إِلَيكَ حَمَلتَ الأَمرَ ثُمَّ جَمَعتَهُ

إِلَيكَ حَمَلتَ الأَمرَ ثُمَّ جَمَعتَهُ

إِلَيكَ وَأَشلاءَ الطَريدِ المَشَرَّدِ

إِلَيكَ وَأَشلاءَ الطَريدِ المَشَرَّدِ

To yourself you bore the matter, then gathered it

To you I entrusted the matter, then brought it together

to yourself, along with the limbs of the banished fugitive.

To you and the disjointed parts of the scattered caravan

وَموضِعِ خِمسٍ خَفقَةً كُنتَ سادِساً

وَموضِعِ خِمسٍ خَفقَةً كُنتَ سادِساً

لَهُنَّ وَقَد حانَ الغُدُوُّ لِمُغتَدي

لَهُنَّ وَقَد حانَ الغُدُوُّ لِمُغتَدي

And by the resting place of five for a brief doze—you were sixth

And where five throbbed you were the sixth

among them, when the time had come for an early traveler to depart.

For them, and the time for raiding had come

أُنيخَت إِذا اِنشَقَّ العَمودُ كَأَنَّما

أُنيخَت إِذا اِنشَقَّ العَمودُ كَأَنَّما

بَنائِقُهُ مِن طَيلَسانٍ وَمُجسِدِ

بَنائِقُهُ مِن طَيلَسانٍ وَمُجسِدِ

They were made to kneel when dawn’s pillar split open, as though

It collapsed when the pillar cracked as though

its gussets were of a shawl and a saffron-dyed robe.

Its platforms were of poplar wood and plaster

وَلَم يَتَوَسَّد غَيرَ أَلواحِ ساعِدٍ

وَلَم يَتَوَسَّد غَيرَ أَلواحِ ساعِدٍ

وَحَيثُ اِنثَنَت مِن بانَتي رُكبَةُ اليَدِ

وَحَيثُ اِنثَنَت مِن بانَتي رُكبَةُ اليَدِ

He pillowed his head only on the broad bones of a forearm,

And leaned on nothing but the palms of arms

and where the arm’s knee bent between the two bān stems.

And where the wrist’s kneecap bent from my side

حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ الراقِصاتِ إِلى مِنىً

حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ الراقِصاتِ إِلى مِنىً

خِفافاً وَأَعناقِ الهَدِيِّ المُقَلَّدِ

خِفافاً وَأَعناقِ الهَدِيِّ المُقَلَّدِ

I swore by the Lord of the she-camels swaying toward Minā,

I swore by the Lord of the dancing maidens to Mina

light-footed, and by the necks of the garlanded sacrificial animals:

On nimble feet and the necks of the haltered sacrifice

لَقَد ظَلَمَت أَيديكُمُ غَيرَ ظالِمٍ

لَقَد ظَلَمَت أَيديكُمُ غَيرَ ظالِمٍ

وَلا لِهَوانٍ في القُيودِ مُقَوَّدِ

وَلا لِهَوانٍ في القُيودِ مُقَوَّدِ

your hands have indeed wronged one who did no wrong,

Indeed your hands have wronged, not being wrongdoers’

nor one to be led in fetters in humiliation.

Nor for abasement in shackles made to plod

وَإِنّي وَإِيّاكُم وَمَن في حِبالِكُم

وَإِنّي وَإِيّاكُم وَمَن في حِبالِكُم

كَمَن حَبلُهُ في رَأسِ نيقٍ مُعَرِّدِ

كَمَن حَبلُهُ في رَأسِ نيقٍ مُعَرِّدِ

And indeed I, you, and whoever is held in your ropes

And I and you and those in your ropes

are like one whose rope is at the summit of a towering crag.

Are like one whose rope is on the head of a restless camel

إِذا ذَكَرَتهُ العَينُ يَوماً تَحَدَّرَت

إِذا ذَكَرَتهُ العَينُ يَوماً تَحَدَّرَت

عَلى الخَدِّ أَمثالَ الجُمانِ المُفَرَّدِ

عَلى الخَدِّ أَمثالَ الجُمانِ المُفَرَّدِ

When the eye recalls him one day, tears stream down

Whenever the eye remembers him one day, tears flowed

upon the cheek, like scattered pearls.

Down the cheek like scattered pearls

أَجِدّوا عَلى سَيرِ النَهارِ وَلَيلِهِ

أَجِدّوا عَلى سَيرِ النَهارِ وَلَيلِهِ

فَلَن تُدرِكوا حاجاتِكُم بِالتَفَرُّدِ

فَلَن تُدرِكوا حاجاتِكُم بِالتَفَرُّدِ

Press on in traveling through the day and its night;

Be firm throughout the course of day and night

for you will not attain your aims by acting alone.

For you will not attain your wants by being solitary