أناصِرَ دينِ اللهِ هُنِّئْتَهُ صُنْعا

أناصِرَ دينِ اللهِ هُنِّئْتَهُ صُنْعا

بشائِرُهُ تُهْديكَ ما يَمْلأُ السّمْعا

بشائِرُهُ تُهْديكَ ما يَمْلأُ السّمْعا

O defender of God's faith, may you be congratulated on this deed;

You supported the religion of Allah, you were congratulated for your good deed

its glad tidings bring you what fills the ear.

Its glad tidings guide you to fill the hearing

جمعْتَ قُلوبَ المُسلِمين بعزْمَةٍ

جمعْتَ قُلوبَ المُسلِمين بعزْمَةٍ

تكُفُّ مَنِ اسْتَعْدى تجيبُ مَنِ استَدْعى

تكُفُّ مَنِ اسْتَعْدى تجيبُ مَنِ استَدْعى

You united the Muslims' hearts with a resolve

You gathered the hearts of Muslims with determination

that restrains whoever stirs up hostility and answers whoever calls for aid.

That stops whoever transgresses and answers whoever calls

رمَيْتَ عُداةَ الدّين منها بفادِحٍ

رمَيْتَ عُداةَ الدّين منها بفادِحٍ

لدى مُلْتَقى الهَيْجاءِ يترُكُهُمْ صرْعَى

لدى مُلْتَقى الهَيْجاءِ يترُكُهُمْ صرْعَى

From it you struck the faith's enemies with a crushing blow

You hit the enemies of the religion with a terrible blow

at the clash of battle, leaving them fallen.

Leaving them dead at the battleground

وكمْ من يَدٍ بيْضاءَ طوّقتها فتىً

وكمْ من يَدٍ بيْضاءَ طوّقتها فتىً

إلى منزلِ البيضاء قد أعْملَ الرُّجْعى

إلى منزلِ البيضاء قد أعْملَ الرُّجْعى

And how many a white hand of generosity you hung as a collar on a youth

And how many white hands have been decorated with a brave young man

who had set out on his return to the abode of al-Bayda.

Returning to the white abode

رمَى دارَهُ البيضاءَ أخْذاً بِثارِه

رمَى دارَهُ البيضاءَ أخْذاً بِثارِه

بما قد رَمى سيْفُ بنُ ذي يَزَنٍ صَنْعا

بما قد رَمى سيْفُ بنُ ذي يَزَنٍ صَنْعا

He struck his white dwelling to exact his vengeance,

Who threw away his white abode to avenge

with what Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan had struck Sana'a.

What the sword of Saif ibn Dhi Yazan had done

وقمْتَ بأعْباء الوفاءِ حقيقةً

وقمْتَ بأعْباء الوفاءِ حقيقةً

ولا كُلْفةٌ فيما أتَيْتَ بهِ طَبْعا

ولا كُلْفةٌ فيما أتَيْتَ بهِ طَبْعا

And you truly shouldered the burdens of loyalty,

And you truly upheld the burdens of loyalty

with no affectation in what you did naturally.

With no hardship in what you naturally did

وللهِ منها مُنشآتٌ قدِ ارْتَمَتْ

وللهِ منها مُنشآتٌ قدِ ارْتَمَتْ

على اللّجِّ رَفْعاً حين أحْكَمتَها وَضْعا

على اللّجِّ رَفْعاً حين أحْكَمتَها وَضْعا

And, by God, from it came tall-built ships that cast themselves

And for Allah, construction was built from it

upon the deep, rising high once you had perfected their construction.

Raised on the coast when you established it

سرَتْ وظِلالُ الأمْنِ واليُمْنِ فوقَها

سرَتْ وظِلالُ الأمْنِ واليُمْنِ فوقَها

فأحْسِنْ به مَسْرىً وأنْجِحْ به مَسْعى

فأحْسِنْ به مَسْرىً وأنْجِحْ به مَسْعى

They sailed by night beneath the shades of safety and good fortune;

And the shadows of security and prosperity were over it

how fine a night voyage it was, and how successful a venture!

So do good with it and succeed with it

درأْتَ به في صدْرِ كلّ مُعانِدٍ

درأْتَ به في صدْرِ كلّ مُعانِدٍ

سِهامُ المَنايا نحْوَهُ أُحْكِمَتْ وَقْعا

سِهامُ المَنايا نحْوَهُ أُحْكِمَتْ وَقْعا

With it you thrust into the breast of every adversary;

You warded off in the hearts of every opponent

the arrows of death were firmly aimed to strike him.

The arrows of death towards him were aimed and hit

أتتْكَ بها البُشْرى صَنيعةَ مُنْعِمٍ

أتتْكَ بها البُشْرى صَنيعةَ مُنْعِمٍ

حَباهُمْ بها وِتْراً وعادَتْ لهُ شفْعا

حَباهُمْ بها وِتْراً وعادَتْ لهُ شفْعا

Glad tidings of it reached you, a benefactor's gift,

You were given good news of it, the making of a benefactor

who bestowed it on them singly, and it returned to him twofold.

