سقى العقيقَ فالديّارَ فاللّوى

سقى العقيقَ فالديّارَ فاللّوى

سحائبٌ تضحكُ مِنهنّ الرُّبى

سحائبٌ تضحكُ مِنهنّ الرُّبى

May al-‘Aqiq, then the dwellings, then al-Liwa be watered

He watered the sand dunes, then the dwellings, then the winding paths

by clouds that make the hills laugh.

Clouds smile down, dripping with blessings

وجادَها هامي الغمام رائحاً

وجادَها هامي الغمام رائحاً

على رُباها غادياً كما تشَا

على رُباها غادياً كما تشَا

And may pouring clouds drench it at evening,

And the moaning clouds bestowed upon it a gift

coming over its hills at morning, as it wishes.

Passing by, pouring down upon its people

ولا خلَتْ عن أهْلها طول المدى

ولا خلَتْ عن أهْلها طول المدى

ولا تَخطّى نحوها صرفُ القضا

ولا تَخطّى نحوها صرفُ القضا

And may it never be empty of its people through all time,

Never deserting its people over the ages

nor may the blows of fate approach it.

Nor did the course of fate bypass it

فكم بها مِن أغيدٍ مُهَفْهَفٍ

فكم بها مِن أغيدٍ مُهَفْهَفٍ

تَخْجَل من أَلْحاظِه بيضُ الظُّبىَ

تَخْجَل من أَلْحاظِه بيضُ الظُّبىَ

For many a graceful, slender youth is there,

How many songs glorify it

whose glances put bright sword-edges to shame.

Whose glances would shame the radiance of lightning

له على رغمي كما شاء الهوى

له على رغمي كما شاء الهوى

مِني صَفا الودِّ ولي مِنه القِلَى

مِني صَفا الودِّ ولي مِنه القِلَى

He has, despite myself, as passion has decreed,

He has my devotion though desire protested

my pure affection, while I have his aversion.

My affection is true yet receives little affection in return

ساجي الرَّنا يَمشي بقَدٍّ أَهْيفٍ

ساجي الرَّنا يَمشي بقَدٍّ أَهْيفٍ

يهزؤُ بالغُصْنِ الرطيب إنْ مَشا

يهزؤُ بالغُصْنِ الرطيب إنْ مَشا

Tranquil of gaze, he walks with a slender figure,

The slender, gently swaying branch

mocking the tender bough whenever he walks.

Mocks the pliant bough when it stirs

يكاد غصنُ البانِ يحكي لينه

يكاد غصنُ البانِ يحكي لينه

وقدّه يقولُ مَهْلاً لا سَوَا

وقدّه يقولُ مَهْلاً لا سَوَا

The bān-tree’s bough almost matches his suppleness,

The pliant bough can nearly tell of its softness

and his figure says, 'Wait—there is no match.'

And its suppleness says gently, no more!

أظَلّ مِن غرّتِه وفرعِهِ

أظَلّ مِن غرّتِه وفرعِهِ

مولَّهاً بين الصَّباح والمسَا

مولَّهاً بين الصَّباح والمسَا

I remain, because of his radiant brow and his tresses,

It shaded me from its rattling and its branches

distraught with love between morning and evening.

Turning slowly between dawn and dusk

يسومني العاذل فيه سلوةً

يسومني العاذل فيه سلوةً

ولي فؤادٌ عن هواه ما سلا

ولي فؤادٌ عن هواه ما سلا

The reproacher demands that I forget him,

The critic wounds me though it consoles me

yet my heart has never ceased to love him.

And I have a heart that does not forget its love

يا عاذلي واللهِ لو رأيتَهُ

يا عاذلي واللهِ لو رأيتَهُ

لقيتَ مِنه ما لقيتُ من عَنَا

لقيتَ مِنه ما لقيتُ من عَنَا

O my reproacher, by God, if you saw him,

O critic, by God if you but saw it

you would suffer from him the same anguish I have suffered.

You would receive from it what I have received

كم ذا أقضّي زمني في حُبّهِ

كم ذا أقضّي زمني في حُبّهِ

مُعَلَّلاً ما بينَ يأسٍ ورَجَا

مُعَلَّلاً ما بينَ يأسٍ ورَجَا

How long must I spend my days loving him,

How long will I spend my days loving it

lulled with hopes between despair and hope?

