لِمَنِ المَضارِبُ في ظِلالِ الوادي

لِمَنِ المَضارِبُ في ظِلالِ الوادي

مثلُ الجِبالِ تُشَدُّ بالأوتادِ

مثلُ الجِبالِ تُشَدُّ بالأوتادِ

Whose are these encampments in the valley’s shade,

Whose are the tents in the valley's shade,

like mountains, made fast with stakes?

like mountains, fastened with stakes?

تكسو الذَّبائِحُ كُلَّ يومٍ أرضَها

تكسو الذَّبائِحُ كُلَّ يومٍ أرضَها

بِدَمٍ فتَسْتُرُهُ بثَوبِ رَمادِ

بِدَمٍ فتَسْتُرُهُ بثَوبِ رَمادِ

Each day the sacrifices cover their ground

Slaughtered beasts clothe their ground each day

with blood, which they conceal beneath a robe of ash.

in blood, which it then hides beneath a robe of ash.

حُفَّتْ بِغاباتِ الرِّماحِ وإنَّما

حُفَّتْ بِغاباتِ الرِّماحِ وإنَّما

تِلكَ الرِّماحُ عَرِينةُ الآسادِ

تِلكَ الرِّماحُ عَرِينةُ الآسادِ

They are ringed by forests of spears—and yet

They are ringed with forests of spears, and indeed

those spears are the lions’ very lair.

those spears are nothing but the lions' lair.

تَخشَى اشتِعالَ العُودِ منها إذ تَرَى

تَخشَى اشتِعالَ العُودِ منها إذ تَرَى

لَيلاً أسِنَّتها كوَرْي زِنادِ

لَيلاً أسِنَّتها كوَرْي زِنادِ

You fear the wood may catch fire from them when you see,

You fear the wood may catch fire from them when you see

by night, their points like sparks struck from a firesteel.

at night their spearheads like sparks struck from flints.

تِلكَ الدِّيارُ ديارُ طَيٍّ حَوْلها

تِلكَ الدِّيارُ ديارُ طَيٍّ حَوْلها

أحياءُ جُلهُمَةٍ ورَبْعُ إيادِ

أحياءُ جُلهُمَةٍ ورَبْعُ إيادِ

Those dwellings are the dwellings of Tayy; around them stand

Those dwellings are the dwellings of Tayy; around them

the clans of Julhuma and the quarter of Iyad.

are Julhumah's clans and Iyad's encampment.

حَفَّت بها زُمَرُ الكُماةِ كأنَّها

حَفَّت بها زُمَرُ الكُماةِ كأنَّها

دارُ السَّعيدِ تُحَفُّ بالأجنادِ

دارُ السَّعيدِ تُحَفُّ بالأجنادِ

Companies of warriors encircle them, as though they were

Bands of armored warriors surround them, as though they were

a fortunate lord’s abode encompassed by troops:

al-Sa'id's house, ringed with troops.

دارٌ بأرضِ الشُّوفِ قام بِناؤها

دارٌ بأرضِ الشُّوفِ قام بِناؤها

وظِلالُ هَيبْتِها على بَغْدادِ

وظِلالُ هَيبْتِها على بَغْدادِ

a house in the land of al-Shuf whose edifice has risen,

A house whose structure rose in the land of the Shuf,

while the shadow of its awe lies over Baghdad.

and the shadows of its majesty fall upon Baghdad.

إنْ لم تكُنْ كُلَّ البلادِ فإنَّها

إنْ لم تكُنْ كُلَّ البلادِ فإنَّها

نِصفُ البِلادِ وفَخْرُ كُلِّ بلادِ

نِصفُ البِلادِ وفَخْرُ كُلِّ بلادِ

If it is not every land, then surely it is

If it is not all the lands, then it is

half the lands, and the pride of every land.

half the lands, and the pride of every land.

هيَ كَعْبةُ القُصَّادِ بل هيَ منَهلُ ال

هيَ كَعْبةُ القُصَّادِ بل هيَ منَهلُ ال

وُرَّادِ بل هيَ غُصَّة الحُسَّادِ

وُرَّادِ بل هيَ غُصَّة الحُسَّادِ

It is the Kaaba of petitioners—indeed, the watering place of

It is the Kaaba of seekers—nay, the watering place of the

all who come to drink; indeed, the choking grief of the envious.

water-seekers—nay, a choking lump in the throats of the envious.

كَتبَتْ يمينُ الحقِّ في أبوابهِا

كَتبَتْ يمينُ الحقِّ في أبوابهِا

لا تَنْسَ أنّ اللهَ بالمِرْصادِ

لا تَنْسَ أنّ اللهَ بالمِرْصادِ

The right hand of truth has written upon its gates:

The right hand of Truth has written upon its gates:

“Forget not that God is ever watchful.”

Do not forget that God is on the watch.

يَممَّتُ صاحِبَها السَّعيدَ فقيلَ لي

يَممَّتُ صاحِبَها السَّعيدَ فقيلَ لي

أنتَ السَّعيدُ ظَفِرْتَ بالإسعادِ

أنتَ السَّعيدُ ظَفِرْتَ بالإسعادِ

I made for its fortunate master, and I was told:

I sought its lord, al-Sa'id, and was told:

“You are the fortunate one—you have attained felicity.

