ماwhat is قَولthe verdict of شَيخِthe leading scholar of الوَرىmankind عَلّامَةُthe great scholar of الأُمَمِthe nations
ما قَول شَيخِ الوَرى عَلّامَةُ الأُمَمِ
مُفتيmufti of الفَريقينboth groups مِنof عُربٍArabs وَعَجَمِand non-Arabs
مُفتي الفَريقين مِن عُربٍ وَعَجَمِ
What is the verdict of mankind's shaykh, the great scholar of nations,
mufti of both groups, Arabs and non-Arabs,
فَخرpride of الزَمانِthe age إِمامِimam of العَصرِthe era أَفضَلُthe best of مَنthose
فَخر الزَمانِ إِمامِ العَصرِ أَفضَلُ مَن
أَمَّتsought حِماهhis sanctuary مَطاياthe mounts of العَزمِresolve مِنfrom أَمَمِnear at hand
أَمَّت حِماه مَطايا العَزمِ مِن أَمَمِ
pride of the age, imam of the era, the best of those
whose sanctuary the mounts of resolve have sought from near at hand,
الباهِرِresplendent in الفَضلِexcellence وَالآراءِand counsels وَالنِعَمِand favors
الباهِرِ الفَضلِ وَالآراءِ وَالنِعَمِ
وَالطاهِرِand pure in الأَصلِlineage وَالآباءِand ancestry وَالشِيَمِand character
وَالطاهِرِ الأَصلِ وَالآباءِ وَالشِيَمِ
resplendent in excellence, counsel, and bounty,
and pure in lineage, ancestry, and character,
المُرشِدِwho guides الخَلقmankind سُبلَthe paths of الحَقِّtruth حَيثُsince غَداhe became
المُرشِدِ الخَلق سُبلَ الحَقِّ حَيثُ غَدا
إِمامَan imam of حَقٍّtruth لَهُمfor them فَاِفطَنso pay attention إِلىto كَلِميmy words
إِمامَ حَقٍّ لَهُم فَاِفطَن إِلى كَلِمي
who guides mankind along truth's paths, since he has become
a true imam for them—so heed my words—
فَهوَfor he is الإِمامُthe imam الَّذيwhom نَرجُوهُwe hope for him مُنتَظِراًwaiting
فَهوَ الإِمامُ الَّذي نَرجُوهُ مُنتَظِراً
لِقَتلِfor the slaying of دَجّالِthe false messiah of جَهلٍignorance قَدindeed أَباحَdeclared lawful دَميmy blood
لِقَتلِ دَجّالِ جَهلٍ قَد أَباحَ دَمي
(for he is the imam we look to, as we await
the slaying of ignorance's Dajjal, who has declared my blood lawful.
أَمَدّهُmay He sustain him اللَهُGod بِالزُلفىwith nearness to Him وَمَدَّand extend لَهُfor him
أَمَدّهُ اللَهُ بِالزُلفى وَمَدَّ لَهُ
ظِلّاًa shade عَلىover مفرقِthe crown of الإِسلامِIslam وَالأُممِand the nations
ظِلّاً عَلى مفرقِ الإِسلامِ وَالأُممِ
May God grant him nearness to Himself and extend for him
a shade over the crown of Islam and the nations.
لَقَدindeed حَمىprotected الدينَreligion وَالدُنياand the world وَأَهلِهِماand the people of both
لَقَد حَمى الدينَ وَالدُنيا وَأَهلِهِما
يَراعُهُhis reed pen الصارِمkeen-edged الفَرّاجthe dispeller لِلغُمَمِof sorrows
يَراعُهُ الصارِم الفَرّاج لِلغُمَمِ
Religion, the world, and their people have indeed been protected
by his keen-edged reed pen, the dispeller of distress),
فيconcerning مُدنَفٍa languishing man لَعِبَتtoyed أَيديthe hands of البِعادِseparation بِهِwith him
في مُدنَفٍ لَعِبَت أَيدي البِعادِ بِهِ
وَفَرَّقَتand scattered مِنهُfrom him ظُلماًunjustly شَملَthe gathered circle مُلتَئِمِunited
وَفَرَّقَت مِنهُ ظُلماً شَملَ مُلتَئِمِ
concerning a languishing man whom separation's hands have toyed with
and whose once-united circle they unjustly scattered?
