قلsay حسبيsufficient for me اللَهGod فيماin whatever هوit is عليّagainst me وليand for me
قل حسبي اللَه فيما هو عليّ ولي
نعمexcellent is الوليّthe Protector فماso there is no بعدbeyond الوليّthe Protector وليprotector
نعم الوليّ فما بعد الوليّ ولي
Say: God suffices me in whatever is against me and for me.
Say: "God suffices me; in Him let the trusting trust."
Excellent is the Protector! Beyond the Protector there is no protector.
How excellent a Guardian is He! None after Him can guard.
لناours إليهمto them ومنهمand from them نسبةa lineage شرفتwas ennobled
لنا إليهم ومنهم نسبة شرفت
حقيقةa truth حارwas bewildered عنهاabout it كلّevery ذيpossessor of جدلdisputation
حقيقة حار عنها كلّ ذي جدل
Ours is an ennobled lineage, reaching to them and descending from them.
Our lineage to them is a noble ties
A truth that leaves every disputant bewildered.
The truth of which perplexes every obstinate arguer.
صحتwas established وقدand indeed قالتaffirmed العلماءthe scholars منthrough طرقchannels
صحت وقد قالت العلماء من طرق
منwhoever رامsought فيهاabout it محاجاتيdisputing with me فيبرزليthen let him come forward to me
من رام فيها محاجاتي فيبرزلي
It is established; scholars have affirmed it through various channels.
The scholars have authenticated it through various paths,
Whoever seeks to dispute with me about it, let him come forward to face me.
Whoever desires to dispute me regarding it, let him come forth.
وانand if يكنhe is لمhas not يطقbeen able يوماًever مناظرتيdebating with me
وان يكن لم يطق يوماً مناظرتي
أوor كانthere was فيin قلبهhis heart حرفa trace منof العللmisgivings
أو كان في قلبه حرف من العلل
And if he has never been able to debate me,
And if he was never able to debate me,
Or his heart holds a trace of misgivings,
Or he harbored any doubt in his heart,
فلينظرنthen let him examine closely تواريخthe histories الكرامthe noble ones فقدfor indeed
فلينظرن تواريخ الكرام فقد
صفتbecame clear مشاربناour drinking places للنهلfor the first draught والعللand the second draught
صفت مشاربنا للنهل والعلل
Then let him examine the histories of the noble ones, for indeed
Let him look at the biographies of the honorable, for verily
Our drinking places are clear for the first draught and the second.
Our beliefs have been described for comprehension and doubt.
فانهمfor indeed they كلهمall of them فيin كلّall ماthat which جمعواthey compiled
فانهم كلهم في كلّ ما جمعوا
قالواthey stated بتشريفناof our noble standing فيin الأعصرthe ages الأولthe earliest
قالوا بتشريفنا في الأعصر الأول
For all of them, in everything they compiled,
For all of them, in everything they compiled,
Affirmed our noble standing in the earliest ages.
Said, glorifying our lineage in ancient times.
كالأهدلlike al-Ahdal الحبرthe learned scholar منwho وافيreached بشهرتهwith his fame
كالأهدل الحبر من وافي بشهرته
كيوانSaturn دعleave عنكaway from you مجرىthe course of دارةthe circle of الحملAries, the Ram
كيوان دع عنك مجرى دارة الحمل
Like al-Ahdal, the learned scholar, whose fame reached
Like Al-Ahdal, the spiritual ocean in his fame,
Saturn—never mind the course of Aries' circle.
And Yahya, leave the course of the Great Bear!
واليافعيand al-Yafi‘i إذاthen والخزرجيand al-Khazraji كذاlikewise
واليافعي إذا والخزرجي كذا
الشيخthe Shaykh العواجيal-‘Awaji والشرجيand al-Sharji لمdid not يحلturn aside
الشيخ العواجي والشرجي لم يحل
And al-Yafi‘i, then, and al-Khazraji likewise,
And Al-Yafi’i - and Al-Khuza’i likewise -
Shaykh al-‘Awaji and al-Sharji, who did not turn aside.
And Sheikh Al-‘Awaji and Al-Sharji did not permit.
وقالهand said it ابنIbn, son of أبيAbi, father of حبّHabb معwith الجنديal-Jundi
وقاله ابن أبي حبّ مع الجندي
ولابنand for Ibn حسانHassan قولa statement قدindeed شفىcured عللmisgivings
ولابن حسان قول قد شفى علل
Ibn Abi Habb said it too, along with al-Jundi.
