أَلا هَل أَتى قَبرَ الفَقيرَةِ طارِقٌ

أَلا هَل أَتى قَبرَ الفَقيرَةِ طارِقٌ

يُخَبِّرُها بِالغَيبِ عَن فِعلِ طارِقِ

يُخَبِّرُها بِالغَيبِ عَن فِعلِ طارِقِ

Ah, has a night visitor come to the poor woman's grave,

Has not one come to the grave of the poor woman to inform her of the unseen about Tariq's deed?

to tell her, in the unseen, of Tariq's deed?

He converted after thirty clear proofs, and how much white hair shone before the separations.

تَنَصَّرَ مِن بَعدِ الثَلاثينَ حِجَّةً

تَنَصَّرَ مِن بَعدِ الثَلاثينَ حِجَّةً

وَكَم لاحَ شَيبٌ قَبلَها في المَفارِقِ

وَكَم لاحَ شَيبٌ قَبلَها في المَفارِقِ

He became a Christian after thirty years,

And he did not rise from the sleep of youth seeking abstinence with dawn except while she was in the grip of the brilliant one.

and how much gray had gleamed before then in his hair's partings!

And he abandoned the religion of his parents for something transient. If not for the youth's misguidance, he would not have abandoned.

وَما هَبَّ مِن نَومِ الصِبا يَطلُبُ النُهى

وَما هَبَّ مِن نَومِ الصِبا يَطلُبُ النُهى

مَعَ الفَجرِ إِلّا وَهِيَ في كَفِّ شارِقِ

مَعَ الفَجرِ إِلّا وَهِيَ في كَفِّ شارِقِ

He never woke from youth's sleep to seek reason

What a wonder from one with blue eyes who benefited and so his soul inclined towards the glistening women.

at dawn without its lying in the rising sun's palm.

So how much jewelry did he remove from the wrists of jewelry, and from a lovely one out of yearning for the companionship of the radiant one.

وَفارَقَ دينَ الوالِدَينِ بِزائِلٍ

وَفارَقَ دينَ الوالِدَينِ بِزائِلٍ

وَلَولا ضِلالٌ بِالفَتى لَم يُفارِقِ

وَلَولا ضِلالٌ بِالفَتى لَم يُفارِقِ

He abandoned his parents' faith for something fleeting;

So stay away O you who slip in western lands, whose disgrace folds both east and west.

and but for the young man's error, he would not have forsaken it.

The prayer of the Al-Kasimi prince in a mosque is more righteous and purer than the prayer of patriarchs.

فَوا عَجَبا مِن أَزرَقِ العَينِ غادِرٍ

فَوا عَجَبا مِن أَزرَقِ العَينِ غادِرٍ

أَفادَ فَمالَت نَفسُهُ لِلأَزارِقِ

أَفادَ فَمالَت نَفسُهُ لِلأَزارِقِ

So, what wonder at a blue-eyed traitor,

Censers appear in their churches from them with a melody that tells of the singing of striking.

who gained wealth, and whose soul inclined toward the blue-eyed!

The dress of Hejazi Nimr and her clothes are nobler than their brocade and fleece.

فَكَم مِن سِوارٍ رَدَّ نَبلَ أَساوِرٍ

فَكَم مِن سِوارٍ رَدَّ نَبلَ أَساوِرٍ

وَمِن أَرَقٍ شَوقاً إِلى ذاتِ يارِقِ

وَمِن أَرَقٍ شَوقاً إِلى ذاتِ يارِقِ

How many a bracelet has repelled mounted archers' arrows,

I see the pouring of tears requires that his sermons that were proven in the meadows spill his blood.

and how many a sleepless night of longing for a bracelet-wearing woman!

And nothing prevented the elephant warrior from mentioning his people, and singing praises of him except striking with maces.

فَبُعداً لَها مِن زَلَّةٍ في مَغارِبٍ

فَبُعداً لَها مِن زَلَّةٍ في مَغارِبٍ

مِنَ الأَرضِ يُثنى خَزيُها وَمُشارِقِ

مِنَ الأَرضِ يُثنى خَزيُها وَمُشارِقِ

Away with it—what a lapse! In the western reaches

You were once counted among the swords or spears, but now you have waned among the striking arrows.

of the earth, and the eastern, its disgrace is repeated.

And your prostration to the crucifixes in every street is sufficient disgrace for you.

صَلاةُ الأَميرِ الكاسِميّ بِمَسجِدٍ

صَلاةُ الأَميرِ الكاسِميّ بِمَسجِدٍ

أَبَرُّ وَأَزكى مِن صَلاةِ البَطارِقِ

أَبَرُّ وَأَزكى مِن صَلاةِ البَطارِقِ

The prayer of the emir al-Kasimi in a mosque

You saw faces like gold coins which perfected the making of collars, so look what is the talk of separations.

is more righteous and purer than the prayer of the patriarchs.

You are to them a sweating pig whose bone melts so that you are found like a straying monk called a deserter.

مَخاريقُ تَبدو في الكَنائِسِ مِنهُمُ

مَخاريقُ تَبدو في الكَنائِسِ مِنهُمُ

بِلَحنٍ لَهُم يَحكي غِناءَ مُخارِقِ

بِلَحنٍ لَهُم يَحكي غِناءَ مُخارِقِ

Their tricks appear in the churches,

And your going astray did not sadden Islam against it, but you went the going of one who separates.

in a chant of theirs that imitates Mukhariq's singing.

And you preferred the heat of a fire that is constantly blazing to poverty or a branch that has only a few green leaves.

