مابالُ عَينِكَ فيها عائِرٌ سَهِرُ

مابالُ عَينِكَ فيها عائِرٌ سَهِرُ

مِثلُ الحَماطَةِ أَغضى فَوقَها الشُفُرُ

مِثلُ الحَماطَةِ أَغضى فَوقَها الشُفُرُ

What ails your eye, with a mote that keeps it sleepless,

What ails your eyes that wakefulness afflicts them

Like a splinter over which the eyelids have closed?

Like kohl beneath the eyelids turned green

عَينٌ تَأَوَّبَها مِن شَجوِها أَرَقٌ

عَينٌ تَأَوَّبَها مِن شَجوِها أَرَقٌ

فَالماءُ يَغمُرها طَوراً وَيَنحَدِرُ

فَالماءُ يَغمُرها طَوراً وَيَنحَدِرُ

An eye revisited at night by sleeplessness born of its sorrow;

Eyes worn out by their shedding tears through the night

So the water now floods it, now runs down.

So tears flood them for a time before they flow

كَأَنَّهُ نَظمُ دُرٍّ عِندَ ناظِمِهِ

كَأَنَّهُ نَظمُ دُرٍّ عِندَ ناظِمِهِ

تَقَطَّعَ السِلكُ مِنهُ فَهوَ مُنتَثِرُ

تَقَطَّعَ السِلكُ مِنهُ فَهوَ مُنتَثِرُ

As though it were a string of pearls beside its stringer,

Like a string of pearls with its thread cut

Its thread has snapped, and it lies scattered.

Scattered when the necklace came undone

يا بُعدَ مَنزِلِ مَن تَرجو مَوَدَّتَهُ

يا بُعدَ مَنزِلِ مَن تَرجو مَوَدَّتَهُ

وَمَن أَتى دونَهُ الصَمّانُ فَالحَفَرُ

وَمَن أَتى دونَهُ الصَمّانُ فَالحَفَرُ

Oh, how far the dwelling of the one whose affection you hope for,

O distant home of one whose love you hope for

And of one beyond al-Samman and then al-Hafar!

While he who comes before it meets only ravines

دَع ما تَقَدَّمَ مِن عَهدِ الشَبابِ فَقَد

دَع ما تَقَدَّمَ مِن عَهدِ الشَبابِ فَقَد

وَلّى الشَبابُ وَزارَ الشَيبُ وَالزَعَرُ

وَلّى الشَبابُ وَزارَ الشَيبُ وَالزَعَرُ

Leave what has passed of youth's days, for

Leave what has passed of the days of youth behind

Youth has departed, and gray hair and thinning hair have come to visit.

For youth has turned away, old age and senility have come

وَاِذكُر بَلاءَ سُلَيمِ في مَواطِنِها

وَاِذكُر بَلاءَ سُلَيمِ في مَواطِنِها

وَفي سُلَيمٍ لِأَهلِ الفَخرِ مُفتَخَرُ

وَفي سُلَيمٍ لِأَهلِ الفَخرِ مُفتَخَرُ

And remember Sulaym's valor on its battlefields;

Recall the affliction of Sulaym in its dwelling places

And in Sulaym, those who boast have cause for pride.

And take pride in Sulaym, O people of pride

هُمُ بَنو الحَربِ وَالمَوتِ الذُعافِ إِذا

هُمُ بَنو الحَربِ وَالمَوتِ الذُعافِ إِذا

لاقى الكَتائِبَ مِنهُمُ قادَةٌ صُبُرُ

لاقى الكَتائِبَ مِنهُمُ قادَةٌ صُبُرُ

They are sons of war and swift death, when

They are the people of war and violent death, when

Steadfast leaders from their ranks meet the battalions.

Their battalions meet leaders patience ensues

قَومٌ هُمُ نَصَروا الرَحمنَ وَاِتَّبَعوا

قَومٌ هُمُ نَصَروا الرَحمنَ وَاِتَّبَعوا

دينَ الرَسولِ وَأَمرُ الناسِ مُشتَجِرُ

دينَ الرَسولِ وَأَمرُ الناسِ مُشتَجِرُ

A people who aided the All-Merciful and followed

A people who supported the Merciful and followed

The Messenger's faith, while people's affairs were embroiled in strife.

The religion of the Messenger, though people dissent

لا يَغرِسونَ فَسيلَ النَخلِ وَسطَهُمُ

لا يَغرِسونَ فَسيلَ النَخلِ وَسطَهُمُ

وَلا تَخاوَرُ في مَشتاهُمُ البَقَرُ

وَلا تَخاوَرُ في مَشتاهُمُ البَقَرُ

They plant no palm saplings in their midst,

Among them palms are not planted in rows

Nor do cattle low to one another in their winter quarters;

Nor do cattle wander grazing in their dwellings

إِلّا سَوابِحَ كَالعِقبانِ مُقرَبَةً

إِلّا سَوابِحَ كَالعِقبانِ مُقرَبَةً

في دارَةٍ حَولَها الأَخطارُ وَالعَكَرُ

في دارَةٍ حَولَها الأَخطارُ وَالعَكَرُ

Only swift steeds, like eagles, kept close,

Only horses like eagles kept close for battle

In a circular clearing, with great camel herds and droves around it.