Suspended between despair and hope?

وكم بوعْدِ وصله أَطْمَعَني

وكم بوعْدِ وصله أَطْمَعَني

حتّى إذا اسْتَنْجَزْتهُ الوعْد لَوى

حتّى إذا اسْتَنْجَزْتهُ الوعْد لَوى

And how often he has stirred my hopes with promises of union,

And how often has the promise of union enticed me

until, when I asked him to keep his promise, he turned away.

Only, when I sought to claim it, for the promise to be broken

وحالتِ الأيّامُ دونَ وصلهِ

وحالتِ الأيّامُ دونَ وصلهِ

كأنما تحسدني على الّلقا

كأنما تحسدني على الّلقا

And the days stood between me and union with him,

And time prevented the attainment of union

as though they envy me our meeting.

As though envying me the meeting

ما لي وللدّهر الخؤون لم يزلْ

ما لي وللدّهر الخؤون لم يزلْ

عليّ لِلأَعداء سيفاً مُنْتَضَى

عليّ لِلأَعداء سيفاً مُنْتَضَى

What have I to do with treacherous Time? It has never ceased

Why should I and the cruel days quarrel? They have not ceased

to be a sword drawn against me for my enemies.

To be a sword wielded against me by enemies

كَمْ ذا أغضّ مُقلتي على الأذى

كَمْ ذا أغضّ مُقلتي على الأذى

منه وكم أَحْمِلُ ما يُوهي القوى

منه وكم أَحْمِلُ ما يُوهي القوى

How long must I turn a blind eye to the harm

How long shall I close my eyes to harm from it

from it, and how much must I bear that saps my strength?

And bear what saps my strength?

وهكذا كلّ جوادٍ سابقٍ

وهكذا كلّ جوادٍ سابقٍ

مِن الورى تعيده إلى الورا

مِن الورى تعيده إلى الورا

And so every noble steed that leads the field

And so does every noble steed

among mankind you send back to the rear.

Find itself returned by fate to the stables

يا طالما علّلتُ نفسي بالمنى

يا طالما علّلتُ نفسي بالمنى

وما عسى تُجدي لَعَلّ وعَسى

وما عسى تُجدي لَعَلّ وعَسى

Ah, how often I have consoled myself with wishes!

Long have I consoled myself with wishes

And what good can 'perhaps' and 'maybe' do?

But what can ‘perhaps’ and ‘if only’ avail?

لأَجْعَلَنّ الصبر لي خُلْقاً ومَنْ

لأَجْعَلَنّ الصبر لي خُلْقاً ومَنْ

يَصبرْ ينَلْ بصبرهِ أقصى المنَى

يَصبرْ ينَلْ بصبرهِ أقصى المنَى

I shall surely make patience my nature, and whoever

I shall make patience my nature, for he who is patient

is patient attains, through patience, the utmost of his wishes.

Attains all he desires through his patience

فربّ هَمٍّ قد عَرا ثم انْجلَى

فربّ هَمٍّ قد عَرا ثم انْجلَى

وربّ يُسرٍ بعد عُسْرٍ قد أتى

وربّ يُسرٍ بعد عُسْرٍ قد أتى

For many a care has come, then cleared away,

For many a care has passed and cleared up

and often ease has come after hardship.

And many ease has come after hardship

كم فرجٍ قد جاء بعدَ شدّةٍ

كم فرجٍ قد جاء بعدَ شدّةٍ

حالَةٍ حوّلها الله إلى

حالَةٍ حوّلها الله إلى

How often relief has come after hardship—

How much relief has come after severity!

a state that God has transformed into...

God transformed one condition into another

أَمَا ومَنْ حجّ ولَبّى ودعا

أَمَا ومَنْ حجّ ولَبّى ودعا

وجاء بالدّين الحنيف المرتضى

وجاء بالدّين الحنيف المرتضى

Indeed, by him who made pilgrimage, answered the call, and prayed,

But whoever performs pilgrimage, seeks union, and prays

and brought the upright, approved faith,

And follows the beloved, chosen religion

لَو لَمْ يكن عليَّ دينٌ جائرٌ

لَو لَمْ يكن عليَّ دينٌ جائرٌ

ولم تكنْ عندي حقوقُ للورى

ولم تكنْ عندي حقوقُ للورى

if no oppressive debt lay upon me,

If I were not beholden to an unjust religion

and I owed no obligations to others,

And did not have obligations to people

لأَرفضنَّ هذه الدنْيا إلى الأخرى

لأَرفضنَّ هذه الدنْيا إلى الأخرى

وحَسْبي بدلاً وحبّذا

وحَسْبي بدلاً وحبّذا

I would surely forsake this world for the next,

I would spurn this world for the next

a sufficient substitute for me—and how welcome!

