أَلا حَيِّ العُقابَ وَقاطِنيهِ

أَلا حَيِّ العُقابَ وَقاطِنيهِ

وَقُل أَهلاً بِهِ وَبِزائِريهِ

وَقُل أَهلاً بِهِ وَبِزائِريهِ

Come, greet al-ʿUqāb and its inhabitants,

O inhabitant of the peaks, greeting!

and bid it and its visitors welcome.

And say welcome to your visitor.

حَلَلتُ بِهِ فَنَفَّسَ ما بِنَفسي

حَلَلتُ بِهِ فَنَفَّسَ ما بِنَفسي

وَأَنَّسَني فَما اِستَوحَشتُ فيهِ

وَأَنَّسَني فَما اِستَوحَشتُ فيهِ

I settled there, and it eased what weighed upon my soul,

I arrived and it relieved what was in my soul,

and comforted me, so I felt no loneliness there.

And made me sociable, so I was not lonely there.

وَكَم ذيبٍ نُجاوِرَهُ وَلَكِن

وَكَم ذيبٍ نُجاوِرَهُ وَلَكِن

رَأَيتُ الذِئبَ أَسلَمَ مِن فَقيهِ

رَأَيتُ الذِئبَ أَسلَمَ مِن فَقيهِ

We live beside many a wolf, yet

How many wolves have we neighbored, but

I have found the wolf less dangerous than a jurist.

I saw the wolf more peaceful than a jurist.

وَلَم أَجزَع لِفَقدِ أَخٍ لِأَني

وَلَم أَجزَع لِفَقدِ أَخٍ لِأَني

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ يُؤتى مِن أَخيهِ

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ يُؤتى مِن أَخيهِ

And I did not grieve at the loss of a brother, because

And I did not grieve the loss of a brother, because

I have seen a man harmed by his own brother.

I saw a man gets what he wants from his brother.

وَأَيأَسَني مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَنّي

وَأَيأَسَني مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَنّي

رَأَيتُ الوَجهَ يَزهَدُ في الوَجيهِ

رَأَيتُ الوَجهَ يَزهَدُ في الوَجيهِ

And what made me despair of the days was that

And the days have despaired me, for I

I saw a face turn away from a man of standing.

Saw the face disdains the eminent.

فَآثَرتُ البِعادَ عَلى التَّداني

فَآثَرتُ البِعادَ عَلى التَّداني

لِأَنّي لَم أَجِد مَن أَصطَفيهِ

لِأَنّي لَم أَجِد مَن أَصطَفيهِ

So I chose distance over closeness,

So I preferred remoteness over intimacy

because I found no one to choose as a close friend.

Because I did not find who I would choose.