إِنَّ مَحَلّاً وَإِنَّ مُرتَحِلاً

إِنَّ مَحَلّاً وَإِنَّ مُرتَحِلاً

وَإِنَّ في السَفرِ ما مَضى مَهَلا

وَإِنَّ في السَفرِ ما مَضى مَهَلا

There is indeed a resting place, and a place of departure;

Whether settled or a wanderer

And in the journey, while it lasts, there is respite.

And travelling has what's passed as respite

اِستَأثَرَ اللَهُ بِالوَفاءِ وَبِال

اِستَأثَرَ اللَهُ بِالوَفاءِ وَبِال

عَدلِ وَوَلّى المَلامَةَ الرَجُلا

عَدلِ وَوَلّى المَلامَةَ الرَجُلا

God has reserved faithfulness to Himself, and

God has kept faith and justice for Himself

justice, and has laid the blame upon man.

And man is left with blame

وَالأَرضُ حَمّالَةٌ لِما حَمَّلَ ال

وَالأَرضُ حَمّالَةٌ لِما حَمَّلَ ال

لَهُ وَما إِن تَرُدَّ ما فَعَلا

لَهُ وَما إِن تَرُدَّ ما فَعَلا

And the earth bears whatever is laid upon it by

The earth bears what He loaded it with

God; it does not reject what He has done.

And nothing can change what He has done

يَوماً تَراها كَشِبهِ أَردِيَةِ ال

يَوماً تَراها كَشِبهِ أَردِيَةِ ال

خِمسِ وَيَوماً أَديمُها نَغِلا

خِمسِ وَيَوماً أَديمُها نَغِلا

One day you see it like cloaks of

One day you see it like a worn out cloak

khims cloth; another day its skin has rotted.

The next its hide is tanned

أَنشى لَها الخُفَّ وَالبَراثِنَ وَال

أَنشى لَها الخُفَّ وَالبَراثِنَ وَال

حافِرَ شَتّى وَالأَعصَمَ الوَعِلا

حافِرَ شَتّى وَالأَعصَمَ الوَعِلا

He created for it padded feet, clawed paws, and

He gave it horses’ hooves, camels’ pads

hooves of various kinds, and the white-footed ibex.

Donkeys' hooves and palms made hard with work

وَالناسُ شَتّى عَلى سَجائِحِهِم

وَالناسُ شَتّى عَلى سَجائِحِهِم

مُستَوقِحاً حافِياً وَمُنتَعِلا

مُستَوقِحاً حافِياً وَمُنتَعِلا

And people differ according to their natures:

And people everywhere with their riding beasts

some with hardened soles, barefoot, and others shod.

Barefoot, shod, or wearing sandals

وَقَد رَحَلتُ المَطِيَّ مُنتَخِلا

وَقَد رَحَلتُ المَطِيَّ مُنتَخِلا

أُزجي ثِقالاً وَقُلقُلاً وَقِلا

أُزجي ثِقالاً وَقُلقُلاً وَقِلا

And I have saddled riding camels, choosing them carefully;

And I have ridden off on my mount

I urge on heavy beasts and a swift, nimble climber.

Jolting, jangling, with little provision

أُزجي سَراعيفَ كَالقِسِيِّ مِنَ ال

أُزجي سَراعيفَ كَالقِسِيِّ مِنَ ال

شَوحَطِ صَكَّ المُسَفَّعِ الحَجَلا

شَوحَطِ صَكَّ المُسَفَّعِ الحَجَلا

I urge on lanky camels like bows of

I jolt along like a bow of wild olive wood

shawhat wood, as the dark-faced hunter strikes partridges.

That knocks together the striker’s wrist guards

وَالهَوزَبَ العَودَ أَمتَطيهِ بِها

وَالهَوزَبَ العَودَ أَمتَطيهِ بِها

وَالعَنتَريسَ الوَجناءَ وَالجَمَلا

وَالعَنتَريسَ الوَجناءَ وَالجَمَلا

And there I ride the huge old camel,

Riding a mountain goat and a she-camel

and the powerful, broad-cheeked she-camel, and the male camel.

Slow but sure over the long empty terrain

يَنضَحُ بِالبَولِ وَالغُبارِ عَلى

يَنضَحُ بِالبَولِ وَالغُبارِ عَلى

فَخذَيهِ نَضحَ العَبدِيَّةِ الجُلَلا

فَخذَيهِ نَضحَ العَبدِيَّةِ الجُلَلا

It spatters urine and dust upon

Dribbling urine and dust on its thighs

its thighs, as an Abdite woman sprinkles date-baskets.

Like a sprinkling of saffron rice

وَسّاجَ سابَ إِذا هَبَطتَ بِهِ ال

وَسّاجَ سابَ إِذا هَبَطتَ بِهِ ال

سَهلَ وَفي الحَزنِ مِرجَماً حَجَلا

سَهلَ وَفي الحَزنِ مِرجَماً حَجَلا

A swift-strider, it glides when you bring it down to the

Traveling like one who crosses vast deserts

plain; on rough ground it bounds, scattering stones.

