قَلبٌ مَشوقٌ عَناهُ البَثُّ وَالكَمَدُ

قَلبٌ مَشوقٌ عَناهُ البَثُّ وَالكَمَدُ

وَمُقلَةٌ تَبذُلُ الدَمعَ الَّذي تَجِدُ

وَمُقلَةٌ تَبذُلُ الدَمعَ الَّذي تَجِدُ

A yearning heart, tormented by sorrow and anguish,

A longing heart afflicted with sorrow and grief

And an eye that sheds whatever tears it has.

And weeping eyes overflowing with tears

تَدنو سُلَيمى وَلا يَدنو اللِقاءُ بِها

تَدنو سُلَيمى وَلا يَدنو اللِقاءُ بِها

فَيَستَوي في هَواها القُربُ وَالبُعُدُ

فَيَستَوي في هَواها القُربُ وَالبُعُدُ

Sulayma draws near, yet meeting her draws no nearer,

Suleima draws near yet our meeting does not

So in loving her, nearness and distance are alike.

So to her, nearness and distance are the same

بَيضاءُ لا تَصِلُ الحَبلَ الَّذي قَطَعَت

بَيضاءُ لا تَصِلُ الحَبلَ الَّذي قَطَعَت

مِنّا وَلا تُنجِزُ الوَعدَ الَّذي تَعِدُ

مِنّا وَلا تُنجِزُ الوَعدَ الَّذي تَعِدُ

Fair-skinned, she will not mend the cord she severed

A shining white she is, who doesn't fulfill

Between us, nor fulfill the promise she makes.

The covenant she's made, nor the rope she's cut

ظُلمٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ أَنّا لا يَزالُ لَنا

ظُلمٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ أَنّا لا يَزالُ لَنا

فيهِ دَمٌ ما لَهُ عَقلٌ وَلا قَوَدُ

فيهِ دَمٌ ما لَهُ عَقلٌ وَلا قَوَدُ

Love is unjust: there is always, for us,

It's the injustice of love that blood still flows

Blood shed in it, with neither blood-money nor retribution.

Mindlessly, with no sense or guidance

هَل تُلقِيَنّي وَراءَ الهَمِّ يَعمَلَةٌ

هَل تُلقِيَنّي وَراءَ الهَمِّ يَعمَلَةٌ

مِنَ العِتاقِ أَمونٌ رَسلَةٌ أُجُدُ

مِنَ العِتاقِ أَمونٌ رَسلَةٌ أُجُدُ

Will a tireless she-camel carry me beyond care—

Will I find behind worries some comfort

One of noble stock, dependable, easy-paced, firmly built?

A gift of freedom, relief that I can enjoy?

أَو أَشكُرَنَّ أَبا نوحٍ بِأَنعُمِهِ

أَو أَشكُرَنَّ أَبا نوحٍ بِأَنعُمِهِ

وَكَيفَ يُشكَرُ ما يَعيا بِهِ العَدَدُ

وَكَيفَ يُشكَرُ ما يَعيا بِهِ العَدَدُ

Or shall I thank Abu Nuh for his favors?

Or thank Abu Nuh for his blessings

And how can thanks be given for what defeats all counting?

When abundance exceeds what one can praise

أَلحَقتَني بِرِجالٍ كُنتُ أَتبَعُهُم

أَلحَقتَني بِرِجالٍ كُنتُ أَتبَعُهُم

وَأَطلُبُ الرِفدَ مِنهُم إِن هُمُ رَفَدوا

وَأَطلُبُ الرِفدَ مِنهُم إِن هُمُ رَفَدوا

You have placed me among men I once followed,

You've made me one of men I used to follow

And from whom I sought bounty whenever they bestowed it.

Seeking provision, if they would provide

فَصِرتُ أُجدي كَما كانَت سَراتُهُمُ

فَصِرتُ أُجدي كَما كانَت سَراتُهُمُ

تُجدي وَأُحمَدُ إِفضالاً كَما حُمِدوا

تُجدي وَأُحمَدُ إِفضالاً كَما حُمِدوا

So I now give as their foremost men used to

So I found as their paths once provided them

Give, and am praised for generosity as they were praised.

