يا حاديَ العِيْسِ قِفْ بالجِزْعِ والعَلَمِ

يا حاديَ العِيْسِ قِفْ بالجِزْعِ والعَلَمِ

واسكبْ هناكَ دموعَ العينِ كالدِيمِ

واسكبْ هناكَ دموعَ العينِ كالدِيمِ

O driver of the pale camels, halt at al-Jaz‘ and al-‘Alam;

O driver of the pale camels, halt at al-Jiz‘ and al-‘Alam,

and there pour out the eye’s tears like blood.

And there pour out the eye's tears like unceasing rain.

أطِلْ وقوفَكَ في حَزْوي ورامَتِهِ

أطِلْ وقوفَكَ في حَزْوي ورامَتِهِ

وأعْدِلْ إلى لَعلْعٍ وامضِ إلى أضمِ

وأعْدِلْ إلى لَعلْعٍ وامضِ إلى أضمِ

Prolong your halt at Ḥayy and their Rāma,

Prolong your stay in Hazwa and its Rama,

then turn toward La‘la‘ and press on to Aḍam.

And turn aside toward La‘la‘, and proceed to Idam.

وإن مررتَ إلى تِلقَاءِ كاظِمةٍ

وإن مررتَ إلى تِلقَاءِ كاظِمةٍ

سلّم على الضّال والحَوْذَان والسَلَم

سلّم على الضّال والحَوْذَان والسَلَم

And if you pass in the direction of Kāẓima,

And if you pass in the direction of Kazima,

greet al-Ẓāl, al-Ḥawḍān, and al-Salam.

Greet the wild lote trees, the buttercups, and the acacias.

معاهدٌ قد عَهِدنا الغانيات بها

معاهدٌ قد عَهِدنا الغانيات بها

محروسةً بالقَنَا والبيضِ والدُّهُم

محروسةً بالقَنَا والبيضِ والدُّهُم

They are haunts where once we knew fair women,

Haunts where we once knew the lovely women,

guarded by spears, white blades, and dark steeds.

Guarded by lances, bright swords, and black steeds.

فالشمسُ والبدرُ من أنوارِ وَجهِهم

فالشمسُ والبدرُ من أنوارِ وَجهِهم

ولليالي ظلامٌ من شُعورِهم

ولليالي ظلامٌ من شُعورِهم

The sun and full moon take their radiance from their faces,

For the sun and full moon derive from the radiance of their faces,

and the nights their darkness from their hair.

And nights draw their darkness from their hair.

ترى مباسِمَهم تحكي قلائدَهم

ترى مباسِمَهم تحكي قلائدَهم

تحتَ الفروعِ بروقٌ في دُجن الظُلَمِ

تحتَ الفروعِ بروقٌ في دُجن الظُلَمِ

You see their smiling mouths vie with their necklaces—

You see their smiling mouths resemble their necklaces:

lightning beneath the tresses, in the deepest gloom.

Beneath the branching tresses, lightning flashes in the murk of darkness.

يَزُررْنَني وصروفُ الدهرِ غافلةٌ

يَزُررْنَني وصروفُ الدهرِ غافلةٌ

وشامِتي هَطَلَتْ آماقُه بِدَمِ

وشامِتي هَطَلَتْ آماقُه بِدَمِ

They would visit me while the turns of fate were heedless,

They would visit me while time's vicissitudes lay heedless,

and my gloating foe’s tear duct streamed with blood.

And my gloating foe's eye-corners streamed with blood.

والرّوض أخضرُ والأطلالُ مُورِقَةٌ

والرّوض أخضرُ والأطلالُ مُورِقَةٌ

والطيرُ تسْجَعُ بالألحانِ والنَّغَمِ

والطيرُ تسْجَعُ بالألحانِ والنَّغَمِ

The meadow was green and the ruins leaf-clad,

And the meadow was green, and the ruins were leafy,

and birds chanted in melodies and song;

And the birds sang in melodies and tunes.

والشَّمْلُ مُجْتَمِعٌ والقَولُ مُسْتمتَعٌ

والشَّمْلُ مُجْتَمِعٌ والقَولُ مُسْتمتَعٌ

والشأن مُرْتَفِعٌ أيامَ وَصْلِهمُ

والشأن مُرْتَفِعٌ أيامَ وَصْلِهمُ

our company was gathered, the people listening,

And the company was united, and conversation was delightful,

and our estate was exalted in the days of union.

And standing was high in the days of union with them.