فَفارَقَso he left الشامَal-Sham وَالأَوطانَand his homelands جادهُماmay rain drench both
فَفارَقَ الشامَ وَالأَوطانَ جادهُما
كَسُحبِlike the clouds of جَفنيmy eyelid هَطّالa downpour مِنَof الدِيَمِlasting rains
كَسُحبِ جَفني هَطّال مِنَ الدِيَمِ
So he left al-Sham and his homelands—may both be drenched
by a downpour of lasting rain, like my eyelid's clouds.
يَرومُhe seeks بِالرومِin Rum دارthe abode of العَدلِjustice مَدرَسَةًa madrasa appointment
يَرومُ بِالرومِ دار العَدلِ مَدرَسَةً
وَلَمand did not يَحِدswerve عَنfrom طَريقِthe path of القَومِthe people فيin القِدَمِolden times
وَلَم يَحِد عَن طَريقِ القَومِ في القِدَمِ
In Rum, the abode of justice, he seeks a madrasa post,
and has not strayed from the people's time-honored path,
مِمّاin what يَعُدُّوهُthey deem it شَرطاًa condition فيfor مَلازَمَةٍscholarly apprenticeship
مِمّا يَعُدُّوهُ شَرطاً في مَلازَمَةٍ
وَمُدَّةًand a term مِنof سِنينٍyears أَربَعٍfour قُدُمِgone by
وَمُدَّةً مِن سِنينٍ أَربَعٍ قُدُمِ
in what they count as a condition of apprenticeship
and a term of four years already passed.
وَحَقُّهُand his right كانَwas يعطاهاhe be given it يَداًhand بِيَدِto hand
وَحَقُّهُ كانَ يعطاها يَداً بِيَدِ
كَماas تَقَرَّرwas established فيin قانونthe code of عُرفِهِمِtheir custom
كَما تَقَرَّر في قانون عُرفِهِمِ
By right, he should have been given it at once,
as established in the code of their custom.
فَكَيفَhow then صاعَwas permissible (uncertain text) لَمَولاناfor our master وَسَيِّدِناand our lord
فَكَيفَ صاعَ لَمَولانا وَسَيِّدِنا
قاضيthe judge of العَساكرthe armies مَنعٌa refusal وَهوَwhile he is ذُوpossessed of كَرَمِgenerosity
قاضي العَساكر مَنعٌ وَهوَ ذُو كَرَمِ
How, then, could our master and lord,
the judge of the armies, refuse him, though he is generous?
هَلis it? حَلّlawful ذَلِكَthat فيunder الشَرعِthe sacred law القَويمupright لَهُfor him
هَل حَلّ ذَلِكَ في الشَرعِ القَويم لَهُ
أَمor ذاكَthat قانونُa rule مَعلومٍknown بِلاwithout سَقَمِdefect
أَم ذاكَ قانونُ مَعلومٍ بِلا سَقَمِ
Was that lawful for him under the upright sacred law,
or is it a known rule, free of defect?
أَبِنclarify لَناfor us عَنهُabout it وَاكشِفand lift ظُلمَةًa darkness سَتَرَتthat veiled
أَبِن لَنا عَنهُ وَاكشِف ظُلمَةً سَتَرَت
وُجُوهَthe faces of آمالِناour hopes ياO كاشِفَdispeller of الظُلَمِdarkness
وُجُوهَ آمالِنا يا كاشِفَ الظُلَمِ
Explain it to us, and lift the darkness that has veiled
the faces of our hopes, O dispeller of darkness.
فَقَدfor indeed حَثَثناwe urged onward رِكابَthe riding camels of العَزمِresolve مِنfrom بَلَدٍa land
فَقَد حَثَثنا رِكابَ العَزمِ مِن بَلَدٍ
ناءٍfar away إِلَيكَtoward you رَجاhoping for إِحسانَكَyour kindness العَمَمِall-embracing
ناءٍ إِلَيكَ رَجا إِحسانَكَ العَمَمِ
For we have urged resolve's riding camels from a land
far away, toward you, hoping for your all-embracing kindness.
