سَلوا خالِداً لا أَكرَمَ اللَهُ خالِداً

سَلوا خالِداً لا أَكرَمَ اللَهُ خالِداً

مَتى وَلِيَت قَسرٌ قُرَيشاً تَدينُها

مَتى وَلِيَت قَسرٌ قُرَيشاً تَدينُها

Ask Khalid—may God not honor Khalid—

Ask Khalid did not Allah honor Khalid

when did Qasr rule Quraysh, holding it in subjection:

When tyranny ruled over Quraysh subduing them

أَقَبلَ رَسولِ اللَهِ أَم بَعدَ عَهدِهِ

أَقَبلَ رَسولِ اللَهِ أَم بَعدَ عَهدِهِ

فَتِلكَ قُرَيشٌ قَد أَغَثَّ سَمينُها

فَتِلكَ قُرَيشٌ قَد أَغَثَّ سَمينُها

before God's Messenger, or after his time?

Was it before or after the Prophet's time

So that is Quraysh—its fat ones have grown lean.

That same Quraysh whom abundance made arrogant

رَجَونا هُداهُ لا هَدى اللَهُ خالِداً

رَجَونا هُداهُ لا هَدى اللَهُ خالِداً

فَما أُمُّهُ بِالأُمِّ يُهدى جَنينُها

فَما أُمُّهُ بِالأُمِّ يُهدى جَنينُها

We hoped for his guidance—may God not guide Khalid—

We hoped he would find guidance but Allah did not guide Khalid

for his mother is no mother whose unborn child is guided.

For no mother can guide her child while still in the womb