ما إِن أَبو بِشرٍ وَلا أَبَواهُما

ما إِن أَبو بِشرٍ وَلا أَبَواهُما

مِثلَ الَّذينَ إِلى البِناءِ الأَطوَلِ

مِثلَ الَّذينَ إِلى البِناءِ الأَطوَلِ

Neither Abu Bishr nor their two fathers

Neither the father of Bushr nor his parents

are like those who, to the loftiest edifice,

Are like those who raised your hands to the tallest building.

رَفَعوا يَدَيكَ وَلا الَّتي جَمَعَتهُمُ

رَفَعوا يَدَيكَ وَلا الَّتي جَمَعَتهُمُ

لَكَ بَينَ أَقرُمِ عَبدِ شَمسِ البُزَّلِ

لَكَ بَينَ أَقرُمِ عَبدِ شَمسِ البُزَّلِ

raised your hands, nor like her who gathered them

Nor is she who gathered them for you

for you among Abd Shams's full-grown camel-stallions.

Between the palms of the servant of the waning sun.

هَل تَعلَمونَ بَني أُمَيَّةَ قاتَلوا

هَل تَعلَمونَ بَني أُمَيَّةَ قاتَلوا

إِلّا بِسَيفِ نُبُوَّةٍ لَم يُفلَلِ

إِلّا بِسَيفِ نُبُوَّةٍ لَم يُفلَلِ

Have you known the sons of Umayya to fight

Do you know, O Bani Umayyah, they fought

except with a sword of prophethood never blunted?

Only with the sword of prophecy unsheathed.

ضَرَبوا بِحَقِّ نُبُوَّةٍ كانَت لَهُم

ضَرَبوا بِحَقِّ نُبُوَّةٍ كانَت لَهُم

وَسُيوفِ أُسدِ خَفِيَّةٍ لَم تَنكُلِ

وَسُيوفِ أُسدِ خَفِيَّةٍ لَم تَنكُلِ

They struck by the right of prophethood that was theirs,

They struck with the right of a prophecy that was theirs

and with swords of Khafiyya's lions, which never recoiled.

And the swords of lions hiding that did not waver.

وَتَرى البِلادَ وَوَحشَها يَخشَينَهُ

وَتَرى البِلادَ وَوَحشَها يَخشَينَهُ

مَلِكاً وَلَيسَ يَقولُ ما لَم يَفعَلِ

مَلِكاً وَلَيسَ يَقولُ ما لَم يَفعَلِ

And you see the lands and their wild beasts fearing him,

You see the countries and their beasts fear him

a king who does not say what he has not done.

A king, though he does not say what he has not done.

وَمُغَلِّثينَ مِنَ النُعاسِ كَأَنَّما

وَمُغَلِّثينَ مِنَ النُعاسِ كَأَنَّما

شَرِبوا عَتيقَ سِنينَ فَوقَ الأَرحُلِ

شَرِبوا عَتيقَ سِنينَ فَوقَ الأَرحُلِ

And men befuddled with drowsiness, as though

And some dozing as if they had drunk

they had drunk years-old wine upon the camel-saddles.

Ancient years atop the camel litter.

وَتَرى لَهُم لِمَماً تَرى خَفَقانَها

وَتَرى لَهُم لِمَماً تَرى خَفَقانَها

يَغثَينَ مُضطَرِبَ الرُؤوسِ المُيَّلِ

يَغثَينَ مُضطَرِبَ الرُؤوسِ المُيَّلِ

And you see their locks of hair; you see their fluttering,

And you see for them flags whose fluttering

covering their swaying, drooping heads.

Troubles the heads tossed about and twisted.

نَبَّهتُهُم بِكَ بَعدَما غَلَبَ الكَرى

نَبَّهتُهُم بِكَ بَعدَما غَلَبَ الكَرى

مِنهُم جُفونَ نَواعِسٍ لَم تُكحَلِ

مِنهُم جُفونَ نَواعِسٍ لَم تُكحَلِ

I roused them by mentioning you, after slumber had overcome

I roused them through you after forgetfulness prevailed

their drowsy eyelids, unpainted with kohl.