And Ibn Abi Hab declared it - and Al-Jundi -
And Ibn Hassan has a statement that has cured misgivings.
And Ibn Hassan has a saying that remedies ailments.
والعالمand the scholar العلمthe luminary الراويthe transmitter of الحديثhadith ومنand one who
والعالم العلم الراوي الحديث ومن
لهhe has جلالmajesty بأنوارthrough the lights الحديثof hadith جلىwas made manifest
له جلال بأنوار الحديث جلى
And the scholar, the luminary, the transmitter of hadith, and he
The scholar, the traditionist, the narrator - and whoever
Whose majesty the lights of hadith have made manifest—
Has majesty through the lights of splendid tradition.
انif كانwas نسبتهhis attribution ياO صاحfriend منfrom حجرHajar, stone
ان كان نسبته يا صاح من حجر
فذاكthen he is جوهرthe jewel أهلthe people of العلمlearning والعملand action
فذاك جوهر أهل العلم والعمل
If his name, my friend, derives from Hajar, 'stone',
If his lineage, O questioner, is from Hajar,
Then he is the jewel of the people of learning and action.
Then that is the essence of the people of knowledge and deed.
قدindeed أثبتestablished الفخرal-Fakhr فيin أنسابناour genealogies شرفاnobility
قد أثبت الفخر في أنسابنا شرفا
فاستكفso be content بالبحرwith the sea لاdo not تسألask عنabout الوشلthe trickle
فاستكف بالبحر لا تسأل عن الوشل
Al-Fakhr has established nobility in our genealogies.
He proved the pride in our lineage as an honor,
So be content with the sea; do not ask about the trickle.
So suffice yourself with the ocean, do not ask about the rivulet!
وفيand in طريقتهمtheir path جاءcame ابنIbn, son of سمرةSamura والشيand the Shay- (split word)
وفي طريقتهم جاء ابن سمرة والشي
خ-kh (completes Shaykh) المراغيal-Maraghi فاعدلso be just غيرnot معتدلfair
خ المراغي فاعدل غير معتدل
And following their path came Ibn Samura and the Shay-
And in their path came Ibn Samura and Al-Shaykh
kh al-Maraghi; be just, you who are unjust.
Al-Maraghi - so judge without transgression!
أبوAbu, father of شكيلShukayl لهhe has فيin نسجweaving نسبتناour lineage
أبو شكيل له في نسج نسبتنا
ولنبيّand for a prophet (reading uncertain) يقصرfalls short عنهof it الوشيthe embroidery فيon الحللthe robes
ولنبيّ يقصر عنه الوشي في الحلل
Abu Shukayl has, in the weaving of our lineage,
Abu Shakir has, in documenting our lineage,
And for a prophet [wording unclear]—embroidery on robes falls short of it.
And for the Prophet, what falls short of the excellent robes.
ولابنand for Ibn كبتهمKabtahum فيهاconcerning it حسنfine ترجمةan account
ولابن كبتهم فيها حسن ترجمة
كالدرّlike pearls يظهرreveals حسنthe beauty of النحرthe neck حيثwhere جلىis displayed
كالدرّ يظهر حسن النحر حيث جلى
And Ibn Kabtahum has a fine account concerning it,
And Ibn Kubaytham has, regarding it, a good compilation,
Like pearls that reveal a neck's beauty wherever they are displayed.
Like a pearl that shows the beauty of the neck where it rests.
لهاfor it السخاويal-Sakhawi بالمدحwith praise البديعexquisite سخاwas generous
لها السخاوي بالمدح البديع سخا
فيماwhile توانواthey were remiss بالتفصيلin detail والجملand in broad outlines
فيما توانوا بالتفصيل والجمل
For it al-Sakhawi lavished exquisite praise,
Al-Sakhawi praised it with elegant eulogy -
While they were remiss in detail and broad outline.
Whereas they fell short in detail and prose.
كذاlikewise أبوAbu, father of الفضلal-Fadl فيin الأنسابgenealogies فضلهاpreferred it
كذا أبو الفضل في الأنساب فضلها
علىover سواهاothers besides it بلاwithout ريبdoubt ولاand without زللerror
على سواها بلا ريب ولا زلل
Likewise Abu al-Fadl, in genealogies, preferred it
Likewise did Abu Al-Fadl in genealogy - his superiority
Above others, without doubt or error.
