يا مَن يُبادِلُني عِشقاً بِسُلوانِ

يا مَن يُبادِلُني عِشقاً بِسُلوانِ

أَم مَن يُصَيِّرُ لي شُغلاً بِإِنسانِ

أَم مَن يُصَيِّرُ لي شُغلاً بِإِنسانِ

O you who exchange love with me for forgetfulness,

O you who reciprocates love with tranquility

O you who exchanges my passion for indifference,

or who make me preoccupied with someone,

Or makes a human my sole preoccupation

Or assigns me the preoccupation of a single soul,

كَيما أَكونَ لَهُ عَبداً يُقارِضُني

كَيما أَكونَ لَهُ عَبداً يُقارِضُني

وَصلاً بِوَصلٍ وَهُجراناً بِهُجرانِ

وَصلاً بِوَصلٍ وَهُجراناً بِهُجرانِ

so that I may be his slave, and he may requite me

So I may be his slave, lending and borrowing

That I might become a slave to one who repays me—

union for union, and estrangement for estrangement.

Affection for affection, estrangement for estrangement

Union for union, and abandonment for abandonment.

إِذا اِلتَقَينا بِصُلحٍ بَعدَ مَعتَبَةٍ

إِذا اِلتَقَينا بِصُلحٍ بَعدَ مَعتَبَةٍ

لَم نَفتَرِق بَعدَ مَوعودٍ لِلُقيانِ

لَم نَفتَرِق بَعدَ مَوعودٍ لِلُقيانِ

When we meet in reconciliation after reproach,

If we are reconciled after discord

If we meet in peace after mutual reproach,

we do not part after the promised reunion.

We will not part again after promising reunion

We part not after a promise to meet again.

أَقولُ وَالعيسُ تَعرَوري الفَلاةَ بِنا

أَقولُ وَالعيسُ تَعرَوري الفَلاةَ بِنا

صُعرَ الأَزِمَّةِ مِن مَثنىً وَوُحدانِ

صُعرَ الأَزِمَّةِ مِن مَثنىً وَوُحدانِ

I say, as the pale camels carry us across the bare desert,

I say while al-ʿAys wanders the wilderness with us

I speak while white camels traverse the wilderness with us,

their reins askew, in pairs and singly,

The hardy pair terrified by the crisis

Their necks twisted aside by the reins, in pairs and alone,

لِذاتِ لَوثٍ عَفَرناةٍ عُذافِرَةٍ

لِذاتِ لَوثٍ عَفَرناةٍ عُذافِرَةٍ

كَأَنَّ تَضبيرَها تَضبيرُ بُنيانِ

كَأَنَّ تَضبيرَها تَضبيرُ بُنيانِ

to a powerful she-camel, sturdy and massive,

For an unkempt, dusty, filthy creature

Mounted on a sturdy beast, strong-necked and robust,

as though her solid build were the structure of a building:

As if her saddle pads are the bricks of a building

Whose compacted form is like the solidity of a fortress wall.

يا ناقُ لا تَسأَمي أَو تَبلُغي مَلِكاً

يا ناقُ لا تَسأَمي أَو تَبلُغي مَلِكاً

تَقبيلُ راحَتِهِ وَالرُكنِ سِيّانِ

تَقبيلُ راحَتِهِ وَالرُكنِ سِيّانِ

O she-camel, do not tire until you reach a king

O she-camel, do not tire or reach a king

O she-camel, do not weary until you reach a king,

kissing whose palm is the same as kissing the Kaaba's Corner.

Kissing his palm is equal to the corner [of the Kaaba]

Whose palm is kissed with reverence equal to the Holy Stone.

مَتى تَحُطّي إِلَيهِ الرَحلَ سالِمَةً

مَتى تَحُطّي إِلَيهِ الرَحلَ سالِمَةً

تَستَجمِعي الخَلقَ في تِمثالِ إِنسانِ

تَستَجمِعي الخَلقَ في تِمثالِ إِنسانِ

When you set down the saddle beside him, safe and sound,

When will you arrive there in peace

When you safely cast down your saddle before him,

you will find all creation gathered in the form of one man.

And gather all people into the image of a human

You shall find all of creation gathered in the form of one man.

مُقابَلٌ بَينَ أَملاكٍ تُفَضِّلُهُ

مُقابَلٌ بَينَ أَملاكٍ تُفَضِّلُهُ

وِلادَتانِ مِنَ المَنصورِ ثِنتانِ

وِلادَتانِ مِنَ المَنصورِ ثِنتانِ

Noble on both sides among kings, he is exalted by

A counterpart among dominions he prefers

Esteemed on both sides, favored above other kings,

two lines of descent, both from al-Mansur.

Two births from al-Manṣūr are two

Descending twice from the lineage of Al-Mansur.

مَدَّ الإِلَهُ عَلَيهِ ظِلَّ مَملَكَةٍ

مَدَّ الإِلَهُ عَلَيهِ ظِلَّ مَملَكَةٍ

يَلقى القَصِيُّ بِها وَالأَقرَبَ الداني

يَلقى القَصِيُّ بِها وَالأَقرَبَ الداني

God has spread over him the shade of a kingdom,

God spread over him the shade of a kingdom

God has extended over him the shadow of sovereignty,

where the far-off meets with the nearest, close at hand.

The distant and the near bask in it

Within which the distant stranger meets the closest kin.

