أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا أَن تَكونَ لَكَ العُقبى

سَتَملِكُ شَرقَ الأرضِ بِاللَهِ وَالغَربا

God willed that you shall gain ascendancy,

God has decreed that the final triumph belongs to you alone,

You will rule the East and West by God's decree,

Through God, you shall possess the earth from East to West.

أَرادَ بِكَ الأَعداءُ ما اللُ دافِعٌ

كَفا كَهُمُ لَمّا رَضيتَ بهِ رَبّا

Your enemies intended for you what God repelled,

The enemies plotted against you that which God repels;

It sufficed them when you were content with your Lord.

He sufficed you against them, for you were content with Him as Lord.

هُمُ بَدَّلوا نُعماكَ كَفراً وَبَوَّءوا

نُفوسَهُم دارَ البوارِ فَما أَغبى

They replaced your blessings with disbelief, condemning

They exchanged your blessings for ingratitude and settled

Their souls to desolation - how foolish were they!

Their souls in the Abode of Ruin; how foolish they were!

بُغاثٌ تَصدَّت لِلصُّقورِ سَفاهَةً

فَأَضحَت جُزافاً في مَخالِبِها نَهبا

A fledgling that foolishly confronted the falcons,

Weak birds confronted hawks in their folly,

Became easy prey, clutched in their talons.

Becoming mere plunder, seized within their talons.

أَرادوا شِقاقَ المُسلِمينَ شَقاوَةً

فَصَبَّ الشَقا رَبّي عَلى أَهلِهِ صَبّا

They intended to divide the Muslims out of malice,

In their wretchedness, they sought to divide the Muslims,

So my Lord poured discord upon them.

So my Lord poured down misery upon those who deserved it.

هُمُ أَضرَموا ناراً فَكانوا وَقودَها

وَهُم جَرَّدوا سَيفاً فَكانوا بِهِ خَدبا

They ignited a fire and became its fuel,

They kindled a fire, only to become its fuel,

They brandished a sword and fell by it.

They unsheathed a sword, only to be struck down by it.

دَعاهُم إِلى الأَمرِ الرَشيدِ إِمامُهُم

وَقالَ هَلُمّوا لِلكِتابِ وَلِلعُتبى

Their leader called them to righteousness,

Their Imam called them to the righteous path,

Saying: come to the scripture and reproach.

Saying: "Come to the Book and to reconciliation."

وَما كانَ مِن وَهنٍ وَلكِن تَحَنُّناً

عَلَيهِم رجا أَن تَمحو التَوبَةُ الذَنبا

It was not weakness but compassion,

This was not out of weakness, but born of compassion,

Hoping repentance would erase their sins.

Hoping that repentance might wash away their sin.

وَما كانَ بِالنَزقِ العَجولِ وَإِنَّما

يُدَبِّرُهُم تَدبيرَ مَن طَبَّ مَن حَبّا

Not hasty or reckless was he in managing them,

He was neither reckless nor hasty, but rather

But prudent like one who seeks the love of the beloved.

He managed them with the care of a healer tending to those he loves.

فَلَمَّا أَبَوا إِلّا الشِقاقَ وَأَصبَحوا

عَلى شيعَةِ الإِسلامِ في زَعمِهِم إِلبا

Yet they insisted on discord and deemed

But when they refused all but defiance, and banded together

Themselves mighty warriors against Islam.

As a gathered force against the true followers of Islam,

تاهُم سَليلُ الغابِ يَصرُفُ نابُهُ

زَماجِرُهُ قَبلَ اللِقا تُرعِبُ القَلبا

The cub of the jungle turns to attack them,

The Lion of the Thicket came upon them, grinding his fangs,

His roar strikes fear before the clash.

His roaring striking terror into hearts before the clash.

لَهُ هِمَمٌ لا تَنتَهي دونَ قَصدِهِ

وَلَو كانَ ما يُبقيهِ في نَفسِهِ صَعبا

His ambitions are endless unless his goal is met,

Possessing resolve that halts for nothing short of its goal,

Though the task ahead seems formidable.

Even if the task he sets for himself be arduous.