لَولاهُbut for it لَمwould not أَرضَI accept الرومَRum مَنزِلَةًas a dwelling
لَولاهُ لَم أَرضَ الرومَ مَنزِلَةً
عَنِinstead of الشَآمِal-Sham سَقاهاmay it water her غَيثُrain مُنسَجِمِpouring steadily
عَنِ الشَآمِ سَقاها غَيثُ مُنسَجِمِ
But for it, I would not have accepted Rum as a dwelling
in place of al-Sham—may pouring rain water her.
فَهَلhave you then? سَمِعتyou heard بِذيof one possessing لُبٍّreason يَعيشُhe lives بِهِby it
فَهَل سَمِعت بِذي لُبٍّ يَعيشُ بِهِ
يَسيرُjourneys قَطّever لِأَرضِto the land of الرُومِRum عَنaway from إِرَمِIram
يَسيرُ قَطّ لِأَرضِ الرُومِ عَن إِرَمِ
Have you heard of a man who lives by his reason,
ever journeying from Iram to the land of Rum?
لَكِنَّyet مَنwhoever حَلَّalights مَغناكَyour abode الرَفيعَlofty يَرىbelieves
لَكِنَّ مَن حَلَّ مَغناكَ الرَفيعَ يَرى
بِأَنَّهُthat he حَلَّhas alighted بَينَbetween الرُكنِthe Corner وَالحَرَمِand the Sanctuary
بِأَنَّهُ حَلَّ بَينَ الرُكنِ وَالحَرَمِ
Yet whoever alights at your lofty abode believes
that he has alighted between the Corner and the Sanctuary.
مَولايَmy lord نُصرَةَaid for عانٍa captive قلَّis scarce ناصِرهُhis defender
مَولايَ نُصرَةَ عانٍ قلَّ ناصِرهُ
مِنfrom جَورthe tyranny of قاضٍa judge قَضىpassed judgment بِالعَدلِwith justice مُتَّهَمِsuspect
مِن جَور قاضٍ قَضى بِالعَدلِ مُتَّهَمِ
My lord, give aid to a captive whose helpers are few,
against a judge's tyranny—his fairness in judgment is suspect.
أَصَمّdeaf لَمdid not يُصغِlisten لِلشَكوىto the complaint وَأَبكَمand mute لَمdid not
أَصَمّ لَم يُصغِ لِلشَكوى وَأَبكَم لَم
يَحُرreturn جَواباًan answer وَعَنand to حالِthe plight of الفَقيرِthe poor man عَمِيhe was blind
يَحُر جَواباً وَعَن حالِ الفَقيرِ عَمِي
Deaf, he heeded no complaint; mute, he did not
return an answer, and was blind to the poor man's plight.
وَهَذِهِand this نَفثةُa sigh of المَصدُورِthe chest-stricken man قَدindeed صَدَرَتhas issued
وَهَذِهِ نَفثةُ المَصدُورِ قَد صَدَرَت
مِنfrom صَدرِthe breast of عَبدٍa servant لِصَدرِto the foremost of الناسِmankind كُلِّهِمِall of them
مِن صَدرِ عَبدٍ لِصَدرِ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ
And this is a troubled breast's sigh, which has issued
from a servant's breast to the foremost of all mankind.
عَسىmay أَياديكَyour beneficent hands تَشفيهِheal him مِنَof الأَلَمِpain
عَسى أَياديكَ تَشفيهِ مِنَ الأَلَمِ
لازلتَmay you ever remain فيamid نِعَمٍblessings مَوصولةَlinked to النعمِblessings
لازلتَ في نِعَمٍ مَوصولةَ النعمِ
May your hands heal him of his pain.
May you ever abide in blessings linked to blessings.
وَاِسلَمand stay safe وَدُمand endure ماas long as سَرىjourneys by night نَجمٌa star وَماand as long as طَلَعَتrises
وَاِسلَم وَدُم ما سَرى نَجمٌ وَما طَلَعَت
غَزالَةُthe gazelle of الصُبحdawn تَرعىgrazes on النَجمَthe stars فيin الظُلمِdarkness
غَزالَةُ الصُبح تَرعى النَجمَ في الظُلمِ
And be safe and endure, as long as a star journeys by night and there rises
the gazelle of dawn, grazing on stars in the darkness.