1. أَرضٌ مُصَرَّدَةٌ وَأُخرى تُثجَمُ مِنها

    الَّتي رُزِقَت وَأُخرى تُحرَمُ

    One land receives scant rain, another is drenched; among them

    one is granted sustenance, while another is denied.

  2. فَإِذا تَأَمَّلتَ البِلادَ رَأَيتَها

    تُثري كَما تُثري الرِجالُ وَتُعدِمُ

    If you contemplate the lands, you will see them

    grow rich, as men grow rich, and become destitute.

  3. حَظٌّ تَعاوَرَهُ البِقاعُ لِوَقتِهِ

    وادٍ بِهِ صِفرٌ وَوادٍ مُفعَمُ

    Fortune passes among the regions in turn, each at its time:

    one valley is empty of it, another brimming.

  4. لَولاهُ لَم تَكُنِ النُبُوَّةُ تَرتَقي

    شَرَفَ الحِجازَ وَلا الرِسالَةُ تُتهِمُ

    But for it, prophecy would not have ascended

    the heights of the Hijaz, nor the divine message reached Tihama.

  5. وَلِذاكَ أَعرَقَتِ الخِلافَةُ بَعدَما

    عَمِرَت عُصوراً وَهيَ عِلقٌ مُشئِمُ

    For that reason the caliphate moved to Iraq, after

    flourishing for ages as a precious treasure in Syria.

  6. وَبِهِ رَأَينا كَعبَةَ اللَهِ الَّتي

    هِيَ كَوكَبُ الدُنيا تُحِلُّ وَتُحرِمُ

    Through it we have seen God's Kaaba, which

    is the world's star, become profane and sacred.

  7. تِلكَ الجَزيرَةُ مُذ تَحَمَّلَ مالِكٌ

    أَمسَت وَبابُ الغَيثِ عَنها مُبهَمُ

    That Jazira, since Malik broke camp,

    has been left with the gate of rain barred against it.

  8. وَعَلَت قُراها غَبرَةٌ وَلَقَد تُرى

    في ظِلِّهِ وَكَأَنَّما هِيَ أَنجُمُ

    Dust has covered its villages, though once they appeared

    under his shelter as though they were stars.

  9. غَنِيَت زَماناً جَنَّةً فَكَأَنَّما

    فُتِحَت إِلَيها مُنذُ سارَ جَهَنَّمُ

    It lived awhile as a paradise; now it seems

    Hell has opened toward it since he departed.

  10. الجَوُّ أَكلَفُ وَالجَنابُ لِفَقدِهِ

    مَحلٌ وَذاكَ الشِقُّ شِقٌّ مُظلِمُ

    The sky is dusky, and the environs, for loss of him,

    are barren; that quarter is a darkened quarter.

  11. أَقوَت فَلَم أَذكُر بها لَمّا خَلَت

    إِلّا مِنىً لَمّا تَقَضّى المَوسِمُ

    It lay deserted; seeing it empty, I recalled nothing

    but Mina when the pilgrimage season ended.

  12. وَلَقَد أَراها وَهيَ عِرسٌ كاعِبٌ

    فَاليَومَ أَضحَت وَهيَ ثَكلى أَيِّمُ

    I once saw it as a budding-breasted bride;

    today it has become a child-bereaved widow.

  13. إِذ في دِيارِ رَبيعَةَ المَطَرُ الحَيا

    وَعَلى نَصيبَينَ الطَريقُ الأَعظَمُ

    When Rabi'a's lands had life-giving rain,

    and the great road passed through Nisibis.

  14. ذَلَّ الحِمى مُذ أوطِئَت تِلكَ الرُبا

    وَالغابُ مُذ أَخلاهُ ذاكَ الضَيغَمُ

    The protected domain was humbled when those hills were trampled,

    and the forest when that lion deserted it.

  15. إِنَّ القِبابَ المُستَقِلَّةَ بَينَها

    مَلِكٌ يَطيبُ بِهِ الزَمانُ وَيَكرُمُ

    Indeed, among those soaring domes

    is a king through whom the age grows pleasant and noble.

