أَلِكني إِلى راعي الخَليفَةِ وَالَّذي

أَلِكني إِلى راعي الخَليفَةِ وَالَّذي

لَهُ الأُفقُ وَالأَرضُ العَريضَةُ نَوَّرا

لَهُ الأُفقُ وَالأَرضُ العَريضَةُ نَوَّرا

Carry my message to the caliph’s shepherd, and to the one

Lead me to the shepherd of the Caliph and the one

For whom the horizon and the broad earth shone.

Who has the horizon and the vast land illuminated

فَإِنّي وَأَيدي الراقِصاتِ إِلى مِنىً

فَإِنّي وَأَيدي الراقِصاتِ إِلى مِنىً

وَرُكبانُها مِمَّن أَهَلَّ وَغَوَّرا

وَرُكبانُها مِمَّن أَهَلَّ وَغَوَّرا

For I swear by the forelegs of the camels dancing toward Mina,

For I and the hands of the dancing girls are heading to Minâ

And their riders, who chanted the pilgrim call and descended into the lowlands:

While their riders are those who adorned and bedizened

لَقَد زَعَموا أَنّي هَجَوتُ لِخالِدٍ

لَقَد زَعَموا أَنّي هَجَوتُ لِخالِدٍ

لَهُ كُلَّ نَهرٍ لِلمُبارَكِ أَكدَرا

لَهُ كُلَّ نَهرٍ لِلمُبارَكِ أَكدَرا

Indeed, they claimed that I lampooned Khalid

They claimed that I satirized Khâlid

With verse that muddied for him every river of al-Mubarak.

Who has all the rivers for the Blessed one muddied

وَلَن تُنكِروا شِعري إِذا خَرَجَت لَهُ

وَلَن تُنكِروا شِعري إِذا خَرَجَت لَهُ

سَوابِقُ لَو يُرمى بِها لَتَفَقَّرا

سَوابِقُ لَو يُرمى بِها لَتَفَقَّرا

And you will not mistake my verse when there come forth against him

And you will not deny my poetry when there come out for him

Front-running steeds; were it pelted with them, it would splinter—

Purebreds, that if cast, would impoverish

سُواجٌ وَلَو مَسَّت حِراءَ لَحَرَّكَت

سُواجٌ وَلَو مَسَّت حِراءَ لَحَرَّكَت

لَهُ الراسِياتِ الشُمَّ حَتّى تَكَوَّرا

لَهُ الراسِياتِ الشُمَّ حَتّى تَكَوَّرا

Suwaj; and if they touched Hira, they would shake

Of perfect breed, that if they touched the Harrat they would stir

Its lofty, firmly rooted heights until it tumbled down.

The still sand dunes until they whirled

إِذا قالَ راوٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ قَصيدَةً

إِذا قالَ راوٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ قَصيدَةً

بِها جَرَبٌ كانَت عَلَيَّ بِزَوبَرا

بِها جَرَبٌ كانَت عَلَيَّ بِزَوبَرا

Whenever a reciter from Ma‘add recites a poem

When a reciter from Ma‘add says a poem

With mange in it, it is attributed to me in full.

In which is vituperation, it would be a coat of mail on me

أَيَنطِقُها غَيري وَأُرمى بِعَيبِها

أَيَنطِقُها غَيري وَأُرمى بِعَيبِها

فَكَيفَ أَلومُ الدَهرَ أَن يَتَغَيَّرا

فَكَيفَ أَلومُ الدَهرَ أَن يَتَغَيَّرا

Does another utter it, while I am pelted with its fault?

Will anyone else recite it and I be blamed for its flaws

How, then, can I blame Time for changing?

How then can I blame fate if it changes

لَئِن صَبَرَت نَفسي لَقَد أُمِرَت بِهِ

لَئِن صَبَرَت نَفسي لَقَد أُمِرَت بِهِ

وَخَيرُ عِبادِ اللَهِ مَن كانَ أَصبَرا

وَخَيرُ عِبادِ اللَهِ مَن كانَ أَصبَرا

If my soul has endured, it has indeed been commanded to do so;

If my soul showed patience, it was indeed ordered to

And the best of God’s servants is he who is most patient.

And the best of God's servants is he who is most patient

وَكُنتُ اِبنَ أَحذارٍ وَلَو كُنتُ خائِفاً

وَكُنتُ اِبنَ أَحذارٍ وَلَو كُنتُ خائِفاً

لَكُنتُ مِنَ العَصماءِ في الطَودِ أَحذَرا

لَكُنتُ مِنَ العَصماءِ في الطَودِ أَحذَرا

And I was a son of caution; had I been afraid,

And I was the son of a cautious man, and even if I were afraid

I would have been warier than the white-footed ibex on the lofty mountain.

I would have been among the protected ones in the mount more cautious

وَلَكِن أَتَوني آمِناً لا أَخافُهُم

وَلَكِن أَتَوني آمِناً لا أَخافُهُم

نَهاراً وَكانَ اللَهُ ما شاءَ قَدَّرا

نَهاراً وَكانَ اللَهُ ما شاءَ قَدَّرا

But they came to me while I felt safe, not fearing them,

But they came to me feeling safe, I do not fear them

By day; and God had decreed whatever He willed.

By day, and God does what He wills and determines