لِعَلوةَ زارَ الزائرُ المتأوِّبُ

لِعَلوةَ زارَ الزائرُ المتأوِّبُ

ومن دون مَسراها الصِّفاحِ فَكبْكَبُ

ومن دون مَسراها الصِّفاحِ فَكبْكَبُ

ʿAlwa's returning night-visitor paid a visit,

To Alewah came the repentant visitor,

with al-Ṣifāḥ and then Kabkab barring her night journey.

Beyond its smooth rock plateau bubbled the spring.

تسدَّتْ إلينا بعد هَدو ودونَها

تسدَّتْ إلينا بعد هَدو ودونَها

طويلُ الذُّرى من بطنِ نَخلَة أَغلب

طويلُ الذُّرى من بطنِ نَخلَة أَغلب

She made her way to us after night's stillness, though before her stood

After wandering lost, to us she was guided,

a massive, lofty-peaked mountain rising from the valley of Nakhla.

A tall palm's daughter from the womb of time.

فقلت لها أنَّى اهتديتِ ودونَنا

فقلت لها أنَّى اهتديتِ ودونَنا

قِفارٌ تَرامى بالركائبِ سَبْسَبُ

قِفارٌ تَرامى بالركائبِ سَبْسَبُ

So I said to her, “How did you find your way, when between us lie

I asked her, "How did you find us, when beyond us

barren wastes—a vast plain sending the riding-camels far afield,

Lie barren wastes where the mounted hordes roam?"

مخوف الرّدى قفرٌ كأنّ نَعامه

مخوف الرّدى قفرٌ كأنّ نَعامه

عَذارى عليهنَّ المِلاءُ المجوَّبُ

عَذارى عليهنَّ المِلاءُ المجوَّبُ

desolate, where death is feared, its ostriches like

A dreadful emptiness where ostriches graze

maidens draped in cloaks with openings cut in them?”

Like veiled virgins covered in shifting sands.

إلى أهلِ بيتٍ أذهبَ الرجسَ عنهمُ

إلى أهلِ بيتٍ أذهبَ الرجسَ عنهمُ

وصُفُّوا من الأَدناسِ طُرّاً وطُيِّبوا

وصُفُّوا من الأَدناسِ طُرّاً وطُيِّبوا

To the people of a House from whom He removed defilement,

To the household from whom impurity was removed

and who were all cleansed of impurities and purified.

And whom were cleansed of all filth, made pure and fragrant,

إلى أهلِ بيتٍ ما لمن كان مؤمِناً

إلى أهلِ بيتٍ ما لمن كان مؤمِناً

من النّاسِ عنهم في الولايةِ مَذهبُ

من النّاسِ عنهم في الولايةِ مَذهبُ

To the people of a House—no one who is a believer

To the household no true believer can lack devotion,

among mankind has any alternative to allegiance to them.

Nor in guardianship can people disagree over them.

وكمْ مِن خَصيمٍ لامني في هَواهمُ

وكمْ مِن خَصيمٍ لامني في هَواهمُ

وعاذلةٍ هبّتْ بِلَيْلٍ تُؤنِّبُ

وعاذلةٍ هبّتْ بِلَيْلٍ تُؤنِّبُ

And how many an adversary has reproached me for loving them,

How many a critic berated me for loving them,

and many a reproachful woman rose at night to rebuke me.

How many a complainer by night would blame me, saying

تقولُ ولم تقصِدْ وتعتِبُ ضَلَّةً

تقولُ ولم تقصِدْ وتعتِبُ ضَلَّةً

وآفةُ أخلاقِ النِّساءِ التعتُّبُ

وآفةُ أخلاقِ النِّساءِ التعتُّبُ

She says, without moderation, and reproaches me in error—

Without intending harm, blaming me for straying,

and fault-finding is the bane of women's character—

Such faultfinding being the wont of womankind,

تركتَ امتداحَ المُفضِلين ذوي النَّدى

تركتَ امتداحَ المُفضِلين ذوي النَّدى

ومَن في ابتغاءِ الخير يَسعى ويَرغَبُ

ومَن في ابتغاءِ الخير يَسعى ويَرغَبُ

“You abandoned praise of benefactors, men of generosity,

You left praising the excellent, the virtuous,

and of those who strive and yearn in pursuit of good.

And those striving for good whom you used to extol,

وفارقتَ جيراناً وأهلَ مَودّةِ

وفارقتَ جيراناً وأهلَ مَودّةِ

ومَن أنت منهم حينَ تُدعى وتُنْسَبُ

ومَن أنت منهم حينَ تُدعى وتُنْسَبُ

And you parted from neighbors and people of affection,

You left your neighbors and loving friends

and those you belong to when your name and lineage are given.

Whom you are estranged from when called by name,

فأنتَ غريبٌ فيهمُ متباعدٌ

فأنتَ غريبٌ فيهمُ متباعدٌ

كأنّك مّما يَتَّقونَكَ أجربُ

كأنّك مّما يَتَّقونَكَ أجربُ

So you are a stranger among them, estranged,

So you are a stranger among them, kept apart,

as though, from the way they shun you, you were mangy.

As if they are lions you cower from in fear.

تَعٍيبُهمُ في دِينِهم وهمُ بما

تَعٍيبُهمُ في دِينِهم وهمُ بما

تَدينُ به أَزرى عليكَ وأَعْيَبُ

تَدينُ به أَزرى عليكَ وأَعْيَبُ

You fault them in their religion, while they, for what

You blame their faith while yours, they say,

you profess, are still more contemptuous and critical of you.”

Is more blamable and contemptible than theirs.

فقلتُ دَعيني لن أُحَبِّر مدحةً

فقلتُ دَعيني لن أُحَبِّر مدحةً

لغيرهمِ ما حجَّ للهِ أَرْكُبُ

لغيرهمِ ما حجَّ للهِ أَرْكُبُ

So I said, “Leave me be: I will never craft a poem of praise

I said, "Leave me be! I will never again praise

for anyone but them, so long as bands of riders make pilgrimage for God.

Any but them, for as long as I make the pilgrimage."

أتنهَينَني عن حُبِّ آل محمدٍ

أتنهَينَني عن حُبِّ آل محمدٍ

وحُبُّهمُ ممّا بهِ أتقرَّبُ

وحُبُّهمُ ممّا بهِ أتقرَّبُ

Do you forbid me to love the family of Muhammad,

Will you forbid me from loving Muhammad's family

when love for them is among the means by which I draw near to God?

When loving them brings me nearer to God?

وحبّهمُ مثلُ الصلاة وإنّه

وحبّهمُ مثلُ الصلاة وإنّه

على الناسِ من بعضِ الصلاةِ لأوْجَبُ

على الناسِ من بعضِ الصلاةِ لأوْجَبُ

And loving them is like prayer; indeed, it

Loving them is like praying, and to people

is surely more binding upon people than some prayers.”

More binding than some forms of praying.