يومَO day بدرٍBadr وأنتand you أعلىhighest مَقاماin rank
يومَ بدرٍ وأنت أعلى مَقاما
إنif ذكرناwe recall منfrom بعدِكَafter you الأيّاماthe days
إن ذكرنا من بعدِكَ الأيّاما
O day of Badr, you are highest in rank,
The day of Badr when you held the highest status
if we recall the days that came after you.
When we remember you after those days
ماnot ذكرناwe recall بِكَthrough you القَواضبَcleaving swords يَقْظَىawake
ما ذكرنا بِكَ القَواضبَ يَقْظَى
أنتَyou أيقظتَهاyou awakened them شُعوباًpeoples نِياماasleep
أنتَ أيقظتَها شُعوباً نِياما
In recalling you, we remember no wakeful, cleaving swords;
We didn’t just remember the battleships you awakened
you awakened peoples that lay asleep.
You awakened sleeping nations
غَرقتْthey sank فيin الظّلامِdarkness لاnot تحسبُthey deem البغoppression (word begins)
غَرقتْ في الظّلامِ لا تحسبُ البغ
يَoppression (word ends) ذميماًblameworthy ولاnor الفُسوقَwickedness حراماforbidden
يَ ذميماً ولا الفُسوقَ حراما
They sank into darkness, not deeming oppression
They drowned in darkness not realizing
blameworthy, nor wickedness forbidden.
The ignominy nor the sinfulness of debauchery
تَكرهُthey hate العدَلjustice فيin الحقوقِrights وترضىand they are content
تَكرهُ العدَل في الحقوقِ وترضى
حينwhen يأبَىrefuse سَاداتهاtheir masters أنto يُقاماbe upheld
حين يأبَى سَاداتها أن يُقاما
They hate justice in matters of rights, and are content
Hating justice in rights and accepting
when their masters refuse to let it be upheld.
When their masters refuse to establish it
استقمstand straight ياO سوادSawad فيin الصفthe rank واعلمand know
استقم يا سواد في الصف واعلم
أنthat للجيشfor the army فيin الحروبwars نظاماorder
أن للجيش في الحروب نظاما
"Stand straight, O Sawad, in the rank, and know
Stand firm O people of blackness in line and know
that the army has order in war."
That the army has a system in wars
ياOh لهاfor it (exclamation) ياO سَوادُSawad طعنةَa thrust سَهْمٍan arrow
يا لها يا سَوادُ طعنةَ سَهْمٍ
صادفتْit found مِنكَin you أريحيّاًa generous man هُماماvaliant
صادفتْ مِنكَ أريحيّاً هُماما
What an arrow's thrust, O Sawad!
O what a stab of an arrow O people of blackness
It found in you a generous, valiant man.
It met with you a high-minded man
لوif يريدُhe meant الأذىharm بهاwith it لمnot تُطِقْهاyou could bear it
لو يريدُ الأذى بها لم تُطِقْها
مَنhe who يعافُabhors الأذىharm ويأبَىand rejects العُراماviolence
مَن يعافُ الأذى ويأبَى العُراما
Had he meant harm with it, you could not have borne it—
If it wanted to harm with it, it wouldn’t have endured
he who abhors harm and rejects violence.
Who avoids harm and refuses nudity
عَدّلَhe straightened الصفَّthe rank فَاسْتَوىso it became straight وقَضَىand he judged الأمْthe matter (word begins)
عَدّلَ الصفَّ فَاسْتَوى وقَضَى الأمْ
رَthe matter (word ends) علىaccording to شِرعةِthe law of الهُدىright guidance فَاسْتَقاماand so it was set right
رَ على شِرعةِ الهُدى فَاسْتَقاما
He straightened the rank, and it aligned; he judged the matter
He straightened the row and ruled the matter
by the law of right guidance, and it was set right.
