مَا إنْ تذكَّرتُ أيامي بذي سَلم

مَا إنْ تذكَّرتُ أيامي بذي سَلم

إلاّ مزجتُ دموعي مِن أسىً بدَمِ

إلاّ مزجتُ دموعي مِن أسىً بدَمِ

Never did I recall my days at Dhu Salam

Whenever I recall my days in Dhi Salm

without mingling my tears, from sorrow, with blood.

I mix my tears with blood out of sorrow

ولا حكَى لي قومٌ باللّوى خِيَمٌ

ولا حكَى لي قومٌ باللّوى خِيَمٌ

إلاّ وناديتُ وآشوقا إلى الخيم

إلاّ وناديتُ وآشوقا إلى الخيم

Nor did people tell me of tents at al-Liwa

Whenever people pitched tents of devotion for me

without my crying, 'Ah, my longing for the tents!'

I called out longingly for the tents

يا بانةَ العَلَم الغربي فوقَ قُبا

يا بانةَ العَلَم الغربي فوقَ قُبا

ما حالَ جيراتِنا يا بانةَ العَلمُ

ما حالَ جيراتِنا يا بانةَ العَلمُ

O ban tree of the western hill above Quba,

O pillar of the western world up on the hill

how fare our neighbors, O ban tree of the hill?

What is the state of our neighbors, O pillar?

وكيفَ أخدارُ لَيْلَى بعد رحلتنا

وكيفَ أخدارُ لَيْلَى بعد رحلتنا

سَقَى معَاهدَ ليلى واكفُ الدَّيم

سَقَى معَاهدَ ليلى واكفُ الدَّيم

And how are Layla's secluded chambers since our departure?

And how is Layla after our departure?

May steady, pouring rains water Layla's haunts.

Layla's settlements have quenched the shelters

قالوا شُغلْتَ بليلي وهي فارغة

قالوا شُغلْتَ بليلي وهي فارغة

فقلتُ ليسَ المُعَافى مثلَ ذي سِقَمِ

فقلتُ ليسَ المُعَافى مثلَ ذي سِقَمِ

They said, 'You are preoccupied with Layla, while she is carefree.'

They said you were busy with your Layla while she was free

So I said, 'One who is well is not like one who is sick.'

So I said, he who is unwell is not like one who is well

قالوا فزارتك كَي تُبْرى فزدت ضَنىً

قالوا فزارتك كَي تُبْرى فزدت ضَنىً

فقلتُ برْدُ لِماها زاد في ألمي

فقلتُ برْدُ لِماها زاد في ألمي

They said, 'Then she visited you to heal you, yet you grew more wasted.'

They said she visited so you would be cleared But I said

So I said, 'The coolness of her dark lips increased my pain.'

The coolness of her waters increased my pain

مَا إن يحِنُّ إلى الأوطان مُغْتربٌ

مَا إن يحِنُّ إلى الأوطان مُغْتربٌ

إلاّ حَنَنْتُ إلى أيامي القِدَمِ

إلاّ حَنَنْتُ إلى أيامي القِدَمِ

Never does an exile yearn for home

When an expatriate yearns for home

without my yearning for my days of old.

I yearned for my early days

قالوا المِشيبُ وقارٌ قُلْتُ طَيْشْي

قالوا المِشيبُ وقارٌ قُلْتُ طَيْشْي

إلى العُقَار وذاتِ الدّل والحَومِ

إلى العُقَار وذاتِ الدّل والحَومِ

They said, 'Gray hair is dignity.' I said, 'My folly

They said gray hair is dignity I said my madness

turns to wine and the woman of coy charm and circling movements.'

Is for medicine, raisins, rice and meat

والطيْرُ يُبكرُ إذا خيطَ الصَّباح بدى

والطيْرُ يُبكرُ إذا خيطَ الصَّباح بدى

لرزقها وأنا للكاس والنَّغمِ

لرزقها وأنا للكاس والنَّغمِ

And the birds go out early when the thread of dawn appears,

The birds rise early when dawn breaks

for their sustenance, while I rise for the cup and song.

