لَمdid not أَرَI see مِثلَكِlike you ياO أُمامَUmam خَليلاa beloved
لَم أَرَ مِثلَكِ يا أُمامَ خَليلا
أَنأىmore distant بِحاجَتِناfrom our need وَأَحسَنَand fairer قيلاin speech
أَنأى بِحاجَتِنا وَأَحسَنَ قيلا
I have never seen a beloved like you, O Umam,
I have not seen the like of you, O Imam Khalil
so distant from fulfilling our need, yet so fair in speech.
Who has fulfilled our needs and spoken good words
لَوif شِئتِyou wished قَدindeed نَقَعَquenched its thirst الفُؤادُthe heart بِمَشرَبٍat a watering-place
لَو شِئتِ قَد نَقَعَ الفُؤادُ بِمَشرَبٍ
يَدَعُleaves الحَوائِمَthose circling for water لاnot يَجِدنَthey feel غَليلاburning thirst
يَدَعُ الحَوائِمَ لا يَجِدنَ غَليلا
Had you wished, the heart would have quenched its thirst at a watering-place
Had you willed, my heart would have drunk from a drink
that leaves those circling it free of burning thirst.
That would leave passions and find no relief
بِالعَذبِby sweet water فيamong رَصَفِthe close-set stones of القِلاتِthe rock-pools مَقيلُهُits noon resting-place
بِالعَذبِ في رَصَفِ القِلاتِ مَقيلُهُ
قَضُّthe gravel of الأَباطِحِthe streambeds لاdoes not يَزالُcease to be ظَليلاshaded
قَضُّ الأَباطِحِ لا يَزالُ ظَليلا
By sweet water among the rock-pools' stones is its noon resting-place—
With the sweet well water in the evening he takes rest
the gravel of the streambeds, ever shaded.
Staying in the sand dunes, he still finds shade
أَنكَرتَyou found strange عَهدَكَyour former haunts غَيرَexcept أَنَّكَthat you عارِفٌrecognizing
أَنكَرتَ عَهدَكَ غَيرَ أَنَّكَ عارِفٌ
طَلَلاًa campsite ruin بِأَلوِيَةِamong the winding dunes of العُنابِal-ʿUnab مُحيلاweathered
طَلَلاً بِأَلوِيَةِ العُنابِ مُحيلا
You found your former haunts strange, though you recognize
You denied your pact, though you knew
a weathered ruin among al-ʿUnab's winding dunes.
Deserted ruins with twisted branches of Anab trees
لَمّاwhen تَخايَلَتِcame into view الحُمولُthe laden camels حَسِبتُهاI thought them
لَمّا تَخايَلَتِ الحُمولُ حَسِبتُها
دَوماًdoum palms بِيَثرِبَin Yathrib ناعِماًlush وَنَخيلاand date palms
دَوماً بِيَثرِبَ ناعِماً وَنَخيلا
When the laden camels came into view, I thought them
When the caravans passed by, I thought they were
lush doum palms and date palms in Yathrib.
A settlement in Yathrib, with soft sand and date palms
فَتَعَزَّso take comfort إِنif نَفَعَbenefits العَزاءُconsolation مُكَلَّفاًa love-stricken man
فَتَعَزَّ إِن نَفَعَ العَزاءُ مُكَلَّفاً
فَالشَوقُfor longing يُظهِرُbrings forth لِلفِراقِat parting عَويلاa wail
فَالشَوقُ يُظهِرُ لِلفِراقِ عَويلا
So take comfort, if comfort can help a love-stricken man;
So be resolute if comfort benefits the distressed
for longing raises a wail at parting.
For yearning reveals to separation a painful cry
قَطَعَsevered الخَليطُthe camp companions وِصالَthe connection of حَبلِكَyour cord مِنهُمُwith them
قَطَعَ الخَليطُ وِصالَ حَبلِكَ مِنهُمُ
وَلَقَدand indeed يَكونُit used to be بِحَبلِهِمto their cord مَوصولاjoined
وَلَقَد يَكونُ بِحَبلِهِم مَوصولا
The camp companions cut the cord that bound you to them,
The mixed horde has severed the tie between you
though once it was joined to their cord.
