بِقَومي جَمِعاً لا أُحاشي وَلا أَكني

بِقَومي جَمِعاً لا أُحاشي وَلا أَكني

أَبو جَعفَرٍ بَحرُ العُلا وَحَيا المُزنِ

أَبو جَعفَرٍ بَحرُ العُلا وَحَيا المُزنِ

May all my people be his ransom—I exclude none and speak plainly—

With my people collectively I neither exclude nor slight

Abu Ja'far, sea of glory and life-giving rain from the clouds.

Abu Ja'far, the sea of highness and life of sadness

فَتى العَرَبِ المَدعُوُّ في السِلمِ لِلنَدى

فَتى العَرَبِ المَدعُوُّ في السِلمِ لِلنَدى

وَفارِسُها المَدعُوُّ في الحَربِ لِلطَعنِ

وَفارِسُها المَدعُوُّ في الحَربِ لِلطَعنِ

The Arabs' noble youth, called upon in peace for bounty,

The Arab youth called for friendship in peace

and their horseman, called upon in war for spear-thrusts.

And their knight called for stabbing in war

سَحابٌ إِذا أَعطى حَريقٌ إِذا سَطا

سَحابٌ إِذا أَعطى حَريقٌ إِذا سَطا

لَهُ عِزَّةُ الهِندِيِّ في هِزَّةِ الغُصنِ

لَهُ عِزَّةُ الهِندِيِّ في هِزَّةِ الغُصنِ

A cloud when he gives, a blaze when he strikes;

A cloud when it gives, burning, when it pours forth

he has the might of an Indian sword in the sway of a branch.

It has the glory of the Indian in the trembling of the branch

لَجَأنا إِلى مَعروفِهِ فَكَأَنَّنا

لَجَأنا إِلى مَعروفِهِ فَكَأَنَّنا

لِمَنعَتِنا فيهِ لَجَأنا إِلى حِصنِ

لِمَنعَتِنا فيهِ لَجَأنا إِلى حِصنِ

We sought refuge in his kindness, and it was as though we

We have resorted to his kindness as though

so secure in him, had taken refuge in a fortress.

Because of our refuge in it, we have resorted to a fortress

أَطاعَ العُلا في كُلِّ حُكمٍ أَتَت بِهِ

أَطاعَ العُلا في كُلِّ حُكمٍ أَتَت بِهِ

فَأَقصى الَّذي تُقصي وَأَدنى الَّذي تُدني

فَأَقصى الَّذي تُقصي وَأَدنى الَّذي تُدني

He obeyed glory in every judgment it delivered,

He obeyed the Most High in every judgment that came to him

so he kept far those it keeps far, and drew near those it draws near.

So he brought near whom you bring near and distanced whom you distance

لِشَهرِ رَبيعٍ نِعمَةٌ ما يَفي بِها

لِشَهرِ رَبيعٍ نِعمَةٌ ما يَفي بِها

ثَناءٌ وَلَو قُمنا بِأَضعافِها نُثني

ثَناءٌ وَلَو قُمنا بِأَضعافِها نُثني

The month of Rabi' has a blessing that cannot be repaid

The month of Rabi has a blessing that is not fulfilled

by praise, even were we to praise it many times over.

By praise, even if we gave multiples of it as praise

أَمِنّا صُروفَ الدَهرِ مِن بَعدِ خَوفِها

أَمِنّا صُروفَ الدَهرِ مِن بَعدِ خَوفِها

لَدَيهِ وَبَعدَ الخَوفِ يُؤنَسُ بِالأَمنِ

لَدَيهِ وَبَعدَ الخَوفِ يُؤنَسُ بِالأَمنِ

We became safe from time's vicissitudes after fearing them,

We have become safe from the turns of fate after its fear

in his care; after fear, safety brings comfort.

In his presence, and after fear intimacy with safety is cheered

تَرَدَّدَتِ الأَيّامَ فيهِ وَأَقبَلَت

تَرَدَّدَتِ الأَيّامَ فيهِ وَأَقبَلَت

قِباحُ اللَيالي وَهيَ بادِيَةُ الحُسنِ

قِباحُ اللَيالي وَهيَ بادِيَةُ الحُسنِ

The days came and went therein, and there came

The days went back and forth in it, and

the ugly nights, with their beauty plain to see,

The ugly nights came with their beautiful appearance

غَداةَ غَدا مِن سِجنِهِ البَحرُ مُطلَقاً

غَداةَ غَدا مِن سِجنِهِ البَحرُ مُطلَقاً

وَما خِلتُ أَنَّ البَحرَ يُحظَرُ في سِجنِ

وَما خِلتُ أَنَّ البَحرَ يُحظَرُ في سِجنِ

on the morning when the sea emerged from his prison, set free.

On the morning of a morning the sea came out released from its prison

And I had not imagined the sea could be confined in a prison.

