اسأَلِيask ياO نَجدُNajd أهلَthe people of المَيْفَعهْal-Mayfaʿah
اسأَلِي يا نَجدُ أهلَ المَيْفَعهْ
كيفhow أمسَواthey came to be بعدafter أمنٍsafety وَدَعَهْand ease
كيف أمسَوا بعد أمنٍ وَدَعَهْ
Ask, O Najd, the people of al-Mayfa‘ah:
Ask, O Najd, the people of al-Mayfaʿah
How have they fared since their days of safety and ease?
How they fared after safety and ease.
وانْظرِيand look ماwhat صَنَعَdid الكُفرُunbelief بهمto them
وانْظرِي ما صَنَعَ الكُفرُ بهم
منof أذىًharm يُعجبهpleases it أنto يصنَعَهْdo it
من أذىً يُعجبه أن يصنَعَهْ
And behold what unbelief has wrought upon them—
And see what unbelief has done to them:
what harm it delights to inflict.
The harm it delights in inflicting.
هوit صِنْوُthe sibling الشّرِّof evil أوor تَوأمُهُits twin
هو صِنْوُ الشّرِّ أو تَوأمُهُ
ماnot ثَوىdwelt فيin موطنٍa place إلاexcept مَعَهْwith it
ما ثَوى في موطنٍ إلا مَعَهْ
It is evil’s close kin, or evil’s twin;
It is evil's sibling, or its twin;
never has it dwelt anywhere without evil beside it.
It never dwelt in any place without it.
ماwhat الذيthat which يعصمُهمshields them منfrom غَالبٍGhalib
ما الذي يعصمُهم من غَالبٍ
جُذوَةِthe firebrand الحربِof war وليثِand the lion المَعْمَعَهْof the fray
جُذوَةِ الحربِ وليثِ المَعْمَعَهْ
What could shield them from the one who overwhelmed them—
What could shield them from Ghalib,
a firebrand of war, a lion of the fierce fray?
The firebrand of war and lion of the fray?
جاءهمhe came to them يقدمُleading منfrom among أبطالهِhis champions
جاءهم يقدمُ من أبطالهِ
كلَّevery ماضٍresolute warrior لاnot يُباليcares about مَصْرَعَهْhis death
كلَّ ماضٍ لا يُبالي مَصْرَعَهْ
He came upon them at the head of his champions,
He came to them, leading from among his champions
his whole being resolute, heedless of where he might fall,
Every resolute warrior who cares not for his own death,
يَمنعُshields الإسلامَIslam منfrom أعدائِهِits enemies
يَمنعُ الإسلامَ من أعدائِهِ
بدمٍwith blood يأبَىhe refuses لهfor it أنto يَمنعَهْwithhold it
بدمٍ يأبَى له أن يَمنعَهْ
defending Islam against its enemies,
Shielding Islam from its enemies
with blood he would not withhold from it.
With blood he refuses to withhold from it.
لوif تمشّىwalked الموتُDeath فيin بُرْدَتِهِhis cloak
لو تمشّى الموتُ في بُرْدَتِهِ
حينَwhen يمشِيhe marches للوغَىto battle ماnot رَوَّعَهْfrightened him
حينَ يمشِي للوغَى ما رَوَّعَهْ
Even if death itself should stalk within his cloak,
Even if Death walked within his cloak,
when he marched to war it would not frighten him.
As he marched to battle, it would not frighten him.
أخذوهمthey seized them أخْذَةًa seizure رابيَةًoverwhelming
أخذوهم أخْذَةً رابيَةً
صَادفْتit encountered منهمamong them نُفوساًsouls فَزِعَهْterrified
صَادفْت منهم نُفوساً فَزِعَهْ
They seized them in a terrible, crushing onslaught
They seized them in an overwhelming onslaught
that met among them only terror-stricken souls.
That found terrified souls among them.
ثمthen آبواthey returned كالنُّجومِlike the stars الزُّهرِradiant فيin
ثم آبوا كالنُّجومِ الزُّهرِ في
نِعمةٍprosperity ممّاfrom what أصابواthey gained وَسَعَهْand abundance
نِعمةٍ ممّا أصابوا وَسَعَهْ
Then they returned like radiant stars, amid
Then they returned like radiant stars, amid
the blessings of what they had won, and abundance.
Prosperity and abundance from what they had gained.
ياO ابنَson of زيدٍZayd قَدِّمpresent العُذَرthe excuse وقُلْand say
يا ابنَ زيدٍ قَدِّم العُذَر وقُلْ
ياO رسولَMessenger of اللَّهِGod هلis there مِنany تَبِعَهْblame
يا رسولَ اللَّهِ هل مِن تَبِعَهْ
O son of Zayd, offer your defense and say:
O son of Zayd, present your excuse and say:
“O Messenger of God, is there any blame upon me?
“O Messenger of God, is there any blame?
رَجلٌa man أجْمَعَresolved أنto يخدعنيdeceive me
رَجلٌ أجْمَعَ أن يخدعني
فجعلتُso I made السَّيفَthe sword يَعلوstrike from above أخْدَعَهْhis neck-vein
فجعلتُ السَّيفَ يَعلو أخْدَعَهْ
A man had resolved to deceive me,
A man resolved to deceive me,
so I made the sword rise above his jugular.
So I made the sword strike his neck-vein.