And be content with little, desiring no more

وألْزم النّفس العفَافَ قائلاً

وألْزم النّفس العفَافَ قائلاً

لِلْعُمُرِ المقبل كنْ كما مَضَى

لِلْعُمُرِ المقبل كنْ كما مَضَى

And I would bind my soul to chastity, saying

I would make chastity the rule for my soul saying

to the life ahead, 'Be as what has passed.'

For the life to come, be as the past has been

ولم أُعاتبْ سيفَ حظّي إنْ نَبَا

ولم أُعاتبْ سيفَ حظّي إنْ نَبَا

ولم أَقلْ لِزَمني حتّى مَتى

ولم أَقلْ لِزَمني حتّى مَتى

Nor would I reproach my fortune’s sword if it failed to cut,

And would not complain of the sword of my fate if it struck

nor ask my time, 'How much longer?'

Nor say to time, how long will this go on?

لكن حقوق قد ثناني الفقر عَنْ

لكن حقوق قد ثناني الفقر عَنْ

قَضَائها والحقّ دينٌ يُقتَضَى

قَضَائها والحقّ دينٌ يُقتَضَى

But there are obligations that poverty has kept me from

But duties ensnare me; poverty prevents me

fulfilling; a rightful due is a debt to be exacted,

From fulfilling them, though duty must be discharged

وثقل دينٍ قد أذابَ جسدي

وثقل دينٍ قد أذابَ جسدي

وترك الطَّرفَ سميراً لِلسُّهَى

وترك الطَّرفَ سميراً لِلسُّهَى

and debt’s burden has melted my body away,

And heavy debt has wasted my body

and left my eye a night-companion to al-Suha.

And left my eyes susceptible to drowsiness

عَسَى وعلّ فرجٌ مُعَجّلٌ

عَسَى وعلّ فرجٌ مُعَجّلٌ

مِن خالقي يكشف همّاً قد عَرَى

مِن خالقي يكشف همّاً قد عَرَى

Perhaps, perhaps, swift relief

Perhaps, God will soon show relief

from my Creator will lift a care that has befallen me.

And remove the care that afflicts me

ثم الصَّلاةُ والسلام ما بدا

ثم الصَّلاةُ والسلام ما بدا

نورٌ وما غاب الظلام واختفى

نورٌ وما غاب الظلام واختفى

Then blessings and peace, so long as there appears

Then blessings and peace whenever light appears

light, and so long as darkness departs and disappears,

And darkness disappears and fades away

على النبيّ المصطفى أكرم مَنْ

على النبيّ المصطفى أكرم مَنْ

أرسلَه ربُّ السمواتِ العُلى

أرسلَه ربُّ السمواتِ العُلى

upon the chosen Prophet, the noblest of those

Upon the chosen Prophet, the noblest of those

sent by the Lord of the lofty heavens,

Sent by the Lord of the Highest Heaven

وصنوه حيدرة الكرّار مَنْ

وصنوه حيدرة الكرّار مَنْ

باهَى به الرحمنُ أملاكَ السَّما

باهَى به الرحمنُ أملاكَ السَّما

and his counterpart Haydara, the oft-charging warrior, of whom

And his kinsman the oft-visiting one whom

the Most Merciful boasted before the angels of heaven,

The All-Merciful revealed to the angels in heaven

والآل أَرباب التّقى أمانُ أَهْلِ الأرض

والآل أَرباب التّقى أمانُ أَهْلِ الأرض

أعلام الهدى سُفن النّجا

أعلام الهدى سُفن النّجا

and the family, masters of piety, the safeguard of earth’s people,

And his family, lords of piety, the shelter for people of earth

beacons of guidance, ships of salvation.

The guiding lights, the ships of salvation