1. غَرامٌ أَثارَتهُ الحَمامُ السَواجِعُ

    ونارُ جَوىً أَذكَت لَظاها المَدامِعُ

    A passion stirred by the cooing doves,

    And a fire of heartache whose blaze weeping eyes have stoked;

  2. وَقَلبٌ إِذا ما قُلتُ يُعقِبُ راحَةً

    أَبَت حُرَقٌ تَأتي بِهِنَّ الفَجائِعُ

    And a heart: whenever I say it will bring relief,

    Burning pangs that calamities bring deny it rest.

  3. أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ للحَوادِثِ عَدوَةٌ

    لَها في سُوَيدَا حَبَّةِ القَلبِ صادِعُ

    Do calamities launch an assault every day,

    A blow that rends the dark kernel of the heart?

  4. فَلو أَنَّ هَذا الدَهرَ لا دَرَّ دَرُّهُ

    يُسالِمُ أَربابَ العُلى وَيُوادِعُ

    If only this age—may its milk never flow!—

    Would make peace with the lords of eminence and grant them a truce.

  5. وَلَكِنَّهُ يَختارُ كُلَّ مُهَذَّبٍ

    لَهُ الفَضلُ فينا وَاللُهى وَالدَسائِعُ

    But it singles out every refined man,

    Who among us possesses merit, bounty, and lavish gifts.

  6. أَبَعدَ اِبنِ إِبراهِيمَ يا دَهرُ يُبتَغى

    إِلَيكَ خُلودٌ أَو تُرَجّى صَنائِعُ

    After Ibn Ibrahim, O Time, can one seek

    Immortality from you, or hope for favors?

  7. تَعِستَ لَقَد عَلَّمتَنا بَعدَهُ البُكا

    وَعَرَّفتَنا بِالثُكلِ ما الحُزنُ صانِعُ

    Woe to you! After him, you have taught us weeping,

    And through bereavement shown us what sorrow can do.

  8. فَتىً كانَ بَرّاً بِالعَشيرَةِ راحِماً

    رَؤُوفاً بِها لا تَزدَهيهِ المَطامِعُ

    A young man, dutiful to his clan and merciful,

    Compassionate toward them, never beguiled by greed.

  9. وَلَم تَلقهُ في مَحفَلٍ مِن نَدِيِّهِ

    يُشاري عَلى ما ساءَها وَيُبايِعُ

    And you never found him at a gathering of his council,

    Contending for what harmed them, or pledging allegiance to it.

  10. وَلَو شاءَ جازى بِالعُقوبَةِ قُدرَةً

    وَلَكِن لَهُ مِن خَشيَةِ اللَهِ رادِعُ

    Had he wished, he had the power to punish in return,

    But fear of God restrained him.

  11. يَصُدُّ عَن العَوراءِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

    بِهِ صَمَمٌ عَمّا يَقولُ المُقاذِعُ

    He turns away from foul speech, as though

    He were deaf to what the reviler says.

  12. كَريمُ الثَنا تَأبى الدَنِيَّةَ نَفسُهُ

    هُمامٌ لِأَبوابِ الحَوادِثِ قارِعُ

    Of noble renown, his soul rejects baseness;

    A resolute man who knocks at calamities' doors.

  13. لَهُ حِكَمٌ مَأثورَةٌ حينَ تَلتَقي

    بِآرائِها عِندَ المُلوكِ المَجامِعُ

    His wise sayings are recounted whenever

    Assemblies gather before kings with their counsel.

  14. يَقولُ فَلا يُخطي إِذا ما تَأَخَّرَت

    عَنِ القَولِ ساداتُ الرِجالِ المَصاقِعُ

    He speaks without error when they hold back

    From speech—the eloquent lords of men.

  15. جَميلُ السَجايا كُلَّما اِزدادَ رِفعَةً

    تَواضَعَ حَتّى قيلَ ماذا التَواضُعُ

    Noble in character, the higher he rose,

    The humbler he grew, till people said, 'What humility!'

