شَكاcomplained منhe who أذهَبَdispelled البَلوَىaffliction وزالتْand ceased
شَكا من أذهَبَ البَلوَى وزالتْ
بحكمتِهِthrough his wisdom شِكاياتُthe complaints of البِلادِthe land
بحكمتِهِ شِكاياتُ البِلادِ
He who dispelled affliction complained, and there ceased
He complained of the vicissitudes of fate, but
Through his wisdom the complaints of the land.
Through his wisdom the land's complaints ceased.
وماand not قَدَرَcould prevail الزَّمانُTime علىagainst يَديِهِhis two hands
وما قَدَرَ الزَّمانُ على يَديِهِ
فصادَمَso it struck رِجلَهُhis foot بيَدِwith the foreleg of الجوادِthe steed
فصادَمَ رِجلَهُ بيَدِ الجوادِ
And Time could not prevail against his hands,
Time had no power over his hands,
So it struck his foot with the steed's foreleg.
So his feet collided with the steed's pace.
تحَجَّبَhe veiled himself كالسَّرارِlike the moon's dark phase فعادَthen he returned بَدْراًa full moon
تحَجَّبَ كالسَّرارِ فعادَ بَدْراً
وكانَand was لِقاهُmeeting him أشهَىmore delightful فيupon المَعادِthe return
وكانَ لِقاهُ أشهَى في المَعادِ
He veiled himself like the moon in its dark phase, then returned a full moon;
He was veiled like secrets, so returned radiant,
And meeting him was more delightful upon his return.
Though to see him was most cherished at the return.
وماyet not احتجَبَتْwere veiled لوائِحُهُhis gleams فكانتand they were
وما احتجَبَتْ لوائِحُهُ فكانت
كضَوءِlike the light of الفجرِdawn دُونَbefore الشَّمسthe sun بادِvisible
كضَوءِ الفجرِ دُونَ الشَّمس بادِ
Yet his gleams were not veiled, and they were
His banners did not veil him, but were
Like dawn's light, visible before the sun.
Like dawn's glow without the vanished sun.
رَسولٌa messenger رَدَّturned back قوماًa people عنfrom ضلالٍerror
رَسولٌ رَدَّ قوماً عن ضلالٍ
فقادَهُمُso he led them إلىto سُبُلِthe paths of الرَّشادِright guidance
فقادَهُمُ إلى سُبُلِ الرَّشادِ
A messenger who turned a people away from error,
A messenger turned a people from misguidance
So he led them to the paths of right guidance.
And guided them to the path of righteousness.
ونادَىand he called out بينَهمamong them ياO قومُmy people إنّيindeed I
ونادَى بينَهم يا قومُ إنّي
أخافُI fear عليكُمُfor you يومَthe Day of التَّنادِmutual calling
أخافُ عليكُمُ يومَ التَّنادِ
And he called out among them: "O my people, indeed I
He called amidst them: “O people! Verily
Fear for you the Day of Mutual Calling.
I fear for you the Day of Mutual Cries.”
عَبِثتمْyou tampered بالكتابِwith the Book وقدand indeed لَطَختمْyou stained
عَبِثتمْ بالكتابِ وقد لَطَختمْ
بياضاًwhiteness للحنيفةِof the upright faith بالسَّوادِwith blackness
بياضاً للحنيفةِ بالسَّوادِ
You have tampered with the Book, and you have stained
You toyed with the Book and stained
The whiteness of the upright faith with blackness.
The Hanifiya's whiteness with blackness.
وقُمتْمُand you rose فيin البِلادِthe land كقومlike the people of عادٍ‘Ad
وقُمتْمُ في البِلادِ كقوم عادٍ
ولَسْتمyet you are not فيin شريعةِthe religious law of قومِthe people of عادِ‘Ad
ولَسْتم في شريعةِ قومِ عادِ
And you rose in the land like the people of ‘Ad,
You rose in the lands like `Aad's people
Yet you do not follow the religious law of the people of ‘Ad."
Yet you are not of `Aad's religion.
أتَىcame to الأعرابَthe Bedouins منfrom أبناءِthe sons of تُركٍTurks
أتَى الأعرابَ من أبناءِ تُركٍ
سَمِيُّa namesake of مُحمَّدٍMuhammad للخَلْقِfor humankind هادِa guide
سَمِيُّ مُحمَّدٍ للخَلْقِ هادِ
To the Bedouins came, from the sons of Turks,
To the nomads, from the Turkish sons,
A namesake of Muhammad, a guide to humankind.
Came the praiseworthy Muhammad a guide to creation.
تَلقَّىhe learned ماwhat بهِof it الأعجامُthe non-Arabs فاهتuttered
تَلقَّى ما بهِ الأعجامُ فاهت
وماand what نَطَقَتْspoke بهof it عُربُthe Arabs of البَواديthe deserts
وما نَطَقَتْ به عُربُ البَوادي
He learned what the non-Arabs had uttered,
He received what the non-Arabs uttered
And what the Arabs of the deserts had spoken.
And what the eloquent Arab Bedouins spoke.
لهُfor him فيamong النَّاسِthe people حُسَّادٌenviers علىbecause of ماwhat
لهُ في النَّاسِ حُسَّادٌ على ما
يَرَونَthey see بهِin him وليسَyet there are no لهُfor him أعاديenemies
يَرَونَ بهِ وليسَ لهُ أعادي
Among the people he has enviers for what
He has envious people for what
They see in him, yet he has no enemies.
They see in him, though he has no enemies.
يُجازِيhe requites كُلَّevery ذيone guilty of ذَنْبٍa sin بعَدْلٍwith justice
يُجازِي كُلَّ ذي ذَنْبٍ بعَدْلٍ
فيَعذِرُهُso he excuses him ويَبقَىand remains فيin الوِدادِfriendship
فيَعذِرُهُ ويَبقَى في الوِدادِ
He requites every wrongdoer with justice,
He rewards each sinful person with justice,
Then excuses him and remains a friend.
Excusing and remaining with affection.
وَزيرٌa minister فيin طريقِthe path of اللهِGod يَسعىhe strives
وَزيرٌ في طريقِ اللهِ يَسعى
فليسَso he does not يُريدُdesire ظُلماًinjustice للعِبادِtoward God's servants
فليسَ يُريدُ ظُلماً للعِبادِ
A minister who strives in the path of God,
A minister on Allah's path exerting effort,
So he desires no injustice toward His servants.
He intends no wrong towards people.
بهِthrough him عاشَتْlived بقاياthe remnant of آلِthe followers of عيسىJesus
بهِ عاشَتْ بقايا آلِ عيسى
كذاكthus العَيشُlife يَحصُلُis attained بالفُؤادِthrough the heart
كذاك العَيشُ يَحصُلُ بالفُؤادِ
Through him the remnant of Jesus' followers lived on;
Through him the remnants of Jesus' family lived,
Thus life is attained through the heart.
Thus life is obtained through the heart.