إزْرَعِsow المعروفَkindness حَزْناًon rugged ground وسَهْلاand on level ground
إزْرَعِ المعروفَ حَزْناً وسَهْلا
واحصُدِand reap الكُفَّارَthe unbelievers سَبْياًas captives وقَتْلاand as slain
واحصُدِ الكُفَّارَ سَبْياً وقَتْلا
Sow kindness on rugged ground and level,
and reap the unbelievers, captive and slain.
واقْتَضِand seek from الرحمنَthe All-Merciful فتحاًa victory قريباًnear at hand
واقْتَضِ الرحمنَ فتحاً قريباً
كُلَّماwhenever جَلَّit grows great تَناهىit culminates أجَلّاstill greater
كُلَّما جَلَّ تَناهى أجَلّا
And seek from the All-Merciful a victory near at hand—
the greater it grows, the grander its culmination—
كْفءَmatching مَاwhat أَولَيْتَyou have offered حمداًin praise وشكراًand thanks
كْفءَ مَا أَولَيْتَ حمداً وشكراً
وصَدَقْتَand you were true to اللهَGod قَولاًin word وفِعْلاand deed
وصَدَقْتَ اللهَ قَولاً وفِعْلا
matching the praise and thanks you have offered.
And you have been true to God in word and deed,
وعَمَمْتَand you embraced الخَلْقَall creation عُرْفاًwith kindness وَجُوداًand generosity
وعَمَمْتَ الخَلْقَ عُرْفاً وَجُوداً
ووَسعْتَand you encompassed الأرضَthe earth حُكْماًwith rule وعَدْلاand justice
ووَسعْتَ الأرضَ حُكْماً وعَدْلا
and embraced all creation with kindness and generosity,
and encompassed the earth with rule and justice,
وبَهَرْتَand you dazzled البَرّthe land والبَحْرَand the sea خُلْقاًwith a character
وبَهَرْتَ البَرّ والبَحْرَ خُلْقاً
عَمَّit embraced all إفضالاًin bounty كَمَاjust as خَصَّit was unique فَضْلاin excellence
عَمَّ إفضالاً كَمَا خَصَّ فَضْلا
and dazzled land and sea with a character
all-embracing in bounty, yet singular in excellence.
بِجَبينٍwith a brow مَاnever تجَلَّىit shone لخطبٍupon a calamity
بِجَبينٍ مَا تجَلَّى لخطبٍ
يُظْلِمُdarkening الإصباحَdaybreak إلّاwithout تَجَلَّىits clearing away
يُظْلِمُ الإصباحَ إلّا تَجَلَّى
With a brow that never shone upon a calamity
darkening dawn without that calamity clearing;
ويمينٍand a right hand عاهَدَتْthat pledged to مَنْwhomever سَقاهُit gave him drink
ويمينٍ عاهَدَتْ مَنْ سَقاهُ
لاnot تَمَلُّit tires السَّقْيَof giving drink حتَّىuntil يَمَلّاhe tires
لا تَمَلُّ السَّقْيَ حتَّى يَمَلّا
and a right hand that pledged to whomever it watered
never to tire of giving drink until he tires;
وبعَزْمٍand with resolve ألبَسَthat clothed الدِّينَthe faith عِزّاًin might
وبعَزْمٍ ألبَسَ الدِّينَ عِزّاً
مِثلَماjust as قَدْalready ألبَسَit had clothed الشِّرْكَpolytheism ذُلّاin humiliation
مِثلَما قَدْ ألبَسَ الشِّرْكَ ذُلّا
and with resolve that clothed the faith in might,
just as it had clothed polytheism in humiliation.
وهِلالٌand a crescent فِيin سماءِthe sky of تُجيبٍTujib
وهِلالٌ فِي سماءِ تُجيبٍ
حازَit attained تِمَّthe fullness of المجدِglory يَومَon the day أَهَلّاit first appeared
حازَ تِمَّ المجدِ يَومَ أَهَلّا
And a crescent in the sky of Tujib:
it gained glory's fullness the day it first appeared.
