تَظَلُّ بِعَينَيها إِلى الجَبَلِ الَّذي

تَظَلُّ بِعَينَيها إِلى الجَبَلِ الَّذي

عَلَيهِ مُلاءُ الثَلجِ بيضِ البَنائِقِ

عَلَيهِ مُلاءُ الثَلجِ بيضِ البَنائِقِ

All day she keeps her eyes on the mountain that

With her eyes she looks to the mountain

wears mantles of snow, white at the gussets.

White with layers of snow, domes of tents

تَظَلُّ إِلى الغاسولِ تَرعى حَزينَةً

تَظَلُّ إِلى الغاسولِ تَرعى حَزينَةً

ثَنايا بُراقٍ ناقَتي بِالحَمالِقِ

ثَنايا بُراقٍ ناقَتي بِالحَمالِقِ

All day, toward al-Ghasul, she sadly watches

She looks to the valley where she grazes sadly

the passes of Buraq—my she-camel—with her eyes.

The smooth neck of my she-camel with bead necklaces

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَزورَنَّ نِسوَةً

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَزورَنَّ نِسوَةً

بِرَعنِ سَنامٍ كاسِراتِ النَمارِقِ

بِرَعنِ سَنامٍ كاسِراتِ النَمارِقِ

Ah, would that I knew: shall I ever visit women

Oh, would that I knew! Shall I visit women

on the spur of Sanam, folding their cushions?

With slender waists, breakers of lances

بِوادٍ يُشَمِّمنَ الخُزامى تُرى لَها

بِوادٍ يُشَمِّمنَ الخُزامى تُرى لَها

مَعاصِمُ فيها السورُ دُرمُ المَرافِقِ

مَعاصِمُ فيها السورُ دُرمُ المَرافِقِ

In a valley they smell lavender; visible are their

In a valley where they smell sweet basil, for them

wrists bearing bracelets, their elbows rounded and fleshy.

Fortified dwellings, houses with strong pillars

كَفى عُمَرٌ ما كانَ يُخشى اِنحِرافُهُ

كَفى عُمَرٌ ما كانَ يُخشى اِنحِرافُهُ

إِذا أَجحَفَت بِالناسِ إِحدى البَوائِقِ

إِذا أَجحَفَت بِالناسِ إِحدى البَوائِقِ

Umar has dealt with what was feared might go awry,

Enough life that its waywardness was not feared

whenever one of the calamities ravaged the people.

When one of the maidens strayed from the people

وَما حَجَرٌ يُرمى بِهِ أَهلُ جانِبٍ

وَما حَجَرٌ يُرمى بِهِ أَهلُ جانِبٍ

لِفِتنَتِهِم مِثلَ الَّذي بِالمَشارِقِ

لِفِتنَتِهِم مِثلَ الَّذي بِالمَشارِقِ

No stone hurled at the people of a region

And not a stone is thrown at the people of any place

for their rebellion is like the one in the eastern lands.

For their sedition, like that in the east

يَلينُ لِأَهلِ الدينِ مِن لينِ قَلبِهِ

يَلينُ لِأَهلِ الدينِ مِن لينِ قَلبِهِ

لَهُم وَغَليظٌ قَلبُهُ لِلمُنافِقِ

لَهُم وَغَليظٌ قَلبُهُ لِلمُنافِقِ

He is gentle with the faithful, from his heart’s tenderness

Gentle to the people of religion from the gentleness of his heart

toward them; and his heart is stern toward the hypocrite.

To them, yet his heart is harsh to the hypocrites

وَما رُفِعَت إِلّا أَمامَ جَماعَةٍ

وَما رُفِعَت إِلّا أَمامَ جَماعَةٍ

عَلى مِثلِهِ حَزماً عِمادُ السُرادِقِ

عَلى مِثلِهِ حَزماً عِمادُ السُرادِقِ

And only before an assembled company

And he was not raised up except before a group

have the pavilion’s poles been raised over one like him in resolve.

Like him in resolve, pillars of the canopies

جَمَعتَ كَثيراً طَيِّباً ما جَمَعتَهُ

جَمَعتَ كَثيراً طَيِّباً ما جَمَعتَهُ

بِغَدرٍ وَلا العَذراءُ ذاتُ السَوارِقِ

بِغَدرٍ وَلا العَذراءُ ذاتُ السَوارِقِ

You amassed much that was good; you did not amass it

You gathered much good that you did not gather

by treachery, nor from the maiden with her curtains,

Through treachery, nor the maiden of trailing gowns

وَلا مالِ مَولىً لِلوَلِيِّ الَّذي جَنى

وَلا مالِ مَولىً لِلوَلِيِّ الَّذي جَنى

عَلى نَفسِهِ بَعضَ الحُتوفِ اللَواحِقِ

عَلى نَفسِهِ بَعضَ الحُتوفِ اللَواحِقِ

nor from a client’s wealth belonging to the patron who brought

Nor wealth of a master for the loyal one who picked

upon himself some of the fatal dooms that overtake.

Some of the trailing gowns for himself

وَلَكِن بِكَفَّيكَ الكَثيرِ نَداهُما

وَلَكِن بِكَفَّيكَ الكَثيرِ نَداهُما

وَنَفسِكَ قَد أَحكَمتَ عِندَ الوَثائِقِ

وَنَفسِكَ قَد أَحكَمتَ عِندَ الوَثائِقِ

But through your two hands, whose generosity is abundant,

But with your two bountiful hands

and your own self; you acted firmly when binding pledges were made

And your soul, you were resolute with pacts

بِخَيرِ عِبادِ اللَهِ بَعدَ مُحَمَّدٍ

بِخَيرِ عِبادِ اللَهِ بَعدَ مُحَمَّدٍ

لَهُ كانَ يَدعو اللَهَ كُلُّ الخَلايِقِ

لَهُ كانَ يَدعو اللَهَ كُلُّ الخَلايِقِ

with the best of God’s servants after Muhammad.

Among the best of God’s servants after Muhammad

For him all creatures used to pray to God,

For him would all creatures pray

لِيَجعَلَهُ اللَهُ الخَليفَةَ وَالَّذي

لِيَجعَلَهُ اللَهُ الخَليفَةَ وَالَّذي

لَهُ المِنبَرُ الأَعلى عَلى كُلِّ ناطِقِ

لَهُ المِنبَرُ الأَعلى عَلى كُلِّ ناطِقِ

that God might make him the caliph and the one

That God make him the successor, and the one

whose pulpit is the highest, above every speaker.

For him is the highest pulpit over all speakers

وَفُضَّ بِسَيفِ اللَهِ عَنهُ وَدَفعِهِ

وَفُضَّ بِسَيفِ اللَهِ عَنهُ وَدَفعِهِ

كَتايِبُ كانَت مِن وَراءِ الخَنادِقِ

كَتايِبُ كانَت مِن وَراءِ الخَنادِقِ

And by God’s sword and his defense were scattered away from him

And with the sword of God protect him and deflect

battalions that had been behind the trenches.

The companies that were behind the trenches