تَلَألَأَت بِكَ لِلإِسلامِ أَنوارُ

كَما جَرَت بِكَ لِلإِسعادِ أَقدارُ

The lights of Islam shone brightly through you,

Through you, the lights of Islam have shone forth,

Just as your destiny made happiness flow.

Just as destinies have flowed, through you, bringing felicity.

إِنَّ الَّذي قَدَرَ الأَشيا بِحِكمَتِهِ

لِما يُريدُ مِنَ الخَيراتِ يَختارُ

He who wisely ordains all things

Verily, He who ordained all things in His wisdom,

Chooses what good He desires.

Chooses whom He wills for the good He intends.

وَالعَبدُ إِن صَلُحَت لِلَّهِ نِيَّتُهُ

لا بُدَّ يَبدو لَها في الكَونِ آثارُ

If a servant's intention is sincere to God,

And the servant, if his intention toward God is sincere,

Its effects in the universe will undoubtedly show.

Its signs must surely manifest within the world.

سِرٌّ بَديعٌ أَرادَ اللَهُ يُظهِرُهُ

لَمّا أَتَيتَ وَكَم في الغَيبِ أَسرارُ

It's a wondrous secret God wanted to reveal

A wondrous secret that God desired to reveal—

When you came, though many mysteries remain obscure.

Upon your arrival; and how many secrets lie in the Unseen!

وَحِكمَةٌ بِكَ رَبُّ العَرشِ أَظهَرَها

كَالنورِ واراهُ قَبلَ القَدحِ أَحجارُ

Through you, the Lord of the Throne made His wisdom manifest

A wisdom which the Lord of the Throne made manifest through you,

As He made the veil lift before the flash lit the flintstones.

Like the fire concealed within flint before the strike.

تَأَلَّفَت بِكَ أَهواءٌ مُفَرَّقَةٌ

تَأَجَّجَت بَينَهُم مِن قَبلِكَ النارُ

Discordant desires were united through you,

Through you, scattered passions were united,

And fires blazed between them before you came.

Among whom the fire of discord had blazed before you.

فَأَصبَحوا بَعدَ تَوفيقِ الإِلهِ لَهُم

بَعدَ الشَقا وَالجَفا في الدينِ أَخبارُ

So after God guided them,

So they became, after God granted them success,

After hardship and estrangement they again became brethren in faith.

After misery and estrangement, a tale of glory in the Faith.

قُل لِلَّذينَ بِلَفظِ الرُشدِ قَد نُبِزوا

الاِسمُ إِن لَم يُطابِق فِعلَه عارُ

Say to those who are adorned with words of righteousness

Say to those who were nicknamed by the word "Rectitude," [Rashid]

That a name, if deeds don't match, is disgraceful.

A name, if it does not match the deed, is but a disgrace.

أَرداكُم ظَنُّكُم بِاللَهِ مِن سَفَهٍ

أَن لَيسَ يوجَدُ لِلإِسلامِ أَنصارُ

Your ignorance of God led you astray

Your assumption about God, born of foolishness, has ruined you:

To think no supporters of Islam can be found.

Thinking that there exist no champions for Islam.

رَأَيتُمُ طاعَةَ الأَتراكِ واجِبَةً

لِأَنَّهُم عِندَكُم لِلبَيتِ عُمّار

You saw obedience to the Turks as obligatory

You deemed obedience to the Turks mandatory,

Because in your eyes they adorned the Holy House.

Because, in your eyes, they are the custodians of the House.

كَأَنَّكُم لَم تَرَوا ما في بَراءَةَ أَم

زاغَت بَصائِرُكُم عَنها وَأَبصارُ

As if you never saw what the innocence of Ammar disclosed,

As if you have not seen what is in the Chapter of Repentance, or

Your insights about it are confused and your sights blurred.

Did your insights and eyes swerve away from it?

كَذلِكَ الشِركُ وَالكُفرُ العَظيمُ لَهُم

فيهِ وَفي الشَرِّ إِقبالٌ وَإِدبارُ

Just as to them association and unbelief are dear,

Likewise, polytheism and great disbelief are theirs;

And whether good or evil, they are prone to both.

In that, and in evil, they advance and retreat.

وَعِندَهُم أَنَّ أَحكامَ الكِتابِ بِها

عَلى الخَليفَةِ أِجحافٌ وَإِضرارُ

To them the Quran's decrees would oppress the Caliph,

They believe that the rulings of the Book contain

So they opposed it with their own forged traditions.

Unfairness and harm against the Caliph.

فَخالَفوها بِأَوضاعِ مُلَفَّقَةٍ

وَهُم بِأَوضاعِهِم لاشَكَّ كُفّارُ

Doubtless with their innovations they are infidels,

So they opposed it with fabricated laws,

Is it ignorance of their state, or following whims and deceits intoxicating?

