فَأَعقَبَ اللَهُ ظِلّاً فَوقَهُ وَرَقٌ

فَأَعقَبَ اللَهُ ظِلّاً فَوقَهُ وَرَقٌ

مِنها بِكَفَّيكَ فيهِ الريشُ وَالثَمَرُ

مِنها بِكَفَّيكَ فيهِ الريشُ وَالثَمَرُ

So God gave in return a shade, with leaves above it,

Then Allah shaded it with foliage above it

from it, through your two hands, with finery and fruit within.

Of which with your two hands are the feathers and fruit

وَما أُعيدَ لَهُم حَتّى أَتَيتَهُمُ

وَما أُعيدَ لَهُم حَتّى أَتَيتَهُمُ

أَزمانَ مَروانَ إِذ في وَحشِها غِرَرُ

أَزمانَ مَروانَ إِذ في وَحشِها غِرَرُ

Nor were they restored to them until you came to them—

And nothing was restored to them until you came to them

Marwan's days, when white blazes shone among their wild beasts.

In the days of Marwan when in its wilderness were embers

فَأَصبَحوا قَد أَعادَ اللَهُ نِعمَتَهُم

فَأَصبَحوا قَد أَعادَ اللَهُ نِعمَتَهُم

إِذ هُم قُرَيشٌ وَإِذ ما مِثلَهُم بَشَرُ

إِذ هُم قُرَيشٌ وَإِذ ما مِثلَهُم بَشَرُ

So they found that God had restored their prosperity,

So they became, Allah had restored their bounty

for they are Quraysh, and no mortals are their equals.

For they are Quraysh, and there are no people like them among mortals

وَهُم إِذا حَلَفوا بِاللَهِ مُقسِمُهُم

وَهُم إِذا حَلَفوا بِاللَهِ مُقسِمُهُم

يَقولُ لا وَالَّذي مِن فَضلِهِ عُمَرُ

يَقولُ لا وَالَّذي مِن فَضلِهِ عُمَرُ

And when they swear by God, their oath-taker

And when they swore by Allah their oath-takers

says, 'No, by Him from whose bounty comes Umar

Say no, by Him who from His grace gave it life

عَلى قُرَيشٍ إِذا اِحتَلَّت وَعَضَّ بِها

عَلى قُرَيشٍ إِذا اِحتَلَّت وَعَضَّ بِها

دَهرٌ وَأَنيابُ أَيّامٍ لَها أَثَرُ

دَهرٌ وَأَنيابُ أَيّامٍ لَها أَثَرُ

to Quraysh when they settled and were bitten

Upon Quraysh, whenever eras afflicted them

by time and the fangs of days that leave their mark.'

And the fangs of days left their mark

وَما أَصابَت مِنَ الأَيّامِ جائِحَةٌ

وَما أَصابَت مِنَ الأَيّامِ جائِحَةٌ

لِلأَصلِ إِلّا وَإِن جَلَّت سَتُجتَبَرُ

لِلأَصلِ إِلّا وَإِن جَلَّت سَتُجتَبَرُ

No calamity from the days has struck

No calamity of days befell their origin

at the root but it will be mended, however grave.

Except it shall mend even if late

وَقَد حُمِدَت بِأَخلاقٍ خُبِرتَ بِها

وَقَد حُمِدَت بِأَخلاقٍ خُبِرتَ بِها

وَإِنَّما يا اِبنُ لَيلى يُحمَدُ الخَبَرُ

وَإِنَّما يا اِبنُ لَيلى يُحمَدُ الخَبَرُ

And you have been praised for virtues by which you were tested;

And they were praised for morals they were experienced with

and only one's reputation, O son of Layla, is praised.

And indeed, O Ibn Layla, only experience is praiseworthy

سَخاوَةٌ مِن نَدى مَروانَ أَعرِفُها

سَخاوَةٌ مِن نَدى مَروانَ أَعرِفُها

وَالطَعنِ لِلخَيلِ في أَكتافِها زَوَرُ

وَالطَعنِ لِلخَيلِ في أَكتافِها زَوَرُ

I recognize a generosity drawn from Marwan's bounty,

It is the munificence of Marwan's dew I know

while spear-thrusts slant into the horses' shoulders.

