عثر الدهرُ فاستقال سريعا

عثر الدهرُ فاستقال سريعا

رُبَّ عبدٍ عصى فآب مطيعا

رُبَّ عبدٍ عصى فآب مطيعا

Time stumbled, then swiftly sought pardon.

Time stumbled and fell swiftly

Many a slave disobeyed, then returned obedient.

Many a servant disobeyed then returned obedient

زلَّ لكنَّه تراجع لمَّا

زلَّ لكنَّه تراجع لمَّا

ملأت هيبةً حشاه صدوعا

ملأت هيبةً حشاه صدوعا

It slipped, but drew back when

He slipped but then retracted when

awe filled its breast with cracks.

Awe filled his heart's cracks

قرنَ الذنبَ بالإِنابةَ واستش

قرنَ الذنبَ بالإِنابةَ واستش

عرَ من عظم ما جناه الخشوعا

عرَ من عظم ما جناه الخشوعا

It joined sin with repentance and felt

He paired his sin with repentance, and felt

humility at the enormity of what it had done.

Remorse for his grave wrongdoing, head bowed in humility

وتمنَّى وإن هو استدرك الهف

وتمنَّى وإن هو استدرك الهف

وةَ لو قبلها تردَّى صريعا

وةَ لو قبلها تردَّى صريعا

And, though it had made amends for the lapse, it wished

And wished, though he made amends late

it had fallen slain before committing it.

That he had done so before falling victim

ورأى أنَّه أساءَ لرجلٍ

ورأى أنَّه أساءَ لرجلٍ

شرفاً بالرؤوس تُفدى جميعا

شرفاً بالرؤوس تُفدى جميعا

And it saw that it had wronged a foot

He saw that he wronged a man

so honored that all heads are offered in its ransom,

Whose nobility all heads would ransom

وإلى منكبٍ عليه استقلّت

وإلى منكبٍ عليه استقلّت

قبةُ الدين لا به الدين ريعا

قبةُ الدين لا به الدين ريعا

and a shoulder upon which rose

And whose shoulder upheld

the dome of faith—may faith never fear for that shoulder!

The dome of religion, not religion bearing him

راحتا جبرئيل منه تلقَّت

راحتا جبرئيل منه تلقَّت

منكبَ المصطفى تقية الصُدوعا

منكبَ المصطفى تقية الصُدوعا

Gabriel's two palms received from it

Upon it Gabriel's hands rested

the Chosen One's shoulder, guarding against cracks.

Caressing the Chosen One's shoulder, tending its wounds

وترقَّى يبشر الملأ الأعلى

وترقَّى يبشر الملأ الأعلى

بمولًى عليه خافوا الوقوعا

بمولًى عليه خافوا الوقوعا

And he ascended, bringing glad tidings to the heavenly host

And he ascended, giving glad tidings to the Highest Assembly

of a lord for whom they had feared collapse.

Of a Master they had feared would stumble

يا عيوناً سهرتِ بالأمس قرِّي

يا عيوناً سهرتِ بالأمس قرِّي

أقبل اليوم مَن مَلاكِ هجوعا

أقبل اليوم مَن مَلاكِ هجوعا

O eyes that kept vigil yesterday, be at ease:

O eyes that stayed awake last night, welcome

today the one who filled you with slumber has come.

Today he who came, desired by yearning hearts

وقلوباً رففتِ شوقاً إليه

وقلوباً رففتِ شوقاً إليه

لكِ وافى فلا تشقّي الضلوعا

لكِ وافى فلا تشقّي الضلوعا

And hearts that fluttered with longing for him,

O hearts that fluttered in longing for him

he has come for you, so do not rend the ribs.

For you he came loyal, so do not torment your chests

قد أتى رافهاً بصحَّة جسمٍ

قد أتى رافهاً بصحَّة جسمٍ

تركت قلبَ حاسديه وجيعا

تركت قلبَ حاسديه وجيعا

He has come at ease, in bodily health

He came healed in body, leaving

that left the heart of his enviers aching.

The hearts of his enviers sickened

وأتى الدهر تائباً وهو يدعو

وأتى الدهر تائباً وهو يدعو

مَن عذيري فقد أسأتُ الصنيعا

مَن عذيري فقد أسأتُ الصنيعا

And Time came repentant, crying out,

And time came repentant, pleading

"Who will excuse me? I have indeed done ill."

Forgiveness from me, for evilly I acted

رافع الطرفِ نحو مَن لعُلاه

رافع الطرفِ نحو مَن لعُلاه

كسرت طرفَها الملوكُ خضوعا

كسرت طرفَها الملوكُ خضوعا

Lifting its gaze toward one before whose lofty rank

Raising his gaze toward the one whose exaltation

kings lowered their gaze in submission,

Broke the submission of kings

وعلى كفِّه رأى الصيدَ تهوي

وعلى كفِّه رأى الصيدَ تهوي

طلب اللثم سجَّداً وركوعا

طلب اللثم سجَّداً وركوعا

and toward his palm it saw proud nobles fall,

And in his palm he saw the prey swoop

seeking to kiss it, prostrating and bowing.

Seeking a kiss, bowing in prostration

فدنى لاثماً ثرى أخمصيه

فدنى لاثماً ثرى أخمصيه

لم يقدّم سوى البكاء شفيعا

لم يقدّم سوى البكاء شفيعا

So it drew near, kissing the dust beneath the arches of his feet,

So he drew near, kissing the dust of his feet

offering no intercessor but weeping.

