نسمات الحي وهنا إذ سرت

نسمات الحي وهنا إذ سرت

بشذا نجد لروحي بشرت

بشذا نجد لروحي بشرت

When the encampment's breezes drifted late at night,

The breezes of life blew here,

bearing Najd's fragrance, they brought my soul glad tidings

Bringing good tidings to my soul with their fragrance.

بلقا سعدي فياللَه من

بلقا سعدي فياللَه من

نفس صب ظفرت إذ صبرت

نفس صب ظفرت إذ صبرت

of meeting my joy—O God, what a

With a happy coincidence, my soul has found patience to be victorious.

lovelorn soul that triumphed when it endured!

Thus is the matter, so be steadfast and wait,

هكذا الأمر فلازم وانتظر

هكذا الأمر فلازم وانتظر

من لطيف الصنع ألطافاً جرت

من لطيف الصنع ألطافاً جرت

Such is the way: persevere, and await

For the Gentle Maker's kindnesses to flow.

kindnesses that flowed from Him whose work is subtle,

It has taken away sorrow and burdensome grief,

أذهبت غما وكرباً خيما

أذهبت غما وكرباً خيما

وأقاما في صدور حصرت

وأقاما في صدور حصرت

dispelling sorrow and anguish that had settled

And established joy in relieved hearts.

and lodged in breasts grown tight.

So hope, my Master, and do not despair, though

فارج مولاك ولا تيأس وإن

فارج مولاك ولا تيأس وإن

حل خطب وأمور عسرت

حل خطب وأمور عسرت

So hope in your Master, and do not despair, even if

Hardships and difficult matters have come.

a calamity befalls you and matters grow difficult.

God Almighty in His glory,

إن للَه تعالى مجده

إن للَه تعالى مجده

نفحات بالرجاء انتظرت

نفحات بالرجاء انتظرت

Indeed, God—exalted is His glory—has

Has breezes of hope that bring relief.

wafts of grace, awaited in hope.

And with hardship, however long the course,

ومع العسر وإن طال المدا

ومع العسر وإن طال المدا

فيه يسران بشرح ذكرت

فيه يسران بشرح ذكرت

And with hardship, though its duration be long,

Ease comes, as I have mentioned.

within it are two eases, mentioned in al-Sharh.

Thus the hosts of hardship turned tail,

فجيوش العسر ولت دبراً

فجيوش العسر ولت دبراً

وجيوش اليسر حقا نصرت

وجيوش اليسر حقا نصرت

Thus hardship's armies retreated, turning their backs,

And the hosts of ease were victorious.

and ease's armies were truly granted victory.

Relief came from the Merciful,

فرج جاء به الرحمن من

فرج جاء به الرحمن من

فضله عنه المساعي قصرت

فضله عنه المساعي قصرت

Relief the All-Merciful brought from

When efforts fell short.

His bounty, beyond the reach of striving.

So praise be to Him for His boons,

فله الحمد على آلائه

فله الحمد على آلائه

وأياد بطنت أو ظهرت

وأياد بطنت أو ظهرت

So to Him belongs praise for His blessings,

Whether manifest or hidden.

and favors, hidden or manifest,

And for the subtle, all-encompassing grace,

وعلى لطف خفى شامل

وعلى لطف خفى شامل

ومنوح وفتوح بهرت

ومنوح وفتوح بهرت

and for hidden, all-encompassing kindness,

And clear gifts that dazzle.

and gifts and victories that dazzled,

And for the laws with which He repelled enemies,

ونواميس بها أردى العدى

ونواميس بها أردى العدى

وجلاهم بجنود قهرت

وجلاهم بجنود قهرت

and divine mysteries through which He destroyed the foes,

And routed them with overwhelming armies.

and drove them out with armies that overpowered them.