According to the law of guidance so it was upright
إنّهاindeed, it is شِرعةٌa law لربِّكَof your Lord يُمضيhe enforces
إنّها شِرعةٌ لربِّكَ يُمضي
هاit فتهدِيand so it guides الشُّعوبَthe peoples والأقواماand the nations
ها فتهدِي الشُّعوبَ والأقواما
It is a law of your Lord; he enforces
It is a law of your Lord that runs
it, and so it guides peoples and nations.
It to guide the people and nations
تَمنعُit prevents المرءَa person ذاpossessing البراءةِinnocence أنthat يُؤbe harmed (word begins)
تَمنعُ المرءَ ذا البراءةِ أن يُؤ
ذَىbe harmed (word ends) وتحمِيand it protects الضَّعيفَthe weak منfrom أنthat يُضاماbe wronged
ذَى وتحمِي الضَّعيفَ من أن يُضاما
It prevents the innocent person from being
It prevents the innocent from being harmed
harmed, and shields the weak from being wronged.
And protects the weak from being oppressed
وَتُريهِand it shows him القَوِيَّthe strong يُذعِنُsubmits للحَقto the truth (word begins)
وَتُريهِ القَوِيَّ يُذعِنُ للحَق
قِtruth (word ends) ويبغِيand seeks بِجانبَيْهِat its two sides اعْتصاماrefuge
قِ ويبغِي بِجانبَيْهِ اعْتصاما
And it shows him the strong submitting to the truth
And shows the strong subjugating to the truth
and seeking refuge at its two sides.
And seeking protection by its side
قُلتَyou said أَوْجَعْتَنيyou hurt me وقدand indeed جِئتَyou came بالحwith truth (word begins)
قُلتَ أَوْجَعْتَني وقد جِئتَ بالح
قّtruth (word ends) وبالعدلِand with justice رحمةًmercy وسلاماand peace
قّ وبالعدلِ رحمةً وسلاما
You said, "You have hurt me, though you came with truth
You said you hurt me, and you came with the truth
and with justice, in mercy and peace.
With justice, mercy and peace
القَصاصَretribution in kind القَصاصَretribution in kind إنّيindeed, I أراهُI deem it
القَصاصَ القَصاصَ إنّي أراهُ
ياO إمامَleader الهُداةِthe guides أمراًa matter لِزاماobligatory
يا إمامَ الهُداةِ أمراً لِزاما
Retribution! Retribution! I deem it,
Retribution, retribution I see it
O leader of the guides, a binding duty."
O Imam of the guided, as an obligation
قالhe said هذاthis is بَطْنِيmy belly لِبطنِكَfor your belly كُفؤٌa match
قال هذا بَطْنِي لِبطنِكَ كُفؤٌ
فَاسْتَقِدْso exact retribution إنَّindeed للضّعيفِfor the weak ذِماماa right to protection
فَاسْتَقِدْ إنَّ للضّعيفِ ذِماما
He said, "This is my belly, a match for yours;
This is my stomach for your stomach equally
so exact retribution: the weak have a right to protection."
So take your due, the weak have reins
طابَتِgrew content النَّفسُthe soul ياO سَوادُSawad وعادَand became الnow (word begins)
طابَتِ النَّفسُ يا سَوادُ وعادَ ال
آنَnow (word ends) بَرْداًcoolness ماwhat كانَhad been مِنهاwithin it ضَراماa blaze
آنَ بَرْداً ما كانَ مِنها ضَراما
Your soul was soothed, O Sawad, and now
The selves felt good O people of blackness and the
what had blazed within it turned cool.
Quran returned coolness instead of the sores
واعتنقتَand you embraced الرَّسولَthe Messenger بعدَafter شَكاةٍa complaint
واعتنقتَ الرَّسولَ بعدَ شَكاةٍ
فاعتنقتَand so you embraced الخِلالَvirtues غُرّاًradiant وِساماbeautiful
فاعتنقتَ الخِلالَ غُرّاً وِساما
And you embraced the Messenger after your complaint,
And you embraced the Messenger after doubt
and so you embraced virtues, radiant and fair.
