لِمَنِ الدِيارُ بِبُرقَةِ الرَوحانِ

لِمَنِ الدِيارُ بِبُرقَةِ الرَوحانِ

دَرَسَت وَغَيَّرَها صُروفُ زَمانِ

دَرَسَت وَغَيَّرَها صُروفُ زَمانِ

Whose are the dwellings at Burqat al-Rawhan?

For whom are the abodes with the radiance of the soul

They have faded, changed by time’s vicissitudes.

After time has studied and changed them?

فَوَقَفتُ فيها ناقَتي لِسُؤالِها

فَوَقَفتُ فيها ناقَتي لِسُؤالِها

فَصَرَفتُ وَالعَينانِ تَبتَدِرانِ

فَصَرَفتُ وَالعَينانِ تَبتَدِرانِ

So I halted my she-camel there to question them.

I halted my she-camel to ask about them

Then I turned her away, my two eyes racing one another,

While my eyes hastened to let tears flow

سَجماً كَأَنَّ شُنانَةً رَجَبِيَّةً

سَجماً كَأَنَّ شُنانَةً رَجَبِيَّةً

سَبَقَت إِلَيَّ بِمائِها العَينانِ

سَبَقَت إِلَيَّ بِمائِها العَينانِ

Streaming, as though a worn waterskin of Rajab

Copiously, as if a she-camel of Rabī‘ brought to me

Had its water rushed to me by my two eyes.

Its water with its eyes

أَيّامَ قَومي خَيرُ قَومٍ سوقَةٍ

أَيّامَ قَومي خَيرُ قَومٍ سوقَةٍ

لِمُعَصِّبٍ وَلِبائِسٍ وَلِعاني

لِمُعَصِّبٍ وَلِبائِسٍ وَلِعاني

In the days when my people were the best of common folk,

The days of my people, the best people of Suqah

For the famished, the destitute, and the captive.

For one who binds on the turban, the miserable and the afflicted one

وَلَنِعمَ أَيسارُ الجَزورِ إِذا زَهَت

وَلَنِعمَ أَيسارُ الجَزورِ إِذا زَهَت

ريحُ الشِتاءِ وَمَألَفُ الجِيرانِ

ريحُ الشِتاءِ وَمَألَفُ الجِيرانِ

And fine camel-lot gamblers they were, when fiercely blew

And how good are the easy lives of neighbors when

The winter wind—and a haven for neighbors.

The winter wind blows and the neighbor you know

أَمّا إِذا كانَ الطِعانُ فَإِنَّهُم

أَمّا إِذا كانَ الطِعانُ فَإِنَّهُم

قَد يَخضِبونَ عَوالِيَ المُرّانِ

قَد يَخضِبونَ عَوالِيَ المُرّانِ

But when there was spear-fighting, they

But when there is backbiting, they

Would indeed stain the tips of ash-wood lances.

Can redden spear-heads with blood

أَمّا إِذا كانَ الضِرابُ فَإِنَّهُم

أَمّا إِذا كانَ الضِرابُ فَإِنَّهُم

أُسدٌ لَدى أَشبالِهِنَّ حَواني

أُسدٌ لَدى أَشبالِهِنَّ حَواني

But when there was swordplay, they were

And when there is fighting, they are

Lions beside their cubs, tenderly protective.

Lions when their cubs are threatened

أَمّا إِذا دُعِيَت نَزالِ فَإِنَّهُم

أَمّا إِذا دُعِيَت نَزالِ فَإِنَّهُم

يَحبونَ لِلرُكَباتِ في الأَبدانِ

يَحبونَ لِلرُكَباتِ في الأَبدانِ

But when ‘Come down to fight!’ was called, they

And when summoned to battle, they

Would crawl on their knees in coats of mail.

Love knees on the ground in the bodies

فَخَلَدتُ بَعدَهُمُ وَلَستُ بِخالِدٍ

فَخَلَدتُ بَعدَهُمُ وَلَستُ بِخالِدٍ

فَالدَهرُ ذو غِيَرٍ وَذو أَلوانِ

فَالدَهرُ ذو غِيَرٍ وَذو أَلوانِ

So I have lived on after them, yet I am not immortal.

After them I lived on, though not immortal

For time has its reversals and its colors.

For time has changing colors and aspects

اللَهُ يَعلَمُ ما جَهِلتُ بِعَقبِهِم

اللَهُ يَعلَمُ ما جَهِلتُ بِعَقبِهِم

وَتَذَكُّري ما فاتَ أَيَّ أَوانِ

وَتَذَكُّري ما فاتَ أَيَّ أَوانِ

God knows what I have not known in their wake,

God knows what I was ignorant of in their trace

And my recalling what is gone, at any hour.

And my recollection of what time has passed, at what moment!