أَبَت عَيناكَ بِالحَسَنِ الرُقادا

أَبَت عَيناكَ بِالحَسَنِ الرُقادا

وَأَنكَرتَ الأَصادِقَ وَالبِلادا

وَأَنكَرتَ الأَصادِقَ وَالبِلادا

Your eyes refused sleep at al-Hasan,

Your eyes refused slumber's charm,

And you found friends and lands unfamiliar.

And denied the truthful and the land.

لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ نَفعَ سُعادَ عَنّي

لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ نَفعَ سُعادَ عَنّي

لَمَصروفٌ وَنَفعي عَن سُعادا

لَمَصروفٌ وَنَفعي عَن سُعادا

By your life, Su'ad's kindness toward me

By your life, Su'ad's happiness benefits me not,

Is surely withheld, and mine is withheld from Su'ad.

While my joy is turned from Su'ad.

فَلادِيَةً سُقيتِ وَدَيتِ أَهلي

فَلادِيَةً سُقيتِ وَدَيتِ أَهلي

وَلا قَوَداً بِقَتلي مُستَفادا

وَلا قَوَداً بِقَتلي مُستَفادا

So you paid my kin no blood-money—may you be watered—

No blood-money was I made to drink,

Nor has any retribution for killing me been obtained.

Nor any vengeance gained by my murder.

أَلِمّا صاحِبَيَّ نَزُر سُعادا

أَلِمّا صاحِبَيَّ نَزُر سُعادا

لِقُربِ مَزارِها وَذَرا البِعادا

لِقُربِ مَزارِها وَذَرا البِعادا

Stop, my two companions; let us visit Su'ad,

Grieving, my companion visited Su'ad

For her dwelling is near; shun separation.

Nearing her tomb, shunning all separation.

فَتوشِكُ أَن تَشُطَّ بِنا قَذوفٌ

فَتوشِكُ أَن تَشُطَّ بِنا قَذوفٌ

تُكِلُّ نِياطُها القُلُصَ الجِيادا

تُكِلُّ نِياطُها القُلُصَ الجِيادا

For a far-flung wilderness may soon carry us far away,

Soon disaster's missiles will assault us,

Whose long stretches weary fine young she-camels.

Cast by hands releasing harnessed steeds.

إِلَيكَ شَماتَةَ الأَعداءِ أَشكو

إِلَيكَ شَماتَةَ الأَعداءِ أَشكو

وَهَجراً كانَ أَوَّلُهُ بِعادا

وَهَجراً كانَ أَوَّلُهُ بِعادا

To you I complain of my enemies' gloating,

To you I complain of the gloating foe,

And of estrangement that began with separation.

And estrangement, whose beginning was avoidance.

فَكَيفَ إِذا نَأَت وَنَأَيتُ عَنها

فَكَيفَ إِذا نَأَت وَنَأَيتُ عَنها

أُعَزّي النَفسَ أَو أَزَعُ الفُؤادا

أُعَزّي النَفسَ أَو أَزَعُ الفُؤادا

How then, when she goes far away and I far from her,

How can I, when she is harsh and remote,

Shall I console myself or restrain my heart?

Comfort my soul, or calm my heart?

أُتيحَ لَكَ الظَعائِنُ مِن مُرادٍ

أُتيحَ لَكَ الظَعائِنُ مِن مُرادٍ

وَما خَطبٌ أَتاحَ لَنا مُرادا

وَما خَطبٌ أَتاحَ لَنا مُرادا

The women in litters from Murad were allotted to you;

You were allowed attainment of wishes

And what affair brought Murad to us?

While no fortune allowed us wishes.

إِلَيكَ رَحَلتُ يا عُمرَ بنَ لَيلى

إِلَيكَ رَحَلتُ يا عُمرَ بنَ لَيلى

عَلى ثِقَةٍ أَزورُكَ وَاِعتِمادا

عَلى ثِقَةٍ أَزورُكَ وَاِعتِمادا

To you I journeyed, O Umar son of Layla;

To you, Omar son of Layla, I came

I visit you with confidence and trust.