Yet by their rope he could still be connected
وَرَّعتُI halted رَكبيmy riding party بِالدَفينَةِat al-Dafina بَعدَماafter
وَرَّعتُ رَكبي بِالدَفينَةِ بَعدَما
ناقَلنَthey paced briskly مِنfrom وَسَطِthe middle of الكُراعِal-Kuraʿ نَقيلاa swift gait
ناقَلنَ مِن وَسَطِ الكُراعِ نَقيلا
I halted my riding party at al-Dafina after
I held back my riding beast at the ship after
their mounts had paced swiftly from the heart of al-Kuraʿ,
Moving from the middle of the mast slowly
مِنof كُلِّevery يَعمَلَةِsturdy she-camel النَجاءِswift travel تَكَلَّفَتshe undertook
مِن كُلِّ يَعمَلَةِ النَجاءِ تَكَلَّفَت
جَوزَthe heart of الفَلاةِthe desert تَأَوُّهاًgroaning وَذَميلاand a brisk trot
جَوزَ الفَلاةِ تَأَوُّهاً وَذَميلا
each a sturdy, swift she-camel that braved
From every survivor of salvation she undertook
the desert's heart with groans and a brisk trot.
The reward of the wilderness, sighing and blame
إِنّيindeed I تُذَكِّرُنيreminds me الزُبَيرَal-Zubayr حَمامَةٌa dove
إِنّي تُذَكِّرُني الزُبَيرَ حَمامَةٌ
تَدعوcalls بِمَجمَعِat the confluence of نَخلَتَينِthe two Nakhlas هَديلاcooing
تَدعو بِمَجمَعِ نَخلَتَينِ هَديلا
Indeed, a dove reminds me of al-Zubayr,
The dove reminds me of Az-Zubayr
cooing at the confluence of the two Nakhlas.
Calling in the gathering of two date palms softly
قالَتsaid قُرَيشٌQuraysh ماhow أَذَلَّbase مُجاشِعاًMujashiʿ
قالَت قُرَيشٌ ما أَذَلَّ مُجاشِعاً
جاراًas a neighbor وَأَكرَمَand how noble ذاthis القَتيلِslain man قَتيلاas one slain
جاراً وَأَكرَمَ ذا القَتيلِ قَتيلا
Quraysh said, 'How base is Mujashiʿ
Quraysh said, how disgraced was Mujashe
as a neighbor, and how noble this slain man!'
A neighbor, honoring the slain with the slain
لَوif كانَhe was يَعلَمُknew غَدرَthe treachery of آلِthe house of مُجاشِعٍMujashiʿ
لَو كانَ يَعلَمُ غَدرَ آلِ مُجاشِعٍ
نَقَلَhe moved الرِحالَthe camel saddles فَأَسرَعَthen hastened التَحويلاmoving away
نَقَلَ الرِحالَ فَأَسرَعَ التَحويلا
Had he known the treachery of the house of Mujashiʿ,
If only he knew the betrayal of Mujashe’s family
he would have moved his saddles and hastened his departure.
He would have moved his camel litter and hurried away
ياO لَهفَthe anguish of نَفسيmy soul إِذwhen يَغُرُّكَdeceives you حَبلُهُمtheir bond
يا لَهفَ نَفسي إِذ يَغُرُّكَ حَبلُهُم
هَلّاwhy did you not اِتَّخَذتَyou took عَلىagainst القُيونِthe smiths كَفيلاa guarantor
هَلّا اِتَّخَذتَ عَلى القُيونِ كَفيلا
Oh, my soul's anguish, when their bond deceives you!
Oh my anxious soul, as their rope deceives you
Why did you not secure a guarantor against the smiths?
Why not take captives as guarantors and travel
أَفَبَعدَis it then after مَترَكِهِمtheir abandonment of خَليلَthe close friend of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
أَفَبَعدَ مَترَكِهِم خَليلَ مُحَمَّدٍ
تَرجوhope for القُيونُthe smiths مَعَalongside الرَسولِthe Messenger سَبيلاa path
تَرجو القُيونُ مَعَ الرَسولِ سَبيلا
Can it be that, after they abandoned Muhammad's friend,
After abandoning the friend of Muhammad
the smiths hope for a path beside the Messenger?