  16. لا تَألَفُ الفَحشاءُ بُردَيهِ وَلا

    يَسري إِلَيهِ مَعَ الظَلامِ المَأثَمُ

    Indecency never befriends his two cloaks, nor

    does sin creep toward him with the darkness.

  17. مُتَبَذِّلٌ في القَومِ وَهوَ مُبَجَّلٌ

    مُتَواضِعٌ في الحَيِّ وَهوَ مُعَظَّمُ

    Unassuming among his people, yet held in honor;

    humble among the tribe, yet greatly revered.

  18. يَعلو فَيَعلَمُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ حَقُّهُ

    وَيُذيلُ فيهِم نَفسَهُ فَيُكَرَّمُ

    He rises, knowing that this is his due,

    and humbles himself among them, so is honored.

  19. مَهلاً بَني عَمرِو بنِ غَنمٍ إِنَّكُم

    هَدَفُ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالقَنا يَتَحَطَّمُ

    Gently, sons of 'Amr son of Ghanm! You are

    targets for spearheads, while the lances shatter.

  20. المَجدُ أَعنَقُ وَالدِيارُ فَسيحَةٌ

    وَالعِزُّ أَقعَسُ وَالعَديدُ عَرَمرَمُ

    Glory is long-necked, and the lands are spacious;

    and might is proud-chested, and the host is immense.

  21. ما مِنكُمُ إِلّا مُرَدّىً بِالحِجا

    أَو مُبشَرٌ بِالأَحوَذِيَّةِ مُؤدَمُ

    Not one of you but is cloaked in reason,

    or has resourcefulness for his outer and inner skin.

  22. عَمرَو بنَ كُلثومِ بنِ مالِكٍ بنِ عَت

    تابِ بنِ سَعدٍ سَهمُكُم لا يُسهَمُ

    'Amr son of Kulthum, son of Malik, son of 'At-

    tab son of Sa'd—your arrow never loses the draw.

  23. خُلِقَت رَبيعَةُ مُذ لَدُن خُلِقَت يَدا

    جُشَمُ بنُ بَكرٍ كَفُّها وَالمِعصَمُ

    Rabi'a was made a hand from the moment she was made;

    Jusham son of Bakr is her palm and wrist.

  24. تَغزو فَتَغلِبُ تَغلِبٌ مِثلَ اِسمِها

    وَتَسيحُ غَنمٌ في البِلادِ فَتَغنَمُ

    Taghlib raids and conquers, true to its name;

    and Ghanm ranges through the lands and takes spoils.

  25. وَسَتَذكُرونَ غَداً صَنائِعَ مالِكٍ

    إِن جَلَّ خَطبٌ أَو تُدوفَعَ مَغرَمُ

    Tomorrow you will remember Malik's benefactions,

    if calamity looms large, or a financial burden is passed around.

  26. فَمَنِ النَقِيُّ مِنَ العُيوبِ وَقَد غَدا

    عَن دارِكُم وَمَنِ العَفيفُ المُسلِمُ

    Who is the faultless one, now that he has departed

    from your home—and who the chaste Muslim?

  27. مالي رَأَيتُ تُرابَكُم يَبَساً لَهُ

    ما لي أَرى أَطوادَكُم تَتَهَدَّمُ

    Why have I found your soil dry for him?

    Why do I see your mountains crumbling?

  28. ما هَذِهِ القُربى الَّتي لا تُصطَفى

    ما هَذِهِ الرَحِمُ الَّتي لا تُرحَمُ

    What is this kinship that wins no favor?

    What is this blood-tie that is shown no mercy?

  29. حَسَدُ القَرابَةِ لِلقَرابَةِ قَرحَةٌ

    أَعيَت عَوانِدُها وَجُرحٌ أَقدَمُ

    Kin's envy of kin is an ulcer

    whose stubborn bleedings defy cure, an age-old wound.

