أَلا رُبَّ هَمٍّ يُمنَعُ النَومُ دونَهُ

أَلا رُبَّ هَمٍّ يُمنَعُ النَومُ دونَهُ

أَقامَ كَقَبضِ الراحَتَينِ عَلى الجَمرِ

أَقامَ كَقَبضِ الراحَتَينِ عَلى الجَمرِ

Ah, many a care that keeps sleep away

Alas! For every care that keeps off sleep,

has lingered, like clenching both palms around embers.

He remained awake, like one grasping embers in both palms,

بَسَطتُ لَهُ وَجهي لأُكبتَ حاسِداً

بَسَطتُ لَهُ وَجهي لأُكبتَ حاسِداً

وَأَبدَيتُ عَن نابٍ ضَحوكٍ وَعَن ثَغرِ

وَأَبدَيتُ عَن نابٍ ضَحوكٍ وَعَن ثَغرِ

I met it with a cheerful face, to mortify an envier,

I offered my face for him to tread on out of envy,

and revealed a laughing canine tooth and a smiling mouth.

And bared teeth smiling and lips speaking,

وَشَوقِ كَأَطرافِ الأَسِنَّةِ في الحَشا

وَشَوقِ كَأَطرافِ الأَسِنَّةِ في الحَشا

مَلَكتُ عَلَيهِ طاعَةَ الدّمعِ أَن يَجري

مَلَكتُ عَلَيهِ طاعَةَ الدّمعِ أَن يَجري

And many a longing, like spearhead tips within my breast—

And yearning is like blade tips in skirmishes,

I kept my tears obedient despite it, holding back their flow.

I controlled over him the obedience of tears to flow,

لَهُ راحَةٌ لَو أَنَّ مِعشارُ جودِها

لَهُ راحَةٌ لَو أَنَّ مِعشارُ جودِها

عَلى البَرِّ صارَ البَرُّ أَندى مِنَ البَحرِ

عَلى البَرِّ صارَ البَرُّ أَندى مِنَ البَحرِ

His is a palm—were one tenth of its bounty

He has serenity, if but a tenth of his generosity

to fall upon dry land, the land would be more bountiful than the sea.

Was upon righteousness, the land would be moister than the sea,

لَهُ هِمَمٌ لا مُنتَهى لِكِبارِها

لَهُ هِمَمٌ لا مُنتَهى لِكِبارِها

وَهِمَّتُهُ الصُغرى أَجَلُّ مِنَ الدَهرِ

وَهِمَّتُهُ الصُغرى أَجَلُّ مِنَ الدَهرِ

He has aspirations whose greatest have no limit,

He has endless great aspirations,

and his least aspiration is grander than Time.

And his minor aspiration is dearer than fate,

وَلَو أَنَّ خَلقَ اللَهِ في جِسمِ فارِسٍ

وَلَو أَنَّ خَلقَ اللَهِ في جِسمِ فارِسٍ

وَبارَزَةُ كانَ الخَلِيَّ مِنَ العُمرِ

وَبارَزَةُ كانَ الخَلِيَّ مِنَ العُمرِ

And if all God's creation were in a single horseman's body

And if the creation of God were in the body of a horseman,

and faced him in single combat, that horseman would be bereft of life.

And the empty wilderness, it would be devoid of life,

أَبا دُلَفٍ بورِكتَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

أَبا دُلَفٍ بورِكتَ في كُلِّ بَلدَةٍ

كَما بورِكَت في شَهرِها لَيلَةُ القَدرِ

كَما بورِكَت في شَهرِها لَيلَةُ القَدرِ

Abu Dulaf, may you be blessed in every town,

O Abu Dulaf, may you be blessed in every country,

as the Night of Decree was blessed in its month.

As the night of Al-Qadr was blessed in its month,