وَمَوقِفٍ لَكَ بَعدَ المُصطَفى اِفتَرَقَت

وَمَوقِفٍ لَكَ بَعدَ المُصطَفى اِفتَرَقَت

فيهِ الصَحابَةُ لَمّا غابَ هاديها

فيهِ الصَحابَةُ لَمّا غابَ هاديها

And that stand of yours after the Chosen One, when division arose

And after Al-Mustafa's stance you had a position

among the Companions there, after their guide had gone.

In which the companions parted when their guide was absent

بايَعتَ فيهِ أَبا بَكرٍ فَبايَعَهُ

بايَعتَ فيهِ أَبا بَكرٍ فَبايَعَهُ

عَلى الخِلافَةِ قاصيها وَدانيها

عَلى الخِلافَةِ قاصيها وَدانيها

There you pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, and allegiance was pledged to him

You pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr and he pledged

as caliph by those far away and those near.

To the caliphate, both its near and far inhabitants

وَأُطفِئَت فِتنَةٌ لَولاكَ لَاِستَعَرَت

وَأُطفِئَت فِتنَةٌ لَولاكَ لَاِستَعَرَت

بَينَ القَبائِلَ وَاِنسابَت أَفاعيها

بَينَ القَبائِلَ وَاِنسابَت أَفاعيها

And strife was quenched that, but for you, would have flared

And an ordeal was extinguished, without you it would have raged

among the tribes, and its vipers would have slithered forth.

Among the tribes, and its snakes would have crept

باتَ النَبِيُّ مُسَجّىً في حَظيرَتِهِ

باتَ النَبِيُّ مُسَجّىً في حَظيرَتِهِ

وَأَنتَ مُستَعِرُ الأَحشاءِ داميها

وَأَنتَ مُستَعِرُ الأَحشاءِ داميها

The Prophet lay shrouded through the night in his dwelling,

The Prophet was laid to rest in his chamber

while your entrails were aflame and bleeding.

While you agonized, its blood still oozing

تَهيمُ بَينَ عَجيجِ الناسِ في دَهَشٍ

تَهيمُ بَينَ عَجيجِ الناسِ في دَهَشٍ

مِن نَبأَةٍ قَد سَرى في الأَرضِ ساريها

مِن نَبأَةٍ قَد سَرى في الأَرضِ ساريها

You wandered amid the people's clamor, bewildered

You wandered among the clamor of people in shock

by a report whose bearer had traveled throughout the land.

From news that had spread across the land rampant

تَصيحُ مَن قالَ نَفسُ المُصطَفى قُبِضَت

تَصيحُ مَن قالَ نَفسُ المُصطَفى قُبِضَت

عَلَوتُ هامَتَهُ بِالسَيفِ أَبريها

عَلَوتُ هامَتَهُ بِالسَيفِ أَبريها

You cried, “Whoever says the Chosen One's soul has been taken,

You shouted, "The soul of Al-Mustafa has been taken!"

I shall strike his head with the sword and hew it off!”

"I will avenge him with the sword," you cried defiant

أَنساكَ حُبُّكَ طَهَ أَنَّهُ بَشَرٌ

أَنساكَ حُبُّكَ طَهَ أَنَّهُ بَشَرٌ

يُجري عَلَيهِ شُؤونَ الكَونِ مُجريها

يُجري عَلَيهِ شُؤونَ الكَونِ مُجريها

Your love for Taha made you forget that he was human,

Your love of Taha made you forget he was but human

upon whom the One who directs the world's affairs makes them run their course;

Subject to the laws of creation that all obey diligent

وَأَنَّهُ وارِدٌ لا بُدَّ مَورِدَهُ

وَأَنَّهُ وارِدٌ لا بُدَّ مَورِدَهُ

مِنَ المَنِيَّةِ لا يُعفيهِ ساقيها

مِنَ المَنِيَّةِ لا يُعفيهِ ساقيها

and that he must inevitably reach his allotted watering place

And that he was destined, as is compulsory

of death, whose cupbearer does not spare him.

For death, from which no water-bearer will save repentant

نَسيتَ في حَقِّ طَهَ آيَةً نَزَلَت

نَسيتَ في حَقِّ طَهَ آيَةً نَزَلَت

وَقَد يُذَكَّرُ بِالآياتِ ناسيها

وَقَد يُذَكَّرُ بِالآياتِ ناسيها

You forgot a revealed verse concerning Taha,

You forgot, regarding Taha, a verse revealed

and whoever forgets the verses may be reminded by them.

Though verses may remind the forgetful penitent

ذَهِلتَ يَوماً فَكانَت فِتنَةٌ عَمَمٌ

ذَهِلتَ يَوماً فَكانَت فِتنَةٌ عَمَمٌ

وَثابَ رُشدُكَ فَاِنجابَت دَياجيها

وَثابَ رُشدُكَ فَاِنجابَت دَياجيها

You were stunned one day, so there was all-encompassing strife;

One day you were confused and chaos spread

and your sound judgment returned, so its darkness cleared.

But your sanity returned and its darkness absent

فَلِلسَقيفَةِ يَومٌ أَنتَ صاحِبُهُ

فَلِلسَقيفَةِ يَومٌ أَنتَ صاحِبُهُ

فيهِ الخِلافَةُ قَد شيدَت أَواسيها

فيهِ الخِلافَةُ قَد شيدَت أَواسيها

So Saqifah had a day whose leading figure you were,

Thus the Saqifah has a day with you its master

when the caliphate's foundations were built.

In which the caliphate erected its pillars permanent

مَدَّت لَها الأَوسُ كَفّاً كَي تَناوَلَها

مَدَّت لَها الأَوسُ كَفّاً كَي تَناوَلَها

فَمَدَّتِ الخَزرَجُ الأَيدي تُباريها

فَمَدَّتِ الخَزرَجُ الأَيدي تُباريها

The Aws stretched out a hand toward it, to grasp it,

The Aws offered a hand to take it

and the Khazraj stretched out their hands, vying with them.

So the Khazraj stretched out hands competing

وَظنَّ كُلُّ فَريقٍ أَنَّ صاحِبَهُم

وَظنَّ كُلُّ فَريقٍ أَنَّ صاحِبَهُم

أَولى بِها وَأَتى الشَحناءَ آتيها

أَولى بِها وَأَتى الشَحناءَ آتيها

And each faction thought that its own man

And each group thought its companion

had the greater right to it, and the bringer of enmity brought it on,

Was worthier of it, and discord came to them fervent

حَتّى اِنبَرَيتَ لَهُم فَاِرتَدَّ طامِعُهُم

حَتّى اِنبَرَيتَ لَهُم فَاِرتَدَّ طامِعُهُم

عَنها وَأَخّى أَبو بَكرٍ أَواخيها

عَنها وَأَخّى أَبو بَكرٍ أَواخيها

until you stepped forward to face them, and their aspirant retreated

Until you came forth, so their greedy hopes receded

from it, and Abu Bakr drove in its anchoring stakes.

And Abu Bakr became brother to its occupants