بلغت أمير المؤنين مدى المنى

بلغت أمير المؤنين مدى المنى

لأنك قد بلغتنا ما نؤمل

لأنك قد بلغتنا ما نؤمل

You have attained, Commander of the Faithful, the furthest bounds of hope,

You have attained, Commander of the Faithful, the utmost of your hopes,

For you have indeed brought us to what we hoped for.

For you have brought us what we hope for.

قصدت إِلى الاسلام تُعلي مناره

قصدت إِلى الاسلام تُعلي مناره

ومقصدك الأسى لدى الله يقبل

ومقصدك الأسى لدى الله يقبل

You turned toward Islam, raising high its beacon,

You turned to Islam to raise its beacon,

And your sorrowful intent finds acceptance with God.

And your purpose—sorrow [as written]—is accepted before God.

تداركت دين الله في اخذ فرقة

تداركت دين الله في اخذ فرقة

بمنطقهم كان البلاء موكل

بمنطقهم كان البلاء موكل

You rescued God’s religion by seizing a faction

You rescued God's religion by seizing a faction

With whose discourse calamity was bound up.

To whose logic calamity was bound.

اثاروا على الدِّين الحنيفي فتنة

اثاروا على الدِّين الحنيفي فتنة

لها نار غيّ في العقائد تشعل

لها نار غيّ في العقائد تشعل

They stirred up sedition against the upright faith,

They stirred up discord against the upright faith,

A sedition whose fire of error sets beliefs ablaze.

Whose fire of error is kindled in beliefs.

اقمتهم للناس يبرأ منهم

اقمتهم للناس يبرأ منهم

ووجه الهدى من خزيهم يتهلّل

ووجه الهدى من خزيهم يتهلّل

You set them before the people, who disavowed them,

You exposed them before the people, to be disowned,

And the face of guidance beams at their disgrace.

And the face of guidance beams at their disgrace.

وأَوعزت في الاقطار بالبحث عنهم

وأَوعزت في الاقطار بالبحث عنهم

وعن كتبهم والسعي في ذاك اجمل

وعن كتبهم والسعي في ذاك اجمل

You ordered that they be searched for throughout the lands,

And you ordered a search for them throughout the lands,

And their books as well; striving in this is the finer course.

And for their books; such striving is finer.

وقد كان للسيف استباق اليهم

وقد كان للسيف استباق اليهم

ولكن مقام الخزى للنفس اقتل

ولكن مقام الخزى للنفس اقتل

The sword had indeed been racing toward them,

Indeed, the sword was racing ahead toward them,

But the state of disgrace is deadlier to the soul.

But the state of disgrace is deadlier to the soul.

وآثرت درء الحد عنهم بشبهة

وآثرت درء الحد عنهم بشبهة

لظاهر اسلام وحكمك اعدلُ

لظاهر اسلام وحكمك اعدلُ

Yet you preferred to avert the prescribed punishment from them because of a doubt,

And you chose to avert the prescribed punishment from them on grounds of doubt,

Because of their apparent profession of Islam—and your judgment is most just.

Because of their outward profession of Islam—and your judgment is more just.