ما في الطُّلُولِ مِن الأَحِبَّةِ مُخْبِرُ

ما في الطُّلُولِ مِن الأَحِبَّةِ مُخْبِرُ

فَمَن الَّذِي عن حالِها نَسْتَخْبِرُ

فَمَن الَّذِي عن حالِها نَسْتَخْبِرُ

Among the ruins, none of the loved ones is there to tell;

No tidings come from the beloved ones to inform,

so whom shall we ask about their condition?

So who can we ask about their state?

لا تَسأَلنَّ سِوى الفراقِ فإِنَّهُ

لا تَسأَلنَّ سِوى الفراقِ فإِنَّهُ

يُنْبِيكَ عنهم أَنْجدُوا أَم أَغْوَرُوا

يُنْبِيكَ عنهم أَنْجدُوا أَم أَغْوَرُوا

Ask none but separation, for it

Ask only about parting, for it

will tell you of them—whether they went to the uplands or the lowlands.

Will tell you if they languish or flourish.

جارَ الزَّمانُ علَيْهِمُ فَتَفَرَّقُوا

جارَ الزَّمانُ علَيْهِمُ فَتَفَرَّقُوا

في كُلِّ ناحِيّةٍ وبادَ الأَكْثرُ

في كُلِّ ناحِيّةٍ وبادَ الأَكْثرُ

Time wronged them, so they scattered

Time has been harsh to them, so they scattered,

in every direction, and most of them perished.

Each to a region, most astray.

جَرَتِ الخُطُوبُ على محلِّ دِيارِهِم

جَرَتِ الخُطُوبُ على محلِّ دِيارِهِم

وعلَيْهِمُ فَتَغَيَّرَتْ وتَغَيّرُوا

وعلَيْهِمُ فَتَغَيَّرَتْ وتَغَيّرُوا

Calamities swept over the site of their homes

Calamities befell their dwelling places

and over them: the homes changed, and so did they.

And so they changed, transformed in decay.

فدَعِ الزَّمانَ يصوغُ في عرصاتِهِم

فدَعِ الزَّمانَ يصوغُ في عرصاتِهِم

نُوراً تكادُ له القُلُوبُ تُنَوِّرُ

نُوراً تكادُ له القُلُوبُ تُنَوِّرُ

So let time fashion in their courtyards

Leave time to shape in their plains

blossoms at which the hearts themselves almost bloom.

A light that makes hearts glow and pray.

فلِمثْلِ قُرْطُبةٍ يقلُّ بُكاءُ مَن

فلِمثْلِ قُرْطُبةٍ يقلُّ بُكاءُ مَن

يَبْكِي بعَيْنٍ دَمْعُها متَفَجِّرُ

يَبْكِي بعَيْنٍ دَمْعُها متَفَجِّرُ

For a city like Cordoba, scant is the weeping of one

For one like Cordoba, few would weep

who weeps with an eye whose tears gush forth.

Whose tears flow copious, pure.

دَارٌ أَقالَ اللَّهُ عَثْرةَ أَهْلِهَا

دَارٌ أَقالَ اللَّهُ عَثْرةَ أَهْلِهَا

فَتَبَرْبَرُوا وتَغَرَّبُوا وتَمَصّرُوا

فَتَبَرْبَرُوا وتَغَرَّبُوا وتَمَصّرُوا

A home—may God lift its people from their fall—

A home God made stumble its people

so they went to Berber lands, into exile, and to Egypt.

So they dispersed and isolated withdrew.

في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ فَرِيقٌ منهمُ

في كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ فَرِيقٌ منهمُ

مُتَفَطِّرٌ لفراقِها مُتَحَيِّرُ

مُتَفَطِّرٌ لفراقِها مُتَحَيِّرُ

In every region, a group of them is

In each direction, a group of them

heartbroken at parting from it, bewildered.

Rending in exile, confused in loss.

عَهْدي بها والشملُ فيها جامِعٌ

عَهْدي بها والشملُ فيها جامِعٌ

مِن أَهْلِها والعَيْشُ فيها أَخْضَرُ

مِن أَهْلِها والعَيْشُ فيها أَخْضَرُ

I remember it, the fellowship there embracing all

My pact with it - united inside

of its people, and life within it green.

Among its people, living fresh and new.

ورِياحُ زَهْرَتِها تلوحُ علَيْهمُ

ورِياحُ زَهْرَتِها تلوحُ علَيْهمُ

برَوائِحٍ يَفتَرُّ منها العَنْبرُ

برَوائِحٍ يَفتَرُّ منها العَنْبرُ

And the breezes of its blossoms wafted over them

Winds of its blossoms wave over them

with fragrances at which ambergris smiled.

