لِهذا الجلال الذي لا يُرامُ

لِهذا الجلال الذي لا يُرامُ

مَعانِ تَحَيَّر فيها الكلامُ

مَعانِ تَحَيَّر فيها الكلامُ

This majesty, which none can attain,

For this majesty that cannot be wished for,

Has meanings that leave speech bewildered.

Meanings that perplexed speech,

وقد طَوَّلت وصفَها المادِحون

وقد طَوَّلت وصفَها المادِحون

وأقصرُ ما مرَّ فيها التَّمام

وأقصرُ ما مرَّ فيها التَّمام

Those who praise have drawn out their description,

Though the eulogists prolonged its description,

And the briefest thing said of them is perfection.

The briefest that occurred was the perfect one.

فيا ابنَ البَتولِ سليلَ الرسولِ

فيا ابنَ البَتولِ سليلَ الرسولِ

أبوك الوَصِىُّ وأنت الإمام

أبوك الوَصِىُّ وأنت الإمام

O son of al-Batul, scion of the Messenger,

O son of the virgin, scion of the Messenger,

Your forefather is the Legatee, and you are the Imam.

Your father the successor and you the imam,

أبوك الذي سار فوق البُراقِ

أبوك الذي سار فوق البُراقِ

وفي يد جِبريلَ منه زمام

وفي يد جِبريلَ منه زمام

Your forefather is he who journeyed upon Buraq,

Your father who rode over Al-Buraq

And its rein was in Gabriel's hand.

With Gabriel holding its reins,

فلما انتهى سِدْرَة الْمُنْتَهى

فلما انتهى سِدْرَة الْمُنْتَهى

مَقاما له جَلَّ ذاك المَقام

مَقاما له جَلَّ ذاك المَقام

Then, when he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary,

When he reached Sidrat al-Muntaha,

A station for him—how exalted that station!—

An abode for him, glorious is that abode,

دنا قابَ قوسَيْن من ربه

دنا قابَ قوسَيْن من ربه

على يقظةٍ لم يَشُبْها منام

على يقظةٍ لم يَشُبْها منام

He drew within two bow-lengths of his Lord,

He drew near two bow lengths’ from his Lord

In wakefulness unmingled with sleep.

In wakefulness, not resembling sleep.

فما كذب القلبُ ما قد رآه

فما كذب القلبُ ما قد رآه

فهل حُجّةٌ في خلافٍ تُقام

فهل حُجّةٌ في خلافٍ تُقام

So the heart did not deny what he had seen;

So the heart did not lie about what it saw,

Can any argument, then, be raised in opposition?

Can an argument be erected against disagreement?

فضائلُ جاء بهنّ الكتاب

فضائلُ جاء بهنّ الكتاب

وآياتُه المُحكَمات العِظام

وآياتُه المُحكَمات العِظام

Virtues brought forth by the Book

The virtues came with the Book,

And its great, unequivocal verses.

And its verses, the strong clear ones.

فيا عروةٌ لم يَخِبْ من له

فيا عروةٌ لم يَخِبْ من له

بمثياقِها سببٌ واعتصام

بمثياقِها سببٌ واعتصام

O handhold, none has been disappointed who has

O firm rope! He who holds to it

A bond and refuge through its covenant.

will not go astray, for it is a link and a means of steadfastness.

تَطوَّلتَ حتى احتذاك الغَمام

تَطوَّلتَ حتى احتذاك الغَمام

وصُلْت فخافك حتى الحِمام

وصُلْت فخافك حتى الحِمام

You were so bountiful that even the clouds followed your example;

You have reached such height that the clouds were beneath you,

And you charged, so even death feared you.

And fear reached even the doves because of you.

وسار بشكرك حتى الرياح

وسار بشكرك حتى الرياح

وغنى بمدحك حتى الحمام

وغنى بمدحك حتى الحمام

And even the winds bore thanks to you;

The winds travelled singing your praises,

And even the doves sang your praise.

And the doves cooed your glory.

فما للبلاد ولا للعباد

فما للبلاد ولا للعباد

بغيرِك في كل أرضٍ قَوام

بغيرِك في كل أرضٍ قَوام

For neither lands nor people

Without you, the lands and people

Have stability in any land without you.

Would have no firm foothold in any land.

ولولا عزائمُك النافذات

ولولا عزائمُك النافذات

لأصبح للكفر فيها عُرام

لأصبح للكفر فيها عُرام

And were it not for your decisive resolves,

And were it not for your decisive intentions,

Unbelief would rage there.

Unbelief would be rampant.

أَمِنّا بسيفك من خوفه

أَمِنّا بسيفك من خوفه

فسيفُك كالشمس وهْو الظلام

فسيفُك كالشمس وهْو الظلام

Through your sword we are safe from its terror;

We feel safe from its fears through your sword,

For your sword is like the sun, while unbelief is darkness.

For your sword is like the sun and it is darkness.

أتى العيدُ يَغْنم من راحتيك

أتى العيدُ يَغْنم من راحتيك

من الفضل ما غَنمتْه الأنام

من الفضل ما غَنمتْه الأنام

Eid has come to gain from your two palms

The Eid came profiting through your comfort

The bounty that all creation has gained.

From bounty what people profited.

هنيئاً له حين قابلتَه

هنيئاً له حين قابلتَه

وأبدى له شكرك الإبتسام

وأبدى له شكرك الإبتسام

Joy to it when you welcomed it,

Congratulations to it when it met you

And a smile revealed your gratitude to it.

And you bestowed your smile upon it in thanks.

فمن حاسديه على أنْ رآك

فمن حاسديه على أنْ رآك

فشرَّفتَه زمزمٌ والمقام

فشرَّفتَه زمزمٌ والمقام

So among those who envy it because it saw you—

So let the envious envy that it saw you

And you honored it—are Zamzam and the Station.

And you ennobled it, Zamzam and the Station.

بقيتَ بقاءً أَخصُّ الطباع

بقيتَ بقاءً أَخصُّ الطباع

بأوصافه اللازمات الدوام

بأوصافه اللازمات الدوام

May you endure with a permanence I reserve for nature,

You have remained in existence, most special of natures,

With its qualities inseparable from endless duration.

With attributes everlasting and perpetual.

ولا زلتَ تَنْدَى ويرجو يديك

ولا زلتَ تَنْدَى ويرجو يديك

بنو الدهرِ يوم وشهر وعام

بنو الدهرِ يوم وشهر وعام

And may you ever give freely, while your two hands are looked to

And you still give drink while the generations

By the children of time, through day, month, and year.

Hope for your hands day, month and year.

وصلَّى الإلهُ وأهلُ السماء

وصلَّى الإلهُ وأهلُ السماء

عليك صلاةً يليها السلام

عليك صلاةً يليها السلام

And may God and the dwellers of heaven bless

And God and the people of heaven

You with a blessing followed by peace.

Blessed you with a blessing followed by peace.