مِنْfrom دُونِهاshort of her ياO عَمْرُʿAmr وَخزُthe thrusts of الرِّماحْthe spears
مِنْ دُونِها يا عَمْرُ وَخزُ الرِّماحْ
وعِنْدَهاand beside her فاسْمَعْso hear صَليلَthe clash of الصِّفَاحْsword blades
وعِنْدَها فاسْمَعْ صَليلَ الصِّفَاحْ
Between you and her, O ʿAmr, lie spear-thrusts;
Without her, O life, there is but sorrow and the sting of spears,
and beside her, hear the clash of sword blades.
And with her, so listen to the clashing of swords.
لاnot يَسْمَعُhears السَّامِعُthe listener فيin حَيِّهاher encampment
لا يَسْمَعُ السَّامِعُ في حَيِّها
غَيْرَanything but جِلاَدٍsword-fighting مُفْزعٍterrifying أوor كِفاحْclose combat
غَيْرَ جِلاَدٍ مُفْزعٍ أو كِفاحْ
No listener in her encampment hears
None hears in her quarters,
anything but terrifying swordplay or close combat.
Save the shrieking of the frightened, or the struggle.
فَسِرْso journey إلَيهاto her سَيْرin the manner of مُتَهوِّرٍa reckless man
فَسِرْ إلَيها سَيْر مُتَهوِّرٍ
مُسْتَبْدِلاًexchanging فيهاin her pursuit الْحَيَاmodesty بالوَقاحْfor brazenness
مُسْتَبْدِلاً فيها الْحَيَا بالوَقاحْ
So journey to her as a reckless man would,
So travel to her, recklessly,
exchanging modesty for brazenness in her pursuit,
Exchanging your life for shamelessness.
مُشَمِّراًgirded for action قَدْalready صُمّdeafened لايَنْثَنيdoes not turn away
مُشَمِّراً قَدْ صُمّ لايَنْثَني
عَنْfrom حُبِّهاloving her لِعَاذِلٍfor a reprover أوor لِلاحْfor a rebuker
عَنْ حُبِّها لِعَاذِلٍ أو لِلاحْ
girded for action, grown deaf, never turning away
Girding yourself, having sworn an oath not to waver
from loving her for any censor or rebuker.
From loving her, no matter the blamer or preventer.
فَماfor ... not يَهابُfears الْعَتَبَreproach مَنْwhoever فَازَhas won مِنْfrom
فَما يَهابُ الْعَتَبَ مَنْ فَازَ مِنْ
غَايَةِthe utmost of أُمْنِيَتِهِhis desire بالنَّجَاحْwith success
غَايَةِ أُمْنِيَتِهِ بالنَّجَاحْ
For he fears no reproach who has won
He who wins the height of his wishes fears no reproach,
success in attaining his utmost desire.
He strove until when gaining his goal,
سَعَىhe strove فَلَمّاthen when ظَفِرَتْwon بالْمُنَىthe desired goals
سَعَى فَلَمّا ظَفِرَتْ بالْمُنَى
يَمينُهُhis right hand أَلْقَىlaid down الْعَصاthe staff واسْتَراحْand rested
يَمينُهُ أَلْقَى الْعَصا واسْتَراحْ
He strove, and when his wishes were secured
His right hand cast down his staff and rested.
by his right hand, he laid down his staff and rested.
Travel has wearied my mounts, and it is time
قَدْindeed أَتْعَبَhas wearied السَّيْرُthe journey رِحَاليmy saddles وَقَدْand indeed
قَدْ أَتْعَبَ السَّيْرُ رِحَالي وَقَدْ
آنَthe time has come لَهاfor them بَعْدَafter الْوَحَىhaste أنْto تُراحْbe given rest
آنَ لَها بَعْدَ الْوَحَى أنْ تُراحْ
The journey has wearied my saddles, and now
For it to rest after the revelation.
after their haste, the time has come to give them rest.
For after dwelling in the excellent quarter of the mountain of knowledge,
فَقَدْfor indeed أقَامَتْنيthey lodged me عَدَاهاmay it spare them الرّدَىdeath
فَقَدْ أقَامَتْني عَدَاها الرّدَى
بِرَبْعِat the abode of طودthe mountain of العلمknowledge بحرthe sea of السماحgenerosity
بِرَبْعِ طود العلم بحر السماح
For they have lodged me—may death pass them by—
The seas of generosity, it has established me.
at the abode of knowledge's mountain, generosity's sea:
Whoever dug a canal to the most high,
مَنْhe who هَزَّbrandished لِلْعَلْياfor glory قَناةًa spear وَمَنْand he who
مَنْ هَزَّ لِلْعَلْيا قَناةً وَمَنْ
حَمَىguarded حِماهاits sanctuary فَهْيso it لاnot تُسْتَباحْis violated
حَمَى حِماها فَهْي لا تُسْتَباحْ
he who brandished a spear for glory, and who
And protected its protector, it cannot be violated.
guarded its sanctuary, so it is not violated;
Whoever raised the flags of Sunnah,
مَنْhe who شادَraised للسُّنَّةِfor the Sunnah أَعْلامَهاits banners
مَنْ شادَ للسُّنَّةِ أَعْلامَها
مَنْhe who كافَحَfought الْبِدْعَةَreligious innovation كُلَّall الْكِفاحْthe struggle
مَنْ كافَحَ الْبِدْعَةَ كُلَّ الْكِفاحْ
he who raised the Sunnah's banners,
And struggled against innovation completely.
