أَلَم تَرَني مِن بَعدِ هَمٍّ هَمَمتُهُ

أَلَم تَرَني مِن بَعدِ هَمٍّ هَمَمتُهُ

بِفُرقَةِ حُرٍّ مِن أَبينَ كِرامِ

بِفُرقَةِ حُرٍّ مِن أَبينَ كِرامِ

Did you not see me, after a resolve I had formed,

Did you not see me after suffering griefs I endured

To part from a freeborn youth of noble fathers—

Parting with a noble free man from the Abna, the generous

بِأَحمَدَ لَمّا أَن شَدَدتُ مَطِيَّتي

بِأَحمَدَ لَمّا أَن شَدَدتُ مَطِيَّتي

بِرَحلي وَقَد وَدَّعتُهُ بِسَلامِ

بِرَحلي وَقَد وَدَّعتُهُ بِسَلامِ

From Ahmad—when I readied my mount

With Ahmad, when I tightened my mount's girth

With my saddle, having bidden him farewell in peace?

With my saddle, having bid him farewell in peace

فَلَمّا بَكى وَالعيسُ قَد قَلُصَت بِنا

فَلَمّا بَكى وَالعيسُ قَد قَلُصَت بِنا

وَقَد ناشَ بِالكَفّينِ ثِنيَ زِمامِ

وَقَد ناشَ بِالكَفّينِ ثِنيَ زِمامِ

Then, when he wept, while the pale camels sped off with us,

When he wept and the camel had knelt down with us

And he had grasped with both hands the loop of a rein,

And he grasped the camel's noseband in his two hands

ذَكَرتُ أَباهُ ثُمَّ رَقرقت عَبرَةً

ذَكَرتُ أَباهُ ثُمَّ رَقرقت عَبرَةً

تَجودُ مِنَ العَينَينِ ذاتَ سِجامِ

تَجودُ مِنَ العَينَينِ ذاتَ سِجامِ

I remembered his father, then let a tear well up,

I remembered his father, then I shed copious tears

Flowing freely from both eyes in a stream.

Flowing from my eyes, having much sadness

فَقُلتُ تَرَحَّل راشِداً في عُمومَةٍ

فَقُلتُ تَرَحَّل راشِداً في عُمومَةٍ

مُواسينَ في البَأساءِ غَيرِ لِئامِ

مُواسينَ في البَأساءِ غَيرِ لِئامِ

So I said, 'Travel, rightly guided, among paternal uncles

So I said, travel on as one righteous in calamities

Who support you in hardship and are no base men.'

Consoling in adversities, not base or cowardly

وَجاءَ مَعَ العيرِ الَّتي راحَ رَكبُها

وَجاءَ مَعَ العيرِ الَّتي راحَ رَكبُها

شَآمي الهَوى وَالأَصلُ غَيرُ شَآمِ

شَآمي الهَوى وَالأَصلُ غَيرُ شَآمِ

And he came with the caravan whose riders set out,

And he came with the caravan whose riding beast he joined

Their hearts set on Syria, though not Syrian in origin.

A Syrian in passion though not Syrian in origin

فَلَمّا هَبَطنا أَرضَ بُصرى تَشَوَّفوا

فَلَمّا هَبَطنا أَرضَ بُصرى تَشَوَّفوا

لَنا فَوقَ دورٍ يَنظُرونَ عِظامِ

لَنا فَوقَ دورٍ يَنظُرونَ عِظامِ

When we descended into the land of Bosra, they peered eagerly

When we alighted in the land of Bosra, they looked out for us

At us, looking from atop great houses.

Above abodes, watching our great bodies

فَجاءَ بَحيرا عِندَ ذلِكَ حاشِداً

فَجاءَ بَحيرا عِندَ ذلِكَ حاشِداً

لَنا بِشرابٍ طَيِّبٍ وَطَعامِ

لَنا بِشرابٍ طَيِّبٍ وَطَعامِ

Then Bahira came at that moment, gathering

Then Bahira came to us at that point, in a hurry

Fine drink and food for us.

With good drink and food for us

فَقالَ اِجمَعوا أَصحابَكُم عِندَما رَأى

فَقالَ اِجمَعوا أَصحابَكُم عِندَما رَأى

فَقُلنا جَمَعنا القَومَ غَيرَ غُلامِ

فَقُلنا جَمَعنا القَومَ غَيرَ غُلامِ

Then, when he saw them, he said, 'Gather your companions.'

He said, “Gather your companions,” when he saw

So we said, 'We have gathered the people, except for a boy,

We said, “We have gathered the people save for a boy”

يَتيمٍ فَقالَ اِدعوهُ إِنَّ طَعامَنا

يَتيمٍ فَقالَ اِدعوهُ إِنَّ طَعامَنا

لَهُ دونَكُم مِن سوقَةٍ وَإِمامِ

لَهُ دونَكُم مِن سوقَةٍ وَإِمامِ

An orphan.' He said, 'Call him; our food

An orphan, so he said, “Call him, our food

Is for him rather than you, commoner and leader alike.'

