أَيا راكِباً نَحوَ الجَزيرَةِ جَسرَةً

أَيا راكِباً نَحوَ الجَزيرَةِ جَسرَةً

عُذافِرَةً إِنَّ الحَديثَ شُجونُ

عُذافِرَةً إِنَّ الحَديثَ شُجونُ

O rider toward al-Jazira on a sturdy she-camel,

O rider toward the bridge over to the island

powerfully built—for talk has many branches—

With doves, verily, speaking is full of sorrows

مِنَ الموخِداتِ الضُمَّرِ اللاءِ وَخدُها

مِنَ الموخِداتِ الضُمَّرِ اللاءِ وَخدُها

كَفيلٌ بِحاجاتِ الرِجالِ ضَمينُ

كَفيلٌ بِحاجاتِ الرِجالِ ضَمينُ

one of the lean, swift-striding camels whose stride

Of the pronouncers, the hidden plural, and her cheek

guarantees men's needs will be met, and stands surety.

Sufficient for men's needs, caring

تَحَمَّل إِلى القاضي سَلامي وَقُل لَهُ

تَحَمَّل إِلى القاضي سَلامي وَقُل لَهُ

أَلا إِنَّ قَلبي مُذ حَزِنتَ حَزينُ

أَلا إِنَّ قَلبي مُذ حَزِنتَ حَزينُ

Carry my greetings to the judge, and tell him:

Bear to the judge my greetings, and tell him

Know that my heart has been sorrowful ever since you grieved.

Indeed, since you grieved, my heart has been sad

وَإِنَّ فُؤادي لِاِفتِقادِ أَسيرِهِ

وَإِنَّ فُؤادي لِاِفتِقادِ أَسيرِهِ

أَسيرٌ بِأَيدي الحادِثاتِ رَهينُ

أَسيرٌ بِأَيدي الحادِثاتِ رَهينُ

And indeed my heart, from missing its captive,

And my inner self for missing its captive

is captive, a hostage in the hands of calamities.

Is captive in the hands of events, hostage

أُحاوِلُ كِتمانَ الَّذي بي مِنَ الأَسى

أُحاوِلُ كِتمانَ الَّذي بي مِنَ الأَسى

وَتَأبى غُروبٌ ثَرَّةٌ وَشُؤونُ

وَتَأبى غُروبٌ ثَرَّةٌ وَشُؤونُ

I try to conceal the sorrow within me,

I try to conceal what sadness is in me

but copious streams of tears and tear ducts will not let me.

But a teeming sunset refuses and sorrows

بِمَن أَنا في الدُنيا عَلى السِرِّ واثِقٌ

بِمَن أَنا في الدُنيا عَلى السِرِّ واثِقٌ

وَطَرفي نَمومٌ وَالدُموعُ تَخونُ

وَطَرفي نَمومٌ وَالدُموعُ تَخونُ

Whom in this world can I trust with my secret,

To whom can I in life confide my secret

when my eye tells tales and my tears betray me?

While my eyelid slumbers and tears betray

يَضِنُّ زَماني بِالثِقاتِ وَإِنَّني

يَضِنُّ زَماني بِالثِقاتِ وَإِنَّني

بِسِرّي عَلى غَيرِ الثُقاتِ ضَنينُ

بِسِرّي عَلى غَيرِ الثُقاتِ ضَنينُ

My times are stingy with trustworthy people, and I

My time is stingy with trusted friends, and I

withhold my secret from those who cannot be trusted.

With my secret, am stingy toward the untrusted

لَعَلَّ زَماناً بِالمَسَرَّةِ يَنثَني

لَعَلَّ زَماناً بِالمَسَرَّةِ يَنثَني

وَعَطفَةَ دَهرٍ بِاللِقاءِ تَكونُ

وَعَطفَةَ دَهرٍ بِاللِقاءِ تَكونُ

Perhaps time will turn again with joy,

Perhaps a time will unfold with joy

and a kindly turn of fate will bring reunion.

And a moment of fate will bring reunion

أَلا لايَرى الأَعداءُ فيكَ غَضاضَةً

أَلا لايَرى الأَعداءُ فيكَ غَضاضَةً

فَلِلدَهرِ بُؤسٌ قَد عَلِمتَ وَلينُ

فَلِلدَهرِ بُؤسٌ قَد عَلِمتَ وَلينُ

Heed this: let your enemies see no weakness in you,

Indeed, let not the enemies see weakness in you

for fate brings hardship—as you know—and ease.

For fate is misery, you know, and soft

وَأَعظَمُ ماكانَت هُمومُكَ تَنجَلي

وَأَعظَمُ ماكانَت هُمومُكَ تَنجَلي

وَأَصعَبُ ماكانَ الزَمانُ يَهونُ

وَأَصعَبُ ماكانَ الزَمانُ يَهونُ

And your cares, even at their greatest, will clear away,

The greatest of your worries will be relieved

and time, even at its harshest, will grow easier.

And the hardest times will become easy

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَنا الدَهرَ واحِدٌ

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَنا الدَهرَ واحِدٌ

قَريناً لَهُ حُسنُ الوَفاءِ قَرينُ

قَريناً لَهُ حُسنُ الوَفاءِ قَرينُ

Ah, would I knew: am I forever alone,

Oh, would that I knew, am I time itself

as a companion whose companion is true fidelity?

Its companion, good faith my mate?

فَأَشكو وَيَشكو مابِقَلبي وَقَلبِهِ

فَأَشكو وَيَشكو مابِقَلبي وَقَلبِهِ

كِلانا عَلى نَجوى أَخيهِ أَمينُ

كِلانا عَلى نَجوى أَخيهِ أَمينُ

So I lament, and he laments, what is in my heart and his;

So I complain and it complains what is in my heart and its

each of us faithful to his brother's confidences.

Both of us trusting the intimate talk of a brother

وَفي بَعضِ مَن يُلقي إِلَيكَ مَوَدَّةً

وَفي بَعضِ مَن يُلقي إِلَيكَ مَوَدَّةً

عَدُوٌّ إِذا كَشَّفتَ عَنهُ مُبينُ

عَدُوٌّ إِذا كَشَّفتَ عَنهُ مُبينُ

And within some who offer you affection

And in some who show you affection

lies an enemy, plain to see when you unmask him.

Is an enemy, when you expose him, evident

إِذا غَيَّرَ البُعدُ الهَوى فَهَوى أَبي

إِذا غَيَّرَ البُعدُ الهَوى فَهَوى أَبي

حُصَينٍ مَنيعٌ في الفُؤادِ حَصينُ

حُصَينٍ مَنيعٌ في الفُؤادِ حَصينُ

If distance changes love, then love for Abu

If distance changes love, the love of my father

Ḥuṣayn is unassailable in the heart, well fortified.

Is an impregnable fortress within my heart

فَلا بَرِحَت بِالحاسِدينَ كَآبَةٌ

فَلا بَرِحَت بِالحاسِدينَ كَآبَةٌ

وَلا هَجَعَت لِلشامِتينَ عُيونُ

وَلا هَجَعَت لِلشامِتينَ عُيونُ

So may gloom never leave the envious,

So the envious do not cease in gloom

and may the eyes of those who gloat never sleep.

Nor the gloating find rest for their eyes