أَخَذْتَyou took hold وَأَمْوَاجُwhile the waves of الرَّدَىdeath مُتَلاَطِمَةْcrashing together
أَخَذْتَ وَأَمْوَاجُ الرَّدَى مُتَلاَطِمَةْ
بِضَبْعِيof my upper arm يَانَجْلَO scion of الْوَصِيِّthe Legatee وفَاطِمَهْand Fatimah
بِضَبْعِي يَانَجْلَ الْوَصِيِّ وفَاطِمَهْ
You took hold, while death's waves were crashing together,
of my upper arm, O scion of the Legatee and Fatimah.
وَسَكَّنْتَand you stilled رِيحَthe wind of الْخَطْبِcalamity بَعْدَafter هُبُوبِهَاits rising
وَسَكَّنْتَ رِيحَ الْخَطْبِ بَعْدَ هُبُوبِهَا
وَلَوْلاَكَand but for you كَانَتْwould have been هُوجُهَاits raging gusts لِيَto me حَاطِمَهْcrushing
وَلَوْلاَكَ كَانَتْ هُوجُهَا لِيَ حَاطِمَهْ
And you stilled calamity's wind after it had risen;
but for you, its raging gusts would have crushed me.
وَقَامَand took charge بِأَمْرِيof my affairs مِنْكَfrom you أَرْوَعُa gallant man مَاجِدٌnoble
وَقَامَ بِأَمْرِي مِنْكَ أَرْوَعُ مَاجِدٌ
يَرُدُّhe repels صُرُوفَthe vicissitudes of الدَّهْرِtime عَنِّيَfrom me رَاغِمَهْhumbled
يَرُدُّ صُرُوفَ الدَّهْرِ عَنِّيَ رَاغِمَهْ
And from you a gallant nobleman took up my cause,
driving time's vicissitudes away from me, humbling them.
سَلَلْتُI drew لِنَصْرِيfor my defense مِنْfrom عُلاَكَyour eminence مهنداan Indian-steel sword
سَلَلْتُ لِنَصْرِي مِنْ عُلاَكَ مهندا
كَفَفْتُI held back بِهِwith it كَفّاًa hand مِنَfrom الْبَغْيِoppression ظَالِمَهْunjust
كَفَفْتُ بِهِ كَفّاً مِنَ الْبَغْيِ ظَالِمَهْ
I drew from your eminence an Indian blade for my defense;
with it I held an unjust hand back from oppression.
أَبَاO father of قَاسِمQasim لاَزلْتَmay you ever remain لِلْفُضلِof bounty قَاسِماًan apportioner
أَبَا قَاسِم لاَزلْتَ لِلْفُضلِ قَاسِماً
ظُبَاكَyour sword-edges لِظَهْرِof the back of الْجَوْرِtyranny وَالظُّلْمِand oppression قَاصِمَهْshattering
ظُبَاكَ لِظَهْرِ الْجَوْرِ وَالظُّلْمِ قَاصِمَهْ
O Abu Qasim, may you ever apportion bounty;
your sword-edges shatter the back of tyranny and oppression.
سَجَايَاكَyour innate virtues تَقْضِيattest أَنَّكَthat you are ابْنُa son of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
سَجَايَاكَ تَقْضِي أَنَّكَ ابْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ
أَيُجْحَدُcan ... be denied? حَقٌّa truth وَالشَّهَادَةُwhile the testimony قَائِمَهْstands
أَيُجْحَدُ حَقٌّ وَالشَّهَادَةُ قَائِمَهْ
Your virtues attest that you are a son of Muhammad;
can truth be denied while the testimony stands?
أَلَنْتَyou softened لِيَfor me الدَّهْرَtime الظَّلُومَthe cruel فَأَصْبَحَتْso they became
أَلَنْتَ لِيَ الدَّهْرَ الظَّلُومَ فَأَصْبَحَتْ
لَيَالِيهِits nights مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter التَّعَسُّفِoppression خَادِمَهْserving
لَيَالِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ التَّعَسُّفِ خَادِمَهْ
You made cruel time gentle for me, and now
its nights, once oppressive, are my servants.
فَقَدْfor indeed كُظِمَwas stifled الْغَيْظُwrath الشَّدِيدُfierce بِعَزْمَةٍby a resolve
فَقَدْ كُظِمَ الْغَيْظُ الشَّدِيدُ بِعَزْمَةٍ
سَرَتْpassed down لَكَto you مِنْfrom عَهْدِthe days of الْعَقِيقِal-Aqiq وَكَاظِمَهْand Kazimah
سَرَتْ لَكَ مِنْ عَهْدِ الْعَقِيقِ وَكَاظِمَهْ
For fierce wrath has been stifled by a resolve
that reached you from the days of al-Aqiq and Kazimah.
فَيَاso O مُلْبِسِيyou who clothe me منْfrom فَضْلِهِhis bounty قُرشِيَّةًa Qurayshi robe
فَيَا مُلْبِسِي منْ فَضْلِهِ قُرشِيَّةً
أُتِيحَwas provided لَهَاfor it مِنْfrom كَفِّهِhis hand راقِمَهْan embroiderer
أُتِيحَ لَهَا مِنْ كَفِّهِ راقِمَهْ
So, O you who clothe me, from your bounty, in a Qurayshi robe,
for which your hand was appointed embroiderer:
بِأَيِّwith what لِسَانٍtongue أَمْor بِأَيِّwith what بَلاَغَةٍeloquence
بِأَيِّ لِسَانٍ أَمْ بِأَيِّ بَلاَغَةٍ
أُقَضِّيI discharge فُرُوضاًduties منْamong حُقُوقِكَyour rights لاَزِمَهْbinding
أُقَضِّي فُرُوضاً منْ حُقُوقِكَ لاَزِمَهْ
with what tongue, or with what eloquence,
can I discharge the binding duties I owe you?
فَدُمْso remain وَاحِدَthe peerless one among الآحَادِthe peerless فِيin ظِلِّthe shade of غِبْطَةٍbliss
فَدُمْ وَاحِدَ الآحَادِ فِي ظِلِّ غِبْطَةٍ
وَلاَand may ... never بَرِحَتْcease عَيْنُthe eye of الرَّدَىdeath عَنْكَaway from you نَائِمَهْasleep
وَلاَ بَرِحَتْ عَيْنُ الرَّدَى عَنْكَ نَائِمَهْ
So remain peerless among the peerless, in the shade of bliss,
and may death's eye ever slumber, heedless of you.