يَرُدُّ عَلى خَيشومِها مِن ضَجاجِها

يَرُدُّ عَلى خَيشومِها مِن ضَجاجِها

لَها بَعدَ جَذبٍ بِالخَشاشِ جَريرُها

لَها بَعدَ جَذبٍ بِالخَشاشِ جَريرُها

It turns some of her bellowing back upon her nostrils—

Her nose-rein is jerked back by her snorting,

her lead-rope, after a tug at the nose-peg.

After she is pulled along by a brisk servant beside her.

وَمَحذُوَّةٍ بَينَ الحِذاءَ الَّذي لَها

وَمَحذُوَّةٍ بَينَ الحِذاءَ الَّذي لَها

وَبَينَ الحَصى نَعلاً مُرِشّاً بَصيرُها

وَبَينَ الحَصى نَعلاً مُرِشّاً بَصيرُها

And many a she-camel shod—between her own foot-pad

Her experienced eye discerns between her shoe

and the pebbles—with a sandal, her blood oozing.

And the pebbles—a shoe made supple by chewing.

طَوَت رِحمَها مِنهُنَّ كُلُّ نَجيبَةٍ

طَوَت رِحمَها مِنهُنَّ كُلُّ نَجيبَةٍ

مِنَ الماءِ وَاِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ سُتورُها

مِنَ الماءِ وَاِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ سُتورُها

Each high-bred she-camel among them folded her womb,

Each high-bred camel among them folded up her womb,

empty of seed, its veils wrapped around it.

Turning away from the water, hiding it under her tail's fringe.

أَتَيناكَ مِن أَرضٍ تَموتُ رِياحُها

أَتَيناكَ مِن أَرضٍ تَموتُ رِياحُها

وَبِالصَيفِ لا يُلفى دَليلٌ يَطورُها

وَبِالصَيفِ لا يُلفى دَليلٌ يَطورُها

We came to you from a land whose winds die,

We have come to you from a land whose winds die down

and in summer no guide is found who ventures into it:

And in summer no guide can find a way through it

مِنَ الرَملِ رَملِ الحَوشِ يَهلِكُ دونَهُ

مِنَ الرَملِ رَملِ الحَوشِ يَهلِكُ دونَهُ

رَواحُ شَمالٍ نَيرَجٍ وَبُكورُها

رَواحُ شَمالٍ نَيرَجٍ وَبُكورُها

of sand, the sand of al-Hawsh, before which perish

Because of the sands of Hawsh, fine sands wherein

the evening and morning sweeps of a fierce north wind.

Perish the winds from the north, both those from Na'am and Bukur.

قَضَت ناقَتي ما كُنتُ كَلَّفتُ نَحبَها

قَضَت ناقَتي ما كُنتُ كَلَّفتُ نَحبَها

مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالحاجِ البَعيدِ نَعورُها

مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالحاجِ البَعيدِ نَعورُها

My she-camel fulfilled all I had required of her endurance,

My she-camel carried through what I had charged her with

for cares and far-off needs—the skittish one among them—

Of grief and distant journeying that made her hip bones jut out.

إِذا هِيَ أَدَّتني إِلى حَيثُ تَلتَقي

إِذا هِيَ أَدَّتني إِلى حَيثُ تَلتَقي

طَوالِبُ حاجاتٍ بَعيدٍ مَسيرُها

طَوالِبُ حاجاتٍ بَعيدٍ مَسيرُها

when she brought me to where converge

When she had brought me to where the longed for aims of pilgrims Meet,

seekers of needs whose journey is long:

Aims pursued over far and thirsty deserts,

إِلى المُصطَفى بَعدَ الوَلِيِّ الَّذي لَهُ

إِلى المُصطَفى بَعدَ الوَلِيِّ الَّذي لَهُ

عَلى الناسِ نُعمى يَملَءُ الأَرضَ نورُها

عَلى الناسِ نُعمى يَملَءُ الأَرضَ نورُها

to the chosen one after the ruler, whose

To Mustafa's town, after the saint whose light

bounty to the people fills the earth with its light.

Fills the earth for all mankind with its radiance.

