هَاجَ إِدِّكَارِى شَادِنٌ بِدَكَارِ

هَاجَ إِدِّكَارِى شَادِنٌ بِدَكَارِ

يَختَالُ بالآصالِ والإبكَارِ

يَختَالُ بالآصالِ والإبكَارِ

A young gazelle at Dakār stirred my remembrance,

A young gazelle in Dakar stirred my remembrance,

strutting proudly at evening and early morn.

strutting in the evenings and early mornings.

يَفتَرُّ عن كالأُقحُوانِ مُؤشّراً

يَفتَرُّ عن كالأُقحُوانِ مُؤشّراً

شِيطَت مَنابِتُه بِلَونِ القَارِ

شِيطَت مَنابِتُه بِلَونِ القَارِ

He smiles, revealing daisy-like teeth, finely notched,

He smiles, revealing notched teeth like daisies,

their roots tinged with the color of pitch.

their roots blackened to the color of pitch.

في وَجهِهِ قَمَرٌ وفي ضَفَرَاتِهِ

في وَجهِهِ قَمَرٌ وفي ضَفَرَاتِهِ

لَيلُ العَمِيدِ الدائِمِ التَّذكَارِ

لَيلُ العَمِيدِ الدائِمِ التَّذكَارِ

In his face is a moon, and in his braids

There is a moon in his face, and in his braids

the night of the love-stricken, forever remembering.

the night of the lovesick man, forever remembering.

وإذَا يُحَاوِلُ أنّ يَنُوءَ صَدَّهُ

وإذَا يُحَاوِلُ أنّ يَنُوءَ صَدَّهُ

كَفَلٌ كَمركُومِ الكَثِيبِ الهَارِي

كَفَلٌ كَمركُومِ الكَثِيبِ الهَارِي

Whenever he tries to rise, he is checked

And when he tries to rise, he is held back by

by a rump like the heaped mass of a crumbling dune.

a rump like the heaped sand of a crumbling dune.

كَم لَيلَةٍ بالدارِ قَد غَازَلتُه

كَم لَيلَةٍ بالدارِ قَد غَازَلتُه

ورَقِيبُه بالدارِ ليس بِدَارِ

ورَقِيبُه بالدارِ ليس بِدَارِ

How many a night at the dwelling I courted him,

How many a night in the house I have courted him,

while his watcher, though in the house, knew nothing.

while his watcher in the house was unaware!

بَينَا يُسَاقِطُنَا الحديثُ مُرَصَّعاً

بَينَا يُسَاقِطُنَا الحديثُ مُرَصَّعاً

بِفَرَائِدِ الأخبَارِ والأَشعَارِ

بِفَرَائِدِ الأخبَارِ والأَشعَارِ

As he exchanged with us bejeweled talk,

As he shared with us conversation studded

set with rare gems of tales and poetry,

with rare gems of tales and poetry,

جَاءَت مُغَنِّيَةُ النَّدىٍّ فَرَدَّدت

جَاءَت مُغَنِّيَةُ النَّدىٍّ فَرَدَّدت

بِتَوَافُقِ النَّغَمَاتِ والمِزمَارِ

بِتَوَافُقِ النَّغَمَاتِ والمِزمَارِ

the gathering’s songstress came and sang

the gathering's songstress came, then sang repeatedly,

in harmony with the melodies and flute:

with the melodies and flute in harmony:

نَصَرَ المهيمنُ جُملَةَ الأنصَارِ

نَصَرَ المهيمنُ جُملَةَ الأنصَارِ

وأعَزَّهُم في البَدوِ والأمصَارِ

وأعَزَّهُم في البَدوِ والأمصَارِ

The Almighty granted victory to all the Helpers

The Guardian granted victory to all the Ansar,

and made them mighty in desert and city,

and honored them in the desert and the cities.

وعَصرٌ تَقَلَّدَ رِفعَةً وفَخَامَةً

وعَصرٌ تَقَلَّدَ رِفعَةً وفَخَامَةً

وَمآثِراً أنفَت عِنِ الأَعصَارِ

وَمآثِراً أنفَت عِنِ الأَعصَارِ

and an age arrayed itself in loftiness and grandeur,

And an age adorned itself with loftiness and grandeur,

with glorious deeds that rose above the ages.

and glorious deeds that disdained other ages.

جُبِلُوا عَلَى كَرَمٍ النُّفُوسِ وعِفَّةٍ

جُبِلُوا عَلَى كَرَمٍ النُّفُوسِ وعِفَّةٍ

ورَزَانَةٍ وسَكِينَةٍ وَوَقَارِ

ورَزَانَةٍ وسَكِينَةٍ وَوَقَارِ

They were fashioned with noble souls and chastity,

They were endowed by nature with generosity of soul and chastity,

composure, serenity, and dignity.

and composure, serenity, and dignity.

