يُقَرِّظُني قَومي بِأَنّي مَدَحتُهُم

يُقَرِّظُني قَومي بِأَنّي مَدَحتُهُم

كَما يُمدَحُ الرَوضَ الذَكي عَلى النَفحِ

كَما يُمدَحُ الرَوضَ الذَكي عَلى النَفحِ

My people praise me because I praised them,

My people blame me for praising them

as a fragrant garden is praised for its wafting scent.

As a garden is praised for its fragrance

وَلَو أَنَّهُم قَد أَنصَفوني لَما رَأَوا

وَلَو أَنَّهُم قَد أَنصَفوني لَما رَأَوا

بِمَعرِفَتي لِلحَقِّ عارِقَةَ المَنسَحِ

بِمَعرِفَتي لِلحَقِّ عارِقَةَ المَنسَحِ

And had they done me justice, they would not have seen

Had they been fair to me, they would have seen

in my recognition of the truth, [an unclear phrase in the supplied text].

My knowledge of truth piercing like a spear

إِذا لَرَأوا آثارَهُم شاهِداً لَهُم

إِذا لَرَأوا آثارَهُم شاهِداً لَهُم

يَكادُ لَدَيهِمِ الطَيرُ يَهتِفُ بِالصَدحِ

يَكادُ لَدَيهِمِ الطَيرُ يَهتِفُ بِالصَدحِ

Then they would have seen their deeds bearing witness for them;

For they would have seen their traces bearing witness to them

the birds in their presence almost cry out in song.

Birds would cry out to them in proclamation

شَهِدتُ بِما شاهَدتُ ما مِن عَلاقَةٍ

شَهِدتُ بِما شاهَدتُ ما مِن عَلاقَةٍ

وَلا صِلَةٍ توهي الشَهادَةَ بِالجُرحِ

وَلا صِلَةٍ توهي الشَهادَةَ بِالجُرحِ

I testified to what I witnessed; there is no tie

I witnessed what I witnessed, no relation

nor connection that weakens the testimony by discrediting it.

Or connection distorts a testimony by slander

وَلَكِنَّ مِن شَأنِ الفَصاحَةِ أَنَّها

وَلَكِنَّ مِن شَأنِ الفَصاحَةِ أَنَّها

إِذا بَهَرَت تَعطوا إِلى خُلقٌ سَمحِ

إِذا بَهَرَت تَعطوا إِلى خُلقٌ سَمحِ

But it is the nature of eloquence that

But eloquence is such that when it dazzles

when it dazzles, it reaches toward a generous disposition.

It bestows a generous nature however mean

سُيوفِ نَضاها اللَهُ إِذا حَمَّسَ الوَغى

سُيوفِ نَضاها اللَهُ إِذا حَمَّسَ الوَغى

وَنادى مُنادي الدينِ لِلرَميِ وَالنَضحِ

وَنادى مُنادي الدينِ لِلرَميِ وَالنَضحِ

Swords God unsheathed when He stirred up battle

Swords God has sharpened, when battle stirs

and the herald of faith called for shooting and showers of arrows.

And the caller to religion summons to throw and pierce

واصِلٌ في جَيشِ الضَلالِ قِراعُها

واصِلٌ في جَيشِ الضَلالِ قِراعُها

فَما بَرَحَت تَشفي الصُدورَ مِنَ البَرَحِ

فَما بَرَحَت تَشفي الصُدورَ مِنَ البَرَحِ

Their clashing continues amid the army of error,

Unceasing in the army of misguidance their clashing

so they have never ceased to cure hearts of anguish.

Never resting from cleansing breasts of filth

تَلَألَأَ في قَطعٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ مُظلِمِ

تَلَألَأَ في قَطعٍ مِنَ اللَيلِ مُظلِمِ

سَناها فَكانَ اللَيلُ أَضوا مِنَ الصُبحِ

سَناها فَكانَ اللَيلُ أَضوا مِنَ الصُبحِ

In a dark stretch of night there glittered

Flashing in a dark night gloomy

their radiance, so night became brighter than dawn.

Their brightness made the night brighter than dawn

فَلا تَأخُذَنَّكُم في الغُواةِ جَهرَةً

فَلا تَأخُذَنَّكُم في الغُواةِ جَهرَةً

وَلَجوا فَعادَ القَرحَ يَنكَأُ بِالقَرحِ

وَلَجوا فَعادَ القَرحَ يَنكَأُ بِالقَرحِ

So do not be openly overcome concerning the misguided.

So do not let rashness seize you in ignorance

They entered, so the wound was once more aggravated by a wound.

And return a wound to be torn by a wound

فَلَيسَ بِغَيرِ الكَسرِ حَسمَ لِدائِهِم

فَلَيسَ بِغَيرِ الكَسرِ حَسمَ لِدائِهِم

وَغَيرَ العَصا وَالجَوزُ يُؤكَلُ بِالشَقحِ

وَغَيرَ العَصا وَالجَوزُ يُؤكَلُ بِالشَقحِ

For there is no decisive cure for their disease without breaking,

For only breaking will end their malady

nor without the rod—and walnuts are eaten by cracking them.

And naught but the stick and walnut eaten green

وَكُلُّ ذُنوبِ العالَمينَ مَصيرُها

وَكُلُّ ذُنوبِ العالَمينَ مَصيرُها

إِلى العَفوِ إِلّا الشِركُ مُمتَنِعُ الصَفحِ

إِلى العَفوِ إِلّا الشِركُ مُمتَنِعُ الصَفحِ

And all the sins of humankind are destined

And all the sins of the worlds will end

for forgiveness, except polytheism, which admits no pardon.

In pardon except polytheism refusing clemency

سَيَنصُرُكُم مَن تَنصُرونَ كِتابِهِ

سَيَنصُرُكُم مَن تَنصُرونَ كِتابِهِ

وَيُؤتيكُمُ الفَتحُ القَريبُ مِنَ الفَتحِ

وَيُؤتيكُمُ الفَتحُ القَريبُ مِنَ الفَتحِ

He whose Book you uphold will grant you victory

He will give you victory whom you give victory to His book

and grant you a victory near at hand among victories.

And soon bring you a triumphant opening