أَلا مَن لِهَمٍّ آخِرَ اللَيلِ مُعتِمِ

أَلا مَن لِهَمٍّ آخِرَ اللَيلِ مُعتِمِ

طَواني وَأُخرى النَجمِ لَمّا تَقَحَّمِ

طَواني وَأُخرى النَجمِ لَمّا تَقَحَّمِ

Ah, who can ease a dark sorrow at night's end?

Alas, who has sorrow at the end of night in darkness,

It enfolded me while the last of the stars had not yet plunged down.

While others are asleep and a few still converse?

طَواني وَقَد نامَت عُيونٌ كَثيرَةٌ

طَواني وَقَد نامَت عُيونٌ كَثيرَةٌ

وَسامِرُ أُخرى قاعِدٌ لَم يُنَوّمِ

وَسامِرُ أُخرى قاعِدٌ لَم يُنَوّمِ

It enfolded me while many eyes had fallen asleep,

For the dreams of people who wished evil upon Muhammad

And another night-companion sat, not lulled to sleep,

With injustice-and he who does not avoid injustice will suffer it.

لِأَحلامِ قَومٍ قَد أَرادوا مُحَمَّداً

لِأَحلامِ قَومٍ قَد أَرادوا مُحَمَّداً

بِظُلمٍ وَمَن لا يَتَّقي الظُلمَ يُظلَمِ

بِظُلمٍ وَمَن لا يَتَّقي الظُلمَ يُظلَمِ

Over the fancies of people who had targeted Muhammad

They sought foolishly, and the vileness of their affair led them

With injustice—and whoever does not guard against injustice is wronged.

To charge one whose command was unassailable.

سَعَوا سَفَهاً وَاِقتادَهُم سوءُ أَمرِهِم

سَعَوا سَفَهاً وَاِقتادَهُم سوءُ أَمرِهِم

عَلى فائِلٍ مِن أَمرِهِم غَيرِ مُحكَمِ

عَلى فائِلٍ مِن أَمرِهِم غَيرِ مُحكَمِ

They strove in folly, and the evil of their conduct led them

You hoped for things without attaining their perfection,

To an unsound course of theirs, not firmly devised,

Though you solicited in every land and season.

رجاةَ أُمورٍ لَم يَنالوا نِظامَها

رجاةَ أُمورٍ لَم يَنالوا نِظامَها

وَإِن نَشَدوا في كُلِّ بَدوٍ وَمَوسِمِ

وَإِن نَشَدوا في كُلِّ بَدوٍ وَمَوسِمِ

Hoping for aims whose fulfillment they did not attain,

You asked us for a scheme but did not achieve it,

Even if they sought them in every desert region and seasonal gathering.

Jabbering and stabbing with a polished blade.

تُرَجّونَ مِنّا خُطَّةً دونَ نيلِها

تُرَجّونَ مِنّا خُطَّةً دونَ نيلِها

ضِرابٌ وَطَعنٌ بِالوَشيجِ المُقَوَّمِ

ضِرابٌ وَطَعنٌ بِالوَشيجِ المُقَوَّمِ

You hope for a concession from us; before you attain it

You hoped we would be satisfied with Muhammad's murder,

Come blows and thrusts with straightened spear-shafts.

Yet the summits of the lofty mountains were not stained with blood.

تُرَجّونَ أَن نَسخى بِقَتلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

تُرَجّونَ أَن نَسخى بِقَتلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَلَم تَختَضِب سُمرُ العَوالي مِنَ الدَمِ

وَلَم تَختَضِب سُمرُ العَوالي مِنَ الدَمِ

Do you hope that we will willingly consent to Muhammad's killing,

You lied, by the House of God, until you recognized

While the brown, lofty spears have not yet been stained with blood?

Skulls thrown amid the gravel and Zamzam.