وغَمامٌand a raincloud لَمْdid not تكَدْnearly تَمْتَرِيهِdraw rain from it
وغَمامٌ لَمْ تكَدْ تَمْتَرِيهِ
منكَfrom you رِيحُthe wind of النصرِvictory حَتَّىuntil اسْتَهَلّاit poured rain
منكَ رِيحُ النصرِ حَتَّى اسْتَهَلّا
And a raincloud—scarcely had it been coaxed to rain
by your wind of victory when it poured.
سَيْفُa sword for ضَرْبٍstriking لَمْdid not يَرُقْهُplease it حُلِيٌّornaments
سَيْفُ ضَرْبٍ لَمْ يَرُقْهُ حُلِيٌّ
وتراهُand you see it بالدِّماءِwith blood مُحَلَّىadorned
وتراهُ بالدِّماءِ مُحَلَّى
A sword for striking, never pleased by ornaments,
yet you see it adorned with blood.
وسِنانٌand a spearpoint مَاnot يَمَلُّit tires اسْتِناناًof charging
وسِنانٌ مَا يَمَلُّ اسْتِناناً
لوif تُوَلِّيهِyou turn it toward الرَّدىdeath مَاnot تَوَلَّىwould it turn away
لو تُوَلِّيهِ الرَّدى مَا تَوَلَّى
And a spearpoint that never tires of charging:
if you turned it toward death, it would not turn away.
كَلِفٌenamored بالطَّعْنِof thrusting والضَّربِand striking تامَتْshe enthralled
كَلِفٌ بالطَّعْنِ والضَّربِ تامَتْ
قَلْبَهُhis heart الحربُwar جَمالاًwith beauty وَدَلّاand coy allure
قَلْبَهُ الحربُ جَمالاً وَدَلّا
Enamored of thrusting and striking, enthralled
at heart by war's beauty and coy allure,
فَصَباso he yearned فِيamid جاحِمِthe blaze of الحربِwar نَفْساًin spirit
فَصَبا فِي جاحِمِ الحربِ نَفْساً
وعَصىand he defied فِيamid حاطِمِthe crushing force of الزَّحْفِthe advancing host عَذْلاreproach
وعَصى فِي حاطِمِ الزَّحْفِ عَذْلا
his soul thus yearned amid the blaze of war,
and he defied reproach amid the crushing advance.
فَتَمَامُso the perfection of الوَصْلِunion ألّاis not to يُخَلِّيleave
فَتَمَامُ الوَصْلِ ألّا يُخَلِّي
لجسومِfor the bodies of الشِّرْكِpolytheism بالهامِwith heads وَصْلاany union
لجسومِ الشِّرْكِ بالهامِ وَصْلا
So perfect union means leaving
no bond between polytheism's bodies and their heads;
ونِظامُand the ordering of الشَمْلِunity ألّاis not to يُبَقِّيleave
ونِظامُ الشَمْلِ ألّا يُبَقِّي
فِيin ديارِthe lands of الكُفْرِunbelief للِكفرِfor unbelief شَمْلاany gathering
فِي ديارِ الكُفْرِ للِكفرِ شَمْلا
and unity's order means leaving
no gathering for unbelief in unbelief's lands.
ساوَرَhe sprang upon الأسْدَlions وَمَاwhile not yet تَمَّhe had fully grown شِبْلاas a cub
ساوَرَ الأسْدَ وَمَا تَمَّ شِبْلا
He sprang upon lions before his cubhood was complete.
طردَhe pursued البأساءَadversity حتَّىuntil سَقاهاhe made it drink
طردَ البأساءَ حتَّى سَقاها
بكُؤوسِfrom the cups of الموتِdeath نَهْلاًa first draught وعَلّاand a second draught
بكُؤوسِ الموتِ نَهْلاً وعَلّا
He pursued adversity until he made it drink
from death's cups, a first draught and a second.
