نُفارِقُكُم وَنَضرِبُ في البِلادِ

نُفارِقُكُم وَنَضرِبُ في البِلادِ

وَلا تَتَرحَّلونَ عَنِ الفُؤادِ

وَلا تَتَرحَّلونَ عَنِ الفُؤادِ

We part from you and roam the lands,

We bid you farewell, and journey through the lands,

Yet you never depart from the heart.

While you do not stray from the heart's domain.

نَغيبُ وَلا تَغيبُ الدَّارُ عَنَّا

نَغيبُ وَلا تَغيبُ الدَّارُ عَنَّا

فَتُوهِمُنا التَقَرُّبَ في البِعادِ

فَتُوهِمُنا التَقَرُّبَ في البِعادِ

We are absent, yet our home is never absent from us,

We disappear, but the abode does not disappear from us,

So it makes us imagine nearness in separation.

Giving us the illusion of nearness in distance.

رَحَلنا بِالغَداةِ عَلى وَداعٍ

رَحَلنا بِالغَداةِ عَلى وَداعٍ

فَمَن هَذا المُسلِّمُ في الهَوادي

فَمَن هَذا المُسلِّمُ في الهَوادي

We departed in the morning with a farewell;

We departed at dawn saying goodbye,

Who, then, is this saluting amid the leading mounts?

So who is that surrendering figure in the valleys?

وَفارَقنا الدِّيارَ وَما يَليها

وَفارَقنا الدِّيارَ وَما يَليها

فَما هَذا المشخَّصُ في السَوادِ

فَما هَذا المشخَّصُ في السَوادِ

And we left the dwellings and all that surrounds them;

We left the home and what surrounds it,

What, then, is this figure outlined in the darkness?

So who is that fading figure in the darkness?

خُذُوا عَنّا الَّذي حَمَّلتُمونا

خُذُوا عَنّا الَّذي حَمَّلتُمونا

مِنَ الأَشواقِ فَهوَ أَمَرُّ زادِ

مِنَ الأَشواقِ فَهوَ أَمَرُّ زادِ

Take from us what you made us bear

Take from us what burdens you gave us,

Of longing, for it is the bitterest fare.

Of passions, for that is the most bitter provision.

وَكُفُّوا عَنْ خَواطِرنا وَعَنَّا

وَكُفُّوا عَنْ خَواطِرنا وَعَنَّا

فَقَد حُلتُم بِها دُونَ الرُّقادِ

فَقَد حُلتُم بِها دُونَ الرُّقادِ

And keep away from our thoughts and from us,

Stop worrying about our thoughts and us,

For through them you have kept us from sleep.

For you have kept us from restful sleep.

تَكلَّفْنا الرَّحيلَ فَما أَقَمنا

تَكلَّفْنا الرَّحيلَ فَما أَقَمنا

مَخافَةَ أَن نَذُوبَ عَلى الوِسادِ

مَخافَةَ أَن نَذُوبَ عَلى الوِسادِ

We forced ourselves to depart and did not stay,

We forced ourselves to depart, fearing

For fear that we would melt upon the pillow.

We would melt away on pillows.

وَكان نَصيبُنا مِنكُم كَلاماً

وَكان نَصيبُنا مِنكُم كَلاماً

قَطَعناهُ لِتشتَفِيَ الأَعادي

قَطَعناهُ لِتشتَفِيَ الأَعادي

And our share of you was conversation;

Our share of you was words,

We cut it short so our enemies might gloat.

We ended so enemies may rejoice.

تَرَحَّلنا الجِيادَ وَكُلُّ صَدرٍ

تَرَحَّلنا الجِيادَ وَكُلُّ صَدرٍ

كَأَنَّ فُؤادَهُ تَحتَ الجِيادِ

كَأَنَّ فُؤادَهُ تَحتَ الجِيادِ

We mounted the steeds, with every breast

We rode off on steeds, every chest

As though its heart lay beneath the steeds.

As if its heart were under the hooves.

وَلَو كُنّا نُملَّكُ كُلَّ أَرضٍ

وَلَو كُنّا نُملَّكُ كُلَّ أَرضٍ

نَطاها ما مَشينا عَن مُرادِ

نَطاها ما مَشينا عَن مُرادِ

And even if we were given every land

Had we owned every land the sun touches,

We tread, we would not travel of our own will.

We would not have left our wish.

أَجارَتَنا الَّتي كُنّا نَراها

أَجارَتَنا الَّتي كُنّا نَراها

وَما بَرِحَت وَلَو طالَ التَمادي

وَما بَرِحَت وَلَو طالَ التَمادي

O our neighbor, whom we used to see,

The phantom we saw remains with us,

And who has not departed, though time stretches on,

Though ages pass and do not cease.

أراكِ صَحبِتنا وَظلِلتِ مَعْنا

أراكِ صَحبِتنا وَظلِلتِ مَعْنا

وظَلَّتْ وحْشةٌ لكِ في ازديادِ

وظَلَّتْ وحْشةٌ لكِ في ازديادِ

I see you have accompanied us and remained with us,

I see you were our companion and shadow,

Yet longing for you has kept on growing.

Yet loneliness for you grows worse.

كوجهِ أميرِ قيسٍ حين يبدو

كوجهِ أميرِ قيسٍ حين يبدو

نراهُ وكلُّنا رَيَّانُ صادِ

نراهُ وكلُّنا رَيَّانُ صادِ

Like the face of the emir of Qays when it appears:

Like Prince Qays's face when it appears,

We see him, all of us quenched yet thirsty.

We see it and are all teary-eyed.

