إنَّ الخَليطَ أجَدَّ البَينَ فانتَجعُوا

إنَّ الخَليطَ أجَدَّ البَينَ فانتَجعُوا

يومَ الوَدَاعِ فما جَاؤُوا ومَا رَتَعُوا

يومَ الوَدَاعِ فما جَاؤُوا ومَا رَتَعُوا

The departing company resolved upon separation and journeyed forth in search of pasture;

Indeed, the companions resolved to part and sought new pasture

on the day of farewell, they did not come, nor did they graze.

On the day of farewell; they neither came nor grazed.

واللهُ يعلَمُ أن كادَت لِبَينِهِمُ

واللهُ يعلَمُ أن كادَت لِبَينِهِمُ

يومَ الفِراق حَصَاةُ القَلبِ تَنصَدِعُ

يومَ الفِراق حَصَاةُ القَلبِ تَنصَدِعُ

God knows that, because of their departure,

And God knows how close, at their departure,

on the day of parting the very core of my heart nearly split.

The heart's stone came to cracking on the day of parting.

عَجِبتُ مِن صِبيَتي يوماً وأُمِّهِمُ

عَجِبتُ مِن صِبيَتي يوماً وأُمِّهِمُ

أمِّ الدُلامَةِ لمّا هَاجَها الجَزَعُ

أمِّ الدُلامَةِ لمّا هَاجَها الجَزَعُ

One day I marveled at my little children and their mother,

One day I marveled at my children and their mother,

Umm Dulāma, when anguish stirred her.

Umm al-Dulama, when anguish roused her.

لا باركَ اللهُ فيها مِن مُنَبِّهَةٍ

لا باركَ اللهُ فيها مِن مُنَبِّهَةٍ

هبَّت تلُوم عِيَالي بَعدَما هَجَعُوا

هبَّت تلُوم عِيَالي بَعدَما هَجَعُوا

May God not bless her as an awakener!

May God not bless her—what a wakener!

She sprang up to scold my family after they had fallen asleep.

She sprang up to scold my dependents after they had fallen asleep.

ونَحنُ مُشتَبِهُوا الألوانِ أَوجُهُنَا

ونَحنُ مُشتَبِهُوا الألوانِ أَوجُهُنَا

سُودٌ قِبَاحٌ وفي أسمائِنا شَنَعُ

سُودٌ قِبَاحٌ وفي أسمائِنا شَنَعُ

We are all alike in complexion, our faces

And we are alike in complexion; our faces

black and ugly, and even our names are hideous.

Are black and ugly, and our names are grotesque.

أذابَكَ الجُوعُ مُذ صَارَت عِيَالَتُنَا

أذابَكَ الجُوعُ مُذ صَارَت عِيَالَتُنَا

على الخَلِيفَةِ مِنهُ الرِّيُّ والشَّبَعُ

على الخَلِيفَةِ مِنهُ الرِّيُّ والشَّبَعُ

Hunger has wasted you away since our family's support fell

Hunger has melted you away since our upkeep fell

upon the caliph—from him come drink and satiety.

Upon the caliph; from him come drink and satiety.

لا والَّذي يا أمِيرَ المُؤمِنينَ قَضَى

لا والَّذي يا أمِيرَ المُؤمِنينَ قَضَى

لَكَ الخِلافَةَ في أسبَابِها الرَّفَعُ

لَكَ الخِلافَةَ في أسبَابِها الرَّفَعُ

No—by Him who, Commander of the Faithful, decreed

No—by Him who, O Commander of the Faithful, ordained

the caliphate for you, with all its paths to exaltation,

The caliphate for you, with its means of exaltation,

ما زِلتُ أُخلِصُها كَسبِي فَتَأكلُهُ

ما زِلتُ أُخلِصُها كَسبِي فَتَأكلُهُ

دُوني وَدُونَ عِيالِي ثمَّ تَضطَجِعُ

دُوني وَدُونَ عِيالِي ثمَّ تَضطَجِعُ

I have never ceased devoting my earnings entirely to her, and she eats them

I have always reserved my earnings for her, and she eats them

to the exclusion of me and my children, then lies down—

To the exclusion of me and my dependents, then lies down.

شَوهاءُ مَشنأةٌ في بَطنِها ثَجَلٌ

شَوهاءُ مَشنأةٌ في بَطنِها ثَجَلٌ

وفي المَفَاصِلِ من أوصالها فَدَعُ

وفي المَفَاصِلِ من أوصالها فَدَعُ

an ugly, loathsome woman, with a great paunch in her belly

Hideous and repulsive, with a sagging paunch,

and crookedness in the joints of her limbs.

And the joints of her limbs are crooked.

ذكّرتها بِكِتابِ اللهِ حُرمَتنا

ذكّرتها بِكِتابِ اللهِ حُرمَتنا

ولم تكن بِكِتابِ اللهِ تَنتَفِعُ

ولم تكن بِكِتابِ اللهِ تَنتَفِعُ

I reminded her, by the Book of God, of our sacred bond,

I reminded her, through God's Book, of the respect owed us,

but she would take no profit from the Book of God.

But she drew no benefit from God's Book.

فاخرَنطَمَت ثمّ قالَت وهي مُغضَبَةٌ

فاخرَنطَمَت ثمّ قالَت وهي مُغضَبَةٌ

أَأَنتَ تَتلو كِتابَ اللهِ يا لُكَعُ

أَأَنتَ تَتلو كِتابَ اللهِ يا لُكَعُ

So she bristled haughtily, then said in anger,

So she scowled, then said in anger:

“Are you the one reciting the Book of God, you base wretch?

Are you the one reciting God's Book, you fool?

اخرُج لِتَبغِ لنا مالاً ومَزرَعَةً

اخرُج لِتَبغِ لنا مالاً ومَزرَعَةً

كَمَا لِجِيرانِنا مَالٌ ومُزدَرَعُ

كَمَا لِجِيرانِنا مَالٌ ومُزدَرَعُ

Go out and seek us wealth and a farm,

Go out to seek wealth and a farm for us,

just as our neighbors have wealth and cultivated land.

Just as our neighbors have wealth and cultivated land.

واخدَع خَلِيفَتَنَا عَنها بِمسألَةٍ

واخدَع خَلِيفَتَنَا عَنها بِمسألَةٍ

إنّ الخَلِيفَةَ لِلسُّؤال يَنخَدِعُ

إنّ الخَلِيفَةَ لِلسُّؤال يَنخَدِعُ

And deceive our caliph out of it with a request—

And trick our caliph out of it with a petition,

the caliph is indeed taken in by requests.”

For the caliph is taken in by petitions.