I gain and thank for grace as they were thanked

مُقَسِّماً نَشَبي في عُصبَتَي طَلَبٍ

مُقَسِّماً نَشَبي في عُصبَتَي طَلَبٍ

فَعُصبَةٌ صَدَرَت وَعُصبَةٌ تَرِدُ

فَعُصبَةٌ صَدَرَت وَعُصبَةٌ تَرِدُ

Dividing my wealth between two bands of seekers:

Splitting my zeal between two bands of pursuit

One band has departed, and another arrives.

One set out while the other lingers behind

آلَيتُ لا أَجعَلُ الإِعدامَ حادِثَةً

آلَيتُ لا أَجعَلُ الإِعدامَ حادِثَةً

تُخشى وَعيسى بنُ إِبراهيمَ لي سَنَدُ

تُخشى وَعيسى بنُ إِبراهيمَ لي سَنَدُ

I have sworn not to deem destitution a calamity

I'm determined not to despair unto death

To be feared, with Isa ibn Ibrahim as my support.

With Eesa ibn Ibrahim as my pillar of strength

قَد أَخلَقَ المَجدَ في قَومٍ لِنَقصِهِمِ

قَد أَخلَقَ المَجدَ في قَومٍ لِنَقصِهِمِ

عَنهُ وَأَخلاقُهُ مَرضِيَّةٌ جُدُدُ

عَنهُ وَأَخلاقُهُ مَرضِيَّةٌ جُدُدُ

He has made others' glory threadbare, for they fall short

He creates glory in a people lacking it

Of him, while his own virtues are pleasing and fresh.

His nature is to renew glories anew

ما إِن تَزالُ يَداهُ تولِيانِ يَداً

ما إِن تَزالُ يَداهُ تولِيانِ يَداً

بَيضاءَ أَيديهِمُ عَن مِثلِها جُمُدُ

بَيضاءَ أَيديهِمُ عَن مِثلِها جُمُدُ

His two hands never cease extending a hand,

His hands never stop supporting white hands

White with bounty; theirs are frozen against offering the like.

While their hands refrain from the likes of his

مُوَفَّقٌ ما يَقُل فَهوَ الصَوابُ جَرى

مُوَفَّقٌ ما يَقُل فَهوَ الصَوابُ جَرى

رِسلاً وَما يَرتَئيهِ الحَزمُ وَالسَنَدُ

رِسلاً وَما يَرتَئيهِ الحَزمُ وَالسَنَدُ

Favored with success: whatever he says is right, flowing

Blessed - what he says is right, flows smooth

Easily; what he deems best is prudence and support.

Guided, and upheld by wisdom and support

يُؤَيِّدُ المُلكَ مِنهُ نُصحَ مُجتَهِدٍ

يُؤَيِّدُ المُلكَ مِنهُ نُصحَ مُجتَهِدٍ

لِلَّهِ يُسرِعُ بِالتَقوى وَيَتَّئِدُ

لِلَّهِ يُسرِعُ بِالتَقوى وَيَتَّئِدُ

He strengthens the kingdom with his counsel, earnestly striving

He supports the rule with his diligent advice

For God; in piety he hastens and acts deliberately.

Rushing for God, strengthened in piety

مُباشِرٌ لِصِغارِ الأَمرِ لا سَلِسٌ

مُباشِرٌ لِصِغارِ الأَمرِ لا سَلِسٌ

سَهلٌ وَلا عَسِرُ التَنفيذِ مُنعَقِدُ

سَهلٌ وَلا عَسِرُ التَنفيذِ مُنعَقِدُ

Personally handling minor affairs, neither pliant

Tackling small matters without being too soft

And lax, nor difficult in execution and intractable.

