لو لَمْ يُحَرَّمْ على الأَيامِ إِنجادِي

لو لَمْ يُحَرَّمْ على الأَيامِ إِنجادِي

ما واصَلَتْ بَيْنَ إِتْهامي وإِنْجادِي

ما واصَلَتْ بَيْنَ إِتْهامي وإِنْجادِي

Had the days not been forbidden to aid me,

If the days had not forbidden my salvation,

they would not have linked my journeys to Tihamah and Najd.

They would not have connected between my guilt and my salvation,

طوراً أَسيرُ مع الحيتانِ في لُجَجٍ

طوراً أَسيرُ مع الحيتانِ في لُجَجٍ

وتَارةً في الفيافي بَيْنَ آسادِ

وتَارةً في الفيافي بَيْنَ آسادِ

At times I travel with whales through deep seas,

Sometimes I walk with the whales in deep seas,

and at others across deserts among lions.

And sometimes in the wilderness between lions.

إِمّا بِطامِرَةٍ في ذَا وَطارِمَةً

إِمّا بِطامِرَةٍ في ذَا وَطارِمَةً

أو في قَتَادٍ على هذا وأَقْتادِ

أو في قَتَادٍ على هذا وأَقْتادِ

Either with a surging wave and a wooden cabin on the one,

Either in Tamarah or that which has strong waves,

or among thorns and saddle frames upon the other.

Or in Qatad upon this and led them.

والناسُ كُثْرٌ ولكنْ لا يقدَّرُ لي

والناسُ كُثْرٌ ولكنْ لا يقدَّرُ لي

إِلا مرافَقَةُ المَلاَّح والحادي

إِلا مرافَقَةُ المَلاَّح والحادي

People are many, yet nothing is allotted me

And the people are many but none appreciates me,

but the company of the sailor and the camel-driver.

Except the company of the sailor and the guide.

هذا ولَيْتَ طَرِيقَيْ ما رَمَيْتُ لَهُ

هذا ولَيْتَ طَرِيقَيْ ما رَمَيْتُ لَهُ

مَسْلُوكَتَانِ لِرُوَّادٍ ووُرّادِ

مَسْلُوكَتَانِ لِرُوَّادٍ ووُرّادِ

All this—and would that the two roads to my goal

I wish my path that I sought,

were trodden by scouts and water-seekers.

Were two paved ways for visitors and those returning.

وما أَسيرُ الى رومٍ ولا عربٍ

وما أَسيرُ الى رومٍ ولا عربٍ

لكنْ لريحٍ وإِبراقٍ وإِرعادِ

لكنْ لريحٍ وإِبراقٍ وإِرعادِ

I journey neither to Romans nor to Arabs,

And I do not walk to Romans nor Arabs,

but toward wind, lightning, and thunder.

But to the wind, lightning and thunder.

أَقلَعْتُ والبَحْرُ قد لانَتْ شكائِمُهُ

أَقلَعْتُ والبَحْرُ قد لانَتْ شكائِمُهُ

جِدًّا وأَقلَعَ عن مَوْجٍ وإِزْبادِ

جِدًّا وأَقلَعَ عن مَوْجٍ وإِزْبادِ

I set sail; the sea's bridle-bits had softened

I set sail while the sea calmed its billows,

greatly, and it had ceased its surging and foaming.

Seriously and the waves and foam subsided.

فعادَ لا عاد ذا ريحٍ مُدَمِّرَةٍ

فعادَ لا عاد ذا ريحٍ مُدَمِّرَةٍ

كأَنَّها أُخْتُ تلك الرّيحِ في عادِ

كأَنَّها أُخْتُ تلك الرّيحِ في عادِ

Then it returned—may it never return!—with a devastating wind,

So it returned no returner with a destructive wind,

as though it were sister to that wind among ʿAd.

As if it were the sister of that wind in Aad.

ولا أقولُ أَبَى لي أَن افارقَكُمْ

ولا أقولُ أَبَى لي أَن افارقَكُمْ

فحيثُ ما سِرْتُ يلقاني بمِرْصادِ

فحيثُ ما سِرْتُ يلقاني بمِرْصادِ

Nor do I say it refused to let me part from you,

And I do not say it refused me to leave you all,

for wherever I travel, it meets me lying in wait.

For wherever I went, it meets me with an ambush.

