بَكِّراset out early, you two صاحِبَيَّmy two companions يَومَon the day of الإِيابِreturn
بَكِّرا صاحِبَيَّ يَومَ الإِيابِ
وَقِفاand stop, you two بيwith me بِعَينِat Ayn شَمسٍShams قِفاstop, you two بيwith me
وَقِفا بي بِعَينِ شَمسٍ قِفا بي
Set out early, my two companions, on the day of return,
and stop with me at Ayn Shams—stop with me.
إِنَّنيindeed I وَالَّذيby Him who يَرىsees ماwhat بِنَفسيis within my soul
إِنَّني وَالَّذي يَرى ما بِنَفسي
لَمَشوقٌsurely longing لِظِلِّfor the shade of تِلكَthose الرِحابِspacious courts
لَمَشوقٌ لِظِلِّ تِلكَ الرِحابِ
Indeed I—by Him who sees what is within my soul—
am longing for the shade of those courts.
ياO أَميناًtrusted guardian عَلىover الحَقيقَةِthe truth وَالإِفand fatwa-giving (first part)
يا أَميناً عَلى الحَقيقَةِ وَالإِف
تاءِfatwa-giving (completion) وَالشَرعِand sacred law وَالهُدىand guidance وَالكِتابِand the Book
تاءِ وَالشَرعِ وَالهُدى وَالكِتابِ
O guardian of truth and the issuing
of fatwas, of sacred law, guidance, and the Book!
أَنتَyou نِعمَexcellent is الإِمامُthe Imam فيin مَوطِنِthe realm of الرَأjudgment (first part)
أَنتَ نِعمَ الإِمامُ في مَوطِنِ الرَأ
يِjudgment (completion) وَنِعمَand excellent is الإِمامُthe Imam فيat المِحرابِthe prayer niche
يِ وَنِعمَ الإِمامُ في المِحرابِ
You are an excellent Imam in the realm of
judgment, and an excellent Imam at the prayer niche.
خَشَعَbowed in awe البَحرُthe sea إِذwhen رَكِبتَyou boarded جَواريships
خَشَعَ البَحرُ إِذ رَكِبتَ جَواري
هِits خُشوعَwith the awe of القُلوبِhearts يَومَon the Day of الحِسابِReckoning
هِ خُشوعَ القُلوبِ يَومَ الحِسابِ
The sea bowed in awe when you boarded its ships,
as hearts bow in awe on the Day of Reckoning.
وَبَداand appeared ماؤُهُits water كَخاطِرِكَlike your mind المَصpolished (first part)
وَبَدا ماؤُهُ كَخاطِرِكَ المَص
قولِpolished (completion) أَوor كَالفِرِندِlike watered sword-steel أَوor كَالسَرابِlike a mirage
قولِ أَو كَالفِرِندِ أَو كَالسَرابِ
And its waters appeared like your polished
mind, or like watered sword-steel, or a mirage.
يَتَجَلّىit shines forth كَأَنَّهُas though it were صُحُفُthe scrolls of الأَبthe righteous (first part)
يَتَجَلّى كَأَنَّهُ صُحُفُ الأَب
رارِrighteous (completion) مَنشورَةًspread open بِيَومِon the Day of المَآبِReturn
رارِ مَنشورَةً بِيَومِ المَآبِ
It shone as though it were the scrolls of the righteous,
spread open on the Day of Return.
عَلِمَتit knew مَنwhom تُقِلُّit carries فَاِنبَعَثَتso it sped forth لِلtoward the
عَلِمَت مَن تُقِلُّ فَاِنبَعَثَت لِل
قَصدِgoal مِثلَlike اِنبِعاثِهِhis setting forth لِلثَوابِfor reward
قَصدِ مِثلَ اِنبِعاثِهِ لِلثَوابِ
It knew whom it bore, and sped toward
its goal, as he hastens toward reward.
فَهِيَso it تَسريglides كَأَنَّهاas though it were دَعوَةُthe prayer of المُضthe distressed (first part)
فَهِيَ تَسري كَأَنَّها دَعوَةُ المُض
طَرِّdistressed (completion) فيin مَسبَحِthe swimming-place of الدُعاءِprayer المُجابِthat is answered
طَرِّ في مَسبَحِ الدُعاءِ المُجابِ
So it glides like the prayer of one in
distress, in the waters of answered prayer.
وَضِياءُand the radiance of الإِمامِthe Imam يوضِحُmakes clear لِلرُبto the captain (first part)
وَضِياءُ الإِمامِ يوضِحُ لِلرُب
بانِcaptain (completion) سُبلَthe paths of النَجاةِsafety فَوقَabove العُبابِthe surging waves
بانِ سُبلَ النَجاةِ فَوقَ العُبابِ
And the Imam's radiance shows the captain
the paths of safety above the surging waves.
