قُلْ لأحْفَى الأَنَامِ بِي يا كِتَابِي

قُلْ لأحْفَى الأَنَامِ بِي يا كِتَابِي

وتَقَاضَاهُ لي بِردِّ الكِتَابِ

وتَقَاضَاهُ لي بِردِّ الكِتَابِ

Speak of me to the most devoted of men, O my letter,

Say to the one who cares for me most among mankind, O my letter,

and press him on my behalf for a written reply.

And press him on my behalf for a reply to the letter.

والتثِمْ رَاحَتَيْهِ عَنِّي ويا بُشْ

والتثِمْ رَاحَتَيْهِ عَنِّي ويا بُشْ

رَاكَ إنْ نُبْتَ يا كِتَابِي مَنَابِي

رَاكَ إنْ نُبْتَ يا كِتَابِي مَنَابِي

Kiss his two palms for me—and what glad tidings await you

And kiss his palms for me—what glad tidings

if you are told, O my letter, of my return

Are yours if, my letter, you take my place!

ذِي المَعَالِي التي أَرَتْنَا المسَامِي

ذِي المَعَالِي التي أَرَتْنَا المسَامِي

نَاكِصاً دُونَهَا علَى الأَعْقَابِ

نَاكِصاً دُونَهَا علَى الأَعْقَابِ

to the lord of lofty virtues—virtues that have shown us aspiring rivals

The possessor of lofty merits that showed us the aspiring rival

recoiling before them, turning back on their heels—

Retreating before them upon his heels;

والفِعَال التي نَطَقْنَ فَأَفْصَحْ

والفِعَال التي نَطَقْنَ فَأَفْصَحْ

نَ بِمَا طِبْنَ عن أُصُولٍ طِيَابِ

نَ بِمَا طِبْنَ عن أُصُولٍ طِيَابِ

and of deeds that spoke—most eloquently—

And deeds that spoke and eloquently declared

of the goodness they drew from your noble roots.

Their goodness, springing from goodly roots.

فَهْيَ مِمَّا جَلَتْهُ مِنْ كَرَمِ الأَنْ

فَهْيَ مِمَّا جَلَتْهُ مِنْ كَرَمِ الأَنْ

سَابِ تُدْعَى شَوَاهِدُ الأَنْسَابِ

سَابِ تُدْعَى شَوَاهِدُ الأَنْسَابِ

Such deeds are among the glories disclosed by noble lineage;

For, through the nobility of lineage they have revealed,

genealogies are called to bear witness to them.

They are called the proofs of pedigree.

أسْلَمَتْهُ إلى القَوَابِلِ أرْحَا

أسْلَمَتْهُ إلى القَوَابِلِ أرْحَا

مٌ حَكَتْ عن طَهَارَةِ الأَصْلاَبِ

مٌ حَكَتْ عن طَهَارَةِ الأَصْلاَبِ

Wombs delivered him into the hands of midwives,

Wombs delivered him to the midwives,

telling of the purity of his forefathers’ loins.

Attesting to the purity of the loins.

فَلَوَ انِّي اسْتَعَنْتُ بالخَلْقِ في حَصْ

فَلَوَ انِّي اسْتَعَنْتُ بالخَلْقِ في حَصْ

رِ مَسَاعِيهِ ضَاقَ عَنْهَا حِسَابِي

رِ مَسَاعِيهِ ضَاقَ عَنْهَا حِسَابِي

Even if I sought all creation’s help in

For even if I sought all mankind's help to count

counting his noble deeds, my reckoning would fall short of them.

His achievements, my reckoning would fall short.

ما وُقُوفِي عنْ أَنْ أَلُمَّ بِمَغْنَا

ما وُقُوفِي عنْ أَنْ أَلُمَّ بِمَغْنَا

هُ لِهَجْرٍ يَظُنُّهُ واجْتِنَابِ

هُ لِهَجْرٍ يَظُنُّهُ واجْتِنَابِ

My holding back from calling at his abode is not

I do not refrain from visiting his dwelling

because of estrangement he imagines, nor from avoidance.

Out of the estrangement he imagines, or avoidance.

ولَعِنْدِي علَى الوُقُوفِ بِهاتِي

ولَعِنْدِي علَى الوُقُوفِ بِهاتِي

كَ النَّوَاحِي وتِلْكُمُ الأبْوَابِ

كَ النَّوَاحِي وتِلْكُمُ الأبْوَابِ

By my life, toward visiting those

And indeed my longing to stand in those

precincts and those gates, I feel

Precincts and at those gates

مِثلُ ما عِندَ ذِي المَخَافَةِ للأمْ

مِثلُ ما عِندَ ذِي المَخَافَةِ للأمْ

نِ وما عندَ ذي الصَّدَى للشَّرَابِ

نِ وما عندَ ذي الصَّدَى للشَّرَابِ

what one gripped by fear feels toward safety,

Is like a fearful man's longing for safety,

and what one parched with thirst feels toward drink.

