أذا مَا عقيقُ الرّمْلِ بانت خيّامُه

أذا مَا عقيقُ الرّمْلِ بانت خيّامُه

وأورقَ واديه وجادت غَمَامُه

وأورقَ واديه وجادت غَمَامُه

When the tents of ʿAqīq al-Raml come into view,

When the knolls of sand became visible, their tents

And its valley grows leafy and its clouds pour generously,

And its valley became green, and its clouds poured down,

وبانَ لنا البانُ الذي بمُحَجّرٍ

وبانَ لنا البانُ الذي بمُحَجّرٍ

تميلُ أعاليه وتشدو حَمَامُه

تميلُ أعاليه وتشدو حَمَامُه

And the bān tree at Muḥajjar appears to us,

And the high-domed building appeared to us,

Its crown sways, and its doves sing,

Its peaks leaning as its doves coo,

فحُقّ لقلبي أن يطولَ هُيَامُه

فحُقّ لقلبي أن يطولَ هُيَامُه

وحُقّ لطَرْفي أن يطيرَ منامُه

وحُقّ لطَرْفي أن يطيرَ منامُه

Then it is fitting that my heart's passion should linger,

Then it was right for my heart to prolong its love,

And fitting that sleep should fly from my eyes.

And right for my eyes to let their sleep fly away.

ومَا أنا إلاّ مُغْرمُ القلب صَبُّه

ومَا أنا إلاّ مُغْرمُ القلب صَبُّه

بخالين لا يدرونَ كيف غرامُه

بخالين لا يدرونَ كيف غرامُه

I am only love-stricken and yearning at heart,

I'm but a lover whose heart melted,

For those untouched by love, who do not know its passion.

For cheeky ones who know not what his love is.

ولي بالغَضَا لو كنتَ تَعْلَمُ ما الغضا

ولي بالغَضَا لو كنتَ تَعْلَمُ ما الغضا

حبيبَ مكانَ النجم ناءٍ مرامُه

حبيبَ مكانَ النجم ناءٍ مرامُه

At al-Ghaḍā I have—if only you knew al-Ghaḍā—

And I don’t care if you don’t know what indifference is,

A beloved at a star's height, far beyond reach.

A lover whose place is higher than the stars he wishes for.

يَضمُّ صَبَاحاً في ظلامِ نِقَابِه

يَضمُّ صَبَاحاً في ظلامِ نِقَابِه

ألآيا بنفسي دُرّهُ وتُؤامُه

ألآيا بنفسي دُرّهُ وتُؤامُه

He encloses a dawn within the darkness of his veil.

He embraces in the darkness of his veil morning,

Ah, my soul be ransom for his pearls and twin pearls!

Oh me - his pearl and twin.

ينُوبُ عن الرِّيحانِ والراح خدُهُ

ينُوبُ عن الرِّيحانِ والراح خدُهُ

وَيحكي غُصُونَ الخيزران عِظَامُه

وَيحكي غُصُونَ الخيزران عِظَامُه

His cheek stands in for sweet basil and wine,

His cheek takes the place of basil and meadows,

And his bones resemble bamboo branches.

And tells of the slender branches of apricot trees.

أموتُ إذا ما مال عني عِطْفُه

أموتُ إذا ما مال عني عِطْفُه

وأحيا إذَا وافى إليّ سلامُه

وأحيا إذَا وافى إليّ سلامُه

I die whenever he turns his side away from me,

I die when he turns away from me,

And come to life when his greeting reaches me.

And I live when his greeting reaches me,

وأسْتَسِمجُ اللّيلَ القصير ورآءه

وأسْتَسِمجُ اللّيلَ القصير ورآءه

وسِيّانِ ليلُ المستهامِ وعَامُه

وسِيّانِ ليلُ المستهامِ وعَامُه

I find even a short night hateful after he is gone,

And I find the short night too long without him

And a lovesick man's night and year are alike.