Scents that make amber diffuse.

والدارُ قد ضَربَ الكَمالُ رِواقَهُ

والدارُ قد ضَربَ الكَمالُ رِواقَهُ

فيها وباعُ النقص فيها يَقْصُرُ

فيها وباعُ النقص فيها يَقْصُرُ

And the city—perfection had pitched its canopy

The perfection of beauty graced its halls

within it, while imperfection's reach there fell short.

While flaws were sold short and few.

والقَوْمُ قد أَمنُوا تغيُّرَ حُسْنِها

والقَوْمُ قد أَمنُوا تغيُّرَ حُسْنِها

فَتَعَمَّمُوا بجَمالِها وتأَزَّرُوا

فَتَعَمَّمُوا بجَمالِها وتأَزَّرُوا

And its people had felt secure against any change in its beauty,

They felt safe from its beauty shifting,

so they wore its beauty as turban and waist-wrap.

So robed in its glory, proud they grew.

يا طِيبَهُمْ بقُصُورِها وخُدُورِها

يا طِيبَهُمْ بقُصُورِها وخُدُورِها

وبُدُورها بقُصُورِها تَتَخَدَّرُ

وبُدُورها بقُصُورِها تَتَخَدَّرُ

How happy they were in its palaces and secluded chambers,

Oh goodness - its castles and chambers,

and its full moons secluded themselves in its palaces!

Its round houses, castles in awe.

والقَصْرُ قَصْرُ بَني أُمَيّةَ وافِرٌ

والقَصْرُ قَصْرُ بَني أُمَيّةَ وافِرٌ

من كُلِّ أَمْر والخِلافةُ أَوْفَرُ

من كُلِّ أَمْر والخِلافةُ أَوْفَرُ

And the palace—the palace of the sons of Umayya—was flourishing

The palace of Umayyads, perfect in all -

in every respect, and the caliphate more flourishing still.

Rule even more bountiful and more.

والزاهِرِيَّةُ بالمَراكِبِ تُزْهِرُ

والزاهِرِيَّةُ بالمَراكِبِ تُزْهِرُ

والعامِرِيّةُ بالكَواكِبِ تُعْمَرُ

والعامِرِيّةُ بالكَواكِبِ تُعْمَرُ

And al-Zahiriyya shone with mounts,

With ships the Zāhiriyyah gleams,

and al-Amiriyya was peopled with stars.

The ʿĀmiriyyah with stars aglow.

والجامِعُ الأَعْلَى يغصُّ بكُلِّ مَن

والجامِعُ الأَعْلَى يغصُّ بكُلِّ مَن

يتلو ويَسْمَعُ ما يَشاءُ ويَنْظُرُ

يتلو ويَسْمَعُ ما يَشاءُ ويَنْظُرُ

And the lofty congregational mosque thronged with all who

The Great Mosque overcrowds with all

recited, heard what they wished, and looked on.

Who recite and hear what they wish and know.

ومسالِكُ الأَسْواقِ تشهد أَنَّها

ومسالِكُ الأَسْواقِ تشهد أَنَّها

لا يَستَقِلُّ بسالِكِيها المَحْشَرُ

لا يَستَقِلُّ بسالِكِيها المَحْشَرُ

And the market streets bore witness that

Witness the market paths, not sufficed

the gathering-place of Resurrection could not hold those who walked them.

By all who tread them, teeming as they flow.

يا جَنَّةً عَصفَتْ بها وبأَهْلِها

يا جَنَّةً عَصفَتْ بها وبأَهْلِها

رِيحُ النَّوى فتَدَمَّرتْ وتَدَمَّرُوا

رِيحُ النَّوى فتَدَمَّرتْ وتَدَمَّرُوا

O paradise, over you and your people swept

Oh garden, the winds of fate blew,

the wind of separation: you were destroyed, and so were they.

Razing it and its people in woe.

آسَى علَيْكِ مِن المَماتِ وَحقَّ لِي

آسَى علَيْكِ مِن المَماتِ وَحقَّ لِي

إِذ لم نَزَلْ بكِ في حَياتِكِ نَفخَرُ

إِذ لم نَزَلْ بكِ في حَياتِكِ نَفخَرُ

I mourn your death, and rightly so,

I grieve for you, though we rightly vaunt

for, while you lived, we never ceased to take pride in you.

That in life, we were honored to know.

كانَتْ عراصُك للمُيَمِّمِ مَكَّةً

كانَتْ عراصُك للمُيَمِّمِ مَكَّةً

يأوِي إِلَيْها الخائِفُونَ فيُنْصَرُوا

يأوِي إِلَيْها الخائِفُونَ فيُنْصَرُوا

Your courtyards were a Mecca for those who sought you,

Your land was Mecca for the devout,

where the fearful took refuge and found protection.