  30. تِلكُم قُرَيشٌ لَم تَكُن آراؤُها

    تَهفو وَلا أَحلامُها تُتَقَسَّمُ

    That was Quraysh: their judgments never

    went astray, nor were their minds divided,

  31. حَتّى إِذا بُعِثَ النَبِيُّ مُحَمَّدٌ

    فيهِم غَدَت شَحناؤُهُم تَتَضَرَّمُ

    until, when the prophet Muhammad was sent

    among them, their hatred began to blaze.

  32. عَزَبَت عُقولُهُمُ وَما مِن مَعشَرٍ

    إِلّا وَهُم مِنهُ أَلَبُّ وَأَحزَمُ

    Their reason fled, though there was no people

    they did not surpass in wisdom and resolve,

  33. لَمّا أَقامَ الوَحيُ بَينَ ظُهورِهِم

    وَرَأَوا رَسولَ اللَهِ أَحمَدَ مِنهُمُ

    once revelation settled in their very midst

    and they saw God's messenger Ahmad was one of them.

  34. وَمِنَ الحَزامَةِ لَو تَكونُ حَزامَةٌ

    أَلّا يُؤَخَّرَ مَن بِهِ يُتَقَدَّمُ

    It is sound judgment—if sound judgment exists—

    not to hold back the one through whom you advance.

  35. إِن تَذهَبوا عَن مالِكٍ أَو تَجهَلوا

    نُعماهُ فَالرَحِمُ القَريبَةُ تَعلَمُ

    If you turn away from Malik, or fail to recognize

    his bounty, the close bond of kinship knows it.

  36. هِيَ تِلكَ مُشكاةٌ بِكُم لَو تَشتَكي

    مَظلومَةٌ لَو أَنَّها تَتَظَلَّمُ

    It is that bond, aggrieved by you, were it to complain;

    wronged, were it to plead its grievance.

  37. كانَت لَكُم أَخلاقُهُ مَعسولَةً

    فَتَرَكتُموها وَهيَ مِلحٌ عَلقَمُ

    His character was honey-sweet to you;

    but you left it salt and bitter colocynth;

  38. حَتّى إِذا أَجنَت لَكُم داوَتكُمُ

    مِن دائِكُم إِنَّ الثِقافَ يُقَوِّمُ

    until, when it bore fruit for you, it cured you

    of your illness: the spear-straightener makes straight.

  39. فَقَسا لِتَزدَجِروا وَمَن يَكُ حازِماً

    فَليَقسُ أَحياناً وَحيناً يَرحَمُ

    He grew stern to make you desist; whoever is resolute

    must be stern at times, and at times show mercy.

  40. وَأَخافَكُم كَي تُغمِدوا أَسيافَكُم

    إِنَّ الدَمَ المُغتَرَّ يَحرُسُهُ الدَمُ

    He frightened you so that you would sheathe your swords:

    vulnerable blood is guarded by blood.

  41. وَلَقَد جَهَدتُم أَن تُزيلوا عِزَّهُ

    فَإِذا أَبانٌ قَد رَسا وَيَلَملَمُ

    You labored hard to dislodge his might,

    and behold: Aban stood firmly rooted, and Yalamlam.

  42. وَطَعَنتُهُمُ في مَجدِهِ فَثَنَتكُمُ

    زُعفٌ يُفَلُّ بِها السِنانُ اللَهذَمُ

    And I assailed them in his glory; but you were repelled

    by supple mail that blunts the long, keen spearhead.

  43. أَعزِز عَلَيهِ إِذا اِبتَأَستُم بَعدَهُ

    وَتُذُكِّرَت بِالأَمسِ تِلكَ الأَنعُمُ

    How grievous for him, if you suffered after he left,

    and those blessings of yesterday were recalled,

  44. وَوَجَدتُمُ قَيظَ الأَذى وَرَمَيتُمُ

    بِعُيونِكُم أَينَ الرَبيعُ المُرهِمُ

    and you felt affliction's summer heat and cast

    your eyes about: where is spring with its gentle rain?

  45. وَنَدِمتُمُ وَلَوِ اِستَطاعَ عَلى جَوى

    أَحشائِكُم لَوَقاكُمُ أَن تَندَموا

    and regretted it! Could he master the burning pain

    in your vitals, he would protect you from regret.

