يا سَنَدَ الظاعِنينَ مِن أُحُدِ

يا سَنَدَ الظاعِنينَ مِن أُحُدِ

حُيِّيتَ مِن مَنزِلٍ وَمِن سَنَدِ

حُيِّيتَ مِن مَنزِلٍ وَمِن سَنَدِ

O hillside of those who departed from Uhud,

O support of those weakened at (the battle of) Uhud,

hail to you, as a dwelling place and a hillside!

You were greeted from a house and from a support.

ما إِن بِمَثواكَ غَيرُ راكِدَةٍ

ما إِن بِمَثواكَ غَيرُ راكِدَةٍ

سُفعٍ وَهابٍ كَالفَرخِ مُلتَبِدِ

سُفعٍ وَهابٍ كَالفَرخِ مُلتَبِدِ

At your dwelling there is nothing but motionless

There is nothing in your abode but stagnant (water),

soot-dark stones and dusty ash like a huddled chick,

Rough ground and pits like a flapping chick,

وَالنُؤيُ كَالحَوضِ خُطَّ دونَ عَوا

وَالنُؤيُ كَالحَوضِ خُطَّ دونَ عَوا

دي السَيلِ مِنهُ وَمَضرِبُ الوَتِدِ

دي السَيلِ مِنهُ وَمَضرِبُ الوَتِدِ

and the ditch, like a basin, dug to keep the onrush

And the pools are like basins drawn below spouts

of floods away from it, and the place where the tent-peg was driven.

Of torrents pouring from them and tent pegs planted around.

وَالوَحشُ فيهِ كَأَنَّها هَمَلٌ

وَالوَحشُ فيهِ كَأَنَّها هَمَلٌ

تَرعى بِجَوٍّ عَوازِبَ العَقِدِ

تَرعى بِجَوٍّ عَوازِبَ العَقِدِ

And the wild creatures there are like untended herds,

And the wildlife in them is as though hamal grazing

grazing in an open valley, among the outlying sandhills.

Among the twisting flow of the writhe.

أُبدِلتَ عُفرَ الظِباءِ وَالبَقَرَ ال

أُبدِلتَ عُفرَ الظِباءِ وَالبَقَرَ ال

عينَ خِلافَ العَقائِلِ الخُرُدِ

عينَ خِلافَ العَقائِلِ الخُرُدِ

You were given tawny gazelles and wild cattle,

You were substituted for the hyraxes of gazelles and cattle

wide-eyed, in place of noble, bashful maidens.

That were not like preserved progeny.

أَساخِطٌ أَنتَ أَم رَضيتَ بِما اِس

أَساخِطٌ أَنتَ أَم رَضيتَ بِما اِس

تَبدَلتَ بِالحَيِّ بَعدَهُم فَقَدِ

تَبدَلتَ بِالحَيِّ بَعدَهُم فَقَدِ

Are you displeased, or content with what you have

Are you angry or content with what you

taken in place of the tribe after their departure? For indeed

Were substituted with after them, so you have lost them?

بُدِلتَ غَيرَ الرِضى وَشَطَّ بِهِم

بُدِلتَ غَيرَ الرِضى وَشَطَّ بِهِم

عَنكَ صُروفُ المَنونِ وَالأَبَدِ

عَنكَ صُروفُ المَنونِ وَالأَبَدِ

you were given no pleasing exchange; and they were driven far

You were changed to other than contentment, and it carried away from you

from you by the vicissitudes of death and endless time.

The turns of fate and eternity.

رُقَيَّ إِلّا يَكُن لَديكِ لَنا ال

رُقَيَّ إِلّا يَكُن لَديكِ لَنا ال

يَومَ نَوالٌ فَمَوعِدٌ لِغَدِ

يَومَ نَوالٌ فَمَوعِدٌ لِغَدِ

Ruqayya, if you have no favor for us

We will only ascend if you have for us

today, then let there be a promise for tomorrow.

One day a share, so there is a promise for tomorrow.

أَصبَحتِ أَهوى الأَنامِ كُلِّهُمُ

أَصبَحتِ أَهوى الأَنامِ كُلِّهُمُ

عِندي بِلا مِنَّةٍ وَلا بِيَدِ

عِندي بِلا مِنَّةٍ وَلا بِيَدِ

You have become the dearest of all humankind

You have become the most beloved of all people to me

to me—not through any favor or deed

Without favor or hand (generosity).

أَسدَيتِها في النَوالِ صالِحَةٍ

أَسدَيتِها في النَوالِ صالِحَةٍ

إِلّا عَطاءً مِل واحِدِ الصَمَدِ

إِلّا عَطاءً مِل واحِدِ الصَمَدِ

of kindness you have bestowed through giving,

I devoted it through sharing to the goodness

but as a gift from the One, the Self-Sufficient.

Of the sole dispenser of Kings.