بِجَيشٍ يَسوقُ الطَيرَ وَالوَحشَ زَجرُهُ

فَلَم تَرَ وَكراً عامِراً لا وَلا سِرباً

With an army driving beasts and birds before it,

With an army whose clamor drives forth birds and beasts,

Not a bustling den remained nor a flock taking wing.

Leaving no nest inhabited, nor any flock undisturbed.

وَجُردٍ عَلَيها كُلُّ أَغلَبَ باسِلٍ

إِذا ما دُعي في مَعرَكٍ لِلقَنا لَبّى

And battalions of the most valiant warriors

And sleek steeds bearing every lion-hearted warrior,

Answering the call to arms at every battle.

Who answers instantly when called to the spears of battle.

فَعادَ غُبارُ الجَوِّ بِالنَقعِ قاتِماً

تَظُنُّ اِشتِعالَ البيضِ في لَيلِهِ شُهبا

The dust darkened the sky during the onslaught,

The air turned dark with the dust of the fray,

You would think the stars were falling in the night.

Until you mistook the flashing swords for shooting stars in the gloom.

وَأضحَوا هَدايا لِلسِّباعِ تَنوشُهُم

تَنوبُهُمُ يَوماً وَتَعتادُهُم غِبّا

They became carrion for beasts to devour,

They became gifts for the predators to snatch away,

Preyed on one day, abandoned the next.

Feasting upon them day after day in constant rotation.

وَراحَتِ لِطَيرِ الجَوِّ عيشي وَنَقِّري

وَنادي وُحوشاً في مَكامِنِها سُغبا

The birds of the air gained lodging and food,

It was said to the birds of the air: "Feast and peck!"

And the beasts of the wild were summoned from their lairs.

And call forth the starving beasts from their lairs.

وَلَو لَم يُكَفكِف خَيلَهُ عَن شَريدِهِم

لَم آبَ مِنهُم مُخبِرٌ خَبَّ أَو دَبّا

Had he not reined in his steeds against the stragglers,

Had he not reined in his horses from pursuing their fugitives,

None would have survived to relay the news.

Not a single soul would have returned to tell the tale, neither walking nor crawling.

فَقُل لِلبُغاةِ المُستَحِلّينَ جَهرَةً

دِماءَ بَني الإِسلامِ تَبّاً لَكُم تَبّا

Say to those rebels shedding the blood of Muslims:

So say to the transgressors who openly deem lawful

Shame on you, what an evil you have wrought!

The blood of the sons of Islam: "Ruin be upon you, ruin!"

نَبَذتُم كِتابَ اللَهِ حينَ دُعيتُمُ

إِلَيهِ وَقُلتُم بِالكِتابَينِ لا نَعبا

You rejected God's book when called to it,

You cast aside the Book of God when you were summoned

Saying: we shall not heed these two scriptures.

To it, declaring, "We care for neither Book nor Scripture."

وَقَلَّدتُمُ أَشقاكُمُ أَمرَ دينِكُم

فَأَصبَحتُمُ عَن شِرعَةِ المُصطَفى نُكبا

You handed control of your religion to dissidents,

You entrusted your faith to the most wretched among you,

Turning away from the path of Mustafa.

And so you deviated far from the law of the Chosen One.

نَعَم ثَبَّتَ اللَهُ الذينَ تَبَوَّءوا

مِنَ الدينِ وَالإيمانِ مَنزِلَةً رَحبا

Yes, God strengthened those who established

Truly, God has strengthened those who have taken

A lofty station in religion and faith.

A spacious and high station in religion and faith.

هُمُ حَفِظوا العَهدَ الذي خُنتُمُ به

فَكانوا لِأَهلِ الدينِ مُذ هاجَروا صَحبا

They kept the covenant you betrayed,

They honored the covenant which you betrayed,

Remaining true friends since the migration.

Remaining true companions to the faithful since the Migration.

وَهُم صَدَقوا اللَهَ العُهودَ وَآمَنوا

إِمامَهُمُ صِدقاً فَلا لا وَلا كِذبا

They were honest with God in their oaths and had faith in their leader,

They kept their pledges to God, and believed

No wavering, no lies.

Sincerely in their Imam, with neither denial nor falsehood.

