أَشاقَكَ بِالمَلا دِمَنٌ عَوافِ

أَشاقَكَ بِالمَلا دِمَنٌ عَوافِ

عَفاها القَطرُ بَعدَكَ وَالسَوافي

عَفاها القَطرُ بَعدَكَ وَالسَوافي

Have faded campsite traces at al-Malā stirred your longing?

Your love has consumed me with passion's fire,

Rain and sand-bearing winds erased them after you left.

Though rain has quenched it since you did retire.

هَفا وَقُلوبُ هذا الخَلقِ طُرّاً

هَفا وَقُلوبُ هذا الخَلقِ طُرّاً

إِلى أَوطانِها أَبَداً هَوافِ

إِلى أَوطانِها أَبَداً هَوافِ

The heart yearned; the hearts of all these people

Alas, all hearts in this realm wander distraught,

forever yearn toward their homelands.

Forever homesick, restless for their desire.

لَيالِيَ إِذ نَحُلُّ بِها جَميعاً

لَيالِيَ إِذ نَحُلُّ بِها جَميعاً

وَلَيسَ سِوى المَوَدَّةِ وَالتَصافي

وَلَيسَ سِوى المَوَدَّةِ وَالتَصافي

Those nights when we all dwelt there,

On nights when we would gather, all as one,

with nothing but affection and mutual goodwill,

Naught between us but affection's gentle ties.

إِلى أَن قَدَّرَ الرَحمَنُ أَمراً

إِلى أَن قَدَّرَ الرَحمَنُ أَمراً

فَأُظهِرَتِ القَطيعَةُ وَالتَجافي

فَأُظهِرَتِ القَطيعَةُ وَالتَجافي

until the All-Merciful decreed a matter,

Till the Merciful ordained another fate-

and separation and estrangement were made manifest.

Division's breach appeared, fondness devised.

دَعا الناسَ النَبِيُّ إِلى رَشادٍ

دَعا الناسَ النَبِيُّ إِلى رَشادٍ

فَلَم يَرَ فيهِ مِنّا مِن خِلافِ

فَلَم يَرَ فيهِ مِنّا مِن خِلافِ

The Prophet called the people to right guidance,

The Prophet called the people unto guidance;

and saw no opposition to it from us.

From us no dissent did he espy.

أَجَبناهُ إِلى ما شاءَ مِنّا

أَجَبناهُ إِلى ما شاءَ مِنّا

فَآوانا إِلى حُسنِ اِئتِلافِ

فَآوانا إِلى حُسنِ اِئتِلافِ

We answered him in what he wished of us,

We answered, heeding what he wished of us,

and he sheltered us in gracious concord:

Embracing unity and harmony.

إِلى تَوحيدِ خَلّاقِ البَرايا

إِلى تَوحيدِ خَلّاقِ البَرايا

وَكُفرٍ بِالحِجارَةِ وَاللِخافِ

وَكُفرٍ بِالحِجارَةِ وَاللِخافِ

affirming the oneness of the Creator of all beings,

Professing One God, shunning all idols,

and rejecting stones and stone slabs;

False statues of wood, stone, and naïve prize.

عَلى خَمسِ الصَلاةِ وَصَومِ شَهرٍ

عَلى خَمسِ الصَلاةِ وَصَومِ شَهرٍ

وَإيتاءِ الزَكاةِ بِلا اِقتِفافِ

وَإيتاءِ الزَكاةِ بِلا اِقتِفافِ

observing the five prayers and fasting for a month,

Performing the five prayers and fasting one month,

and paying alms without pilfering;

Paying the alms, no fraction to disguise.

وَإِدناءِ اليَتيمِ بِحُسنِ رِفقٍ

وَإِدناءِ اليَتيمِ بِحُسنِ رِفقٍ

وَبِرٍّ بِالقَرابَةِ وَالقِضافِ

وَبِرٍّ بِالقَرابَةِ وَالقِضافِ

drawing the orphan near with gentle care,

Sheltering the orphan with utmost kindness,

and kindness to kin and the gaunt.

And doing good by kith and kin likewise,

وَفي هذا الفِعالِ تُقىً وَبِرٌّ

وَفي هذا الفِعالِ تُقىً وَبِرٌّ

وَإِكمالُ المَروءَةِ وَالعَفافِ

وَإِكمالُ المَروءَةِ وَالعَفافِ

In these deeds are piety and goodness,

This conduct embodies piety and righteousness,

and the perfection of noble character and chastity.

Perfection of chivalry, of dignities.

وَأَدبَرَ عَنهُ أَقوامٌ كَثيرٌ

وَأَدبَرَ عَنهُ أَقوامٌ كَثيرٌ

نَفاهُم عَن تُقى الرَحمنِ نافِ

نَفاهُم عَن تُقى الرَحمنِ نافِ

And many peoples turned away from him;

Yet many shunned it, in numbers considerate,

a banisher drove them from reverence for the All-Merciful.

Barred by their blindness from the Merciful's prize.

وَقالوا الحَربُ قُلنا الحَربُ أَدنى

وَقالوا الحَربُ قُلنا الحَربُ أَدنى

لِإِبراءِ النُفوسِ مِنَ اِقتِرافِ

لِإِبراءِ النُفوسِ مِنَ اِقتِرافِ

They said, "War!" We said, "War is nearer

When war was declared, lo, we declared it too,

to absolving souls of wrongdoing."

