يا ليتهُ بِالمدينة اِعتكفا

يا ليتهُ بِالمدينة اِعتكفا

ينالُ فيها الألطافَ والتُحفا

ينالُ فيها الألطافَ والتُحفا

Oh, if only he had secluded himself for worship in Medina,

Oh, if only he would stay in Medina

there he would receive gracious favors and gifts.

Receiving kindness and gifts there

يعيشُ في ظلّ سيّدٍ سندٍ

يعيشُ في ظلّ سيّدٍ سندٍ

في بابهِ الدهرُ خادماً وقفا

في بابهِ الدهرُ خادماً وقفا

He would live in the shade of a master, a source of support,

Living in the shade of a guardian master

at whose gate Time stood as a servant.

With eternal servitude at his door

محمّدٌ أفضل الخليقةِ من

محمّدٌ أفضل الخليقةِ من

لولاهُ هذا الوجودُ ما عُرِفا

لولاهُ هذا الوجودُ ما عُرِفا

Muhammad, the best of creation, the one

Muhammad is the best of all creations

without whom this existence would not have been known.

Without him, this existence would not be known

سيّد كلّ الساداتِ أَكرَمهم

سيّد كلّ الساداتِ أَكرَمهم

أَدنى مُجيبٍ لمن به هَتفا

أَدنى مُجيبٍ لمن به هَتفا

Master of all masters, the most generous of them,

Master of all masters, the most generous

the nearest to answer whoever calls upon him.

The humblest answerer to those who call him

قُل يا حبيبَ الرحمنِ نائبهُ

قُل يا حبيبَ الرحمنِ نائبهُ

وَعنكَ ناب الملوكُ والخلفا

وَعنكَ ناب الملوكُ والخلفا

Say: O beloved of the All-Merciful, His deputy,

Say, O beloved of the Merciful, his deputy

and kings and caliphs acted as your deputies,

Kings and caliphs sought you as representative

اِنظر إِلى دينكَ المبين غدا

اِنظر إِلى دينكَ المبين غدا

لملّةِ الكفرِ في الوَرى هَدفا

لملّةِ الكفرِ في الوَرى هَدفا

look upon your clear religion: it has become

Look upon your manifest religion tomorrow

a target for the creed of unbelief among humankind.

As the target of unbelief in all lands

ها هُم تَداعوا كما أبنت لنا

ها هُم تَداعوا كما أبنت لنا

وَنحنُ مَع كثرةٍ بنا ضعفا

وَنحنُ مَع كثرةٍ بنا ضعفا

Behold, they have summoned one another, as you made clear to us,

See how they have gathered against us

and we, despite our great numbers, are weak.

While we, though many, are made weak

فَكُن بِهذا الزمانِ ذا نظرٍ

فَكُن بِهذا الزمانِ ذا نظرٍ

لَنا كما كنت في الّذي سلفا

لَنا كما كنت في الّذي سلفا

So in this age, have regard

In this time, be of insight for us

for us, as you did in the age gone by.

As you were in the past that came before

عَبدٌ لكَ الدهرُ إِن أمرت له

عَبدٌ لكَ الدهرُ إِن أمرت له

يتوبُ ممّا بحقّنا اِقترفا

يتوبُ ممّا بحقّنا اِقترفا

Time is your servant; if you give it a command,

A servant of yours, if you command him

it will repent of what it has perpetrated against us.

Will repent the wrongs against us he did

وَأنتَ عبدٌ للَّه صفوتهُ

وَأنتَ عبدٌ للَّه صفوتهُ

وَقَد أَسأنا فإن عفَوت عفا

وَقَد أَسأنا فإن عفَوت عفا

And you are God's servant, His chosen one;

While you are a servant of God, his elite

and we have indeed done wrong; if you pardon, He will pardon.

We have done evil, so if you pardon, pardon