والسُّحْبُ باكيةٌ والزَّهرُ مُبْتَسِمٌ

والسُّحْبُ باكيةٌ والزَّهرُ مُبْتَسِمٌ

والدَّارُ مُخْضَرَّةٌ فاقتْ على إرَمِ

والدَّارُ مُخْضَرَّةٌ فاقتْ على إرَمِ

The clouds were weeping and the blossoms smiling,

And the clouds wept, and the blossoms smiled,

and the verdant dwelling surpassed even Iram.

And the dwelling was verdant, surpassing Iram.

لهفي على انسة بالآنِسات مَضَتْ

لهفي على انسة بالآنِسات مَضَتْ

آهاً لتحريرِ ارساني بِرَبْعِهم

آهاً لتحريرِ ارساني بِرَبْعِهم

Alas for an intimacy with lovely women, now gone!

Alas for the companionship that passed away with the lovely women!

Ah, to loose my reins within their encampment!

Ah, for the loosening of my halters at their dwelling!

واحسرتيَّ على وصلٍ مَضَى سَرَعاً

واحسرتيَّ على وصلٍ مَضَى سَرَعاً

كأنه بعضُ أضْغَاثٍ من الحُلُمِ

كأنه بعضُ أضْغَاثٍ من الحُلُمِ

Oh, my grief for a union that passed so swiftly,

And oh, my sorrow for a union that passed so swiftly,

as though it were but a fragment of a troubled dream.

As though it were a few tangled fragments of a dream.

مرَّ الشبابُ وصبحُ الشيبِ مُنْفَلقٌ

مرَّ الشبابُ وصبحُ الشيبِ مُنْفَلقٌ

والقلبُ في الهَمِّ والجُثْمانِ في السَّقمِ

والقلبُ في الهَمِّ والجُثْمانِ في السَّقمِ

Youth has passed, and the dawn of gray age has broken;

Youth has passed, and the dawn of gray hair is breaking,

the heart is sunk in care, the body in sickness.

And the heart is in anguish, and the body in sickness.

لم يَشْفِني غير مَلْقى السَيّدِ الفَهِمِ

لم يَشْفِني غير مَلْقى السَيّدِ الفَهِمِ

ابنِ السَيدِ الفهمِ ابنِ السَيّدِ الفَهمِ

ابنِ السَيدِ الفهمِ ابنِ السَيّدِ الفَهمِ

Nothing has healed me but meeting the discerning lord,

Nothing has healed me save meeting the discerning lord,

son of a discerning lord, grandson of a discerning lord:

Son of the discerning lord, himself son of the discerning lord.

أعني مُحمَّداً الزاكي ابن سالم ذي

أعني مُحمَّداً الزاكي ابن سالم ذي

الجودِ العَمِيْمِ لخلْقِ اللهِ كُلِّهم

الجودِ العَمِيْمِ لخلْقِ اللهِ كُلِّهم

I mean pure Muhammad, son of Salim, possessor

I mean Muhammad the pure, son of Salim, possessor of

of munificence embracing all God’s creatures.

Generosity abundant for all God's creatures.

سليلُ سلطان ذي العقلِ الذكي وذي

سليلُ سلطان ذي العقلِ الذكي وذي

المُلكِ العَلِيّ ومولى العُرْبِ والعَجَمِ

المُلكِ العَلِيّ ومولى العُرْبِ والعَجَمِ

Scion of a sovereign endowed with keen intellect

Scion of Sultan, possessor of keen intellect and of

and lofty kingship, master of Arab and non-Arab;

Exalted sovereignty, and lord of Arabs and non-Arabs.

زاكي الطباعِ نقيُّ النفسِ هِمَتُهُ

زاكي الطباعِ نقيُّ النفسِ هِمَتُهُ

كالنارِ آنسها النائي على عَلَمِ

كالنارِ آنسها النائي على عَلَمِ

pure in nature, spotless in soul—his aspiration

Pure in character, pure of soul, his ambition

is like a fire a distant traveler sights upon a height.

Is like a fire that someone far away has glimpsed on a hill.

نارٌ وماءٌ بِكَفَّيْهِ قد اجتمَعَا

نارٌ وماءٌ بِكَفَّيْهِ قد اجتمَعَا

فالنارُ للحَتْفِ أما الماءُ لِلكَرَمِ

فالنارُ للحَتْفِ أما الماءُ لِلكَرَمِ

Fire and water have met together in his two hands:

Fire and water have met in his two palms:

the fire is for death, but the water for generosity.

The fire is for death; the water is for generosity.

يستر عندَ سَماع السائلينَ وقَدْ

يستر عندَ سَماع السائلينَ وقَدْ

يُفْنى عِداه بسيفٍ صارمٍ خَذِمِ

يُفْنى عِداه بسيفٍ صارمٍ خَذِمِ

He covers petitioners’ needs as soon as he hears them,

He shields petitioners when he hears them, and indeed

while his foes are destroyed by a sharp, cleaving sword.

