حَلَفت بِمَن حجت قُرَيش لِبَيتِه

حَلَفت بِمَن حجت قُرَيش لِبَيتِه

وَأَهدَت لَهُ بُدناً عَلَيها القَلائِد

وَأَهدَت لَهُ بُدناً عَلَيها القَلائِد

I swore by Him to whose House Quraysh made pilgrimage,

I swore by the One to whom the Quraysh made pilgrimage to His House

and to whom they offered sacrificial camels with garlands upon them:

And presented to Him offerings with necklaces upon them

لَئِن كُنت طالَت غيبَتي عَنكَ إِنَّني

لَئِن كُنت طالَت غيبَتي عَنكَ إِنَّني

بِمَبلَغ حَولي في رِضاكَ لجاهِد

بِمَبلَغ حَولي في رِضاكَ لجاهِد

though my absence from you has been long, I am indeed

If my absence from you has been long, I strive

striving with all my strength to win your approval.

To please you however long my journey takes

وَلكِنَّني قَد طالَ سَقمي وَاِكثَرتُ

وَلكِنَّني قَد طالَ سَقمي وَاِكثَرتُ

عَلَيَّ العِهادَ المشفِقات العَوائِد

عَلَيَّ العِهادَ المشفِقات العَوائِد

But my illness has lasted long, and often

But my sickness has been so prolonged, and

the compassionate women visiting the sick have returned to me.

The sympathetic, concerned visitors have increased upon me

صَريعُ فِراشٍ لا يَزَلنَ يقلن لي

صَريعُ فِراشٍ لا يَزَلنَ يقلن لي

بِنُصح وَاِشفاق مَتى انتَ قاعِد

بِنُصح وَاِشفاق مَتى انتَ قاعِد

I lie stricken in bed; they keep saying to me,

A bedridden one who is constantly told by well-wishers

with sincere concern and compassion, "When will you sit up?"

With advice and compassion “when will you get up?”

فَلَمّا زَجَرت العيس اسرت بِحاجَتي

فَلَمّا زَجَرت العيس اسرت بِحاجَتي

إِلَيكَ وَذلت لِلسان القَصائِد

إِلَيكَ وَذلت لِلسان القَصائِد

Then, when I urged on the pale camels, they bore my need through the night

So when wakefulness overcame me, I confided my need

to you, and verses yielded to my tongue.

To you, and humbled my tongue to compose poetry

وَإِنّي فَلا تَستَبطني بِمَوَدَّتي

وَإِنّي فَلا تَستَبطني بِمَوَدَّتي

وَنُصحي وَاِشفاقي إِلَيكَ لَعامِد

وَنُصحي وَاِشفاقي إِلَيكَ لَعامِد

And I—do not think me slow—with my affection

And I - do not doubt my devotion,

and my goodwill and concern, am surely making straight for you.

My advice and compassion for you as pillars

فَلا تُقصِني حَتّى اِكونَ بِصرعَة

فَلا تُقصِني حَتّى اِكونَ بِصرعَة

فَيَيأسَ ذو قُربى وَيَشمتُ حاسِدُ

فَيَيأسَ ذو قُربى وَيَشمتُ حاسِدُ

So do not keep me far away until I lie struck down,

Do not cut me off until I am incapacitated

leaving a kinsman despairing and an envier gloating.

When a relative despairs and a hater gloats

انِلني وَقرّبني فَإِنّي بالِغ

انِلني وَقرّبني فَإِنّي بالِغ

رِضاكَ بِعَفو من نِداكَ وَزائِد

رِضاكَ بِعَفو من نِداكَ وَزائِد

Give me a gift and draw me near, for I can earn

Grant me, bring me close, for I will achieve

your approval with what you can spare of your bounty, and do still more.

Your pleasure with pardon from your equal and more

ابِت نائِماً اما فُؤادي فَهمه

ابِت نائِماً اما فُؤادي فَهمه

قَليلُ وَاما مَس جِلدي فَبارِد

قَليلُ وَاما مَس جِلدي فَبارِد

I shall spend the night asleep; as for my heart, its worry

I remain asleep while my heart is somewhat aware

will be slight, and my skin will be cool to the touch.

And my skin is touched with cold

وَقَد كانَ لي مِنكُم إِذا ما لَقيتُكُم

وَقَد كانَ لي مِنكُم إِذا ما لَقيتُكُم

ليان وَمَعروف وَلِلخَيرِ قائِد

ليان وَمَعروف وَلِلخَيرِ قائِد

And whenever I met you, I found in you

And I used to have, when I met you

gentleness and kindness, and a guide toward good.

Affection, kindness, and a guide to good

إِلَيكَ رَحَلت العيس حَتّى كَأَنَّها

إِلَيكَ رَحَلت العيس حَتّى كَأَنَّها

قِسيُّ السُرى ذبلى برتها الطَرائِد

قِسيُّ السُرى ذبلى برتها الطَرائِد

Toward you I rode the pale camels, until they seemed

To you my wakefulness journeyed until it became

bows of night-travel, withered, worn thin by long stretches of land.

One heavy with travel, its freshness wilted by missiles

وَحَتّى هَواديها دقاق وَشكوها

وَحَتّى هَواديها دقاق وَشكوها

صَريف وَباقي النِقى مِنها شَرائِد

صَريف وَباقي النِقى مِنها شَرائِد

And until their necks grew thin, and their complaint

Until its valleys were all furrowed, its complaint

was teeth-grinding, with only stray remnants of marrow left in them.

Hilly, and the rest of it polluted shreds

وَحَتّى دَنَت ذاتِ المِراحِ فَاِذعنت

وَحَتّى دَنَت ذاتِ المِراحِ فَاِذعنت

إِلَيكَ وَكلَّ الراسِماتُ الحَوافِد

إِلَيكَ وَكلَّ الراسِماتُ الحَوافِد

And until the spirited she-camel drew near and yielded

Until the visit of she of the resting-places drew near

to you, and the trotting, swift-going camels grew weary.

To you, and all the determined pilgrims bowed down