And by these fabrications, they are undoubtedly disbelievers.

فَلَيتَ شِعري أَذا جَهلٌ بِحالِهِمُ

أَمِ اِتِّباعُ الهَوى وَالغَيِّ خَمّارُ

When the Turkish dogs stirred trouble amongst you,

Would that I knew: is this ignorance of their state,

You danced though no defenders of the faith stood guard.

Or is the pursuit of desire and error an intoxicant?

لَمّا عَوَت أَكلُبُ الأَتراكِ بَينَكُمُ

رَقَصتُمُ حينَ لا لِلدّينِ أَنصارُ

Why follow not an Imam whose sole purpose

When the dogs of the Turks howled among you,

Is to aid Muslims and make Islam manifest?

You danced, thinking the Faith had no defenders.

هَلّا اِتَّبَعتُم إِماماً جُلُّ مَقصَدِهِ

لِلمُسلِمينَ وَلِلإِسلامِ إِظهارُ

Abdul Aziz, for whose rule the regions yearn,

Why did you not follow an Imam whose sole aim

The branch from the Prophet and the brilliant stars of early times.

Is the elevation of the Muslims and Islam?

عَبدُ العَزيزِ الَّذي اِشتاقَت لِرُؤيَتِهِ

وَعَهدِِهِ في فَسيحِ الأَرضِ أَمصار

We used to pass the dead and envy them

Abdulaziz, for whose sight

When affairs were ruled by the wicked before him.

The cities across the vast earth have longed.

فَرعُ الأَئِمَّةِ مِن بَعدِ الرَسولِ وَهُم

لِوائِلٍ في قَديمِ الدَهرِ أَقمارُ

Now the times are good under his reign,

A scion of the Imams following the Messenger, who are

As the strings of guidance and faith are strummed.

To the tribe of Wa'il, in ancient times, like moons.

كُنّا نَمُرُّ عَلى الأَمواتِ نَغبِطُهُم

مِن قَبلِهِ إِذ تَوَلّى الأَمرَ أَشرارُ

I say, and the truest words are most sincere,

We used to pass by the dead and envy them,

Whether warning and reminders can benefit you now.

Before him, when wicked men held the reins of power.

فَالآنَ طابَت بِهِ الأَيّامُ إِذ أُخِذَت

بِهِ لِأَهلِ الهُدى وَالدينِ أَوتارُ

Think not these are embellished tales

But now, the days have sweetened through him, as he has taken

Told by revelers amidst throngs making merry.

Vengeance on behalf of the people of guidance and Faith.

إِنّي أَقولُ وَخَيرُ القَولِ أَصدَقُهُ

إِن كانَ يَنفَعُكم نَذرٌ وَإِنذارُ

Soon the bells of remorse will toll,

I speak—and the best speech is the truest—

When a deceitful betrayer hands you over for a time.

If warning and admonition are of any use to you:

لا تَحسَبوها أَحاديثاً مُزَخرَفَةً

يَلهو بِها وَسطَ نادي الحَيِّ سُمّارُ

When the defenders of faith come led by a lion,

Do not deem these merely embellished tales

Fierce of claw and fang, no prey escapes his grip.

With which storytellers amuse the gathering at night.

لَتَقرَعَنَّ قَريباً سِنَّ ذي نَدَمٍ

غَداةَ يُسلِمُكُم لِلحَينِ غَرّارُ

Do not transgress the domains of kings,

You will soon grind the teeth of regret,

Else the houses will be ruined and homes wrecked.

On the morn when a deceiver surrenders you to doom.

إِذا أَتَتكُم حُماةُ الدينِ يَقدُمُهُم

لَيثٌ هِزَبرٌ لَهُ نابٌ وَأَظفار

The robe of renunciation should be their garb,

When the protectors of the Faith come upon you, led by

When orators and poets wag tongues in circles of wine.

A ferocious lion, bearing fangs and claws;

شَثنُ البَراثِنِ لا تَعدو فَرائِسُهُ

صَيدَ المُلوكِ وَإِلّا تُخرَبُ الدارُ

They heal the wounds of the downtrodden, and none can protect

Rough-pawed; his prey is nothing less than

The tyrannical from their might, nor deter their arm.

The catch of kings, or else the house is laid to waste.

مِنَ الأُولى اَتَّخَذوا الماذي لِباسَهُمُ

إِذا تَشاجَرَ لَدنُ السُمرِ خَطّارُ

How often he counseled you out of compassion, hoping

Of those who have taken chainmail as their raiment,

That you would thus find guidance, if you had insight.

