ماذا يقولُ عليلٌ شفَّهُ ولَهٌ

ماذا يقولُ عليلٌ شفَّهُ ولَهٌ

وقلبِهِ بلِظى الأَشواقِ يضطَرِبُ

وقلبِهِ بلِظى الأَشواقِ يضطَرِبُ

What can an ailing man say, whom yearning has wasted away,

What does the ailing one whose lips are cracked say

While his heart throbs in the blaze of longing?

With his heart throbbing with intense longing?

سرتْ به العِيسُ ليلاً فهي طائرةٌ

سرتْ به العِيسُ ليلاً فهي طائرةٌ

إلى مفاوِزِ أَهلِ الحيِّ تنقلِبُ

إلى مفاوِزِ أَهلِ الحيِّ تنقلِبُ

The pale camels bore him by night, and they fly,

The night took him on a journey, so he is like a bird

Turning toward the desert wastes of the encampment's people.

Returning to the dwellings of the living.

يبكي ويندُبُ عن وجدٍ تسرْبَلَهُ

يبكي ويندُبُ عن وجدٍ تسرْبَلَهُ

ضِدَّانِ قاما به فالسَّيلُ واللَّهبُ

ضِدَّانِ قاما به فالسَّيلُ واللَّهبُ

He weeps and laments from a passion he has clothed himself in;

He weeps and laments from a passion that has seized him,

Two opposites have arisen within him: the torrent and the flame.

The torrents and flames both opposing him.

يا من يرَى بسِواهُ في الهوَى عَجَباً

يا من يرَى بسِواهُ في الهوَى عَجَباً

أَبصِرْ فهذا مُحِبٌّ كلُّهُ عجَبُ

أَبصِرْ فهذا مُحِبٌّ كلُّهُ عجَبُ

O you who see in another a marvel of love,

O you who see those madly in love as strange,

Look: here is a lover who is all wonder.

Look, here is a lover who is all wonders.

يا جيرَةَ الحيِّ رِفقاً بالذي اضْطَرَمَتْ

يا جيرَةَ الحيِّ رِفقاً بالذي اضْطَرَمَتْ

نيرانُهُ وسُيولُ الدَّمعِ تنسكِبُ

نيرانُهُ وسُيولُ الدَّمعِ تنسكِبُ

O neighbors of the encampment, be gentle with him—ablaze are

O people of the neighborhood, be gentle with one whose

His fires, while torrents of tears pour down.

Fires have flared up and whose flowing tears pour forth.

إِن كانتِ الأَرضُ لم تبهَجْ بسيرَتِكُمْ

إِن كانتِ الأَرضُ لم تبهَجْ بسيرَتِكُمْ

فلا ازْدَهى بفَضا أَطرافِها العِشِبُ

فلا ازْدَهى بفَضا أَطرافِها العِشِبُ

If the earth has not rejoiced in your conduct,

If the land did not flourish with your deeds,

Then may no grass flourish across its outlying expanses;

Then the grass on its edges would not be lush.

أَو السَّمواتُ لم تلمَعْ بكوكَبِكُمْ

أَو السَّمواتُ لم تلمَعْ بكوكَبِكُمْ

لا دارَ يوماً لدى أَبراجِها القُطُبُ

لا دارَ يوماً لدى أَبراجِها القُطُبُ

Or if the heavens have not shone with your star,

Nor would the heavens gleam with your star,

May the pole star never revolve among their constellations,

No pole star would one day shine among its mansions.

ولا المِياهُ ببطْحاءِ الورَى نبعَتْ

ولا المِياهُ ببطْحاءِ الورَى نبعَتْ

ولا تلأْلأَ في جوِّ العُلى الشُّهُبُ

ولا تلأْلأَ في جوِّ العُلى الشُّهُبُ

Nor waters spring forth in humankind's broad plain,

Nor would the waters in the lowlands of the land spring forth,

Nor meteors sparkle in the air on high.

Nor would meteors blaze in the lofty atmosphere.

