فِدَاكَa ransom for you مَنwhoever صامَfasted وَمَنand whoever أَفطَراbroke the fast
فِدَاكَ مَن صامَ وَمَن أَفطَرا
وَمَنand whoever سَعىstrove سَعْيَكَas you strove أَوor قصّراfell short
وَمَن سَعى سَعْيَكَ أَو قصّرا
May those who fasted and those who broke the fast be your ransom,
And those who strove as you did, or fell short.
وَماand not الوَرَىhumankind أَهلاًworthy فتُفْدَىthat you should be ransomed بِهِمwith them
وَما الوَرَى أَهلاً فتُفْدَى بِهِم
وَهَلand can يُوازيequal عَرَضٌan accident (nonessential attribute) جَوهراa substance (essence)
وَهَل يُوازي عَرَضٌ جَوهرا
Yet humankind is unworthy to be your ransom—
Can an accident equal a substance?
عَدْلٌjustice تَساوىbecame equal تَحتَbeneath أَكنافِهِits shelter
عَدْلٌ تَساوى تَحتَ أَكنافِهِ
مطافلُmothers with young العِينwild cows وأُسْدُand lions of الشَّرَىal-Shara
مطافلُ العِين وأُسْدُ الشَّرَى
Justice beneath whose shelter live as equals
Wild cows with their young and the lions of al-Shara.
ياO نورَlight of دينِthe faith of اللَّهِGod كَمhow many a حادِثٍcalamity
يا نورَ دينِ اللَّهِ كَم حادِثٍ
دَجاgrew dark وَأَسْفَرْتَand you shone forth لَهُupon it فَاِنْشَرَىso it dispersed
دَجا وَأَسْفَرْتَ لَهُ فَاِنْشَرَى
O light of God's faith, how many a calamity
Grew dark, till you shone upon it and it cleared!
وَكَمand how many a حِمىًprotected stronghold لِلشِّرْكِbelonging to idolatry لاnot يَهتديfinds the way الthe
وَكَم حِمىً لِلشِّرْكِ لا يَهتدي ال
وَهْمَimagination لَهto it غادَرتَهُyou left it مَجزراa slaughterhouse
وَهْمَ لَه غادَرتَهُ مَجزرا
And how many a stronghold of idolatry, unreachable by the
Imagination, have you left a place of slaughter!
ياO مَلكَking of العصرthe age الّذيwho صدرُهhis breast
يا مَلكَ العصر الّذي صدرُه
أَفسحُmore spacious مِنthan أَقطارِهاits expanses مَصدراas a source
أَفسحُ مِن أَقطارِها مَصدرا
O king of the age, whose breast
Is a source more spacious than the world's expanses;
وَاِبْنَand son of الَّذيhim who طاوَلَvied in height with أَفلاكَهاits celestial spheres
وَاِبْنَ الَّذي طاوَلَ أَفلاكَها
فَلَمand did not يَجِدfind مِنfrom فَوقِهِabove him مَظهراa height to ascend
فَلَم يَجِد مِن فَوقِهِ مَظهرا
And son of him who vied in height with its spheres,
Yet found no height above himself to ascend.
مَناقِبُvirtues تَكْسِرُshatter كِسْرَىKhosrow كَماjust as
مَناقِبُ تَكْسِرُ كِسْرَى كَما
تُقصِرُmake fall short عَنof إِدراكِهاattaining them قَيصَراCaesar
تُقصِرُ عَن إِدراكِها قَيصَرا
Virtues that shatter Khosrow, just as
They leave Caesar unable to attain them.
ماnot عامَswam فيamid أَوصافِهاtheir qualities شاعِرٌa poet
ما عامَ في أَوصافِها شاعِرٌ
إِلّاexcept that رَأَىhe saw أَوصافَهاtheir qualities أَشعراmore poetic
إِلّا رَأَى أَوصافَها أَشعرا
No poet ever swam amid their qualities
Without finding those qualities more poetic than himself.
للَّهِGod be praised for أصْلٌa root أَنتَyou فَرعٌa branch لهُof it
للَّهِ أصْلٌ أَنتَ فَرعٌ لهُ
ماhow أَطيَبَsweet المَجنىthe gathered fruit وَماand how أَطهراpure
ما أَطيَبَ المَجنى وَما أَطهرا
God be praised for the root of which you are a branch!
