كِتَابُthe Book اللهِof God أَعْظَمُهَاthe greatest of them كِتَاباas a book
كِتَابُ اللهِ أَعْظَمُهَا كِتَابا
بِهِthrough it سُدْنَاwe held sway وَلاَمَسْنَاand we touched السَّحَابَاthe clouds
بِهِ سُدْنَا وَلاَمَسْنَا السَّحَابَا
God’s Book—the greatest book of all.
God's Book is the greatest book of all.
Through it we held sway and touched the clouds.
Through it we held sway and touched the clouds.
وَخُضْنَاand we braved اليَمَّthe sea فِيat ذَاتِpossessor of الصَّوَارِيthe masts
وَخُضْنَا اليَمَّ فِي ذَاتِ الصَّوَارِي
وَجَاوَزْنَاand we crossed بِمَسْلَكِهِby its path العُبَابَاthe surging waters
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِمَسْلَكِهِ العُبَابَا
We plunged into the sea at Dhāt al-Ṣawārī,
And we braved the sea at Dhat al-Sawari,
and, guided by its path, crossed the surging deep.
And by its path we crossed the surging waters.
وِفِيand in (تَوْلُوزَToulouse) أَوْدَعْنَاwe left behind رِجَالاًmen
وِفِي (تَوْلُوزَ) أَوْدَعْنَا رِجَالاً
رَوَوْاthey watered بِدِمَائِهِمْwith their blood تِلْكَthose الهِضَابَاthe hills
رَوَوْا بِدِمَائِهِمْ تِلْكَ الهِضَابَا
At Toulouse we laid men to rest
And in Toulouse we left behind men
who watered those hills with their blood.
Who watered those hills with their blood.
وَبِالتَّرْغِيبِand through persuasion أَصْبَحْنَاwe became حُمَاةًguardians
وَبِالتَّرْغِيبِ أَصْبَحْنَا حُمَاةً
لِهَذَاfor this الكَوْنِthe universe مَنّاًas a favor وَاحْتِسَابَاand seeking God's reward
لِهَذَا الكَوْنِ مَنّاً وَاحْتِسَابَا
Through exhortation, we became protectors
And through persuasion we became guardians
of this world, as a gracious service, seeking God’s reward.
Of this universe, in generosity and seeking God's reward.
وَأَهْدَيْنَاand we gave الشُّعُوبَthe peoples وَقَدْand already تَدَاعَتْthey fell apart
وَأَهْدَيْنَا الشُّعُوبَ وَقَدْ تَدَاعَتْ
عَلَىdespite عِلاَّتِهَاtheir ills تَطْوِيthey traverse السَّرَابَاthe mirage
عَلَى عِلاَّتِهَا تَطْوِي السَّرَابَا
We bestowed upon the peoples, though they were collapsing,
And we gave the peoples—already falling apart,
despite all their faults and their pursuit of mirages,
Despite their ills, traversing the mirage—
وَمِيضَa gleam النُّورِof light مِنْfrom غَيْرِwithout امْتِنَانٍboasting of favors
وَمِيضَ النُّورِ مِنْ غَيْرِ امْتِنَانٍ
وَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمُand we gave them to drink المِسْكَthe musk المُذَابَاdissolved
وَأَسْقَيْنَاهُمُ المِسْكَ المُذَابَا
a flash of light, without vaunting our favor,
A gleam of light, without boasting of favors,
and gave them molten musk to drink.
And gave them dissolved musk to drink.
بِهَدْيِwith the guidance of نَبِيِّنَاour Prophet وَالصَّحْبِand the Companions كُنَّاwe were
بِهَدْيِ نَبِيِّنَا وَالصَّحْبِ كُنَّا
نَجُوبُwe roam الأُفْقَthe horizon سَيحاًwandering وَاغْتِرَاباand venturing abroad
نَجُوبُ الأُفْقَ سَيحاً وَاغْتِرَابا
Guided by our Prophet and the Companions, we would
With the guidance of our Prophet and the Companions, we would
roam the horizon as travelers, far from home.
Roam the horizon, wandering and venturing abroad.
وَلَمْand did not نُذْخِرْwe spare لِخَوْضِfor waging الحَرْبِthe war جُهْداًeffort
وَلَمْ نُذْخِرْ لِخَوْضِ الحَرْبِ جُهْداً
وَأَفْحَمْنَاand we silenced الظَّلاَمَthe darkness فَمَاso it did not أَجَابَاanswer
وَأَفْحَمْنَا الظَّلاَمَ فَمَا أَجَابَا
We spared no effort in plunging into war,
And we spared no effort in waging war,
and confounded the darkness, which could make no answer.
And we silenced darkness, so it made no reply.
وَأَحْصَيْنَاand we counted خُيُولَthe steeds الشِّرْكِof polytheism عَدّاًone by one
وَأَحْصَيْنَا خُيُولَ الشِّرْكِ عَدّاً
وَكَمْand how much نِلْنَاwe gained بَأَسْيُفِنَاwith our swords الثَّوَابَاthe reward
وَكَمْ نِلْنَا بَأَسْيُفِنَا الثَّوَابَا
We counted the steeds of idolatry as they charged,
And we counted the steeds of polytheism, one by one,
and how much reward our swords attained!
And how much reward we gained with our swords!
وَذلَّلْنَاand we eased لَهُمْfor them دُونَwithout اسْتِلاَبٍplunder
وَذلَّلْنَا لَهُمْ دُونَ اسْتِلاَبٍ
لِنَدْحَرَso we might drive back غَيَّهُمْtheir error تِلْكَthose الصِّعَابَاthe hardships
لِنَدْحَرَ غَيَّهُمْ تِلْكَ الصِّعَابَا
Without dispossessing them, we made tractable for them
And, without plunder, we eased for them
those hardships, to vanquish their error.
