ذَراها بِسَلعٍ وَالغُوَيرِ ذَراها

ذَراها بِسَلعٍ وَالغُوَيرِ ذَراها

تَمُدُّ إِلى ماءِ العُذَيبِ خُطاها

تَمُدُّ إِلى ماءِ العُذَيبِ خُطاها

Let them go at Sal‘ and al-Ghuwayr—let them go.

Her home was scattered in Sal' and Ghawair scattered

They lengthen their strides toward the waters of al-‘Udhayb.

Stretching to the water of Udhaib her strides

وَلا تَثنِياها عَن ثَنِيّاتِ حاجِرٍ

وَلا تَثنِياها عَن ثَنِيّاتِ حاجِرٍ

وَإِن راعَها جَذبُ البُرى فَبَراها

وَإِن راعَها جَذبُ البُرى فَبَراها

And do not turn them away from the mountain passes of Hajir,

And she does not divert them from the winding valleys

Even if tugging at the nose-rings frightens them and wears them thin.

Even if the expanse of the land pulled her, so she resisted

تَحِنُّ إِلى سَلع وَنَور أَقاحِها

تَحِنُّ إِلى سَلع وَنَور أَقاحِها

إِذا هاجَ أَنفاسَ العَرارِ صَباها

إِذا هاجَ أَنفاسَ العَرارِ صَباها

They yearn for Sal‘ and the bloom of its daisies,

Yearning for Sal' and the light of its meadows

When its east wind stirs the fragrant breaths of ‘arar blossoms.

When the winds of dawn blew upon her

فَتَقطَعُ أَجوازَ الفَلا بِرَسيمِها

فَتَقطَعُ أَجوازَ الفَلا بِرَسيمِها

وَتَحصِبُ مبيَضَّ الحَصا بِبُراها

وَتَحصِبُ مبيَضَّ الحَصا بِبُراها

So they cross the desert expanses at their swift trot,

She cuts through the dune scrub with her breeze

And scatter the white pebbles with their nose-rings.

And harvests the white acacia with her downpour

عَوائِمُ في بَحرِ السَرابِ كَأَنَّها

عَوائِمُ في بَحرِ السَرابِ كَأَنَّها

سَفائِنُ تَرمي بِالهَواءِ هَواها

سَفائِنُ تَرمي بِالهَواءِ هَواها

Swimming in a sea of mirage, they are like

Drifting in the sea of mirage as though

Ships casting their longing through the air.

Ships sailing with the wind set their course

تَطيرُ إِذا الحادي حَداها كَأنَّما

تَطيرُ إِذا الحادي حَداها كَأنَّما

بِتَرتيلِ داوود النَّبِيِّ حَداها

بِتَرتيلِ داوود النَّبِيِّ حَداها

They fly when the camel-driver sings them onward, as though

She flies when the guide directs her as though

He sang them onward with the measured chant of David the prophet.

Charmed by David the Prophet's chant

فَلا تَرثِيا يا صاحِبَيَّ لَها فَفي

فَلا تَرثِيا يا صاحِبَيَّ لَها فَفي

وَجاها إِذا سارَت شِفاءُ جَواها

وَجاها إِذا سارَت شِفاءُ جَواها

So do not pity them, O my two companions, for in

So do not grieve, my friend, for her, for in

Their footsoreness, as they travel, lies the cure for their heartache.

Her visage, when she traveled, was the cure of her passion

عَلى السَيرِ حُثّاها الغَداةَ سَواهِماً

عَلى السَيرِ حُثّاها الغَداةَ سَواهِماً

فَلَم يُدنِ أَوطارَ النُفوسِ سِواها

فَلَم يُدنِ أَوطارَ النُفوسِ سِواها

Urge them onward this morning, gaunt as they are,

At dawn, she was prodded on by bare mountains

For only they have brought the souls' desires within reach.

Not even the span of souls brought her closer

إِلى أَن تَنيخاها عَلى بابِ يَثرِبٍ

إِلى أَن تَنيخاها عَلى بابِ يَثرِبٍ

فَثَمَّ مُنانا عِندَها وَمُناها

فَثَمَّ مُنانا عِندَها وَمُناها

Until you two make them kneel at the gate of Yathrib;

Until she knelt at the gates of Yathrib

For there, in that city, lie our hopes and theirs.