As if it were a year, night of the desperate lover.

ألآ حبذا نْجدٌ وفائَحُ رَندِه

ألآ حبذا نْجدٌ وفائَحُ رَندِه

ويا حبّذا حَوذَانُه وبشّامُه

ويا حبّذا حَوذَانُه وبشّامُه

Ah, how lovely is Najd, and the wafting scent of its laurels!

Oh how excellent is Nejd and the fragrance of its hills,

And oh, how lovely its buttercups and balsam shrubs!

And how excellent are its sands and stony ground.

بلادٌ كخُلقِ ابنِ الحسينِ رياضُه

بلادٌ كخُلقِ ابنِ الحسينِ رياضُه

وروضٌ كخلْقِ ابن الحسين كمامُه

وروضٌ كخلْقِ ابن الحسين كمامُه

A land whose gardens resemble Ibn al-Ḥusayn's character,

A land whose meadows match Al-Hussain’s ethics,

And a garden whose buds resemble Ibn al-Ḥusayn's form.

And a garden matching Al-Hussain’s turban.

إِمامٌ لأهل الأرض برَّز وحْدَه

إِمامٌ لأهل الأرض برَّز وحْدَه

وسَار وخير المرسلين أمَامُه

وسَار وخير المرسلين أمَامُه

An imam for the people of earth, he alone excelled,

A leader for earth’s people, his uniqueness manifest,

And journeyed with the best of messengers before him.

Who walked with the best of messengers before him.

مشابُهُه إسْماً وخُلْقاً وَسُنّةً

مشابُهُه إسْماً وخُلْقاً وَسُنّةً

وإن قال يوماً فالكلامُ كلامُه

وإن قال يوماً فالكلامُ كلامُه

He resembles him in name, character, and practice,

His namesake, ethics and way,

And whenever he speaks, his words are the Messenger's own.

And if he speaks, his words are as if his words.

إلا إنّ دهراً من بنيه مَحَمّدٌ

إلا إنّ دهراً من بنيه مَحَمّدٌ

زمانٌ بكفِّ المكرمات تهَامُه

زمانٌ بكفِّ المكرمات تهَامُه

Lo, an age that counts Muḥammad among its sons

Except that for a period among his descendants is Muhammad,

Is a time whose [reins?] lie in the hand of noble deeds.

A time grasping bounties in its fist.

وإن مَحَلاًّ حلّ فيه مَحَمّدٌ

وإن مَحَلاًّ حلّ فيه مَحَمّدٌ

مقدّسَةٌ غِيطَانُه وإكامُه

مقدّسَةٌ غِيطَانُه وإكامُه

And indeed, a place where Muḥammad has settled

And if a place was inhabited by Muhammad,

Has holy lowlands and hills.

Its sides and surrounding walls are sanctified.

ومَا ضاق يوماً يالمؤمَلِ سوحُه

ومَا ضاق يوماً يالمؤمَلِ سوحُه

ولا ذمَّ يوماً للصديق ذِمَامُه

ولا ذمَّ يوماً للصديق ذِمَامُه

His courtyards never grew too narrow for a hopeful petitioner,

The plains of hope never narrowed around him,

Nor was his pledged protection of a friend ever reproached.

Nor did the trusted one’s honor get blamed,

وما هو إلاَّ الغيثُ غوثٌ مُذاقُه

وما هو إلاَّ الغيثُ غوثٌ مُذاقُه

وَمَلْمَسُهُ لَدْنٌ وَوَبْلٌ سِجامُه

وَمَلْمَسُهُ لَدْنٌ وَوَبْلٌ سِجامُه

And he is nothing but rain: his savor is succor,

It is but rain, its taste is relief,

His touch is soft, and his outpouring a deluge.

Its touch is gentle, its bonds firm.