وسَقىand he gave drink to ماءَthe water of الفَضاءِthe open plain دِماءًblood
وسَقى ماءَ الفَضاءِ دِماءً
كَنَدىlike the bounty of كفَّيْهِhis two hands سَحَّاًin torrents وَوَبْلاand downpours
كَنَدى كفَّيْهِ سَحَّاً وَوَبْلا
And gave the water of the open plain blood to drink,
in torrents and downpours, like the bounty of his hands.
فيin مَكَرٍّa charge قالَhe said للِرُّمْحِto the spear رِفْقاًgently
في مَكَرٍّ قالَ للِرُّمْحِ رِفْقاً
ومَجالٍand a field of combat قالَhe said للسيفِto the sword مَهْلاslowly
ومَجالٍ قالَ للسيفِ مَهْلا
In a charge he told the spear, 'Gently!'
and in the fray he told the sword, 'Slowly!'
وتَلَقَّتْهُand met him العِدىthe foes بصدورٍwith chests
وتَلَقَّتْهُ العِدى بصدورٍ
خَطَّhe wrote بالخَطِّيِّwith the Khatti spear فِيهَاon them وأمْلىand dictated
خَطَّ بالخَطِّيِّ فِيهَا وأمْلى
The foes faced him with their chests,
on which he wrote with the Khatti spear and dictated.
وقَضىand he decreed بالهامِconcerning heads لِلْجَوِّfor the air عُلْواًa height
وقَضى بالهامِ لِلْجَوِّ عُلْواً
وَعَلَىand against الأَشلاءِthe severed limbs لِلتُّرْبِfor the dust سُفْلاa lowly place
وَعَلَى الأَشلاءِ لِلتُّرْبِ سُفْلا
And he awarded the heads to the air above,
and the severed limbs to the dust below.
ورأىand he judged أنthat صدورَthe tips of العواليlofty spears
ورأى أن صدورَ العوالي
منthan صُدورِthe breasts of الغَدْرِtreachery بالهامِto heads أوْلىmore entitled
من صُدورِ الغَدْرِ بالهامِ أوْلى
And he judged the tips of lofty spears
more entitled to heads than treacherous breasts.
فَدَنتْso they drew near والسُّورُwhile the rampart يُوميbeckoned إلَيْهاto them
فَدَنتْ والسُّورُ يُومي إلَيْها
وينادِيهِنَّand calls to them أهْلاًwelcome وسَهلاand be at ease
وينادِيهِنَّ أهْلاً وسَهلا
So they drew near, while the rampart beckoned to them
and called to them, 'Welcome! Be at ease!'
وعيونُand the eyes of الخَلقِall creation تسمُوrise إليهِtoward him
وعيونُ الخَلقِ تسمُو إليهِ
فَدَناso he drew near وَهْوَthough he was منthan البَدْرِthe full moon أعلىhigher
فَدَنا وَهْوَ من البَدْرِ أعلى
And the eyes of all creation rose toward him;
he drew near, though higher than the full moon.
صَلِيَتْwere scorched منهُfrom him العِدىthe foes بسيوفٍby swords
صَلِيَتْ منهُ العِدى بسيوفٍ
حَرُّthe heat of نارِthe fire of اللهِGod فيهِنَّwithin them أصلىmore searing
حَرُّ نارِ اللهِ فيهِنَّ أصلى
His foes were scorched by swords from him;
the heat of God's fire burned fiercer within them.
فَبِهِso through him أُعْلِيَwas exalted قحطانُQahtan فَخْراًin glory
فَبِهِ أُعْلِيَ قحطانُ فَخْراً
وبهِand through him زُكِّيَwas ennobled يَعْرُبُYa'rub أصْلاin lineage
وبهِ زُكِّيَ يَعْرُبُ أصْلا
Through him Qahtan was exalted in glory,
and through him Ya'rub was ennobled in lineage.
وبهand through him عَرَّفناmade us know اللهُGod أنَّاthat we
وبه عَرَّفنا اللهُ أنَّا
سَنَرىwe shall see فِيin خَلْفِهِhis offspring لَكَto you مِثلاan equal
سَنَرى فِي خَلْفِهِ لَكَ مِثلا
And through him God made us know that we
shall see in his offspring an equal to you.