نُفوسُ العالَمينَ لك الفِداءُ

نُفوسُ العالَمينَ لك الفِداءُ

فكيف ألَمّ يُؤْلِمُك اشتِكاء

فكيف ألَمّ يُؤْلِمُك اشتِكاء

The souls of all mankind are your ransom.

The souls of both worlds are yours for sacrifice

How, then, could an ailment befall you and cause you pain?

So how could any complaint cause you pain?

وكيفَ خَطا إلى ناديكَ يُفضي

وكيفَ خَطا إلى ناديكَ يُفضي

وبالخَطّي قد شَرِق الفَضاء

وبالخَطّي قد شَرِق الفَضاء

And how could it step forth to reach your hall,

And how did anxiety find its way,

when the open space was choked with Khatti spears,

To spill into your gathering place?

وللجُرْد المُطَهّمَة ارْتِكاضٌ

وللجُرْد المُطَهّمَة ارْتِكاضٌ

وللبِيض المُهَنَّدَة انْتِضاء

وللبِيض المُهَنَّدَة انْتِضاء

sleek, well-built steeds were galloping,

For polished shields there is flashing,

and bright blades of Indian steel were drawn?

For straightened mail shirts there is clanging.

فِداؤك حاضِرٌ مِنهم وبادٍ

فِداؤك حاضِرٌ مِنهم وبادٍ

لأنَّك ما بَقِيتَ لَهُم وقاء

لأنَّك ما بَقِيتَ لَهُم وقاء

Their townsfolk and nomads alike are your ransom,

From them is an absent offer of sacrifice—

for as long as you live, you are their shield.

Because for them you are no shelter.

دَعَوا لك بالخُلودِ وَقد أجيبوا

دَعَوا لك بالخُلودِ وَقد أجيبوا

ولا رَدٌّ إذا خَلُصَ الدُّعاء

ولا رَدٌّ إذا خَلُصَ الدُّعاء

They prayed for your everlasting life, and were answered;

They called for your eternity and were answered,

and no prayer is refused when it is sincere.

When a sincere prayer finds response.

هُم اقْتَرحوا بَقَاءك لِلْمَعالي

هُم اقْتَرحوا بَقَاءك لِلْمَعالي

لِيَهْنِئَهم بِدَوْلَتِك البَقاء

لِيَهْنِئَهم بِدَوْلَتِك البَقاء

They asked that you live on for noble deeds,

They proposed you remain for the heights

so that continued life under your rule might gladden them.

That you might allow the heights joy through your survival.

وأمّا الدّين والدُّنيا فَلولا

وأمّا الدّين والدُّنيا فَلولا

شِفاؤك لم يُتَحْ لَهما شِفاء

شِفاؤك لم يُتَحْ لَهما شِفاء

And as for faith and this world, were it not for

But for religion and world, if not for

your recovery, no recovery would be granted them.

Your recovery no recovery would bare for them.

فإن عُوفِيت عوفِيت البَرايا

فإن عُوفِيت عوفِيت البَرايا

وَقد ناجى مَعَالِمَها العَفاء

وَقد ناجى مَعَالِمَها العَفاء

For if you are healed, all creation is healed,

For if you convalesce, the lands convalesce,

though ruin had already whispered to its landmarks.

And their high points are saved from peril.

ولولا أنْ أفقت لما تجلّت

ولولا أنْ أفقت لما تجلّت

بأفْقٍ في أشعتِها ذُكاء

بأفْقٍ في أشعتِها ذُكاء

And had you not recovered, never would there have shone

And if you had not awakened, no glimmer would have sparkled

Dhukāʾ, the sun, upon the horizon amid her rays;

In a horizon whose beams bear brilliance.

ولا ضَحِكتْ بُروقٌ في سحاب

ولا ضَحِكتْ بُروقٌ في سحاب

لَها من عارض الشّكْوى بُكاء

لَها من عارض الشّكْوى بُكاء

nor would lightning have laughed within clouds

No lightning in clouds would have smiled

whose weeping came from affliction's cloud.

With a cheer opposing the plaint of weeping.

نضا عنك الضّنى بُرْءٌ سعيدٌ

نضا عنك الضّنى بُرْءٌ سعيدٌ

كمَا رَوّتْ صَدى الأرْضِ السّماء

كمَا رَوّتْ صَدى الأرْضِ السّماء

A blessed recovery stripped wasting illness from you,

Danger spared you, so happiness heals,

as the sky has quenched the earth's thirst.

As the echo of the land related to the sky.

وَجَلّلَ وَجْهَكَ الوَضّاحَ نُورٌ

وَجَلّلَ وَجْهَكَ الوَضّاحَ نُورٌ

إلى الإصْباح يُنْميهِ النّماء

إلى الإصْباح يُنْميهِ النّماء

And your radiant face is mantled in a light

And your face that gives light was mantled with a glow

whose growth lifts it to the brightness of dawn.

Growing toward dawn through prosperity.

كَذاك الشمسُ إن كُسِيتْ شُحوباً

كَذاك الشمسُ إن كُسِيتْ شُحوباً

جَلاه النور عَنها والضياء

جَلاه النور عَنها والضياء

So too, when the sun is clothed in pallor,

Just so the sun when clothed in pallor,

light and radiance clear it away from her.