In an enclosure, while dangers and hosts lie in wait

تُدعى خُفافٌ وَعَوفٌ في جَوانِبها

تُدعى خُفافٌ وَعَوفٌ في جَوانِبها

وَحَيُّ ذَكوانَ لا ميلٌ وَلا ضُجُرُ

وَحَيُّ ذَكوانَ لا ميلٌ وَلا ضُجُرُ

Khufaf and Awf are summoned along its sides,

Called Khufaf, ‘Awf at its flanks

And Dhakwan's clan—neither faint-hearted nor impatient.

And the tribe of Dhakwan, no wavering or boredom

الضارِبونَ جُنودَ الشِركِ ضاحِيَةً

الضارِبونَ جُنودَ الشِركِ ضاحِيَةً

بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ وَالأَرواحُ تَبتَدِرُ

بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ وَالأَرواحُ تَبتَدِرُ

Those who struck the armies of polytheism openly,

Striking the armies of polytheism at daybreak

In Mecca's valley, as souls rushed forth,

At the valley of Mecca, while souls rush forth

حَتّى تَوَلَّوا وَقَتلاهُم كَأَنَّهُمُ

حَتّى تَوَلَّوا وَقَتلاهُم كَأَنَّهُمُ

نَخلٌ بِظاهِرَةِ البَطحاءِ مُنقَعِرُ

نَخلٌ بِظاهِرَةِ البَطحاءِ مُنقَعِرُ

Until they turned away, their slain seeming like

Until they retreated, and killed them as though they were

Uprooted palms on al-Batha's open ground.

Palm trees uprooted in the plain laid open

وَنَحنُ يَومَ حُنَينٍ كانَ مَشهَدُنا

وَنَحنُ يَومَ حُنَينٍ كانَ مَشهَدُنا

لِلدينِ عِزّاً وَعِندَ اللَهِ مُدَّخَرُ

لِلدينِ عِزّاً وَعِندَ اللَهِ مُدَّخَرُ

And on the day of Hunayn, our presence was

While we at the battle of Hunayn, our stance

Glory for the faith, and a treasure laid up with God.

Brought glory to the faith, and safety with God

إِذ نَركَبُ المَوتَ مُحضَرّاً بَطائِنُهُ

إِذ نَركَبُ المَوتَ مُحضَرّاً بَطائِنُهُ

وَالخَيلُ يَنجابُ عَنها ساطِعٌ كَدِرُ

وَالخَيلُ يَنجابُ عَنها ساطِعٌ كَدِرُ

When we rode death, its inner depths urged to gallop,

As we rode into certain death, the horses

And rising, murky dust parted from the horses.

Shying from it, gleaming armor displaced

تَحتَ اللِواءِ مَعَ الضَحاكِ يَقدُمُنا

تَحتَ اللِواءِ مَعَ الضَحاكِ يَقدُمُنا

كَما مَشى اللَيثُ في غاباتِهِ الخَدِرُ

كَما مَشى اللَيثُ في غاباتِهِ الخَدِرُ

Under the banner, with al-Dahhak leading us,

Beneath the banner with Dhahhak leading us on

As the lair-dwelling lion walks through his thickets,

As the lion walks through the dense woods

في مَأزِقٍ مِن مَجَرِّ الحَربِ كَلكَلُها

في مَأزِقٍ مِن مَجَرِّ الحَربِ كَلكَلُها

تَكادُ تَأفِلُ مِنهُ الشَمسُ وَالقَمَرُ

تَكادُ تَأفِلُ مِنهُ الشَمسُ وَالقَمَرُ

In a narrow strait where war dragged its breast,

In a straitened place within the raging battle, its flash

The sun and moon almost vanished because of it.

Nearly darkening the sun and the moon

وَقَد صَبرنا بِأَوطاسٍ أَسِنَّتَنا

وَقَد صَبرنا بِأَوطاسٍ أَسِنَّتَنا

لِلَّهِ نَنصُرُ مَن شِئنا وَنَنتَصِرُ

لِلَّهِ نَنصُرُ مَن شِئنا وَنَنتَصِرُ

And we held our spearheads firm at Awtas,

And we endured with the patience of lions, our tongues

For God we aid whom we will, and prevail,

For God's sake we support whom we wish, and prevail

حَتّى تَأَوَّبَ أَقوامٌ مَنازِلَهُم

حَتّى تَأَوَّبَ أَقوامٌ مَنازِلَهُم

لَولا المَليكُ وَلَولا نَحنُ ما صَدَروا

لَولا المَليكُ وَلَولا نَحنُ ما صَدَروا

Until bands of men returned by night to their homes;

Until some peoples' dwellings were rendered desolate

But for the Sovereign, and but for us, they would not have returned.

Had it not been for the Protector and had it not been for us, they would not have left

فَما تَرى مَعشَراً قَلّوا وَلا كَثُروا

فَما تَرى مَعشَراً قَلّوا وَلا كَثُروا

إِلّا قَد أَصبَحَ مِنّا فيهِمُ أَثَرُ

إِلّا قَد أَصبَحَ مِنّا فيهِمُ أَثَرُ

So you see no band, whether few or many,

So you see no group, few or many

Without some mark of us now among them.

But by morning among them are our traces