أَميرَO Commander المؤمنينof the Faithful فدتكَmay it ransom you نَفسيmy soul
أَميرَ المؤمنين فدتكَ نَفسي
لناfor us منfrom شأنكyour greatness العجبُthe wonder العجابُmost astonishing
لنا من شأنك العجبُ العجابُ
Commander of the Faithful, may my soul be your ransom.
O Commander of the Faithful, I sacrifice my soul for you
In your greatness we find the most astonishing wonder.
You are a wonder and marvel to behold
تَولّاكtook you as patron الأُلىthose who سعدواwere blessed فَفازواand so triumphed
تَولّاك الأُلى سعدوا فَفازوا
وَناواكand opposed you الَّذينthose who شقواwere wretched فخابواand so failed
وَناواك الَّذين شقوا فخابوا
The blessed took you as their patron and thus triumphed,
Those who followed you were fortunate and succeeded
And the wretched opposed you and thus failed.
While those who opposed you were wretched and failed
وَلَوand if عَلِمَknew الورىhumankind ماwhat أَنتَyou أَضحواthey would become
وَلَو عَلِمَ الورى ما أَنتَ أَضحوا
لوجهكbefore your face ساجدينprostrate ولمand would not يُحابواshow partiality
لوجهك ساجدين ولم يُحابوا
Had humankind known what you are, they would have become
Had people known who you truly are
Prostrate before your face, showing no partiality.
They would prostrate before you and never disobey
يمنُblessing اللَهof God لَوif كُشِفwere unveiled المغطّىwhat is hidden
يمنُ اللَه لَو كُشِف المغطّى
ووجهُand the face اللَهof God لَوif رُفِعwere lifted الحجابُthe veil
ووجهُ اللَه لَو رُفِع الحجابُ
God's blessing, were the hidden laid bare,
By God's blessing, if the veil were lifted
And God's face, were the veil lifted.
And God's face revealed from behind the veil
خفيتَyou were hidden عنfrom العيونthe eyes وأَنتَand you are شَمسٌa sun
خفيتَ عن العيون وأَنتَ شَمسٌ
سَمتrose high عنbeyond أَنthat يُجلِّلَهاshroud it سحابُa cloud
سَمت عن أَن يُجلِّلَها سحابُ
You are hidden from eyes, though you are a sun
You were hidden from sight though you are the sun
That rose too high for any cloud to shroud it.
Soaring above any clouds that would shade her
وَلَيسَand there is no علىupon الصَباحthe morning إِذاwhen تجلّىit shines forth
وَلَيسَ على الصَباح إِذا تجلّى
وَلَمand did not يُبصِرهُsee it أَعمىone blind العينof eye عابُfault
وَلَم يُبصِرهُ أَعمى العين عابُ
Nor is the morning, when it shines,
When dawn breaks clearly, none can blame the morn
To blame if one blind of eye fails to see it.
If a blind man does not behold the light of day
لسرٍّfor a secret reason ماsome دَعاكnamed you أَباAbu (father of) ترابٍTurab (dust)
لسرٍّ ما دَعاك أَبا ترابٍ
مُحمَّدٌMuhammad النَبيُّthe Prophet المُستطابُthe beloved
مُحمَّدٌ النَبيُّ المُستطابُ
For some secret reason, you were named Abu Turab
For a mystery did the Prophet, father of dust, name you
By Muhammad, the beloved Prophet.
Muhammad the chosen one, so pure and blessed
فكانَthus there was لكُلِّfor everyone منwho هوhe منof ترابٍdust
فكانَ لكُلِّ من هو من ترابٍ
إِليكto you وأَنتand you are علَّتهhis cause اِنتسابُkinship
إِليك وأَنت علَّته اِنتسابُ
Thus everyone made of dust came to have
Thus all who come from dust can claim relation
Kinship with you, for you are their cause.
For in you lies their cause to stake such a claim
فَلَولاfor without أَنتَyou لمnot تُخلقbe created سماءٌa sky
فَلَولا أَنتَ لم تُخلق سماءٌ
وَلَولاand without أَنتyou لمnot يُخلقbe created تُرابُdust
وَلَولا أَنت لم يُخلق تُرابُ
For without you, no sky would have been created,
Without you no sky would have been created
And without you, no dust would have been created.
Without you no dust would have been shaped
وَفيكand concerning you وفيand concerning ولائِكallegiance to you يومon the day of حشرٍgathering
وَفيك وفي ولائِك يوم حشرٍ
يُعاقبis punished منwhoever يعاقبُis punished أَوor يُثابُis rewarded
يُعاقب من يعاقبُ أَو يُثابُ
And on account of you and allegiance to you, on the Day of Gathering,
On you and your adherence rests judgment day
People are punished or rewarded.