Over others is without doubt or wavering.
وقالand said هذاthis أبوAbu, father of عباد‘Abbad عمدتناour mainstay
وقال هذا أبو عباد عمدتنا
مقالa statement منof one who اتصفwas characterized فيin القولspeech منby خطلfolly
مقال من اتصف في القول من خطل
And Abu ‘Abbad, our mainstay, said this—
And this was said by Abu ‘Abbad, our pillar,
The words of one marked by folly in speech [wording unclear].
A saying from one described in speech without folly.
محمدMuhammad بنibn, son of أبيAbi, father of بكرBakr فيالكso, how admirable you are منas a
محمد بن أبي بكر فيالك من
حرّnoble man حمىprotected حرماتthe sanctities الدينof religion منfrom جدلdisputation
حرّ حمى حرمات الدين من جدل
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr—what a
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr - what a noble
Noble man you are, defending religion's sanctities against disputation!
Protector of the sanctities of religion against disputation!
ياO صاحfriend منwho مثلناlike us فيمترىso be doubted أبداًever
يا صاح من مثلنا فيمترى أبداً
ممنamong those who يسيرwalk ومنand those who يعلوmount علىupon الإبلcamels
ممن يسير ومن يعلو على الإبل
My friend, who is our equal, that this should ever be disputed,
O questioner, who is like us, ever,
Among those who walk and those who ride upon camels?
Among those who walk or ride high on camels?
نحنwe الكرامthe noble ones بنوsons of القومthe people الكرامthe noble إذاwhen
نحن الكرام بنو القوم الكرام إذا
جدناwe give generously عدلناwe equal بصوبwith the downpour of العارضthe raincloud الهطلpouring heavily
جدنا عدلنا بصوب العارض الهطل
We are the noble ones, sons of the noble people; when
We are the generous, the sons of generous people. When
We give, we rival a raincloud's torrential downpour.
We have ancestors, we judge to the torrential raincloud.
لناours السماحgenerosity الذيthat عمّencompassed الأنامhumankind معاًall together
لنا السماح الذي عمّ الأنام معاً
كمhow often أبدلتreplaced راحناour palms خصباabundance منin place of المحلdrought
كم أبدلت راحنا خصبا من المحل
Ours is the generosity that embraces all humankind, one and all.
For us is the generosity that has encompassed all people -
How often our palms have replaced drought with abundance!
How much has our open-handedness made fertile from barrenness!
لوif أنthat للبحرfor the sea أعياناeyes لشاهدناwe would surely see
لو أن للبحر أعيانا لشاهدنا
عندat السماحgenerosity اعتراهovertook it الفيضa flood بالخجلwith shame
عند السماح اعتراه الفيض بالخجل
If the sea had eyes, we would surely see
If the ocean had entities, we would see,
A flood overwhelm it with shame when we give.
With generosity, shyness overcome it.
لجدّناfor our forefather منfrom إلهthe God of العرشthe Throne منزلةa station
لجدّنا من إله العرش منزلة
كقابlike the span of قوسينtwo bows لمnot تدركbeen reached ولمand not تنلbeen attained
كقاب قوسين لم تدرك ولم تنل
Our forefather has, from the God of the Throne, a station
For our ancestor, from the God of the Throne, is a station
Like the span of two bows, never reached or attained.
That has not been attained or reached.
صلىmay bless عليهupon him إلهthe God of العرشthe Throne ماas long as صدحتsang out
صلى عليه إله العرش ما صدحت
ورقgray doves علىon فننa bough بالسرّin secret ذيwith ميلa lean
ورق على فنن بالسرّ ذي ميل
May the God of the Throne bless him as long as
God of the Throne send prayers upon him whenever
Gray doves sing in secret upon a leaning bough.
Parchment rustled with secrets of inclination!
والآلand the family والصحبand the companions والأتباعand the followers عنfrom طرفan end (idiom: all together)
والآل والصحب والأتباع عن طرف
وناصريهand his supporters بحدّwith the edge of البيضbright swords والأسلand spears
وناصريه بحدّ البيض والأسل
And his family, companions, and followers, all without exception,
And upon his Family, Companions, and followers - from an aspect
And those who aided him with the edge of bright swords and with spears.
And his supporters - with swords white and cutting!