حَقيقٌ على الأيّام أن يتَحدَّثوا

حَقيقٌ على الأيّام أن يتَحدَّثوا

بما عِندهم من نعمةِ اللهِ تَحْدُثُ

بما عِندهم من نعمةِ اللهِ تَحْدُثُ

It is fitting that the days should speak

It is the duty of days to speak

of God's blessings newly arising among them.

Of the blessings of God that arise

وما كان من نُعماهُ أقدم عندهم

وما كان من نُعماهُ أقدم عندهم

فذاك على شُكْرٍ يُضاعَفُ أبعَث

فذاك على شُكْرٍ يُضاعَفُ أبعَث

And whatever of His favors has been theirs longer,

And whatever of His favors was longstanding with them

that is a greater spur to thanksgiving redoubled.

For that, thankfulness multiplies and awakens

وإن يك للأشياء في العَينِ ظاهرٌ

وإن يك للأشياء في العَينِ ظاهرٌ

فذو اللُّبِّ أحياناً عنِ اللُّبِّ يَبْحث

فذو اللُّبِّ أحياناً عنِ اللُّبِّ يَبْحث

And even if things have an outward appearance to the eye,

And if things have an outer appearance to the eye

yet the discerning sometimes seek the inner essence.

The perceptive soul sometimes searches beyond the outer

ومَن كان نَفْعٌ للورى في بَقائه

ومَن كان نَفْعٌ للورى في بَقائه

فَيَبْقَى على رَغْمِ الأعادي ويَلْبَث

فَيَبْقَى على رَغْمِ الأعادي ويَلْبَث

And whoever's continued life benefits humankind

And whoever's existence benefits the people

will live on despite his enemies, and endure.

Remains despite enemies and endures

ضمَانٌ على اللهِ الوَفيِّ بقاؤه

ضمَانٌ على اللهِ الوَفيِّ بقاؤه

وما عَهْدُه يوماً من الدّهرِ يُنكّث

وما عَهْدُه يوماً من الدّهرِ يُنكّث

His survival is guaranteed by God, the Faithful,

A guarantee upon God, the Loyal, is the permanence of his existence

and never, in all time, is His covenant broken.

And His promise was never violated by time

قضَى اللهُ أنَّ النفْعَ للنّاسِ عِصمةٌ

قضَى اللهُ أنَّ النفْعَ للنّاسِ عِصمةٌ

بها طُولَ أعمارِ الورى يُتَشبَّث

بها طُولَ أعمارِ الورى يُتَشبَّث

God has decreed that benefiting people is a safeguard,

God decreed that benefiting people is a safeguard

to which one clings throughout the lifetimes of humankind.

By which the lifespan of existence is grasped

ألم تَر أنّ اللهَ جَلَّ ثناؤه

ألم تَر أنّ اللهَ جَلَّ ثناؤه

يقولُ لنا ما يَنفَعُ النّاسَ يَمكُث

يقولُ لنا ما يَنفَعُ النّاسَ يَمكُث

Have you not seen that God—exalted be His praise—

Do you not see that God, glorified is His praise

says to us, “What benefits people remains”?

Says to us “What benefits people, remains”

وذلك قُرآنٌ قديمٌ قرأتُه

وذلك قُرآنٌ قديمٌ قرأتُه

لِيُسمَعَ لا قول منَ الشِعرِ مُحْدَث

لِيُسمَعَ لا قول منَ الشِعرِ مُحْدَث

And that is the ancient Qur'an, which I have recited

And that is an ancient Quran I recited

to be heard, not newly composed words of poetry.

To be heard, not words of poetry composed

فقُلْ لنجيبِ الدّينِ أبشِرْ بصِحّةٍ

فقُلْ لنجيبِ الدّينِ أبشِرْ بصِحّةٍ

تُعَجِّلُ عن قُرْبٍ ولا تَتَريَّث

تُعَجِّلُ عن قُرْبٍ ولا تَتَريَّث

So tell Najib al-Din: rejoice in good health

So say to the respondent of faith, receive good news

that comes swiftly, very soon, and does not tarry.

That hastens from near, and do not delay

أما أنت غَوْثٌ للورى من زمانِهم

أما أنت غَوْثٌ للورى من زمانِهم

فَرَبُّ الورى عن صَرفهِ لكَ أغوَث

فَرَبُّ الورى عن صَرفهِ لكَ أغوَث

Are you not humankind's succor against their age?

As for you, a succor for existence from their time

Then humankind's Lord is greater succor for you against its vicissitudes.

