إِنَّ بِلالاً إِن تُلاقيهِ سالِماً

إِنَّ بِلالاً إِن تُلاقيهِ سالِماً

كَفاكِ الَّذي تَخشَينَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

كَفاكِ الَّذي تَخشَينَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

Indeed, Bilal, if you meet him safe and sound,

Indeed, if Bilal you meet as a friend

will shield you from what you fear on every side.

He suffices you, whom you fear from every side

أَبوهُ أَبو موسى خَليلُ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَبوهُ أَبو موسى خَليلُ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَكَفّاهُ غَيثٌ مُستَهِلُّ الأَهاضِبِ

وَكَفّاهُ غَيثٌ مُستَهِلُّ الأَهاضِبِ

His father is Abu Musa, Muhammad's close friend.

His father, Abu Musa, the confidant of Muhammad

And his two palms are rain whose showers pour forth.

And suffice him a pouring rain, initiator of downpours

إِلَيكَ رَحَلتُ العَنسَ حَتّى أَنَختُها

إِلَيكَ رَحَلتُ العَنسَ حَتّى أَنَختُها

إِلَيكَ وَقَد أَعيَت عَلى كُلِّ ذاهِبِ

إِلَيكَ وَقَد أَعيَت عَلى كُلِّ ذاهِبِ

Toward you I saddled the sturdy she-camel, until I made her kneel

To you I traveled with the camel herd until I weakened them

before you, though she had proved too much for every traveler.

To you, although every passerby grew weary

وَقَد خَبَطَت رَحلي عَلَيها مَطِيَّتي

وَقَد خَبَطَت رَحلي عَلَيها مَطِيَّتي

إِلَيكَ وَلَم تَعلَق قَلوصي بِصاحِبِ

إِلَيكَ وَلَم تَعلَق قَلوصي بِصاحِبِ

And my mount had jolted my saddle on her back

And my she-camel stumbled upon them with her feet

toward you; my young she-camel had attached herself to no patron.

To you, though my provisions were not tied with a companion

فَقُلتُ لَها زوري بِلالاً فَإِنَّهُ

فَقُلتُ لَها زوري بِلالاً فَإِنَّهُ

إِلَيهِ اِنتَهى فَأتيهِ بي كُلُّ راغِبِ

إِلَيهِ اِنتَهى فَأتيهِ بي كُلُّ راغِبِ

So I said to her, 'Visit Bilal, for he

So I said to her, "Visit Bilal, for he

is every seeker's destination—so bring me to him.'

Is where every seeker ends up going"

لَئِن خَبَطَت نَعلاً يَداها مِنَ الوَجا

لَئِن خَبَطَت نَعلاً يَداها مِنَ الوَجا

إِلى خَيرِ مَطلوبٍ مُناخاً لِراكِبِ

إِلى خَيرِ مَطلوبٍ مُناخاً لِراكِبِ

If indeed her forefeet have pounded a sandal because of soreness,

If her feet stumble in the valley to a good sought

it was toward the best man sought as a rider's halting-place,

Alighting place for a rider

إِلى اِبنِ أَبي موسى الَّذي سَجَدَت لَهُ

إِلى اِبنِ أَبي موسى الَّذي سَجَدَت لَهُ

جُنوحاً عَلى الأَيدي مُلوكُ المَرازِبِ

جُنوحاً عَلى الأَيدي مُلوكُ المَرازِبِ

toward the son of Abu Musa, before whom bowed down

To the son of Abu Musa, to whom

the marzban kings, leaning forward upon their hands.

Kings of honors prostrated on hands

فَما أَنا بِالمُختارِ غَيرَكَ لِلقِرى

فَما أَنا بِالمُختارِ غَيرَكَ لِلقِرى

وَلا لِمُناخِ اليَعمَلاتِ النَجائِبِ

وَلا لِمُناخِ اليَعمَلاتِ النَجائِبِ

So I am not one to choose anyone but you for hospitality,

So I do not choose, but you, as home for the towns

nor as a halting-place for hardy, noble-bred she-camels.

Or place for she-camels' descent, the choicest

تُقاتِلُ لَمّا حُلَّ عَنها رِحالُها

تُقاتِلُ لَمّا حُلَّ عَنها رِحالُها

بِأَفواهِها الغِربانَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

بِأَفواهِها الغِربانَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

They fight, once their saddles are unfastened,

They fight, when their gear was unloaded from them

with their mouths against ravens from every side.

The crows from all sides, with their mouths

رَأَيتُ بِلالاً يَشتَري كُلَّ سورَةٍ

رَأَيتُ بِلالاً يَشتَري كُلَّ سورَةٍ

مِنَ المَجدِ بِالغُليا عَلى كُلِّ طالِبِ

مِنَ المَجدِ بِالغُليا عَلى كُلِّ طالِبِ

I saw Bilal buying every lofty rank

I saw Bilal buying every chapter

of glory at the highest price, outbidding every seeker.

Of glory, with lives, from every seeker

نَماهُ أَبو موسى أَبوهُ إِلى الَّتي

نَماهُ أَبو موسى أَبوهُ إِلى الَّتي

يَنالُ بِها الراقي نُجومَ الكَواكِبِ

يَنالُ بِها الراقي نُجومَ الكَواكِبِ

His father, Abu Musa, raised him to that height

His father, Abu Musa, raised him to that

by which the climber reaches the celestial stars.

By which the climber attains the stars

يَقولونَ إِنّا قَد كَفَيناكَ فَاِرتَحِل

يَقولونَ إِنّا قَد كَفَيناكَ فَاِرتَحِل

كَذاكَ اللَيالي دائِراتُ النَوائِبِ

كَذاكَ اللَيالي دائِراتُ النَوائِبِ

They say, 'Indeed, we have already provided for you—so depart.'

They say, "We have sufficed you, so depart"

Such are the nights, with calamities circling.

Thus are the nights, the cycles of caprice

تَدارَكَهُ لي بَعدَما أَشرَفَت بِهِ

تَدارَكَهُ لي بَعدَما أَشرَفَت بِهِ

عَلى الهُوَّةِ الغَبراءِ زورُ المَناكِبِ

عَلى الهُوَّةِ الغَبراءِ زورُ المَناكِبِ

He rescued him for me, after he had been brought to the brink

He regrouped them for me after I teetered with them

of the dust-gray abyss by crooked-shouldered

At a dusty ravine, visitors of precipices

دَحولٌ مِنَ اللاتي إِذا ما اِرتَمَت بِهِ

دَحولٌ مِنَ اللاتي إِذا ما اِرتَمَت بِهِ

يَرى أَنَّهُ مِن قَعرِها غَيرُ آيِبِ

يَرى أَنَّهُ مِن قَعرِها غَيرُ آيِبِ

pitfalls such that, whenever they hurl him down,

Wallowers, which if they stumble with them

he sees that he will not return from their depths.

See themselves from its depth as not returning