عشِقْتُكُمْ فتوالى إِخوتي حَسَدٌ

عشِقْتُكُمْ فتوالى إِخوتي حَسَدٌ

ورُشَّ منهُمْ على ثوبي دَمٌ كذِبُ

ورُشَّ منهُمْ على ثوبي دَمٌ كذِبُ

I loved you, and envy swept over my brothers,

I loved you, so my brothers' jealousy multiplied

And false blood was sprinkled by them upon my garment.

And they cast lies onto my garment like blood.

وغِبْتُ في جُبِّ أَحزاني ولي أملٌ

وغِبْتُ في جُبِّ أَحزاني ولي أملٌ

بواحدٍ أَحدٍ تُمْحى به النُّوَبُ

بواحدٍ أَحدٍ تُمْحى به النُّوَبُ

And I vanished into the well of my sorrows, yet I had hope

I was absent in the depths of my sorrows, and I hoped

In the One, the Unique, through whom calamities are erased.

For one single helper by whom troubles could be erased.

كأَنَّ يعقوبَ إِنتاجي بلا ولدٍ

كأَنَّ يعقوبَ إِنتاجي بلا ولدٍ

وما له غيرهُمْ بين الوَرى عَقِبُ

وما له غيرهُمْ بين الوَرى عَقِبُ

As though the Jacob of my begetting were without a son,

It was as if Jacob, my father, had no son,

And among humankind he had no offspring but them.

And none but they were his progeny in the world.

تكرَّمَ اللهُ حتَّى قمتُ سيِّدَهُمْ

تكرَّمَ اللهُ حتَّى قمتُ سيِّدَهُمْ

كما القُلوبُ هي الأيَّامُ تنقَلِبُ

كما القُلوبُ هي الأيَّامُ تنقَلِبُ

God showed generosity until I rose as their master;

God honored me until I became their master,

Like hearts, the days themselves turn.

Just as hearts turn around from day to day.

لمَّا دنتْ عيسُهُمْ نحوي بمسغَبَةٍ

لمَّا دنتْ عيسُهُمْ نحوي بمسغَبَةٍ

منهُمْ وقامَ لهُمْ في ساحَتي طلَبُ

منهُمْ وقامَ لهُمْ في ساحَتي طلَبُ

When their pale camels drew near me, with hunger

When their Jesus approached me aggressively

Among them, and a plea arose for them in my courtyard,

And rose up in my yard to fight me,

أخبرتُهُمْ بشُؤُنِ الغيبِ فانْذَهلوا

أخبرتُهُمْ بشُؤُنِ الغيبِ فانْذَهلوا

وهزَّهُمْ لمَعالي حضرَتي رَهَبُ

وهزَّهُمْ لمَعالي حضرَتي رَهَبُ

I told them of the mysteries of the unseen, and they were astounded;

I told them of the unseen world's affairs, so they were dumbfounded

And awe shook them before my exalted presence.

And shaken by the sublimity of my holy presence.

خُذوا قَميصي ومِسُّوا فيه وجه أبي

خُذوا قَميصي ومِسُّوا فيه وجه أبي

يرتَدُّ حالاً بَصيراً نعْمَ منهُ أَبُ

يرتَدُّ حالاً بَصيراً نعْمَ منهُ أَبُ

Take my shirt, and with it touch my father's face;

Take my shirt and rub my father's face with it

He will at once regain his sight—what an excellent father he is!

And he will soon regain his sight, excellent is such a father!

قد غالَبوني عليه بعد أَن كَذَبوا

قد غالَبوني عليه بعد أَن كَذَبوا

وصِرتُ فيهم أميراً مثلَ ما غَلَبوا

وصِرتُ فيهم أميراً مثلَ ما غَلَبوا

They had contended with me over him after they had lied,

They had overcome me and taken it after lying,

And I became a prince among them, just as they had prevailed.

And I had become a prince among them just as they had overcome me.

الحمدُ للهِ من بدوٍ إلى حضرٍ

الحمدُ للهِ من بدوٍ إلى حضرٍ

جِئنا وتمَّ لنا المقصودُ والأَرَبُ

جِئنا وتمَّ لنا المقصودُ والأَرَبُ

Praise be to God—from nomadic life to settled life

Praise God who took us from Bedouin life to civilization;

We came, and our aim and desire were fulfilled.

