أَلَم تَعلَمي يا أُمَّ تَوبَة أَنَّني

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا أُمَّ تَوبَة أَنَّني

أَنا الفارِسُ الحامي حَقائِقَ مَذحَجِ

أَنا الفارِسُ الحامي حَقائِقَ مَذحَجِ

Did you not know, O Umm Tawba, that I—

Did you not know, O mother of repentance, that I

I am the horseman who guards Madhhij’s inviolable rights?

Am the knight who truly protects the facts

وَأَنّي صَبَحتُ السِّجنَ في رَونَقِ الضُّحى

وَأَنّي صَبَحتُ السِّجنَ في رَونَقِ الضُّحى

بِكُلِّ فَتىً حامي الذِّمارِ مُدَجَّجِ

بِكُلِّ فَتىً حامي الذِّمارِ مُدَجَّجِ

And that I raided the prison in midmorning’s radiance,

And I became the prison in the splendor of morning

with every fully armed young man who defends his honor?

With every youth, protector of guitars, armed

فَما إِن بَرَحنا السِّجنَ حَتّى بَدا لَنا

فَما إِن بَرَحنا السِّجنَ حَتّى بَدا لَنا

جَبينٌ كَقرنِ الشَّمسِ غَيرُ مُشَنَّجِ

جَبينٌ كَقرنِ الشَّمسِ غَيرُ مُشَنَّجِ

We did not leave the prison until there appeared to us

No sooner did we leave the prison, than there appeared to us

a brow like the sun’s rising rim, unwrinkled,

A brow like the horn of the sun, not wrinkled

وَخَدٌّ أَسيلٌ مِن فَتاةٍ حَييَّةٍ

وَخَدٌّ أَسيلٌ مِن فَتاةٍ حَييَّةٍ

أَلا فَسَقاها كُلُّ مُزنٍ مُبَعِّجِ

أَلا فَسَقاها كُلُّ مُزنٍ مُبَعِّجِ

and a smooth cheek belonging to a modest maiden.

And a cheek flowing from a lively girl

Ah, may every cloud bursting with rain shower her!

That every mean drunkard waters

فَما العَيشُ إِلا أَن أَزورَكِ آمِناً

فَما العَيشُ إِلا أَن أَزورَكِ آمِناً

كَعادَتِنا مِن قَبلِ حَربي وَمَخرَجي

كَعادَتِنا مِن قَبلِ حَربي وَمَخرَجي

Life is nothing but visiting you in safety,

So life is only that I visit you safely

as was our custom before my war and departure.

As was our custom before my war and my way out

وَما أَنت إِلا مُنيَةُ النَّفسِ وَالهَوى

وَما أَنت إِلا مُنيَةُ النَّفسِ وَالهَوى

عَلَيكِ سَلامٌ مِن حَبيبٍ مُسَحَّجِ

عَلَيكِ سَلامٌ مِن حَبيبٍ مُسَحَّجِ

And you alone are the soul’s desire and love.

And you are nothing but the death of the soul and passion

Peace upon you from a wounded lover.

Peace be upon you from a loving, ruffled lover

وَمازِلتُ مَحبوساً لِحَبسِكِ واجِماً

وَمازِلتُ مَحبوساً لِحَبسِكِ واجِماً

وَأَنّى بِما تَلقَينَ مِن بَعدِهِ شَجي

وَأَنّى بِما تَلقَينَ مِن بَعدِهِ شَجي

And I have remained imprisoned, downcast at your imprisonment,

And I am still imprisoned by your imprisonment, silent

and grieved by what you will endure afterward.

And how could I bear what comes after it, difficult

فَبِاللَّهِ هَل أَبصَرتِ مِثلِيَ فارِساً

فَبِاللَّهِ هَل أَبصَرتِ مِثلِيَ فارِساً

وَقَد وَلَجُوا عَلَيك مِن كُلِّ مولجِ

وَقَد وَلَجُوا عَلَيك مِن كُلِّ مولجِ

By God, have you ever seen a horseman like me,

By God, did you see a knight like me

when they came upon you through every entrance?

As they crept upon you from every corner

وَمِثلي يُحامي دونَ مِثلَكِ إِنَّني

وَمِثلي يُحامي دونَ مِثلَكِ إِنَّني

أَشُدُّ إِذا ما غَمرَةٌ لَم تُفَرَّجِ

أَشُدُّ إِذا ما غَمرَةٌ لَم تُفَرَّجِ

And one like me fights to shield one like you; indeed, I

And one like me protecting the likes of you, I

charge when the battle’s turmoil remains unrelieved.

Am firmer when a flood does not recede

أُضارِبُهُم بِالسَّيفِ عَنكِ لترجعي

أُضارِبُهُم بِالسَّيفِ عَنكِ لترجعي

إِلى الأَمنِ وَالعَيشِ الرَّفيعِ المُخَرفَجِ

إِلى الأَمنِ وَالعَيشِ الرَّفيعِ المُخَرفَجِ

I fight them with the sword in your defense, so that you may return

I strike them away from you with the sword so you may return

to safety and a lofty life of ease.

