أتبكر أم أنتَ العشيةَ رائحُ

أتبكر أم أنتَ العشيةَ رائحُ

وفي الصَدرِ من إضمارك الحزنَ قادحُ

وفي الصَدرِ من إضمارك الحزنَ قادحُ

Do you set out early, or are you departing in the evening?

Do you come early or are you departing in the evening,

And in your breast is a spark struck by the grief you conceal,

With grief smoldering in your breast because of parting with people I do not love to be separated from,

لفُرقةِ قومٍ لا أحب فراقهم

لفُرقةِ قومٍ لا أحب فراقهم

كأنَّك عنهم بعد يومين نازحُ

كأنَّك عنهم بعد يومين نازحُ

At parting from a people I do not wish to leave,

As if you will move away from them after two days,

As though after two days you will be far away from them.

And you have brought truthful news about Muhammad,

وأخبار صِدقٍ خبِّرت عن محمد

وأخبار صِدقٍ خبِّرت عن محمد

يُخبّرها عنه إذا غابَ ناصحُ

يُخبّرها عنه إذا غابَ ناصحُ

And I have been told truthful reports about Muhammad,

Which will be conveyed about him when an advisor is absent.

Which a sincere well-wisher relates about him when he is absent:

O best she-camel that has been directed, towards Al-Ghour and Najd where there are hills,

فتاكِ التي وجَّهتِ يا خيرَ حُرَّةٍ

فتاكِ التي وجَّهتِ يا خيرَ حُرَّةٍ

بغورٍ وبالنجدين حيثُ الصحاصحُ

بغورٍ وبالنجدين حيثُ الصحاصحُ

Your young man whom you sent, O finest freeborn woman,

To the market of Bosra among the riders, who have become exhausted and stooped from the burdens.

Through the lowland and the two Najds, where the level plains lie,

So inform us about every good thing in his knowledge,

إلى سوقِ بُصرى في الركاب التي غدت

إلى سوقِ بُصرى في الركاب التي غدت

وهُنَّ من الاحمال قعص دوالح

وهُنَّ من الاحمال قعص دوالح

To Busra's market, among the riding-camels that set out at dawn,

And truth has doors and they have keys.

And they were bent beneath their loads, lumbering heavily.

That the son of Abdullah, Ahmad, has been sent,

فخبرنا عن كلِّ خير بعلمهِ

فخبرنا عن كلِّ خير بعلمهِ

وللحقِّ أبوابٌ لهن مفاتحُ

وللحقِّ أبوابٌ لهن مفاتحُ

So he told us, from his knowledge, of every good thing—

To everyone who has been collected against him as enemies.

And truth has doors, and those doors have keys—

And my view of him is that he will be sent as a truthful one,

بأن ابنَ عبد اللَه أحمد مرسلٌ

بأن ابنَ عبد اللَه أحمد مرسلٌ

إلى كلِّ من ضُمَّت عليه الأباطحُ

إلى كلِّ من ضُمَّت عليه الأباطحُ

That Ahmad, son of Abd Allah, is sent as a messenger

Just as the servants Hud and Salih were sent,

To all whom the gravelly valley beds surround.

And Moses and Abraham, until his glory and widespread message become clear,

وظنّي به أن سوف يُبعث صادقاً

وظنّي به أن سوف يُبعث صادقاً

كما أرسلَ العبدانِ هودٌ وصالحُ

كما أرسلَ العبدانِ هودٌ وصالحُ

And I believe that he will be sent as one who speaks truth,

And a bright youthful group will follow him eagerly.

Just as the two servants, Hud and Salih, were sent,

So if he remains alive until people reach his time,

وموسى وإبراهيمُ حتى يُرى له

وموسى وإبراهيمُ حتى يُرى له

بهاءٌ ومنشورٌ من الذكر واضحُ

بهاءٌ ومنشورٌ من الذكر واضحُ

And Musa and Ibrahim, until there appears for him

Then I will be joyfully hoping good things for him.

Splendor, and a clear proclamation from the Reminder.

And if not, then know O Khadija,

ويتبعه حيّا لؤيٍّ جماعة

ويتبعه حيّا لؤيٍّ جماعة

شبابهُم والأِيبون الجحاجحُ

شبابهُم والأِيبون الجحاجحُ

And the two clans of Lu'ayy will follow him together,

That I will be wandering aimlessly in the vast earth away from your land.

Their youths and the returning men, the noble chiefs.

فإن أبقَ حتى يدركَ الناسَ دهرهُ

فإن أبقَ حتى يدركَ الناسَ دهرهُ

فإنّي به مُستبشرُ الودِّ فارحُ

فإنّي به مُستبشرُ الودِّ فارحُ

So if I live until his time overtakes the people,

Then I shall rejoice in my affection for him and be glad.

وإلا فإني يا خديجةُ فاعلمي

وإلا فإني يا خديجةُ فاعلمي

عن أرضكِ في الأرضِ العريضةِ سائحُ

عن أرضكِ في الأرضِ العريضةِ سائحُ

Otherwise, O Khadija, know that I am

Away from your land, wandering over the wide earth.