  16. سَواءٌ عَلَيهِ في القَضِيَّةِ مَن دَنَت

    بِهِ الرَحِمُ القُربى وَمَن هُوَ شاسِعُ

    Equal before him in judgment were those drawn near

    By close kinship and those far removed.

  17. نَشا مُذ نَشا لَم يَدرِ ما الجَهلُ وَالخَنا

    وَسادَ بَني أَيّامِهِ وَهوَ يافِعُ

    He grew up, from the first, knowing neither folly nor foul speech,

    And led the sons of his age while still a youth.

  18. وَلا عَرَفَ العَوراءَ يَوماً وَلا اِنتَحى

    إِلى خطَّةٍ يَبغي بِها مَن يُقاذِعُ

    He never knew vile speech, nor ever turned

    To a course by which he sought someone to revile.

  19. إِذا قيلَ مَن أَوفى مَعَدٍّ بِذِمَّةٍ

    أَشارَت إِلَيهِ بِالبَنانِ الأَصابِعُ

    When asked, 'Who of Maʿadd is most faithful to a pledge?'

    The fingers point toward him with their tips.

  20. لَقَد فُجعَت غُنمٌ وَبَكرٌ وَطُوطِئَت

    لِمَهلِكِهِ أَكتادُها وَالقَبائِعُ

    Ghunm and Bakr have been bereaved, and bowed down

    At his death are their shoulders and sword-pommels.

  21. كَما فُجِعَت مِن قَبلِهِ بِجِدُودِهِ

    بَنُو جُشَمٍ وَالمَجدُ لِلمَجدِ تابِعُ

    As, before him, his forefathers' loss had bereaved

    The sons of Jusham; glory follows glory.

  22. فَصَبراً بَنِي مَستُور فَالدَهرُ هَكَذا

    وَكُلٌّ عَلَيهِ لِلمَنايا طَلائِعُ

    So be patient, sons of Mastur: such is Time,

    And death has advance guards against everyone.

  23. فَفيكُم بِحَمدِ اللَهِ حِصنٌ وَمَعقِلٌ

    وَنُورٌ مُبينٌ يَملَأُ الأُفقَ ساطِعُ

    For among you, praise be to God, is a fortress and a stronghold,

    And a clear, radiant light that fills the horizon.

  24. فَمَن كانَ عَبدُ اللَهِ مِنهُ خَليفَةً

    فَما ماتَ إِلّا شَخصُهُ لا الطبائِعُ

    For one whose successor is Abd Allah,

    Only his body has died, not his character.

  25. فَتىً لَم يَزَل مُذ كانَ قَبلَ اِحتِلامِهِ

    يُدافِعُ عَنكُم جاهِداً وَيُصانِعُ

    A young man who, since before puberty, has never ceased

    Striving to defend you and conciliating others.

  26. فَما عاشَ فَالبَيتُ الرَفيعُ عِمادُهُ

    يَطولُ عَلى الأَيّامِ وَالرَبعُ واسِعُ

    As long as he lives, the house with its lofty pillar

    Will tower over the days, its dwelling spacious.

  27. وُقِيتَ الرَدى وَالسُوءَ يا با مُحمَّدٍ

    وَحَلَّت بِمَن يَهوَى رَداكَ القَوارِعُ

    May you be shielded from death and harm, O Abu Muhammad,

    And may crushing calamities strike whoever desires your death.

  28. تَعَزَّ فَكُلٌّ سَالِكٌ لِسَبيلِهِ

    وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ مِن خَشيَةِ المَوتِ جازِعُ

    Take comfort: everyone follows his path,

    And every man is distraught with fear of death.

  29. وَنَحنُ سَواءٌ في المُصابِ وَإِن نَأَت

    بِنا الدارُ فَالأَرحامُ مِنّا جَوامِعُ

    And we share equally in this affliction, though far away

    Our dwelling lies; ties of kinship bind us together.

  30. وَلا شَكَّ مِنّا في التَأَسّي وَإِنَّما

    نُعَزِّيكَ إِذ جاءَت بِذاكَ الشَرائِعُ

    Nor have we any doubt about taking solace; we only

    Console you, since the sacred laws have prescribed it.