He gifted them with it and it interceded for him

وشيّدتَ للدّين الحَنيفيّ مَصْنَعاً

وشيّدتَ للدّين الحَنيفيّ مَصْنَعاً

وفي أولياءِ اللهِ أظهرْتَهُ صُنْعا

وفي أولياءِ اللهِ أظهرْتَهُ صُنْعا

And you built a fortress for the upright faith,

And you built a stronghold for the Hanafi religion

and made it manifest as a deed among God's allies.

And made it prominent among the guardians of Allah

يُحِلُّ بمَنْ والَى الضّلالَ وأهْلَهُ

يُحِلُّ بمَنْ والَى الضّلالَ وأهْلَهُ

حوادِثَ جلّتْ أنْ يُطيقَ لها دَفْعا

حوادِثَ جلّتْ أنْ يُطيقَ لها دَفْعا

It brings upon whoever allies himself with error and its people

It destroys those who befriended misguidance and its people

calamities too great for him to repel.

Grave events that he cannot handle defending against

غَويٌّ به التّثليثُ عزَّ مكانُه

غَويٌّ به التّثليثُ عزَّ مكانُه

فكمْ ضارعٍ للهِ ضاقَ بهِ ذَرْعا

فكمْ ضارعٍ للهِ ضاقَ بهِ ذَرْعا

A misguided man through whom the Trinity's standing grew strong—

Misguided by the Trinity, his place became mighty

how many a suppliant to God could no longer endure him!

So how many opponents of Allah were constrained by it

فلا آيَة تتْلَى ولا نعْمةٌ تُرَى

فلا آيَة تتْلَى ولا نعْمةٌ تُرَى

ولا سُنّةٌ تُحْيا ولا ذمّةٌ تُرْعَى

ولا سُنّةٌ تُحْيا ولا ذمّةٌ تُرْعَى

No verse is recited, no blessing is seen,

No verse is recited, no blessing is seen

no Prophetic practice is revived, no covenant is upheld.

No Sunnah is revived, no covenant respected

على الدّين ظُلماً قد جَنى وهْوَ روْضَةٌ

على الدّين ظُلماً قد جَنى وهْوَ روْضَةٌ

جَنى زهْرَها قَطْفاً وأغْصانَها قَطْعا

جَنى زهْرَها قَطْفاً وأغْصانَها قَطْعا

He transgressed unjustly against the faith, though it was a garden,

Wronging the religion, though it is a garden

plucking its flowers and cutting off its branches.

Whose flowers he plucked and whose branches he cut

إلى أن تَدارَكتَ البلادَ وأهْلَها

إلى أن تَدارَكتَ البلادَ وأهْلَها

فأوْسَعْتَها منْحاً وحصّنتَها مَنْعا

فأوْسَعْتَها منْحاً وحصّنتَها مَنْعا

Until you rescued the lands and their people,

Until you came to the aid of the country and its people

lavishing gifts upon them and fortifying them with protection.

Expanding them favor and fortifying them from prevention

صدَعْتَ بأمْر اللهِ فيه مُحَكّماً

صدَعْتَ بأمْر اللهِ فيه مُحَكّماً

فما تَجْبُرُ الأيامُ بعدُ لهُ صَدْعا

فما تَجْبُرُ الأيامُ بعدُ لهُ صَدْعا

You proclaimed God's decree against him, empowered to judge,

You split it with the order of Allah, making it unbreakable

so the days will never afterward mend his fracture.

So the days cannot mend it after the split

وأرسَلْتَ من رُحْماكَ شامِلَ رحْمةٍ

وأرسَلْتَ من رُحْماكَ شامِلَ رحْمةٍ

تُبدِّدُه شَمْلاً تفرِّقُهُ جَمْعا

تُبدِّدُه شَمْلاً تفرِّقُهُ جَمْعا

And from your compassion you sent an all-embracing mercy,

And you sent from your womb an all encompassing mercy

scattering his company and dispersing his host.

To dissolve its group and separate its mass

فبايَنتَهُ رُشْداً وضلّلْتَهُ هُدىً

فبايَنتَهُ رُشْداً وضلّلْتَهُ هُدىً

ودافعْتَهُ حُكْماً وجاهَدتَهُ شَرعا

ودافعْتَهُ حُكْماً وجاهَدتَهُ شَرعا

So you stood apart from him in righteousness and exposed his error through guidance,

You singled it out rightly and misguided it

resisted him through judgment and fought him by sacred law.