To absolve our souls from accumulating vice.

صُباحِيّاتُنا كَنُجومِ لَيلٍ

صُباحِيّاتُنا كَنُجومِ لَيلٍ

مُحَدَّدَةٌ كَأَطرافِ الأَشافي

مُحَدَّدَةٌ كَأَطرافِ الأَشافي

Our Ṣubāḥī blades are like stars of night,

Our dawns were stars in darkest night,

sharpened like the points of awls.

As spear-points defined in silhouette's guise.

وَساقَيناهُمُ مَوتاً ذُعافاً

وَساقَيناهُمُ مَوتاً ذُعافاً

فَلَم يَنجوا مِنَ المَوتِ الذُعافِ

فَلَم يَنجوا مِنَ المَوتِ الذُعافِ

And we made them drink swiftly fatal death,

We brought them death, relentlessly,

so they did not escape that swiftly fatal death.

None escaped from that mortal enterprise.

وَراموا النِصفَ مِنّا فَاِنتَصَفنا

وَراموا النِصفَ مِنّا فَاِنتَصَفنا

مِنَ الأَعداءِ أَبلَغَ ما اِنتِصافِ

مِنَ الأَعداءِ أَبلَغَ ما اِنتِصافِ

And they sought redress from us; we exacted redress

When they sought to destroy half of us, we avenged

from our enemies—the fullest redress.

Ourselves upon the foe, complete redress devised.

وَأَعتَبناهُمُ إِذِ اَعتَبونا

وَأَعتَبناهُمُ إِذِ اَعتَبونا

ببيضِ الهِندِ وَالسُمرِ القِضافِ

ببيضِ الهِندِ وَالسُمرِ القِضافِ

And we gave them grief when they had grieved us,

We blamed them when they blamed us first,

with India's white swords and slender brown spears.

With swords white as palm-shoots, keen and concise.

رِماحٌ مِن رُدَينَةُ ما اِستُجيبَت

رِماحٌ مِن رُدَينَةُ ما اِستُجيبَت

مُقاماتُ المُتونِ عَلى النِقافِ

مُقاماتُ المُتونِ عَلى النِقافِ

Spears from Rudayna—no answer was given

Spear-shafts of Rudainah's making, their destiny sealed,

to their shafts held upright above the skulls.

As the horsemen's pillars thrust forth in swift enterprise.

وَخَيراتُ القِسِيِّ تُطيرُ عَنّا

وَخَيراتُ القِسِيِّ تُطيرُ عَنّا

رِشاقَ المُقعَدِيّاتِ الخِفافِ

رِشاقَ المُقعَدِيّاتِ الخِفافِ

And the finest bows send flying from us

The excellent arrows of Qais scatter all troubles,

slender, lightweight Muqʿadī arrows.

Repulsing the flimsy quivered missiles of rivals.

إِذا اِزدَلَفوا لَنا يَوماً دَلَفنا

إِذا اِزدَلَفوا لَنا يَوماً دَلَفنا

إِلى هاماتِهِم أَيَّ اِزدِلافِ

إِلى هاماتِهِم أَيَّ اِزدِلافِ

If they advanced toward us on any day, we advanced

Whenever they approach, we turn to confront them,

toward their heads—what an advance!

Rushing to meet their advance, no surprise.

فَأَودَعنا رُؤوسَهُمُ ذُكوراً

فَأَودَعنا رُؤوسَهُمُ ذُكوراً

نَقُدُّ بِها إِلى حَجَفِ الشَغافِ

نَقُدُّ بِها إِلى حَجَفِ الشَغافِ

So we lodged hard steel blades in their heads,

We deposit their heads as prizes for our maidens,

cleaving with them down to the heart's shielding sheath.

To recompense suitors at the marriage-feast's height.

أَصَبنا ضِعفَ ما كانوا أَصابوا

أَصَبنا ضِعفَ ما كانوا أَصابوا

وَلَيسَ عَلى السَواءِ وَلا التَكافي

وَلَيسَ عَلى السَواءِ وَلا التَكافي

We inflicted twice what they had inflicted,

We gained double the losses they inflicted,

yet there was neither equality nor parity.

No equality this, nor even disguise!

فَآبَ المُسلِمونَ إِلى جِنانٍ

فَآبَ المُسلِمونَ إِلى جِنانٍ

يُسَقَّونَ العُضارِسَ بِالسُلافِ

يُسَقَّونَ العُضارِسَ بِالسُلافِ

So the Muslims returned to gardens,

So the Muslims retired to Gardens serene,

where they are served cold water with pure wine.

Quenched by pure wine and the houris' delight.

وَراحَ المُشرِكونَ إِلى شَرابٍ

وَراحَ المُشرِكونَ إِلى شَرابٍ

حَميمٍ شيبَ بِالسُمِّ المُذافِ

حَميمٍ شيبَ بِالسُمِّ المُذافِ

And the polytheists went off to a drink

While the pagans retired to scalding liquors,

of scalding water mixed with dissolved poison.

Boiling with venom, an evil device.

وَأُبنا غانِمينَ بِذا وَهذا

وَأُبنا غانِمينَ بِذا وَهذا

حَوالي خَيرِ مُنتَعِلٍ وَحافِ

حَوالي خَيرِ مُنتَعِلٍ وَحافِ

And we returned with gains from both of these,

We emerged as victors with these and those spoils,

around the best of the sandaled and the barefoot.

The finest garb and the fairest prize.