يا بدْرُ لا أفْلُ ولا محاقُ

يا بدْرُ لا أفْلُ ولا محاقُ

ولا يَرُمْ مشرقَكَ الإشراقُ

ولا يَرُمْ مشرقَكَ الإشراقُ

O full moon, may you neither set nor wane,

O full moon, you do not set or disappear,

and may radiance never leave your rising-place.

Nor does your radiance decline at sunrise,

بِالدّينِ وَالدّنيا الَّذي يَشكو وَهَل

بِالدّينِ وَالدّنيا الَّذي يَشكو وَهَل

يَهتَزُّ فَرعٌ لَم يُقِمْهُ ساقُ

يَهتَزُّ فَرعٌ لَم يُقِمْهُ ساقُ

What ails him afflicts faith and the world—and can

Whoever complains of religion and life, does he not see

a branch sway that no trunk has held upright?

A branch shake unless its roots are firm?

لَن تُورِقَ القُضْبُ وَيَجري ماؤُها

لَن تُورِقَ القُضْبُ وَيَجري ماؤُها

إِلّا إِذا ما اِلتاثَتِ الأَعراقُ

إِلّا إِذا ما اِلتاثَتِ الأَعراقُ

The boughs will not leaf out, nor will their sap flow,

The rod will not blossom and its water flow

unless the roots intertwine.

Unless its branches intertwine.

إنّ الرَّعايا ما سَلِمَتْ في حِمىً

إنّ الرَّعايا ما سَلِمَتْ في حِمىً

لِلخَطْبِ عَن طُروقِهِ إِطراقُ

لِلخَطْبِ عَن طُروقِهِ إِطراقُ

Indeed, while you remain safe, the subjects dwell in a sanctuary

The commoners are not safe under protection

that calamity, head bowed, refrains from visiting by night.

If discord keeps them separated.

غَرَسْتَ بِالعَدلِ لَهُم خَمائِلاً

غَرَسْتَ بِالعَدلِ لَهُم خَمائِلاً

تَرتَعُ في حَديقِها الحداقُ

تَرتَعُ في حَديقِها الحداقُ

Through justice you planted lush groves for them,

You planted for them gardens of justice

in whose gardens the eyes graze.

Where gazelles feed and partridges crow.

يا هضبَةَ الدينِ الّتي عاذَ بها

يا هضبَةَ الدينِ الّتي عاذَ بها

فَعادَ لا بَغتٌ وَلا إِرهاقُ

فَعادَ لا بَغتٌ وَلا إِرهاقُ

O lofty hill of faith, where it sought refuge

O plateau of religion in whose shade

and so returned free of ambush and oppression.

One finds no oppression or exhaustion.

لَو لَم تُحِطْهُ راحِلاً وَقافِلاً

لَو لَم تُحِطْهُ راحِلاً وَقافِلاً

أَصبَحَ لا شامٌ ولا عِراقُ

أَصبَحَ لا شامٌ ولا عِراقُ

Had you not protected it, departing and returning,

Had you not hosted the rider and caravan,

there would be neither Syria nor Iraq.

There would be no Syria or Iraq.

عِمادُ دِينٍ قد أقام زَيْغَهُ

عِمادُ دِينٍ قد أقام زَيْغَهُ

حيّ وماتَ الشِّرْكُ والنّفاقُ

حيّ وماتَ الشِّرْكُ والنّفاقُ

The pillar of faith, who has straightened its crookedness,

A pillar of faith who set its leaning straight,

lives, while polytheism and hypocrisy have died.

Alive while polytheism and hypocrisy died.

يا مُحْييَ العَدلِ الَّذي في ظِلِّهِ

يا مُحْييَ العَدلِ الَّذي في ظِلِّهِ

تَسَرْبَلَتْ زينَتَها الآفاقُ

تَسَرْبَلَتْ زينَتَها الآفاقُ

O reviver of justice, beneath whose shade

O reviver of justice whose shade

the horizons have donned their finery.

Adorned the horizons with its gown.

يَفديكَ مَن لانَ مهاد جَنبِهِ

يَفديكَ مَن لانَ مهاد جَنبِهِ

لَمّا نَبا بِجَنبِكَ الإِقْلاقُ

لَمّا نَبا بِجَنبِكَ الإِقْلاقُ

May he whose bed was soft beneath his side ransom you,

May he who softened his resting place ransom you

when restlessness denied your side repose.

When anxiety resided next to you.

مَن بِشَبا سَيفِكَ أَنبَطت لَهُ ال

مَن بِشَبا سَيفِكَ أَنبَطت لَهُ ال

عَذْبَ وماءُ عِيسِه زُعاقُ

عَذْبَ وماءُ عِيسِه زُعاقُ

He for whom, with your sword's edge, you brought forth the

With your sword’s youth was quenched

sweet water, while his pale camels' water was bitter brine,

Pure water and bitter Zo3āq.

تَجَرَّعَ السّمَّ وَلَوْ لَم تَحمِهِ

تَجَرَّعَ السّمَّ وَلَوْ لَم تَحمِهِ

بِحدّه لَعَزَّهُ الدّرياقُ

بِحدّه لَعَزَّهُ الدّرياقُ

swallowed poison; had you not protected him

He gulped poison had your sharp edge

with its edge, the antidote would have eluded him.

Not protected him from lethal Draiq.

مُلوكُ أَطرافٍ حَمى أَطرافَها

مُلوكُ أَطرافٍ حَمى أَطرافَها

عَزْمُك هَذا اللّاحِقُ السّبّاقُ

عَزْمُك هَذا اللّاحِقُ السّبّاقُ

Kings of outlying realms, whose borders were guarded

Kings of lands whose borders you protected,

by this resolve of yours, overtaking and outstripping.

