نَبَتْ بي أرضُكُمْ فَرحلْتُ عَنهَا

نَبَتْ بي أرضُكُمْ فَرحلْتُ عَنهَا

فَخيرٌ من إِقَامَتِيَ الرَّحيلُ

فَخيرٌ من إِقَامَتِيَ الرَّحيلُ

Your land spurned me, so I departed from it;

Your land made me blossom, so I departed from it

so departure is better than my staying.

Leaving is better than remaining in humiliation

إذَا ما ذُلَّ العَزيزُ بأرْضِ قَوْمٍ

إذَا ما ذُلَّ العَزيزُ بأرْضِ قَوْمٍ

وطَالَ علَى العَزِيزِ بِهَا الذَّليلُ

وطَالَ علَى العَزِيزِ بِهَا الذَّليلُ

When a noble man is humbled in a people's land,

When the honorable one is disgraced in the land of a people

and a lowly man there lords it over him,

And the dishonorable rules over the honorable there for long

فَلَيسَ يَسُوغُ فيها المَكْثُ إلاّ

فَلَيسَ يَسُوغُ فيها المَكْثُ إلاّ

لمِنْ أودَى بِهِمَّتِهِ الخُمُولُ

لمِنْ أودَى بِهِمَّتِهِ الخُمُولُ

then staying there is fitting only

It is not fitting to remain there except for one

for one whose ambition obscurity has destroyed.

Whose will has been corrupted by resignation

فَمكَّةُ وهي أشْرَفُ كُل أْرْضٍ

فَمكَّةُ وهي أشْرَفُ كُل أْرْضٍ

تحمَّلَ ظَاعِناً عَنهَا الرَّسُولُ

تحمَّلَ ظَاعِناً عَنهَا الرَّسُولُ

For even Mecca, the noblest of all lands,

Mecca, the most noble of all lands

the Messenger left, setting out on his journey.

Bore the affliction of the Prophet leaving it

وبَسْطُ القَولِ في ذِكْرِ الذينَ ارْ

وبَسْطُ القَولِ في ذِكْرِ الذينَ ارْ

تَمَتْ بِهمُ مَنَازلُهُمْ يَطُولُ

تَمَتْ بِهمُ مَنَازلُهُمْ يَطُولُ

And a full account of those whom

To elaborate on those whose dwellings

their homes cast out would be long.

Became too confining for them is prolonged

فَيا ابنَ النَّاهِضِينَ بِكلِّ عِبءٍ

فَيا ابنَ النَّاهِضِينَ بِكلِّ عِبءٍ

مِن العَلْيَاءِ مَحْمَلُهُ ثَقيلُ

مِن العَلْيَاءِ مَحْمَلُهُ ثَقيلُ

So, O son of those who shoulder every burden

O son of those who undertake every heavy burden

of high honor, heavy to bear,

Whose glorious enterprise is arduous

ومَنْ مُدِحُوا بِما أُوحِي إليْهِمْ

ومَنْ مُدِحُوا بِما أُوحِي إليْهِمْ

فَفِيهِ لَهُمْ غِنًى عَمَّا أَقُولُ

فَفِيهِ لَهُمْ غِنًى عَمَّا أَقُولُ

and of those praised by what was revealed to them—

Those who are praised for the revelation sent down to them

for that suffices them without anything I say.

Have no need for what I say of them

أُعيذُكَ أن يَحِيفَ عَلَيَّ دَهْرٌ

أُعيذُكَ أن يَحِيفَ عَلَيَّ دَهْرٌ

وأنْتَ بِسَدِّ خِلاَّتِي كَفيلُ

وأنْتَ بِسَدِّ خِلاَّتِي كَفيلُ

I seek to shield you from time's wronging me,

I seek refuge for you lest time slander me

while you are pledged to meet my needs.

While you suffice to cover my shortcomings

فَصَافَحَكَ الغُدُوُّ بِصَفْوِ ودِّي

فَصَافَحَكَ الغُدُوُّ بِصَفْوِ ودِّي

وخَالِصَتِي ونَاجَاكَ الأَصيلُ

وخَالِصَتِي ونَاجَاكَ الأَصيلُ

So may morning clasp your hand with my pure affection,

The morning came to you with my sincerity

and my sincere devotion, and may evening whisper to you.

And loyalty, and the noble one confided in you

ودُونَكَهَا كَما رَقَّتْ شِمَالٌ

ودُونَكَهَا كَما رَقَّتْ شِمَالٌ

وَرَاقَتْ في زُجَاجَتِها شَمُولُ

وَرَاقَتْ في زُجَاجَتِها شَمُولُ

And take it, gentle as a north wind,

Lower yourself before him as the crescent moon waned

and clear as wine within its glass.

And appeared through its glass, crescent shaped