إِنّي أَبيتُ وَهَمُّ المَرءِ يَعمِدُهُ

إِنّي أَبيتُ وَهَمُّ المَرءِ يَعمِدُهُ

مِن أَوَّلِ اللَيلِ حَتّى يَبرَحَ السَفَرُ

مِن أَوَّلِ اللَيلِ حَتّى يَبرَحَ السَفَرُ

I spend the night, with a man's worry weighing upon him,

I stayed awake as a man's anxiety leads him

from the start of night until dawn breaks.

From the beginning of the night until dawn breaks for travel

مَتى تُبَلِّغُنا الآفاقَ يَعمَلَةٌ

مَتى تُبَلِّغُنا الآفاقَ يَعمَلَةٌ

لُمَّت كَما لُمَّ بِالدَوِيَّةِ الأَمَرُ

لُمَّت كَما لُمَّ بِالدَوِيَّةِ الأَمَرُ

When will a tireless she-camel carry us to the horizons,

When will messengers deliver us good news?

firmly built, as a stone cairn is piled in the wilderness?

Things became hopeless as with incurable illness

تُعارِضُ اللَيلَ ما لاحَت كَواكِبُهُ

تُعارِضُ اللَيلَ ما لاحَت كَواكِبُهُ

كَما يُعارِضُ مَرنى الخِلعَةِ اليَسَرُ

كَما يُعارِضُ مَرنى الخِلعَةِ اليَسَرُ

She traverses the night as long as its stars shine,

The night competes with its stars' radiance

as a gambler faces the wagered prize in view.

As the ease of removing a garment competes with the left hand

إِلَيكَ سِرنا أَبا بَكرٍ رَواحِلَنا

إِلَيكَ سِرنا أَبا بَكرٍ رَواحِلَنا

نَروحُ ثُمَّتَ نَسري ثُمَّ نَبتَكِرُ

نَروحُ ثُمَّتَ نَسري ثُمَّ نَبتَكِرُ

Toward you, Abu Bakr, we drove our riding camels,

To you Abu Bakr we sped our she-camels

traveling at evening, then by night, then setting out at dawn.

We ride briskly then gallop then set out early

فَما أَتَيناكَ حَتّى خالَطَت نَقَباً

فَما أَتَيناكَ حَتّى خالَطَت نَقَباً

أَيدي المَطِيِّ وَحَتّى خَفَّتِ السُفَرُ

أَيدي المَطِيِّ وَحَتّى خَفَّتِ السُفَرُ

So we did not reach you until sores had afflicted

Until we came to you after the hand of the rider mixed with dust

our camels' forefeet, and the provision bags had grown light.

And the journey came to an end

حَتّى أَتَينا أَبا بَكرٍ بِمِدحَتِهِ

حَتّى أَتَينا أَبا بَكرٍ بِمِدحَتِهِ

وَما تَجَهَّمَني بُعدٌ وَلا حَصَرُ

وَما تَجَهَّمَني بُعدٌ وَلا حَصَرُ

Until we came to Abu Bakr bearing praise for him,

Until we came to Abu Bakr with his eulogy

and neither distance nor exhaustion daunted me.

With no spatial or temporal separation left to hinder me

وَجَّهتُ عَنسي إِلى حُلوٍ شَمائِلُهُ

وَجَّهتُ عَنسي إِلى حُلوٍ شَمائِلُهُ

كَأَنَّ سُنَّتَهُ في المَسجِدِ القَمَرُ

كَأَنَّ سُنَّتَهُ في المَسجِدِ القَمَرُ

I steered my sturdy she-camel toward one whose character is sweet,

I set my purpose towards the sweet and noble qualities

as though his face in the mosque were the moon.

As if his way in the mosque were the moon

فَرعانِ ما مِنهُما إِلّا أَخو ثِقَةٍ

فَرعانِ ما مِنهُما إِلّا أَخو ثِقَةٍ

ما دامَ في الناسِ حَيٌّ وَالفَتى عُمَرُ

ما دامَ في الناسِ حَيٌّ وَالفَتى عُمَرُ

Two branches, each a man worthy of trust,

Before long they were but two brothers in complete trust

as long as anyone lives among men—he and the young man Umar.

As long as among people there is life and the young man Umar