Your resolve precedes, pursuing victoriously.

لَو لَم ترق ماءَ كرى العَينِ لَمَا

لَو لَم ترق ماءَ كرى العَينِ لَمَا

ساغَت بِأَفواهِهِمُ الأرياقُ

ساغَت بِأَفواهِهِمُ الأرياقُ

Had you not poured away the water of the eye's slumber,

Had you not shed tears, their mouths

saliva would not have gone down smoothly in their mouths.

Would not have tolerated sweet wine.

شَقَقتَ من دونِهم مَوْج الرَّدى

شَقَقتَ من دونِهم مَوْج الرَّدى

وَشَقَّ أَكبادَهم الشّقاقُ

وَشَقَّ أَكبادَهم الشّقاقُ

You cleaved death's surge to shield them,

You split the waves of adversity for them

while discord cleft their livers.

While discord split their hearts.

أُقسِمُ لَو كَلّفْتهم أَن يَسمَعوا

أُقسِمُ لَو كَلّفْتهم أَن يَسمَعوا

حَديثَ أيّامكَ ما أَطاقوا

حَديثَ أيّامكَ ما أَطاقوا

I swear: if you charged them to hear

I swear had you tasked them with hearing

the tale of your days, they could not bear it.

Tales of your days, they could not endure.

لَمّا اِشتَكَيتَ دَبَّ في أَهوائِهم

لَمّا اِشتَكَيتَ دَبَّ في أَهوائِهم

توجُّسٌ للسَّمع واسْتِراقُ

توجُّسٌ للسَّمع واسْتِراقُ

When you fell ill, into their desires crept

When you complained, their suspicions crept in,

anxious listening and furtive eavesdropping.

Fearing to hear while trying to steal a listen.

تَطاوَلَوا لا عَدِمَت آمالُهُم

تَطاوَلَوا لا عَدِمَت آمالُهُم

قصراً ولا جانَبَها الإِخفاقُ

قصراً ولا جانَبَها الإِخفاقُ

They grew presumptuous—may their hopes never lack

They overreached but their hopes fell short,

curtailment, nor may failure ever shun them.

While failure kept its distance.

تَوَهَّمُوهَا غَسقاً ثُمَّ اِنْجَلَتْ

تَوَهَّمُوهَا غَسقاً ثُمَّ اِنْجَلَتْ

والصَّفْوُ من مشربهم غسّاقُ

والصَّفْوُ من مشربهم غسّاقُ

They imagined it deep darkness; then it lifted,

They fancied it as darkness then it shone,

while the clear draught from their drinking-place is putrid fluid.

While the pure part of their drink was filthy.

لَئِن ألَمَّ ألَمٌ بِقَدمٍ

لَئِن ألَمَّ ألَمٌ بِقَدمٍ

خَدُّ السُّها لِنعْلِها طرّاقُ

خَدُّ السُّها لِنعْلِها طرّاقُ

If indeed pain has visited a foot

If a sandal pained his foot

whose sandal has Suha's cheek for its sole,

The cheek of good fortune is perforated.

أو كان مدَّ يَده إلى يدٍ

أو كان مدَّ يَده إلى يدٍ

تجري بها الآجال والأرزاقُ

تجري بها الآجال والأرزاقُ

or has stretched its hand toward a hand

Or if he extended his hand to one

through which lifespans and livelihoods flow,

Whose fate and provision flow.

فالنَّصْل يُعْلَى صَدَءاً وتحتهُ

فالنَّصْل يُعْلَى صَدَءاً وتحتهُ

حدّ حسام وسناً رقراقُ

حدّ حسام وسناً رقراقُ

still, a blade may be overlaid with rust, while beneath it

The blade then is lifted lightly while beneath it

lie a sword's keen edge and a shimmering gleam.

Lies a sharp sword and polished teeth.

رَمى الصَّليبَ بِصَليبِ الرأيِ عَن

رَمى الصَّليبَ بِصَليبِ الرأيِ عَن

زوراءَ أَوْهَى نزْعَها الإغراقُ

زوراءَ أَوْهَى نزْعَها الإغراقُ

He shot at the cross with firm judgment, from

With the cross of reason he flung aside

a curved bow whose draw was weakened by overdrawing.

The cross of delusion, broken in its falseness.

ونومُ مَنْ خلفَ الخليج سَهَرٌ

ونومُ مَنْ خلفَ الخليج سَهَرٌ

والعَيشُ في فِرِنجَة سيّاقُ

والعَيشُ في فِرِنجَة سيّاقُ

And the sleep of those beyond the gulf is sleeplessness,

Those beyond the gulf sleep while life

and life among the Franks is the agony of death.

In Europe is misery's succession.

ماتوا فلا همسٌ ولا إشارةٌ

ماتوا فلا همسٌ ولا إشارةٌ

خوفَ هَمُوسٍ زأْرُهُ إزهاقُ

خوفَ هَمُوسٍ زأْرُهُ إزهاقُ

They are dead: no whisper, no gesture,

They died with no whispers or gestures,

for fear of a stealthy lion whose roar extinguishes life.

Fearing the growling threat of strangulation.

لا سَلَبَتْ منك اللّيالي ما كَسَتْ

لا سَلَبَتْ منك اللّيالي ما كَسَتْ

ولا عرتْ جِدَّتَك الإخلاقُ

ولا عرتْ جِدَّتَك الإخلاقُ

May the nights never strip from you what they clothed you in,

Neither did the nights steal from you what they covered,

nor may wear and tear ever touch your freshness.

Nor did your manners fail you.