Annihilates his foes with a keen, cleaving sword,

وصولةٍ تتركُ السِّرحانَ خِرْنَقَةً

وصولةٍ تتركُ السِّرحانَ خِرْنَقَةً

وتترك اللَّيْثَ مثل الضانِ والغَنَنمِ

وتترك اللَّيْثَ مثل الضانِ والغَنَنمِ

His onslaught leaves the wolf a trembling leveret,

And with an onslaught that makes the wolf a young hare,

and leaves the lion like sheep within a flock.

And makes the lion like sheep and flocks.

ذَمْرٌ تخاف نجومُ القَذْفِ منه متى

ذَمْرٌ تخاف نجومُ القَذْفِ منه متى

تراه يُقْدِمُ للهيجاءِ بالصَمَمِ

تراه يُقْدِمُ للهيجاءِ بالصَمَمِ

A man of might: even shooting stars fear him whenever

A valiant man, whom the shooting stars fear whenever

they see him charge into battle, deaf to danger.

They see him advance into battle with unflinching resolve.

للهِ منْ رجُلٍ بالجُوْدِ مُعْتَرِف

للهِ منْ رجُلٍ بالجُوْدِ مُعْتَرِف

بالضُّرِ مُتَّزِرٍ في الروعِ مُبْتَسِمِ

بالضُّرِ مُتَّزِرٍ في الروعِ مُبْتَسِمِ

What a man, renowned for generosity,

What a man, by God, avowing generosity,

girded with hardship, smiling amid terror!

Girded with hardship, smiling amid terror!

لو حلَّ جَدْبٌ على الدُّنيا وكانَ بها

لو حلَّ جَدْبٌ على الدُّنيا وكانَ بها

يُغْنِي نَدى كفِّهِ عن وابلِ العرمِ

يُغْنِي نَدى كفِّهِ عن وابلِ العرمِ

Were drought to descend upon the world while he was in it,

Were drought to descend upon the world while he was in it,

his palm’s bounty would suffice in place of al-‘Arim’s deluge.

The bounty of his palm would suffice instead of the flood's downpour.

تَرَى الوفودَ على أبوابِ منزلهِ

تَرَى الوفودَ على أبوابِ منزلهِ

تزاحَمُوا مِثْلَ مَوْجِ البَحْرِ بالقدمِ

تزاحَمُوا مِثْلَ مَوْجِ البَحْرِ بالقدمِ

Delegations drink their fill at the doors of his dwelling,

You see delegations at the gates of his dwelling:

crowding foot against foot like the waves of the sea.

They jostle like the sea's waves, on foot.

طابتْ قلوبُهُمُ مِنْ عُظْمِ ما وُهِبوا

طابتْ قلوبُهُمُ مِنْ عُظْمِ ما وُهِبوا

والكُلُّ مِنْهم يَقُلْ يا نفسُ اغتنمي

والكُلُّ مِنْهم يَقُلْ يا نفسُ اغتنمي

Their hearts rejoice at the greatness of what they are given,

Their hearts rejoiced at the greatness of what they were given,

and every one of them cries, ‘O soul, seize your chance!’

And each of them says, 'O soul, seize the chance!'

للهِ من مَلِكٍ يُفْنِي خزائِنَهُ

للهِ من مَلِكٍ يُفْنِي خزائِنَهُ

على العِبادِ وبالرحمنِ مُعْتَصِمِ

على العِبادِ وبالرحمنِ مُعْتَصِمِ

What a king, who spends his treasuries empty

What a king, by God, who empties his treasuries

upon God’s servants, holding fast to the All-Merciful;

On the people, and takes refuge in the All-Merciful.

بالعِزِّ والفَخْرِ والعَلْياءِ مُرْتدياً

بالعِزِّ والفَخْرِ والعَلْياءِ مُرْتدياً

وبالسَخَاءِ ورَبُّ السيفِ والقَلَمِ

وبالسَخَاءِ ورَبُّ السيفِ والقَلَمِ

clad in glory, pride, and high honor,

Clothed in might, glory, and lofty honor,

and in generosity—a master of sword and pen.

And in generosity—the lord of the sword and the pen.

لا زال سَيّدُنا في الدَّهرِ منتصراً

لا زال سَيّدُنا في الدَّهرِ منتصراً

وجيشُ أعدائِهِ في الذُّلِ والنِقَمِ

وجيشُ أعدائِهِ في الذُّلِ والنِقَمِ

May our lord never cease to triumph through the ages,

May our lord remain victorious for all time,

and may his enemies’ army abide in abasement and affliction.

And his enemies' army remain in humiliation and punishment.