Offering only tears as intercession

ولسان المسيء أعطفُ شيء

ولسان المسيء أعطفُ شيء

لكريمٍ بأن يكون دموعا

لكريمٍ بأن يكون دموعا

And a wrongdoer's tongue is most moving

The evildoer's tongue is gentlest

to a noble man when it becomes tears.

When with tears it pleads the noble one's grace

قد لعمري استقال أحلم مولى

قد لعمري استقال أحلم مولى

كرماً يغفر الذنوبَ جميعا

كرماً يغفر الذنوبَ جميعا

Indeed, by my life, it sought pardon from the most forbearing lord,

By my life, the most forbearing Master

who, in his generosity, forgives all sins.

Has forgiven all sins, every one

حيّ مُستحفظَ العلومِ بعصرٍ

حيّ مُستحفظَ العلومِ بعصرٍ

فيه لولاهُ أوشكت أن تضيعا

فيه لولاهُ أوشكت أن تضيعا

Hail the custodian of learning in an age

Living, preserver of sciences in an age

in which, but for him, it would nearly have been lost.

That but for him would have been ruined

ذو بنانٍ حوالبُ المزن ودَّت

ذو بنانٍ حوالبُ المزن ودَّت

أن تراها الورى لهنَّ صريعا

أن تراها الورى لهنَّ صريعا

His are fingers that the rain-laden clouds wished

Of sturdy build, a lion in fray, your

mankind would see lying slain by those clouds.

Gazes wished to look on him, though in his grip slain

فيه عمر الفيحاءِ قد عادَ غضًّا

فيه عمر الفيحاءِ قد عادَ غضًّا

وزهت بالسرور فيه ربوعا

وزهت بالسرور فيه ربوعا

Through him, al-Fayha's life has grown fresh again,

In him the vigor of youth returned fresh

and through him its dwellings have blossomed with joy.

And in joy blossomed its meadows anew

ولأن قيل جاءَ فاستقبلته

ولأن قيل جاءَ فاستقبلته

قمراً طالعاً وغيثاً مريعا

قمراً طالعاً وغيثاً مريعا

And because it was said, 'He has come,' it welcomed him

Because it was said he came, I welcomed him

as a rising moon and rain that brings lush growth.

A rising moon, a pouring rain

فهو من ردَّ كلّ ليلٍ نهاراً

فهو من ردَّ كلّ ليلٍ نهاراً

بحماه وكلّ قيضٍ ربيعا

بحماه وكلّ قيضٍ ربيعا

For he is the one who turned every night to day

For he turned every night back to day

in his sanctuary, and every scorching summer to spring.

With his care, and each barren season to spring

ولده الطيّبون أصلاً وفرعاً

ولده الطيّبون أصلاً وفرعاً

علّم المسكَ خُلقُهم أن يضوعا

علّم المسكَ خُلقُهم أن يضوعا

His sons, pure in root and branch—

His blessed sons, rooted and branched

their character taught musk to waft its fragrance.

Taught musk its scent, though crushed and drained

إخوة البيض ألسناً وبنو الشهبِ

إخوة البيض ألسناً وبنو الشهبِ

وجوهاً آباؤهنَّ طلوعا

وجوهاً آباؤهنَّ طلوعا

Brothers of bright swords in tongue, and sons of blazing stars

Brothers of the full moon, tongues, and sons of meteors

in face, yet fathers of those stars in rising.

Faces, their fathers the dawn's first light

سبقوا النيّراتِ منها وجوداً

سبقوا النيّراتِ منها وجوداً

ومشوا فوقها فرادى جميعا

ومشوا فوقها فرادى جميعا

They preceded the bright ones among those stars in existence,

They surpassed the bright stars in existence

and walked above them, singly and all together.

And walked above them, all alone

كلّ عفٍّ عن الهوى بتقاه

كلّ عفٍّ عن الهوى بتقاه

فطم النفسَ يوم كانَ رضيعا

فطم النفسَ يوم كانَ رضيعا

Each, chaste and shunning desire through his piety,

Each restraining base desire by his piety

weaned his soul while still a suckling.

Weaned himself from caprice in infancy

وُلعوا بالنهى على حين شبُّوا

وُلعوا بالنهى على حين شبُّوا

وسواهم باللهو شاب ولوعا

وسواهم باللهو شاب ولوعا

They were devoted to reason when they came of age,

Passionate for prohibition when just growing up

while others grew gray, enamored of amusement.

Making play equal to them, ardent youth

مِن سهام الزمان كم من صنيعٍ

مِن سهام الزمان كم من صنيعٍ

نسجوه على العفاف دروعا

نسجوه على العفاف دروعا

Against Time's arrows, how many a noble deed

With so many weapons of fate

they wove as coats of mail over chastity!

They wove over chastity armor

علماء منها نضوا سيفَ فكرٍ

علماء منها نضوا سيفَ فكرٍ

تركوا مَعطسَ الضلال جديعا

تركوا مَعطسَ الضلال جديعا

Scholars: from these they unsheathed a sword of thought

Scholars who unsheathed reason's blade

and left error's nose cut off.

Leaving the misguided empty-handed

لا يزالوا معاً على حوزة الد

لا يزالوا معاً على حوزة الد

ين لأهل الإِيمان سوراً منيعا

ين لأهل الإِيمان سوراً منيعا

May they ever remain together around the domain of

They remain together in religion's sanctuary

faith, an impregnable rampart for the faithful.

An unbreachable fortress for the faithful