حمدتُI praised إلهيmy God والمحامدand the praises جَمّتهHis abundance
حمدتُ إلهي والمحامد جَمّته
علىin كلِّevery حالِcondition اقتداءٍin emulation بمنof one who بليwas tried
على كلِّ حالِ اقتداءٍ بمن بلي
I praised my God, and abundant are His praises,
in every condition, following the example of one who was tried.
لقدindeed رُمتُI sought تحميدto offer praise المسرَّةِgladness مثلماjust as
لقد رُمتُ تحميد المسرَّةِ مثلما
أتىcame عنهfrom him فيin الوحيthe revelation الصريحِthe clear المنزلsent down
أتى عنه في الوحي الصريحِ المنزل
Indeed, I sought to offer praise in joy, just as
it came from him in the clear revelation sent down.
فقامso he undertook بحمدwith praise جاءcame منfrom عندِthe presence of منعمa giver of blessings
فقام بحمد جاء من عندِ منعم
كذاthus صحَّwas soundly reported عنهfrom him ثمthen جاءhe came بمفصلwith a detailed account
كذا صحَّ عنه ثم جاء بمفصل
So he offered praise that came from a giver of blessings;
thus it was soundly reported from him; then he brought a detailed account.
وحمديand my praise حمدpraise الضرِّaffliction لمdid not أرI see غيرهother than it
وحمدي حمد الضرِّ لم أر غيره
وأعظمهand the greatest of it فيin الدينreligion فاصبرso be patient وأجملand be gracious
وأعظمه في الدين فاصبر وأجمل
And my praise is praise amid affliction; I have seen no other,
and the worst of it is in religion—so be patient and gracious.
وصورتهand its form حمديmy praise علىfor كلِّevery صورةform
وصورته حمدي على كلِّ صورة
تكونcomes to be منfrom اللهGod العظيمِthe Great المفضلthe Bestower of bounty
تكون من الله العظيمِ المفضل
And its form is my praise for every form
that comes from God, the Great, the Bestower of bounty.
ولولاand were it not for حديثٌa saying صحwas soundly reported عنfrom خيرthe best مرسَلmessenger
ولولا حديثٌ صح عن خير مرسَل
لقلتI would have said لحىmay curse دهراًTime إلهيmy God وموئليand my refuge
لقلت لحى دهراً إلهي وموئلي
And were it not for a saying soundly reported from the best of messengers,
I would have said, 'May my God and refuge curse Time!'
ولكنbut تسمىHe called Himself باسمهby its name فاحترمتهso I honored it
ولكن تسمى باسمه فاحترمته
علىthrough كلِّevery إقبالadvance بادبارِwith retreat مُقبلapproaching
على كلِّ إقبال بادبارِ مُقبل
But He took its name, so I honored it,
through every advance that came bearing retreat.
رَمَتنيshot at me الرزاياthe calamities منهfrom it حينwhen تَوسليmy appeal
رَمَتني الرزايا منه حين تَوسلي
إليهto Him بهthrough it إذwhen صادفfound الرميthe shot مقتليmy fatal spot
إليه به إذ صادف الرمي مقتلي
Calamities from it shot at me while I made my appeal
to Him through it, when the shot found my fatal spot.
فلوand if كانthere were ليfor me خبرknowledge بريبِof the perils صروفهits changing fortunes
فلو كان لي خبر بريبِ صروفه
لماwould not كانhave been منيfrom me ماwhat بداappeared منof توسليmy appeal
لما كان مني ما بدا من توسلي
And had I known the perils of its changing fortunes,
the appeal I made would never have come from me.
توليتyou turned away إذwhen وليتyou entrusted قوماًa people أمورناour affairs
توليت إذ وليت قوماً أمورنا
منfrom السنَّةthe Sunna المثلىthe exemplary وأكرمand the noblest مرسلmessenger
من السنَّة المثلى وأكرم مرسل
You turned away, when you entrusted our affairs to a people,
from the exemplary Sunna and the noblest messenger.
وحكمتهمand you made them rulers فيناover us فعاثواso they wreaked havoc وأفسدواand spread corruption
وحكمتهم فينا فعاثوا وأفسدوا
فإنand if ذكرواthey were reminded جاؤواthey came بعذرٍwith an excuse معللreasoned
فإن ذكروا جاؤوا بعذرٍ معلل
And you made them rulers over us; they wreaked havoc and spread corruption.
And if they were reminded, they offered a reasoned excuse,
وقالواand they said لناto us صبراًbe patient علىwith ماwhat رأيتهمyou saw them
وقالوا لنا صبراً على ما رأيتهم
فإنّfor indeed هدىguidance التوفيقdivine grace عناfrom us بمعزلِat a distance
فإنّ هدى التوفيق عنا بمعزلِ
and told us, 'Be patient with what you have seen of them,
for the guidance of divine grace is far removed from us.'
فانشدتُso I recited لماwhen أنthat سمعتI heard كلامهمtheir words
فانشدتُ لما أن سمعت كلامهم
قفاhalt, you two نبكlet us weep منat ذكرىthe memory حبيبa beloved ومنزلِand a dwelling
قفا نبك من ذكرى حبيب ومنزلِ
So, when I heard their words, I recited:
'Halt, you two; let us weep at the memory of a beloved and a dwelling.'
حبيبيmy beloved رسولthe Messenger اللهGod لمdid not أنوI intend غيرهother than him
حبيبي رسول الله لم أنو غيره
ومنزلناand our dwelling الشرعُthe Law الذيthat أمرناour affairs وليgoverned
ومنزلنا الشرعُ الذي أمرنا ولي
My beloved is God's Messenger; I intended no other,
and our dwelling is the Law that governed our affairs.
ألاBehold إنindeed سيلthe flood الجورinjustice فيon الأرضthe earth قدalready طماoverflowed
ألا إن سيل الجور في الأرض قد طما
فياso, O زمنage المهديthe Mahdi أسرعhasten وأقبلِand come
فيا زمن المهدي أسرع وأقبلِ
Behold, the flood of injustice on earth has overflowed;
so, O age of the Mahdi, hasten and come!