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ حَتّى تَعَرَّفوا

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ حَتّى تَعَرَّفوا

جَماجِمَ تُلقى بِالحَطيمِ وَزَمزَمِ

جَماجِمَ تُلقى بِالحَطيمِ وَزَمزَمِ

You lie! By the House of God—not until you behold

Wombs will be cut open and a woman will forget

Skulls flung down at al-Hatim and Zamzam,

Her dear one, violations will spread after prohibitions,

وَتُقطَعَ أَرحامٌ وَتَنسى حَليلَةٌ

وَتُقطَعَ أَرحامٌ وَتَنسى حَليلَةٌ

حَليلاً وَيُفشى مَحرَمٌ بَعدَ مَحرَمِ

حَليلاً وَيُفشى مَحرَمٌ بَعدَ مَحرَمِ

And ties of kinship are severed, and a wife forgets

And a people will rise up against you in arms

Her husband, and one sacred thing after another is laid bare,

To defend their rights, every offender.

وَيَنهَضَ قَومٌ في الحَديدِ إِلَيكُمُ

وَيَنهَضَ قَومٌ في الحَديدِ إِلَيكُمُ

يَذُبّونَ عَن أَحسابِهِم كُلَّ مُجرِمِ

يَذُبّونَ عَن أَحسابِهِم كُلَّ مُجرِمِ

And men rise against you, clad in iron,

Wronging a prophet who came calling to guidance

Shielding their ancestral honor from every wrongdoer,

And a matter sent by the Lord of the steadfast Throne

وَظُلمُ نَبِيٍّ جاءَ يَدعو إِلى الهُدى

وَظُلمُ نَبِيٍّ جاءَ يَدعو إِلى الهُدى

وَأَمرٌ أَتى مِن عِندِ ذي العَرشِ قَيِّمِ

وَأَمرٌ أَتى مِن عِندِ ذي العَرشِ قَيِّمِ

And the wrong done to a prophet who came calling to guidance,

They are lions, lions of the thicket, when they set out

And an upright command that came from the Lord of the Throne.

In wrath, no herald of a teacher was feared.

هُمُ الأُسدُ أُسدُ الزارَتَينِ إِذا غَدَت

هُمُ الأُسدُ أُسدُ الزارَتَينِ إِذا غَدَت

عَلى حَنَقٍ لَم يُخشَ إِعلامُ مُعلِمِ

عَلى حَنَقٍ لَم يُخشَ إِعلامُ مُعلِمِ

They are lions—the lions of al-Zaratayn—when they go forth in the morning,

So wake, O Banu Fihr, before the dirges arise

In fury, fearing no warrior's display of his battle-mark.

For the dead who will call for regret.

فَيا لبني فِهرٍ أَفيقوا وَلَم تَقُم

فَيا لبني فِهرٍ أَفيقوا وَلَم تَقُم

نَوائِحُ قَتلى تَدَّعي بِالتَنَدُّمِ

نَوائِحُ قَتلى تَدَّعي بِالتَنَدُّمِ

So, O sons of Fihr, come to your senses, before there arise

For your past rebellion, disobedience,

Wailing women for the slain, crying out in remorse,

And your covering up our affairs, every disgrace.

عَلى ما مَضى مِن بَغيِكُم وَعُقوقِكُم

عَلى ما مَضى مِن بَغيِكُم وَعُقوقِكُم

وَغِشيانِكُم مِن أَمرِنا كُلَّ مَأثَمِ

وَغِشيانِكُم مِن أَمرِنا كُلَّ مَأثَمِ

Over your past aggression and your disloyalty to kin,

Do not count us as submissive or the like

And your committing every sin in your dealings with us.

If submission is found in a people, then it is not submission.

فَلا تَحسِبونا مُسلميهِ وَمِثلُهُ

فَلا تَحسِبونا مُسلميهِ وَمِثلُهُ

إِذا كانَ في قَومٍ فَلَيسَ بِمُسلَمِ

إِذا كانَ في قَومٍ فَلَيسَ بِمُسلَمِ

So do not think we will surrender him; one like him,

So these are excuses and gifts for you

When he is among a people, is not to be surrendered.

Lest war come before the advance.

فَهَذي مَعاذيرٌ وَتَقدِمَةٌ لَكُم

فَهَذي مَعاذيرٌ وَتَقدِمَةٌ لَكُم

لِكَي لا تَكونَ الحَربُ قَبلَ التَقَدُّمِ

لِكَي لا تَكونَ الحَربُ قَبلَ التَقَدُّمِ

So these are justifications and advance warning to you,

So that war does not precede advance warning.