إن عالمكير عالي المنزل

من بني تيمور فخر الدول

Indeed, Alamgir was lofty in station,

a son of Timur, the pride of kingdoms.

كان للإسلام منه عزة

ولحكم الشرع فيه حرمة

Through him Islam gained glory,

and he held the rule of sacred law in reverence.

آخر الأسهم في جعبتنا

في ذياد الكفر عن ملتنا

The last arrow in our quiver,

for warding unbelief away from our faith.

غرس الإلحاد فينا أكبر

فنما في طبع دارا يزهر

Akbar planted irreligion among us;

it grew in Dara's nature, blossoming.

وخبا في الصدر مصباح الفؤاد

وبدت أمتنا رهن فساد

And the heart's lamp died within the breast,

and our community appeared hostage to corruption.

فتولى الهند في ذي المحنة

زاهد رب حسام مصلت

Then, in this ordeal, India was ruled by

an ascetic, master of an unsheathed sword.

اجتباه الحق للدين المبين

اجتباه أجل تجديد اليقين

Truth chose him for the manifest faith,

chose him to renew certainty.

أحرق الألحاد من برق الحسام

وأنار الدين في هذا الظلام

He burned away irreligion with the sword's lightning,

and illumined the faith in this darkness.

حرف الجهال عنه ما جرى

فكرهم عن قصده قد قصرا

The ignorant distorted what was told of him;

their thinking fell short of his intent.

كان إبراهيم بيت الصنم

في لظى الحق فراشا يرتمى

He was Abraham in the house of idols,

a moth flinging himself into the blaze of Truth.

كان في الأملاك فردا خيرا

زهده من قبره قد ظهرا

Among kings he was uniquely virtuous;

his asceticism was evident from his grave.

ذاكم الملك الفقير الجاهد

زينة لعرش المليك الماجد

That poor, striving king

was an adornment to the glorious Sovereign's throne.

سار صبحا موغلا في غيضة

معه من جنده ذو ثقة

One morning he walked deep into a thicket,

with a trusted man from his troops beside him.

في نسيم الصبح نشوان خطر

سامعا تسبيح طير في الشجر

In the morning breeze he strode, enraptured,

hearing birds glorify God among the trees.

وامحى السلطان في شوق الصلاه

من مجاز حث للحق خطاه

And the sultan lost himself in longing for prayer;

from the realm of appearances he hastened his steps toward Truth.

وأتى ليث مهيب فتك

صوته يرعد منه الفلك

Then came an awe-inspiring, deadly lion;

the heavens trembled at its roar.

شم ريح الإنس بعدا فدنا

وعلى السلطان أهوى البرثنا

It caught the human scent from afar and drew near,

and swung its claw down upon the sultan.

فإذا الخنجر منه في اليد

باقرا كالبرق بطن الأسد

Suddenly, the dagger was in his hand,

splitting open the lion's belly like lightning.

لم يفزع قلبه بالبغتة

خال ليث الغاب ليث الصورة

His heart took no fright at the sudden attack;

he deemed the forest lion no more than a pictured lion.

ثم للحق دعاه الوله

في صلاة الوجد معراج له

Then ardent longing called him to Truth,

in ecstatic prayer, his ladder of ascent.

مثل ذا القلب الذي لم يهن

داره بالحق صدر المؤمن

A heart like this, which never faltered—

its home is, in truth, the believer's breast.

إنما العبد أمام الحق لا

وهو للزور نعم لن يبطلا

The slave is only a 'no' before Truth;

to falsehood he is a 'yes' that will not cease.

أيها الغافل قلبا حصلا

هيئن للحب هذا المحملا

O heedless one, acquire a heart!

Prepare this palanquin for love.

ابذل النفس تنلها لا مفر

ذل للحق تنل عز الدهر

Give up the self to gain it—there is no escape.

Humble yourself before Truth, and gain the glory of the ages.

أحرقن بالعشق خوفا وانهدا

حملا في الحق ليثا للعدى

Burn fear away with passionate love, and rise—

a lamb before Truth, a lion to foes.