Trusting, to visit and rely on you.

تَعَوَّد صالِحَ الأَعمالِ إِنّي

تَعَوَّد صالِحَ الأَعمالِ إِنّي

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ يَلزَمُ ما اِستَعادا

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ يَلزَمُ ما اِستَعادا

Make good deeds your habit, for I

I am wont to righteous deeds; I saw

Have seen a man cling to what he makes habitual.

Man keeps to what he is accustomed to.

أَقولُ إِذا أَتَينَ عَلى قَرَورى

أَقولُ إِذا أَتَينَ عَلى قَرَورى

وَآلُ البيدِ يَطَّرِدُ اِطِّرادا

وَآلُ البيدِ يَطَّرِدُ اِطِّرادا

I say, when they reach Qarawra,

When the wine-jars come round, I say,

While the desert mirage streams on and on:

And Fate's cups circle without cease:

عَلَيكُم ذا النَدى عُمَرَ بنَ لَيلى

عَلَيكُم ذا النَدى عُمَرَ بنَ لَيلى

جَواداً سابِقاً وَرِثَ الجِيادا

جَواداً سابِقاً وَرِثَ الجِيادا

Seek the bountiful Umar son of Layla,

"May generous Omar, noble steed, son of Layla

A noble steed leading the field, heir to noble steeds.

Race on, outstripping the racers!"

إِلى الفاروقِ يَنتَسِبُ اِبنُ لَيلى

إِلى الفاروقِ يَنتَسِبُ اِبنُ لَيلى

وَمَروانَ الَّذي رَفَعَ العِمادا

وَمَروانَ الَّذي رَفَعَ العِمادا

The son of Layla traces his lineage to al-Faruq,

Son of Layla traces back to the Farouk,

And to Marwan, who raised the pillars.

And Marwan who raised up the Column.

تَزَوَّد مِثلَ زادِ أَبيكَ فينا

تَزَوَّد مِثلَ زادِ أَبيكَ فينا

فَنِعمَ الزادُ زادُ أَبيكَ زادا

فَنِعمَ الزادُ زادُ أَبيكَ زادا

Take provisions like your father's among us,

Take provision for us like your father's provision -

For excellent indeed were your father's provisions.

Fair provision your father's provision was!

فَما كَعبُ بنُ مامَةَ وَاِبنُ سُعدى

فَما كَعبُ بنُ مامَةَ وَاِبنُ سُعدى

بِأَجوَدَ مِنكَ يا عُمَرَ الجَوادا

بِأَجوَدَ مِنكَ يا عُمَرَ الجَوادا

For neither Ka'b son of Mamah nor the son of Su'da

Neither Kaab ibn Mamah nor Ibn Su'ada

Is more generous than you, O generous Umar.

Were more open-handed than you, generous Omar!

هَنيءً لِلمَدينَة إِذ أَهَلَّت

هَنيءً لِلمَدينَة إِذ أَهَلَّت

بِأَهلِ المُلكِ أَبدَأُ ثُمَّ عادا

بِأَهلِ المُلكِ أَبدَأُ ثُمَّ عادا

Fortunate Medina, when it welcomed

Joy to Medina, when it was peopled

The ruling house, first and then again.

By the Folk of the Kingdom - first, then once more!

يَعودُ الحِلمُ مِنكَ عَلى قُرَيشٍ

يَعودُ الحِلمُ مِنكَ عَلى قُرَيشٍ

وَتَفرِجُ عَنهُمُ الكُرَبَ الشِدادا

وَتَفرِجُ عَنهُمُ الكُرَبَ الشِدادا

Your forbearance benefits Quraysh,

Forbearance returns to Quraysh through you,

And you relieve them of their grievous troubles.

And you relieve them of sorrow most grim.

وَقَد لَيَّنتَ وَحشَهُمُ بِرِفقٍ

وَقَد لَيَّنتَ وَحشَهُمُ بِرِفقٍ

وَتُعيّ الناسَ وَحشُكَ أَن تُصادا

وَتُعيّ الناسَ وَحشُكَ أَن تُصادا

And you have gently tamed their wild beasts,

You softened their ferocity with gentleness,

But your wild beasts baffle men who would hunt them.

