ماnot أَصبَحَتhas become أَرضُthe land of العِراقِIraq بِهاin it
ما أَصبَحَت أَرضُ العِراقِ بِها
وَرَقٌleaves لِمُختَبِطٍfor one beating down leaves وَلاand no قِشرِbark
وَرَقٌ لِمُختَبِطٍ وَلا قِشرِ
The land of Iraq would have had neither
Leaves for a fodder-gatherer nor bark,
إِنif نَحنُwe لَمdid not نَمنَعward off بِطاعَتِناthrough our obedience
إِن نَحنُ لَم نَمنَع بِطاعَتِنا
وَالحُبِّand love لِلمَهدِيِّfor al-Mahdi وَالشُكرِand gratitude
وَالحُبِّ لِلمَهدِيِّ وَالشُكرِ
Had we not warded off harm through our obedience,
And love for al-Mahdi, and gratitude;
فَغَدَتthen came عَلَيناupon us فيin مَنازِلِناour dwellings
فَغَدَت عَلَينا في مَنازِلِنا
رُسلُmessengers of العَذابِtorment بِرَغوَةِwith the bellow of البَكرِthe young male camel
رُسلُ العَذابِ بِرَغوَةِ البَكرِ
Then upon us, within our dwellings, would have come
Messengers of torment, with the young camel's bellow.
أَشقىdoomed ثَمودَThamud حينَwhen وَلَّهَهُhe bereaved it
أَشقى ثَمودَ حينَ وَلَّهَهُ
عَنof أُمِّهِits mother المَشؤومُthe ill-omened man بِالعَقرِby hamstringing
عَن أُمِّهِ المَشؤومُ بِالعَقرِ
The young camel doomed Thamud when bereaved
Of its mother, hamstrung by the ill-omened man.
لَمّاwhen رَغاit bellowed هَمَدواthey fell lifeless كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were
لَمّا رَغا هَمَدوا كَأَنَّهُمُ
هابيscattered رَمادِashes of مُؤَثَّفِthe stone hearth of القِدرِthe cooking pot
هابي رَمادِ مُؤَثَّفِ القِدرِ
When it bellowed, they fell lifeless, as though they were
Scattered ashes from a cooking pot's stone hearth.
أَنتَyou الَّذيthe one whom نَعَتَdescribed الكِتابُthe Book لَناto us
أَنتَ الَّذي نَعَتَ الكِتابُ لَنا
فيin ناطِقِthe explicit words of التَوراةِthe Torah وَالزُبرِand the scriptures
في ناطِقِ التَوراةِ وَالزُبرِ
You are the one the Book described to us
In the clear words of the Torah and the scriptures.
كَمhow many كانَthere was مِنof قِسٍّa priest يُخَبِّرُناtelling us
كَم كانَ مِن قِسٍّ يُخَبِّرُنا
بِخِلافَةِof the caliphate of المَهدِيِّal-Mahdi أَوor حَبرِa rabbi
بِخِلافَةِ المَهدِيِّ أَو حَبرِ
How many a priest would tell us—
Or a rabbi—of al-Mahdi's caliphate!
جَعَلَmade الإِلَهُGod لَناfor us خِلافَتَهُhis caliphate
جَعَلَ الإِلَهُ لَنا خِلافَتَهُ
بُرءَhealing of القُروحِwounds وَعِصمَةَand a safeguard for الجَبرِmending
بُرءَ القُروحِ وَعِصمَةَ الجَبرِ
God made his caliphate for us
A cure for wounds and a safeguard for their healing.
كَمhow many حَلَّlifted عَنّاfrom us عَدلُthe justice of سُنَّتِهِhis practice
كَم حَلَّ عَنّا عَدلُ سُنَّتِهِ
مِنof مَغرَمٍa levy ثِقلٍheavy وَمِنand of إِصرِa binding burden
مِن مَغرَمٍ ثِقلٍ وَمِن إِصرِ
How often the justice of his rule has relieved us
Of heavy levies and binding burdens!
كُنّاwe were كَزَرعٍlike a crop ماتَthat died كانَthere was لَهُfor it
كُنّا كَزَرعٍ ماتَ كانَ لَهُ
ساقٍan irrigating stream لَهُfor it حَدَبٌtender care مِنَfrom النَهرِthe river
ساقٍ لَهُ حَدَبٌ مِنَ النَهرِ
We were like a crop that died; it once had
A river-fed stream that nurtured it.
عَدَلوهُthey diverted it عَنهُaway from it فيinto مُغَوِّلَةٍa devouring waste
عَدَلوهُ عَنهُ في مُغَوِّلَةٍ
لِلماءِfor water بَعدَbeyond جِنانِهِits gardens الخُضرِgreen
لِلماءِ بَعدَ جِنانِهِ الخُضرِ
They diverted it from the crop into a waste
That swallowed water, beyond its green gardens.
أَحيَيتَهُyou revived it بِعُبابِwith a surging flood مُنثَلِمٍpouring through a breach
أَحيَيتَهُ بِعُبابِ مُنثَلِمٍ
وَعَلاهُand covered it مِنكَfrom you مُغَرِّقُa flood submerging الدَبرِthe field-plots
وَعَلاهُ مِنكَ مُغَرِّقُ الدَبرِ
You revived it with a surging flood let loose,
And a flood from you rose over it, submerging the fields.
أَحيَيتَyou revived أَنفُسَناour souls وَقَدand already بَلَغَتthey had reached
أَحيَيتَ أَنفُسَنا وَقَد بَلَغَت
مِنّاamong us الفَناءَextinction وَنَحنُand we فيin دُبرِdecline
مِنّا الفَناءَ وَنَحنُ في دُبرِ
You revived our souls when they had reached
Extinction within us, while we were in decline.
فَلَقَدso indeed عَزَزناwe grew mighty بَعدَafter ذِلَّتِناour humiliation
فَلَقَد عَزَزنا بَعدَ ذِلَّتِنا
بِكَthrough you بَعدَماafter نَأبىwe refuse عَنِfrom القَسرِcoercion
بِكَ بَعدَما نَأبى عَنِ القَسرِ
So indeed we have grown mighty after our humiliation,
Through you, after we had resisted coercion.
أَصبَحتَyou have become قَدalready بَخَعَتhas submitted نَصيحَتُناour sincere loyalty
أَصبَحتَ قَد بَخَعَت نَصيحَتُنا
لَكَto you وَالمَقامِby the Station وَأَيمَنِand the right side of السِترِthe curtain
لَكَ وَالمَقامِ وَأَيمَنِ السِترِ
Our sincere loyalty has now bowed in submission
To you—by the Station and the curtain's right side!
أَحيَيتَyou revived أَنفُسَناour souls وَقَدand already هَلَكَتthey had perished
أَحيَيتَ أَنفُسَنا وَقَد هَلَكَت
وَجَبَرتَand you mended مِنّاwithin us واهِيَwhat was frail الكَسرِthe fracture
وَجَبَرتَ مِنّا واهِيَ الكَسرِ
You revived our souls when they had perished,
And mended what was frail and broken within us.
Sol 6.1