فَلَولا أَنتَ قَد هَبَطَت رِكابي

فَلَولا أَنتَ قَد هَبَطَت رِكابي

مِنَ الأَوداةِ أَودِيَةً قِفارا

مِنَ الأَوداةِ أَودِيَةً قِفارا

Had it not been for you, my mounts would have descended

But for you, my riding camels would already have descended

from the rugged uplands into desolate valleys,

Into barren valleys among the valleys,

قَواصِدَ لِلإِمامِ مُقَلِّصاتٍ

قَواصِدَ لِلإِمامِ مُقَلِّصاتٍ

يَصِلنَ بِلَيلِهِنَّ بِنا النَهارا

يَصِلنَ بِلَيلِهِنَّ بِنا النَهارا

making straight for the Imam, striding fleetly,

Bound for the imam, lean and swift,

bearing us through their nights into day.

Carrying us, joining their night to the day.

كَأَنَّ نَعائِماً تَعوي بُراها

كَأَنَّ نَعائِماً تَعوي بُراها

إِذا سَفَرَت مَحازِمُها الضِفارا

إِذا سَفَرَت مَحازِمُها الضِفارا

Like ostriches they seem, their nose-rings howling,

As though ostriches were twisting their nose-rings

when their tightly braided girths set forth.

When their girth-places laid the plaited straps bare.

وَمَن يَرَنا وَأَرحُلُنا عَلَيها

وَمَن يَرَنا وَأَرحُلُنا عَلَيها

يُخَيَّل أَنَّ ثَمَّ بِها نَفارا

يُخَيَّل أَنَّ ثَمَّ بِها نَفارا

Whoever sees us, with our saddles upon them,

And whoever sees us, with our saddles on them,

imagines a startled herd there among them.

Imagines that they are bolting away.

بِأَرحُلِنا يَخِدنَ وَقَد جَعَلنا

بِأَرحُلِنا يَخِدنَ وَقَد جَعَلنا

لِكُلِّ نَجيبَةٍ مِنها زِيارا

لِكُلِّ نَجيبَةٍ مِنها زِيارا

They speed beneath our saddles, and we have fitted

They stride swiftly beneath our saddles, and we have fitted

each choice she-camel among them with a breast-girth.

Each noble she-camel among them with a restraining clamp.

وَلَولا مَوقِعُ الأَحناءِ مِنها

وَلَولا مَوقِعُ الأَحناءِ مِنها

وَمَسُّ حِبالِها حُسِبَت صُوارا

وَمَسُّ حِبالِها حُسِبَت صُوارا

But for the marks their saddle-bows leave upon them

And were it not for the saddle-bows resting on them

and the touch of their ropes, you would think them wild cattle—

And the touch of their ropes, they would seem a herd of wild cattle.

نُضارُ الداعِرِيَّةِ إِنَّ مِنها

نُضارُ الداعِرِيَّةِ إِنَّ مِنها

إِذا نُسِبَت أَسِرَّتُها نُضارا

إِذا نُسِبَت أَسِرَّتُها نُضارا

pure gold of the Dāʿiriyya line; indeed, among them,

They are the Daʿiriyya's finest; indeed, among them,

when their pedigrees are traced, is pure gold.

When their choicest lines are traced, is purebred stock.

كَأَنَّ نَجاءَ أَرجُلِهِنَّ لَمّا

كَأَنَّ نَجاءَ أَرجُلِهِنَّ لَمّا

ضَرَحنَ المَروَ يَقتَدِحُ الشَرارا

ضَرَحنَ المَروَ يَقتَدِحُ الشَرارا

It is as though the fleetness of their legs, when

As though the swift motion of their legs, when

they strike the flint aside, kindles sparks;

They strike the flint, were striking sparks.

كَأَنَّ نِعالَهُنَّ مُخَدَّماتٍ

كَأَنَّ نِعالَهُنَّ مُخَدَّماتٍ

عَلى شَرَكِ الطَريقِ إِذا اِستَنارا

عَلى شَرَكِ الطَريقِ إِذا اِستَنارا

as though their hoof-soles were ankleted

As though their ankleted feet,

upon the road’s crossing tracks whenever they blaze—

On the road's tracks, when it grows bright,

تَساقُطُ ريشِ غادِيَةٍ وَغادٍ

تَساقُطُ ريشِ غادِيَةٍ وَغادٍ

حَمامَي قَفرَةٍ وَقَعا فَطارا

حَمامَي قَفرَةٍ وَقَعا فَطارا

like feathers falling from a morning-faring she-bird and he-bird,

Were feathers falling from a hen and cock out at dawn—

two wilderness doves that alighted, then flew.

Two desert doves that alighted, then flew away.

تَبِعنا مَوقَعَ النِسرَينِ حَتّى

تَبِعنا مَوقَعَ النِسرَينِ حَتّى

تَرَكنا مُخَّ أَسمَنِهِنَّ رارا

تَرَكنا مُخَّ أَسمَنِهِنَّ رارا

We followed the setting of the Two Eagles until

We followed the setting-place of the two Eagles until

we left the marrow of the fattest among them runny.

We left the marrow of their fattest thin and watery.

إِذاً لَأَقَمتُ أَعناقَ المَطايا

إِذاً لَأَقَمتُ أَعناقَ المَطايا

إِلى مَلِكٍ إِلَيهِ المُلكُ صارا

إِلى مَلِكٍ إِلَيهِ المُلكُ صارا

Then I would surely have turned the mounts’ necks

Then I would surely have directed the necks of the mounts

toward a king to whom kingship has passed:

Toward a king to whom sovereignty has passed,

أَغَرَّ تَنَظَّرُ الآفاقُ مِنهُ

أَغَرَّ تَنَظَّرُ الآفاقُ مِنهُ

غُيوماً غَيرَ مُخلِفَةٍ غِرارا

غُيوماً غَيرَ مُخلِفَةٍ غِرارا

a radiant one from whom the horizons await

A radiant king, from whom the horizons await

rainclouds that never fail and never stint;

Rain clouds that neither fail nor stint their rain.

تُراثاً غَيرَ مُغتَصَبٍ وَلَكِن

تُراثاً غَيرَ مُغتَصَبٍ وَلَكِن

لِعَدلِ مَشورَةٍ كانوا خِيارا

لِعَدلِ مَشورَةٍ كانوا خِيارا

an inheritance not seized by force, but

An inheritance not usurped, but rather

through just consultation were they chosen.

Through fair consultation they were the chosen ones.

هُمُ وَرِثوا الخِلافَةُ حَيثُ شُقَّت

هُمُ وَرِثوا الخِلافَةُ حَيثُ شُقَّت

عَصا الإِسلامِ وَاِشتَغَرَ اِشتِغارا

عَصا الإِسلامِ وَاِشتَغَرَ اِشتِغارا

They inherited the Caliphate when broken was

It was they who inherited the caliphate when

the staff of Islam, and fiercely seethed

Islam's staff was split, and fierce unrest seized

قُلوبُ مُنافِقينَ طَغَوا وَشَبّوا

قُلوبُ مُنافِقينَ طَغَوا وَشَبّوا

بِكُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ بِالأَرضِ نارا

بِكُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ بِالأَرضِ نارا

the hearts of hypocrites who rebelled and kindled

The hearts of hypocrites who rebelled and kindled

fire at every mountain pass throughout the land.

A fire at every mountain pass throughout the land.