To settle with camels as reward

بِسَيرِ مَن يَقطَعُ المَفاوِزَ وَال

بِسَيرِ مَن يَقطَعُ المَفاوِزَ وَال

بُعدَ إِلى مَن يُثيبُهُ الإِبلا

بُعدَ إِلى مَن يُثيبُهُ الإِبلا

With the pace of one who crosses deserts and

And a young she-camel, a boy slave,

distant tracts to one who rewards him with camels,

A maid—gifts for the absent friend

وَالهَيكَلَ النَهدَ وَالوَليدَةَ وَال

وَالهَيكَلَ النَهدَ وَالوَليدَةَ وَال

عَبدَ وَيُعطي مَطافِلاً عُطُلا

عَبدَ وَيُعطي مَطافِلاً عُطُلا

and a tall, sturdy horse, a slave-girl, and a

Honoring whatever she has earned

slave, and gives unhaltered she-camels with their young.

And recompensing her for her labour

يُكرِمُها ما ثَوَت لَدَيهِ وَيَج

يُكرِمُها ما ثَوَت لَدَيهِ وَيَج

زيها بِما كانَ خُفُّها عَمِلا

زيها بِما كانَ خُفُّها عَمِلا

He honors them as long as they stay with him, and

Dawn has come to generous Salama

rewards them for the work their padded feet have done.

Yet his heart is anxious and fearful

أَصبَحَ ذو فائِشٍ سَلامَةُ ذو ال

أَصبَحَ ذو فائِشٍ سَلامَةُ ذو ال

تَفضالِ هَشّاً فُؤادُهُ جَذِلا

تَفضالِ هَشّاً فُؤادُهُ جَذِلا

Now Salama, Dhu Fa'ish, the man of

He is fair, fears not emaciation

great bounty, is cheerful, his heart glad.

Breaks no family tie, betrays no secret

أَبيَضُ لا يَرهَبُ الهُزالَ وَلا

أَبيَضُ لا يَرهَبُ الهُزالَ وَلا

يَقطَعُ رِحماً وَلا يَخونُ إِلا

يَقطَعُ رِحماً وَلا يَخونُ إِلا

Fair and noble, he does not fear leanness, nor

O best of riders, who drinks no cup

sever a bond of kinship, nor betray a covenant.

Save from an open-handed giver

يا خَيرَ مَن يَركَبُ المَطِيِّ وَلا

يا خَيرَ مَن يَركَبُ المَطِيِّ وَلا

يَشرَبُ كَأساً بِكَفِّ مَن بَخِلا

يَشرَبُ كَأساً بِكَفِّ مَن بَخِلا

O best of those who ride camels and do not

I have given you these verses, generous Salama

drink a cup from a miser's hand!

The thing belongs where it is placed

قَلَّدتُكَ الشِعرَ يا سَلامَةَ ذا ال

قَلَّدتُكَ الشِعرَ يا سَلامَةَ ذا ال

تِفضالِ وَالشَيءُ حَيثُما جُعِلا

تِفضالِ وَالشَيءُ حَيثُما جُعِلا

I have garlanded you with poetry, O Salama, lord of

Poetry brings down the noble man

great bounty; and a thing is wherever it is placed.

As rain brings down the pouring clouds

وَالشِعرُ يَستَنزِلُ الكَريمَ كَما اِس

وَالشِعرُ يَستَنزِلُ الكَريمَ كَما اِس

تَنزَلَ رَعدُ السَحابَةِ السَبَلا

تَنزَلَ رَعدُ السَحابَةِ السَبَلا

And poetry wins over the generous man, just as

If you were a collected pool of water

the cloud's thunder draws down the rain.

The tribe could drink when they arrive

لَو كُنتَ ماءً عِدّاً جَمَمتَ إِذا

لَو كُنتَ ماءً عِدّاً جَمَمتَ إِذا

ما وَرَدَ القَومُ لَم تَكُن وَشَلا

ما وَرَدَ القَومُ لَم تَكُن وَشَلا

If you were an unfailing spring, you would brim whenever

The days of your parents gave birth to you

the people came to drink; you would never be a trickle.

When they obtained you, what a fine gain!

أَنجَبَ أَيّامُ والِدَيهِ بِهِ

أَنجَبَ أَيّامُ والِدَيهِ بِهِ

إِذ نَجَلاهُ فَنِعمَ ما نَجَلا

إِذ نَجَلاهُ فَنِعمَ ما نَجَلا

His parents' days brought forth a noble son in him,

A knight, a donkey, and a nomad alike

when they begot him—how excellent was what they begot!

Know each other on the flat land

قَد عَلِمَت فارِسٌ وَحِميَرُ وَال

قَد عَلِمَت فارِسٌ وَحِميَرُ وَال

أَعرابُ بِالدَشتِ أَيُّهُم نَزَلا

أَعرابُ بِالدَشتِ أَيُّهُم نَزَلا

Persia and Himyar know, and so do

Do you remember when you were my cloak

the Bedouin on the plain, whoever among them has camped there.

And I made you my paradigm?

هَل تَذكُرُ العَهدَ في تَنَمُّصَ إِذ

هَل تَذكُرُ العَهدَ في تَنَمُّصَ إِذ

تَضرِبُ لي قاعِداً بِها مَثَلا

تَضرِبُ لي قاعِداً بِها مَثَلا

Do you remember the occasion in Tanammus, when

A lion in battle, though fate bows to him

sitting there, you set forth an example for me?

He spurned kings’ ways and their works

لَيثٌ لَدى الحَربِ أَو تَدوخَ لَهُ

لَيثٌ لَدى الحَربِ أَو تَدوخَ لَهُ

قَسراً وَبَذَّ المُلوكَ ما فَعَلا

قَسراً وَبَذَّ المُلوكَ ما فَعَلا

A lion in war, until you submit to him

by force; and in his deeds he surpassed kings.