ولا هو إلاّ البَدرُ سارٍ ضِياؤهُ

ولا هو إلاّ البَدرُ سارٍ ضِياؤهُ

وطلقٌ مُحياه وعالٍ مَقامُه

وطلقٌ مُحياه وعالٍ مَقامُه

And he is nothing but the full moon, his light spreading,

It is but the full moon, its light spreading,

His face cheerful, his station lofty.

Its face bright, its position lofty.

ومَا عاش هذا الخلقُ إلاّ اشتمالُه

ومَا عاش هذا الخلقُ إلاّ اشتمالُه

ولا قام هذا الدينُ لولاَ قيامُه

ولا قام هذا الدينُ لولاَ قيامُه

And this creation lives only through his embrace,

People did not live except in its protection,

Nor could this faith stand without his standing firm.

Nor did this religion stand except by its establishment.

ولا بات جارٌ في حماهُ مُهَضّماً

ولا بات جارٌ في حماهُ مُهَضّماً

وحاشا وكلاّ لا يطاقُ اهتضامه

وحاشا وكلاّ لا يطاقُ اهتضامه

Nor has a neighbor under his protection ever spent a night wronged,

No neighbor spent the night oppressed in its sanctuary,

Far be it—never! No wrong done to him can be endured.

Far be it! Its violation cannot be conceived.

كريم نمَتْهُ مِنْ بجيلةَ سَادةٌ

كريم نمَتْهُ مِنْ بجيلةَ سَادةٌ

كرامٌ بنفسي نفسُه وكرامُه

كرامٌ بنفسي نفسُه وكرامُه

A generous man, brought forth by lords of Bajīlah,

A generous man whose growth was from excellent stock,

Noble lords—my soul be ransom for his soul and his noble kin.

Generous ones, himself and his generosity a generosity.

به يأمنُ الثغرُ المخوفُ انفتاحُه

به يأمنُ الثغرُ المخوفُ انفتاحُه

به ينظمُ السلكَ العرينَ انتظامُه

به ينظمُ السلكَ العرينَ انتظامُه

Through him the frontier, whose breach is feared, is secure;

Through him the formidable border is secured in its opening,

Through him, his order strings the lion's lair onto a thread.

Through him the supple bond is organized in its arrangement.

غدا المجدُ ثوباً وهو ساحب ذيله

غدا المجدُ ثوباً وهو ساحب ذيله

بل الجودُ مُهْراً في يديه لجامُه

بل الجودُ مُهْراً في يديه لجامُه

Glory became a robe, and he trails its hem;

Tomorrow glory becomes a garment and he trails its train,

Nay, generosity became a colt, its bridle in his hands.

Nay, generosity becomes a sealed gift in his hands.

أبا عَبْدَلٍ إنَّ الثناء لجوهَرٌ

أبا عَبْدَلٍ إنَّ الثناء لجوهَرٌ

بجوهَرِك الشفافِ يحلو نظامُه

بجوهَرِك الشفافِ يحلو نظامُه

O Abū ʿAbdal, praise is indeed a jewel;

Abu Abdallah, praise is a gem

With your translucent jewel, its necklace grows lovely.

Which becomes beautiful in its arrangement by your transparent gem.

وأنت امرؤ لو أنَّ حاتم طيء

وأنت امرؤ لو أنَّ حاتم طيء

رءاَك غدا الجود ضاقَ حزامُه

رءاَك غدا الجود ضاقَ حزامُه

And you are such a man that, were Ḥātim of Ṭayyiʾ

And you are a man, if Hatem al-Tai

To see you, generosity would find its belt too tight.

Saw you, generosity would become too narrow for his belt.

فلا زلتَ للدنيا وللدين معقلاً

فلا زلتَ للدنيا وللدين معقلاً

ومَجْدُك عالٍ لا ينال سَنامُه

ومَجْدُك عالٍ لا ينال سَنامُه

So may you never cease to be a stronghold for the world and the faith,

So you remained a refuge for the world and the faith,

And your glory is lofty, its summit beyond reach.

Your glory lofty, unreachable by any minaret.