To security and lofty, luxurious life

إِذا ما أَحاطوا بي كَرَرتُ عَلَيهِم

إِذا ما أَحاطوا بي كَرَرتُ عَلَيهِم

كَكَرِّ أَبي شِبلَينِ في الخَيسِ مُحرَجِ

كَكَرِّ أَبي شِبلَينِ في الخَيسِ مُحرَجِ

When they surround me, I charge back at them,

When they surround me, I charge upon them

like a hard-pressed father of two cubs charging in the thicket.

Like the charge of Abi Shibl in al-Kheys, confused

دَعَوتُ إِلَيَّ الشاكِرِيَّ اِبنَ كامِلٍ

دَعَوتُ إِلَيَّ الشاكِرِيَّ اِبنَ كامِلٍ

فَوَلَّى حَثيثاً رَكضُهُ لَم يَعَرِّجِ

فَوَلَّى حَثيثاً رَكضُهُ لَم يَعَرِّجِ

I called al-Shakiri, Ibn Kamil, to my side,

I called upon Shakiri, son of Kamil

so he turned away, galloping swiftly, without a pause.

He galloped away briskly, not zigzagging

وَإِن هَتَفوا بِاِسمي عَطَفتُ عَلَيهِمُ

وَإِن هَتَفوا بِاِسمي عَطَفتُ عَلَيهِمُ

خُيولَ كِرامِ الضَّربِ أَكثَرُها الوَجي

خُيولَ كِرامِ الضَّربِ أَكثَرُها الوَجي

And if they shout my name, I wheel against them

And if they shouted my name, I turned upon them

the horses of noble fighters, most of them hoof-sore.

The horses of generous striking, most of them terrified

وَلا غَروَ إِلا قَولُ سَلمى ظَعينَتي

وَلا غَروَ إِلا قَولُ سَلمى ظَعينَتي

أَما أَنتَ يا اِبنَ الحُرِّ بِالمُتَحَرِّجِ

أَما أَنتَ يا اِبنَ الحُرِّ بِالمُتَحَرِّجِ

Nothing is strange except the words of Salma, my wife:

No wonder except the saying of Salma, my lamb:

‘Are you not scrupulous, O son of al-Hurr?

"As for you, O son of the Freeman, take care!"

دَعِ القَومَ لا تَقتُلهُم وَاِنجُ سالِماً

دَعِ القَومَ لا تَقتُلهُم وَاِنجُ سالِماً

وَشَمِّر هَداكَ اللَّهُ بِالخَيلِ وَاِخرُجِ

وَشَمِّر هَداكَ اللَّهُ بِالخَيلِ وَاِخرُجِ

Leave the men; do not kill them, and escape unharmed.

"Leave the people, do not kill them and get out safely

Make haste with the horses—may God guide you—and leave.’

And prepare, may God guide you, with the horses and set out"

وَإِنّي لأَرجو يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ أَن أُرى

وَإِنّي لأَرجو يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ أَن أُرى

عَلى خَيرِ أَحوالِ المُؤَمِّلِ فَاِرتَجي

عَلى خَيرِ أَحوالِ المُؤَمِّلِ فَاِرتَجي

And I surely hope, O daughter of goodness, to be seen

And I do hope, O daughter of goodness, that I see

in the best state a hopeful man could wish for; so have hope.

In the best state of the hopeful, so desire

أَلا حَبَّذا قولي لأَحمَرِ طَيِّءٍ

أَلا حَبَّذا قولي لأَحمَرِ طَيِّءٍ

وَلابنِ خُلَيدٍ قَدَدنا الصُّبحُ فَاِدلُجِ

وَلابنِ خُلَيدٍ قَدَدنا الصُّبحُ فَاِدلُجِ

Ah, how lovely my saying to Ahmar of Tayy,

How excellent are my words to Red Tayy’

and to Ibn Khulayd, ‘Dawn has drawn near; travel by night!’

And Ibn Khulayd, the morning hastened, so slip away

وَقولي لِهَذا سِر وَقولي لِذا اِرتَحِل

وَقولي لِهَذا سِر وَقولي لِذا اِرتَحِل

وَقولي لِذا مِن بَعدِ ذَلِكَ أسرِجِ

وَقولي لِذا مِن بَعدِ ذَلِكَ أسرِجِ

and my saying to this one, ‘Go,’ and to that one, ‘Depart,’

And say to this one, go secretly, and say to that one, set out

and my saying to that one afterward, ‘Saddle up,’

And say to another after that, release

وَسيري بِفِتيانٍ كِرامٍ أُحِبُّهُم

وَسيري بِفِتيانٍ كِرامٍ أُحِبُّهُم

مغِذّاً وَضوءُ الصُّبحِ لَم يَتَبَلَّجِ

مغِذّاً وَضوءُ الصُّبحِ لَم يَتَبَلَّجِ

and my journeying with noble young men whom I love,

And send honorable young men I love

pressing onward while dawn’s light has not yet broken.

As the dawn's ablution has not yet faded

يُطيعونَ متلافاً مُفيداً مُعَدَّلاً

يُطيعونَ متلافاً مُفيداً مُعَدَّلاً

بِهِ يَرتَجي عَفوَ الغِنى كُلُّ مُرتَجِ

بِهِ يَرتَجي عَفوَ الغِنى كُلُّ مُرتَجِ

They obey a lavish spender, a gatherer of wealth, a man deemed just;

They obey an advisor, beneficial, disciplined

through him, all who hope look for wealth’s surplus.

Through him, the pardon of the wealthy is sought by every aspiring one