إِن يُمسِكِ القَطرُ لا تُمسِك مَواهِبُهُ

إِن يُمسِكِ القَطرُ لا تُمسِك مَواهِبُهُ

وَلِيُّ عَهدٍ يَداهُ تَستَهِلّانِ

وَلِيُّ عَهدٍ يَداهُ تَستَهِلّانِ

If the rain ceases, his gifts do not cease:

If the rain stops, his gifts do not stop

Though the rain may withhold its fall, his gifts never cease,

an heir apparent whose two hands pour like rain.

The heir apparent, his hands giving generously

A Crown Prince whose hands pour forth generosity like rain.

هُوَ الَّذي قَدَرَ اللَهُ القَضاءَ لَهُ

هُوَ الَّذي قَدَرَ اللَهُ القَضاءَ لَهُ

أَلّا يَكونَ لَهُ في فَضلِهِ ثانِ

أَلّا يَكونَ لَهُ في فَضلِهِ ثانِ

He is the one for whom God ordained the decree:

He whom God decreed supremacy

It is he for whom God has ordained the decree,

that he should have no equal in his excellence.

None can match his superiority

That in his virtue, he shall have no equal.

هُوَ الَّذي اِمتَحَنَ اللَهُ القُلوبَ بِهِ

هُوَ الَّذي اِمتَحَنَ اللَهُ القُلوبَ بِهِ

عَمّا تُجَمجِمُ مِن كُفرٍ وَإيمانِ

عَمّا تُجَمجِمُ مِن كُفرٍ وَإيمانِ

He is the one through whom God has tested hearts

He whom God tested the hearts with

He is the one by whom God has tested the hearts of men,

for the unbelief and faith they conceal.

Of what they secretly harbor of faith or disbelief

Revealing what they conceal of infidelity and faith.

وَإِنَّ قَوماً رَجَوا إِبطالَ حَقَّكُمُ

وَإِنَّ قَوماً رَجَوا إِبطالَ حَقَّكُمُ

أَمسَوا مِنَ اللَهِ في سُخطٍ وَعِصيانِ

أَمسَوا مِنَ اللَهِ في سُخطٍ وَعِصيانِ

And indeed, those who hoped to annul your right

Though some hope to nullify your rights

There are those who hoped to nullify your right,

have fallen under God's wrath and into disobedience.

They earned God's wrath and defiance

But they ended in God's wrath and disobedience.

لَن يَدفَعوا حَقَّكُم إِلّا بِدَفعِهُمُ

لَن يَدفَعوا حَقَّكُم إِلّا بِدَفعِهُمُ

ما أَنزَلَ اللَهُ مِن آيٍ وَبُرهانِ

ما أَنزَلَ اللَهُ مِن آيٍ وَبُرهانِ

They will not deny your right except by denying

They will not repel your rights unless they repel

They cannot deny your right without denying

the verses and proof that God has sent down.

What God revealed of signs and proofs

What God has revealed of holy verses and clear proofs.

فَقَلِّدوها بَني العَبّاسِ إِنَّهُمُ

فَقَلِّدوها بَني العَبّاسِ إِنَّهُمُ

صِنوُ النَبِيِّ وَأَنتُم غَيرُ صِنوانِ

صِنوُ النَبِيِّ وَأَنتُم غَيرُ صِنوانِ

So entrust it to the sons of al-Abbas, for they

So grant it, O Abbasids, they are

So entrust the rule to the Sons of Abbas, for they are

are of the Prophet's stock, while you are not of that stock.

The Prophet's clan, while you are not

The Prophet's own branch, while you are but strangers.

وَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ سَيفاً فَوقَ هامِهِمُ

وَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ سَيفاً فَوقَ هامِهِمُ

بِكَفِّ أَبلَجَ لا ضَرعٍ وَلا وانِ

بِكَفِّ أَبلَجَ لا ضَرعٍ وَلا وانِ

And indeed, God has a sword above their heads,

God has a sword over their necks

For God holds a sword poised above their heads,

in the hand of a bright-browed man, neither feeble nor flagging.

In the grip of a fierce, unrelenting hand

Wielded by a noble hand, neither feeble nor slack.

يَستَيقِظُ المَوتُ مِنهُ عِندَ هِزَّتِهِ

يَستَيقِظُ المَوتُ مِنهُ عِندَ هِزَّتِهِ

فَالمَوتُ مِن نائِمٍ فيهِ وَيَقظانِ

فَالمَوتُ مِن نائِمٍ فيهِ وَيَقظانِ

Death awakens from it when it is brandished;

Death awakens startled by its brandishing

Death awakens from the blade when he brandishes it,

for within it death sleeps and wakes.

Death sleeps within it, and wakefulness

For within it, death lies both sleeping and awake.

مُحَمَّدٌ خَيرُ مَن يَمشي عَلى قَدَمِ

مُحَمَّدٌ خَيرُ مَن يَمشي عَلى قَدَمِ

مِمَّن بَرا اللَهُ مِن إِنسٍ وَمِن جانِ

مِمَّن بَرا اللَهُ مِن إِنسٍ وَمِن جانِ

Muhammad is the best of those who walk on foot,

Muḥammad is the best of those who walk

Muhammad is the best of all who walk upon the earth,

among those God created, human beings and jinn.

Of humans or jinn God created

Of all that God created, among mankind and Jinn.