لِعزّك ذلّت الأُمم

لِعزّك ذلّت الأُمم

وفيك تعلت الهمم

وفيك تعلت الهمم

Before your might, the nations bowed low;

Before Your might the nations bowed.

in you, lofty aspirations rose.

And in You aspirations rose high.

ونحوك حارت الألبابُ

ونحوك حارت الألبابُ

لا يأسٌ ولا سأم

لا يأسٌ ولا سأم

Toward you, minds wandered bewildered—

Toward You minds wandered in bewilderment,

with neither despair nor weariness.

without despair or weariness.

إذا ما خلَّفت عَلَماً

إذا ما خلَّفت عَلَماً

بدا من خلفها علم

بدا من خلفها علم

Whenever you passed one landmark,

Whenever they left a landmark behind,

another landmark appeared beyond it:

another landmark appeared behind them.

طريق لا انتهاءَ له

طريق لا انتهاءَ له

وسيرٌ ما به ألم

وسيرٌ ما به ألم

a road that has no end,

A path that has no end,

a journey untouched by pain.

and a journey without pain.

تعاظم مُلكُ من وجدت

تعاظم مُلكُ من وجدت

به الأجسامُ والنّسم

به الأجسامُ والنّسم

Great is the dominion of Him through whom

Exalted is the dominion of Him who brought into being

bodies and souls came into being;

bodies and souls.

وأيقن أنَّه الجبّا

وأيقن أنَّه الجبّا

ر هذا الخلق كلُّهم

ر هذا الخلق كلُّهم

and all creation knew with certainty that He is the Compel—

And they knew with certainty that He is the Compeller—

ler.

these creatures, every one.

ولاحت في الوجود له

ولاحت في الوجود له

شهود ليس تُتَّهم

شهود ليس تُتَّهم

Throughout existence there appeared for Him

And in existence there appeared for Him

witnesses beyond suspicion—

witnesses beyond suspicion:

مخاطبةٌ ولا كَلِمٌ

مخاطبةٌ ولا كَلِمٌ

مكاتبة ولا قلم

مكاتبة ولا قلم

without address or spoken words,

speaking, yet without words;

without writing or pen.

writing, yet without a pen.

لقد نادت مصرِّحةً

لقد نادت مصرِّحةً

بأن الله ربكم

بأن الله ربكم

They called out plainly:

They indeed cried out, plainly declaring

“God is your Lord.”

that God is your Lord.

فيا عجباً أيَعصي الله

فيا عجباً أيَعصي الله

من بُسِطَت له النعم

من بُسِطَت له النعم

How wondrous! Can one disobey God

How astonishing! Would someone disobey God—

when blessings have been spread before him,

someone for whom blessings have been spread?

فلم يسهر له جَفنٌ

فلم يسهر له جَفنٌ

ولم يتعب له قدم

ولم يتعب له قدم

though no eyelid stayed awake for them

Yet no eyelid has kept vigil for Him,

and no foot was wearied?

nor has any foot grown weary for Him.

فيا من لا يؤدي شك

فيا من لا يؤدي شك

ره عُربٌ ولا عجم

ره عُربٌ ولا عجم

O You whose thank—

O You whose due thanks cannot be rendered

sgiving neither Arab nor non-Arab can render,

by Arabs or non-Arabs.

ومن بهرت دلائله

ومن بهرت دلائله

وقد عمَّ النُّهى عمم

وقد عمَّ النُّهى عمم

whose proofs overwhelm,

And You whose proofs have dazzled,

encompassing every mind;

while immensity has encompassed the minds.

ومن تعصي خليقته

ومن تعصي خليقته

ومنه الستر والكرم

ومنه الستر والكرم

whose creatures disobey Him,

And You whose creatures disobey,

though from Him come forbearance and generosity.

though from You come concealment and generosity.

بدت شمس من التوحيد

بدت شمس من التوحيد

فانقشعت لها الظُّلم

فانقشعت لها الظُّلم

A sun of divine unity appeared,

A sun of divine oneness appeared,

and through it the darkness dispersed.

and darkness scattered before it.

وجاء خليفةٌ شهدت

وجاء خليفةٌ شهدت

بطاعته لك الأمم

بطاعته لك الأمم

A caliph came, and the nations bore witness

And a caliph came, and witness was borne

by obeying him, to their obedience to You.

by the nations to his obedience to You.

جمعت الخافقين له

جمعت الخافقين له

ولم يسفك لديه دم

ولم يسفك لديه دم

You united East and West for him,

You brought East and West together for him,

yet in his presence no blood was shed.

and no blood was shed before him.

وصنت المسلمين له

وصنت المسلمين له

فلا خوف ولا عَدَم

فلا خوف ولا عَدَم

For his sake You preserved the Muslims:

And You safeguarded the Muslims for him,

neither fear nor want remained.

so there is neither fear nor want.

