وَلَعَمْريand, by my life لَولاwere it not for بِقِيَّةthe remnant عبدʿAbd (servant) الal- (the; name fragment)
وَلَعَمْري لَولا بِقِيَّة عبد ال
واحدWāḥid (One) الحَنبلِيِّal-Ḥanbalī (the Hanbali) أُعْضِلُbecame incurable داؤُهits malady
واحد الحَنبلِيِّ أُعْضِلُ داؤُه
And by my life, were it not for the remnant of ʿAbd al-
By my life, were it not for the remnant of Abd al-Wahid al-Hanbali
Wāḥid al-Ḥanbalī, its malady would have defied cure.
His malady would have overwhelmed me
هُمthey أَعادواthey restored المَعروفَbeneficence غَضّاًfresh وَقَدand already صوstart of 'withered'
هُم أَعادوا المَعروفَ غَضّاً وَقَد صو
وَحcompletion of 'withered' مُخْضَرَّهits verdure وغاضَand ebbed بهاؤُهits splendor
وَح مُخْضَرَّه وغاضَ بهاؤُه
They restored beneficence to freshness, though already
They brought back kindness withered, its blossom faded and its radiance dimmed
its verdure had withered and its splendor had ebbed.
A people nurtured on nobility, pure is the water of their manliness
مَعْشَرٌa people أُرْضِعُواwere suckled on النَّباهةَdistinction منfrom عوstart of 'stock'
مَعْشَرٌ أُرْضِعُوا النَّباهةَ من عو
دٍcompletion of 'stock' نُضَارُpurest essence ماءِwater of المروءةِnoble character ماؤُهits sap
دٍ نُضَارُ ماءِ المروءةِ ماؤُه
A people suckled on distinction from a stock
Each kindness they do is in return for kindness done them
whose sap is the purest water of noble character.
And in dislike they are partners
كُلُّall مَعروفِهمtheir kindness لِمَعروفهمfor anyone they know طَلْقfreely available
كُلُّ مَعروفِهم لِمَعروفهم طَلْق
وَهُمand they فيin مَكروهِهِhis adversity شُرَكاؤُهhis partners
وَهُم في مَكروهِهِ شُرَكاؤُه
All their kindness is freely available to anyone they know,
Tongues that adorned the pulpits, from them
and they are his partners in adversity.
Every wrath perished, erased by destiny
أَلْسُنٌtongues تَوَّجَcrowned المنابرَthe pulpits منهاfrom among them
أَلْسُنٌ تَوَّجَ المنابرَ منها
كلُّevery عضْبٍkeen blade فلَّblunted القضاءَfate مَضَاؤُهits sharpness
كلُّ عضْبٍ فلَّ القضاءَ مَضَاؤُه
Tongues, from whose number the pulpits were crowned
The Glorious Book bears witness that an attribute
by every keen blade whose sharpness blunted fate.
Whose reciters he has preserved
فالكتابُso the Book العزيزُthe mighty يَشْهَدُbears witness أنْthat قدindeed
فالكتابُ العزيزُ يَشْهَدُ أنْ قد
سلمتhave conceded خصلةa distinction لهُto it قرّاؤُهits reciters
سلمت خصلة لهُ قرّاؤُه
So the mighty Book bears witness that
You are its people, and whoever does not say my words
its reciters have conceded it a distinction:
Has blinded his organs universally
أَهلهits people أَنتُمyou وَمَنand whoever لَمdid not يَقُلsay قَوstart of 'saying'
أَهله أَنتُم وَمَن لَم يَقُل قَو
ليcompletion of 'my saying' عَمّمتwrapped in a turban عينهُhis eye أَعضاؤُهhis limbs
لي عَمّمت عينهُ أَعضاؤُه
You are its people; and whoever does not say what I
Jurisprudents of Islam, if the perplexity of its priests has worn you down
say—may his limbs wrap his eye in a turban!
Then don their mantles, you pulpit orators!
فُقهاءjurists of الإِسلامِIslam إِنْif عَنَّarose
فُقهاء الإِسلامِ إِنْ عَنَّ
لبسambiguity أحبارهits learned men خُطَبَاؤُهits preachers
لبس أحباره خُطَبَاؤُه
The jurists of Islam, if there arises
any ambiguity; its learned men, its preachers.
Partial English translation: 14 of 16 Arabic lines translated.