Radiance and illumination swept pallor from it.

حَياةُ النّاسِ في تَخْليدِ يَحْيى

حَياةُ النّاسِ في تَخْليدِ يَحْيى

وَهل في أبْلَجِ الحقّ امْتِراء

وَهل في أبْلَجِ الحقّ امْتِراء

Mankind's life lies in Yahya's living forever;

People’s lives are in immortalizing John,

and can there be doubt about the clearest truth?

Can there be doubt in the truth’s shining beams?

إمامُ هُدى بِهِ اتّصَل اعْتِدَالٌ

إمامُ هُدى بِهِ اتّصَل اعْتِدَالٌ

مِنَ الأيّامِ وانْفَصَلَ اعْتِدَاء

مِنَ الأيّامِ وانْفَصَلَ اعْتِدَاء

An imam of guidance, through whom fairness came unbroken

The Imam of guidance through whom moderation was linked

from the days, while aggression ceased.

From the days, and transgression was severed.

لِغُرّتِه النواظِرُ سامِيات

لِغُرّتِه النواظِرُ سامِيات

كما شَاءَ السّنى وشَأى السّنَاء

كما شَاءَ السّنى وشَأى السّنَاء

Eyes rise toward his radiant brow,

Eyes were dazzled by his charm,

as radiance wills, while he outstrips glory.

However times list and fortunes spun.

وما سحّت يَداهُ نَداه إلا

وما سحّت يَداهُ نَداه إلا

تَبَيّن في الحَيا مِنْهُ الحَياء

تَبَيّن في الحَيا مِنْهُ الحَياء

And never did his hands pour forth his bounty

And nothing his hands dispensed gave him shame

but the rain's shame before him became plain.

But was shown in life from him to give life propriety.

أمَوْلايَ أنادي مِنْ بَعيدٍ

أمَوْلايَ أنادي مِنْ بَعيدٍ

ليُظْفرَني بإدنائي النّداء

ليُظْفرَني بإدنائي النّداء

O my lord, I call from afar,

My prince I call from afar,

so that my call may win me nearness to you.

That the call might grant me approach.

ولَوْ أنّ الهوى بالقصدِ وافٍ

ولَوْ أنّ الهوى بالقصدِ وافٍ

لَطار إليكَ بالقلبِ الهواء

لَطار إليكَ بالقلبِ الهواء

And were love sufficient for my purpose,

If my passion equaled my aim,

the air would fly to you bearing my heart.

The breath in my heart would take wing toward you.

وأوشِك أن لاقِيَ كلّ حُسنى

وأوشِك أن لاقِيَ كلّ حُسنى

وإحْسان متى سَنَح اللقاء

وإحْسان متى سَنَح اللقاء

And I expect soon to find every blessing

And I am about to meet every beautiful horizon,

and kindness, whenever a meeting presents itself.

And find grace when we chance to meet.

أقِمْ لِسَعادةٍ يَهْفو ويَضْفو

أقِمْ لِسَعادةٍ يَهْفو ويَضْفو

علَيكَ على الوَلاء لها لِواء

علَيكَ على الوَلاء لها لِواء

Live on in happiness, while there flutters and spreads

Stand for a happiness that floats and drips

above you, unceasingly, its banner.

Upon you, over the banners sworn to it.

وَأهلُ السّهْلِ والجَبل انقياداً

وَأهلُ السّهْلِ والجَبل انقياداً

وإذعاناً عَبيدٌ أو إماء

وإذعاناً عَبيدٌ أو إماء

And the people of plain and mountain, in submission

While the people of plain and hill bow in obedience—

and obedience, are bondmen or bondwomen.

Slaves or servant girls.

فلا بأس وأنت لنا غياثٌ

فلا بأس وأنت لنا غياثٌ

ولا يَأسٌ وأنتَ لنا رَجَاء

ولا يَأسٌ وأنتَ لنا رَجَاء

So there is no distress while you are our succor,

So no distress while for us you are rescue,

and no despair while you are our hope.

No despair while for us you are hope.

ودونَك مِدْحَةً أوْجَزْتُ فيها

ودونَك مِدْحَةً أوْجَزْتُ فيها

وكُنتُ أطِيلُها لولا الجَفاء

وكُنتُ أطِيلُها لولا الجَفاء

And take this poem of praise, which I have kept brief;

Concise before you an ode I made,

and I would have made it longer, were that not discourteous.

Though I’d have prolonged it, but for my reticence.

ومن شرطِ العيادات اخْتِصار

ومن شرطِ العيادات اخْتِصار

وهذا الأصْلُ يُطْردُه الهناء

وهذا الأصْلُ يُطْردُه الهناء

One rule of visiting the sick is brevity,

For visit rites demand abridgement,

and this rule holds for congratulations too.

And this principle is escorted by delight.

لعَلَّ عُلاك تُوسِعُني بحُبّي

لعَلَّ عُلاك تُوسِعُني بحُبّي

قَبُولاً إنّه نِعْمَ الحِبَاءُ

قَبُولاً إنّه نِعْمَ الحِبَاءُ

May your Highness, for my love, lavish upon me

Perhaps your ascent will make me spacious to my love—

acceptance: it is indeed an excellent gift.

Graciously receiving for he is excellent at gift-bestowal.