And the piercing of horses’ shoulders is false

وَنائِلٌ لِاِبنِ لَيلى لَو تَضَمَّنَهُ

وَنائِلٌ لِاِبنِ لَيلى لَو تَضَمَّنَهُ

سَيلُ الفُراتِ لَأَمسى وَهوَ مُحتَقَرُ

سَيلُ الفُراتِ لَأَمسى وَهوَ مُحتَقَرُ

And a bounty of the son of Layla—were it contained

And a obtainer for Ibn Layla, if the Euphrates' torrent contained him

by the Euphrates' torrent, that torrent would seem paltry.

It would end while he is despised

وَكانَ آلُ أَبي العاصي إِذا غَضِبوا

وَكانَ آلُ أَبي العاصي إِذا غَضِبوا

لا يَنقُضونَ إِذا ما اِستُحصِدَ المِرَرُ

لا يَنقُضونَ إِذا ما اِستُحصِدَ المِرَرُ

And whenever the family of Abu al-Asi grew angry,

The clan of Abi Al-‘Aas, when they were angry

they would not unravel cords once firmly twisted.

Did not withdraw when bitterness was harvested

يَأبى لَهُم طولَ أَيديهِم وَأَنَّ لَهُم

يَأبى لَهُم طولَ أَيديهِم وَأَنَّ لَهُم

مَجدَ الرِهانِ إِذا ما أُعظِمَ الخَطَرُ

مَجدَ الرِهانِ إِذا ما أُعظِمَ الخَطَرُ

Their far-reaching hands forbid them this, as does their

Their outstretched arms refused them, and that they have

glory in the contest whenever the stakes are raised.

The glory of surety if the jeopardy magnified

إِن عاقَبوا فَالمَنايا مِن عُقوبَتِهِم

إِن عاقَبوا فَالمَنايا مِن عُقوبَتِهِم

وَإِن عَفَوا فَذَوُو الأَحلامِ إِن قَدَروا

وَإِن عَفَوا فَذَوُو الأَحلامِ إِن قَدَروا

If they punish, death is part of their punishment;

If they punished, the deaths are from their punishment

and if they pardon, they are men of forbearance when they have power.

And if they pardoned, then those of forbearance, if they assessed

لا يَستَثيبونَ نُعماهُم إِذا سَلَفَت

لا يَستَثيبونَ نُعماهُم إِذا سَلَفَت

وَلَيسَ في فَضلِهِم مَنٌّ وَلا كَدَرُ

وَلَيسَ في فَضلِهِم مَنٌّ وَلا كَدَرُ

They seek no recompense for their favors once bestowed,

Do not take back their favors when past

and their bounty contains neither reproach nor taint.

And in their merit there is no grudge or resentment

كَم فَرَّقَ اللَهُ مِن كَيدٍ وَجَمَّعَهُ

كَم فَرَّقَ اللَهُ مِن كَيدٍ وَجَمَّعَهُ

بِهِم وَأَطفَأَ مِن نارٍ لَها شَرَرُ

بِهِم وَأَطفَأَ مِن نارٍ لَها شَرَرُ

How many a plot God has scattered and gathered together

How much schemes did Allah separate and unite through them

through them, and how many a sparking fire He has quenched!

And quenched from fires having embers

وَلَن يَزالَ إِمامٌ مِنهُمُ مَلِكٌ

وَلَن يَزالَ إِمامٌ مِنهُمُ مَلِكٌ

إِلَيهِ يَشخَصُ فَوقَ المِنبَرِ البَصَرُ

إِلَيهِ يَشخَصُ فَوقَ المِنبَرِ البَصَرُ

And there will always be a leader from among them, a king,

And there shall always be a leader from them, a king

toward whom the gaze rises, above the pulpit.

To him sights from atop the pulpit stare