Where she found refuge and rest

بِها خَيرُ خَلقِ اللَهِ شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً

بِها خَيرُ خَلقِ اللَهِ شَرقاً وَمَغرِباً

نَبِيُّ الهُدى الثاوي بِطيبِ ثَراها

نَبِيُّ الهُدى الثاوي بِطيبِ ثَراها

There is the best of God's creation, in east and west,

With her the best of Allah's creation, east and west

The prophet of guidance, resting in its fragrant earth.

The Prophet of Guidance lasting in her good soil

وَصاحِبُه المُختارُ أَفضَلُ مَن مَشى

وَصاحِبُه المُختارُ أَفضَلُ مَن مَشى

عَلى تُربِها مِن بَعدِهِ وَحَصاها

عَلى تُربِها مِن بَعدِهِ وَحَصاها

And his chosen companion, the best of those who walked

And his successor, the Chosen One, superior to any who walked

Upon its soil and pebbles after him.

Upon her soil after him and protected her

وَثانيهِ في تَرتيبِهِ عُمَرُ الَّذي

وَثانيهِ في تَرتيبِهِ عُمَرُ الَّذي

حَمى قُبَّةَ الإِسلامِ حينَ بَناها

حَمى قُبَّةَ الإِسلامِ حينَ بَناها

And second after him in order is ‘Umar, who

And second to him in order, Umar who

Protected Islam's dome when he built it.

Defended the sanctuary of Islam when he rebuilt her

وَمِن بَعدُ عُثمانُ الشَهيدُ فَإِنَّهُ

وَمِن بَعدُ عُثمانُ الشَهيدُ فَإِنَّهُ

ثَوى مِن مَقاماتِ العُلى بِذُراها

ثَوى مِن مَقاماتِ العُلى بِذُراها

And afterward, ‘Uthman the martyr, for he

And after him Uthman the martyr, for he

Dwelt at the summits of the stations of glory.

Lay to rest in her loftiest places

وَبَعدُ عَلِيٌّ أَشجَعُ الخَلقِ في الوَغى

وَبَعدُ عَلِيٌّ أَشجَعُ الخَلقِ في الوَغى

إِذا حَمِيَت تَحتَ العَجاجِ لَظاها

إِذا حَمِيَت تَحتَ العَجاجِ لَظاها

And afterward, ‘Ali, the bravest of creation in battle,

And then Ali the bravest of people in battle

When its blaze rages beneath the swirling dust.

When passions burned hot under his armor

إِمامٌ بِآياتِ الكِتابِ مَديحُهُ

إِمامٌ بِآياتِ الكِتابِ مَديحُهُ

وَأَوصافُهُ في الفَضلِ لا تَتَناهى

وَأَوصافُهُ في الفَضلِ لا تَتَناهى

An imam whose praise is in the verses of the Book,

A leader in the verses of the Book, praise of him

And whose qualities of excellence have no end.

And his virtues in excellence are endless

وَمِن بَعدِهِ باقي الصَحابَةِ إِنَّهُم

وَمِن بَعدِهِ باقي الصَحابَةِ إِنَّهُم

لَدى مِلَّةِ الإِسلامِ قُطبُ رَحاها

لَدى مِلَّةِ الإِسلامِ قُطبُ رَحاها

And after him, the rest of the Companions—indeed, they

And after him the rest of the Companions, they

Are, in the faith of Islam, the axle of its millstone.

Are the pillar of the nation of Islam’s mercy

عَلَيهِم سَلامُ اللَهِ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

عَلَيهِم سَلامُ اللَهِ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

وَما طَلَعَت شَمسٌ وَلاحَ سَناها

وَما طَلَعَت شَمسٌ وَلاحَ سَناها

May God's peace be upon them as long as a rising sun appears,

Upon them, may the peace of Allah remain as long as

And as long as a sun rises and its radiance gleams.

The east winds blow and the sun rises radiant