To punish or reward however it may
بفضلكَof your excellence أَفصحتspoke plainly توراةُthe Torah of موسىMoses
بفضلكَ أَفصحت توراةُ موسى
وإنجيلُand the Gospel of ابنthe son of مريمَMary والكتابُand the Book
وإنجيلُ ابن مريمَ والكتابُ
Moses' Torah spoke plainly of your excellence,
Through you the Torah of Moses spoke clear
As did the Gospel of Mary's son and the Book.
The Bible of Jesus and the Holy Book as well
فَياso, oh عجباًa wonder لمنat those who ناواكَopposed you قِدماًlong ago
فَيا عجباً لمن ناواكَ قِدماً
ومنand at قومٍa people لدعوتهمto their call أَجابواthey responded
ومن قومٍ لدعوتهم أَجابوا
How astonishing, then, are those who opposed you long ago,
A wonder it is that any people opposed you
And the people who answered their call!
Or heeded the call of tribes who went astray
أَزاغواdid they turn aside عنfrom صِراطthe path of الحقِّtruth عمداًdeliberately
أَزاغوا عن صِراط الحقِّ عمداً
فضلّواand so went astray عنكfrom you أَمor خفيwas hidden الصوابُthe right course
فضلّوا عنك أَم خفي الصوابُ
Did they deliberately turn from the path of truth,
Turning from the path of truth intentionally
And thus stray from you, or was the right course hidden?
Straying from you, or was guidance kept at bay?
أَمor اِرتابواthey doubted بماconcerning what لاno ريبَdoubt فيهin it
أَم اِرتابوا بما لا ريبَ فيه
وهلand is there فيin الحَقِّthe truth إِذwhen صُدعwas proclaimed openly اِرتيابُdoubt
وهل في الحَقِّ إِذ صُدع اِرتيابُ
Or did they doubt what admits no doubt?
Could they doubt what was never dubious?
And can there be doubt in the truth once it is proclaimed?
Can there be doubt when truth has made its way?
وهَلand is there لِسواكَfor anyone but you بعدafter غديرGhadir (pool) خمٍّKhumm
وهَل لِسواكَ بعد غدير خمٍّ
نَصيبٌa share فيin الخلافةthe caliphate أَوor نِصابُa basis of entitlement
نَصيبٌ في الخلافة أَو نِصابُ
And after Ghadir Khumm, does anyone but you have
After Ghadir Khumm, who deserved the caliphate?
A share in the caliphate, or any claim to it?
Who could claim any portion or share?
أَلَمdid ... not يجعلكَmake you مولاهمtheir master فذلَّتand so were humbled
أَلَم يجعلكَ مولاهم فذلَّت
عَلىdespite رغمunwillingness هناكَthere لكَto you الرِقابُthe necks
عَلى رغم هناكَ لكَ الرِقابُ
Did he not make you their master, humbling
Did not God make you their Master, and so
Necks before you there, even against their will?
All necks before you bowed, despite their glare
فَلَمand so did not يَطمَحaspire إليهاto it هاشميٌّa Hashimite
فَلَم يَطمَح إليها هاشميٌّ
وإنand even if أَضحىcame to be لهfor him الحسبُthe ancestral honor اللُبابُthe purest
وإن أَضحى له الحسبُ اللُبابُ
Thus no Hashimite aspired to it,
No Hashimite aspired to it nevertheless
Even if he possessed the purest ancestral honor.
Though of finest stock and most prudent minds
فمنwho, then تيمTaym بنson of مرّةMurrah أَوor عَديٌّAdi
فمن تيم بن مرّة أَو عَديٌّ
وهمand they سيّانboth alike إِنwhether حضَرواthey were present وغابواand were absent
وهم سيّان إِن حضَروا وغابوا
Who, then, are Taym ibn Murrah or Adi?
Be it Banu Taym or 'Adi, they are the same
And both are alike, whether present or absent.
Present or absent, their nature binds
لَئِنif indeed جَحدوكَthey denied you حقَّكyour right عنout of شقاءٍwretchedness
لَئِن جَحدوكَ حقَّك عن شقاءٍ
فبالأشقينthen upon the most wretched ماindeed حلَّfell العِقابُpunishment
فبالأشقين ما حلَّ العِقابُ
If indeed they denied you your right out of wretchedness,
If out of misery they reject your right
Then it was upon the most wretched that punishment fell.
The wretched shall face punishment of their crimes
فَكَمand how often سفهتbecame foolish عليكَtoward you حلومُminds قومٍa people
فَكَم سفهت عليكَ حلومُ قومٍ
فكنتand you were البَدرَthe full moon تنبحُهbark at it الكِلابُthe dogs
فكنت البَدرَ تنبحُه الكِلابُ
How often a people's minds behaved foolishly toward you;
How foolish are those who bite your noble flesh
And you were the full moon at which dogs bark.
As dogs would bark and nip at the shining moon!
Sol 6.1