أَرِقتُ لَنوحٍ آخِرَ اللَيلِ غَرَّدا

أَرِقتُ لَنوحٍ آخِرَ اللَيلِ غَرَّدا

لِشَيخِيَ يَنعي وَالرَئيسُ المُسَوَّدا

لِشَيخِيَ يَنعي وَالرَئيسُ المُسَوَّدا

I lay sleepless at a lament that sang out at night's end,

I stayed up late grieving, singing a sad song,

I lay sleepless for a lamenting voice that cried out at the end of the night,

mourning my elder and honored chief:

For my old sheikh who mourned while the president gloated,

Mourning my elder, the chief invested with high authority,

أَبا طالِبٍ مَأوى الصَعاليكَ ذا النَدى

أَبا طالِبٍ مَأوى الصَعاليكَ ذا النَدى

وَذا الحُلُمِ لا خَلقاً وَلم يَكُ قَعدَدا

وَذا الحُلُمِ لا خَلقاً وَلم يَكُ قَعدَدا

Abu Talib, refuge of the destitute, a man of generosity,

Abu Talib, refuge of the chivalrous with fresh dew,

Abu Talib, the refuge of the destitute and the possessor of bounty,

and a man of forbearance, not worn out, nor a coward.

Of great dreams, of excellent character, never vulgar,

Possessor of forbearance, not of rash temper, nor was he one to sit idly by.

أَخا المُلكِ خَلِّ ثَلمَةً سَيَسُدُّها

أَخا المُلكِ خَلِّ ثَلمَةً سَيَسُدُّها

بَنو هاشِمٍ أَو يُستَباحُ فَيَهمَدا

بَنو هاشِمٍ أَو يُستَباحُ فَيَهمَدا

O brother to kingship, leave a breach that will be closed

O brother of the king, heal the rift, or it will be closed

O brother of sovereignty, you have left a breach that shall only be filled

by the sons of Hashim—or it will be laid waste and die out.

By the Hashemites, or else their glory will fade,

By the Banu Hashim, or else it will be ravaged and laid waste.

فَأَمسَت قُرَيشٌ يَفرَحونَ لِفَقدِهِ

فَأَمسَت قُرَيشٌ يَفرَحونَ لِفَقدِهِ

وَلَستُ أَرى حُبّاً لِشَيءٍ مُخَلَّدا

وَلَستُ أَرى حُبّاً لِشَيءٍ مُخَلَّدا

So Quraysh came to rejoice at his loss,

The Quraysh rejoiced at his loss,

So the Quraysh have come to rejoice at his loss,

and I see no everlasting love for anything.

Yet I saw no lasting love for anything immortal,

Yet I see no love for any worldly thing that remains eternal.

أَرادَت أَموراً زَيَّنَتها حُلومُهُم

أَرادَت أَموراً زَيَّنَتها حُلومُهُم

سَتورِدُهُم يَوماً مِنَ الغَيِّ مَورِدا

سَتورِدُهُم يَوماً مِنَ الغَيِّ مَورِدا

They sought things their minds made alluring,

They desired things and adorned them with their dreams,

They desired matters which their own delusions made fair,

which will lead them one day to a watering place of error.

Which will one day lead them astray into misery,

Which shall one day lead them to a destination of ruin.

يَرجونَ تَكذيبَ النَبِيِّ وَقَتلِهِ

يَرجونَ تَكذيبَ النَبِيِّ وَقَتلِهِ

وَإِن يَفتَروا بُهتاً عَلَيهِ وَمُجحَدا

وَإِن يَفتَروا بُهتاً عَلَيهِ وَمُجحَدا

They hope to brand the Prophet a liar and kill him,

They hope to deny the Prophet and murder him,

They hope to brand the Prophet a liar and to slay him,

and even if they fabricate slander and denial against him,

And if they falsely accuse him, he is most steadfast,

While they fabricate against him slander and denial.

كَذَبتُم وَبيتِ اللَهِ حَتّى نُذيقَكُم

كَذَبتُم وَبيتِ اللَهِ حَتّى نُذيقَكُم

صُدورَ العَوالي وَالصَفيحَ المُهَنَّدا

صُدورَ العَوالي وَالصَفيحَ المُهَنَّدا

you lie, by God's House—not before we make you taste

You have lied about God’s house until We let you taste

You lie, by the House of God! Not until we make you taste

the points of long spears and the broad blade of Indian steel.