وَإِنَّ حِجازَيّ النِمارِ وَلُبسَها

وَإِنَّ حِجازَيّ النِمارِ وَلُبسَها

لِأَشرَفُ مِن ديباجِهِم وَالنَمارِقِ

لِأَشرَفُ مِن ديباجِهِم وَالنَمارِقِ

Indeed, the two girdles of striped cloaks, and wearing them,

And I swear the noble one did not mind his appearance with the group walking in the striped shirt.

are nobler than their brocade and cushions.

You would endure death but not endure a delight of wine in their cups and vessels.

أَرى مُهرِقَ الدَمَعاتِ يوجِبُ سَفحَهُ

أَرى مُهرِقَ الدَمَعاتِ يوجِبُ سَفحَهُ

جِناياتُ خَطبٍ أُثبِتَت في المَهارِقِ

جِناياتُ خَطبٍ أُثبِتَت في المَهارِقِ

I see one shedding tears; his outpouring is compelled

You left the light of the sun guiding you with its illumination and followed a flash in the darkness.

by a calamity's outrages, recorded on parchments.

وَما عاقَ لِبَّ الفيلِ عَن ذِكرِ اهلِه

وَما عاقَ لِبَّ الفيلِ عَن ذِكرِ اهلِه

وَمَغناهُ إِلّا ضَربُهُ بِالمَطارِقِ

وَمَغناهُ إِلّا ضَربُهُ بِالمَطارِقِ

And nothing kept the elephant's mind from remembering its kin

and its dwelling but the beating it received with hammers.

عُدِدتَ زَماناً في السُيوفِ أَو القَنا

عُدِدتَ زَماناً في السُيوفِ أَو القَنا

فَأَصبَحتَ نِكساً في السِهامِ المَوارِقِ

فَأَصبَحتَ نِكساً في السِهامِ المَوارِقِ

You were once reckoned among swords or spears,

but now have become a reversed, reused shaft among piercing arrows.

وَحَسبُكَ مِن عارٍ يُشِبُّ وَقودَهُ

وَحَسبُكَ مِن عارٍ يُشِبُّ وَقودَهُ

سُجودُكَ لِلصِلبانِ في كُلِّ شارِقِ

سُجودُكَ لِلصِلبانِ في كُلِّ شارِقِ

And enough for you is the shame whose fuel is kindled

by your prostration before crosses at every sunrise.

رَأَيتَ وُجوهاً كَالدَنانيرِ أَحكَمَت

رَأَيتَ وُجوهاً كَالدَنانيرِ أَحكَمَت

زَنانيرَ فَاِنظُر ما حَديثُ المَعارِقِ

زَنانيرَ فَاِنظُر ما حَديثُ المَعارِقِ

You saw faces like dinars that had fastened tight

their girdles; consider, then, the tale of gnawed bones.

فَدونَكَ خِنزيراً تَعَرَّقُ عَظمَهُ

فَدونَكَ خِنزيراً تَعَرَّقُ عَظمَهُ

لِتوجَدَ كَالطائيِّ تُدعى بِعارِقِ

لِتوجَدَ كَالطائيِّ تُدعى بِعارِقِ

So take a pig and gnaw the meat from its bone,

so that, like al-Ta'i, you may be found called 'Ariq.

وَما حَزَنَ الإِسلامَ مَغداكَ زارِياً

وَما حَزَنَ الإِسلامَ مَغداكَ زارِياً

عَليهِ وَلَكِن رُحتَ رَوحَةَ فارِقِ

عَليهِ وَلَكِن رُحتَ رَوحَةَ فارِقِ

And your morning departure did not sadden Islam, as you disparaged

it; rather, you left like a she-camel leaving her herd to calve.

وَآثَرتَ حَرَّ النارِ تُسعَرُ دائِماً

وَآثَرتَ حَرَّ النارِ تُسعَرُ دائِماً

عَلى الفَقرِ أَو غُصنٍ لَهُ غَيرِ وارِقِ

عَلى الفَقرِ أَو غُصنٍ لَهُ غَيرِ وارِقِ

And you preferred the heat of the fire, forever stoked,

to poverty, or to a leafless branch of it.

وَأَحلِفُ ما ضَرَّ الكَريمَ ظُهورَهُ

وَأَحلِفُ ما ضَرَّ الكَريمَ ظُهورَهُ

مَعَ الرَهطِ يَمشي في القَميصِ الشَبارِقِ

مَعَ الرَهطِ يَمشي في القَميصِ الشَبارِقِ

And I swear: a noble man is not harmed by his appearing

among the company, walking in a tattered shirt.

تَجَرُّعُ مَوتٍ لا تَجَرُّعُ لِذَّةٍ

تَجَرُّعُ مَوتٍ لا تَجَرُّعُ لِذَّةٍ

مِنَ الخَمرِ في كاساتِهِم وَالأَبارِقِ

مِنَ الخَمرِ في كاساتِهِم وَالأَبارِقِ

Gulping death, not gulping pleasure,

from the wine in their cups and ewers.

تَرَكتَ ضِياءَ الشَمسِ يَهديكَ نورُها

تَرَكتَ ضِياءَ الشَمسِ يَهديكَ نورُها

وَتَبَّعتَ في الظَلماءِ لَمحَةَ بارِقِ

وَتَبَّعتَ في الظَلماءِ لَمحَةَ بارِقِ

You abandoned the sun's radiance, its light guiding you,

and followed, in the darkness, a flash of lightning.