إِنّي أَتَتني عَنِ المَهدِيِّ مَعتَبَةٌ

إِنّي أَتَتني عَنِ المَهدِيِّ مَعتَبَةٌ

تَكادُ مِن خَوفِها الأَحشاءُ تَضطَّرِبُ

تَكادُ مِن خَوفِها الأَحشاءُ تَضطَّرِبُ

Indeed, a reproach from al-Mahdi has reached me;

News has reached me of the Mahdi that makes

A rebuke has reached me from Al-Mahdi,

My entrails almost tremble from fear of it.

My heart quake in fear of what's to come

From the fear of which my very vitals nearly tremble.

اِسمَع فِداكَ بَنو حَواءَ كُلُّهُمُ

اِسمَع فِداكَ بَنو حَواءَ كُلُّهُمُ

وَقَد يَحورُ بِرَأسِ الكاذِبِ الكَذِبِ

وَقَد يَحورُ بِرَأسِ الكاذِبِ الكَذِبِ

Listen—may all the children of Eve be your ransom—

Hear me, oh sons of Eve, hear all of you

Listen—may all the sons of Eve be your ransom—

For falsehood may recoil upon the liar's head.

As falsehood twists around the liar's neck

For truly, a lie often recoils upon the head of the liar.

فَقَد حَلَفتُ يَميناً غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ

فَقَد حَلَفتُ يَميناً غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ

يَومَ المَغيبَةِ لَم يُقطَع لَها سَبَبُ

يَومَ المَغيبَةِ لَم يُقطَع لَها سَبَبُ

For I have sworn an oath that is not false,

I swore an oath not falsely made

I have sworn a solemn oath, devoid of falsehood,

On the day of absence, its bond unbroken:

That day of absence whose rope was cut

On the day of my absence—a bond that was never severed:

أَلا يُحالِفَ مَدحي غَيرَكُم أَبَداً

أَلا يُحالِفَ مَدحي غَيرَكُم أَبَداً

وَلَو تَلاقى عَلَيَّ الغَرضُ وَالحَقَبُ

وَلَو تَلاقى عَلَيَّ الغَرضُ وَالحَقَبُ

That my praise shall never ally itself with anyone but you,

To never praise but you until I die

That my praise shall never ally itself with anyone but you,

Even if the fore-girth and hind-girth should meet upon me.

Though cause and time against me rub

Even were the saddle-girth and the crupper to meet upon me in distress.

إِنّي أَعوذُ بِخَيرِ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

إِنّي أَعوذُ بِخَيرِ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

وَأَنتَ ذاكَ بِما نَأتي وَنَجتَنِبُ

وَأَنتَ ذاكَ بِما نَأتي وَنَجتَنِبُ

Indeed, I seek refuge in the best of all mankind—

To the best of men I plead and flee

I seek refuge in the best of all mankind,

And you are he—in what we do and what we shun.

And you are he, in what we do or shun

And you are he, in all that we approach and all that we shun.

كَيفَ الفِرارُ وَلَم أَبلِغ رِضى مَلِكٍ

كَيفَ الفِرارُ وَلَم أَبلِغ رِضى مَلِكٍ

تَبدو المَنايا بِعَينَيهِ وَتَحتَجِبُ

تَبدو المَنايا بِعَينَيهِ وَتَحتَجِبُ

How can I flee, when I have not won the favor of a king

How can I flee before my king's wish is met

How can there be flight, when I have not yet won the pleasure of a king

In whose eyes death appears and disappears?

Where death lurks visible in his eyes?

In whose eyes the dooms of death appear and withdraw?

وَأَنتَ كَالدَهرِ مَبثوثاً حَبائِلُهُ

وَأَنتَ كَالدَهرِ مَبثوثاً حَبائِلُهُ

وَالدَهرُ لا مَلجَأٌ مِنهُ وَلا هَرَبُ

وَالدَهرُ لا مَلجَأٌ مِنهُ وَلا هَرَبُ

And you are like Time, whose snares are spread abroad;

You are like fate, snares cast everywhere

You are like Time itself, with its snares cast wide,

And from Time there is no refuge and no escape.

No escape or flight from fate can one find

And from Time, there is neither refuge nor escape.

وَلَو مَلَكتُ عِنانَ الريحِ أَصرِفُها

وَلَو مَلَكتُ عِنانَ الريحِ أَصرِفُها

في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ ما فاتَها الطَلَبُ

في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ ما فاتَها الطَلَبُ

And even if I held the wind's rein, steering it

If I held the winds' reins I'd direct them

Even if I held the reins of the wind, turning it

In every direction, pursuit would not fail to reach it.

To every place not yet searched

To every quarter, your pursuit would not fail to overtake it.

فَلَيسَ إِلّا اِنتِظاري مِنكَ عارِفَةً

فَلَيسَ إِلّا اِنتِظاري مِنكَ عارِفَةً

فيها مِنَ الخَوفِ مُنجاةٌ وَمُنقَلَبُ

فيها مِنَ الخَوفِ مُنجاةٌ وَمُنقَلَبُ

So nothing remains but my awaiting a favor from you,

My only hope is in your knowing

So nothing remains but my waiting for an act of grace from you,

In which lie deliverance from fear and a place to return.

My fears carry both refuge and return

In which lies salvation from fear, and a safe return.

مَولاكَ مَولاكَ لا تُشمِت أَعادِيَةُ

مَولاكَ مَولاكَ لا تُشمِت أَعادِيَةُ

فَما وَراءَكَ لي ذَكرٌ وَلا نَسَبُ

فَما وَراءَكَ لي ذَكرٌ وَلا نَسَبُ

Your servant, your servant—do not let his enemies gloat!

My lord, my lord, let not my enemies gloat

Your servant! Your servant! Do not let my enemies gloat,

For beyond you I have neither renown nor lineage.

For beyond you I have no fame or lineage

For beyond you, I have neither renown nor lineage to claim.