باتَit spent the night يُغنيهِsparing him عَنfrom مُكافَحَةِstruggling against البَحthe sea (first part)
باتَ يُغنيهِ عَن مُكافَحَةِ البَح
رِsea (completion) وَرُقبىand watching النُجومِthe stars وَالأَقطابِand the celestial poles
رِ وَرُقبى النُجومِ وَالأَقطابِ
All night it spared him battling the sea
and watching the stars and celestial poles.
وَسَرىand sped البَرقُthe telegraph; lightning لِلجَزائِرِto Algiers بِالبُشwith glad tidings (first part)
وَسَرى البَرقُ لِلجَزائِرِ بِالبُش
رىglad tidings (completion) بِقُربِof the nearness of المُطَهَّرِthe purified one الأَوّابِthe ever-penitent
رى بِقُربِ المُطَهَّرِ الأَوّابِ
And the telegraph flashed glad tidings to Algiers
that the purified, ever-penitent one was near.
فَسَعىso hastened أَهلُهاits people إِلىto شاطِئِthe shore of البَحthe sea (first part)
فَسَعى أَهلُها إِلى شاطِئِ البَح
رِsea (completion) وُفوداًin delegations بِالبِشرِwith joy وَالتِرحابِand warm welcome
رِ وُفوداً بِالبِشرِ وَالتِرحابِ
So its people hastened to the shore
of the sea, in delegations, with joy and warm welcome.
أَدرَكواthey recognized قَدرَthe worth of ضَيفِهِمtheir guest فَأَقامواso they remained
أَدرَكوا قَدرَ ضَيفِهِم فَأَقاموا
يَرقُبونَwatching for الإِمامَthe Imam فَوقَabove السَحابِthe clouds
يَرقُبونَ الإِمامَ فَوقَ السَحابِ
They knew their guest's worth, and stood
watching for the Imam, high above the clouds.
لَيتَwould that مِصراًEgypt كَغَيرِهاlike its peers تَعرِفُrecognized الفَضmerit (first part)
لَيتَ مِصراً كَغَيرِها تَعرِفُ الفَض
لَmerit (completion) لِذيto one possessing الفَضلِmerit مِنamong ذَويthose endowed with الأَلبابِunderstanding
لَ لِذي الفَضلِ مِن ذَوي الأَلبابِ
Would that Egypt, like other lands, recognized merit
in the deserving among those endowed with understanding.
إِنَّهاindeed it لَوif دَرَتknew مَكانَكَyour station فيin المَجglory (first part)
إِنَّها لَو دَرَت مَكانَكَ في المَج
دِglory (completion) وَمَرماكَand your aim فيat صُدورِthe breasts of الصِعابِdaunting trials
دِ وَمَرماكَ في صُدورِ الصِعابِ
If it knew your station in glory,
and your aim at the breasts of daunting trials,
وَتَفانيكَand your selfless devotion فيin سَبيلِthe cause of أَبيAbu (father of) حَفHafs (first part)
وَتَفانيكَ في سَبيلِ أَبي حَف
صٍHafs (completion) وَمَسعاكَand your efforts عِندَwhen دَفعِwarding off المُصابِcalamity
صٍ وَمَسعاكَ عِندَ دَفعِ المُصابِ
and your selfless devotion to the cause of Abu
Hafs, and your efforts to ward off calamity,
لَأَظَلَّتكَit would surely have shaded you بِالقُلوبِwith hearts مِنَfrom الشَمthe sun (first part)
لَأَظَلَّتكَ بِالقُلوبِ مِنَ الشَم
سِsun (completion) وَوارَتand would have buried عِداكَyour enemies تَحتَbeneath التُرابِthe dust
سِ وَوارَت عِداكَ تَحتَ التُرابِ
it would have shaded you from the sun with hearts,
and buried your enemies beneath the dust.
أَنتَyou عَلَّمتَناtaught us الرُجوعَreturning إِلىto الحَقtruth (first part)
أَنتَ عَلَّمتَنا الرُجوعَ إِلى الحَق
قِtruth (completion) وَرَدَّand tracing back الأُمورِall things لِلأَسبابِto causes
قِ وَرَدَّ الأُمورِ لِلأَسبابِ
You taught us to return to truth,
and to trace all things to their causes.
ثُمَّthen أَشرَقتَyou shone فيin المَنارِAl-Manar (the beacon) عَلَيناupon us
ثُمَّ أَشرَقتَ في المَنارِ عَلَينا
بَينَbetween نورِthe light of الهُدىguidance وَنورِand the light of الصَوابِsound judgment
بَينَ نورِ الهُدى وَنورِ الصَوابِ
Then you shone upon us in Al-Manar,
between the light of guidance and the light of sound judgment.
