لَم أَرَ مِثلَكِ يا أُمامَ خَليلا
أَنأى بِحاجَتِنا وَأَحسَنَ قيلا
I have never seen a beloved like you, O Umam,
I have not seen the like of you, O Imam Khalil
so distant from fulfilling our need, yet so fair in speech.
Who has fulfilled our needs and spoken good words
لَو شِئتِ قَد نَقَعَ الفُؤادُ بِمَشرَبٍ
يَدَعُ الحَوائِمَ لا يَجِدنَ غَليلا
Had you wished, the heart would have quenched its thirst at a watering-place
Had you willed, my heart would have drunk from a drink
that leaves those circling it free of burning thirst.
That would leave passions and find no relief
بِالعَذبِ في رَصَفِ القِلاتِ مَقيلُهُ
قَضُّ الأَباطِحِ لا يَزالُ ظَليلا
By sweet water among the rock-pools' stones is its noon resting-place—
With the sweet well water in the evening he takes rest
the gravel of the streambeds, ever shaded.
Staying in the sand dunes, he still finds shade
أَنكَرتَ عَهدَكَ غَيرَ أَنَّكَ عارِفٌ
طَلَلاً بِأَلوِيَةِ العُنابِ مُحيلا
You found your former haunts strange, though you recognize
You denied your pact, though you knew
a weathered ruin among al-ʿUnab's winding dunes.
Deserted ruins with twisted branches of Anab trees
لَمّا تَخايَلَتِ الحُمولُ حَسِبتُها
دَوماً بِيَثرِبَ ناعِماً وَنَخيلا
When the laden camels came into view, I thought them
When the caravans passed by, I thought they were
lush doum palms and date palms in Yathrib.
A settlement in Yathrib, with soft sand and date palms
فَتَعَزَّ إِن نَفَعَ العَزاءُ مُكَلَّفاً
فَالشَوقُ يُظهِرُ لِلفِراقِ عَويلا
So take comfort, if comfort can help a love-stricken man;
So be resolute if comfort benefits the distressed
for longing raises a wail at parting.
For yearning reveals to separation a painful cry
قَطَعَ الخَليطُ وِصالَ حَبلِكَ مِنهُمُ
وَلَقَد يَكونُ بِحَبلِهِم مَوصولا
The camp companions cut the cord that bound you to them,
The mixed horde has severed the tie between you
though once it was joined to their cord.
Yet by their rope he could still be connected
وَرَّعتُ رَكبي بِالدَفينَةِ بَعدَما
ناقَلنَ مِن وَسَطِ الكُراعِ نَقيلا
I halted my riding party at al-Dafina after
I held back my riding beast at the ship after
their mounts had paced swiftly from the heart of al-Kuraʿ,
Moving from the middle of the mast slowly
مِن كُلِّ يَعمَلَةِ النَجاءِ تَكَلَّفَت
جَوزَ الفَلاةِ تَأَوُّهاً وَذَميلا
each a sturdy, swift she-camel that braved
From every survivor of salvation she undertook
the desert's heart with groans and a brisk trot.
The reward of the wilderness, sighing and blame
إِنّي تُذَكِّرُني الزُبَيرَ حَمامَةٌ
تَدعو بِمَجمَعِ نَخلَتَينِ هَديلا
Indeed, a dove reminds me of al-Zubayr,
The dove reminds me of Az-Zubayr
cooing at the confluence of the two Nakhlas.
Calling in the gathering of two date palms softly
قالَت قُرَيشٌ ما أَذَلَّ مُجاشِعاً
جاراً وَأَكرَمَ ذا القَتيلِ قَتيلا
Quraysh said, 'How base is Mujashiʿ
Quraysh said, how disgraced was Mujashe
as a neighbor, and how noble this slain man!'
A neighbor, honoring the slain with the slain
لَو كانَ يَعلَمُ غَدرَ آلِ مُجاشِعٍ
نَقَلَ الرِحالَ فَأَسرَعَ التَحويلا
Had he known the treachery of the house of Mujashiʿ,
If only he knew the betrayal of Mujashe’s family
he would have moved his saddles and hastened his departure.
He would have moved his camel litter and hurried away
يا لَهفَ نَفسي إِذ يَغُرُّكَ حَبلُهُم
هَلّا اِتَّخَذتَ عَلى القُيونِ كَفيلا
Oh, my soul's anguish, when their bond deceives you!
Oh my anxious soul, as their rope deceives you
Why did you not secure a guarantor against the smiths?
Why not take captives as guarantors and travel
أَفَبَعدَ مَترَكِهِم خَليلَ مُحَمَّدٍ
تَرجو القُيونُ مَعَ الرَسولِ سَبيلا
Can it be that, after they abandoned Muhammad's friend,
After abandoning the friend of Muhammad
the smiths hope for a path beside the Messenger?
Do the captives hope to travel with the Prophet?
وَلَّوا ظُهورَهُمُ الأَسِنَّةَ بَعدَما
كانَ الزُبَيرُ مُجاوِراً وَدَخيلا
They turned their backs to the spearheads after
They turned their backs, the tongues, after
al-Zubayr had been a neighbor and a guest under their protection.
Az-Zubayr was a neighbor and newcomer
لَو كُنتَ حُرّاً يا اِبنَ قَينِ مُجاشِعٍ
شَيَّعتَ ضَيفَكَ فَرسَخَينِ وَميلا
Had you been freeborn, O son of Mujashiʿ's smith,
If you were free, O son of Mujashe’s Cain
you would have escorted your guest two parasangs and a mile.
You would have escorted your guest a mile or two
أَفَتى النَدى وَفَتى الطِعانِ غَرَرتُمُ
وَفَتى الشَمالِ إِذا تَهُبُّ بَليلا
Did you betray the champion of bounty and the champion of spear-fighting,
The gift of dew and the gift of spears you deluded
and the champion of the north wind when it blows cold and damp?
And the gift of the north wind when it blows at night
قُتِلَ الزُبَيرُ وَأَنتُمُ جيرانُهُ
غَيّاً لَمَن غَرَّ الزُبَيرَ طَويلا
Al-Zubayr was slain while you were his neighbors.
Az-Zubayr was killed while you were his neighbors
Long-lasting ruin upon whoever betrayed al-Zubayr!
Woe to whoever deceived Az-Zubayr for so long
لَو كُنتَ حينَ غُرِرتَ بَينَ بُيوتِنا
لَسَمِعتَ مِن صَوتِ الحَديدِ صَليلا
Had you been among our houses when you were deceived,
If only when you were deceived between our homes
you would have heard the ringing clash of iron.
You would have heard the sound of iron clashing
لَحَماكَ كُلُّ مُغاوِرٍ يَومَ الوَغى
وَلَكانَ شِلوُ عَدُوِّكَ المَأكولا
Every raiding warrior would have shielded you on the day of battle,
Every hidden fighter would have protected you the day of battle
and your enemy's corpse would have been the one devoured.
And your enemy's carcass would have been devoured
Sol 6.1