The bitterness of defeat and coats of mail in battle,

The tips of high spears and the broadswords of Indian steel,

وَيَظهَرُ مِنّا مَنظَرٌ ذو كَريهَةٍ

وَيَظهَرُ مِنّا مَنظَرٌ ذو كَريهَةٍ

إِذا ما تَسَربَلنا الحَديدَ المُسرَّدا

إِذا ما تَسَربَلنا الحَديدَ المُسرَّدا

And from us will emerge a sight fraught with terror,

You will see a hateful sight from us

And there appears from our side a sight of dread,

when we don linked iron mail.

When we don our gleaming armaments,

When we clad ourselves in coats of woven iron.

فَإِمّا تُبيدونا وَإِمّا نُبيدُكُم

فَإِمّا تُبيدونا وَإِمّا نُبيدُكُم

وَإِمّا تَرَوا سِلمَ العَشيرَةِ أَرشَدا

وَإِمّا تَرَوا سِلمَ العَشيرَةِ أَرشَدا

Then either you annihilate us, or we annihilate you,

Either you will destroy us or we will destroy you,

Then either you shall annihilate us, or we shall annihilate you,

or you deem peace with the clan the wiser course.

Or you will make peace, the most virtuous course,

Unless you deem the peace of the kinsfolk a wiser path.

وَإِلّا فَإِنَّ الحَيَّ دونَ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَإِلّا فَإِنَّ الحَيَّ دونَ مُحَمَّدٍ

بَنو هاشِمٍ خَيرَ البَرِيَةِ مُحتِدا

بَنو هاشِمٍ خَيرَ البَرِيَةِ مُحتِدا

Otherwise, the clan defending Muhammad is

If not, the living will defend Muhammad,

Otherwise, know that the tribe stands in defense of Muhammad,

the sons of Hashim, the best of all creation in lineage;

O Hashemites, the best of mankind united,

The Banu Hashim, the noblest of creation in lineage.

وَأَنَّ لَهُ فيكُم مِنَ اللَهِ ناصِراً

وَأَنَّ لَهُ فيكُم مِنَ اللَهِ ناصِراً

وَلَيسَ نَبِيٌّ صاحِبَ اللَهِ أَوحَدا

وَلَيسَ نَبِيٌّ صاحِبَ اللَهِ أَوحَدا

and he has among you a helper from God,

For he has from God a protector against you,

And that he has, amidst you, a Helper from God;

and no prophet who is God's companion is alone.

No prophet is more devoted to God than he,

For a Prophet, the companion of God, is never left alone.

نَبِيٌّ أَتى مِن كُلِّ وَحيٍ بِخُطبَةٍ

نَبِيٌّ أَتى مِن كُلِّ وَحيٍ بِخُطبَةٍ

فَسَمّاهُ رَبّي في الكِتابِ مُحَمَّدا

فَسَمّاهُ رَبّي في الكِتابِ مُحَمَّدا

A prophet who brought a discourse from every revelation,

A prophet who came with every revelation and sermon,

A Prophet who brought forth a message from every revelation,

so my Lord named him Muhammad in the Book.

Whom my Lord called Muhammad in the Book,

And my Lord named him, in the Scripture, Muhammad.

أَغَرُّ كَضوءِ البَدرِ صُورَةَ وَجهِهِ

أَغَرُّ كَضوءِ البَدرِ صُورَةَ وَجهِهِ

جَلا الغَيمُ عَنهُ ضوءَهُ فَتَوَقَّدا

جَلا الغَيمُ عَنهُ ضوءَهُ فَتَوَقَّدا

Radiant is the aspect of his face, like the full moon's light;

With a face shining like the full moon,

Radiant, his countenance is like the light of the full moon,

the cloud cleared from it, revealing its light, and it blazed.

Its light uncovered, beaming radiantly,

From which the clouds have parted, revealing a blazing glow.

أَمينٌ عَلى ما اِستَودَعَ اللَهُ قَلبَهُ

أَمينٌ عَلى ما اِستَودَعَ اللَهُ قَلبَهُ

وَإِن قالَ قَولاً كانَ فيهِ مُسَدَّداً

وَإِن قالَ قَولاً كانَ فيهِ مُسَدَّداً

Trustworthy with what God entrusted to his heart,

Trustworthy with what God has entrusted his heart,

Faithful to that which God has entrusted to his heart,

and if he speaks a word, he is rightly guided in it.

If he speaks, his words are most sagacious.

And whenever he speaks, his words are guided by truth.