When the pliable brown spears clash and quiver.

الجابِرينَ صُدوعَ المُعتَفينَ وَما

عَنهُم مُجيرٌ لَدى بَغيٍ وَلا جارُ

The most ignorant are those who know not their own worth,

Those who mend the fractures of the supplicants, while

Or are fooled when the battlefield is empty of heroes.

None can protect or offer asylum against them when they attack.

كَم قَد أَعادَ وَأَبدى نُصحَكُم شَفَقاً

لَو كانَ مِنكُم لَكُم بِالرُشدِ أَمّارُ

He who builds his abode in the path of the floods

How often he repeated his advice to you out of pity,

Will surely one day face destruction from the waters.

If only there were among you one to command rectitude.

وَأَجهَلُ الناسِ مَن لَم يَدرِ قيمَتَهُ

أَو غَرَّهُ إِن خَلا المَيدانُ إِحضارُ

But you were misled by those who bring you no fortune-

The most ignorant of men is he who knows not his own worth,

Wicked slaves, nomads, and clamoring riffraff.

Or is deceived by his own galloping when the battlefield is empty.

وَمَن بَنى في حَميلِ السَيلِ مَنزِلَهُ

لا بُدَّ يَأتيهِ يَوماً مِنهُ دَمّارُ

Fortresses will deliver you to ruin,

He who builds his dwelling in the torrent's path

As it was for him who built the lofty encampment.

Will surely face destruction from it one day.

لكِنَّهُ غَرَّكُم مَن لَيسَ يسعِدُكُم

عَبيدُ سوءٍ وَأَعرابٌ وَصُفّارُ

But your besiegement in the depths of your homes

But you were deluded by those who bring you no fortune—

He also saw as disgrace and belittlement.

Wretched thralls, bedouins, and empty whistlers.

إِنَّ الحُصونَ إِلى البَلوى سَتُسلِمُكُم

كَما جَرى لِلَّذي أَعلى سِنِمّارُ

So the protector of truths set fires openly around you,

Your fortresses will surrender you to calamity,

Sparks of passion to kindle the blaze.

As happened to him for whom Sinimmar built on high.

لكِن رَأى حَصرَكُم في قَعرِ دارِكُمُ

فيهِ اِحتِقارٌ لكُم أَيضاً وَإِصغارُ

The son of the Imam, who his father

But he saw that besieging you in the depth of your home

Appointed as a shooting star containing a storm.

Was a way to show you contempt and belittlement.

فَأَضرَمَ النارَ جَهراً في جَوانِبِكُم

حامي الحَقائِقِ لِلهَيجاءِ مِسعارُ

No wonder the cub follows in the footsteps

So he openly kindled fire upon your flanks,

Of the lion, if the running ground extends far enough!

The Defender of Truths, who sets the battlefield ablaze.

اِبنُ الإِمامِ الَّذي قَد كانَ أَرصَدَهُ

لَكُم أَبوهُ شِهاباً فيهِ إِعصارُ

You've been left as an incomplete image with no hands to grip

The son of the Imam, who had prepared him

Or feet to walk if they march.

For you—his father made him a meteor containing a storm.

وَالشِبلُ لا غَروَ أَن تَعدو مَسالِكُهُ

مَسالِكَ اللَيثِ لَو يَمتَدُّ مِضمارُ

Repent to Islam, else await a day that will be

And the cub—it is no wonder his paths tread

Renowned and spoken of in reports!

The paths of the lion, when the course is long.

تُرِكتُمُ صورَةً جَذماءَ لَيسَ لَها

كَفٌّ لِبَطشٍ وَلا رِجلٌ إِذا ساروا

These are the words of one giving sincere advice.

You were left as a mutilated form, possessing neither

And advice, to the wise, brings recollection.

A hand to strike, nor a leg to walk.

إِن لَم تُنيبوا إِلى الإِسلامِ فَاِنتَظِروا

يَوماً عَلَيكُم لَهُ ذِكرٌ وَأَخبارُ

Then blessings upon the Guide, his followers,

If you do not return in repentance to Islam, then await

And his companions, as long as birds fly through the air!

A day against you that shall be legendary in tales.

هذا مَقالُ اِمرىءٍ يُهدي نَصيحَتَهُ

وَالنُصحُ فيهِ لِأَهلِ اللُبِّ تَذكارُ

This is the speech of a man offering his counsel,

And in counsel, for the wise, lies a reminder.

ثُمَّ الصَلاةُ عَلى الهادي وَشيعَتِهِ

وَصَحبِهِ ما شَدا في الأَيكِ أَطيارُ

Then, blessings be upon the Guide and his followers,

And his companions, as long as birds sing in the thicket.