فَقَرَأناso we read عَلىby ضِيائِكَyour light فيهِin it
فَقَرَأنا عَلى ضِيائِكَ فيهِ
كَلِماتِthe words of المُهَيمِنِthe Guardian الوَهّابِthe Bestower
كَلِماتِ المُهَيمِنِ الوَهّابِ
So by your light we read therein
the words of the Guardian, the Bestower.
وَسَكَنّاand we found peace إِلىin الَّذيwhat أَنزَلَrevealed اللَGod (first part)
وَسَكَنّا إِلى الَّذي أَنزَلَ اللَ
هُGod (completion) وَكُنّاand we were مِنfrom قَبلِهِbefore it فيin اِرتِيابِdoubt
هُ وَكُنّا مِن قَبلِهِ في اِرتِيابِ
And we found peace in what God revealed,
though before it we had been in doubt.
أَيُّهَذاO you الإِمامُImam أَكثَرتَyou increased حُسّاenviers (first part)
أَيُّهَذا الإِمامُ أَكثَرتَ حُسّا
ديmy enviers (completion) فَباتَتso spent the night نُفوسُهُمtheir souls فيin اِلتِهابِflames
دي فَباتَت نُفوسُهُم في اِلتِهابِ
O Imam, you have multiplied my enviers,
so their souls spent the night aflame.
أَبصَرواthey saw مَوقِفيmy standing فَعَزَّso it was painful عَلَيهِمfor them
أَبصَروا مَوقِفي فَعَزَّ عَلَيهِم
مِنكَto you قُربيmy closeness وَمِنand with عُلاكَyour eminence اِنتِسابيmy affiliation
مِنكَ قُربي وَمِن عُلاكَ اِنتِسابي
They saw my standing, and could not bear
my closeness to you and my association with your eminence.
أَجمَعواthey settled أَمرَهُمtheir plan عِشاءًat evening وَباتواand spent the night
أَجمَعوا أَمرَهُم عِشاءً وَباتوا
يُسمِعونَcausing to hear الوَرىmankind طَنينَthe buzzing of الذُبابِflies
يُسمِعونَ الوَرى طَنينَ الذُبابِ
They agreed on their plan at evening, and spent the night
making the world hear the buzzing of flies.
وَنَسواand they forgot رَبَّهُمtheir Lord وَقالواand they said ضَمِنّاwe have guaranteed
وَنَسوا رَبَّهُم وَقالوا ضَمِنّا
بُعدَهُhis distance عَنfrom رِحابِthe courts of ذاكَthat الجَنابِaugust presence
بُعدَهُ عَن رِحابِ ذاكَ الجَنابِ
They forgot their Lord and said, 'We have ensured
he stays far from the courts of that august presence.'
قُلsay لِجَمعِto the band of المُنافِقينَhypocrites وَمِنهُمand among them
قُل لِجَمعِ المُنافِقينَ وَمِنهُم
خُصَّsingle out بِالقَولِin speech عَبدَthe slave of أُمِّUmm (Mother of) الحَبابِal-Habab (bubbles; a wine epithet)
خُصَّ بِالقَولِ عَبدَ أُمِّ الحَبابِ
Tell the band of hypocrites—and among them
single out for your words the slave of Umm al-Habab:
عَبدَthe slave of تِلكَthat الَّتيwhich يُحَرِّمُهاforbids it اللَGod (first part)
عَبدَ تِلكَ الَّتي يُحَرِّمُها اللَ
هُGod (completion) إِزاءَalongside الأَزلامِdivining arrows وَالأَنصابِand sacrificial stones
هُ إِزاءَ الأَزلامِ وَالأَنصابِ
the slave of that which God forbids
alongside divining arrows and sacrificial stones.
إِنَّindeed نَفسَthe soul of الإِمامِthe Imam فَوقَabove مُناهُمtheir wishes
إِنَّ نَفسَ الإِمامِ فَوقَ مُناهُم
ماwhatever تَمَنَّواthey wished وَإِنَّنيand indeed I غَيرُnot صابيone who strays
ما تَمَنَّوا وَإِنَّني غَيرُ صابي
The Imam's soul is above their hopes,
whatever they may wish, and I am not one to stray.
شابَturned gray فيهِمwithin them وَلاؤُهُمtheir loyalty حينَwhen شابواthey turned gray
شابَ فيهِم وَلاؤُهُم حينَ شابوا
وَوَلائيand my loyalty فيin عُنفُوانِthe prime of الشَبابِyouth
وَوَلائي في عُنفُوانِ الشَبابِ
Their loyalty turned gray within them as they turned gray,
while my loyalty is in the very prime of youth.