Among them like eyes of slumbering gazelles unlined with kohl.

مِنهُم بِوَقعَةَ مَيِّتَينِ كِلا وَلا

مِنهُم بِوَقعَةَ مَيِّتَينِ كِلا وَلا

وَقَعوا إِلى رُكَبِ المَطِيِّ الكُلَّلِ

وَقَعوا إِلى رُكَبِ المَطِيِّ الكُلَّلِ

Some of them, at Waqʿat Mayyitayn, quick as 'no, no',

Among them two dead fell to the hooves

fell down to the knees of the exhausted riding-camels.

Of a mottled horse in no hurry trotting easy.

يا خَيرَ مَن خَبَطَت إِلَيهِ مَطِيَّةٌ

يا خَيرَ مَن خَبَطَت إِلَيهِ مَطِيَّةٌ

ما عَنكَ لي وَلِصاحِبي مِن مِزحَلِ

ما عَنكَ لي وَلِصاحِبي مِن مِزحَلِ

O best of those toward whom a riding-camel has tramped,

O best of those whose mount took me to you

for me and my companion there is no turning away from you.

Neither I nor my companion swerved from the path.

أَكَلَ السَنونَ بِلادَنا فَتَرَكنَها

أَكَلَ السَنونَ بِلادَنا فَتَرَكنَها

جُرداً وَكُلَّ بَهيمَةٍ في الهُزَّلِ

جُرداً وَكُلَّ بَهيمَةٍ في الهُزَّلِ

The famine years devoured our lands, leaving them

The years consumed our countries leaving them

bare, and every beast emaciated.

Barren and every beast bewildered and confused.

وَلَقَد تَرَكتُ بِواحِفَينِ بَقِيَّةً

وَلَقَد تَرَكتُ بِواحِفَينِ بَقِيَّةً

يَرجونَ سيبَ نَداكَ غَيرَ المُمحِلِ

يَرجونَ سيبَ نَداكَ غَيرَ المُمحِلِ

And I have left at Wahifayn a remnant

And indeed I left in Wahifin a remnant

hoping for the outpouring of your bounty, never barren.

Who hope for your gift of grace not to be refused.

أَعطى اِبنَ عاتِكَةَ الَّذي ما فَوقَهُ

أَعطى اِبنَ عاتِكَةَ الَّذي ما فَوقَهُ

غَيرُ النُبُوَّةِ وَالجَلالُ الأَجلَلِ

غَيرُ النُبُوَّةِ وَالجَلالُ الأَجلَلِ

He granted the son of Atika—above whom there is nothing

He gave the son of Atikah ‒ none higher than him

but prophethood and the most exalted majesty—

Other than prophethood and most majestic glory―

سُلطانَهُ وَعَصا النَبِيِّ وَخاتَماً

سُلطانَهُ وَعَصا النَبِيِّ وَخاتَماً

أَلقى لَهُ بِجِرانِهِ وَالكَلكَلِ

أَلقى لَهُ بِجِرانِهِ وَالكَلكَلِ

his sovereignty, the Prophet's staff, and a signet ring.

His authority and the Prophet's staff and a ring

They laid their camel-necks and breasts down before him—

He cast to him among his necklaces and anklets.

أَهلُ المَشارِقِ وَالمَغارِبِ إِذ رَأوا

أَهلُ المَشارِقِ وَالمَغارِبِ إِذ رَأوا

ما فيهِ ذِكرُ مُحَمَّدٍ لَم يُنحَلِ

ما فيهِ ذِكرُ مُحَمَّدٍ لَم يُنحَلِ

the people of the eastern and western lands—when they saw

The people of the East and West, when they saw

what bore Muhammad's remembrance, not falsely ascribed.

That which mentions Muhammad, did not waiver.