فأمر الدين والدنيا

فأمر الدين والدنيا

بحمد الله منتظم

بحمد الله منتظم

Thus the affairs of faith and worldly life are,

Thus the affairs of religion and the world

praise be to God, well ordered.

are well ordered, praise be to God.

وكفُّ الفضل واكفةٌ

وكفُّ الفضل واكفةٌ

وثغر العدل مبتسم

وثغر العدل مبتسم

The hand of bounty pours down rain,

And the hand of bounty pours forth,

and the mouth of justice smiles.

and the mouth of justice smiles.

لنا منه مع السَّاعات

لنا منه مع السَّاعات

جود ليس ينصرم

جود ليس ينصرم

From him, with every passing hour, comes

For us, from him, through the hours,

generosity that never ceases:

comes bounty that never ends.

إمامٌ مشرقُ الآثار

إمامٌ مشرقُ الآثار

ماضي الفكر معتزم

ماضي الفكر معتزم

an imam radiant in his legacy,

An imam whose deeds are radiant,

resolute, keen of thought.

penetrating in thought, resolute.

فقد صنعت له الأقدار

فقد صنعت له الأقدار

ما لا تصنع البهم

ما لا تصنع البهم

The decrees of fate have wrought for him

For the decrees of fate have accomplished for him

what even fearless heroes cannot achieve.

what formidable warriors cannot accomplish.

إذا عظَّ الورى زمن

إذا عظَّ الورى زمن

فإن فناءه حرم

فإن فناءه حرم

When an age sinks its teeth into mankind,

If time bites humankind,

his sanctuary is inviolable;

then his courtyard is a sanctuary.

وإن غشيتهم محن

وإن غشيتهم محن

فطاعة أمره عصم

فطاعة أمره عصم

and when ordeals engulf them,

And if ordeals descend upon them,

obedience to his command is their safeguard.

obedience to his command affords protection.

له نعم على الآوي

له نعم على الآوي

إليه وفي العدا نقم

إليه وفي العدا نقم

He has blessings for whoever seeks refuge

He has blessings for whoever seeks refuge

with him, and punishments for his foes.

with him, and punishments for his foes.

فنور جبينه برق

فنور جبينه برق

وجود يمينه ديم

وجود يمينه ديم

The light of his brow is lightning,

The light of his brow is lightning,

and his right hand’s bounty, steady rainclouds.

and his right hand's bounty is steady rain.

فقل للجاحدين له

فقل للجاحدين له

وفي آذانهم صمم

وفي آذانهم صمم

So tell those who deny his worth—

So say to those who deny him,

though deafness fills their ears—

and whose ears are deaf:

أفيقوا إن خلفكم

أفيقوا إن خلفكم

جيوش سيلها عَرِمُ

جيوش سيلها عَرِمُ

“Awake! Behind you stand

Awake! Indeed, behind you are

armies whose flood is overwhelming:

armies whose torrent is raging:

بحار غير راكدة

بحار غير راكدة

وفيها النار تضطرم

وفيها النار تضطرم

seas that never lie still,

seas that never lie still,

with fire blazing in their depths;

in which fire blazes;

وطائفة موحدة

وطائفة موحدة

عراهُ ليس تنفصم

عراهُ ليس تنفصم

and a band united in God’s oneness,

and a band affirming God's oneness—

whose bonds can never break.

his bonds can never be broken.

إذا ما الإفكُ قابلها

إذا ما الإفكُ قابلها

فإن الإفك منهزم

فإن الإفك منهزم

Whenever falsehood confronts it,

Whenever falsehood confronts it,

falsehood is routed.”

falsehood is surely defeated.

فيا من غرَّ ناظره

فيا من غرَّ ناظره

زخارف شادها الحُلُم

زخارف شادها الحُلُم

O you whose eyes have been beguiled

O you whose gaze has been beguiled

by ornaments raised up by dreams,

by ornaments that a dream has built,

أعِد نظراً فإنَّ هواك

أعِد نظراً فإنَّ هواك

في دعواك متهم

في دعواك متهم

look once again: your own desire

look again, for your desire

stands accused in the claim you make.

is suspect in your claim.

وفي الأغماد إن أصرر

وفي الأغماد إن أصرر

ت سر ليس ينكتم

ت سر ليس ينكتم

Within the scabbards, if you persis—

And in the scabbards, if you persist,

t, lies a secret that cannot be concealed.

lies a secret that cannot be hidden.

فإنَّ خليفة الرحم

فإنَّ خليفة الرحم

ن بالرحمن معتصم

ن بالرحمن معتصم

For the Caliph of the Merci—

For the caliph of the All-Merciful

ful holds fast to the All-Merciful.

holds fast to the All-Merciful.

أمام عدوّه نقمٌ

أمام عدوّه نقمٌ

وخلف وجوده العدم

وخلف وجوده العدم

Before his enemy stands retribution;

Before his enemy lie punishments,

behind his living presence lies oblivion.

and behind his existence lies nonexistence.