إِلَيكَ كَلِفنا كُلَّ يَومِ هَجيرَةٍ

إِلَيكَ كَلِفنا كُلَّ يَومِ هَجيرَةٍ

صَدٍ مَعمَعانِيٍّ تَلَظّى أَعابِلُه

صَدٍ مَعمَعانِيٍّ تَلَظّى أَعابِلُه

Toward you we strove through each day's noonday heat,

To you we entrust every day of migration

A parching, fiercely scorching day, its white rocks blazing,

A twisted rope of intertwined sorrows

عَلى العيسِ تَعرَوري الفَلاةَ كَأَنَّها

عَلى العيسِ تَعرَوري الفَلاةَ كَأَنَّها

قَطا الأُدَمى الجونِيُّ نَشَّت ثَمائِلُه

قَطا الأُدَمى الجونِيُّ نَشَّت ثَمائِلُه

On pale camels striding across the wilderness, as though they were

It crosses the barren desert as if it were

Dark sandgrouse of al-Udama, whose remaining pools had dried.

The black camels whose hobbles have slackened

طَوى رَكبَهُ الإِخماسُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها

طَوى رَكبَهُ الإِخماسُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها

جِيادُ القَنا الهِندِيِّ ثُقِّفَ ذابِلُه

جِيادُ القَنا الهِندِيِّ ثُقِّفَ ذابِلُه

Fifth-day watering wore its caravan thin, until the camels seemed

It has folded its mounts until they seem to be

Choice Indian spear-shafts, their slender canes straightened.

Indian steeds whose trappings have withered

إِذا قُلتَ لي عَبدُ العَزيزِ كَفَيتَني

إِذا قُلتَ لي عَبدُ العَزيزِ كَفَيتَني

زَماناً فَشَت عِلّاتُهُ وَمَباخِلُه

زَماناً فَشَت عِلّاتُهُ وَمَباخِلُه

When you spoke to me, Abd al-Aziz, you shielded me from

When you tell me, Abd al-Aziz, you have sufficed me

An age whose ills and stinginess had spread.

A lifetime overflowing with flaws and meannesses

فَيَومانِ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ تَفاضَلا

فَيَومانِ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ تَفاضَلا

فَفي أَيِّ يَومَيهِ تَلومُ عَواذِلُه

فَفي أَيِّ يَومَيهِ تَلومُ عَواذِلُه

So two days of Abd al-Aziz vied in excellence:

Two days of Abd al-Aziz are unequal

On which of his two days, then, can his critics reproach him?

On which of the two do you blame his oversights?

فَيَومٌ تَحوطُ المُسلِمينَ جِيادُهُ

فَيَومٌ تَحوطُ المُسلِمينَ جِيادُهُ

وَيَومٌ عَطاءٌ ما تُغِبُّ نَوافِلُه

وَيَومٌ عَطاءٌ ما تُغِبُّ نَوافِلُه

On one day, his steeds protect the Muslims;

One day his steeds protect the Muslims

And another is for giving: his bounties never miss a day.

Another day a gift he does not stint to give

وَلِلتُركِ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ وَقيعَةٌ

وَلِلتُركِ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ وَقيعَةٌ

وَلِلرومِ يَومٌ ما تُتِمُّ حَوامِلُه

وَلِلرومِ يَومٌ ما تُتِمُّ حَوامِلُه

And for the Turks, a crushing blow from Abd al-Aziz;

And the Turks have received a blow from Abd al-Aziz

And for the Romans, a day when pregnant women do not carry to term.

While the Romans have a day when their hopes are not fulfilled

فَما وَجَدوا عَبدَ العَزيزِ مُغَمَّراً

فَما وَجَدوا عَبدَ العَزيزِ مُغَمَّراً

وَلا ذا سِقاطٍ عِندَ أَمرٍ يُحاوِلُه

وَلا ذا سِقاطٍ عِندَ أَمرٍ يُحاوِلُه

So they found Abd al-Aziz no novice,

They did not find Abd al-Aziz downcast

Nor prone to blunders in whatever he undertakes,

Nor failing in a matter he undertakes

وَلا جافِياً عَن قائِمِ السَيفِ قَبضُهُ

وَلا جافِياً عَن قائِمِ السَيفِ قَبضُهُ

إِذا الفَشِلُ الرِعديدُ قُفَّت أَنامِلُه

إِذا الفَشِلُ الرِعديدُ قُفَّت أَنامِلُه

Nor does his grip draw away from the sword's hilt,

Nor withdrawing his hand from the standing sword

When the fainthearted coward's fingertips stiffen.

When the flashing lightning stayed his fingers

يُقَلِّصُ بِالفَضلَينِ فَضلِ مُفاضَةٍ

يُقَلِّصُ بِالفَضلَينِ فَضلِ مُفاضَةٍ

وَفَضلِ نِجادٍ لَم تُقَطَّع حَمائِلُه

وَفَضلِ نِجادٍ لَم تُقَطَّع حَمائِلُه

He draws up both trailing lengths—the skirt of a long mail-coat,

With superior merit he reduces the merit

And the length of a sword-belt whose straps have not been shortened.

Of generosity, whose ties are not severed

فَلا هُو مِنَ الدُنيا مُضيعٌ نَصيبَهُ

فَلا هُو مِنَ الدُنيا مُضيعٌ نَصيبَهُ

وَلا عَرَضُ الدُنيا عَنِ الدَينِ شاغِلُه

وَلا عَرَضُ الدُنيا عَنِ الدَينِ شاغِلُه

So he does not neglect his share of this world,

He wastes not his share of the world

Nor do this world's goods distract him from religion.

Nor does the world distract him from religion

فَهاذا بَديعٌ لَيسَ في الناسِ مِثلُهُ

فَهاذا بَديعٌ لَيسَ في الناسِ مِثلُهُ

وَهاذا مَديحٌ لا يُكَذَّبُ قائِلُه

وَهاذا مَديحٌ لا يُكَذَّبُ قائِلُه

So here is a marvel, with no equal among men,

This is matchless, none like him among men

And this is praise whose speaker cannot be belied.

And this is praise no speaker would belie

أَبَينا فَما يَدعو إِلى غَيرِكَ الهَوى

أَبَينا فَما يَدعو إِلى غَيرِكَ الهَوى

وَما مِن خَليلٍ بِاِبنِ لَيلى نُبادِلُه

وَما مِن خَليلٍ بِاِبنِ لَيلى نُبادِلُه

We have refused; affection calls us toward none but you,

We have refused, so desire leads us to none but you

And we would trade Ibn Layla for no other friend.

No friend in exchange for the son of Layla do we have

أَتى زَمَنُ البَيضاءِ بَعدَكَ فَاِنتَحى

أَتى زَمَنُ البَيضاءِ بَعدَكَ فَاِنتَحى

عَلى العَظمِ حَتّى أَسلَمَتهُ حَوامِلُه

عَلى العَظمِ حَتّى أَسلَمَتهُ حَوامِلُه

After you came the time of the white calamity, and it struck

After you the White City came and withdrew

At the bone, until its supports surrendered it.

Until it surrendered its shoulders

فَرِش لي جَناحي وَاِتَّخِذنِيَ بازِياً

فَرِش لي جَناحي وَاِتَّخِذنِيَ بازِياً

تَخَطَّفُ حَبّاتِ القُلوبِ أُجادِلُه

تَخَطَّفُ حَبّاتِ القُلوبِ أُجادِلُه

So feather my wing for me, and take me as a hawk,

Spread your wing over me and take me as your falcon

Whose falcons snatch the very kernels of hearts.

Snatching away the hearts' beads as I dispute with them