إِن أَستَطِع مِنكَ الدُنُوِّ فَإِنَّني

إِن أَستَطِع مِنكَ الدُنُوِّ فَإِنَّني

سَأَدنو بِأَشلاءِ الأَسيرِ المُقَيَّدِ

سَأَدنو بِأَشلاءِ الأَسيرِ المُقَيَّدِ

If I can draw near to you, then I

If I could seek closeness from you through flattery

Shall approach with the limbs of a fettered captive,

I would come to the best of mankind, bound in shackles,

إِلى خَيرِ أَهلِ الأَرضِ مَن يَستَغِث بِهِ

إِلى خَيرِ أَهلِ الأَرضِ مَن يَستَغِث بِهِ

يَكُن مِثلَ مَن مَرَّت لَهُ طَيرُ أَسعَدُ

يَكُن مِثلَ مَن مَرَّت لَهُ طَيرُ أَسعَدُ

Toward the best of earth's people; whoever seeks his aid

The one who, when called upon for help,

Will be like one for whom birds of good omen have passed.

Would be like one whose good fortune has passed.

وَلَو أَنَّني أَسطيعُ سَعياً سَعَيتُهُ

وَلَو أَنَّني أَسطيعُ سَعياً سَعَيتُهُ

إِلَيكَ وَأَعناقِ الهَدِيِّ المُقَلَّدِ

إِلَيكَ وَأَعناقِ الهَدِيِّ المُقَلَّدِ

And if I could make the journey, I would make it

If I were able to make effort, I would make the effort

To you—by the necks of the garlanded sacrificial beasts.

Toward you, with the necks of sacrificed animals adorned.

خَليفَةُ أَهلِ الأَرضِ أَصبَحَ ضَوءُهُ

خَليفَةُ أَهلِ الأَرضِ أَصبَحَ ضَوءُهُ

بِهِ كانَ يَهدي لِلهُدى كُلَّ مُهتَدِ

بِهِ كانَ يَهدي لِلهُدى كُلَّ مُهتَدِ

The caliph of earth's people—his light has dawned;

The caliph of mankind, his light has risen;

By it he would guide every rightly guided soul toward guidance.

Through him, all who seek guidance are guided.

فَإِنَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحيطَةٌ

فَإِنَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ مُحيطَةٌ

يَداهُ بِأَهلِ الأَرضِ مِن كُلِّ مَرصَدِ

يَداهُ بِأَهلِ الأَرضِ مِن كُلِّ مَرصَدِ

For the Commander of the Faithful—encircling

Indeed, the Commander of the Faithful, his hands

Are his hands around earth's people, from every watchpost.

Encompass all mankind from every vantage point.

فَلَستُ أَخافُ الناسَ ما دُمتَ سالِماً

فَلَستُ أَخافُ الناسَ ما دُمتَ سالِماً

وَلَو أَجلَبَ الساعي عَلَيَّ بِحُسَّدي

وَلَو أَجلَبَ الساعي عَلَيَّ بِحُسَّدي

So I do not fear people while you remain safe,

So I do not fear people as long as you are safe,

Even if the informer musters my enviers against me.

Even if the slanderer brings envy upon me.

سَيَأبى أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِعَدلِهِ

سَيَأبى أَميرُ المُؤمِنينَ بِعَدلِهِ

عَلى الناسِ وَالسَبعَينِ في راحَةِ اليَدِ

عَلى الناسِ وَالسَبعَينِ في راحَةِ اليَدِ

The Commander of the Faithful, in his justice, will reject wrong

The Commander of the Faithful will refuse, through his justice

Against the people—by the two beasts of prey in the palm of the hand.

Over people and beasts, when hands are at ease.

وَلا ظُلمَ ما دامَ الخَليفَةُ قائِماً

وَلا ظُلمَ ما دامَ الخَليفَةُ قائِماً

هِشامٌ وَما عَن أَهلِهِ مِن مُشَرَّدِ

هِشامٌ وَما عَن أَهلِهِ مِن مُشَرَّدِ

And there is no oppression while the caliph stands firm—

There is no injustice as long as the Caliph remains

Hisham—and none is driven away from his family.

Hisham, and not an outcast from his family.

فَهَل يا بَني مَروانَ تُشفى صُدورُكُم

فَهَل يا بَني مَروانَ تُشفى صُدورُكُم

بِأَيمانِ صَبرٍ بادِياتٍ وَعُوَّدِ

بِأَيمانِ صَبرٍ بادِياتٍ وَعُوَّدِ

So, O sons of Marwan, will your breasts be soothed

So will your hearts be healed, O Banu Marwan,

By compelled oaths, first sworn and renewed?

By true oaths, clear and firmly sworn?

فَلا رَفَعَت إِن كُنتُ قُلتُ الَّتي رَوَوا

فَلا رَفَعَت إِن كُنتُ قُلتُ الَّتي رَوَوا

عَلَيَّ رِدائي حينَ أَلبَسُهُ يَدي

عَلَيَّ رِدائي حينَ أَلبَسُهُ يَدي

Then may my hand never lift—if I said what they reported

I did not raise my cloak, if I said what they claim

Against me—my cloak when I put it on.

Against me, when I don my cloak with my hands.

وَنَحنُ قِيامٌ حَيثُ كانَت وَطاءَةً

وَنَحنُ قِيامٌ حَيثُ كانَت وَطاءَةً

لِرِجلِ خَليلِ اللَهِ مِن خَيرِ مَحتِدِ

لِرِجلِ خَليلِ اللَهِ مِن خَيرِ مَحتِدِ

While we stand where once lay a footprint

We are standing where the ground was once trodden

Of the foot of God's Friend, of the noblest stock.

By the foot of God's dear friend, the best to tread there.

فَلا تَترُكوا عُذري المُضيءَ بَيانَهُ

فَلا تَترُكوا عُذري المُضيءَ بَيانَهُ

وَلا تَجعَلوني في الرَكِيَّةِ كَالرَدي

وَلا تَجعَلوني في الرَكِيَّةِ كَالرَدي

So do not forsake my defense, whose explanation shines,

So do not leave my excuse, shining clear,

Nor put me in the well like one fallen to his death.

And do not make me, in doubt, like one discarded.

وَكَيفَ أَسُبُّ النَهرَ لِلَّهِ بَعدَما

وَكَيفَ أَسُبُّ النَهرَ لِلَّهِ بَعدَما

تَرامى بِدَفّاعٍ مِنَ الماءِ مُزبِدِ

تَرامى بِدَفّاعٍ مِنَ الماءِ مُزبِدِ

And how could I revile the river, for God's sake, after

How can I insult the river of God, after

It surged with a foaming torrent of water

It has surged with ramparts of water, frothing?

إِلى كُلِّ أَرضٍ قادَ دِجلَةَ خالِدٌ

إِلى كُلِّ أَرضٍ قادَ دِجلَةَ خالِدٌ

إِلَيها وَكانَت قَبلَهُ لَم تُقَوَّدِ

إِلَيها وَكانَت قَبلَهُ لَم تُقَوَّدِ

To every land where Khalid led the Tigris,

To every land which Khaled led Dijlah

Though before him it had never been channeled there.

And it had not been led there before him.