إِلَيكَto you المَطاياthe riding-camels أَعنَقَتhastened ياO مُحَمَّدُMuhammad
إِلَيكَ المَطايا أَعنَقَت يا مُحَمَّدُ
إِلىto خَيرِthe best of مَنthose whom يُسعىone journeys إِلَيهِto him وَيُحفَدُand one hastens
إِلى خَيرِ مَن يُسعى إِلَيهِ وَيُحفَدُ
To you the riding-camels hastened, O Muhammad,
to the best of those to whom people journey and hasten,
إِلىto الذُروَةِthe summit العَلياءِlofty مِنof سِرِّthe purest stock of هاشِمِHashim
إِلى الذُروَةِ العَلياءِ مِن سِرِّ هاشِمِ
عَلَيهِمupon them سَلاميmy greeting of peace كُلَّevery وَقتٍmoment يُرَدَّدُis repeated
عَلَيهِم سَلامي كُلَّ وَقتٍ يُرَدَّدُ
to the lofty pinnacle of Hashim's purest stock.
May my greeting of peace be repeated upon them at every moment,
تَرَدُّدَlike the recurrence of أَنفاسيmy breaths الَّتيwhich لاnot أَمَلُّهاI tire of them
تَرَدُّدَ أَنفاسي الَّتي لا أَمَلُّها
وَلاnor أَنتَهيdo I cease مِنهاfrom them وَلاnor أَتَبَلَّدُgrow listless
وَلا أَنتَهي مِنها وَلا أَتَبَلَّدُ
as my breaths recur—I never tire of them,
nor cease from them, nor grow listless.
كَأَنَّas though دُموعيmy tears لاشتِياقيfrom my longing لَآلِئٌpearls
كَأَنَّ دُموعي لاشتِياقي لَآلِئٌ
فَمِنand so from بَينِbetween أَصدافِthe shells of الجُفونِthe eyelids تُبَدَّدُare scattered
فَمِن بَينِ أَصدافِ الجُفونِ تُبَدَّدُ
My tears of longing seem to be pearls,
scattered from between the shells of my eyelids.
قَطَعنَthey crossed إِلَيكَtoward you البيدَthe deserts كَالبَحرِlike the sea آلهاtheir mirage
قَطَعنَ إِلَيكَ البيدَ كَالبَحرِ آلها
وظرّانُهاand their flints مِنfrom تَحتِهِbeneath it يَتَوَقَّدُblaze
وظرّانُها مِن تَحتِهِ يَتَوَقَّدُ
They crossed the deserts toward you, their mirage like the sea,
and their flints blazing beneath it.
وَرَكبٍand a band of riders عَلىupon أَكوارِهِنَّtheir saddles كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
وَرَكبٍ عَلى أَكوارِهِنَّ كَأَنَّهُم
سِهامٌarrows بِأَكبادِat the hearts of القِسِيِّthe bows تَشَدَّدُare drawn taut
سِهامٌ بِأَكبادِ القِسِيِّ تَشَدَّدُ
And riders upon their saddles seemed
like arrows drawn taut at the hearts of bows.
وَكُلٌّand each إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis هَزَّbrandished سوطاًa whip كَأَنَّماas though
وَكُلٌّ إِذا ما هَزَّ سوطاً كَأَنَّما
تَخِبُّtrots بِهِwith him بَينَamong النَّعامِthe ostriches خَفَيدَدُa fleet ostrich
تَخِبُّ بِهِ بَينَ النَّعامِ خَفَيدَدُ
And each rider, whenever he brandished a whip, seemed
borne at a trot by a fleet ostrich among the ostriches,
إِلىuntil أَنthat أَناخوهاthey made them kneel إِلىat جَنبِthe side of حُجرَةٍa chamber
إِلى أَن أَناخوها إِلى جَنبِ حُجرَةٍ
لَهيبَتِهِin awe of him مِنهاfrom it الفَرائِصُthe flanks تُرعَدُare made to tremble
لَهيبَتِهِ مِنها الفَرائِصُ تُرعَدُ
until they made them kneel beside a chamber,
before which flanks tremble in awe of him.
إِلَيكَto you رَسولَO Messenger of اللَهِGod مِنّيfrom me أَلوكَةًa message
إِلَيكَ رَسولَ اللَهِ مِنّي أَلوكَةً
حَنانَيكَyour mercy, I beg قَدmay indeed يَحنوshow tenderness عَلىto العَبدِthe servant سَيِّدُa master
حَنانَيكَ قَد يَحنو عَلى العَبدِ سَيِّدُ
To you, Messenger of God, a message from me:
Your mercy, I beg—a master may show his servant kindness.
