يَقولُ الأَطِبّاءُ المُداوُونَ إِذ خَشوا

يَقولُ الأَطِبّاءُ المُداوُونَ إِذ خَشوا

عَوارِضَ مِن أَدواءِ داءٍ يُصيبُها

عَوارِضَ مِن أَدواءِ داءٍ يُصيبُها

The treating physicians speak when they fear

The doctors prescribing medicine fear

complications from the ills of a disease afflicting her.

The symptoms of an illness that afflicts her

وَظَبيَةُ دائي وَالشِفاءُ لِقاؤُها

وَظَبيَةُ دائي وَالشِفاءُ لِقاؤُها

وَهَل أَنا مَدعوٌّ لِنَفسي طَبيبُها

وَهَل أَنا مَدعوٌّ لِنَفسي طَبيبُها

And Dhabya is my illness; meeting her is the cure.

And my illness is lovesickness, with the cure being to see her

And am I to be called my own soul's physician?

Am I, for myself, her physician?

وَكَومٍ مَهاريسِ العَشاءِ مُراحَةٍ

وَكَومٍ مَهاريسِ العَشاءِ مُراحَةٍ

عَلَينا أَتاها بَعدَ هَدءٍ خَبيبُها

عَلَينا أَتاها بَعدَ هَدءٍ خَبيبُها

And many high-humped camels, grinders of evening fodder, brought home

And piles of carpets in the evening are a comfort

to us; their trot came upon them after a quiet spell.

To us when her lover came to her after tranquility

مَحا كُلَّ مَعروفٍ مِنَ الدارِ بَعدَنا

مَحا كُلَّ مَعروفٍ مِنَ الدارِ بَعدَنا

دَوالِحُ رَوحاتِ الصَبا وَجُنوبُها

دَوالِحُ رَوحاتِ الصَبا وَجُنوبُها

Every familiar trace of the dwelling, after we left, was erased by

It erased all favors from the house after us

the rain-laden evening blasts of the east wind and its south wind.

Chambers filled with the spirit of youth and its excesses

وَكائِن أَتَتها لِلشَمالِ هَدِيَّةٌ

وَكائِن أَتَتها لِلشَمالِ هَدِيَّةٌ

مِنَ التُربِ مِن أَنقاءِ وَهبٍ غَريبُها

مِنَ التُربِ مِن أَنقاءِ وَهبٍ غَريبُها

And how many a gift from the north wind reached it—

And something came to her from the north as a gift

of alien dust from the sand dunes of Wahb.

From the soil, from the most pristine and strange passion

وَثِقتُ إِذا لاقَت بِلالاً مَطِيَّتي

وَثِقتُ إِذا لاقَت بِلالاً مَطِيَّتي

لَها بِالغِنى إِن لَم تُصِبها شَعوبُها

لَها بِالغِنى إِن لَم تُصِبها شَعوبُها

I trusted that, when my mount reached Bilal,

And I was certain that if my steed met Bilal

wealth would be hers, unless her death overtook her.

It would suffice me, even if its people failed it

تَمَطَّت بِرَحلي وَهيَ رَهبٌ رَذِيَّةٌ

تَمَطَّت بِرَحلي وَهيَ رَهبٌ رَذِيَّةٌ

إِلَيكَ مِنَ الدَهنا أَتاكَ خَبيبُها

إِلَيكَ مِنَ الدَهنا أَتاكَ خَبيبُها

She lengthened her stride beneath my saddle, lean and worn out,

It hastened with my belongings, frightened and wary

toward you; from al-Dahna her trotting reached you.

From the world below, her lover came to you

فَما يَهتَدي بِالعَينِ مِن ناظِرٍ بِها

فَما يَهتَدي بِالعَينِ مِن ناظِرٍ بِها

وَلَكِنَّما تَهدي العُيونَ قُلوبُها

وَلَكِنَّما تَهدي العُيونَ قُلوبُها

For no beholder is guided by the eye he looks through;

Eyes cannot be guided to look upon her

but it is their hearts alone that guide the eyes.

Rather it is hearts that guide eyes to her

وَكانَت قَناةُ الدينِ عَوجاءَ عِندَنا

وَكانَت قَناةُ الدينِ عَوجاءَ عِندَنا

فَجاءَ بِلالٌ فَاِستَقامَت كُعوبُها

فَجاءَ بِلالٌ فَاِستَقامَت كُعوبُها

And the spear-shaft of religion was crooked among us;

The path of religion was crooked for us

then Bilal came, and its joints grew straight.

Then Bilal came, so its hills straightened

فَلَمّا رَأَوا سَيفَي بِلالٍ تَفَرَّقَت

فَلَمّا رَأَوا سَيفَي بِلالٍ تَفَرَّقَت

شَياطينُ أَقوامٍ وَماتَت ذُنوبُها

شَياطينُ أَقوامٍ وَماتَت ذُنوبُها

So when they saw Bilal's two swords, they scattered—

When they saw Bilal's sword, the demons

the devils of peoples—and their sins died.

Of the people scattered, and their sins died

فَكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ يا بِلالُ خَسَأتَهُ

فَكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ يا بِلالُ خَسَأتَهُ

فَأَغضَت لَهُ عَينٌ عَلى ما يَريبُها

فَأَغضَت لَهُ عَينٌ عَلى ما يَريبُها

And how many an enemy, O Bilal, you have driven off,

O Bilal, how many enemies did you humiliate

so his eye lowered its gaze despite what disquieted it.

