يا قريبَ الدار من قل

يا قريبَ الدار من قل

بي وإن شطَّ المزارُ

بي وإن شطَّ المزارُ

O you whose dwelling is close to my

O you who live near my heart though distance parts us,

heart, even though the place of meeting is far away,

And though homes fail to bring us close,

نائياً مني وإِنْ لم

نائياً مني وإِنْ لم

تُدْنِني منكَ الديار

تُدْنِني منكَ الديار

distant from me, even if the

Imagination made you present when patience failed me;

dwellings do not bring me near you.

I see you whenever longing and thoughts of you arise.

مَثَّلَتْكَ النفسُ لي إذ

مَثَّلَتْكَ النفسُ لي إذ

لم يكن عنكَ اصطبارُ

لم يكن عنكَ اصطبارُ

My soul pictured you for me, since

If we feel the nearness of a loved one, proximity's ours,

I could not endure being apart from you.

A womb, bent by affection, curved by neighborhood,

وأرانيكَ على ما

وأرانيكَ على ما

لك شوقٌ وادِّكار

لك شوقٌ وادِّكار

And what showed you to me as you are

And mixing like scent blended into rose-oil,

was longing for you and remembrance.

Purity not to be obscured for sunlight's never obscured.

نحن إن نستشعرِ القر

نحن إن نستشعرِ القر

بى فقربانا شِعارُ

بى فقربانا شِعارُ

If we take the bond of

O Abu Bakr the carpenter - what's a carpenter

kinship to heart, our kinship is a garment next to the skin:

When nobility's your merit and virtue's your ware?

رَحِمٌ يَعْطِفُها الودُّ

رَحِمٌ يَعْطِفُها الودُّ

وَيَثْنِيها الجوار

وَيَثْنِيها الجوار

a kinship that affection draws close,

Yours is bounty. I've done no wrong. Oppression's disgrace.

and neighborliness strengthens;

Your hands have flooded me with oceans, ocean on ocean

وامتزاجٌ مثلما يُمْ

وامتزاجٌ مثلما يُمْ

زَجُ بالماءِ العُقار

زَجُ بالماءِ العُقار

and a mingling, just as

For shielding me from people's eyes by sheltering me.

wine is mingled with water;

If I fail in thanks, say "This is a dumb ass."

وصفاءٌ لم يكن يَخْ

وصفاءٌ لم يكن يَخْ

فَى وهل يَخْفَى النهار

فَى وهل يَخْفَى النهار

and a purity that was never

The glorious you gladly clothed, ennobled the lowly.

hidden—can daylight be hidden?

A father whom glory adorned and dignity clad.

يا أبا بكرٍ نجاراً

يا أبا بكرٍ نجاراً

ما إِذا عُدَّ النجار

ما إِذا عُدَّ النجار

O Abu Bakr, what a lineage,

A place round which the caravans of grandeur turn

when lineages are reckoned!

When mighty caravans lose their way.

ولك الفضلُ ولا أظ

ولك الفضلُ ولا أظ

لمُ إن الظلمَ عار

لمُ إن الظلمَ عار

Yours is the excellence, and I do not

An axis whose orbit is circled by the axis of glory.

deal unjustly; injustice is a disgrace.

O clan of Asim, your feud's confined you to remoteness

غَمَرَتْنِي من أيادي

غَمَرَتْنِي من أيادي

كَ بحارٌ وبحار

كَ بحارٌ وبحار

I have been overwhelmed by favors of

While we care not, now left with the outcasts.

yours—seas upon seas.

ما لما أوليتني عن

ما لما أوليتني عن

أعينَ الناسِ استتار

أعينَ الناسِ استتار

What you have bestowed on me cannot be hidden from

the eyes of people.

فإذا لم أُحْسِنِ الشك

فإذا لم أُحْسِنِ الشك

رَ فقل هذا حِمار

رَ فقل هذا حِمار

So if I fail to offer proper

thanks, then say, 'This is a donkey.'

وكساكَ الفخرَ مَنْ أي

وكساكَ الفخرَ مَنْ أي

سرَ ما فيه الفخار

سرَ ما فيه الفخار

And you were clothed in honor by one whose least

quality is glory:

والدٌ أزَّرَهُ المج

والدٌ أزَّرَهُ المج

دُ وَرَدَّاهُ الوقار

دُ وَرَدَّاهُ الوقار

a father girded by

glory and robed by dignity;

مًوضِعٌ سُبْلَ التجارا

مًوضِعٌ سُبْلَ التجارا

تِ إذا ضلَّ التجار

تِ إذا ضلَّ التجار

one who speeds along the paths of

commerce when merchants lose their way;

قُطُبٌ دارَ عليه

قُطُبٌ دارَ عليه

قُطُبُ المجدِ المدار

قُطُبُ المجدِ المدار

an axis around which has revolved

the revolving axis of glory.

يا بني عاصمَ جَادَتْ

يا بني عاصمَ جَادَتْ

كُمْ على النأي العشار

كُمْ على النأي العشار

O sons of Asim, may rain pour generously

upon you, despite the distance, from clouds like pregnant she-camels.

ما نُبالي حين تَبقو

ما نُبالي حين تَبقو

نَ بمن حلَّ البوار

نَ بمن حلَّ البوار

We do not care, so long as you

remain, whom ruin befalls.