How sweet the fruit, and how pure!
ماnot حَلَبُAleppo البَيضاءُthe white مُذsince صُنْتَهاyou protected her
ما حَلَبُ البَيضاءُ مُذ صُنْتَها
إِلّاbut حَرامٌsacred ground مثلlike أُمّMother القُرَىof Towns
إِلّا حَرامٌ مثل أُمّ القُرَى
White Aleppo, since you protected her, has been
Nothing but sacred ground, like Umm al-Qura.
شِيدَتْshe was raised فيin مَعمورِthe inhabited parts of أَرجائِهاher precincts
شِيدَتْ في مَعمورِ أَرجائِها
لكلّfor every باغيseeker of عُمْرةan umrah pilgrimage مِشْعَراas a sacred shrine
لكلّ باغي عُمْرة مِشْعَرا
She was raised within her inhabited precincts
As a shrine for every seeker of an umrah.
فَأَصبَحَthus became الشاديthe singer إِذاwhen ثوَّبَrenewed the call الدthe
فَأَصبَحَ الشادي إِذا ثوَّبَ الد
داعيcaller لهto him هلّلproclaimed God's oneness أوor كَبَّراproclaimed God's greatness
داعي له هلّل أو كَبَّرا
Thus the singer, when summoned by the
Caller, proclaims God's oneness or His greatness.
لاmay never عَدمَlose الإسلامُIslam مَنْhim who كَفُّهُhis palm
لا عَدمَ الإسلامُ مَنْ كَفُّهُ
كَهْفٌa sheltering cave لِمَنْfor whoever أُرهقis oppressed أوor أُحْصِراis hemmed in
كَهْفٌ لِمَنْ أُرهق أو أُحْصِرا
May Islam never lose him whose palm
Is a sheltering cave for the oppressed or besieged.
كأنّماas though ساحتُهhis courtyard جَنَّةٌa paradise
كأنّما ساحتُه جَنَّةٌ
أجْرَتْmade flow بهاthrough it راحتُهhis palm كوثَراKawthar, Paradise's river
أجْرَتْ بها راحتُه كوثَرا
It is as though his courtyard were Paradise,
Through which his palm has set Kawthar flowing.
تَصرَّمhas ended الشّهرthe month الَّذيwhich كنتyou were فيin
تَصرَّم الشّهر الَّذي كنت في
أَوقاتِهِits hours مِنthan قَدرِهِits Night of Decree أَشْهُراmore renowned (contextually read as أشهَر)
أَوقاتِهِ مِن قَدرِهِ أَشْهُرا
The month has passed, in whose
Hours you were more renowned than its Night of Decree.
جِهادُstriving لَيلٍa night فيin نَهارٍa day فَفُزْso triumph
جِهادُ لَيلٍ في نَهارٍ فَفُزْ
إذْsince كنتyou were فيهin it الأصْبَرَthe most steadfast الأَشكَراthe most thankful
إذْ كنت فيه الأصْبَرَ الأَشكَرا
Night's striving carried into day—so triumph,
For in it you were most steadfast, most thankful.
أَصدَقُthe truest ماwhat يَرشُفُهُsips it سامعa listener
أَصدَقُ ما يَرشُفُهُ سامع
ماwhat هزَّshook مِنof أوصافكَyour qualities المِنبراthe pulpit
ما هزَّ مِن أوصافكَ المِنبرا
The truest thing a listener sips
Is praise of your qualities that shakes the pulpit.
أبقاكmay He preserve you للدُّنياfor the world وللدّينand for the faith مَنْHe who
أبقاك للدُّنيا وللدّين مَنْ
خَلّاكَmade you فيin لَيلِهماthe night of them both نيِّراradiant
خَلّاكَ في لَيلِهما نيِّرا
May He preserve you for the world and the faith—He who
Made you radiant in the night of them both,
حتَّىuntil نَرىwe see عيسىJesus مِنَfrom القُدسِJerusalem قَدalready
حتَّى نَرى عيسى مِنَ القُدسِ قَد
لَجاsought refuge إِلىto سَيفِكَyour sword مُستَنصِراseeking aid
لَجا إِلى سَيفِكَ مُستَنصِرا
Until we see Jesus, from Jerusalem,
Take refuge in your sword, seeking aid.
Sol 6.1