أُوَمِّلُI hope for مِنfrom خَيرِthe best of الأَنامِall creation شَفاعَةًintercession
أُوَمِّلُ مِن خَيرِ الأَنامِ شَفاعَةً
بِهاthrough it فيin نَعيمٍbliss بِالجنانِin the Gardens أُخَلَّدُI am made to dwell forever
بِها في نَعيمٍ بِالجنانِ أُخَلَّدُ
I hope for intercession from the best of all creation,
through which I may dwell forever in the Gardens' bliss.
فَأَنتَfor you are رَسولُthe Messenger of اللَهِGod وَهيَand it is شهادَةٌa testimony
فَأَنتَ رَسولُ اللَهِ وَهيَ شهادَةٌ
أُقِرُّI assent بِهاto it حَتّىuntil المعادَthe Resurrection وَأَشهَدُand I bear witness
أُقِرُّ بِها حَتّى المعادَ وَأَشهَدُ
For you are the Messenger of God; this is a testimony
I affirm and bear witness to until the Resurrection.
وَدِدتُI wished بِأَنّيthat I زُرتُvisited قَبرَكَyour grave راجِلاًon foot
وَدِدتُ بِأَنّي زُرتُ قَبرَكَ راجِلاً
وَقَبَّلتُand I kissed تُرباًearth أَنتَyou فيهاin it مُوَسَّدُpillowed
وَقَبَّلتُ تُرباً أَنتَ فيها مُوَسَّدُ
Would that I had visited your grave on foot,
and kissed the earth in which you lie pillowed,
وَمَرَّغتُand I rubbed in the dust خَدّيmy cheek عِندَbeside قَبرِكَyour grave ضارِعاًhumbly pleading
وَمَرَّغتُ خَدّي عِندَ قَبرِكَ ضارِعاً
بِأَرضٍon ground حَصاهاits pebbles لُؤلُؤٌpearls وَزَبَرجَدُand chrysolite
بِأَرضٍ حَصاها لُؤلُؤٌ وَزَبَرجَدُ
and rubbed my cheek beside your grave in humble supplication,
on ground whose pebbles are pearls and chrysolite.
وَذاكَand that is ضَريحٌa tomb يَحسُدُenvies المِسكُmusk تُربَهُits earth
وَذاكَ ضَريحٌ يَحسُدُ المِسكُ تُربَهُ
وَكُلُّand every one شَريفِnoble القَدرِin worth لاno شَكَّdoubt يُحسَدُis envied
وَكُلُّ شَريفِ القَدرِ لا شَكَّ يُحسَدُ
And that is a tomb whose earth musk envies;
and everything of noble worth is surely envied.
بِهِwithin it حَلَّdwelt كُلُّall الجُودِgenerosity وَالمَجدِand glory وَالنَدىand bounty
بِهِ حَلَّ كُلُّ الجُودِ وَالمَجدِ وَالنَدى
وَفَضلٌand excellence وَمَعروفٌand kindness وَعِزٌّand honor وَسُؤدَدُand eminence
وَفَضلٌ وَمَعروفٌ وَعِزٌّ وَسُؤدَدُ
Within it dwelt all generosity, glory, and bounty,
and excellence, kindness, honor, and eminence.
إِذاwhen حُدِيَتis urged on by song عَنسٌa sturdy she-camel بِذِكرِكwith mention of you أَسرَعَتshe hastens
إِذا حُدِيَت عَنسٌ بِذِكرِك أَسرَعَت
كَأَنas though لَمnot يَمَسَّhad touched الأَرضَthe ground رَجُلٌa hind foot وَلاnor يَدُa forefoot
كَأَن لَم يَمَسَّ الأَرضَ رَجُلٌ وَلا يَدُ
When a sturdy she-camel is urged on by songs naming you, she hastens,
as though neither hind foot nor forefoot had touched the ground.
وَخَلَّتand she left سُهَيلاًSuhayl طالِعاًrising مِنfrom وَرائِهاbehind her
وَخَلَّت سُهَيلاً طالِعاً مِن وَرائِها
وَقابَلَهاand facing her is نَسرٌNasr وَجَديٌand Jady وَفَرقَدُand Farqad
وَقابَلَها نَسرٌ وَجَديٌ وَفَرقَدُ
She leaves Suhayl rising behind her,
while Nasr, Jady, and Farqad face her.
