سَرَتِ الهُمومُ بِمَنزِلِ السَهمِ

سَرَتِ الهُمومُ بِمَنزِلِ السَهمِ

إِذ كُنَّ بَينَ الجِلدِ وَالعَظمِ

إِذ كُنَّ بَينَ الجِلدِ وَالعَظمِ

Sorrows coursed through the arrow’s lodging,

Troubles crept insidiously to my abode like arrows,

when they lay between the skin and bone,

Piercing me to the bone and penetrating to the marrow.

نَدَماً عَلى ما كانَ مِن زَلِلٍ

نَدَماً عَلى ما كانَ مِن زَلِلٍ

إِذ كُنتُ في فَنَنٍ مِنَ الإِثمِ

إِذ كُنتُ في فَنَنٍ مِنَ الإِثمِ

in remorse for the missteps that had occurred,

Regretting the lapses of my former days,

when I was on a branch of sin,

When I wallowed in the mire of sin and crime.

حَيرانَ يَعمَهُ في ضَلالَتِهِ

حَيرانَ يَعمَهُ في ضَلالَتِهِ

مُستَورِداً لِشرائِعِ الظُلمِ

مُستَورِداً لِشرائِعِ الظُلمِ

bewildered, wandering blindly in his error,

Bewildered in the darkest night, losing my way,

seeking water at the watering places of wrongdoing—

Importing the canons of injustice and wrong.

عَمَهٌ يَزينَهُ بَنو جُمَحٍ

عَمَهٌ يَزينَهُ بَنو جُمَحٍ

وَتوازَرَت فيهِ بَنو سَهمِ

وَتوازَرَت فيهِ بَنو سَهمِ

blind wandering that the sons of Jumah made alluring,

Blinded by the clan of Jumah,

and in which the sons of Sahm supported one another.

As the tribe of Suhaym closed ranks around me.

فَاليَومَ آمَنَ بَعدَ قَسوَتِهِ

فَاليَومَ آمَنَ بَعدَ قَسوَتِهِ

عَظمي وآمنَ بَعدَهُ لَحمي

عَظمي وآمنَ بَعدَهُ لَحمي

So today, after its hardness, faith has entered

But now, after that hardness of heart,

my bone; and after it, my flesh has believed

My bone believes, and after it my flesh believes,

بِمُحَّمَدٍ وَبِما يَجيءُ بِهِ

بِمُحَّمَدٍ وَبِما يَجيءُ بِهِ

مِن سُنَّةِ البُرهانِ وَالحُكمِ

مِن سُنَّةِ البُرهانِ وَالحُكمِ

in Muhammad and in what he brings

In Muhammad and the truth he brought,

of the way of proof and judgment.

The exemplar of reason and wise decree.