A refuge where the afraid would grow.

يا مَنْزِلاً نَزَلَت به وبأَهْلِهِ

يا مَنْزِلاً نَزَلَت به وبأَهْلِهِ

طَيْرُ النَّوى فَتَغَيَّرُوا وتَنَكَّرُوا

طَيْرُ النَّوى فَتَغَيَّرُوا وتَنَكَّرُوا

O dwelling, upon you and your people alighted

Oh dwelling, the birds of fate came

the birds of separation: they changed and grew unrecognizable.

And altered its people beyond recall.

جادَ الفُراتُ بساحَتَيْك ودِجْلةٌ

جادَ الفُراتُ بساحَتَيْك ودِجْلةٌ

والنّيلُ جادَ بها وجادَ الكَوْثَرُ

والنّيلُ جادَ بها وجادَ الكَوْثَرُ

May the Euphrates lavish its waters on your two courts, and the Tigris,

Euphrates and Tigris gave you their fill,

and may the Nile lavish its waters there, and al-Kawthar too.

The Nile its plenty, even Kauthar's flow.

وسُقِيتَ مِن ماءِ الحَياةِ غمامةً

وسُقِيتَ مِن ماءِ الحَياةِ غمامةً

تحيا بها منكَ الرِّياضُ وتُزْهِرُ

تحيا بها منكَ الرِّياضُ وتُزْهِرُ

And may you be watered by a cloud of the water of life,

You were watered from the fount of life,

through which your gardens come to life and blossom.

A cloud that brings your meadows joy.

أَسَفِي على دارٍ عَهدْتُ ربوعَها

أَسَفِي على دارٍ عَهدْتُ ربوعَها

وظباؤُها بفنائِها تَتَبَخْترُ

وظباؤُها بفنائِها تَتَبَخْترُ

My sorrow for a home whose grounds I once knew,

I mourn a home whose glades I knew,

and whose gazelles strutted in its courtyard!

Its gazelles frolicking free in its bows.

أَيّامَ كانَتْ عَيْنُ كُلِّ كَرامةٍ

أَيّامَ كانَتْ عَيْنُ كُلِّ كَرامةٍ

مِن كُل ناحِيَةٍ إِليَهْا تَنظُرُ

مِن كُل ناحِيَةٍ إِليَهْا تَنظُرُ

In the days when the eye of every honor

Days when you were the eye that viewed

looked toward it from every direction;

All grandeur, gazing to and fro.

أَيْامَ كانَ الأَمْرُ فيها واحِداً

أَيْامَ كانَ الأَمْرُ فيها واحِداً

لأَمِيرها وأَمِيرِ مَن يتَأَمَّرُ

لأَمِيرها وأَمِيرِ مَن يتَأَمَّرُ

in the days when authority there was undivided,

Days when its ruler ruled as one,

held by its ruler, ruler also of all who ruled;

Obeisance from all rulers in its throes.

أَيَّامَ كانَتْ كَفُّ كُلِّ سلامةٍ

أَيَّامَ كانَتْ كَفُّ كُلِّ سلامةٍ

تسمو إِلَيْها بالسّلامِ وتَبْدُرُ

تسمو إِلَيْها بالسّلامِ وتَبْدُرُ

in the days when the hand of all well-being

Days when each hand of peace was raised,

rose toward it in greeting and hastened forward.

Greetings streaming constant in its flows.

حَزَني على سَرَواتِها ورُواتِها

حَزَني على سَرَواتِها ورُواتِها

وثِقاتِها وحُماتِها يَتَكَرَّرُ

وثِقاتِها وحُماتِها يَتَكَرَّرُ

My grief for its nobles and its narrators

My grief for its pines and pastures rings,

and its trusted men and its defenders keeps returning.

Its trusted ones, protective barrier.

نَفْسِي على آلائِها وصفائِها

نَفْسِي على آلائِها وصفائِها

وبَهائِها وسَنائِها تَتَحَسَّرُ

وبَهائِها وسَنائِها تَتَحَسَّرُ

My soul, over its blessings and its purity

My soul for its graces and purity wails,

and its splendor and its radiance, sighs in grief.

Its splendor, radiance, moans and sighs.

كَبِدِي على عُلَمائِها حُلَمائِها

كَبِدِي على عُلَمائِها حُلَمائِها

أُدَبائِها ظُرَفائِها تَتَفَطَّرُ

أُدَبائِها ظُرَفائِها تَتَفَطَّرُ

My liver, for its scholars, its forbearing men,

My heart for its scholars, wise ones weeps,

its men of letters, its refined men, splits apart.

Its authors, cultured ones, shreds and tears.