إِمامَ الهُدى إِنَّ العَدُوَّ إِذا رَأى

لَهُ فُرصَةً في الدَهرِ يَنزو لَها وَثبا

O leader of guidance, the enemy lies in wait

O Imam of Guidance, when the enemy sees

For any chance to ambush and assault.

An opportunity in time, he leaps to seize it.

وَمَن أَلجَأَتهُ لِلصَّداقَةِ عِلَّةٌ

يَكُن سَلمَهُ مِن بَعدِ عِلَّتها حَربا

He whose friendship is bound by self-interest

He whom necessity forces into friendship

Will turn hostile when that interest disappears.

Will turn his peace into war once the necessity passes.

فَعاقِب وَعاتِب كُلَّ شَخصٍ بِذَنبِهِ

فَلَولا العُقوباتُ اِستَخَفَّ الوَرى الذَنبا

So hold each person accountable for their crime,

So punish and rebuke each person according to their sin;

For without punishment, evil is taken lightly.

For without punishment, mankind would make light of transgression.

وَقَد رَتَّبَ اللَهُ الحُدودَ لِتَنتَهي

مَخافَتُها عَمّا بِهِ يُغضِبُ الرَبّا

God ordained penalties to deter

God ordained the legal penalties so that fear of them

Transgressions that would enrage the Lord.

Might deter men from what angers the Lord.

إِذا أَنتَ جازَيتَ المُسيءَ بِفِعلِهِ

فَلا حَرجٌ فيما أَتَيتَ وَلا ذَنبا

If you punish the offender according to his deed,

If you repay the evildoer for his deed,

You have done no wrong, no sin.

There is no blame in your action, nor any sin.

فَمَن سَلَّ سَيفَ البَغيِ فَاِجعَلهُ نُسكَهُ

وَمَن شَبَّ ناراً فَاِرمِهِ وَسطَ ما شَبّا

Let the sword of aggression be his sacrifice,

Whoever draws the sword of tyranny, make him the sacrifice of his own blade,

And cast into the fire he ignited.

And whoever kindles a fire, cast him into the midst of the flames he raised.

بِذا يَستَقيمُ الأَمرُ شَرعاً وَحِكمَةً

وَيَنزَجِرُ الباغي إِذا هَمَّ أَو هَبّا

Thus order and wisdom are maintained,

Through this, the order is set right in law and wisdom,

And the aggressor deterred from his intent.

And the oppressor is deterred whenever he plots or stirs.

وَمَن تابَ مِنهُم فَاِعفُ عَنهُ تَفَضُّلاً

فَحَسبُهُمُ ما قَد لَقوا مِنكُمُ حَسبا

Show mercy to those who repent,

But whoever among them repents, pardon him out of grace,

For the suffering they endured was enough.

For sufficient is the suffering they have already met at your hands.

فَقَد حَمدوا في بَعضِ ما قَد مَضى لَهُم

فَإِن رَجَعوا فَالعَودُ لِلذَّنبِ قَد جَبّا

Some good they did acknowledge before,

They have shown gratitude in times past;

But to relapse into sin again would be contemptible.

And if they return to the fold, their return severs the past sin.

فَرُبَّ كَبيرِ الذَنبِ في جَنبِ عَفوِكُم

صَغيرٌ وَلكِن إِن هُمُ طَلَبوا العُتبى

For your pardon makes great sins small,

For often a grave sin, when measured against your pardon,

Unless they continue to demand reprisal.

Appears small—provided they truly seek reconciliation.

وَمِثلُكَ لَم تُقرَع لِتَنبيهِهِ العَصا

عَرَفتَ نَصيحَ القَلبِ مِنهُمُ وَمَن خَبّا

You were not meant to use the rod for correction,

One such as you needs no striking of the staff to be alerted;

You know the sincere from those with malice.

You discern the sincere of heart among them from the deceiver.

وَأَذكى صَلاةٍ مَع سَلامٍ عَلى الذي

نَرى سُؤلَهُ مِنّا المَوَدَّةَ في القُربى

And the finest prayer is peace upon the one

And the purest blessings and peace be upon the one

Whose love and kinship we seek to honor.

Whose only request of us was love for his kin.