The trades of guidance have profited,

فتجارات الهدى قد ربحت

فتجارات الهدى قد ربحت

وتجارات الردى قد خسرت

وتجارات الردى قد خسرت

Thus guidance's ventures have made a profit,

While the trades of deviance lost.

and perdition's ventures have suffered loss.

Woe to a people among whom

ويح قوم قد أقيمت فيهم

ويح قوم قد أقيمت فيهم

دعوة الحق التي قد شهرت

دعوة الحق التي قد شهرت

Woe to a people among whom was established

The call of truth was raised.

the call of truth, already made known,

They did not lift their heads to it,

فغدوا لم يرفعوا رأساً بها

فغدوا لم يرفعوا رأساً بها

عن نفوس جهلت واستكبرت

عن نفوس جهلت واستكبرت

yet they went on without lifting their heads to it,

Due to ignorant, arrogant souls.

because their souls were ignorant and arrogant.

Yes, God's bounty was with them,

نعم للَه كانت عندهم

نعم للَه كانت عندهم

حولت إذ لم تكن قد شكرت

حولت إذ لم تكن قد شكرت

God's blessings had been with them;

Though it was not thanked.

they were removed when they had gone unthanked.

God's Book could have guided them,

وكتاب اللَه قد يفهمهم

وكتاب اللَه قد يفهمهم

لو تلوه بقلوب حضرت

لو تلوه بقلوب حضرت

And God's Book would make them understand,

Had they recited it with present hearts.

if they recited it with attentive hearts:

The verse of victory and thunder, and clear verses,

آية الأنفال والرعد مع النح

آية الأنفال والرعد مع النح

ل لما غيروها غيرت

ل لما غيروها غيرت

the verse in al-Anfal and al-Ra'd, along with al-Nah-

Would have affected them, had they not distorted them.

l: when they altered them, they were altered.

Yes, had they thanked them, they would have remained,

نعم إن شكروها بقيت

نعم إن شكروها بقيت

ونمت أو كفروها نفرت

ونمت أو كفروها نفرت

Blessings remain if they are grateful for them,

But they disbelieved, so they vanished.

and grow; or, if they are ungrateful for them, they flee.

They were truly ignorant of a people among them

جهلوا حقاً لقوم بينهم

جهلوا حقاً لقوم بينهم

من ذوي الحق بدور أسفرت

من ذوي الحق بدور أسفرت

They failed to recognize the due of people in their midst,

Of truthful lineage and shining houses.

people of truth, full moons that shone forth,

Of callers to good, guides to righteousness,

من دعاة الخير أعلام الهدى

من دعاة الخير أعلام الهدى

والندى من عترة قد طهرت

والندى من عترة قد طهرت

callers to goodness, beacons of guidance

And dew, of a purified lineage.

and generosity, from a family made pure.

They wronged them of their rights, so they sought help

ظلموها حقها فاستنصرت

ظلموها حقها فاستنصرت

برسول اللَه حتى نصرت

برسول اللَه حتى نصرت

They denied that family its due, so it sought help

From God’s Messenger until they were victorious.

through God's Messenger, until it was granted victory.

God’s victory and opening came together,

جاء نصر اللَه والفتح معا

جاء نصر اللَه والفتح معا

وجنود ورياح بشرت

وجنود ورياح بشرت

God's help and conquest came together,

With armies and winds giving good news.

and armies and winds brought glad tidings,

Of Ali the Approved, lion of combat,

بعلي المرتضى ليث الوغى

بعلي المرتضى ليث الوغى

وبزهراء العلا قد زهرت

وبزهراء العلا قد زهرت

through Ali al-Murtada, the lion of battle,

And Fatima the virtuous, who blossomed.

and through Zahra of exalted rank, who shone,

Of my master Ahmad and the reverent Sayyid,

وبسيطي أحمد والسيد ال

وبسيطي أحمد والسيد ال

عابد الأواه إمداد سرت

عابد الأواه إمداد سرت

and through Ahmad's two grandsons and the lord, the

Sources of aid that flowed.

