جَزى اللَهُ خَيراً كُلَّما ذُكِرَ اِسمُهُ

جَزى اللَهُ خَيراً كُلَّما ذُكِرَ اِسمُهُ

أَبا مالِكٍ إِن ذالِكَ الحَيُّ أَصعَدوا

أَبا مالِكٍ إِن ذالِكَ الحَيُّ أَصعَدوا

May God grant a good reward whenever his name is mentioned

May Allah reward kindly whenever his name is mentioned,

To Abu Malik, if that clan has gone upcountry.

Abu Malik, though death took that living man and ascended,

وَزَوَّدَ خَيراً مالِكاً إِنَّ مالِكاً

وَزَوَّدَ خَيراً مالِكاً إِنَّ مالِكاً

لَهُ رِدَّةٌ فينا إِذا القَومُ زُهَّدُ

لَهُ رِدَّةٌ فينا إِذا القَومُ زُهَّدُ

And may He furnish Malik with good; indeed, Malik

And provisioned Malik with goodness, truly Malik

Has a kindly concern for us when the people are reluctant to give.

Has a return in us when people become ascetics.

فَهُم يَطرَبَن في إِثرِكُم مَن تَرَكتُمُ

فَهُم يَطرَبَن في إِثرِكُم مَن تَرَكتُمُ

إِذا قامَ يَعلوهُ حِلالٌ فَيَقعُدُ

إِذا قامَ يَعلوهُ حِلالٌ فَيَقعُدُ

So those you left behind surely pine after you;

So they flutter in your footsteps, those you left behind,

When he stands, infirmity overcomes him, so he sits down.

When he stands exalted by lawful deeds and then sits down.

تَوَلّى بَنو زِبّانَ عَنّا بِفَضلِهِم

تَوَلّى بَنو زِبّانَ عَنّا بِفَضلِهِم

وَوَدَّ شَريكٌ لَو نَسيرُ فَنَبعُدُ

وَوَدَّ شَريكٌ لَو نَسيرُ فَنَبعُدُ

The sons of Zibban turned away from us with their surplus,

The clan of Zibyan turned away from us by their virtues,

And Sharik wished we would depart and go far away.

And a comrade wished we would journey far and become distant.

لِيَهنَء شَريكاً وَطبُهُ وَلِقاحُهُ

لِيَهنَء شَريكاً وَطبُهُ وَلِقاحُهُ

وَذو العُسِّ بَعدَ النَومَةِ المُتَبَرِّدُ

وَذو العُسِّ بَعدَ النَومَةِ المُتَبَرِّدُ

May Sharik enjoy his milk-skin and his milch camels,

To gladden a comrade, his health and cold refreshment,

And the milk in the bowl, grown cool after a sleep.

And he of the staff after the midday nap has cooled down.

وَما كانَ مِنّا مَسكَناً قَد عَلِمتُمُ

وَما كانَ مِنّا مَسكَناً قَد عَلِمتُمُ

مُدافِعُ ذي رَضوى فَعَظمٌ فَصَندَدُ

مُدافِعُ ذي رَضوى فَعَظمٌ فَصَندَدُ

Nor, as you know, was our home ever

It was not of us an abode, as you knew,

The watercourses of Dhu Radwa, then Azm, then Sandad.

Repulsing the willful, so great, made of iron columns.

وَلَكِنَّها وَالدَهرُ يَومٌ وَلَيلَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّها وَالدَهرُ يَومٌ وَلَيلَةٌ

بِلادٌ بِها الأَجناءُ وَالمُتَصَيَّدُ

بِلادٌ بِها الأَجناءُ وَالمُتَصَيَّدُ

But they are—and time is a day and a night—

Rather it and time are a day and a night,

Lands with fruits to gather and game to hunt.

A land where ostriches and hunters lie hidden.

وَقُلتُ لِأَصحابِ الكَنيفِ تَرَحَّلوا

وَقُلتُ لِأَصحابِ الكَنيفِ تَرَحَّلوا

فَلَيسَ لَكُم في ساحَةِ الدارِ مَقعَدُ

فَلَيسَ لَكُم في ساحَةِ الدارِ مَقعَدُ

And I said to the companions of the shelter, “Depart;

And I said to the cave’s companions: “Depart,

For you have no place to sit in the dwelling’s courtyard.”

For you have no seat in the field of the house.”