مَشارِقُ الأَرضِ لَفَّها بِمَغارِبٍ

مَشارِقُ الأَرضِ لَفَّها بِمَغارِبٍ

وَغادَرَ قُطبَيها مِزاجاً لِقاطِبِ

وَغادَرَ قُطبَيها مِزاجاً لِقاطِبِ

He enfolded the earth's eastern reaches with western ones,

The Easts of the earth, he enfolded in Wests,

and left its two poles a blend for a mixer.

And left its poles, to mix with each other.

وَجانَسَ بَينَ الغَورِ وَالنَجدِ عِندَها

وَجانَسَ بَينَ الغَورِ وَالنَجدِ عِندَها

كَلّا أَرضِها لَم يَعي وَقعَ السَلاهِبِ

كَلّا أَرضِها لَم يَعي وَقعَ السَلاهِبِ

He made the lowlands and highlands alike there.

He made the caves neighbor the meadows,

No indeed—its land did not sense the swift steeds' hoofbeats.

As if unaware where the lions prowled.

وَضيقٌ بَينَ الفَرجَتينِ فَصارَتا

وَضيقٌ بَينَ الفَرجَتينِ فَصارَتا

إِلى مِثلِ ما ضُمَّت أَنامِلُ حاسِبِ

إِلى مِثلِ ما ضُمَّت أَنامِلُ حاسِبِ

He narrowed the space between the two openings, until they became

The horizons he narrowed, till they

like the gathered fingertips of one who counts.

Were closed tight as the fingers of an accountant.

وَقَرَّبَ بَينَ العَدُوَّتَينِ كَأَنَّما

وَقَرَّبَ بَينَ العَدُوَّتَينِ كَأَنَّما

لَهُ كَرَّةَ الغَرباءِ أَكَرَّةَ لاعِبِ

لَهُ كَرَّةَ الغَرباءِ أَكَرَّةَ لاعِبِ

He drew the two banks together, as though

He brought ancient foes close together,

to him the earth's globe [reading uncertain] were a player's ball.

As if he possessed the ball of the player.

مَروِيَّ شِعارِ الهِندِ دانَ وَراوِياً

مَروِيَّ شِعارِ الهِندِ دانَ وَراوِياً

سَبانَ المَعالي عَن رِقاقِ المَضارِبِ

سَبانَ المَعالي عَن رِقاقِ المَضارِبِ

[Text unclear: watered or recounted; India's emblem; submitted; and narrating.]

He related the mottoes of India, dān and rawiya,

[Unclear word] lofty deeds from slender sword blades.

And told of the glories, not base greed and profit.

لِواءٌ مِنَ الإِسلامِ قَد عَزَّ نَصرُهُ

لِواءٌ مِنَ الإِسلامِ قَد عَزَّ نَصرُهُ

أَطَلَّ عَلى الآفاقِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

أَطَلَّ عَلى الآفاقِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

A banner of Islam, mighty in its triumph,

A banner of Islam its triumph made manifest,

rose over the horizons from every side.

Unfurling in every direction to East and to West.

لِواءٌ لَوانَ الأَرضِ طالَ أَثيرُها

لِواءٌ لَوانَ الأَرضِ طالَ أَثيرُها

لَمّا زالَ حَتّى أَندَقَّ بَينَ الكَواكِبِ

لَمّا زالَ حَتّى أَندَقَّ بَينَ الكَواكِبِ

A banner that, were the earth's ether to extend higher,

A banner whose glory covered the realms of the earth,

would not stop until it was driven in among the stars.

Until it gleamed midst the stars in the sky.

وَلَو أَنَّ قَرانَ الشَمسِ أَرىخى ذَوائِباً

وَلَو أَنَّ قَرانَ الشَمسِ أَرىخى ذَوائِباً

لَما كانَ مِنهُ غَيرَ إِحدى الذَوائِبِ

لَما كانَ مِنهُ غَيرَ إِحدى الذَوائِبِ

And if the sun's horn [reading uncertain] let down tresses,

If the train of the Sun let its tresses down loose,

it would be no more than one of its tresses.

They would be but a single one of its tresses.

تُداوِلهُ بَعدَ النَبِيِّ خَلائِفٌ

تُداوِلهُ بَعدَ النَبِيِّ خَلائِفٌ

مَفاخِرُهُم كُلٌّ عَلى كُلِّ غارِبِ

مَفاخِرُهُم كُلٌّ عَلى كُلِّ غارِبِ

Caliphs pass it among themselves after the Prophet,

Successors receive it, after the Prophet, one from the other,

their glories, each upon every crest.