And a thirsty man's longing for drink.

غَيرَ أنِّي سَمعْتُ من أَلْسُنِ النا

غَيرَ أنِّي سَمعْتُ من أَلْسُنِ النا

سِ كَلاَماً فَرَى عَلَيَّ إهَابِي

سِ كَلاَماً فَرَى عَلَيَّ إهَابِي

But I have heard from the tongues of

But I heard from the tongues of men

the people words that rent my very skin,

Words that tore through my skin,

ودَعَانِي إلى مُفَارَقَةِ الدَّا

ودَعَانِي إلى مُفَارَقَةِ الدَّا

رِ وهَجْرِ الأهّلِينَ والأَصْحَابِ

رِ وهَجْرِ الأهّلِينَ والأَصْحَابِ

and drove me to depart from my

And drove me to leave my home

home, forsaking family and friends.

And forsake my family and companions.

فَلَعَمْرِي لَقدْ مُنِيتُ بِأَمْرٍ

فَلَعَمْرِي لَقدْ مُنِيتُ بِأَمْرٍ

شَابَ رَأسِي لَهُ أوَانَ شَبَابِي

شَابَ رَأسِي لَهُ أوَانَ شَبَابِي

By my life, I have indeed been afflicted by a calamity

By my life, I have been afflicted with a matter

that turned my head gray in the season of my youth.

That made my head gray in the season of my youth.

قَسَماً بالرِّكَابِ تَهْفُو إلى البيْ

قَسَماً بالرِّكَابِ تَهْفُو إلى البيْ

تِ بِرَكْبٍ تَرَاهَقُوا للثَّوابِ

تِ بِرَكْبٍ تَرَاهَقُوا للثَّوابِ

I swear by the mounts that yearn toward

I swear by the riding-camels hastening toward the House,

the Sacred House, bearing pilgrims pressing onward for divine reward:

Bearing riders who hurried in pursuit of reward.

حِلْفَةٌ إنْ كَذَبْتُ فِيهَا رَمَانِي الْ

حِلْفَةٌ إنْ كَذَبْتُ فِيهَا رَمَانِي الْ

لَّهُ مِنْ عِندِهِ بِسَوْطِ عَذَابِ

لَّهُ مِنْ عِندِهِ بِسَوْطِ عَذَابِ

a solemn oath—if I lie in it, may

An oath: if I lie in it, may God strike me

God strike me from His presence with a scourge of torment.

With a scourge of torment from His own presence.

إنَّنِي واليَمِينُ جُهدِي وبالمِرْ

إنَّنِي واليَمِينُ جُهدِي وبالمِرْ

صَادِ ربّي للْحالِفِ الكَذَّابِ

صَادِ ربّي للْحالِفِ الكَذَّابِ

Indeed, this oath is my utmost pledge, while

Indeed I—my oath is sworn with all my strength, and on the watch

my Lord lies in wait for every lying swearer:

Stands my Lord against the lying swearer—

لَبَريءٌ مِمَّا تَعَاطَاهُ أَهْلُ الزْ

لَبَريءٌ مِمَّا تَعَاطَاهُ أَهْلُ الزْ

زُوُرِ عَنِّي وطَاهِرُ الأْثَوابِ

زُوُرِ عَنِّي وطَاهِرُ الأْثَوابِ

I am wholly innocent of what the people of

Am surely innocent of what the people of falsehood have claimed

falsehood allege about me, and spotless in my raiment.

About me, and my garments are pure.

ثُمَّ لو أنَّكُمْ أخَذْتُمْ بِمَا رَقْ

ثُمَّ لو أنَّكُمْ أخَذْتُمْ بِمَا رَقْ

قَى إلَيكُمْ قَطَعْتُ عَنْكُمْ عِتَابِي

قَى إلَيكُمْ قَطَعْتُ عَنْكُمْ عِتَابِي

Then, even if you accepted what was embellished

Then, even if you accepted what had reached

for you, I would cease reproaching you.

You, I would cease my reproaches of you.

فَاسْلَمُوا وانْعَمُوا وإنْ رُغِمَ الأعْ

فَاسْلَمُوا وانْعَمُوا وإنْ رُغِمَ الأعْ

دَاءُ في رِفْعَةٍ وعِزِّ جَنَابِ

دَاءُ في رِفْعَةٍ وعِزِّ جَنَابِ

Fare well and flourish—even, to

So live in safety and bliss, though the enemies be humbled,

the enemies’ chagrin, in loftiness, might, and dignity of station.

In lofty rank and an honored station.