And refuted it justly and struggled against it legally

دِيارٌ خلَتْ منهُ فقدْ أقْفَرَ الحِمى

دِيارٌ خلَتْ منهُ فقدْ أقْفَرَ الحِمى

وقد بعُدَ المَرْمى وقد صوّحَ المرْعَى

وقد بعُدَ المَرْمى وقد صوّحَ المرْعَى

Homes stand empty of him; the protected domain has grown desolate,

The abodes became empty of it, so the sanctuary was desolate

the target has grown distant and the pasture has withered.

The goal became far, and the pasture became vacant

وآلُ مَرينٍ إذْ دَعَوْا منكَ ناصراً

وآلُ مَرينٍ إذْ دَعَوْا منكَ ناصراً

ولم تُهمِل الدّعْوى ولم تُغْفِلِ المَدْعا

ولم تُهمِل الدّعْوى ولم تُغْفِلِ المَدْعا

And when the house of Marin called on you for a champion,

And the family of Marwan, when they called you for help

you neither neglected the appeal nor overlooked what was sought.

You did not neglect the call or disregard the plea

أجَبْتَ ومنْ أرْسالِكَ السّيفُ والقَنا

أجَبْتَ ومنْ أرْسالِكَ السّيفُ والقَنا

شِهاباً وبرْقاً قد أثارَا به نَقْعا

شِهاباً وبرْقاً قد أثارَا به نَقْعا

You answered, and among your dispatches were sword and spears,

You answered, and from your sending was the sword and the spear

a meteor and lightning, the two raising clouds of dust there.

A flame and lightning that stirred conflict with it

أعوِّذُ بالسّبعِ المثاني خلائِقاً

أعوِّذُ بالسّبعِ المثاني خلائِقاً

لدى مُفرَد بالعزّ أحْرزَها سَبْعا

لدى مُفرَد بالعزّ أحْرزَها سَبْعا

I invoke the Seven Oft-Repeated to safeguard virtues

I seek refuge in the seven often repeated [verses] for people

held by one peerless in glory, who has secured them, seven in all:

At the One, the Almighty who attained them perfectly

عفافاً وإقداماً وعِلْماً وعزْمَةً

عفافاً وإقداماً وعِلْماً وعزْمَةً

وحِلْماً وحَزْماً يوجِبُ المنحَ والمَنْعا

وحِلْماً وحَزْماً يوجِبُ المنحَ والمَنْعا

chastity, courage, knowledge, and resolve,

Chastity, courage, knowledge, determination

forbearance, and prudence that dictates giving and withholding.

Forbearance, wisdom, warranting favor and prevention

لهُ برْقُ سيفٍ في غمامةِ راحةٍ

لهُ برْقُ سيفٍ في غمامةِ راحةٍ

يروقُكَ لمْحاً في دُجَى الحرْبِ أو لمْعا

يروقُكَ لمْحاً في دُجَى الحرْبِ أو لمْعا

His is a sword's lightning in the cloud of his palm,

To Him is the lightning of a sword in the clouds of comfort

delighting you with a flicker or a flash in the darkness of war.

Pleasant to you flashing in the gloom of war or gleaming

وهاكَ من النّظمِ البَديعِ قَوافِياً

وهاكَ من النّظمِ البَديعِ قَوافِياً

فسَمْعاً إمامَ الأكْرمين لها سَمْعا

فسَمْعاً إمامَ الأكْرمين لها سَمْعا

And take these rhyming verses of wondrous poetry;

And here is the beautiful rhyme for you

so listen, leader of the most generous—listen to them!

So listen, O the most generous of men, listen

تُطوّقنِي طوْقَ الحمامة مُنْعِماً

تُطوّقنِي طوْقَ الحمامة مُنْعِماً

فبالمَدْحِ في روْضِ المُنى أُسْمِعُ السّجْعا

فبالمَدْحِ في روْضِ المُنى أُسْمِعُ السّجْعا

You graciously place the dove's collar around my neck,

It crowns me the crown of a grateful dove

so, in praise, I sound my cooing rhymes in the garden of wishes.

So with praise in the meadow of wishes I make rhymes

وقد جئتُ باللفظِ البَديعِ ومَن أتى

وقد جئتُ باللفظِ البَديعِ ومَن أتى

بوصْفِكَ نظماً ليسَ إبداعُهُ بِدْعا

بوصْفِكَ نظماً ليسَ إبداعُهُ بِدْعا

And I have brought wondrous wording; and whoever brings

And I have come with beautiful words, and whoever comes

a description of you in verse—his invention is no strange novelty.

To describe you in verse, his creativity is not innovation

فلازِلْتَ تُولي النّصْر بَدءاً وعَودةً

فلازِلْتَ تُولي النّصْر بَدءاً وعَودةً

وتعْمرُ للدّين الحنيفِ بهِ رَبْعا

وتعْمرُ للدّين الحنيفِ بهِ رَبْعا

May you ever bestow victory, at the outset and again,

You continue to grant victory, initially and repeatedly

and with it keep a dwelling flourishing for the upright faith.

And build the Hanafi religion with it fully