إِلَيكَ سَمَت يا اِبنَ الوَليدِ رِكابُنا

إِلَيكَ سَمَت يا اِبنَ الوَليدِ رِكابُنا

وَرُكبانُها أَسمى إِلَيكَ وَأَعمَدُ

وَرُكبانُها أَسمى إِلَيكَ وَأَعمَدُ

Toward you, O son of al-Walid, our riding-camels have headed,

To you our mounts hastened, O son of Al-Walid

and their riders have loftier aims toward you, and firmer purpose.

And their riders are most keen to reach you and most steadfast

إِلى عُمَرٍ أَقبَلنَ مُعتَمِداتِهِ

إِلى عُمَرٍ أَقبَلنَ مُعتَمِداتِهِ

سَراعاً وَنِعمَ الرَكبُ وَالمُتَعَمَّدُ

سَراعاً وَنِعمَ الرَكبُ وَالمُتَعَمَّدُ

To Umar they have come, seeking him,

Towards a life we approached full of reliance

swiftly—how excellent the riders and the one they seek!

Hastening, and what a good band of riders and well-determined!

وَلَم تَجرِ إِلّا جِئتَ لِلخَيلِ سابِقاً

وَلَم تَجرِ إِلّا جِئتَ لِلخَيلِ سابِقاً

وَلا عُدتَ إِلّا أَنتَ في العودِ أَحمَدُ

وَلا عُدتَ إِلّا أَنتَ في العودِ أَحمَدُ

And never have you raced without outstripping the horses,

You raced not except that you came first to the horses

nor returned without being more praiseworthy on your return.

And you did not return except that you were the most praiseworthy in returning

إِلى اِبنِ الإِمامَينِ اللَذَينِ أَبوهُما

إِلى اِبنِ الإِمامَينِ اللَذَينِ أَبوهُما

إِمامٌ لَهُ لَولا النُبوَّةُ يُسجَدُ

إِمامٌ لَهُ لَولا النُبوَّةُ يُسجَدُ

To the son of the two imams, whose father

To the son of the two Imams whose father was

is an imam before whom, but for prophethood, people would prostrate themselves.

An Imam, if not for prophethood, would be prostrated to

إِذا هُوَ أَعطى اليَومَ زادَ عَطاؤُهُ

إِذا هُوَ أَعطى اليَومَ زادَ عَطاؤُهُ

عَلى ما مَضى مِنهُ إِذا أَصبَحَ الغَدُ

عَلى ما مَضى مِنهُ إِذا أَصبَحَ الغَدُ

When he gives today, his giving grows

When he grants today, his granting surpasses

beyond what he gave before, when tomorrow dawns.

What he previously gave when tomorrow dawns

بِحَقِّ اِمرِئٍ بَينَ الوَليدِ قَناتُهُ

بِحَقِّ اِمرِئٍ بَينَ الوَليدِ قَناتُهُ

وَكِندَةَ فَوقَ المُرتَقى يَتَصَعَّدُ

وَكِندَةَ فَوقَ المُرتَقى يَتَصَعَّدُ

As befits a man whose spearshaft stands between al-Walid

By the right of a man whose loyalty is between Al-Walid and

and Kinda, and who climbs above the summit.

Kinda above the heights ascending

أَقولُ لِحَرفٍ لَم يَدَع رَحلُها لَها

أَقولُ لِحَرفٍ لَم يَدَع رَحلُها لَها

سَناماً وَتَثويرُ القَطا وَهوَ هُجَّدُ

سَناماً وَتَثويرُ القَطا وَهوَ هُجَّدُ

I say to a lean she-camel whose saddle has worn away

I say to a letter whose saddle did not leave it a

her hump, as has her rousing of sandgrouse while they sleep:

Saddlecloth and the stirring of war when it was excited

عَلَيكِ فَتى الناسِ الَّذي إِن بَلَغتِهِ

عَلَيكِ فَتى الناسِ الَّذي إِن بَلَغتِهِ

فَما بَعدَهُ في نائِلٍ مُتَلَدَّدُ

فَما بَعدَهُ في نائِلٍ مُتَلَدَّدُ

Make for the people's noble youth: if you reach him,

Upon you O gem of mankind, whoever you reach

there is no wandering beyond him in search of bounty.

Then none after is more deserving in the eligible

وَإِنَّ لَهُ نارَينِ كِلتاهُما لَها

وَإِنَّ لَهُ نارَينِ كِلتاهُما لَها

قِرىً دائِمٌ قُدّامَ بَيتَيهِ توقَدُ

قِرىً دائِمٌ قُدّامَ بَيتَيهِ توقَدُ

And he has two fires, both offering

And he has two fires, both of which have

unfailing hospitality, kindled before his two houses.

An eternal abode in front of his house kindled

فَهَذي لِعَبطِ المُشبَعاتِ إِذا شَتا

فَهَذي لِعَبطِ المُشبَعاتِ إِذا شَتا

وَهَذي يَدٌ فيها الحُسامُ المُهَنَّدُ

وَهَذي يَدٌ فيها الحُسامُ المُهَنَّدُ

So this one is for slaughtering well-fed beasts in winter,

This one is for the whims of the satiated women when they please

and this one is a hand holding the keen sword of Indian steel.

And this one a hand in which is the sharpened sword

وَلَو خَلَّدَ الفَخرُ اِمرَأً في حَياتِهِ

وَلَو خَلَّدَ الفَخرُ اِمرَأً في حَياتِهِ

خَلَدتَ وَما بَعدَ النَبِيُّ مُخَلَّدُ

خَلَدتَ وَما بَعدَ النَبِيُّ مُخَلَّدُ

And if glory could make a man immortal in his lifetime,

If glory immortalized a man during his life

you would be immortal; yet none after the Prophet is immortal.

You are immortalized, and none after the Prophet is immortalized

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ عُوِّدتَ لِلمَجدِ عادَةً

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ عُوِّدتَ لِلمَجدِ عادَةً

وَهَل فاعِلٌ إِلّا بِما يَتَعَوَّدُ

وَهَل فاعِلٌ إِلّا بِما يَتَعَوَّدُ

And you are a man trained to make glory a habit;

And you are a man accustomed to glory as a habit

and does anyone act except as he has grown accustomed?

Does a doer act except with what he is accustomed?

تُسائِلُني ما بالُ جَنبِكَ جافِياً

تُسائِلُني ما بالُ جَنبِكَ جافِياً

أَهَمٌّ جَفا أَم جَفنُ عَينِكَ أَرمَدُ

أَهَمٌّ جَفا أَم جَفنُ عَينِكَ أَرمَدُ

She asks me, 'Why does your side shun the bed?

You ask me, why am I aloof from your side

Is worry keeping you awake, or is your eyelid inflamed?'

More preoccupied with aloofness or my eye diseased?

فَقُلتُ لَها لا بَل عِيالٌ أَراهُمُ

فَقُلتُ لَها لا بَل عِيالٌ أَراهُمُ

وَما لُهُمُ ما فيهِ لِلغَيثِ مَقعَدُ

وَما لُهُمُ ما فيهِ لِلغَيثِ مَقعَدُ

So I told her, 'No; rather, I see dependents,

So I said to her, no but it is because of children I see

and they have nothing where rain might find a resting-place.'

And they have naught in which the rain has a basin