أَرْضland الأَحبّةِof the loved ones مِنْof سَفْحٍa hillside وَمِنْand of كُثُبِdunes
أَرْض الأَحبّةِ مِنْ سَفْحٍ وَمِنْ كُثُبِ
سَقاكِmay it water you مُنْهَمِرُthe downpour of الأَنْواءِthe rain-bearing stars مِنْfrom كَثَبِclose at hand
سَقاكِ مُنْهَمِرُ الأَنْواءِ مِنْ كَثَبِ
Land of loved ones, of hillsides and dunes,
may the rain-stars' downpour water you from close at hand.
ولاand may not عَدَتْpass by أَهْلَكِyour people النائينَthe far-off مِنْfrom نَفَسthe breath of الthe
ولا عَدَتْ أَهْلَكِ النائينَ مِنْ نَفَس ال
صِبّاeast wind تحيّةa greeting عانيcaptive القلبthe heart مُكْتَئبِsorrowful
صِبّا تحيّة عاني القلب مُكْتَئبِ
Nor may your far-off people lack, on the breath of the
east wind, a greeting from one captive-hearted and forlorn.
قَوْمٌa people هُمُthey العُربthe Arabs المَحْمِيِّprotected جارُهُمُtheir neighbor
قَوْمٌ هُمُ العُرب المَحْمِيِّ جارُهُمُ
فَلاso may not رَعىwatch over اللَّهGod إلّاexcept أَوْجُهَthe faces of العَربِthe Arabs
فَلا رَعى اللَّه إلّا أَوْجُهَ العَربِ
A people who are Arabs, whose neighbor is protected;
so may God watch over none but Arab faces.
أعزّdearer عِنْدِيto me مِنْthan سَمْعِيmy hearing ومِنْand than بَصَريmy sight
أعزّ عِنْدِي مِنْ سَمْعِي ومِنْ بَصَري
وَمِنْand than فُؤاديmy heart وَمِنْand than أَهْليmy family وَمِنand than نَشَبيmy wealth
وَمِنْ فُؤادي وَمِنْ أَهْلي وَمِن نَشَبي
Dearer to me than my hearing and my sight,
and than my heart, my family, and my wealth.
لَهُمْfor them عَليَّupon me حُقوقٌclaims مُذْsince عَرَفْتُهُمI came to know them
لَهُمْ عَليَّ حُقوقٌ مُذْ عَرَفْتُهُم
كأنّنيas though I بَيْنbetween أمٍّa mother مِنْهُمُfrom among them وأبِand a father
كأنّني بَيْن أمٍّ مِنْهُمُ وأبِ
They have claims upon me ever since I came to know them,
as though among them I were between a mother and a father.
إِنْif كانis أَحْسَنُthe finest of ماwhat فيin الشّعْرِpoetry أَكْذبهُits most untruthful
إِنْ كان أَحْسَنُ ما في الشّعْرِ أَكْذبهُ
فَحُسْنُthen the beauty of شِعْريmy poetry فيهمْabout them غَيْرُnot ذيpossessing كَذِبِfalsehood
فَحُسْنُ شِعْري فيهمْ غَيْرُ ذي كَذِبِ
If the finest in poetry is its most untruthful,
then the beauty of my verse about them is free of falsehood.
حَيّاكِmay it greet you ياO تُرْبَةsoil of الهاديthe Guide الشَّفِيعthe Intercessor حياًrain
حَيّاكِ يا تُرْبَة الهادي الشَّفِيع حياً
بِمَنْطقwith the speech of الرّعْدِthunder بادٍappearing منْfrom فمthe mouth of السُّحُبِthe clouds
بِمَنْطق الرّعْدِ بادٍ منْ فم السُّحُبِ
May rain greet you, O soil of the Guide, the Intercessor,
appearing with thunder's speech from the mouth of the clouds.
ياO ساكِنيdwellers of طَيْبَةTaybah الفَيْحَاءthe spacious هَلْis there زَمنٌa time
يا ساكِني طَيْبَة الفَيْحَاء هَلْ زَمنٌ
يُدْنيbrings near المُحِبّthe lover لِنَيْلfor attaining السؤلِthe wish والأَربِand the desire
يُدْني المُحِبّ لِنَيْل السؤلِ والأَربِ
O dwellers of spacious Taybah, will a time come
that brings the lover near to attaining his wish and desire?
ضَمَمْتَyou have enfolded أَعْظُمَthe bones of منْhim who يُدْعَىis called بأعظَمِas the greatest of منْthose whom
ضَمَمْتَ أَعْظُمَ منْ يُدْعَى بأعظَمِ منْ
يَسْعَىjourneys إليهto him أُخوa man of صِدْقٍsincerity فَلَمْand so did not يَخِبِbe disappointed
يَسْعَى إليه أُخو صِدْقٍ فَلَمْ يَخِبِ
You have enfolded the bones of him called the greatest of those
to whom a sincere man journeys and is not disappointed.
وَحُزْتَand you have held أَفْصَحَthe most eloquent of مَنْthose who يَهْدِيguide وَأَوْضَحَand the clearest of مَنْthose who
وَحُزْتَ أَفْصَحَ مَنْ يَهْدِي وَأَوْضَحَ مَنْ
يُبْدِيexpound وأَرْجَحَand the most eminent of مَنْthose who يُعزىare traced إلىto نَسَبِa lineage
يُبْدِي وأَرْجَحَ مَنْ يُعزى إلى نَسَبِ
And you have held the most eloquent of guides, the clearest of those
who expound, and the most eminent of those traced to a lineage.