For their livelihood, while I rise for the cup and melody

ولو اراد متابي مَا ذرى وبرى

ولو اراد متابي مَا ذرى وبرى

لإِبنة الكرمِ يتلوها ابنتُ الكرمِ

لإِبنة الكرمِ يتلوها ابنتُ الكرمِ

And had He wished my repentance, He would not have created and fashioned me

If the proud one wanted, he would not see or graze

for the daughter of the vine, followed by another daughter of the vine.

To the generous lady, followed by the daughter of the generous

فيُونُسٌ بعدَ بطنِ الحوتِ خلَّصَهُ

فيُونُسٌ بعدَ بطنِ الحوتِ خلَّصَهُ

وحَلَّ عُقْدةَ موسى صاحبُ الكلمِ

وحَلَّ عُقْدةَ موسى صاحبُ الكلمِ

For He delivered Yunus after his time in the whale's belly,

Jonah was saved after the belly of the whale

and the Master of speech loosened Musa's knot.

And the companion of the word untied Moses' knot

مَا كانَ أحسنَ أيامي وَاطيبَها

مَا كانَ أحسنَ أيامي وَاطيبَها

يا ابنَ الحسين رفيع القدر والهممِ

يا ابنَ الحسين رفيع القدر والهممِ

How lovely my days were, and how sweet!

How good and sweet were my days

O son of al-Husayn, lofty in rank and aspiration!

O son of Hussein, of high worth and aspiration

وصَاحبُ الخَضْرِ كم لي قد رَعَا ودَعا

وصَاحبُ الخَضْرِ كم لي قد رَعَا ودَعا

فصرتُ أفْصَحُ مَنْ يمشي على قَدِم

فصرتُ أفْصَحُ مَنْ يمشي على قَدِم

And the companion of al-Khidr—how often he cared for me and prayed for me!

The companion of Al-Khidr, how much he shepherded and prayed for me

So I became the most eloquent of those who walk on foot.

I became the most eloquent of those who walked on feet

كنّا إذا مَا التقينا والفقيه بها

كنّا إذا مَا التقينا والفقيه بها

كنّا لجملةِ ذاك القومِ كالخَدَمِ

كنّا لجملةِ ذاك القومِ كالخَدَمِ

When we used to meet, with the jurist there,

Whenever we met, my mentor and I

we were like servants to that whole company.

We were to that group like servants

يا رحمةَ الله لا تنْأي ضَرائِحهم

يا رحمةَ الله لا تنْأي ضَرائِحهم

ويا غَمَامُ عليها حُلّ وانسجمِ

ويا غَمَامُ عليها حُلّ وانسجمِ

O mercy of God, do not stray far from their tombs.

O God's mercy, do not avoid their tombs

And O cloud, settle over them and pour down!

And O clouds, descend and blend upon them

ويا رياحَ النَّعَامى باكري سَحَراً

ويا رياحَ النَّعَامى باكري سَحَراً

تلك القبورَ وقولي يا قبورُ عمي

تلك القبورَ وقولي يا قبورُ عمي

And O winds of al-Na'ama, visit early, before dawn,

And O winds of the ostriches, rise early at dawn

those graves, and say, 'O graves, fare well!'

To those graves, and say: O graves of my pillars

جِيْرانَنَا مِنْ قديم الدهر سَادَتنا

جِيْرانَنَا مِنْ قديم الدهر سَادَتنا

ونحْنُ مِن نعم الساداتِ في نِعمِ

ونحْنُ مِن نعم الساداتِ في نِعمِ

Our neighbors of old are our masters,

Our neighbors since ancient times are our masters

and through the masters' favors, we dwell amid blessings.

And we, from the best masters, are in bounty