قال ابنُ ثابت الذي فخرتْ به

قال ابنُ ثابت الذي فخرتْ به

فقرُالكلامِ ونشأةُ الأشعار

فقرُالكلامِ ونشأةُ الأشعار

Ibn Thabit said—he who was the pride of

The son of Thabit, of whom I am proud

the passages of speech and the birth of poetry:

The elite of poetry and the genesis of verse

شغف السهادُ بمقلتي ومزاري

شغف السهادُ بمقلتي ومزاري

فعلى الدموعِ معوَّلي ومشاري

فعلى الدموعِ معوَّلي ومشاري

Sleeplessness became enamored of my eye and my visiting-place;

My eyes were captivated by their beauty and shrines

so tears are my reliance and my source of honey.

So my reliance and aspirations are upon tears

فلذا جعلتُ رويه الراء التي

فلذا جعلتُ رويه الراء التي

هي من حروف الردِّ والتكرار

هي من حروف الردِّ والتكرار

Thus I made its rhyme-letter rāʾ, which

Thus I made its rhyme the letter 'r'

is among the letters of return and repetition.

Which is among the letters of repetition

فأقولُ مبتدئاً لطاعة أحمد

فأقولُ مبتدئاً لطاعة أحمد

في مدح قومٍ سادةٍ أخيار

في مدح قومٍ سادةٍ أخيار

So I say, beginning in obedience to Ahmad,

So I say, beginning in obedience to Ahmed

in praise of a people, noble and virtuous leaders:

In praise of excellent and noble people

إني امرؤ من جملة الأنصار

إني امرؤ من جملة الأنصار

فإذا مدحتهمُ مدحتُ نجاري

فإذا مدحتهمُ مدحتُ نجاري

Indeed, I am a man among the ranks of the Ansar;

I am a man among the Ansar

so when I praise them, I praise my own lineage.

So if I praise them, I praise my carpenters

لسيوفهم قام الهدى وعلتْ بهم

لسيوفهم قام الهدى وعلتْ بهم

أنواره في رأس كلِّ منارِ

أنواره في رأس كلِّ منارِ

Through their swords, guidance stood firm, and through them rose

By their swords guidance stood tall and by them

its lights atop every beacon.

Its lights became elevated on every minaret

فاموا بنصر الهاشميّ محمدٍ

فاموا بنصر الهاشميّ محمدٍ

ألمصطفى المختارِ من مختار

ألمصطفى المختارِ من مختار

They rose in support of Muhammad the Hashimite,

They supported the victory of the Hashimite Muhammad

the Elect, the Chosen One, from one chosen.

The Chosen One, the Elect of the Elect

صحبوا النبيّ بنيةٍ وعزائم

صحبوا النبيّ بنيةٍ وعزائم

فازوا بهنَّ حميدة الآثار

فازوا بهنَّ حميدة الآثار

They accompanied the Prophet with intent and firm resolve;

They accompanied the Prophet with purpose and determination

through these they triumphed, with praiseworthy results.

And thereby won praiseworthy traces

باعوا نفوسهمُ لنصرةِ دينه

باعوا نفوسهمُ لنصرةِ دينه

ولذاك ما صحبوه بالإيثار

ولذاك ما صحبوه بالإيثار

They sold their lives to support his religion;

They sold their souls to champion His religion

and so, indeed, they accompanied him with selflessness.

And that is why they accompanied Him with sacrifice

لهمُ كنى المختار بالنفس الذي

لهمُ كنى المختار بالنفس الذي

يأتيه من يمن مع الأقدار

يأتيه من يمن مع الأقدار

The Chosen One referred to them as the breath that

The Chosen One gave them the appellation ‘The Trusted One’

comes to him from Yemen with the decrees of fate.

Who comes to him from the right with destinies

سعد سليل عبادة فخرت به

سعد سليل عبادة فخرت به

يومَ السقيفةِ جملةُ الأنصار

يومَ السقيفةِ جملةُ الأنصار

Saʿd, scion of ʿUbadah, was the pride of

Sa’d, the scion of Ubadah, I take pride in him

all the Ansar on the day of the Saqifah.

On the day of Saqifah, the leader of the Helpers

لله آسادٌ لكلِّ كريهةٍ

لله آسادٌ لكلِّ كريهةٍ

نزلتْ بدينِ الله والأبرار

نزلتْ بدينِ الله والأبرار

God’s lions against every calamity

For God there are lions against every calamity

that descended upon God’s religion and the righteous.

That has befallen the religion of God and the righteous

عزوا بدين الله في إعزازهم

عزوا بدين الله في إعزازهم

دين الهدى بالعسكر الجرّار

دين الهدى بالعسكر الجرّار

They grew mighty through God’s religion as they strengthened

They empowered the religion of God by empowering it

the religion of guidance with a vast host.

The religion of guidance by the great army

فيهم علا يوم القيامةِ مشهدي

فيهم علا يوم القيامةِ مشهدي

وبهم يرى عند الورود فخاري

وبهم يرى عند الورود فخاري

Among them my standing will rise on Resurrection Day;

Through them my spectacle will be raised on Judgement Day

and through them my glory will be seen on reaching the water.

And through them my pride will be seen at the Fountain

لو أنني صغتُ الكلامَ قلائداً

لو أنني صغتُ الكلامَ قلائداً

في مدحهم ما كنت بالمكثار

في مدحهم ما كنت بالمكثار

Had I fashioned speech into necklaces

If I were to string words as necklaces

in their praise, I would not have been too profuse.

In praise of them, I would not be excessive

كرش النبي وعيبة لرسوله

كرش النبي وعيبة لرسوله

لحقت به أعداؤه بتبار

لحقت به أعداؤه بتبار

The Prophet’s belly and a coffer for His Messenger—

The Prophet’s father-in-law and the messenger’s companion-in-arms

his enemies caught up with him—to their ruin.

Whom his enemies tried with betrayal

رُهبان ليلٍ يقرأونَ كلامه

رُهبان ليلٍ يقرأونَ كلامه

آساد غابٍ في الوغَى بنهار

آساد غابٍ في الوغَى بنهار

Monks by night, reciting His word;

Ascetic monks by night who read His word

lions of the forest amid the din of battle by day.

Lions absent in battle by day