ما لطويلِ الكمدِ

ما لطويلِ الكمدِ

وما لطولِ الأمدِ

وما لطولِ الأمدِ

What use is prolonged anguish,

What of the one with excessive pride

and what use a long span of time?

And what of the one with excessive hopes

سوَّفتُه الموتَ غداً

سوَّفتُه الموتَ غداً

فاليوم أولى من غدِ

فاليوم أولى من غدِ

I put him off with 'death tomorrow';

Death will equalize him tomorrow

but today is better than tomorrow.

So today is better than tomorrow

يا قاضِيَ الحَتف بما

يا قاضِيَ الحَتف بما

ضي الطَّرف لا ماضي اليدِ

ضي الطَّرف لا ماضي اليدِ

O you who decree death with a

O judge of the final stroke, judge by

piercing gaze, not a striking hand,

What the eye has seen, not what the hand has done

حقُّك ألا تتَّقي

حقُّك ألا تتَّقي

عاقِبَةً فعلَ الرَّدي

عاقِبَةً فعلَ الرَّدي

it is your right not to fear

You have the right not to be wary

the consequence of a vile deed.

Of the consequences of the debased act

فإنَّما الأمردُ مأ

فإنَّما الأمردُ مأ

خوذٌ من التَّمردِ

خوذٌ من التَّمردِ

For amrad, 'beardless youth,' is derived only

For the defiant is only

from tamarrud, 'rebellion.'

Influenced by defiance

ها أنا ذا منقَطع

ها أنا ذا منقَطع

عن أسرتي وبَلدي

عن أسرتي وبَلدي

Here I am, cut off

From my family and my country

from my family and my homeland,

Alone, so what is there

منفردٌ فما الذي

منفردٌ فما الذي

يُخشى من المُنفَردِ

يُخشى من المُنفَردِ

alone—so what

To fear from the lonely one

is there to fear from one alone?

God, who will end my life, has granted safety

قد آمن اللَهُ الذي

قد آمن اللَهُ الذي

يقتلُني من قوَدي

يقتلُني من قوَدي

God has granted safety to the man

To whoever lives or encounters

who kills me, from vengeance for my blood,

The sons of Abu Muhammad

ما عاشَ أو يلقا

ما عاشَ أو يلقا

هُ أبناءُ أبي محمدِ

هُ أبناءُ أبي محمدِ

as long as he lives—unless he is met

None other than them wants

by the sons of Abu Muhammad.

To seek me from anyone

فما سِواهُم أحدٌ

فما سِواهُم أحدٌ

يطلُبُني من أحدِ

يطلُبُني من أحدِ

For no one besides them

I have a generous nature whose water

will seek vengeance for me from anyone.

Is like the facing of generosity

أوجهُ جودٍ ماؤها

أوجهُ جودٍ ماؤها

كالمتَصدي للصَّدي

كالمتَصدي للصَّدي

Faces of generosity, whose moisture

And you cannot attain moisture

is like one reaching out to the thirsty.

Except from the generous face

وليس يلقاك الندى

وليس يلقاك الندى

إلا من الوجه النَّدي

إلا من الوجه النَّدي

And bounty does not greet you

It is the way of their fathers

except from a dewy face.

Each one following the other

سنَّة آبائِهم

سنَّة آبائِهم

كلٌّ بكلٍّ يَقتَدي

كلٌّ بكلٍّ يَقتَدي

Their fathers' tradition:

A people to whom the highest

each follows another's example.

Praise applies and from whom it originates

قومٌ إليهم ينتهي ال

قومٌ إليهم ينتهي ال

وصفُ ومنهم يَبتدي

وصفُ ومنهم يَبتدي

A people in whom all

And the existing resemblance is derived

praise culminates, and from whom it begins.

From the blessing of birth

والشبهُ الواقعُ نمَّا

والشبهُ الواقعُ نمَّا

مٌ بطيبِ المَولدِ

مٌ بطيبِ المَولدِ

And their evident likeness is a telltale sign

of noble birth.