وَصاحَand called out بِهاto her الحادونَthe camel-drivers فَاِندَفَعَتso she surged onward بِهِمwith them
وَصاحَ بِها الحادونَ فَاِندَفَعَت بِهِم
تُؤَوِّبُtravels all day فيacross الأَرضِthe land القِواءِdesolate وَتُسئِدُand travels all night
تُؤَوِّبُ في الأَرضِ القِواءِ وَتُسئِدُ
The camel-drivers call to her, and she surges onward with them,
traveling all day and all night across the desolate land.
وَقَدand already مَدَّتِthey stretched out الأَعناقَthe necks تَطويtraversing مَهامِهاًtrackless wastes
وَقَد مَدَّتِ الأَعناقَ تَطوي مَهامِهاً
تَغورُdescend into lowlands بِهاthrough them تَحتَbeneath الرِحالِthe saddles وَتُنجِدُand ascend to highlands
تَغورُ بِها تَحتَ الرِحالِ وَتُنجِدُ
With necks stretched out, they cross trackless wastes,
descending through them beneath the saddles and climbing the heights,
شَواحِبُpale أَلوانٍin hue بَراهاwore them thin لُغوبُهاtheir weariness
شَواحِبُ أَلوانٍ بَراها لُغوبُها
بِفَيفاءَin a desert waste فيهاwhere الأَبيَضُthe white اللَّونِin color أَسوَدُis black
بِفَيفاءَ فيها الأَبيَضُ اللَّونِ أَسوَدُ
pale in hue, worn thin by their weariness,
in a desert waste where even white is black.
وَإِنّيand truly I لَذوsurely possess شَوقٍlonging إِلَيكَfor you مُضاعَفredoubled
وَإِنّي لَذو شَوقٍ إِلَيكَ مُضاعَف
بَواعِثُهُits impulses لاnot تَأتَليfail تَتَجَدَّدُrenew themselves
بَواعِثُهُ لا تَأتَلي تَتَجَدَّدُ
And truly I bear a redoubled longing for you,
its impulses never failing to renew themselves,
إِلىfor الحُجرَةِthe chamber البَيضاءِwhite وَالجَدَثِand the tomb الَّذيwhich
إِلى الحُجرَةِ البَيضاءِ وَالجَدَثِ الَّذي
بِهِthrough it الخَيرُgood فيin الدّارَينِboth worlds يُرجىis hoped for وَيُقصَدُand is sought
بِهِ الخَيرُ في الدّارَينِ يُرجى وَيُقصَدُ
for the white chamber and the tomb through which
good in both worlds is hoped for and sought.
أَلاlisten! أَيُّهاO الزُوّارُvisitors بِاللَهِby God بَلِّغواconvey
أَلا أَيُّها الزُوّارُ بِاللَهِ بَلِّغوا
سَلاميmy greeting of peace إِلَيهِto him وَاِرفُقواand be gentle وَتَأَيَّدواand proceed unhurriedly
سَلامي إِلَيهِ وَاِرفُقوا وَتَأَيَّدوا
O visitors, I beg you by God, convey
my greeting of peace to him; be gentle and unhurried.
وَقولواand say لَهُto him فِتيانFityan يَشكوlaments صَبابَةًardent longing
وَقولوا لَهُ فِتيان يَشكو صَبابَةً
إِلَيكَfor you وَوَجداًand passion حَرُّهُwhose heat لَيسَdoes not يَبرُدُcool
إِلَيكَ وَوَجداً حَرُّهُ لَيسَ يَبرُدُ
And tell him: Fityan laments an ardent longing
for you, and a passion whose heat never cools.
يُرَجّىhe is given hope of غداًtomorrow تَبريدَthe cooling of غُلَّتِهِhis burning thirst إِذاwhen
يُرَجّى غداً تَبريدَ غُلَّتِهِ إِذا
شَفَعتَyou intercede لَهُfor him فيat الحَشرِthe Gathering وَالحَوضُand the Pool مورِدُa watering place
شَفَعتَ لَهُ في الحَشرِ وَالحَوضُ مورِدُ
He is given hope of cooling his burning thirst tomorrow, when
you intercede for him at the Gathering, and the Pool is the watering place.