Do the captives hope to travel with the Prophet?
وَلَّواthey turned ظُهورَهُمُtheir backs الأَسِنَّةَthe spearheads بَعدَماafter
وَلَّوا ظُهورَهُمُ الأَسِنَّةَ بَعدَما
كانَhe was الزُبَيرُal-Zubayr مُجاوِراًa protected neighbor وَدَخيلاand a sheltered guest
كانَ الزُبَيرُ مُجاوِراً وَدَخيلا
They turned their backs to the spearheads after
They turned their backs, the tongues, after
al-Zubayr had been a neighbor and a guest under their protection.
Az-Zubayr was a neighbor and newcomer
لَوif كُنتَyou were حُرّاًfreeborn ياO اِبنَson of قَينِthe smith of مُجاشِعٍMujashiʿ
لَو كُنتَ حُرّاً يا اِبنَ قَينِ مُجاشِعٍ
شَيَّعتَyou would have escorted ضَيفَكَyour guest فَرسَخَينِtwo parasangs وَميلاand a mile
شَيَّعتَ ضَيفَكَ فَرسَخَينِ وَميلا
Had you been freeborn, O son of Mujashiʿ's smith,
If you were free, O son of Mujashe’s Cain
you would have escorted your guest two parasangs and a mile.
You would have escorted your guest a mile or two
أَفَتىis it the champion of النَدىgenerosity وَفَتىand the champion of الطِعانِspear-fighting غَرَرتُمُyou betrayed
أَفَتى النَدى وَفَتى الطِعانِ غَرَرتُمُ
وَفَتىand the champion of الشَمالِthe north wind إِذاwhen تَهُبُّit blows بَليلاcold and damp
وَفَتى الشَمالِ إِذا تَهُبُّ بَليلا
Did you betray the champion of bounty and the champion of spear-fighting,
The gift of dew and the gift of spears you deluded
and the champion of the north wind when it blows cold and damp?
And the gift of the north wind when it blows at night
قُتِلَwas slain الزُبَيرُal-Zubayr وَأَنتُمُwhile you جيرانُهُhis neighbors
قُتِلَ الزُبَيرُ وَأَنتُمُ جيرانُهُ
غَيّاًruin لَمَنupon whoever غَرَّbetrayed الزُبَيرَal-Zubayr طَويلاlong-lasting
غَيّاً لَمَن غَرَّ الزُبَيرَ طَويلا
Al-Zubayr was slain while you were his neighbors.
Az-Zubayr was killed while you were his neighbors
Long-lasting ruin upon whoever betrayed al-Zubayr!
Woe to whoever deceived Az-Zubayr for so long
لَوif كُنتَyou were حينَwhen غُرِرتَyou were deceived بَينَamong بُيوتِناour houses
لَو كُنتَ حينَ غُرِرتَ بَينَ بُيوتِنا
لَسَمِعتَyou would surely have heard مِنfrom صَوتِthe sound of الحَديدِiron صَليلاa ringing clash
لَسَمِعتَ مِن صَوتِ الحَديدِ صَليلا
Had you been among our houses when you were deceived,
If only when you were deceived between our homes
you would have heard the ringing clash of iron.
You would have heard the sound of iron clashing
لَحَماكَwould surely have protected you كُلُّevery مُغاوِرٍraiding warrior يَومَon the day of الوَغىbattle
لَحَماكَ كُلُّ مُغاوِرٍ يَومَ الوَغى
وَلَكانَand would surely have been شِلوُthe corpse of عَدُوِّكَyour enemy المَأكولاthe one devoured
وَلَكانَ شِلوُ عَدُوِّكَ المَأكولا
Every raiding warrior would have shielded you on the day of battle,
Every hidden fighter would have protected you the day of battle
and your enemy's corpse would have been the one devoured.
And your enemy's carcass would have been devoured