ما اِرتَدَّ طَرفُ مُحَمَّدٍ

ما اِرتَدَّ طَرفُ مُحَمَّدٍ

إِلّا أَتى ضَرّاً وَنَفعا

إِلّا أَتى ضَرّاً وَنَفعا

Muhammad's gaze never returned

No evil glance fell from Muhammad

The glance of Muhammad never turns back,

without bringing harm and benefit.

Except it brought harm and benefit

Without bringing forth both harm and benefit.

قادَ النَدى بِعِنانِهِ

قادَ النَدى بِعِنانِهِ

وَتسَربَلَ المَعروفَ دِرعا

وَتسَربَلَ المَعروفَ دِرعا

He led generosity by its reins

He led generosity by its rein

He leads generosity by its very reins,

and clothed himself in kindness as armor.

And wore the armor of kindness

And has donned kindness as his coat of mail.

لَمّا اِعتَمَدتُ عَلى نَدا

لَمّا اِعتَمَدتُ عَلى نَدا

كَ أَرَيتَني وِتراً وَشَفعا

كَ أَرَيتَني وِتراً وَشَفعا

When I relied upon your generosity,

When I relied on the help of Nada

When I relied upon your bounty,

you showed me odd and even.

You saw me as a lute string and a pair

You revealed to me the full measure of odd and even.

فَعَصا نَداهُ بِراحَتي

فَعَصا نَداهُ بِراحَتي

أَعلو بِها الإِفلاسَ قَرعا

أَعلو بِها الإِفلاسَ قَرعا

So the staff of his generosity is in my palm;

So Nada's staff was a comfort to me

So the staff of his generosity rests in my palm,

with it I batter destitution.

With it I rise above utter loss

With which I strike down poverty, beating it back.

وَعَلَيَّ سورٌ مانِعٌ

وَعَلَيَّ سورٌ مانِعٌ

مِن جَورِهِ إِن خِفتُ كَسعا

مِن جَورِهِ إِن خِفتُ كَسعا

And around me stands a protective wall

And on me is an impregnable wall

And around me stands a forbidding wall,

against its oppression, should I fear a blow from behind.

Protecting me from his tyranny should I fear a fracture

Against its tyranny, should I fear a sudden blow.

فَلَوَ اِنَّ دَهراً رابَني

فَلَوَ اِنَّ دَهراً رابَني

لَصَفَعتُهُ بِالكَفِّ صَفعا

لَصَفَعتُهُ بِالكَفِّ صَفعا

So if time ever troubled me,

So if fate ever betrayed me

So that if Time itself were to menace me,

I would slap it with my palm.

I would slap it with the palm of my hand

I would slap it with my hand—a resounding slap.