Or too harsh for execution to bear fruit

وَلا يُؤَخِّرُ شُغلَ اليَومِ يَذخَرُهُ

وَلا يُؤَخِّرُ شُغلَ اليَومِ يَذخَرُهُ

إِلى غَدٍ إِنَّ يَومَ الأَعجَزينَ غَدُ

إِلى غَدٍ إِنَّ يَومَ الأَعجَزينَ غَدُ

And he does not defer today's work, storing it up

He doesn't delay today's tasks for tomorrow

For tomorrow: tomorrow is the day of the most incapable.

For tomorrow is the day of the weakest ones

مُحَسَّدٌ بِخِلالٍ فيهِ فاضِلَةٍ

مُحَسَّدٌ بِخِلالٍ فيهِ فاضِلَةٍ

وَلَيسَ تَفتَرِقُ النَعماءُ وَالحَسَدُ

وَلَيسَ تَفتَرِقُ النَعماءُ وَالحَسَدُ

Much envied for the excellent qualities within him,

Envied for virtues in him that are superior

And blessings and envy never part.

Though blessings and envy can't be separated

اللَهُ جارُكَ مَكلوءً وَمُمتَنِعاً

اللَهُ جارُكَ مَكلوءً وَمُمتَنِعاً

مِنَ الحَوادِثِ حَتّى يَنفَدَ الأَبَدُ

مِنَ الحَوادِثِ حَتّى يَنفَدَ الأَبَدُ

May God be your protector, keeping you guarded and secure

God protects you, even when you slip

From calamities until eternity itself runs out.

From calamities, until the end of time

إِذا اِعتَلَلتَ ذَمَمنا العَيشَ وَهوَ نَدٍ

إِذا اِعتَلَلتَ ذَمَمنا العَيشَ وَهوَ نَدٍ

طَلقُ الجَوانِبِ صافٍ ظِلُّهُ رَغَدُ

طَلقُ الجَوانِبِ صافٍ ظِلُّهُ رَغَدُ

When you fall ill, we reproach life, though it is dewy,

When we lack livelihood, and life grows thin

Pleasant on every side, its shade clear, its ease abundant.

Yours remains smooth, shaded, opulent

لَو أَنَّ أَنفُسَنا اِسطاعَت وُقيتَ بِها

لَو أَنَّ أَنفُسَنا اِسطاعَت وُقيتَ بِها

حَتّى تَكونَ بِنا الشَكوى الَّتي تَجِدُ

حَتّى تَكونَ بِنا الشَكوى الَّتي تَجِدُ

If our lives had the power, you would be shielded by them,

If only we could endure, be patient

So that the illness you feel would afflict us instead.

Till we could truly complain as you do

ما أَنصَفَ الأَسَدُ الغادي مُخاتَلَةً

ما أَنصَفَ الأَسَدُ الغادي مُخاتَلَةً

وَالراحُ تَجري وَجِنحُ اللَيلِ مُحتَشِدُ

وَالراحُ تَجري وَجِنحُ اللَيلِ مُحتَشِدُ

The lion that came early, by stealth, did not act fairly,

The attacking lion was unjust one eve

While wine flowed and the wing of night lay thick.

As the winds blew, and night's wings gathered

وَلَو يُلاقيكَ صُبحاً مُصحِراً لَرَأى

وَلَو يُلاقيكَ صُبحاً مُصحِراً لَرَأى

صَريمَةً يَنثَني عَن مِثلِها الأَسَدُ

صَريمَةً يَنثَني عَن مِثلِها الأَسَدُ

And had he met you in the morning, out in the open, he would have seen

Had he met you at dawn while you prayed

A resolve before whose like the lion turns back.

He'd see a howling one whom even lions evade

وَصَدَّهُ عَنكَ عَزمٌ صادِقٌ وَيَدٌ

وَصَدَّهُ عَنكَ عَزمٌ صادِقٌ وَيَدٌ

طَويلَةٌ وَحُسامٌ صارِمٌ يَقِدُ

طَويلَةٌ وَحُسامٌ صارِمٌ يَقِدُ

And true resolve repelled him from you, and a hand

Kept from you by sincere resolve and long reach

Long-reaching, and a keen sword that blazes.

With a sharp sword, thrusting as flames ignite