You are the fortunate one; you have won good fortune.

إن كُنتَ طالبَ حاجةٍ فَقدِ انقَضَتْ

إن كُنتَ طالبَ حاجةٍ فَقدِ انقَضَتْ

ما لم تَكُنْ مَلطوخةً بِفَسادِ

ما لم تَكُنْ مَلطوخةً بِفَسادِ

If you seek the fulfillment of a need, it is already fulfilled,

If you seek a favor, it has already been granted,

unless that need is stained with corruption.”

so long as it is not tainted with corruption.

أهديتُهُ مِثلَ العَرُوسِ قَصيدةً

أهديتُهُ مِثلَ العَرُوسِ قَصيدةً

لكنَّها طَلَعَتْ بثَوبِ سَوادِ

لكنَّها طَلَعَتْ بثَوبِ سَوادِ

I presented him with a poem like a bride,

I offered him a poem like a bride,

yet she came forth dressed in a robe of black.

but she came forth in a robe of black.

حَزِنتْ لذُلِّ الشِعر حتى أيقَنَت

حَزِنتْ لذُلِّ الشِعر حتى أيقَنَت

بِمَماتهِ فتَسربلَتْ بحِدادِ

بِمَماتهِ فتَسربلَتْ بحِدادِ

She grieved at poetry’s abasement until she became certain

She grieved at poetry's abasement until she became certain

that it had died, and so clothed herself in mourning.

of its death, and so robed herself in mourning.

ولقد هَمَمتُ بتَرْكهِ لو لم تَكُنْ

ولقد هَمَمتُ بتَرْكهِ لو لم تَكُنْ

غَلَبَتْ عَلَيَّ صَبابةٌ بفُؤادي

غَلَبَتْ عَلَيَّ صَبابةٌ بفُؤادي

I had resolved to forsake it, had not

And I would indeed have resolved to abandon it, had not

a passion in my heart prevailed over me.

an ardent longing in my heart overcome me.

ما كُنتُ أعرِفُ قبلَ مَعرِفتي بهِ

ما كُنتُ أعرِفُ قبلَ مَعرِفتي بهِ

نَفْسي فكانَ كتوْأم المِيلادِ

نَفْسي فكانَ كتوْأم المِيلادِ

Before I came to know it, I did not know

Before I knew it, I did not know

my own soul; it was like my twin from birth.

myself; so it was like a twin born with me.

قد قَلَّ في هذا الزَّمانِ رَواجُهُ

قد قَلَّ في هذا الزَّمانِ رَواجُهُ

حَتَّى ابتُلِيْ مَعَ رُخصِه بكَسادِ

حَتَّى ابتُلِيْ مَعَ رُخصِه بكَسادِ

Its currency has grown scarce in this age,

Demand for it has dwindled in this age,

until, despite its cheapness, it has suffered stagnation.

until, despite its cheapness, it is afflicted with stagnation.

ولَئنْ تَكُنْ كَثُرَتْ معايبُهُ فَقد

ولَئنْ تَكُنْ كَثُرَتْ معايبُهُ فَقد

ستَرَت عليها قِلَّةُ النُقَّادِ

ستَرَت عليها قِلَّةُ النُقَّادِ

And though its defects may have multiplied,

And even if its faults have multiplied, still

the scarcity of critics has concealed them.

the scarcity of critics has concealed them.

يا واحداً غَلَبَ الأُلوفَ فأصبَحَت

يا واحداً غَلَبَ الأُلوفَ فأصبَحَت

رُتَبُ الأُلوفِ رَهينةَ الآحادِ

رُتَبُ الأُلوفِ رَهينةَ الآحادِ

O single one who overcame the thousands, until

O one who overcame thousands, so that

the ranks of thousands became hostage to the one!

the ranks of thousands became captive to single men.

مَن كانَ يُجهِدُ في قِتالكَ نَفسَهُ

مَن كانَ يُجهِدُ في قِتالكَ نَفسَهُ

فبِسَيفِ ذُلٍّ لا بِسَيفِ عِنادِ

فبِسَيفِ ذُلٍّ لا بِسَيفِ عِنادِ

Whoever strains himself in fighting you

Whoever strains himself in fighting you

does so with the sword of abasement, not the sword of defiance.

does so with a sword of humiliation, not a sword of defiance.

إنّي دَعَوتُكَ فاستَمَعْتُ إجابةً

إنّي دَعَوتُكَ فاستَمَعْتُ إجابةً

بالقَلبِ قبلَ الأُذْنِ عِندَ بِعادي

بالقَلبِ قبلَ الأُذْنِ عِندَ بِعادي

I called to you and heard an answer

Indeed, I called to you and heard a response

in my heart before my ear, despite my distance.

with my heart before my ear, while I was far away.

حاشاكَ أنْ لا تَستَجِيبَ مُنادِياً

حاشاكَ أنْ لا تَستَجِيبَ مُنادِياً

ونَرَى الإلهَ يُجيبُ حينَ تُنادي

ونَرَى الإلهَ يُجيبُ حينَ تُنادي

Far be it from you not to answer one who calls,

Far be it from you not to answer a caller,

when we see God answer whenever you call.

while we see God answer when you call.