Such that an eye overlooks what vilifies it

رَأَيتُ بِلالاً يَشتَري بِتِلادِهِ

رَأَيتُ بِلالاً يَشتَري بِتِلادِهِ

مَكارِمَ أَخلاقٍ عِظامٍ رَغيبُها

مَكارِمَ أَخلاقٍ عِظامٍ رَغيبُها

I saw Bilal buying with his inherited wealth

I saw Bilal buying with his high moral character

noble virtues, whose coveted worth is immense.

Great virtues - the most desirable of them

وَيَومٍ تَرى جَوزاؤُهُ قَد كَفَيتَهُ

وَيَومٍ تَرى جَوزاؤُهُ قَد كَفَيتَهُ

بِطَعنٍ وَضَربٍ حينَ ثابَ عَكوبُها

بِطَعنٍ وَضَربٍ حينَ ثابَ عَكوبُها

And many a day when its al-Jawza was visible, you mastered it

And one day you will see his enemy had sufficed him

with thrusts and blows, when its swirling dust returned.

With a stab and blow when his treachery awoke

أَبَت لِبِلالٌ عُصبَةٌ أَشعَرِيَّةٌ

أَبَت لِبِلالٌ عُصبَةٌ أَشعَرِيَّةٌ

إِذا فَزِعَت كانَت سَريعاً رُكوبُها

إِذا فَزِعَت كانَت سَريعاً رُكوبُها

An Ash'ari band refused to yield for Bilal;

Bilal refused a rabble of ash'ariyyah

when alarmed, it was swift to mount.

When panicked, their riding was swift

سَريعٌ إِلى كَفَّي بِلالٍ إِذا دَعا

سَريعٌ إِلى كَفَّي بِلالٍ إِذا دَعا

مِنَ اليَمَنِ الشُبّانُ مِنها وَشيبُها

مِنَ اليَمَنِ الشُبّانُ مِنها وَشيبُها

Swift to Bilal's two palms, whenever he called,

Swift to Bilal's hands when the youth called

were its young men and its grey-haired men from Yemen.

From Yemen, their elders and young

وَما دَعوَةٌ تَدعو بِلالاً إِلى القِرى

وَما دَعوَةٌ تَدعو بِلالاً إِلى القِرى

وَلا الطَعنِ يَومَ الرَوعِ إِلّا يُجيبُها

وَلا الطَعنِ يَومَ الرَوعِ إِلّا يُجيبُها

And no call summons Bilal to hospitality,

No call invites Bilal to the towns

or to spear-thrusts on a day of terror, without his answering it.

Or to the stab on a frightening day, but he answers it

سَريعٌ إِلى هَذي وَهَذي قِيامُهُ

سَريعٌ إِلى هَذي وَهَذي قِيامُهُ

إِذا صَدَقَت نَفسَ الجَبانِ كَذوبُها

إِذا صَدَقَت نَفسَ الجَبانِ كَذوبُها

Swift is his rising to this and to that,

Swift in his rising to here and there

when the coward's soul is told the truth by its own liar.

If the coward's soul believes its lies

كَما كانَ يَستَحيِي أَبوهُ إِذا دَعا

كَما كانَ يَستَحيِي أَبوهُ إِذا دَعا

لَهُ مُستَغيثٌ حينَ هَرَّ كَليبُها

لَهُ مُستَغيثٌ حينَ هَرَّ كَليبُها

Just as his father used to feel shame whenever a call came

Just as his father used to be shy when

to him from one seeking help, when the battle's little dog growled.

A desperate man called him, when its dog barked

يَكُرُّ وَراءَ المُستَغيثِ إِذا دَعا

يَكُرُّ وَراءَ المُستَغيثِ إِذا دَعا

بِنَفسٍ وَقورٍ لا يَخافُ وَجيبُها

بِنَفسٍ وَقورٍ لا يَخافُ وَجيبُها

He charges after the man seeking help whenever he calls,

He turns back toward the desperate man when called

with a steady soul whose heartbeat knows no fear.

With a dignified spirit, not fearing its threat

مِنَ القَومِ يَستَحمي إِذا حَمِسَ الوَغى

مِنَ القَومِ يَستَحمي إِذا حَمِسَ الوَغى

لِهاماتِ كُلّاحِ الرِجالِ ضَروبُها

لِهاماتِ كُلّاحِ الرِجالِ ضَروبُها

Of a people, he grows fierce when battle rages—

From the people, he seeks refuge when war flares

their mighty smiter of the heads of grim-faced men.

Against the strikes of brave men, their blows

وَجَدنا لَكُم دَلواً شَديداً رِشاؤُها

وَجَدنا لَكُم دَلواً شَديداً رِشاؤُها

تَضيمُ دِلاءَ المُستَقينَ ذَنوبُها

تَضيمُ دِلاءَ المُستَقينَ ذَنوبُها

We found that you have a bucket whose rope is strong;

We found for you a strong, pouring bucket

its brimful bucket outdoes the buckets of those drawing water.

That holds the water of the thirsty, however much their sins