he who fought religious innovation with all his might,
Innovating, striving, fighting,
مُجَدِّداًa renewer مُجْتَهِداًan independent jurist جاهِداًstriving
مُجَدِّداً مُجْتَهِداً جاهِداً
للدّينِfor the faith فيin عِلْمِthe knowledge of الهُدىَguidance للصَّلاحْfor righteousness
للدّينِ في عِلْمِ الهُدىَ للصَّلاحْ
a renewer, an independent jurist, striving
For the religion in the knowledge of guidance for righteousness.
for the faith, in the knowledge of guidance, toward righteousness.
O scholar of the family of the Prophet in his time,
ياO عالِمَscholar of الْعِتْرَةِthe Prophet's family فيin عَصْرِهِhis age
يا عالِمَ الْعِتْرَةِ في عَصْرِهِ
وقُطْبَand axis of أَرْبابِthe masters of النُّهَىreason والْفَلاحْand success
وقُطْبَ أَرْبابِ النُّهَى والْفَلاحْ
O scholar of the Prophet's family in his age,
And pole of the masters of intercession and success.
and axis of the masters of reason and success,
What is with he who was just in our time,
ماwhat بالُthe plight of مَنْone who أَنْصَفَjudged fairly فيin دَهْرِناour time
ما بالُ مَنْ أَنْصَفَ في دَهْرِنا
وَمالَand inclined نَحْوَtoward الْمُسْنَداتِreports with transmission chains الصِّحاحْthe authentic ones
وَمالَ نَحْوَ الْمُسْنَداتِ الصِّحاحْ
why is one who judges fairly in our time
And inclined towards the authentic positions?
and turns toward authentic reports with chains of transmission,
Rejecting blind imitation from every barber,
واطَّرحَand cast off التَّقْليدَblind imitation مِنْfrom حَالِقٍa lofty height
واطَّرحَ التَّقْليدَ مِنْ حَالِقٍ
مُقَطِّعاًsevering رِبْقَتَهُits halter والْوِشَاحْand the sash
مُقَطِّعاً رِبْقَتَهُ والْوِشَاحْ
and casts blind imitation down from a lofty height,
Cutting his turban and wrapper.
severing its halter and its sash,
Did not say our elders determined,
وَلَمْand not تَقُلْyou say أَشْياخُنَاour elders قَرْرُواthey have decided
وَلَمْ تَقُلْ أَشْياخُنَا قَرْرُوا
لَمْnot يَدْعُواthey leave جَهْداًany effort لَهُمْof theirs فيin النّصاحْsincere counsel
لَمْ يَدْعُوا جَهْداً لَهُمْ في النّصاحْ
without saying, 'Our elders have decided;
They left no effort for them in advice.
they have spared none of their effort in sincere counsel,'
He is accused of ambition among his people,
يُرْمَىis accused بِداءِof the disease of النَّصْبِhatred toward Ali and his family فيamong قَوْمِهِhis people
يُرْمَى بِداءِ النَّصْبِ في قَوْمِهِ
وَماand no عَلَىupon الرَّامِيthe accuser لَهُagainst him مِنْany جُناحْblame
وَما عَلَى الرَّامِي لَهُ مِنْ جُناحْ
accused among his people of the disease of hatred toward Ali and his family,
And upon the accuser is no sin.
while his accuser incurs no blame?
They tear his honor if he comes to them
يُمَزِّقُونَthey tear apart الْعِرْضَhonor مِنْهُof him إذاwhen
يُمَزِّقُونَ الْعِرْضَ مِنْهُ إذا
جَاءَhe comes بِمُرِّwith the bitterness of الْحَقِّthe truth فيهمamong them وَرَاحْand departs
جَاءَ بِمُرِّ الْحَقِّ فيهم وَرَاحْ
They tear his honor to shreds when
With the bitter truth and is at ease.
he brings the bitter truth among them and goes away.
He faces from them all kinds of harm,
يَلْقَىencounters لَدَيْهِمْamong them مِنْof صُنُوفِthe kinds of الأَذَىharm
يَلْقَى لَدَيْهِمْ مِنْ صُنُوفِ الأَذَى
كُلَّevery قَبيحٍvile thing فيin الْمَسَاthe evening والصبَّاحْand the morning
كُلَّ قَبيحٍ في الْمَسَا والصبَّاحْ
He encounters at their hands, among the kinds of harm,
Every ugly thing in the evening and morning.
every vile thing, evening and morning.
Are the sons of the despicable from them attacking him,
أَبِنْexplain فَزَنْدُfor the fire-stick of الْبَهْتِslander مِنْهُمْfrom them غَدَاhas become
أَبِنْ فَزَنْدُ الْبَهْتِ مِنْهُمْ غَدَا
مُنْقَدِحاًkindled فيin الْقَلْبِthe heart أَيَّwhat a انْقِداحْkindling
مُنْقَدِحاً في الْقَلْبِ أَيَّ انْقِداحْ
Explain! For their fire-stick of slander has become
Flaring in the heart, what a flare!
aflame in the heart—how fiercely it burns!
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.