We came and accomplished for us the goal and profit.

فالعرشُ والفرشُ والأَملاكُ تعرِفُنا

فالعرشُ والفرشُ والأَملاكُ تعرِفُنا

والبيتُ والخُطَباءُ الفُصْحُ والخُطَبُ

والبيتُ والخُطَباءُ الفُصْحُ والخُطَبُ

So the Throne, the earthly carpet, and the angels know us,

The Throne on high and the angels below know us,

And the House, the eloquent preachers, and the sermons.

As do the House, the eloquent preachers, and the sermons.

إِن أَنكرَتْنا الأَعادي فهي خاسِئَةٌ

إِن أَنكرَتْنا الأَعادي فهي خاسِئَةٌ

ورغْمَهُمْ عرفَتْنا العُجْمُ والعرَبُ

ورغْمَهُمْ عرفَتْنا العُجْمُ والعرَبُ

If our enemies deny us, they are abased;

If the enemies denied us, they are failures,

And despite them, non-Arabs and Arabs have recognized us.

And despite them the non-Arabs and Arabs know us.

لنا بآلِ رسولِ اللهْ سِلسِلَةً

لنا بآلِ رسولِ اللهْ سِلسِلَةً

جليلةٌ طابَ منها الأَصلُ والنَّسَبُ

جليلةٌ طابَ منها الأَصلُ والنَّسَبُ

We have, through the family of God's Messenger, a chain

Through the House of the Messenger of God we have a

Illustrious, pure in its origin and lineage.

Noble lineage, with an excellent origin and ancestry.

ونحنُ قومٌ إلى العَلْياءِ مصعَدُهُمْ

ونحنُ قومٌ إلى العَلْياءِ مصعَدُهُمْ

وما لهُمْ غيرَ عزْمِ المُصْطَفى سَبَبُ

وما لهُمْ غيرَ عزْمِ المُصْطَفى سَبَبُ

And we are a people whose ascent is to the heights,

We are a people whose ascent is to the Highest,

And they have no means but the resolve of the Chosen One.

With no cause but the choice of the Chosen One.

جرى الحُسودُ لنا بالسوءِ مُبْتَهِجاً

جرى الحُسودُ لنا بالسوءِ مُبْتَهِجاً

يَطيبُ إِحكاكَ جلدِ الأَجربِ الجَرَبُ

يَطيبُ إِحكاكَ جلدِ الأَجربِ الجَرَبُ

The envious man hastened to harm us, rejoicing;

The envious attacked us with evil, happily

Scabies delights in scratching the scabby man's skin.

Enjoying the rubbing of a mangy camel's skin.

يا بئسَ ما اتَّخذوهُ من مَسالِكِهِمْ

يا بئسَ ما اتَّخذوهُ من مَسالِكِهِمْ

نهجاً وغايتُهُمْ في دِينهِمْ عَطَبُ

نهجاً وغايتُهُمْ في دِينهِمْ عَطَبُ

Oh, how wretched is what they have chosen from their paths

Oh, how miserable is the path they have taken

As a course—and their end in their faith is ruin.

And their goal in religion is defect.

أَفعى خَواطِرِهِمْ لانتْ ملامِسُها

أَفعى خَواطِرِهِمْ لانتْ ملامِسُها

لكنْ عليهم بسَمِّ القتلِ تنقَلِبُ

لكنْ عليهم بسَمِّ القتلِ تنقَلِبُ

The viper of their thoughts has grown soft to the touch,

The snake of their inner thoughts has become smooth to the touch,

Yet it turns against them with deadly venom.

But it turns on them with lethal poison.

مدارِكٌ قد أخذْناها مُسلسَلَةً

مدارِكٌ قد أخذْناها مُسلسَلَةً

عن النَّبيِّ الذي يُعزى له الأَدَبُ

عن النَّبيِّ الذي يُعزى له الأَدَبُ

Insights we have received, linked in a chain,

We took successive steps,

From the Prophet, to whom refined conduct is ascribed.

Following the Prophet to whom reverence is shown.