أعلنَhe proclaimed الإسلامَIslam يَحْمِيprotects دَمَهُhis blood
أعلنَ الإسلامَ يَحْمِي دَمَهُ
ولهwhile he has بالكُفرِwith unbelief نَفْسٌa soul مُولَعَهْinfatuated
وله بالكُفرِ نَفْسٌ مُولَعَهْ
He professed Islam only to shield his blood,
He professed Islam to safeguard his blood,
though his soul was infatuated with unbelief.”
Yet his soul was infatuated with unbelief.”
قالhe said هلdid شَقَّcut open الفتىthe young man عنto expose قلبهِhis heart
قال هل شَقَّ الفتى عن قلبهِ
فَيرىso he could see السِّرَّthe secret ويَدْرِيand know مَوضِعَهْits place
فَيرى السِّرَّ ويَدْرِي مَوضِعَهْ
He said: “Did the young man split open his heart
He said, “Did the young man lay that man's heart bare,
to see the secret and know where it lay?
So he could see the secret and know where it lay?
ياO ابنَson of زيدٍZayd ياoh لهfor it منof خُلُقٍa trait
يا ابنَ زيدٍ يا له من خُلُقٍ
لستَyou are not بالمؤمنِa believer حتَّىuntil تَدَعَهْyou abandon it
لستَ بالمؤمنِ حتَّى تَدَعَهْ
O son of Zayd—what manner of conduct is this?
O son of Zayd, what a trait this is!
You are no believer until you forsake that conduct.”
You are not a believer until you abandon it.”
ساءَهُgrieved him اللّومُthe reproach فقلبٌso a heart آسفٌremorseful
ساءَهُ اللّومُ فقلبٌ آسفٌ
يَتَّقِيfears اللَّهَGod ونفسٌand a soul مُوجَعَهْanguished
يَتَّقِي اللَّهَ ونفسٌ مُوجَعَهْ
The rebuke grieved him; his heart grew sorrowful,
Reproach grieved him; his heart was remorseful,
fearing God, his soul in anguish.
Fearing God, and his soul was anguished.
تابَhe repented ممّاof what سَوَّلَmade enticing الظنُّsuspicion لهto him
تابَ ممّا سَوَّلَ الظنُّ له
وأباهاand rejected it سُنّةًa practice مُبتَدَعَهْnewly invented
وأباها سُنّةً مُبتَدَعَهْ
He repented of what suspicion had suggested to him
He repented of what suspicion had tempted him to do,
and rejected it as an invented practice.
And rejected it as an invented practice.
ليسthere is not للمرءِfor a person منof الأمرِthe matter سِوَىexcept
ليس للمرءِ من الأمرِ سِوَى
ماwhat رآهُhe saw it ظاهراًoutwardly أوor سَمِعَهْhe heard it
ما رآهُ ظاهراً أو سَمِعَهْ
No one can know of any matter beyond
A person has nothing to go by in a matter but
what he has plainly seen or heard;
What he has outwardly seen or heard.
وخفَاياand the hidden things الغيبِof the unseen للهِbelong to God الذيwho
وخفَايا الغيبِ للهِ الذي
يَعلمُknows السّرَّthe secret ويَدرِيand knows مَوقِعَهْits location
يَعلمُ السّرَّ ويَدرِي مَوقِعَهْ
the mysteries of the unseen belong to God, who
And the hidden things of the unseen belong to God, who
knows every secret and knows where it lies.
Knows the secret and knows where it lies.
احترسْbeware ماnot الظنُّsuspicion إلاbut شُبهةٌa doubtful notion
احترسْ ما الظنُّ إلا شُبهةٌ
تتَّقِيهاavoids it كلُّevery نَفْسٍsoul وَرِعَهْpious
تتَّقِيها كلُّ نَفْسٍ وَرِعَهْ
Beware: suspicion is nothing but a doubtful semblance,
Beware: suspicion is nothing but a doubtful notion,
which every scrupulous soul avoids.
Which every pious soul avoids.
وَاتْبَعِand follow الحقَّthe truth فهذاfor this حُكمُهُits ruling
وَاتْبَعِ الحقَّ فهذا حُكمُهُ
جاءcame فيin القُرآنِthe Qur'an كيماso that تَتبَعَهْyou follow it
جاء في القُرآنِ كيما تَتبَعَهْ
Follow the truth, for such is its decree,
And follow the truth; this is its ruling,
revealed in the Qur’an that you might follow it.
Set forth in the Qur'an so that you may follow it.
ماnot سبيلُthe path المرءِof a person يَرتادُseeks الهُدَىguidance
ما سبيلُ المرءِ يَرتادُ الهُدَى
كسبيلِlike the path المرْءof a person يَبْغِيseeks المنفعهْadvantage
كسبيلِ المرْء يَبْغِي المنفعهْ
The path of one who seeks right guidance is not
The path of a person seeking guidance is not
like the path of one who seeks mere advantage.
Like the path of one seeking advantage.
ماnot نَأَىdeparted المؤمنُthe believer عنfrom عاداتِهِhis habits
ما نَأَى المؤمنُ عن عاداتِهِ
حينwhen ينأىhe keeps away عنfrom هَوانٍhumiliation وَضِعَهْand abasement
حين ينأى عن هَوانٍ وَضِعَهْ
The believer does not stray from his accustomed ways
The believer does not depart from his ways
when he shuns humiliation and casts it aside.
When he shuns humiliation and abasement.