نراهُ كما نراهُ ولا جديدٌ

نراهُ كما نراهُ ولا جديدٌ

بهِ ونَظَلُّ في مُلَحٍ جِدادِ

بهِ ونَظَلُّ في مُلَحٍ جِدادِ

We see him as we see him, and there is nothing new

We see it as we see it, nothing changes,

In him, yet we remain amid fresh delights.

And we remain in intense ardour.

سَلِ الهَيجاءَ عنهُ وسَلْهُ عنها

سَلِ الهَيجاءَ عنهُ وسَلْهُ عنها

إذا انقطعَ الكلامُ لدَى الطِرادِ

إذا انقطعَ الكلامُ لدَى الطِرادِ

Ask battle about him, and ask him about it,

Ask the sleepless one about him, and ask him about her,

When speech falls silent amid mounted combat.

When words cease at the parting.

وسَلْ عنهُ الخزائِنَ لا تَسَلْها

وسَلْ عنهُ الخزائِنَ لا تَسَلْها

عنِ المالِ الطريفِ ولا التِلاد

عنِ المالِ الطريفِ ولا التِلاد

And ask the treasuries about him; do not ask them

Ask the treasures about him, do not ask them

About newly gained wealth or inherited wealth.

About fine wealth or children.

وسلْ عنهُ اليَراعَ وما لدَيهِ

وسلْ عنهُ اليَراعَ وما لدَيهِ

من البيضِ الصحائفِ والمِدادِ

من البيضِ الصحائفِ والمِدادِ

And ask the reed pen about him, and what lies beside it

Ask about him the parchments and what they contain

Of white pages and ink.

Of white pages and ink.

وسلْ عنهُ القريضَ وما يليهِ

وسلْ عنهُ القريضَ وما يليهِ

وسل كُتُبَ الحواضِرِ والبوادِي

وسل كُتُبَ الحواضِرِ والبوادِي

And ask poetry about him, and what accompanies it,

Ask about him the poems and what follows them,

And ask the books of towns and deserts.

And ask about city and nomad books.

وسلْ ما شئتَ عما شئتَ حتى

وسلْ ما شئتَ عما شئتَ حتى

ترى ما شئتَ من غُرَرٍ جيادِ

ترى ما شئتَ من غُرَرٍ جيادِ

And ask whatever you wish about whatever you wish, until

Ask what you wish about what you wish until

You see all you wish of shining, noble qualities.

You see what you wish of steeds and generosity.

ترى بَرّاً فسيحاً تحتَ ثوبٍ

ترى بَرّاً فسيحاً تحتَ ثوبٍ

وبحراً يستقلُّ على جَوادِ

وبحراً يستقلُّ على جَوادِ

You see a vast land beneath a robe,

You will see ample honesty under a garment,

And a sea riding upon a steed,

And a sea rising with pride on a steed.

وبدراً لا يُلِمُّ بهِ سِرارٌ

وبدراً لا يُلِمُّ بهِ سِرارٌ

وغيثاً ظلَّ يُفْعِمُ كلَّ وادِ

وغيثاً ظلَّ يُفْعِمُ كلَّ وادِ

And a full moon no moonless darkness touches,

And a full moon with no secrets,

And life-giving rain that keeps filling every valley.

And rain whose shadow enlivens every valley.

رُويدكَ أَيُّها المولى المُفدَّى

رُويدكَ أَيُّها المولى المُفدَّى

فأنتَ على ذُرَى السّبعِ الشِدَادِ

فأنتَ على ذُرَى السّبعِ الشِدَادِ

Gently, O lord for whom lives are offered,

Slow down, O exonerated master,

For you stand on the heights of the seven mighty heavens.

For you are of the lineage of fierce lions.

إذا فَدَتِ النفوسُ كرامَ قومٍ

إذا فَدَتِ النفوسُ كرامَ قومٍ

فُديتَ بِكُلِ مَفدِيٍّ وفادِ

فُديتَ بِكُلِ مَفدِيٍّ وفادِ

When souls ransom the nobles of a people,

When souls ransom the honour of people,

You are ransomed by every ransomed soul and every ransom-giver.

You were ransomed by every ransomer and blood-price.

متى وَثِقَتْ بِعهدٍ منكَ نفسٌ

متى وَثِقَتْ بِعهدٍ منكَ نفسٌ

كفاها العهدُ عن صَوبِ العِهادِ

كفاها العهدُ عن صَوبِ العِهادِ

Whenever a soul trusts a pledge from you,

When a soul trusted your pledge,

The pledge suffices it in place of successive downpours.

The pledge sufficed it from the toil of worship.

ومثلُكَ لا يضيعُ فتىً لديهِ

ومثلُكَ لا يضيعُ فتىً لديهِ

وها أنتَ الأَمينُ على العبادِ

وها أنتَ الأَمينُ على العبادِ

And one like you does not neglect a youth in his care,

And the like of you does not lose a young man in his care,

And behold, you are the trusted guardian of the people.

For you are the Trustworthy over mankind.

شرِيكُ الناسِ في خَلقٍ جميلٍ

شرِيكُ الناسِ في خَلقٍ جميلٍ

وفي الخُلُقِ الجليلِ على انفِرادِ

وفي الخُلُقِ الجليلِ على انفِرادِ

You share with others a beautiful form,

The people's partner in a beautiful creation,

And in exalted character you stand alone.

And in noble conduct, uniquely.

لئِن تكُ صُورةٌ جَمَعَتْ فأوعَت

لئِن تكُ صُورةٌ جَمَعَتْ فأوعَت

فإنَّ التِبرَ أشبَهُ بالرَّمادِ

فإنَّ التِبرَ أشبَهُ بالرَّمادِ

Even if one form has gathered and contained you all,

If you are an image that gathered and contained,

Gold dust is, indeed, more like ashes.

Then kindness is most like ashes.