And you shepherd people, though your nature is wild.

وَتَبني المَجدَ يا عُمَرَ بنَ لَيلى

وَتَبني المَجدَ يا عُمَرَ بنَ لَيلى

وَتَكفي المُمحِلَ السَنَةَ الجَمادا

وَتَكفي المُمحِلَ السَنَةَ الجَمادا

And you build glory, O Umar son of Layla,

Glory you build, O Omar son of Layla,

And sustain the drought-stricken through the barren year.

Sparing the burdened the year's barrenness.

وَتَدعو اللَهَ مُجتَهِداً لِيَرضى

وَتَدعو اللَهَ مُجتَهِداً لِيَرضى

وَتَذكُرُ في رَعِيَّتِكَ المَعادا

وَتَذكُرُ في رَعِيَّتِكَ المَعادا

And you pray earnestly to God that He may be pleased,

And you call on God with utmost striving, that He be pleased,

And remember the final return in caring for your subjects.

Mindful, for your flock's sake, of the Return.

وَنِعمَ أَخو الحُروبِ إِذا تَرَدّى

وَنِعمَ أَخو الحُروبِ إِذا تَرَدّى

عَلى الزَغفِ المُضاعَفَةِ النِجادا

عَلى الزَغفِ المُضاعَفَةِ النِجادا

And a fine brother of battle, when he slings

Excellent war's brother, when armies advance

His sword-belt over double-woven mail.

Against hosts, pressing on, reinforcements massed!

وَأَنتَ اِبنُ الخَضارِمَ مِن قُرَيشٍ

وَأَنتَ اِبنُ الخَضارِمَ مِن قُرَيشٍ

هُمُ نَصَروا النُبُوَّةَ وَالجِهادا

هُمُ نَصَروا النُبُوَّةَ وَالجِهادا

And you are a son of the munificent chiefs of Quraysh;

You, son of Khadrama, are of Quraysh,

They championed prophethood and jihad.

Who championed prophecy and holy war,

وَقادوا المُؤمِنينَ وَلَم تُعَوَّد

وَقادوا المُؤمِنينَ وَلَم تُعَوَّد

غَداةَ الرَوعِ خَيلُهُمُ القِيادا

غَداةَ الرَوعِ خَيلُهُمُ القِيادا

And led the believers; never were

And led the faithful, nor were their steeds accustomed

Their horses used to being led on the morning of terror.

To panic at dawn when they took the lead.

إِذا فاضَلتَ مَدَّكَ مِن قُرَيشٍ

إِذا فاضَلتَ مَدَّكَ مِن قُرَيشٍ

بُحورٌ غَمَّ زاخِرُها الثِمادا

بُحورٌ غَمَّ زاخِرُها الثِمادا

When you vie in merit, you are backed by Quraysh's

When you surpass your peers of Quraysh in merit,

Seas, whose surging waters engulf the shallow pools.

Seas overflowing with abundant rain are stirred up.

وَإِن تَندُب خُؤولَةَ آلِ سَعدٍ

وَإِن تَندُب خُؤولَةَ آلِ سَعدٍ

تُلاقي الغُرَّ في السَلَفِ الجِعادا

تُلاقي الغُرَّ في السَلَفِ الجِعادا

And if you summon the maternal kin of the house of Sa'd,

If you summon the houses of Saad's descendants,

You find among the forebears bright-faced, curly-haired men.

You meet heroes among bygone nobles.

لَهُم يَومَ الكُلابِ وَيَومَ قَيسٍ

لَهُم يَومَ الكُلابِ وَيَومَ قَيسٍ

هَراقَ عَلى مُسَلَّحَةَ المَزادا

هَراقَ عَلى مُسَلَّحَةَ المَزادا

Theirs were the day of al-Kulab and the day of Qays,

The day of the Dogs, the day of Qays, they

When he poured out the waterskins at Musallaha.

Shed blood freely on coats of mail.