أَلَستَ أَمينَ اللَهِ سَيفُكَ نَقمَةٌ

أَلَستَ أَمينَ اللَهِ سَيفُكَ نَقمَةٌ

إِذا ماقَ يَوماً في خِلافِكَ مائِقُ

إِذا ماقَ يَوماً في خِلافِكَ مائِقُ

Are you not God's trustee? Your sword is retribution

Are you not the avenger of God, your sword wrath

Are you not God's trustee, whose sword is retribution,

when a fool one day acts foolishly in defiance of you.

If one day it flashes in your disagreement, vanishing

Whenever a fool plays the fool in opposing you?

فَكَيفَ بِإِسماعيلَ يَسلَمُ مِثلُهُ

فَكَيفَ بِإِسماعيلَ يَسلَمُ مِثلُهُ

عَلَيكَ وَلَم يَسلَم عَلَيكَ مُنافِقُ

عَلَيكَ وَلَم يَسلَم عَلَيكَ مُنافِقُ

What, then, of Ismaʿil—can his like escape

How then can Ishmael be safe from the like of him

How then does Ismail—one such as he—remain safe

you, when no hypocrite has escaped you?

Upon you when the hypocrite was not safe upon you

From your reach, when no hypocrite has ever survived you?

أُعيذُكَ بِالرَحمَنِ مِن شَرِّ كاتِبٍ

أُعيذُكَ بِالرَحمَنِ مِن شَرِّ كاتِبٍ

لَهُ قَلَمٌ زانٍ وَآخَرُ سارِقُ

لَهُ قَلَمٌ زانٍ وَآخَرُ سارِقُ

I seek the Most Merciful's protection for you from a scribe's evil,

I seek refuge for you in the Merciful from the evil of a writer

I seek the Merciful's protection for you from a wicked scribe,

who has an adulterous pen, and another that steals.

Who has a wanton pen and another a thief

Who wields a pen that commits adultery, and another that thieves.

أُحَيمِرَ عادٍ إِنَّ لِلسَيفِ وِقعَةً

أُحَيمِرَ عادٍ إِنَّ لِلسَيفِ وِقعَةً

بِرَأسِكَ فَانظُر بَعدَها ما تُوافِقُ

بِرَأسِكَ فَانظُر بَعدَها ما تُوافِقُ

O little red one of ʿĀd, the sword indeed has a blow in store

I incite the perishing of Aad, indeed the sword has an impact

O little redhead of 'Ad, indeed the sword has a strike

for your head; then see what you encounter afterward.

Upon your head so look after it, what will agree with you

Destined for your head, so look to what fate you shall meet.

تَجَهَّز جِهازَ البَرمَكِيِّنَ وَانتَظِر

تَجَهَّز جِهازَ البَرمَكِيِّنَ وَانتَظِر

بَقِيَّةَ لَيلٍ صُبحُهُ بِكَ لاحِقُ

بَقِيَّةَ لَيلٍ صُبحُهُ بِكَ لاحِقُ

Make ready like the Barmakids, and await

Prepare the equipment of the Parthians and wait

Prepare your affairs as the Barmakids did, and wait

the remainder of a night whose dawn will overtake you.

For the remainder of a night whose morning will overtake you

For the remnant of a night whose dawn is rushing to claim you.