وقد رأيتُ به الأَشراطَ قائِمَةً

وقد رأيتُ به الأَشراطَ قائِمَةً

لأَنَّ أَمواجَهُ تجرِي بأَطْوادِ

لأَنَّ أَمواجَهُ تجرِي بأَطْوادِ

And I have seen the signs of the Hour manifest in it,

And I saw in it the conditions fulfilled,

for its waves race along bearing mountains.

Because its waves flow with logs.

تعلُو فلولا كتابُ اللِه صَحَّ لنا

تعلُو فلولا كتابُ اللِه صَحَّ لنا

أَنَّ السّموات منها ذاتُ أَعمادِ

أَنَّ السّموات منها ذاتُ أَعمادِ

They tower; but for God's Book, we would be certain

It rises so had it not been for God’s scripture indeed to us,

that the heavens had pillars made from them.

That the heavens, some of them have pillars.

ونحنُ في منزلٍ يُسْرَى بِسَاكِنِهِ

ونحنُ في منزلٍ يُسْرَى بِسَاكِنِهِ

فاسْمَعْ حديثَ مُفيمٍ بَيْتُه غادِ

فاسْمَعْ حديثَ مُفيمٍ بَيْتُه غادِ

And we are in a dwelling whose tenant is carried through the night;

And we are in an abode made comfortable for its resident,

so hear the tale of a resident whose house departs at dawn.

So listen to the talk of the eminent one whose house is empty.

أَبِيتُ إِنْ بِتُّ منها في مُصَوَّرَةٍ

أَبِيتُ إِنْ بِتُّ منها في مُصَوَّرَةٍ

من ضيقِ لَحْدٍ ومن إِظلامِ أَلْحادِ

من ضيقِ لَحْدٍ ومن إِظلامِ أَلْحادِ

I pass the night—if I sleep at all—aboard her in a chamber fashioned

I spend the night, if I stay, in an imaged one,

from a grave's narrowness and the darkness of tombs.

From the narrowness of the grave and from the darkness of pitfalls.

لا يَسْتَقِرُّ لنا جَنْبٌ بمضْجَعِهِ

لا يَسْتَقِرُّ لنا جَنْبٌ بمضْجَعِهِ

كأَنَّ حالاتِنا حالاتُ عُبَّادِ

كأَنَّ حالاتِنا حالاتُ عُبَّادِ

No side of ours lies still upon its bed,

A side does not settle down for us in its bedding,

as though our postures were those of worshippers.

As if our conditions are those of worshippers.

فكم يُصَعَّرُ خَدٌّ غيرُ مُنْعَفِرٍ

فكم يُصَعَّرُ خَدٌّ غيرُ مُنْعَفِرٍ

وكم يَخِرُّ جبينٌ غيرُ سَجَّادِ

وكم يَخِرُّ جبينٌ غيرُ سَجَّادِ

How many a cheek is turned aside without being rubbed in dust,

So how many a cheek furrows without frowning,

and how many a forehead falls, though not in prayer!

And how many a forehead folds without prostrating.

حتى كأَنَّا وكَفُّ النَّوْءِ تُقْلِقُنا

حتى كأَنَّا وكَفُّ النَّوْءِ تُقْلِقُنا

دراهمٌ قَلَّبَتْها كفُّ نَقَّادِ

دراهمٌ قَلَّبَتْها كفُّ نَقَّادِ

Till we seem, with the storm's hand tossing us,

Until it is as if the slap of misfortune disturbs us,

dirhams turned over by a coin-assayer's hand.

Dirhams that the palm of the assayer has overturned.

وإِنما نحن في أَحشاءِ جاريةٍ

وإِنما نحن في أَحشاءِ جاريةٍ

كأَنما حَمَلَتْ مِنَّا بأَوْلادِ

كأَنما حَمَلَتْ مِنَّا بأَوْلادِ

We are but in the womb of a ship,

Rather we are in the belly of a female servant,

as though she had conceived us as her children.

As if she carried some of us as her first children.

فلا تعُدُّوا لنا يومَ السَّلامَةِ إنْ

فلا تعُدُّوا لنا يومَ السَّلامَةِ إنْ

حُزْنا السَّلامَةَ إِلاَّ يومَ مِيلادِ

حُزْنا السَّلامَةَ إِلاَّ يومَ مِيلادِ

So do not count our day of safety—if

So do not count for us the day of safety if

we attain safety—as anything but a birthday.

Sorrow has made safety the day we were born.

يا إِخوتي ولنا من وُدِّنا نَسَبٌ

يا إِخوتي ولنا من وُدِّنا نَسَبٌ

على تبايُنِ آباءٍ وآجدادِ

على تبايُنِ آباءٍ وآجدادِ

O my brothers, our love makes us kin,

O brothers, and we have a lineage from our love

despite our different fathers and forefathers.

