بِرابِعَةِat the fourth of السّاعاتِthe hours جِئْتُI came أخَبِّرُI bring news
بِرابِعَةِ السّاعاتِ جِئْتُ أخَبِّرُ
وللمَدْحِand for praise فيconcerning الموْلىthe lord الهُمامِthe magnanimous أحَبِّرُI compose ornate verse
وللمَدْحِ في الموْلى الهُمامِ أحَبِّرُ
At the fourth hour I came to bring news,
At the fourth hour I came to announce
and I compose ornate praise of the magnanimous lord.
And to eulogize the valorous master
ولمand why لاnot وقدْwhen indeed أحْياhas revived بكَthrough you اللهُGod سُنّةًa tradition
ولم لا وقدْ أحْيا بكَ اللهُ سُنّةً
نُهَلِّلُwe proclaim God's oneness فيat أعْيادِهاits festivals ونُكَبِّرُand proclaim God's greatness
نُهَلِّلُ في أعْيادِها ونُكَبِّرُ
And why not, when God has revived through you a tradition
Why not, when Allah revived through you a tradition
at whose festivals we proclaim God's oneness and greatness?
That we celebrate its holidays and pronounce the takbeer
كأنّas though رَبيعاًRabiʿ كانwere للنّاسِfor the people شهْرُهُits month
كأنّ رَبيعاً كان للنّاسِ شهْرُهُ
رَبيعاًa spring سَقاهُwatered it عارضٌa cloud منْكَfrom you مُمْطِرُrain-bearing
رَبيعاً سَقاهُ عارضٌ منْكَ مُمْطِرُ
It is as though the month of Rabiʿ were, for the people,
It was as though for people the month of Rabee’
a spring watered by a rain-bearing cloud from you.
Was a Rabee’ watered by a cloud from you pouring rain
فأرْجاؤهُso its expanses منْwith نورِthe light of وجْهِكَyour face تزْدَهيshine
فأرْجاؤهُ منْ نورِ وجْهِكَ تزْدَهي
وبَطْحاؤهُand its plain منْwith نَوْرِthe blossoms of جودِكَyour generosity تُزْهِرُblooms
وبَطْحاؤهُ منْ نَوْرِ جودِكَ تُزْهِرُ
So its expanses shine with the light of your face,
So its outskirts blossomed from the light of your face
and its plain blooms with the blossoms of your generosity.
And its lowlands bloomed from the light of your generosity
محمّدٌMuhammad قدْindeed عظَّمْتَyou have exalted دينَthe faith of محمّدٍMuhammad
محمّدٌ قدْ عظَّمْتَ دينَ محمّدٍ
ومِثْلُكَand one like you مَنْone who يُبْديdisplays الجَميلَgoodness ويُضْمِرُand harbors it within
ومِثْلُكَ مَنْ يُبْدي الجَميلَ ويُضْمِرُ
Muhammad, you have indeed exalted Muhammad's faith,
Muhammad, you have honored the religion of Muhammad
and one like you displays goodness and harbors it within.
And who like you shows goodness and conceals it
لقدْindeed شدّstrengthened أزْرَthe backbone of المُلْكِthe realm منْكَfrom you خليفَةٌa caliph
لقدْ شدّ أزْرَ المُلْكِ منْكَ خليفَةٌ
لهُfor him تحْتَbeneath سِتْرِthe veil of الغَيْبِthe unseen نصْرٌa victory مؤزّرُmighty
لهُ تحْتَ سِتْرِ الغَيْبِ نصْرٌ مؤزّرُ
Indeed, a caliph from you has strengthened the realm's backbone;
Indeed a caliph has supported the kingdom through you
for him, beneath the veil of the unseen, lies a mighty victory.
To him under the veil of the unseen is triumphant support
تبَشِّرُbring glad tidings منْهُfrom him العارِفونَthose with insight بوارِدٍof an arrival
تبَشِّرُ منْهُ العارِفونَ بوارِدٍ
قَريبِnear المَدىthe time span ياO لَلّهِGod! (invoked in wonder) فيماat what تُبشِّرُyou bring as glad tidings
قَريبِ المَدى يا لَلّهِ فيما تُبشِّرُ
Those with insight bring glad tidings from him of an arrival
From it the learned foresee good tidings
close at hand—O God, what glad tidings you bring!
Near in reach, oh Allah, regarding what you foretell
فكُنْso be واثِقاًconfident باللهِin God مُسْتَنْصِراًseeking victory بهِthrough Him
فكُنْ واثِقاً باللهِ مُسْتَنْصِراً بهِ
فهَلْfor is there ثَمَّthere إلاany but اللّهُGod يكْفيwho suffices ويَنْصُرُand grants victory
فهَلْ ثَمَّ إلا اللّهُ يكْفي ويَنْصُرُ
So trust in God, seeking victory through Him,
So be certain in Allah, seeking victory through Him
for is there anyone but God who suffices and grants victory?
Is there then other than Allah sufficient to grant victory?
يفُلُّHe shatters جُموعَthe hosts of الشّرْكِpolytheism وهْيَthough they are كثيرَةٌmany
يفُلُّ جُموعَ الشّرْكِ وهْيَ كثيرَةٌ
ويَنْميand makes grow منَof الدّينِthe faith القَليلَwhat is little فيَكْثُرُso it becomes abundant
ويَنْمي منَ الدّينِ القَليلَ فيَكْثُرُ
He shatters the hosts of polytheism, though they are many,
He will defeat the multitudes of polytheists numerous
and makes what is little of the faith grow until it is abundant.
And nurture the little of religion until it becomes prolific