كَم سَبَحَت أَربَعٌ جَوارٍ

كَم سَبَحَت أَربَعٌ جَوارٍ

لَها بِتَسبيحِها حُبورُ

لَها بِتَسبيحِها حُبورُ

How often have four coursing winds sung praise,

Four maids have glorified

finding joy in their glorification:

With their praises the Lord

فَمِن جَنوبٍ وَمِن شَمالٍ

فَمِن جَنوبٍ وَمِن شَمالٍ

وَمِن صَباً أُختُها الدَبورُ

وَمِن صَباً أُختُها الدَبورُ

among them the south wind and the north wind,

From south and north

and the east wind, whose sister is the west wind.

And zephyr their sister, the cool breeze

وَالشُهُبُ جَمعاً وَشِعرَياها

وَالشُهُبُ جَمعاً وَشِعرَياها

تِلكَ الغُمَيصاءُ وَالعَبورُ

تِلكَ الغُمَيصاءُ وَالعَبورُ

And all the bright stars, and their two Dog Stars—

Meteorites all gathered and the Pleiades

those are al-Ghumaysa and al-Abur.

That somber one and the crosser

فَمَجِّدوا رَبَّكُم إِلى أَن

فَمَجِّدوا رَبَّكُم إِلى أَن

تَلفِظَ أَمواتَها القُبورُ

تَلفِظَ أَمواتَها القُبورُ

So glorify your Lord until

So glorify your Lord until

the graves cast forth their dead.

The graves relinquish their dead

فَكُلُّ ما تَفعَلُ البَرايا

فَكُلُّ ما تَفعَلُ البَرايا

إِلّا تُقى رَبِّها يَبورُ

إِلّا تُقى رَبِّها يَبورُ

For all that creatures do,

All that the righteous do

save reverence for their Lord, comes to nothing.

Except fear their Lord comes to naught

وَالصَبرُ حَزمٌ عَلى الرَزايا

وَالصَبرُ حَزمٌ عَلى الرَزايا

وَقَبلَنا فُضِّلَ الصَبورُ

وَقَبلَنا فُضِّلَ الصَبورُ

And patience is firm resolve in the face of calamities;

Patience is resolve in calamities

and the patient were favored before our time.

And we were enjoined to be patient

وَهَل أَمِنتُم عَلى ثَبيرٍ

وَهَل أَمِنتُم عَلى ثَبيرٍ

أَن يَتَداعى بِهِ الثُبورُ

أَن يَتَداعى بِهِ الثُبورُ

And have you felt secure upon Thabir,

Are you confident in Thubayr

against ruin bringing it crashing down?

That ruin will not befall?

فَكُلُّ ذي مِشيَةٍ سَيُرمى

فَكُلُّ ذي مِشيَةٍ سَيُرمى

بِعَثرَةٍ ما لَها جُبورُ

بِعَثرَةٍ ما لَها جُبورُ

For everyone who walks will be struck

All who intend will be struck

by a stumble that cannot be mended.

With a stumble that has no shelter

طالَ وُقوفي وَراءَ جِسرٍ

طالَ وُقوفي وَراءَ جِسرٍ

وَإِنَّما يُنظَرُ العُبورُ

وَإِنَّما يُنظَرُ العُبورُ

Long have I stood behind a bridge,

Long have I stood behind the bridge

and only the crossing is awaited.

Yet only crossing is awaited

إِنَّ اِبنَ آسى مَضى وَلَكِن

إِنَّ اِبنَ آسى مَضى وَلَكِن

دَلَّ عَلى فَضلِهِ الزَبورُ

دَلَّ عَلى فَضلِهِ الزَبورُ

Indeed, the son of Asa has passed away, yet

Son of Asa has passed but

the Psalms bore witness to his excellence.

The Psalms tell of his merit