تَبِعواthey followed رَسولَهُمُtheir Messenger بِسُنَّتِهِaccording to his way
تَبِعوا رَسولَهُمُ بِسُنَّتِهِ
حَتّىuntil لَقوهُthey met him وَهُمwhile they عَلىat قَدرِan honored rank
حَتّى لَقوهُ وَهُم عَلى قَدرِ
They followed their Messenger in his way,
until they met him, held in honor,
رُفَقاءَcompanions مُتَّكِئينَreclining فيin غُرَفٍchambers
رُفَقاءَ مُتَّكِئينَ في غُرَفٍ
فَرِحينَrejoicing فَوقَupon أَسِرَّةٍcouches خُضرِgreen
فَرِحينَ فَوقَ أَسِرَّةٍ خُضرِ
companions, reclining in chambers,
rejoicing upon green couches,
فيin ظِلِّthe shade of مَنthe One عَنَتِbowed humbly الوُجوهُthe faces لَهُbefore Him
في ظِلِّ مَن عَنَتِ الوُجوهُ لَهُ
حَكَمِthe Judge of الحُكومِjudges وَمالِكِand Master of القَهرِoverpowering might
حَكَمِ الحُكومِ وَمالِكِ القَهرِ
in the shade of Him before whom faces bow,
the Judge of judges and Master of overpowering might.
وَلَقَدand indeed خَصَمتُI bested in argument بِهاwith it مُخاصِمَكُمyour opponent
وَلَقَد خَصَمتُ بِها مُخاصِمَكُم
وَشَفَيتُand I satisfied أَنفُسَكُمyour souls مِنَwith الخُبرِknowledge
وَشَفَيتُ أَنفُسَكُم مِنَ الخُبرِ
And with it I have indeed bested your opponent,
and satisfied your souls with knowledge.
ماnot قُلتُI said إِلّاexcept الحَقَّthe truth أُخبِرُهُI report it
ما قُلتُ إِلّا الحَقَّ أُخبِرُهُ
عَنabout أَهلِthe people of بادِيَةٍthe desert وَلاnor مِصرِa town
عَن أَهلِ بادِيَةٍ وَلا مِصرِ
I have spoken only the truth, which I report,
about the people of desert or town.
فَاليَومَso today يَنفَعُhelps كُلَّevery مُعتَذِرٍone seeking pardon
فَاليَومَ يَنفَعُ كُلَّ مُعتَذِرٍ
عِندَbefore الإِمامِthe Imam صَوادِقَsincere العُذرِexcuses
عِندَ الإِمامِ صَوادِقَ العُذرِ
So today every seeker of pardon is helped
before the Imam by sincere excuses.
أَنتَyou الَّذيthe one whom كانَتused to تُوَطِّنُناschool us
أَنتَ الَّذي كانَت تُوَطِّنُنا
تَرجوهُhoping for him أَنفُسُناour souls عَلىin الصَبرِpatience
تَرجوهُ أَنفُسُنا عَلى الصَبرِ
You are the one whom, schooling us
in patience, our souls used to hope for.
ماتَdied المَظالِمُinjustices حينَwhen كُنتَyou became لَهاfor them
ماتَ المَظالِمُ حينَ كُنتَ لَها
حَكَماًa judge وَجِئتَand you came لَناto us عَلىamid فَقرِpoverty
حَكَماً وَجِئتَ لَنا عَلى فَقرِ
Injustices died when you became their
judge, and you came to us amid poverty,
مِنّاon our part إِلَيكَtoward you كَفَقرِlike the need of مُمحِلَةٍa drought-stricken woman
مِنّا إِلَيكَ كَفَقرِ مُمحِلَةٍ
تَرجوhoping for الرَبيعَspring لِرُزَّمٍfor camels too weak to rise عَشرِten
تَرجو الرَبيعَ لِرُزَّمٍ عَشرِ
our need of you like that of a drought-stricken woman,
hoping for spring for ten camels too weak to rise.
ذَهَبَwent away الزَمانُtime بِخَيرِwith the wealth of والِدِهاher father
ذَهَبَ الزَمانُ بِخَيرِ والِدِها
عَنهاfrom her وَماand there is no لِبَنيهِfor his sons مِنany دَثرِriches
عَنها وَما لِبَنيهِ مِن دَثرِ
Time has carried off her father's wealth
from her, and his sons have no riches.
قَدalready خَنَّقَتshe has reached تِسعينَninety أَوor كَرَبَتshe came close
قَد خَنَّقَت تِسعينَ أَو كَرَبَت
تَدنوdrawing near لِآخِرِto the end of أَرذَلِthe feeblest stage of العُمرِlife
تَدنو لِآخِرِ أَرذَلِ العُمرِ
She has reached ninety, or nearly so,
drawing near the end of decrepit old age.
تُرِكَتshe was left تُبَكّيweeping bitterly فيin مَنازِلِهِمtheir dwellings
تُرِكَت تُبَكّي في مَنازِلِهِم
لَيسَتshe is not إِلىwith recourse to وَلَدٍa child وَلاnor وَفرِwealth
لَيسَت إِلى وَلَدٍ وَلا وَفرِ
She was left weeping bitterly in their dwellings,
with neither child nor wealth to turn to.
بَعَثَsent الإِلَهُGod لَهاto her وَقَدwhen already هَلَكَتshe had perished
بَعَثَ الإِلَهُ لَها وَقَد هَلَكَت
نورَthe light of البِلادِthe lands وَماطِرِand bringer of القَطرِrain
نورَ البِلادِ وَماطِرِ القَطرِ
God sent her, when she was already ruined,
the light of the lands and the bringer of rain.
يَرجونَthey hope for سَيبَكَyour bounty أَنthat يَكونَit will be لَهُمfor them
يَرجونَ سَيبَكَ أَن يَكونَ لَهُم
كَالنيلِlike the Nile فاضَit overflowed عَلىover قُرىthe villages of مِصرِEgypt
كَالنيلِ فاضَ عَلى قُرى مِصرِ
They hope your bounty will be to them
like the Nile overflowing Egypt's villages.
فَلَئِنso if indeed نَعَشتَهُمyou revive them فَقَدthen indeed هَلَكواthey have perished
فَلَئِن نَعَشتَهُم فَقَد هَلَكوا
وَاليُسرُand ease يَفرُجُrelieves لَزبَةَthe distress of العُسرِhardship
وَاليُسرُ يَفرُجُ لَزبَةَ العُسرِ
So if you revive them, they have indeed perished;
and ease relieves the straits of hardship.
لاno جارَprotector إِلّاexcept اللَهُGod مِنamong أَحَدٍanyone
لا جارَ إِلّا اللَهُ مِن أَحَدٍ
أَوفىmore faithful وَأَبعَدُand farther مِنكَthan you مِنfrom غَدرِtreachery
أَوفى وَأَبعَدُ مِنكَ مِن غَدرِ
No protector at all, save God,
is more faithful than you, or farther from treachery.