أَلا مَن لِمُعتادٍ مِنَ الحُزنِ عائِدي

أَلا مَن لِمُعتادٍ مِنَ الحُزنِ عائِدي

وَهَمٍّ أَتى دونَ الشَراسيفِ عامِدي

وَهَمٍّ أَتى دونَ الشَراسيفِ عامِدي

Ah, who can help against the sorrow that keeps returning to me,

Alas! Is there anyone accustomed to sadness returning to me,

and care that has come beneath my ribs, seeking me out?

And worries coming below the tents aiming at me,

وَكَم مِن أَخٍ لي ساهِرِ اللَيلِ لَم يَنَم

وَكَم مِن أَخٍ لي ساهِرِ اللَيلِ لَم يَنَم

وَمَستَثقِلٍ عَنّي مِنَ النَومِ راقِدِ

وَمَستَثقِلٍ عَنّي مِنَ النَومِ راقِدِ

And many a brother of mine has kept night vigil, not sleeping,

How many brothers of mine are awake at night not sleeping,

and another lies deep in sleep, heedless of me.

And too burdened by sleep to rest beside me,

وَما الشَمسُ ضَوءَ المُشرِقينِ إِذا بَدَت

وَما الشَمسُ ضَوءَ المُشرِقينِ إِذا بَدَت

وَلَكِنَّ ضَوءُ المُشرِقينِ بِخالِدِ

وَلَكِنَّ ضَوءُ المُشرِقينِ بِخالِدِ

And the sun, when it appears, is not the light of the two easts;

The sun's not the light of the two horizons when it rises,

rather, the light of the two easts comes from Khalid.

Rather the light of the two horizons is with Khalid,

سَتَسمَعُ ما تُثني عَلَيكَ إِذا اِلتَقَت

سَتَسمَعُ ما تُثني عَلَيكَ إِذا اِلتَقَت

عَلى حَضرَمَوتٍ جامِحاتُ القَصائِدِ

عَلى حَضرَمَوتٍ جامِحاتُ القَصائِدِ

You will hear how they praise you when they converge

You will hear the praises sung of you when

upon Hadramawt—the unbridled odes.

The passionate poems meet at Hadramout,

أَلَم تَرَ كَفَّي خالِدٍ قَد أَدَرَّتا

أَلَم تَرَ كَفَّي خالِدٍ قَد أَدَرَّتا

عَلى الناسِ رِزقاً مِن كَثيرِ الرَوافِدِ

عَلى الناسِ رِزقاً مِن كَثيرِ الرَوافِدِ

Have you not seen Khalid's two palms pour forth

Have you not seen the hands of Khalid

sustenance upon the people from abundant tributaries?

Distributing rizq to the people from plentiful springs,

وَكانَ لَهُ النَهرُ المُبارَكُ فَاِرتَمى

وَكانَ لَهُ النَهرُ المُبارَكُ فَاِرتَمى

بِمِثلِ الزَوابي مُزبِداتٍ حَواشِدِ

بِمِثلِ الزَوابي مُزبِداتٍ حَواشِدِ

And his was the blessed river, which surged forth

The blessed river rushed to him

like the Zawabi rivers, foaming and massing together.

With foam like the meadows' edges,

فَما مِثلُ كَفَّي خالِدٍ حينَ يَشتَري

فَما مِثلُ كَفَّي خالِدٍ حينَ يَشتَري

بِكُلِّ طَريفٍ كُلَّ حَمدٍ وَتالِدِ

بِكُلِّ طَريفٍ كُلَّ حَمدٍ وَتالِدِ

For nothing matches Khalid's two palms when he buys

None can compare to Khalid’s hands when he buys

every kind of praise with all his new and inherited wealth.

With every subtlety, all praise and lineage,

فَزِد خالِداً مِثلَ الَّذي في يَمينِهِ

فَزِد خالِداً مِثلَ الَّذي في يَمينِهِ

تَجِدهُ عَنِ الإِسلامِ مِن خَيرِ ذائِدِ

تَجِدهُ عَنِ الإِسلامِ مِن خَيرِ ذائِدِ

So give Khalid as much again as lies in his right hand;

So add to Khalid the like of what is in his right hand

you will find him among the finest defenders of Islam.

You’ll find him driving goodness for Islam with great zeal,

كَأَنّي وَلا ظُلماً أَخافُ لِخالِدٍ

كَأَنّي وَلا ظُلماً أَخافُ لِخالِدٍ

مِنَ الشامِ داراً أَو سِمامَ الأَساوِدِ

مِنَ الشامِ داراً أَو سِمامَ الأَساوِدِ

As though I feared—and not unjustly—Khalid's

It's as if - and not unjustly - I fear no harm for Khalid

dwelling in Syria, or the venom of black serpents.

From Damascus, or the fangs of the lions,

وَإِنّي لَأَرجو خالِداً أَن يَفُكَّني

وَإِنّي لَأَرجو خالِداً أَن يَفُكَّني

وَيُطلِقَ عَنّي مُثقِلاتِ الحَدائِدِ

وَيُطلِقَ عَنّي مُثقِلاتِ الحَدائِدِ

And I do indeed hope that Khalid will free me

And I hope that Khalid will release me

and remove the heavy iron shackles from me.

And free me from the burdens of fetters,

هُوَ القائِدُ المَيمونُ وَالكاهِلُ الَّذي

هُوَ القائِدُ المَيمونُ وَالكاهِلُ الَّذي

يَثوبُ إِلَيهِ الناسُ مِن كُلِّ وافِدِ

يَثوبُ إِلَيهِ الناسُ مِن كُلِّ وافِدِ

He is the auspicious leader, the supporting shoulder to whom

He is the auspicious leader, the shoulder

people flock, every newcomer among them.

To whom people return from every arrival,

بِهِ تُكشَفُ الظَلماءُ مِن نورِ وَجهِهِ

بِهِ تُكشَفُ الظَلماءُ مِن نورِ وَجهِهِ

بِضَوءِ شِهابٍ ضَوؤُهُ غَيرُ خامِدِ

بِضَوءِ شِهابٍ ضَوؤُهُ غَيرُ خامِدِ

Through him, darkness is dispelled by the light of his face,

Through him, the darknesses are unveiled by the light of his face,

with the glow of a blazing flame whose light is never quenched.

With the glow of a meteor whose illumination is endless,

أَلا تَذكِرونَ الرِحمَ أَو تُقرِضونَني

أَلا تَذكِرونَ الرِحمَ أَو تُقرِضونَني

لَكُم خُلُقاً مِن واسِعِ الحِلمِ ماجِدِ

لَكُم خُلُقاً مِن واسِعِ الحِلمِ ماجِدِ

Will you not remember kinship, or lend me

Alas! Do you not remember kinship or lend me a hand?

a kindness drawn from your noble, ample forbearance?

You have a nature of vast forbearance and glory,

فَإِن يَكُ قَيدي رَدَّ هَمّي فَرُبَّما

فَإِن يَكُ قَيدي رَدَّ هَمّي فَرُبَّما

تَرامى بِهِ رامي الهُمومِ الأَباعِدِ

تَرامى بِهِ رامي الهُمومِ الأَباعِدِ

For if my fetter has checked my ambition, many a time

If my shackle is removed, my worries dispersed,

has the archer of far-reaching ambitions cast it far.

Then perhaps it will be cast by one who casts burdens far,