So you embraced all virtues gloriously and loftily
وابتدرتَand you rushed toward البطنَthe belly المطهَّرَpurified لَثْماًkissing
وابتدرتَ البطنَ المطهَّرَ لَثْماً
فابتدرتَand so you rushed toward الخيراتِgood things شَتَّىmanifold عِظاماgreat
فابتدرتَ الخيراتِ شَتَّى عِظاما
And you rushed to kiss the purified belly,
And you hurried to kiss the pure stomach
and so you rushed toward blessings, manifold and great.
So you hurried to all good virtues greatly
هَاbehold هُناhere العدلُjustice والسَّماحةُand magnanimity والإحand benevolence (word begins)
هَا هُنا العدلُ والسَّماحةُ والإح
سانُbenevolence (word ends) أعظِمْhow great! بذاthis (object of exclamation) المقامِstation مَقاماas a station
سانُ أعظِمْ بذا المقامِ مَقاما
Here are justice, magnanimity, and
Give this status its greatest status
benevolence—how exalted this station is!
God disciplined His servant, guided him
أدّبَtaught good manners اللّهُGod عَبْدَهُHis servant وَهَداهُand guided him
أدّبَ اللّهُ عَبْدَهُ وَهَداهُ
وَاصْطفاهُand chose him للمتَّقِينَfor the God-fearing إماماas a leader
وَاصْطفاهُ للمتَّقِينَ إماما
God refined His servant's character and guided him,
And chose him as the Imam for the righteous
and chose him as a leader for the God-fearing.
What religion is like his religion in its supremacy?
أيُّwhat دِينٍfaith كدينِهِlike his faith فيin عُلاهُits loftiness
أيُّ دِينٍ كدينِهِ في عُلاهُ
أيُّwhat قومٍpeople كالمسلمينَlike the Muslims القدامىof old
أيُّ قومٍ كالمسلمينَ القدامى
What faith equals his in its loftiness?
What people are like the early Muslims?
What people are like the Muslims of old?
Have you seen the weak in every land
أرأيتَhave you seen? الضّعافَthe weak فيin كلِّevery أرضٍland
أرأيتَ الضّعافَ في كلِّ أرضٍ
كيفhow أمسواthey became للأقوياءِfor the strong طعاماfood
كيف أمسوا للأقوياءِ طعاما
Have you seen the weak in every land,
How they became food for the strong?
how they have become food for the strong?
They forbade good things out of enmity and injustice
حَرَّمواthey forbade الطيباتِwholesome things بَغياًoppressively وظُلماًand unjustly
حَرَّموا الطيباتِ بَغياً وظُلماً
وَاسْتحلُّواand they deemed lawful الذُّنوبَsins والآثاماand transgressions
وَاسْتحلُّوا الذُّنوبَ والآثاما
They forbade wholesome things, oppressively and unjustly,
And permitted sins and immoralities
and deemed sins and transgressions lawful.
My Lord if you want life for the people
رَبِّmy Lord إنif شِئتَYou wish للشُّعوبِfor the peoples حَياةًlife
رَبِّ إن شِئتَ للشُّعوبِ حَياةً
فابعثِthen raise up المُسلِمينَthe Muslims والإسلاماand Islam
فابعثِ المُسلِمينَ والإسلاما
My Lord, if You wish life for the peoples,
Then send the Muslims and Islam
then raise up the Muslims and Islam.
Send the light in the kingdoms guiding
إبعثِsend forth النُّورَlight فيthroughout الممالكِthe realms يهدِيit guides
إبعثِ النُّورَ في الممالكِ يهدِي
كُلَّevery شَعبٍpeople غَوَىwent astray ويمحوand it erases الظّلاماdarkness
كُلَّ شَعبٍ غَوَى ويمحو الظّلاما
Send forth light throughout the realms to guide
Every misguided people and erasing the darkness
every people gone astray, and wipe away the darkness.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.