So the Lord of existence prevented your loss

أما أنت للأحرارِ في الدَهْرِ مَلْجأٌ

أما أنت للأحرارِ في الدَهْرِ مَلْجأٌ

إذا جعَلَتْ فيه الحوادِثُ تَحْدُث

إذا جعَلَتْ فيه الحوادِثُ تَحْدُث

Are you not a refuge for the freeborn throughout time,

As for you, a refuge for the free in epochs

when calamities begin to arise within it?

When events in it occur

بلَى أنت للدّاعِي إلى الغوثِ في الورى

بلَى أنت للدّاعِي إلى الغوثِ في الورى

مُجيبٌ دعاءً نَصْرُه لا يُلَبَّث

مُجيبٌ دعاءً نَصْرُه لا يُلَبَّث

Indeed, for anyone among humankind who calls for help, you are

Yes, you for the supplicant in existence are

an answerer of his plea, whose aid is never delayed.

A responder, his call for help is not delayed

تَروحُ وللأموالِ عندَكَ مَحْصَدٌ

تَروحُ وللأموالِ عندَكَ مَحْصَدٌ

وتغْدو وللآمالِ عندَكَ مَحْرَث

وتغْدو وللآمالِ عندَكَ مَحْرَث

You go forth at evening, and with you is a harvest-ground for wealth;

You go out, and for wealth with you there is harvest

and go forth at dawn, and with you is a ploughing-ground for hopes.

And you come, and for hopes with you there is plowing

وللدِينِ نَصْرٌ واصبٌ ليس يأتَلي

وللدِينِ نَصْرٌ واصبٌ ليس يأتَلي

وللمُلْكِ نُصْحٌ خالصٌ ليس يُغْلَث

وللمُلْكِ نُصْحٌ خالصٌ ليس يُغْلَث

And for religion, unceasing support that never slackens,

And for religion, constant victory that does not decline

and for the realm, pure counsel that is never tainted.

And for the kingdom, pure advice not mixed with turmoil

وللصَّدْرُ للإسلامِ درعٌ يَصونُه

وللصَّدْرُ للإسلامِ درعٌ يَصونُه

وقَلبٌ أمينٌ سِرّه ليس يُنبَث

وقَلبٌ أمينٌ سِرّه ليس يُنبَث

And the breast is a shield that protects Islam,

And for the core of Islam, an armor that protects it

and a trustworthy heart whose secret is never divulged.

And a faithful heart whose secret is not divulged

فلا يَهنأِ الحُسّادَ أنْ راحَ أو غَدا

فلا يَهنأِ الحُسّادَ أنْ راحَ أو غَدا

يُحَدِّثُ عنه بالنُباحِ مُحَدِث

يُحَدِّثُ عنه بالنُباحِ مُحَدِث

So let it not delight the envious that, at evening or dawn,

So the envious are not gladdened if he rested or went

a tale-teller speaks of him in barks.

And talked of him with slander, a gossip

سَتعْقُبُ ذي الشَكْوى بعُقْبَى حميدةٍ

سَتعْقُبُ ذي الشَكْوى بعُقْبَى حميدةٍ

تُفَتّتُ أكبادّ العِدا وتُفَرِّث

تُفَتّتُ أكبادّ العِدا وتُفَرِّث

This ailment will give way to a happy outcome

There will follow the complaints with good consequences

that shatters the enemies' livers and rends them.

That shatter the livers of enemies and pulverize

فُدونَك من فِكْرِى لكَ ابنةَ ساعةٍ

فُدونَك من فِكْرِى لكَ ابنةَ ساعةٍ

تَكادُ بها أذْنٌ وعَتْها تُطَمّث

تَكادُ بها أذْنٌ وعَتْها تُطَمّث

So take, from my thought, a daughter of an hour for you:

So from my thoughts for you, in an hour's time

an ear that has taken her in is almost deflowered by her.

Is a daughter, which almost an ear grasped and became deaf

فما هِيَ إلا حرَّةٌ عَربيّةٌ

فما هِيَ إلا حرَّةٌ عَربيّةٌ

فلولاك ما كانَتْ من العِزِّ تُطْمَث

فلولاك ما كانَتْ من العِزِّ تُطْمَث

For she is none other than a freeborn Arab maiden,

And it is only an eloquent Arabic poem

and but for you, her nobility would never let her be deflowered.

That were it not for you would not be perfumed with glory

فَدُمْ للعُلا ما دامَ في اللَيلِ كَوكَبٌ

فَدُمْ للعُلا ما دامَ في اللَيلِ كَوكَبٌ

وما حَجَّ بيتَ اللهِ أغبَرُ أشعَث

وما حَجَّ بيتَ اللهِ أغبَرُ أشعَث

So live on for glory as long as a star remains in the night,

So remain for elevation, for in the night there is a star

and as long as a dusty, disheveled pilgrim makes pilgrimage to God's House.

And one in pilgrim garb did not make dusty ritual rounds