كَيفَ بِبَيتٍ قَريبٍ مِنكَ مَطلَبُهُ
في ذاكَ مِنكَ كَنائي الدارِ مَهجورِ
How can I seek a home that's near you
When you've abandoned your abode in that place?
دَسَّت إِلَيَّ بِأَنَّ القَومَ إِن قَدَروا
عَلَيكَ يَشفوا صُدوراً ذاتَ تَوغيرِ
They whispered that if your people had power over you
They would soothe chests full of rancor.
إِلَيكَ مِن نَفَقِ الدَهنا وَمَعقُلَةٍ
خاضَت بِنا اللَيلَ أَمثالُ القَراقيرِ
Through the pass of dahna and ma'qulah
At night owls led us,
مُستَقبِلينَ شَمالَ الشَأمِ تَضرِبُنا
بِحاصِبٍ كَنَديفِ القُطنِ مَنثورِ
Facing north-westerly winds that struck us
With pounding rain like scattered cotton.
عَلى عَمائِمِنا يُلقى وَأَرحُلِنا
عَلى زَواحِفَ نُزجيها مَحاسيرِ
Onto our turbans rain is cast, and our saddlebags -
We carry them on our packed camels.
إِنّي وَإِيّاكِ إِن بَلَّغنَ أَرحُلَنا
كَمَن بَواديهِ بَعدَ المَحلِ مَمطورِ
If our camels take us far, you and I
Are like one whose campsite, after folding, is packed up.
وَفي يَمينِكَ سَيفُ اللَهِ قَد نُصِرَت
عَلى العَدُوِّ وَرِزقٌ غَيرُ مَحظورِ
With God's sword you were granted victory
Over the enemy, sustenance unforbidden.
وَقَد بَسَطتَ يَداً بَيضاءَ طَيِّبَةً
لِلناسِ مِنكَ بِفَيضٍ غَيرِ مَنزورِ
You extended a pure, blessed, white hand
To people, with abundance from you, unlimited.
يا خَيرَ حَيٍّ وَقَت نَعلٌ لَهُ قَدَماً
وَمَيِّتٍ بَعدَ رُسلِ اللَهِ مَقبورِ
O best of those living when sandals have feet,
And dead after God's messengers are buried.
إِنّي حَلَفتُ وَلَم أَحلِف عَلى فَنَدٍ
فِناءَ بَيتٍ مِنَ الساعينَ مَعمورِ
I swore - and didn't swear falsely - on the demise
Of a house of those who hasten that's inhabited
في أَكبَرِ الحَجِّ حافٍ غَيرَ مُنتَعِلٍ
مِن حالِفٍ مُحرِمٍ بِالحَجِّ مَصبورِ
Circling the Kaaba, not donning shoes, abstaining
Like a pilgrim on hajj, patient.
بِالباعِثِ الوارِثِ الأَمواتِ قَد ضَمِنَت
إِيّاهُمُ الأَرضَ بِالدَهرِ الدَهاريرِ
By the Sender, the Inheritor of the dead, you guaranteed
Them the earth for eternity everlasting
إِذا يَثورونَ أَفواجاً كَأَنَّهُمُ
جَرادُ ريحٍ مِنَ الأَجداثِ مَنشورِ
When they surge in droves as if they are
Locusts scattered by the wind from the thickets.
لَو لَم يُبَشِّر بِهِ عيسى وَبَيَّنَهُ
كُنتَ النَبِيَّ الَّذي يَدعو إِلى النورِ
If Jesus hadn't heralded it and clarified it,
You'd be the prophet calling unto light.