Each of them eminent over each fading star.

لَعَمري لَئِن طالَ التَحَكُّكَ بِالسُهى

لَعَمري لَئِن طالَ التَحَكُّكَ بِالسُهى

وَقارِبٌ رَوقُ النَجمِ أَوَ لَم يُقارِبِ

وَقارِبٌ رَوقُ النَجمِ أَوَ لَم يُقارِبِ

By my life, even if rubbing against Suha lasts long,

By my life! If vacillation lasts until the Pleiades decline,

and one nears the star's horn—or does not—

Or the star Aldebaran fails to rise,

لَمّا طاوَلتُ أَحسابَ عُثمانَ عُصبَةٌ

لَمّا طاوَلتُ أَحسابَ عُثمانَ عُصبَةٌ

وَلا دانَ مِنها مَطلَبٌ نَحوَ طالِبِ

وَلا دانَ مِنها مَطلَبٌ نَحوَ طالِبِ

no band would rival Uthman's ancestral honors [vocalization uncertain],

When a faction stretched out its hands for ʿUthmān,

nor would any aim of theirs come within a seeker's reach.

With no reverence for a Caliph like ʿAlī,

أَرى آلَ عُثمانَ بِنَصرِ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَرى آلَ عُثمانَ بِنَصرِ مُحَمَّدٍ

هِيَ الأَزدُ إِلّا أَنَّها لم تُصاحِبِ

هِيَ الأَزدُ إِلّا أَنَّها لم تُصاحِبِ

I see the House of Uthman, in its support of Muhammad,

I saw the House of ʿUthmān with the victory of Muhammad,

as the Azd, except that they did not accompany him.

They are the Azd, though they never accompanied him.

مَلونَ بِالأَمرِ الَّذي يَحمِلونَهُ

مَلونَ بِالأَمرِ الَّذي يَحمِلونَهُ

خَلِّيونَ عَن خَلفِ المَساعي الكَواذِبِ

خَلِّيونَ عَن خَلفِ المَساعي الكَواذِبِ

Capable [reading uncertain] of the charge they bear,

Sincerely devoted to the authority they wield,

free of the failure of deceptive endeavors.

Far from the misguided efforts of deceiving pretenders.

لَقضد نَوَّروا لَيلاً مِنَ النَقعِ داجِياً

لَقضد نَوَّروا لَيلاً مِنَ النَقعِ داجِياً

بِشُهبِ رِماحٍ لِلنُحورِ ثَواقِبِ

بِشُهبِ رِماحٍ لِلنُحورِ ثَواقِبِ

They have indeed lit a night dark with battle dust,

Truly they illuminated a night of grim darkness

with the meteors of spears that pierce throats.

With the shooting stars of lances piercing breasts.

وَقَد فَرَّعوا مِن كُلِّ مَلكٍ عَقيلَةٌ

وَقَد فَرَّعوا مِن كُلِّ مَلكٍ عَقيلَةٌ

رِياضَتُها أَعيَت عَلى كُلِّ خاطِبٍ

رِياضَتُها أَعيَت عَلى كُلِّ خاطِبٍ

From every king they have won a prized maiden,

From every kingdom they have plucked choice fruits,

whose taming had baffled every suitor.

Whose bloom has foiled every wooing suitor.

لَقَد جَمَعوا البَرَّينِ مَعض زَاخِريهِما

لَقَد جَمَعوا البَرَّينِ مَعض زَاخِريهِما

وَأَحسَنَ مِنهُ جَمعَهُم لِلمَناقِبِ

وَأَحسَنَ مِنهُ جَمعَهُم لِلمَناقِبِ

They have united the two lands with their two surging seas,

They gathered the goodness of land and sea through their raiders,

and better still is their gathering of virtues.

And better than this: gathered glory for themselves.

حَفِظتُ لِعُثامٍ وَقاراً مَريدُهُ

حَفِظتُ لِعُثامٍ وَقاراً مَريدُهُ

تَرَدّى بِإِذنِ اللَهِ حُلَّةَ خائِبِ

تَرَدّى بِإِذنِ اللَهِ حُلَّةَ خائِبِ

I preserved dignity for Utham [possibly Uthman]; his rebel

I have guarded honor for ʿUthmān, his partisan,

donned, by God's leave, the robe of failure.

