إِنَّما يَحفَظُ التُقى الأَبرارُ

إِنَّما يَحفَظُ التُقى الأَبرارُ

وَإِلى اللَهِ يَستَقِرُّ القَرارُ

وَإِلى اللَهِ يَستَقِرُّ القَرارُ

Only the righteous preserve piety,

Only the righteous safeguard piety,

and with God the final resting place is settled.

and with God is the final resting place.

وَإِلى اللَهِ تُرجَعونَ وَعِندَ

وَإِلى اللَهِ تُرجَعونَ وَعِندَ

اللَهِ وِردُ الأُمورِ وَالإِصدارُ

اللَهِ وِردُ الأُمورِ وَالإِصدارُ

To God you shall return; and with

And to God you shall be returned, and with

God lie all affairs’ coming and going.

God lie the coming of affairs and their going forth.

كُلَّ شَيءٍ أَحصى كِتاباً وَعِلماً

كُلَّ شَيءٍ أَحصى كِتاباً وَعِلماً

وَلَدَيهِ تَجَلَّتِ الأَسرارُ

وَلَدَيهِ تَجَلَّتِ الأَسرارُ

Everything He has reckoned in record and knowledge;

He has counted everything in writing and in knowledge,

before Him all secrets stand revealed.

and before Him secrets stand revealed.

يَومَ أَرزاقُ مَن يُفَضِّلُ عُمٌّ

يَومَ أَرزاقُ مَن يُفَضِّلُ عُمٌّ

موسَقاتٌ وَحُفَّلٌ أَبكارُ

موسَقاتٌ وَحُفَّلٌ أَبكارُ

The day the bounties granted those He favors spread everywhere—

On the day the provisions of those He favors are towering palms,

laden, full-uddered virgin clouds,

fruit-laden, full-uddered, and virgin;

فاخِراتٌ ضُروعُها في ذُراها

فاخِراتٌ ضُروعُها في ذُراها

وَأَناضَ العَيدانُ وَالجَبّارُ

وَأَناضَ العَيدانُ وَالجَبّارُ

proud, their udders high upon their peaks,

proud, their udders in their crowns,

making boughs and towering palms bend.

and the lofty palms and giant palms bear ripe fruit.

يَومَ لا يُدخِلُ المُدارِسَ في الرَح

يَومَ لا يُدخِلُ المُدارِسَ في الرَح

مَةِ إِلّا بَراءَةٌ وَاِعتِذارُ

مَةِ إِلّا بَراءَةٌ وَاِعتِذارُ

On the Day no sin-stained soul shall enter

On the day nothing admits the student into

into mercy save through acquittal and a plea;

mercy except innocence and a plea for pardon;

وَحِسانٌ أَعَدَّهُنَّ لِأَشها

وَحِسانٌ أَعَدَّهُنَّ لِأَشها

دٍ وَغَفرُ الَّذي هُوَ الغَفّارُ

دٍ وَغَفرُ الَّذي هُوَ الغَفّارُ

and lovely maidens He has prepared for those who bear

and fair women He has prepared for

witness, and forgiveness from Him, the Ever-Forgiving;

witnesses, and forgiveness from Him who is the All-Forgiving;

وَمَقامٌ أَكرِم بِهِ مِن مَقامٍ

وَمَقامٌ أَكرِم بِهِ مِن مَقامٍ

وَهَوادٍ وَسُنَّةٌ وَمَشارُ

وَهَوادٍ وَسُنَّةٌ وَمَشارُ

and an abode—how noble an abode!—

and an abode—how noble an abode!

of quiet rest, slumber, and honeyed drink.

and graceful necks, fair faces, and fine attire.

إِن يَكُن في الحَياةِ خَيرٌ فَقَد أُن

إِن يَكُن في الحَياةِ خَيرٌ فَقَد أُن

ظِرتُ لَو كانَ يَنفَعُ الإِنظارُ

ظِرتُ لَو كانَ يَنفَعُ الإِنظارُ

If there is any good in life, I have been

If there is good in life, I have been

granted respite—if respite could avail.

granted respite—if respite were of any use.