devout, oft-sighing one—reinforcements flowed,

And the one called Explainer for his knowledge,

والذي للعلم يدعى باقراً

والذي للعلم يدعى باقراً

منه غارات لنا قد بقرت

منه غارات لنا قد بقرت

and he who, for knowledge, is called Baqir:

Wells of insight were opened through him.

from him, raids on our behalf broke through,

And the trusted teacher of the Fatimids, the truthful Imam,

والإمام الصادق الأستاذ لل

والإمام الصادق الأستاذ لل

فاطميين به قد فخرت

فاطميين به قد فخرت

and Imam al-Sadiq, the teacher of the

Through whom we take pride.

descendants of Fatima, who took pride in him,

And Moses and his son Ali,

وبموسى وعلي نجله

وبموسى وعلي نجله

والمرتضى عمه ما قصرت

والمرتضى عمه ما قصرت

and through Musa and Ali, his son,

And his uncle the Approved, who did not fall short.

and al-Murtada, his uncle—the aid did not fall short—

And the son of Jesus, and his noble sons,

وابن عيسى وبنيه النجبا

وابن عيسى وبنيه النجبا

وبينهم سادة قد ذكرت

وبينهم سادة قد ذكرت

and Ibn Isa and his noble sons,

Among whom are leaders I have mentioned.

and among them are masters already mentioned.

Lord, so protect us through them, benefit us by them,

رب فاحفظنا بهم وانفع بهم

رب فاحفظنا بهم وانفع بهم

وأعد من بركات غمرت

وأعد من بركات غمرت

Lord, preserve us through them, and benefit us through them,

And restore the blessings You have poured down.

and restore some of the blessings that enveloped us.

And suffice us, our Lord, from the harm of enemies

واكفنا يا ربنا شر العدا

واكفنا يا ربنا شر العدا

والأذى من فرقة قد بطرت

والأذى من فرقة قد بطرت

And shield us, O our Lord, from the foes' evil

And trouble from the dissent that has spread.

and the harm of a faction grown insolent.

They have confused us with evil words

بهتونا بمقال سيء

بهتونا بمقال سيء

كانت الأحرى به لو أبصرت

كانت الأحرى به لو أبصرت

They slandered us with vile speech;

That would have been better unsaid, had they insight.

that faction was more deserving of it, had it seen clearly.

We have been forbearing and pardoned them,

قد حملنا وصفحنا عنهم

قد حملنا وصفحنا عنهم

وبذا أسلافنا قد أخبرت

وبذا أسلافنا قد أخبرت

We have endured and pardoned them,

As You have informed our ancestors.

and our forebears have told of this.

They wrong us, then we forgive them-

يظلمونا ثم نعفو عنهم

يظلمونا ثم نعفو عنهم

هكذا الفضل لقوم قدرت

هكذا الفضل لقوم قدرت

They wrong us, then we forgive them;

Thus is virtue for those You have honoured.

such is the virtue of a people with power.

And God’s prayers constantly forever

وصلاة اللَه دأباً سرمداً

وصلاة اللَه دأباً سرمداً

لرسول اللَه ما الفلك جرت

لرسول اللَه ما الفلك جرت

And may God's blessing, continually and forever,

For the Messenger of God, for all time.

be upon God's Messenger as long as ships sail,

The spirits of help sought at nightfall,

وسرت أرواح نجد سحراً

وسرت أرواح نجد سحراً

وسرى برق وسحر أمطرت

وسرى برق وسحر أمطرت

and Najd's breezes drift before dawn,

Dawn broke, and they flowed.

and lightning courses by night, and predawn hours bring rain;

And upon the Household, with the Companions, for as long

وعلى الآل مع الأصحاب ما

وعلى الآل مع الأصحاب ما

ليلة في فجرها قد أسفرت

ليلة في فجرها قد أسفرت

and upon the Family, with the Companions, as long as

As night turns to daybreak.

a night grows bright in its dawn.