خَفُّوا يُلاقونَ النبيَّ بيثربٍ

خَفُّوا يُلاقونَ النبيَّ بيثربٍ

من بعدِ ما كَرِهوا الخُروجَ فأحْجَموا

من بعدِ ما كَرِهوا الخُروجَ فأحْجَموا

They hastened to meet the Prophet in Yathrib,

They hid themselves, met the Prophet in Yathrib

after they had been loath to go forth and had held back.

After they disliked going forth, so they hesitated

فَنَأى وأعرضَ لا يُريدُ لِقاءَهم

فَنَأى وأعرضَ لا يُريدُ لِقاءَهم

وتَكشَّفوا فَمُبَغَّضٌ ومُذَمَّمُ

وتَكشَّفوا فَمُبَغَّضٌ ومُذَمَّمُ

So he withdrew and turned away, unwilling to meet them,

So he turned away, refusing to meet them

and they stood exposed, hated and reviled.

Thus hated and blamed

وَتقطَّعتْ أسبابُهم فكأنّهم

وَتقطَّعتْ أسبابُهم فكأنّهم

سَرْحٌ يُبدَّدُ أو بِناءٌ يُهدَمُ

سَرْحٌ يُبدَّدُ أو بِناءٌ يُهدَمُ

And their ties were severed, so they were like

Their ties were cut, as though they were

a herd being scattered, or a building torn down.

A flock scattered or a building demolished

سُودُ الوجوهِ تَرى العُيونُ قَتامها

سُودُ الوجوهِ تَرى العُيونُ قَتامها

فَتظلُّ تُطْعَنُ باِللِّحاظِ وَتُرْجَمُ

فَتظلُّ تُطْعَنُ باِللِّحاظِ وَتُرْجَمُ

Black are their faces; eyes behold their gloom,

Black-faced, their eyes appear dark

so they are ever stabbed and stoned by glances.

So they remain, stabbed by glances, accused

يَتلفَّتونَ إذا مَشَوْا وإخالُهم

يَتلفَّتونَ إذا مَشَوْا وإخالُهم

لو يَقدِرونَ مِنَ الحياءِ تَلثَّموا

لو يَقدِرونَ مِنَ الحياءِ تَلثَّموا

They look about as they walk, and I think that

They glance around when walking, and their manner

if they could, they would veil their faces out of shame.

If they could, they would wrap themselves out of shame

يَتقلَّبُ الآباءُ في حَسَرَاتِهم

يَتقلَّبُ الآباءُ في حَسَرَاتِهم

وكأنّما الأبناءُ ليسوا مِنْهُمُ

وكأنّما الأبناءُ ليسوا مِنْهُمُ

Fathers writhe in their anguish,

The elders wander in sorrow

as though their sons were not their own.

As if the youth were not theirs

هَجْرٌ وإعراضٌ وَطُولُ قَطيعةٍ

هَجْرٌ وإعراضٌ وَطُولُ قَطيعةٍ

فالعيشُ سُمٌّ نَاقِعٌ أو عَلْقَمُ

فالعيشُ سُمٌّ نَاقِعٌ أو عَلْقَمُ

Shunning, rejection, and long estrangement—

Estrangement, refusal, and long severance of ties

so life is deadly poison or bitter colocynth.

So living becomes bitter poison or sticky grits

هُمْ أجْرَمُوا فَهُوَ الجزاءُ وَهكذا

هُمْ أجْرَمُوا فَهُوَ الجزاءُ وَهكذا

يُجْفَى ويُجْتَنَبُ المُسِيءُ المجرِمُ

يُجْفَى ويُجْتَنَبُ المُسِيءُ المجرِمُ

They sinned; this is the punishment, and thus

They sinned, so this is the punishment, and thus

the guilty wrongdoer is shunned and avoided.

The evildoer, the criminal is shunned and avoided

وَيْحَ الثلاثةِ إنّهم مما لَقُوا

وَيْحَ الثلاثةِ إنّهم مما لَقُوا

لأَشدُّ خَطباً في الرجالِ وأعظمُ

لأَشدُّ خَطباً في الرجالِ وأعظمُ

Alas for the three! Because of what they have endured,

Woe to those three! Of what they encountered

theirs is surely the direst and gravest plight among men.

Is the worst fate among men, and the greatest

وَدُّوا لَو اَنَّ الأرضَ زالتْ فَانْطَوَتْ

وَدُّوا لَو اَنَّ الأرضَ زالتْ فَانْطَوَتْ

ثُمَّ انْطَوَوْا فكأنّهم لم يأثَموا

ثُمَّ انْطَوَوْا فكأنّهم لم يأثَموا

They wished the earth would vanish and fold upon itself,

They wish if only the earth would shake and fold up

and then they too would fold away, as though they had not sinned.

Then they would fold up, as though they never sinned

ضاقتْ جَوانِبُها فلا مُتأخَّرٌ

ضاقتْ جَوانِبُها فلا مُتأخَّرٌ

فيها لأنفُسِهم ولا مُتقَدَّمُ

فيها لأنفُسِهم ولا مُتقَدَّمُ

Its bounds closed in; there was nowhere to retreat

Its sides have narrowed, so none lingers

within it for them, nor anywhere to advance.

Behind for themselves, nor moves ahead

كلٌّ له في العالَمين جَزاؤُه

كلٌّ له في العالَمين جَزاؤُه

ومِنَ الجماعةِ حَاكِمٌ لا يَظْلِمُ

ومِنَ الجماعةِ حَاكِمٌ لا يَظْلِمُ

Each has his recompense in the worlds,

Each has in the two worlds his recompense

and from the community comes a judge who does no wrong.

And from the community, a ruler who does not wrong

يَقْضُونَ إنْ عَقَلوا قَضاءً صالحاً

يَقْضُونَ إنْ عَقَلوا قَضاءً صالحاً

هُوَ للنّفوسِ مُهذِّبٌ ومُقَوِّمُ

هُوَ للنّفوسِ مُهذِّبٌ ومُقَوِّمُ

If they use reason, they deliver sound judgment,

If they judged with reason, an upright verdict

which refines souls and sets them right.

It disciplines the selves and makes them upright

فإذا هُمو جَهِلُوا فليس لدائِهم

فإذا هُمو جَهِلُوا فليس لدائِهم

طِبٌّ وليس لمثلِهم أن يَحْكُموا

طِبٌّ وليس لمثلِهم أن يَحْكُموا

But if they act in ignorance, their ailment has no

But if they are ignorant, there is no cure for their affliction

cure, nor is it for their like to judge.

Nor should the likes of them judge

سُبحانَ ربِّكَ ذي الجلالةِ إنّه

سُبحانَ ربِّكَ ذي الجلالةِ إنّه

لم يُوجبِ الشُّورى لِمَنْ لا يَفْهَمُ

لم يُوجبِ الشُّورى لِمَنْ لا يَفْهَمُ

Glory to your Lord, Possessor of Majesty! Indeed, He

Glory be to your Lord, full of Majesty, He

has not enjoined consultation for those who do not understand.

Did not decree consultation for those who do not understand

الرَّأيُ رأيُ ذَوِي المعارِفِ والنُّهَى

الرَّأيُ رأيُ ذَوِي المعارِفِ والنُّهَى

ومِنَ الرجالِ بَهائِمٌ لا تَعْلَمُ

ومِنَ الرجالِ بَهائِمٌ لا تَعْلَمُ

Counsel is the counsel of those with knowledge and reason;

Opinion is the opinion of those with knowledge and guidance

and among men are beasts that know nothing.

While among men there are beasts who do not know