ من الصَّباحِ

بَدا ضوْءٌ وليسَ من الصَّباحِ

فأشْرَقَ في المخادِعِ والبَراحِ

فأشْرَقَ في المخادِعِ والبَراحِ

A light appeared, but not from the dawn,

A light shone though not from the dawn,

and shone in inner chambers and open ground.

Illuminating the caverns and plains.

عشَتْ لسناهُ شمس الصُّبحِ حتى

عشَتْ لسناهُ شمس الصُّبحِ حتى

تماحَقَ ضَوؤُها عند الطِّماحِ

تماحَقَ ضَوؤُها عند الطِّماحِ

The morning sun was dazzled by its radiance, until

The morning sun lived for an instant,

her light dwindled as she gazed upward.

Its brightness overwhelmed at the horizon.

فقلتُ أجَذْوَةٌ منْ نارِ موسى

فقلتُ أجَذْوَةٌ منْ نارِ موسى

وليس على المُمَثِّلِ من جُناحِ

وليس على المُمَثِّلِ من جُناحِ

So I said, “Is it a firebrand from Moses’ fire?”

I said, perhaps a spark of Moses' fire,

And no blame falls on one who draws a likeness.

The actor bears no fault.

فأسْفرتِ المَخيلَةُ عنْ إِمامٍ

فأسْفرتِ المَخيلَةُ عنْ إِمامٍ

طَليق الوَجْهِ فيَّاضِ السَّماحِ

طَليق الوَجْهِ فيَّاضِ السَّماحِ

Then the rain-cloud cleared to reveal an imam,

Imagination revealed an imam,

cheerful of face, overflowing with generosity.

Radiant, generous, sublime.

وأشْرَقَتِ البلادُ بمُستْضَيءٍ

وأشْرَقَتِ البلادُ بمُستْضَيءٍ

رجاءُ نَداهُ يَسْبِقُ بالنَّجاحِ

رجاءُ نَداهُ يَسْبِقُ بالنَّجاحِ

And the lands shone through al-Mustadiʾ,

The lands shone with one enlightened,

hope for whose bounty races ahead to success.

His call preceding hope of deliverance.

فنادى النَّاسُ بعضُهُمُ لبْعضٍ

فنادى النَّاسُ بعضُهُمُ لبْعضٍ

لفَرْطِ الجود حَيَّ على الفلاحِ

لفَرْطِ الجود حَيَّ على الفلاحِ

Then the people called to one another,

People called to each other overjoyed,

at such abundant generosity: “Come to prosperity!”

For abundant grace, long live the tiller!