  46. وَلَوَ اِنَّها مِن هَضبَةٍ تَدنو لَهُ

    لَدَنا لَها أَو كانَ عِرقٌ يُحسَمُ

    And were it of a crag that could draw near him,

    he would draw near it; or were it a vein to be cauterized,

  47. ما ذُعذِعَت تِلكَ السُروبُ وَأَصبَحَت

    فِرقَينِ في قَرنَينِ تِلكَ الأَسهُمُ

    those herds would not have been scattered, nor would

    those arrows have become two bands in two quivers.

  48. وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ لَدُن لَجَجتُم أَنَّهُ

    ما بَعدَ ذاكَ العُرسِ إِلّا المَأتَمُ

    I knew, when you persisted in your obstinacy, that

    nothing follows that wedding but a funeral.

  49. عِلماً طَلَبتُ رُسومَهُ فَوَجدتُها

    في الظَنِّ إِنَّ الأَلمَعِيَّ مُنَجِّمُ

    I sought the traces of that knowledge and found them

    in surmise: the keen-witted man is an astrologer.

  50. ما زِلتُ أَعرِفُ وَبلَهُ مِن عارِضٍ

    لَمّا رَأَيتُ سَماءَهُ تَتَغَيَّمُ

    I kept discerning its downpour from a raincloud,

    when I saw its sky grow overcast.

  51. يا مالِ قَد عَلِمَت نِزارٌ كُلُّها

    ما كانَ مِثلَكَ في الأَراقِمِ أَرقَمُ

    O Malik, all of Nizar has learned:

    no speckled serpent among the Araqim has been your equal.

  52. طالَت يَدي لَمّا رَأَيتُكَ سالِماً

    وَاِنحَتَّ عَن خَدَّيَّ ذاكَ العِظلِمُ

    My hand's reach lengthened when I saw you safe,

    and that black dye flaked off my cheeks.

  53. وَشَمِمتُ تُربَ الرَحبَةِ العَبِقَ الثَرى

    وَسَقى صَدايَ البَحرُ فيها الخِضرِمُ

    And I smelled al-Rahba's soil, its fragrant, moist earth,

    and there the boundless sea quenched my thirst.

  54. كَم حَلَّ في أَكنافِها مِن مُعدِمٍ

    أَمسى بِهِ يَأوي إِلَيهِ المُعدِمُ

    How many a pauper settled in its environs,

    then, through him, became a refuge for the destitute!

  55. وَصَنيعَةٍ لَكَ قَد كَتَمتَ جَزيلَها

    فَأَبى تَضَوُّعُها الَّذي لا يُكتَمُ

    And many a kindness of yours—you concealed its abundance,

    but its spreading fragrance, which cannot be hidden, refused concealment.

  56. مَجدٌ تَلوحُ فُضولُهُ وَفَضيلَةٌ

    لَكَ سافِرٌ وَالحَقُّ لا يَتَلَثَّمُ

    Glory whose abundant merits shine, and virtue

    of yours stand unveiled; truth does not veil its face.

  57. تَتَكَلَّفُ الجُلّى وَمَن أَضحى لَهُ

    بَيتاكَ في جُشَمٍ فَلا يَتَجَشَّمُ

    You undertake mighty deeds; yet whoever possesses

    your two houses in Jusham need not toil.

  58. وَتَشَرَّفُ العُليا وَهَل بِكَ مَذهَبٌ

    عَنها وَأَنتَ عَلى المَكارِمِ قَيِّمُ

    You aspire to the heights—but have you any way

    away from them, when you are the guardian of noble deeds?

  59. أَثنَيتُ إِذ كانَ الثَناءُ حِبالَةً

    شَرَكاً يُصادُ بِهِ الكَريمُ المُنعِمُ

    I offered praise, since praise was a snare,

    a trap with which the generous benefactor is caught.

  60. وَوَفَيتُ إِنَّ مِنَ الوَفاءِ تِجارَةً

    وَشَكَرتُ إِنَّ الشُكرَ حَرثٌ مُطعِمُ

    And I kept faith: there is commerce in faithfulness;

    and I gave thanks: gratitude is a nourishing crop.