Hoping–if God permits–the garb of shame will slip.

وَحَسُنَت بَل حَصُنتَ ما شِئتَ وَاِقتَضَت

وَحَسُنَت بَل حَصُنتَ ما شِئتَ وَاِقتَضَت

خَواطِرُكَ الغَرا وَحُسنُ المَذاهِبِ

خَواطِرُكَ الغَرا وَحُسنُ المَذاهِبِ

You beautified—rather, fortified—whatever you wished and whatever was required by

You have done nobly, even fortified, what you desired,

your radiant thoughts and the excellence of your ways.

Following your own sound intuitions and ways.

سَرَدَت لَهُ هَذا الحَديدَ فَلَم تَزَل

سَرَدَت لَهُ هَذا الحَديدَ فَلَم تَزَل

تَمُدُّ بِقُضبانٍ لَهُ وَقواضِبِ

تَمُدُّ بِقُضبانٍ لَهُ وَقواضِبِ

You fashioned this iron for it, and never ceased

You have forged this iron for him and cease not

supplying it with rods and cutting swords:

To ply it with ingots and rods.

قَواضِبُهُ في الحَربِ ِن تُنتَدَب لَها

قَواضِبُهُ في الحَربِ ِن تُنتَدَب لَها

وَقُضبانِهِ في السِلمِ إِن لَم تُحارِبِ

وَقُضبانِهِ في السِلمِ إِن لَم تُحارِبِ

its swords in war, if you are summoned to it,

Its rods for war, if summoned to it,

and its rods in peace, if you do not fight.

Its ingots for peace, if no war is provoked,

وَما عَفَت نارُ الحَربِ إِلّا تَعَقُّلاً

وَما عَفَت نارُ الحَربِ إِلّا تَعَقُّلاً

وَكُلٌّ مِنَ الدَولاتِ تُدلى بِجاذِبِ

وَكُلٌّ مِنَ الدَولاتِ تُدلى بِجاذِبِ

War's fire has died down only through prudence,

The fires of war subside only through reason,

and every state is drawn by some lure.

While all states are pulled by the rope of fate.

وَما عَقَتها إِلّا اِحتِفازاً لِقُربِها

وَما عَقَتها إِلّا اِحتِفازاً لِقُربِها

وَهَل يَنهَضُ البازي بِغَيرِ مَخالِبِ

وَهَل يَنهَضُ البازي بِغَيرِ مَخالِبِ

You checked it only as a precaution against its approach;

They subside only to flare up again nearby,

and can the goshawk rise without talons?

Does the falcon rise without claws?

لِكُلٍّ مِنَ الأَمرَينِ أَعدَدتَ عُدَّةً

لِكُلٍّ مِنَ الأَمرَينِ أَعدَدتَ عُدَّةً

فَسالِم إِذا ما طِبتَ نَفساً وَغاضِبِ

فَسالِم إِذا ما طِبتَ نَفساً وَغاضِبِ

For each of the two courses, you have made provision;

For each circumstance you have readied supplies–

so make peace when your heart is content, and contend.

So greetings in peace and when wrathful in war!

سَهِرتُ وَقَد نامَ الأَنامُ بِمُقلَةٍ

سَهِرتُ وَقَد نامَ الأَنامُ بِمُقلَةٍ

لَه قَلبُ شَيحانَ وَجُثمانِ شاحِبِ

لَه قَلبُ شَيحانَ وَجُثمانِ شاحِبِ

I kept vigil while humankind slept, with an eye awake;

I have stayed up while mankind slept in repose,

his is a lion's heart, and a pallid man's frame.

With the heart of passionate love and the body of the emaciated.

فَحُبُّكَ ذا شَرعِيٌّ وَعُرفي وَمَذهَبي

فَحُبُّكَ ذا شَرعِيٌّ وَعُرفي وَمَذهَبي

وَمَدحَكَ ذا فَرَضي وَوَتَري وَواجِبي

وَمَدحَكَ ذا فَرَضي وَوَتَري وَواجِبي

So this love of you is my sacred law, my custom, and my creed,

For your love is my creed, my way, my doctrine,

and this praise of you is my obligation, my witr prayer, and my duty.

And praising you: my duty, my bond, my obligation!