And I never thought that the sea could be imprisoned in prison

وَلَيسَت لَهُ إِلّا السَماحَ جِنايَةٌ

وَلَيسَت لَهُ إِلّا السَماحَ جِنايَةٌ

إِذا أُخِذَ الجاني بِبَعضِ الَّذي يَجني

إِذا أُخِذَ الجاني بِبَعضِ الَّذي يَجني

And his only crime is generosity,

He has no sin except generosity

if an offender is held to account for any of his offenses.

When the sinner is seized with some of what he harvests

تَقَلقَلُ مِنهُ في الحَديدِ عَزيمَةٌ

تَقَلقَلُ مِنهُ في الحَديدِ عَزيمَةٌ

يَكِلُّ الحَديدُ عَن جَوانِبِها الخُشنِ

يَكِلُّ الحَديدُ عَن جَوانِبِها الخُشنِ

His resolve stirs within the iron fetters;

In the iron wavers a resolute determination

the iron grows blunt against its rugged flanks.

The iron yields before its rough sides

حُزونَةُ أَيّامٍ مَرَرنَ بِهَضبَةٍ

حُزونَةُ أَيّامٍ مَرَرنَ بِهَضبَةٍ

فَأَقلَعنَ مِثلَ المارِنِ اللَيِّنِ اللَدنِ

فَأَقلَعنَ مِثلَ المارِنِ اللَيِّنِ اللَدنِ

Harsh days passed over a rocky height,

Grieving days passed a stretch

then withdrew like the soft, supple tip of a nose.

And then desisted like soft, gentle camels

فَما فَلَّ رَيبُ الدَهرِ مِن ذَلِكَ الشَبا

فَما فَلَّ رَيبُ الدَهرِ مِن ذَلِكَ الشَبا

وَلا زَعزَعَ المَكروهُ مِن ذَلِكَ الرُكنِ

وَلا زَعزَعَ المَكروهُ مِن ذَلِكَ الرُكنِ

So time's misfortunes did not blunt that keen edge,

So the misgivings of fate did not fail from that youth

nor did adversity shake that pillar.

Nor did disasters shake that pillar

وَلَمّا بَدا صُبحُ اليَقينِ وَكُشِّفَت

وَلَمّا بَدا صُبحُ اليَقينِ وَكُشِّفَت

بِهِ ظُلمَةُ الطَخياءِ عَن شُبهَةِ الظَنِّ

بِهِ ظُلمَةُ الطَخياءِ عَن شُبهَةِ الظَنِّ

And when the dawn of certainty appeared and swept away

And when the dawn of certainty appeared and

the black night's gloom from the uncertainty of conjecture,

Its darkness over the confusion of doubt was uncovered

تَجَلّى لَنا مِن سِجنِهِ وَهوَ خارِجٌ

تَجَلّى لَنا مِن سِجنِهِ وَهوَ خارِجٌ

خُروجَ شُعاعِ الشَمسِ مِن جانِبِ الدَجنِ

خُروجَ شُعاعِ الشَمسِ مِن جانِبِ الدَجنِ

he shone forth to us from his prison as he emerged,

He appeared to us coming out of his prison

like a sunbeam emerging from the edge of dark clouds.

Like the emergence of the sun's rays from the side of the darkness

يَفيضُ كَما فاضَ الغَمامُ تَتابَعَت

يَفيضُ كَما فاضَ الغَمامُ تَتابَعَت

شَآبيبُهُ بِالهَطلِ مِنهُ وَبِالهَتنِ

شَآبيبُهُ بِالهَطلِ مِنهُ وَبِالهَتنِ

He pours forth as a raincloud pours; in succession fall

Pouring forth as the clouds poured forth

his showers, streaming from him in torrents and steady rain.

Its droplets in succession, from it, with renewal

مُحَمَّدُ عِش لِلمَكرُماتِ الَّتي اِصطَفَت

مُحَمَّدُ عِش لِلمَكرُماتِ الَّتي اِصطَفَت

يَداكَ وَلِلمَجدِ الرَفيعِ الَّذي تَبني

يَداكَ وَلِلمَجدِ الرَفيعِ الَّذي تَبني

Muhammad, live for the noble deeds that

Muhammad, live for the noble traits that chose

your two hands have chosen, and for the lofty glory you build.

Your hand, and for the high glory that you built

فَكَم مِن يَدٍ بَيضاءَ مِنكَ بِلا يَدٍ

فَكَم مِن يَدٍ بَيضاءَ مِنكَ بِلا يَدٍ

وَمِن مِنَّةٍ زَهراءَ مِنكَ بِلا مَنِّ

وَمِن مِنَّةٍ زَهراءَ مِنكَ بِلا مَنِّ

How many a white hand of kindness from you, without a favor in return,

So how many a fair hand is from you without a hand

and how many a radiant favor from you, without reproachful reminders!

And how much blossoming kindness is from you without kindness!