خاطر بنفسك في رضى الرحمن

واصبر لكل أذى وكل هوان

Risk your life for the All-Merciful's pleasure,

and endure every harm and every humiliation.

فالموت أكبر ما هناك وما به

نقص على من مات في الإيمان

For death is the worst that awaits, and it brings no

loss to one who dies in faith.

واغظ بجهدك من أغاظ بجهده

مولاك وافضح عصبة الشيطان

And with all your might anger whoever strives to anger

your Lord, and expose Satan's band.

واصدع بأمر الله غير مجامل

لفلان في رب السما وفلان

Proclaim God's command, making no concessions

to this man or that concerning the Lord of heaven.

واطرح بنفسك في المهالك دونه

مستعصما بالله ذي السلطان

Cast yourself into deadly dangers in His defense,

holding fast to God, the possessor of sovereignty.

فلقد علقت به مليكا قائما

بالحق لا يصغي إلى بهتان

For, as a king, you have indeed clung to Him, standing

for truth and paying no heed to slander,

بحمية في الله تنبى أنه

في ملكه من ربه بمكان

with zeal for God that shows that he

holds high standing with his Lord in his kingship.

لم يثنه عن نصر دين إلهه

مع كثر من يثنيه عنه ثاني

He was not turned from supporting his God's faith

by any dissuader, though many try to turn him from it.

احفظ رسول الله وانصر دينه

واقتل مبيح عبادة الأوثان

Safeguard God's Messenger and champion his faith,

and kill whoever permits the worship of idols.

فهي الوسيلة لا وسيلة بعدها

لك في الوصول إلى رضى الديان

For this is the means; there is no means beyond it

for you to attain the Judge's pleasure.

قد أرغم البارى بنصرك دينه

فينا شياطين الملا والجان

Through your support of His faith, the Creator has humbled

the devils of men and jinn among us.

ومتى تجد لاجلا ثناك فإنه

رجل أجاب منادي الشيطان

Whenever you find a disputant who turns you back, he is

a man who has answered Satan's caller.

لو كان يعقل لم يطاوع نفسه

في بيعه الباقي بشيء فاني

Had he sense, he would not indulge his own soul

by selling what endures for something fleeting.

والله خير المحسنين وفضله

وعطاؤه أبقى على الإِنسان

And God is the best of benefactors; His bounty

and His gifts are more enduring for humankind.

وقد اجتباك الله أحسن مجتبى

وأراك ما يخفيه رأي عيان

And God has chosen you in the finest way,

and shown you what is hidden, in plain sight.

وعلمت ما لم يعلموه فلا تدع

لمقالهم وقعاً على الآذان

You know what they do not; so do not let

their words make any impression on the ears.

لا تترك الإسلام والقول الذي

قد قاله الرحمن في القرآن

Do not abandon Islam and the words

the All-Merciful has spoken in the Qur'an

لشويعر قد قال قولا فاجرا

ليغر منا واهي الإيمان

for a paltry poet who has uttered impious words

to beguile the weak in faith among us:

يا رب علم لو أبوح بجوهر

منه لقالوا عابد الاوثان

"Ah, how much knowledge—were I to disclose one jewel

of it, they would call me an idol-worshipper!"

نسبو لزين العابدين نظامه

حاشاه بل يعزى إلى شيطان

They attributed its versification to Zayn al-Abidin—

far be it from him! Rather, it is ascribed to a devil.

ما ذلك العلم المبيح دم الفتى

في ملة الإسلام بالبرهان

What is that knowledge which makes a young man's blood lawful

in the faith of Islam, on the strength of proof?

الله أكبر يا ابن آدم كم هنا

لك من عدو ناطق بلسان

God is greatest! Son of Adam, how many here

are enemies of yours, speaking with tongues!

قد كان في إبليس ما يكفي الورى

عمن له منهم من الأعوان

Iblis alone was enough for humankind,

without the helpers he has among them.

حاشا محمد أن يبيح المسلم

دم مسلم زاك وليس بجاني

Far be it from Muhammad to allow a Muslim to shed

the blood of a pure Muslim who has committed no crime.

نصح الجميع فما لقاص عنده

من نصحه إلا الذي للداني

He counseled everyone; the distant received from him

the same counsel as those nearby.

أو ما قرات على سواء بعد قل

آذنتكم هل مار في الاذان

Or have you not read 'on equal terms' after 'Say:

I have notified you'? Does anyone dispute the notification?

لا والذي جعل ابن آدم للهدى

حدى حسام صارم وسنان

No, by Him who made the son of Adam, for guidance,

the edge of a keen sword and the point of a spear!

أفديه من ملك يحب إلهه

ويغير حين يغار للرحمن

I would ransom him, a king who loves his God,

and attacks when fired with zeal for the All-Merciful.

لك في الأعادي كل يوم وقعة

تنبى بأول يومهن الثاني

Every day you have a battle against your foes;

their first day foretells the second.

يا عامراً للدين ما عمر الفتى

الدنيا بمثل عمارة الأديان

O builder of the faith, no man has better built

this world than by building up religions.

ملك بناه لك الإِله وشاده

وبنا المهيمن ثابت الأركان

A kingdom God has built and raised for you,

and what the Guardian builds has steadfast pillars.

ما قمت فيه ولا قعدت مطالبا

لكن أتتك ولست بالوسنان

You neither rose nor sat in pursuit of it,

but it came to you, and you were not drowsy.

فأخذته أخذ العزيز بقدرة

رفعت قواعده على كيوان

So you seized it with a mighty grasp, with power

that raised its foundations above Saturn.

أما الوزير فقد أخذت بضبعه

فنجا وطاب له بك الداران

As for the minister, you have taken him by the arm;

he was saved, and through you both abodes grew pleasant for him—

دنيا وآخرة فكم من منة

لك عنده بالحمد للمنان

this world and the next. How many favors

you have conferred on him—praise to the Bestower!

كملت محاسنه وأصبح صالحاً

لك صابحا من أصلح الإِخوان

His virtues are complete, and he has become worthy

to visit you in the morning, among the worthiest of brethren.

فأذقه طعم رضاك بالطبع الذي

شهدت برقته لك الملوان

So let him taste your favor, with that disposition

whose gentleness night and day have attested in you.

لو كنت متروكا وطبعك قبلها

في حقه ما خاف ريب زمان

Had you been left to your former disposition

toward him, he would not have feared time's reversals.

ولسوف يجني من ثمار رضاكم

ما ليس يطمع في جناه الجاني

And surely he will gather from the fruits of your favor

what no harvester could hope to reap.

وتهنّه عيدا أتاك مبشرا

من ربنا بالعفو والرضوان

And enjoy a feast-day that has come to you with glad tidings

from our Lord of pardon and good pleasure,

والنصر والفتح المبين على العدى

وخيار عيش في خيار زمان

and victory and clear conquest over the foes,

and the finest life in the finest time.