يا اِبنَ عَبدِ العَزيزِ لَو بَكَتِ العَي

يا اِبنَ عَبدِ العَزيزِ لَو بَكَتِ العَي

نُ فَتىً مِن أُمِيَّةٍ لَبَكَيتُك

نُ فَتىً مِن أُمِيَّةٍ لَبَكَيتُك

O son of Abd al-Aziz, if the eye were to weep

O son of Abd al-Aziz, if eyes shed tears

for a youth of Umayya, I would weep for you.

For an Umayyad youth, I would weep for you.

غَيرَ أَنّي أَقولُ إِنَّكَ قَد طِب

غَيرَ أَنّي أَقولُ إِنَّكَ قَد طِب

تَ وَإِن لَم يَطِب وَلَم يَزكُ بَيتُك

تَ وَإِن لَم يَطِب وَلَم يَزكُ بَيتُك

Yet I say: you have indeed been virtuous,

But I say you are blessed,

though your house was neither virtuous nor pure.

Even if your house is not blessed or pure.

أَنتَ نَزَّهتَنا عَنِ السَبِّ وَالقَذ

أَنتَ نَزَّهتَنا عَنِ السَبِّ وَالقَذ

فِ فَلَو أَمكَنَ الجَزاءُ جَزَيتُك

فِ فَلَو أَمكَنَ الجَزاءُ جَزَيتُك

You spared us abuse and slander;

You saved us from insult and abuse -

so, were recompense possible, I would repay you.

If I could repay you, I would.

وَلَوَ اَنّي رَأَيتُ قَبرَكَ لَاِستَح

وَلَوَ اَنّي رَأَيتُ قَبرَكَ لَاِستَح

يَيتُ مِن أَن أُرى وَما حَيَّيتُك

يَيتُ مِن أَن أُرى وَما حَيَّيتُك

And if I saw your grave, I would be ashamed

If I saw your grave, I would be shy

to be seen without having greeted you.

To look on you, though you lived.

وَقَليلٌ أَن لَو بَذَلتُ دِماءَ ال

وَقَليلٌ أَن لَو بَذَلتُ دِماءَ ال

بُدنِ حُزناً عَلى الذُرى وَسَقَيتُك

بُدنِ حُزناً عَلى الذُرى وَسَقَيتُك

And little would it be, were I to offer the blood of

It would be little if I shed my blood

the sacrificial camels, in grief upon the heights, and water you with it.

In sorrow for those in the tombs, and watered you.

دَيرَ سَمعانَ لا أَغَبَّكَ غادٍ

دَيرَ سَمعانَ لا أَغَبَّكَ غادٍ

خَيرُ مَيتٍ مِن آلِ مَروانَ مَيتُك

خَيرُ مَيتٍ مِن آلِ مَروانَ مَيتُك

O Dayr Sam'an, may no morning raincloud fail to visit you:

Deir Sam'an does not miss you when absent -

the best of the dead of Marwan's house is yours.

Better a dead man from the Marwanids than your dead.

أَنتَ بِالذِكرِ بَينَ عَيني وَقَلبي

أَنتَ بِالذِكرِ بَينَ عَيني وَقَلبي

إِن تَدانَيتُ مِنكَ أَو قَد نَأَيتُك

إِن تَدانَيتُ مِنكَ أَو قَد نَأَيتُك

In remembrance, you are between my eye and my heart,

You are in my thoughts and heart

whether I draw near to you or have gone far from you.

Whether I draw near or keep far from you.

وَإِذا حَرَّكَ الحَشا خاطِرٌ مِن

وَإِذا حَرَّكَ الحَشا خاطِرٌ مِن

كَ تَوَهَّمتُ أَنَّني قَد رَأَيتُك

كَ تَوَهَّمتُ أَنَّني قَد رَأَيتُك

And when my heart is stirred by a thought of

When something stirs my mind of you

you, I imagine that I have seen you.

I imagine I have seen you.

وَعَجيبٌ أَنّي قَلَيتُ بَني مَر

وَعَجيبٌ أَنّي قَلَيتُ بَني مَر

وانَ طُرّاً وَأَنَّني ما قَلَيتُك

وانَ طُرّاً وَأَنَّني ما قَلَيتُك

And strange it is that I loathed Marwan's sons,

And strange that I hate the Marwanids

all of them, yet did not loathe you.

As birds, when I did not hate you,

قَرُبَ العَدلُ مِنكَ لَمّا نَأى الجَو

قَرُبَ العَدلُ مِنكَ لَمّا نَأى الجَو

رُ بِهِم فَاجتَوَيتُهُم وَاِجتَبَيتُك

رُ بِهِم فَاجتَوَيتُهُم وَاِجتَبَيتُك

Justice drew near to you when tyranny carried

Justice was close to you when they withdrew -

them far away; so I loathed them and chose you.

I drew near to it and chose you.

فَلَوَ اَنّي مَلَكتُ دَفعاً لِما نا

فَلَوَ اَنّي مَلَكتُ دَفعاً لِما نا

بَكَ مِن طارِقِ الرَدى لَفَدَيتُك

بَكَ مِن طارِقِ الرَدى لَفَدَيتُك

And had I the power to ward off what assailed

If I could avert what befell you

you—death's night visitor—I would have ransomed you.

From the nightcomer of returning, I would ransom you.