Despite difference of fathers and ancestors.

نقرا حُروفَ التَّهَجِّي عن أَواخِرِها

نقرا حُروفَ التَّهَجِّي عن أَواخِرِها

ونحنُ نَخْبِطُ منها في أبي جادِ

ونحنُ نَخْبِطُ منها في أبي جادِ

We read the alphabet's letters backwards,

We read the letters of the spelling from their ends

while fumbling through its Abu Jad—the ABCs.

And we grope in it our father has perished.

ولا تلاوةَ إِلاَّ ما نُكَرِّرُهُ

ولا تلاوةَ إِلاَّ ما نُكَرِّرُهُ

من مُبْتَدَى النَّحْلِ أو من مُنْتَهَى صادِ

من مُبْتَدَى النَّحْلِ أو من مُنْتَهَى صادِ

We recite nothing but what we keep repeating

And no recitation except what we repeat

from the opening of al-Nahl or the close of Sad.

From the bees’ beginning or from the end of Saad.

متى تُنَوِّرُ آفاقُ المنَارَةِ لي

متى تُنَوِّرُ آفاقُ المنَارَةِ لي

بكوكبٍ في ظلامِ الليل وَقَّادِ

بكوكبٍ في ظلامِ الليل وَقَّادِ

When shall I see the lighthouse's horizons shine

When do the horizons of the lighthouse light up for me

with a star blazing in the darkness of night,

With a planet in the darkness of night and guide me?

وأَلحَظُ الشُّرفاتِ البِيضَ مُشْرِفَةً

وأَلحَظُ الشُّرفاتِ البِيضَ مُشْرِفَةً

كالبَيْضِ مُشْرِفَةً في هامِ أَنْجادِ

كالبَيْضِ مُشْرِفَةً في هامِ أَنْجادِ

and behold the white battlements rising,

And I notice the white balconies overlooking

like helmets aloft upon the heads of heroes,

Like eggs overlooking the pate of wild cows.

وأَستجِدُّ من الباب القديمِ هوًى

وأَستجِدُّ من الباب القديمِ هوًى

عنِ الكنيسةِ فيه جُلّ أَسْنَادي

عنِ الكنيسةِ فيه جُلّ أَسْنَادي

and renew a love from the Old Gate,

And I yearn from the old door an inclination

for which most of my chains of transmission come from the church?

About the church wherein is most of my support

بِحيثُ أَنْشِدُ آثاراً وأُنْشِدُهَا

بِحيثُ أَنْشِدُ آثاراً وأُنْشِدُهَا

فَيُبْلِغُ العُذْرَ نِشْدانِي وإِنشادي

فَيُبْلِغُ العُذْرَ نِشْدانِي وإِنشادي

Where I seek out traces and recite to them,

To where I recite relics and chant them.

so my seeking and my reciting make my excuse complete.

So my chanting and poem reach the excuse.

القصرُ فالنخلُ فالجَمَّاءُ بينهما

القصرُ فالنخلُ فالجَمَّاءُ بينهما

فالأثلُ فالقَصَبَاتُ الخُضْرُ فالوادي

فالأثلُ فالقَصَبَاتُ الخُضْرُ فالوادي

The palace, then the palms, and al-Jamma between them;

The palace then the palm trees then the beautiful plain between them

then the tamarisks, then the green reeds, then the valley.

Then the sweet basil then the green canes then the valley

عَلِّي أَروحُ وأَغدو في معاهِدِها

عَلِّي أَروحُ وأَغدو في معاهِدِها

كما عَهِدْتُ سَقَاها الرَّائحُ الغادي

كما عَهِدْتُ سَقَاها الرَّائحُ الغادي

Perhaps I shall roam, evening and morning, through her familiar haunts,

Make me go and walk in its pacts

as I once did—may clouds passing evening and morning water her!

As the gentle wind made me used to watering it.

متى تعودُ ديارُ الظَّاعنينَ بِهِمْ

متى تعودُ ديارُ الظَّاعنينَ بِهِمْ

والبينُ يطلُبُهمْ بالماءِ والزَّادِ

والبينُ يطلُبُهمْ بالماءِ والزَّادِ

When will the homes of those who left have them back,

When will the abodes of the wandering therein return to them?

while separation pursues them with water and provisions?

While the estrangement seeks them with water and provision.