أَنتِ وَأَيدي الرِكابِ مُعمَلَةً

أَنتِ وَأَيدي الرِكابِ مُعمَلَةً

يَهوينَ في كُلِّ سَربَخٍ جَدَدِ

يَهوينَ في كُلِّ سَربَخٍ جَدَدِ

You—by the forelegs of hard-driven riding camels,

You and the hands of the riders are working

plunging through every wide, hard, level waste—

To make lawful every new earnested effort.

إِلَيَّ أَهوى مِنَ الشَرابِ وَمِل

إِلَيَّ أَهوى مِنَ الشَرابِ وَمِل

مالِ وَحُلوِ الحَياةِ وَالوَلَدِ

مالِ وَحُلوِ الحَياةِ وَالوَلَدِ

are dearer to me than drink, and than

To me is more beloved than drink and wealth

wealth, life's sweetness, and children.

And the sweetness of life and children,

لَم يَلقَ حَيٌّ كَما لَقيتُ بِكُم

لَم يَلقَ حَيٌّ كَما لَقيتُ بِكُم

مِن رَجُلٍ لَم يَمُت وَلَم يَكَدِ

مِن رَجُلٍ لَم يَمُت وَلَم يَكَدِ

No living man has endured what I have through you—

No living person has met as I met you

a man who has not died, nor come near death,

From a man who did not die and was not worn down.

يُرى صَحيحاً يَمشي وَباطِنُهُ

يُرى صَحيحاً يَمشي وَباطِنُهُ

سُقمُ جَوىً لَذعُهُ عَلى الكَبِدِ

سُقمُ جَوىً لَذعُهُ عَلى الكَبِدِ

seen walking in health, though within him

He seems healthy walking while his insides

is love's sickness, its sting upon the liver.

Are sick, its pain stinging his liver.

كَأَنَّها دُميَةٌ مُصَوَّرَةٌ

كَأَنَّها دُميَةٌ مُصَوَّرَةٌ

في بيعَةٍ مِن كَنائِسِ العُبُدِ

في بيعَةٍ مِن كَنائِسِ العُبُدِ

She is like a painted statue

It is as though it is a painted doll

in one of the worshippers' churches.

In the churches of the Coptics.

قَتَلتِ نَفساً بِغَيرِ نَفسٍ وَلَم

قَتَلتِ نَفساً بِغَيرِ نَفسٍ وَلَم

تَقتُل وَلَم تَستَقِد وَلَم تُقِدِ

تَقتُل وَلَم تَستَقِد وَلَم تُقِدِ

You killed a soul, not in requital for another, yet did not

You killed a soul without a soul, and did not

kill, seek vengeance, or grant retaliation.

Kill, seek retaliation, or guide.

ماذا لَها في المَماتِ بَعدَ غَدٍ

ماذا لَها في المَماتِ بَعدَ غَدٍ

إِن حَلَّ أَهلُ الميراثِ في عَدَدي

إِن حَلَّ أَهلُ الميراثِ في عَدَدي

What would she gain from my death the day after tomorrow,

What will it have after tomorrow in death

if my heirs take possession of my estate?

If the inheritors come to share me?

لَم تَسلُبيني عَقلي وَجَدِّكِ عَن

لَم تَسلُبيني عَقلي وَجَدِّكِ عَن

ضَعفٍ وَلَكِن بِالنَفثِ في العُقَدِ

ضَعفٍ وَلَكِن بِالنَفثِ في العُقَدِ

You did not steal my mind—by your fortune—through

You did not rob me of my reason and your separation from

weakness, but by blowing into knots.

Weakness, but by breathing into knots.

فَلَيتَني لَم أَكُن عَلِقتُكُمُ

فَلَيتَني لَم أَكُن عَلِقتُكُمُ

وَلَيتَها بِالنَوالِ لَم تَعِدِ

وَلَيتَها بِالنَوالِ لَم تَعِدِ

So would that I had never fallen in love with you,

If only I had not attached myself to you,

and would that she had never promised a favor.

And if only she had not promised through sharing.

حَتّى مَتى تُنجِزينَ وَعدي فَقَد

حَتّى مَتى تُنجِزينَ وَعدي فَقَد

طالَ وُقوفي لِوَعدِكِ النَكِدِ

طالَ وُقوفي لِوَعدِكِ النَكِدِ

How long until you fulfill your promise to me? For indeed

How long will you fulfill your promise, for

long have I stood waiting for your vexing promise.

My standing for your tedious promise has been long.

تَرَكتِني واقِفاً عَلى الشَكِّ لَم

تَرَكتِني واقِفاً عَلى الشَكِّ لَم

أَصدُر بِيَأسٍ مِنكُم وَلَم أَرِدِ

أَصدُر بِيَأسٍ مِنكُم وَلَم أَرِدِ

You left me standing in doubt; I have not

You left me standing in doubt, I did not intend

departed despairing of you, nor come to drink.

Despair from you nor refuse.