Is unlawful for you without him as imam”

وَآلى يَميناً بَرَّةً إِنَّ زادَنا

وَآلى يَميناً بَرَّةً إِنَّ زادَنا

كَثيرٌ عَلَيهِ اليَومَ غَيرُ حَرامِ

كَثيرٌ عَلَيهِ اليَومَ غَيرُ حَرامِ

And he swore a truthful oath: 'Our provisions

And he swore sincerely that our provisions

Are plentiful for him today, and not forbidden.

Would be plentiful including him, nothing unlawful

فَلَولا الَّذي خَبَّرتُمُ عَن مُحَمَّدٍ

فَلَولا الَّذي خَبَّرتُمُ عَن مُحَمَّدٍ

لَكُنتُم لَدَينا اليَومَ غَيرَ كِرامِ

لَكُنتُم لَدَينا اليَومَ غَيرَ كِرامِ

So, were it not for what you reported about Muhammad,

“Had it not been for what you told of Muhammad

You would not have been honored by us today.'

You would not be honorable among us today”

وَأَقبَلَ رَكبٌ يَطلُبونَ الَّذي رَأى

وَأَقبَلَ رَكبٌ يَطلُبونَ الَّذي رَأى

بَحيراءُ رأيَ العَينِ وَسطَ خِيامِ

بَحيراءُ رأيَ العَينِ وَسطَ خِيامِ

And a band of riders approached, seeking the one seen

And a band came looking for the one Bahira

By Bahira with his own eyes amid the tents.

Saw with his eye in the middle of the encampment

فَثارَ إِلَيهِم خَشيَةً لِعُرامِهِم

فَثارَ إِلَيهِم خَشيَةً لِعُرامِهِم

وَكانوا ذَوي بَغيٍ مَعاً وَعُرامِ

وَكانوا ذَوي بَغيٍ مَعاً وَعُرامِ

So he sprang up toward them, fearing their violence,

He bristled toward them fearing their wickedness

And they were men of both aggression and violence:

Though they were marked by aggression and wickedness

دَريسٌ وَهَمّامٌ وَقَد كانَ فيهُمُ

دَريسٌ وَهَمّامٌ وَقَد كانَ فيهُمُ

زَريرٌ وَكُلُّ القَومِ غَيرُ نِيامِ

زَريرٌ وَكُلُّ القَومِ غَيرُ نِيامِ

Daris and Hammam; and among them was

Daris, Hammam and among them was Zurayr

Zarir, and none of the company was asleep.

And all the band were not sleepy or nodding

فَجاؤوا وَقَد هَمّوا بِقَتلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

فَجاؤوا وَقَد هَمّوا بِقَتلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

فَرَدَّهُمُ عَنهُ بِحُسنِ خِصامِ

فَرَدَّهُمُ عَنهُ بِحُسنِ خِصامِ

So they came, intent on killing Muhammad,

They came intending to kill Muhammad

But he turned them away from him with skillful argument,

But he drove them back from him with excellent disputation

بِتَأويلِهِ التَوراةَ حَتّى تَيَقَّنوا

بِتَأويلِهِ التَوراةَ حَتّى تَيَقَّنوا

وَقالَ لَهُم رُمتُم أَشَدَّ مَرامِ

وَقالَ لَهُم رُمتُم أَشَدَّ مَرامِ

Through his interpretation of the Torah, until they became certain.

Explaining the Torah to them until they were certain

And he said to them, 'You have sought the most formidable goal.

And he told them, “You have climbed the worst aspirations

أَتَبغونَ قَتلاً لِلنَبِيَّ مُحَمَّدٍ

أَتَبغونَ قَتلاً لِلنَبِيَّ مُحَمَّدٍ

خُصِصتُم عَلى شُؤمٍ بِطولِ أثامِ

خُصِصتُم عَلى شُؤمٍ بِطولِ أثامِ

Do you seek to kill the Prophet Muhammad?

Do you seek to kill the Prophet Muhammad

You have been singled out, in ill fortune, for prolonged punishment.

You are distinguished by terrible, prolonged sins”

وَإِنَّ الَّذي يِختارُهُ مِنهُ مانِعٌ

وَإِنَّ الَّذي يِختارُهُ مِنهُ مانِعٌ

سَيَكفيهِ مِنكُم كَيدَ كُلِّ طَغامِ

سَيَكفيهِ مِنكُم كَيدَ كُلِّ طَغامِ

And indeed, the One who chooses him protects him from it;

“And indeed the one who protects him from you

He will shield him from you—from every rabble's plot.'

Will suffice him against every aggressive tyrant”

فَذَلِكَ مِن أَعلامِهِ وَبَيانِهِ

فَذَلِكَ مِن أَعلامِهِ وَبَيانِهِ

وَلَيسَ نَهارٌ واضِحٌ كَظَلامِ

وَلَيسَ نَهارٌ واضِحٌ كَظَلامِ

So that is among his signs and proofs;

That is from the signs and clear proofs of him

And clear daylight is not like darkness.

And a bright day is not like the darkness