وَكَم مِن صُعودٍ دونَها قَد مَشيتُها

وَكَم مِن صُعودٍ دونَها قَد مَشيتُها

وَهابِطَةٍ أُخرى يُقادُ بَعيرُها

وَهابِطَةٍ أُخرى يُقادُ بَعيرُها

And how many an ascent before reaching it I have walked,

How many ascents and how many descents I made her undergo

and another descent where the camel is led!

Before her, while behind me another mount was led along!

وَما أَمَرَتني النَفسُ في رِحلَةٍ لَها

وَما أَمَرَتني النَفسُ في رِحلَةٍ لَها

فَيَأمُرَني إِلّا إِلَيكَ ضَميرُها

فَيَأمُرَني إِلّا إِلَيكَ ضَميرُها

And never did my soul urge me on a journey of its own

Never did my soul urge me to make a journey of mine

but its inward purpose directed me only to you.

But it was my soul that guided me to you.

وَلَم تَدنُ حَتّى قُلتُ لِلرَكبِ إِنَّكُم

وَلَم تَدنُ حَتّى قُلتُ لِلرَكبِ إِنَّكُم

لَآتونَ عَينَ الشَمسِ حَيثُ تَغورُها

لَآتونَ عَينَ الشَمسِ حَيثُ تَغورُها

And it had not drawn near before I told the riders,

Nor did she stride forward until I said to my companions

'You will surely reach the sun's eye, where it sets.'

"You are bound for the sun's eye harbor, where it sets."

فَلَمّا بَلَغنا أَرجَعَ اللَهُ رِحلَتي

فَلَمّا بَلَغنا أَرجَعَ اللَهُ رِحلَتي

وَشُقَّت لَنا كَفٌّ تَفيضُ بُحورُها

وَشُقَّت لَنا كَفٌّ تَفيضُ بُحورُها

So when we arrived, God made my journey fruitful,

When we reached it, God made my journeying revert,

and a palm was opened for us, its seas overflowing.

And there opened for us a hand pouring freely with rivers of bounty.

نَزَلنا بِأَيّوبٍ وَلَم نَرَ مِثلَهُ

نَزَلنا بِأَيّوبٍ وَلَم نَرَ مِثلَهُ

إِذا الأَرضُ بِالناسِ اِقشَعَرَّت ظُهورُها

إِذا الأَرضُ بِالناسِ اِقشَعَرَّت ظُهورُها

We alighted with Ayyub, and saw no one like him,

We alighted at Ayyub's and found none like him—

when the earth's backs bristle against its people:

The earth shudders with its people when its pilgrim sites pour forth their throngs.

أَشَدَّ قُوى حَبلٍ لِمَن يَستَجيرُهُ

أَشَدَّ قُوى حَبلٍ لِمَن يَستَجيرُهُ

وَأَطوَلَ إِذ شَرُّ الحِبالِ قَصيرُها

وَأَطوَلَ إِذ شَرُّ الحِبالِ قَصيرُها

stronger in the strands of his rope for whoever seeks his shelter,

Strongest guardian for him who seeks your protection,

and longer—for the worst of ropes is the short one.

Longest, when the bonds of kinship are short.

جَعَلتَ لَنا لِلعَدلِ بَعدَكَ ضامِناً

جَعَلتَ لَنا لِلعَدلِ بَعدَكَ ضامِناً

إِذا أُمَّةٌ لَم يُعطِ عَدلاً أَميرُها

إِذا أُمَّةٌ لَم يُعطِ عَدلاً أَميرُها

You appointed for us a guarantor of justice after you,

After you, you made Justice our regent,

when a people's ruler fails to grant it justice.

Since a community whose leader gives no justice has lost its bearings.

أَقَمتَ بِهِ الأَعناقَ بَعدَكَ فَاِنتَهَت

أَقَمتَ بِهِ الأَعناقَ بَعدَكَ فَاِنتَهَت

إِلَيكَ بِأَيدي المُسلِمينَ مُشيرُها

إِلَيكَ بِأَيدي المُسلِمينَ مُشيرُها

Through him you straightened necks after you; thus turned

By it you set aright the contumacious after you, and so

toward you the pointing fingers in the Muslims' hands.

The ordering of affairs returned through the hands of the Muslims' Commander.