Those hardships, to drive back their error.
وَكُنَّاand we were وَالحُضُورُand presence دَوِيَّthe roar of رِيحٍa wind
وَكُنَّا وَالحُضُورُ دَوِيَّ رِيحٍ
وَصِرْنَاand we became بَعْدَمَاafter اصْطَفَقَتْit had raged غِيَاباabsence
وَصِرْنَا بَعْدَمَا اصْطَفَقَتْ غِيَابا
When present, we were a wind’s thunderous roar;
And we were, when present, the roar of a wind;
but after the clash resounded, we became absence.
And after it had raged, we became absence.
وَأَصْبَحْنَاand we became كَمَاas كَانَتْwas نُمَيْرٌNumayr
وَأَصْبَحْنَا كَمَا كَانَتْ نُمَيْرٌ
نَغُضُّwe lower الطَّرْفَthe gaze كَعْباًKa'b أَوْor كِلاَباKilab
نَغُضُّ الطَّرْفَ كَعْباً أَوْ كِلاَبا
We became as Numayr once was,
And we became as Numayr once was,
lowering our gaze before Kaʿb or Kilāb.
Lowering our gaze before Ka'b or Kilab.
نُرَاوِدُwe seek to entice كُلَّevery ذِيpossessor of شَرَفٍhonor مَصُونٍsafeguarded
نُرَاوِدُ كُلَّ ذِي شَرَفٍ مَصُونٍ
وَمَاand not خِفْنَاwe feared عَلَىfor النَّفْسِthe soul الحِسَابَاthe reckoning
وَمَا خِفْنَا عَلَى النَّفْسِ الحِسَابَا
We court every person whose honor is inviolate,
We seek to entice everyone whose honor is safeguarded,
yet never fear the reckoning for our souls.
And we feared no reckoning for our souls.
لَقَدْindeed تُهْنَاwe strayed عَنِfrom الأَقْصَىal-Aqsa وَتَاهَتْand went astray
لَقَدْ تُهْنَا عَنِ الأَقْصَى وَتَاهَتْ
مَسَالِكُنَاour paths فَشَمَّرْنَاso we hitched up الثِّيَابَاthe garments
مَسَالِكُنَا فَشَمَّرْنَا الثِّيَابَا
Indeed, we lost our way from al-Aqsa, and so did
Indeed, we strayed from al-Aqsa, and astray went
our paths; then we hitched up our robes.
Our paths; so we hitched up our garments.
وَأَعْفَيْنَاand we let grow اللُحَىthe beards ظَنّاًthinking بِأَنَّاthat we
وَأَعْفَيْنَا اللُحَى ظَنّاً بِأَنَّا
وَبِالمِسْوَاكِand with the tooth-stick نَتَّبِعُwe follow الصَّوَابَاwhat is right
وَبِالمِسْوَاكِ نَتَّبِعُ الصَّوَابَا
We let our beards grow, imagining that
And we let our beards grow, thinking that we
with the miswāk we were following the right path.
Follow what is right with the tooth-stick as well.
وَصَارَand became الشَّارِبُthe mustache المَحْفُوفُclosely trimmed نَهْجاًa way of life
وَصَارَ الشَّارِبُ المَحْفُوفُ نَهْجاً
نُؤَنِّقُهُwe beautify it لِذَاtherefore ازْدَدْنَاwe increased in اغْتِرَابَاestrangement
نُؤَنِّقُهُ لِذَا ازْدَدْنَا اغْتِرَابَا
The close-cropped mustache became a doctrine;
And the closely trimmed mustache became a way of life;
we groom it finely—and thus grew still more estranged.
We groom it elegantly; thus we grew more estranged.
عَجِبْتُI marveled عَلاَمَwhy لاَnot يُبْدَىis shown اكْتِرَاثٌconcern
عَجِبْتُ عَلاَمَ لاَ يُبْدَى اكْتِرَاثٌ
إِلاَمَuntil when غَزَيَّةٌGhazayya تُحْنِيbows الرِّقَابَاthe necks
إِلاَمَ غَزَيَّةٌ تُحْنِي الرِّقَابَا
I wonder why he shows no concern.
I marvel: why is no concern shown?
How long will Ghaziyya keep bowing necks?
How long will Ghazayya keep its necks bowed?
أَلَمْhas it not تُرْشَدْbeen guided فِإنْfor if غَوِيَتْit strayed غَوَيْنَاwe strayed
أَلَمْ تُرْشَدْ فِإنْ غَوِيَتْ غَوَيْنَا
وَبِالإِعْدَادِand with preparation نَمْتَشِقُwe brandish الحِرَابَاthe spears
وَبِالإِعْدَادِ نَمْتَشِقُ الحِرَابَا
Will you not take the right path? For if you stray, we stray.
Has it not been guided? For if it strayed, we strayed.
Through preparedness, we take up the spears
And with preparation we brandish the spears,
وَنَفْتَرِشُand we spread as a carpet السَّمَاءَthe sky بِخَيْرِwith the finest مُزْنٍrainclouds
وَنَفْتَرِشُ السَّمَاءَ بِخَيْرِ مُزْنٍ
لِنَجْعَلَso we may make مَوْطِئَthe foothold of القَدَمِthe foot الرِّكَابَاthe stirrup
لِنَجْعَلَ مَوْطِئَ القَدَمِ الرِّكَابَا
and carpet the sky with the finest rainclouds,
And we make the sky our carpet, with the finest rainclouds,
so that we may make the stirrups the foothold of our feet.
So we may make the stirrup our foothold.
Sol 6.1