عِشتُ دَهراً وَلا يَدومُ عَلى ال

عِشتُ دَهراً وَلا يَدومُ عَلى ال

أَيّامِ إِلّا يَرَمرَمٌ وَتِعارُ

أَيّامِ إِلّا يَرَمرَمٌ وَتِعارُ

I have lived an age, yet nothing endures through

I have lived an age; nothing endures through the

the days except Yarmaram and Tiʿār,

days but Yaramram and Tiʿār,

وَكُلافٌ وَضَلفَعٌ وَبَضيعٌ

وَكُلافٌ وَضَلفَعٌ وَبَضيعٌ

وَالَّذي فَوقَ خُبَّةٍ تيمارُ

وَالَّذي فَوقَ خُبَّةٍ تيمارُ

Kulāf, Ḍalfaʿ, and Buḍayʿ,

and Kulāf, and Ḍalfaʿ, and Baḍīʿ,

and what rises above Khubbat Taymār;

and the one above Khubbah—Tīmār;

وَالنُجومُ الَّتي تَتابَعُ بِاللَي

وَالنُجومُ الَّتي تَتابَعُ بِاللَي

لِ وَفيها ذاتَ اليَمينِ اِزوِرارُ

لِ وَفيها ذاتَ اليَمينِ اِزوِرارُ

and the stars that follow one another through

and the stars that follow one another by

the night, among them one on the right veering aside;

night, veering toward the right.

دائِبٌ مَورُها وَيَصرِفُها الغَو

دائِبٌ مَورُها وَيَصرِفُها الغَو

رُ كَما تَعطِفُ الهِجانُ الظُؤارُ

رُ كَما تَعطِفُ الهِجانُ الظُؤارُ

unceasing is their passage, while their setting turns them

Their motion is unceasing, and they are turned by

aside, as noble ten-month-pregnant she-camels are turned.

the west, as white foster-mother camels turn back.

ثُمَّ يَعمى إِذا خَفينَ عَلَينا

ثُمَّ يَعمى إِذا خَفينَ عَلَينا

أَطِوالٌ أَمراسُها أَم قِصارُ

أَطِوالٌ أَمراسُها أَم قِصارُ

Then, when they vanish from our sight, it is obscure

Then, when they vanish from our sight, it is unclear

whether their tethers are long or short.

whether their ropes are long or short.

هَلَكَت عامِرٌ فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها

هَلَكَت عامِرٌ فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها

بِرِياضِ الأَعرافِ إِلّا الدِيارُ

بِرِياضِ الأَعرافِ إِلّا الدِيارُ

ʿĀmir has perished; nothing remains of her

ʿĀmir has perished; nothing remains of it

in the meadows of al-Aʿrāf except the dwellings—

in the meadows of al-Aʿrāf but the dwelling sites—

غَيرُ آلٍ وَعُنَّةٍ وَعَريشٍ

غَيرُ آلٍ وَعُنَّةٍ وَعَريشٍ

ذَعذَعَتها الرِياحُ وَالأَمطارُ

ذَعذَعَتها الرِياحُ وَالأَمطارُ

only a mirage, an enclosure, and a roofed shelter,

nothing but a mirage, an enclosure, and a shelter,

scattered by the winds and rains.

which winds and rains have scattered.

وَأَرى آلَ عامِرٍ وَدَّعوني

وَأَرى آلَ عامِرٍ وَدَّعوني

غَيرَ قَومٍ أَفراسُهُم أَمهارُ

غَيرَ قَومٍ أَفراسُهُم أَمهارُ

And I see ʿĀmir’s people have bid me farewell—

And I see that ʿĀmir's people have bidden me farewell,

not some folk whose horses are mere colts:

save a people whose horses are colts,

واقِفيها بِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ مَخوفٍ

واقِفيها بِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ مَخوفٍ

هُم عَلَيها لَعَمرُ جَدّي نُضارُ

هُم عَلَيها لَعَمرُ جَدّي نُضارُ

they station them at every dreaded frontier;

stationing them at every dreaded frontier;

astride them—by my grandfather’s life!—are splendid men.

they, astride them—by my grandfather's life—are pure gold.

لَم يُهينوا المَولى عَلى حَدَثِ الدَه

لَم يُهينوا المَولى عَلى حَدَثِ الدَه

رِ وَلا تَجتَويهِمُ الأَصهارُ

رِ وَلا تَجتَويهِمُ الأَصهارُ

They never dishonored a protégé amid the vicissitudes

They have not humiliated their ally amid the blows of

of time, nor were they loathed by their in-laws.

time, nor do their in-laws loathe them.

فَعَلى عامِرٍ سَلامٌ وَحَمدٌ

فَعَلى عامِرٍ سَلامٌ وَحَمدٌ

حَيثُ حَلّوا مِنَ البِلادِ وَساروا

حَيثُ حَلّوا مِنَ البِلادِ وَساروا

Upon ʿĀmir be peace and praise,

So upon ʿĀmir be peace and praise,

wherever in the lands they settle or journey.

wherever in the lands they have settled and traveled.