وإذَا مررتَ بِوَاحِدٍ مِن جَمعهِم

وإذَا مررتَ بِوَاحِدٍ مِن جَمعهِم

فَلَقد مَرَرت بِقَارِىءٍ وبِقَارِ

فَلَقد مَرَرت بِقَارِىءٍ وبِقَارِ

If you pass by a single one of their company,

And when you pass by one of their company,

you have indeed passed a reciter and a profound scholar.

then you have indeed passed a reciter and a hospitable host.

فَبِلِيغُهُم وإِمَامُهم وخَلِيلُهُم

فَبِلِيغُهُم وإِمَامُهم وخَلِيلُهُم

بَينَ الجُمُوعِ كَأوجِهِ الأَقمَارِ

بَينَ الجُمُوعِ كَأوجِهِ الأَقمَارِ

So bear word to them, their imam, and their intimate friend,

So their Baligh, their Imam, and their Khalil

amid the assembled throngs, like the faces of moons,

amid the crowds are like the faces of moons.

والسَّيفُ سَيفٌ في المَكَارِمِ صَارِمٌ

والسَّيفُ سَيفٌ في المَكَارِمِ صَارِمٌ

والشَّيخُ شَيخُ النَّفعِ والإضرَارِ

والشَّيخُ شَيخُ النَّفعِ والإضرَارِ

that the sword—my sword in noble deeds—is sharp,

And al-Sayf is a keen-edged sword in noble deeds,

and the shaykh is master of benefit and harm.

and al-Shaykh is the master of benefit and harm.

وذَبِيحُهم وبلاَلُهُم وجَمِيعُهم

وذَبِيحُهم وبلاَلُهُم وجَمِيعُهم

مَا بَينَ بَدرٍ كَامِلٍ ودَرَارِي

مَا بَينَ بَدرٍ كَامِلٍ ودَرَارِي

Their Dhabīḥ, their Bilāl, and every one of them

And their Dhabih, their Bilal, and all of them

range from a perfect full moon to brilliant stars.

range from a perfect full moon to brilliant stars.

فَهُم عَتَادِى لِلدَّوَاهِى إِن دَهَت

فَهُم عَتَادِى لِلدَّوَاهِى إِن دَهَت

واَحِبَّتِى في الجَهرِ والإسرَارِ

واَحِبَّتِى في الجَهرِ والإسرَارِ

They are my armor against calamities, should they strike,

So they are my armament against calamities, should they strike,

and my beloved ones in public and in private.

and my loved ones, openly and in secret.

وكَفَاهُم مَجداً أتَمَّ وسُؤدَداً

وكَفَاهُم مَجداً أتَمَّ وسُؤدَداً

وتَجَلِيًّا بِزَعَامِةٍ وفَخَارِ

وتَجَلِيًّا بِزَعَامِةٍ وفَخَارِ

Sufficient for them, as consummate glory and preeminence,

And sufficient for them as consummate glory and eminence,

and as manifest distinction through leadership and honor,

and distinction in leadership and pride,

ما قال إبرَاهِيمُ إِنَّ لِشِعرِهِ

ما قال إبرَاهِيمُ إِنَّ لِشِعرِهِ

لَطَلاَوةً لَم تُلفَ في الأَشعَارِ

لَطَلاَوةً لَم تُلفَ في الأَشعَارِ

is what Ibrāhīm said: ‘Indeed, their poetry possesses

is what Ibrahim said: his poetry indeed has

a charm never found in other verse.’

a sweetness not found in other poems.

فاللهُ يَنصُرُهُم ويَجمَعُ شَملَهُم

فاللهُ يَنصُرُهُم ويَجمَعُ شَملَهُم

وَيزِيدُ في البَرَكَاتِ والأعمَارِ

وَيزِيدُ في البَرَكَاتِ والأعمَارِ

May God grant them victory and unite their ranks,

So may God grant them victory and unite their ranks,

increase their blessings and their years,

and increase their blessings and lifespans,

وَيَعَزُّهم بِالمَصطفي وبِآلِهِ

وَيَعَزُّهم بِالمَصطفي وبِآلِهِ

شَمسِ الدَّيَاجِى السَّادَةِ الأَبرَارِ

شَمسِ الدَّيَاجِى السَّادَةِ الأَبرَارِ

and make them mighty through the Chosen One and his family—

and exalt them through al-Mustafa and his family,

the sun of the darknesses; the righteous noble lords.

the sun of dark nights, the righteous masters.

صَلَّى عَلَيهِ اللهُ ما سَجَعَت عَلَى

صَلَّى عَلَيهِ اللهُ ما سَجَعَت عَلَى

فَنَنٍ نَضِيرٍ سُجَّعُ الأَطيَارِ

فَنَنٍ نَضِيرٍ سُجَّعُ الأَطيَارِ

May God bless him as long as there warbles upon

May God bless him as long as there sing upon

a verdant bough the melodious song of birds.

a verdant bough the warbling birds.