تَحْدُواurge onward with song النِّياقُthe she-camels كِرامٌnoble folk نَحْوَtoward تُرْبَتهِhis tomb
تَحْدُوا النِّياقُ كِرامٌ نَحْوَ تُرْبَتهِ
فَتملأand so fill الأرْضَthe earth مِنْwith نُجبnoble camels وَمِنْand with نُحِبlamentation
فَتملأ الأرْضَ مِنْ نُجب وَمِنْ نُحِب
Noble folk urge the she-camels with song toward his tomb,
filling the earth with noble mounts and lamentation.
يَسْعَوْنَthey journey نَحْوَtoward هِضَابhills طابَis sweet مَوْرِدُهاtheir watering-place
يَسْعَوْنَ نَحْوَ هِضَاب طابَ مَوْرِدُها
كأنَّماas though العَذْبُsweet water مُشْتَقٌّwere derived مِنَfrom العَذَبِthe waterweed
كأنَّما العَذْبُ مُشْتَقٌّ مِنَ العَذَبِ
They journey toward hills whose watering-place is sweet,
as though sweet water were derived from the waterweed.
أَرْضٌa land معalongside اللَّهGod عَيْنُthe eye of الشَّمْسِthe sun تَحْرُسُهاguards it
أَرْضٌ مع اللَّه عَيْنُ الشَّمْسِ تَحْرُسُها
فإِنْand if تَغِبْit vanishes حَرَسَتْهَاguard it أَعْيُنُthe eyes of الشّهُبِthe shooting stars
فإِنْ تَغِبْ حَرَسَتْهَا أَعْيُنُ الشّهُبِ
A land that the sun's eye guards alongside God;
and if it vanishes, the eyes of shooting stars guard it.
يَاO خَيْرَbest of سَاعٍstrivers بباعٍwith a reach لاnot يُردُّis rebuffed وياand O
يَا خَيْرَ سَاعٍ بباعٍ لا يُردُّ ويا
أَجَلَّmost august دَاعٍsummoner مُطاعٍobeyed طَاهرِpure of الحَسَبِancestral honor
أَجَلَّ دَاعٍ مُطاعٍ طَاهرِ الحَسَبِ
O best of strivers, whose reach is never rebuffed, and O
most august of summoners, obeyed, of unsullied ancestral honor.
مَاnot كَانَwould يرضىapprove لَكfor you الرَّحمَنُthe All-Merciful منزلةًa station
مَا كَانَ يرضى لَك الرَّحمَنُ منزلةً
يَاO أَشْرَفَnoblest of الخلقِcreation إلّاexcept أشرفُthe noblest of الرّتبِranks
يَا أَشْرَفَ الخلقِ إلّا أشرفُ الرّتبِ
The All-Merciful would accept no station for you,
O noblest of creation, but the noblest of ranks.
لِيI have مِنْamong ذُنُوبِيmy sins ذَنبa sin وَافِرٌabundant فَعَسىso perhaps
لِي مِنْ ذُنُوبِي ذَنب وَافِرٌ فَعَسى
شَفَاعةًintercession مِنكِfrom you تُنْجينيsaves me مِنَfrom اللَّهَبِthe flame
شَفَاعةً مِنكِ تُنْجيني مِنَ اللَّهَبِ
I have, among my sins, a grievous sin; perhaps
intercession from you will save me from the flame.
جَعَلْتُI have made حُبَّكlove for you ليfor me ذُخْراًa treasure ومعتمداًand a mainstay
جَعَلْتُ حُبَّك لي ذُخْراً ومعتمداً
فَكَانso it became ليfor me ناظراًa watchful protector مِنْagainst نَاظرthe eye of النُّوَبِcalamities
فَكَان لي ناظراً مِنْ نَاظر النُّوَبِ
I have made my love for you a treasure and a mainstay;
so it became my watchman against calamity's eye.
إِلَيْكَto you وَجّهْتُI have directed آماليmy hopes فَلَاso may not حُجِبَتْthey be veiled
إِلَيْكَ وَجّهْتُ آمالي فَلَا حُجِبَتْ
عَنْfrom بَابِthe gate of جُودِكَyour bounty إِنَّindeed المَوْتَdeath فِيin الحُجُبِthe veils
عَنْ بَابِ جُودِكَ إِنَّ المَوْتَ فِي الحُجُبِ
To you I have directed my hopes; may they not be veiled
from the gate of your bounty, for death lies in the veils.
وَقَدْand indeed دَعَوْتُكَI have called upon you أَرْجُوhoping مِنْكَfrom you مَكْرُمَةًa generous gift
وَقَدْ دَعَوْتُكَ أَرْجُو مِنْكَ مَكْرُمَةً
حَاشاكfar be it from you حَاشَاكَfar be it from you أنْthat تُدْعَىyou be called upon فَلَمْand then not تُجِبِyou answer
حَاشاك حَاشَاكَ أنْ تُدْعَى فَلَمْ تُجِبِ
And I have called upon you, hoping for a generous gift from you;
far be it from you, far be it from you, to be called upon and not answer.