أَلا حَيِّ العُقابَ وَقاطِنيهِ

أَلا حَيِّ العُقابَ وَقاطِنيهِ

وَقُل أَهلاً بِهِ وَبِزائِريهِ

وَقُل أَهلاً بِهِ وَبِزائِريهِ

Come, salute al-ʿUqāb and those who dwell there,

Come, greet al-‘Uqab and its inhabitants,

and bid it and its visitors welcome.

And bid it and its visitors welcome.

حَلَلتُ بِهِ فَنَفَّسَ ما بِنَفسي

حَلَلتُ بِهِ فَنَفَّسَ ما بِنَفسي

وَأَنَّسَني فَما اِستَوحَشتُ فيهِ

وَأَنَّسَني فَما اِستَوحَشتُ فيهِ

I alighted there, and it eased what weighed upon my soul

I settled there, and it eased what weighed upon my soul,

and kept me company, so I felt no loneliness there.

And comforted me, so I felt no loneliness there.

وَكَم ذيبٍ نُجاوِرَهُ وَلَكِن

وَكَم ذيبٍ نُجاوِرَهُ وَلَكِن

رَأَيتُ الذِئبَ أَسلَمَ مِن فَقيهِ

رَأَيتُ الذِئبَ أَسلَمَ مِن فَقيهِ

How many a wolf we live beside! And yet

And we live beside many a wolf, yet

I have found the wolf less dangerous than a jurist.

I have found the wolf safer than a jurist.

وَلَم أَجزَع لِفَقدِ أَخٍ لِأَني

وَلَم أَجزَع لِفَقدِ أَخٍ لِأَني

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ يُؤتى مِن أَخيهِ

رَأَيتُ المَرءَ يُؤتى مِن أَخيهِ

I did not grieve at the loss of a brother, for

Nor was I distraught at the loss of a brother, for I

I have seen a man brought low through his own brother.

Had seen a man come to harm through his brother.

وَأَيأَسَني مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَنّي

وَأَيأَسَني مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَنّي

رَأَيتُ الوَجهَ يَزهَدُ في الوَجيهِ

رَأَيتُ الوَجهَ يَزهَدُ في الوَجيهِ

What made me despair of the days was that I

And what made me despair of the days was that I

saw one notable disdain another eminent man.

Had seen the face turn away from the man of standing.

فَآثَرتُ البِعادَ عَلى التَّداني

فَآثَرتُ البِعادَ عَلى التَّداني

لِأَنّي لَم أَجِد مَن أَصطَفيهِ

لِأَنّي لَم أَجِد مَن أَصطَفيهِ

So I preferred distance to intimacy,

So I preferred distance to drawing near,

because I found no one whom I would choose as a companion.

For I found no one to choose as a friend.