يا جيرة الحي في ذا الاثل وَالبان

يا جيرة الحي في ذا الاثل وَالبان

فَكَيفَ حال الاحباب الأولى بانوا

فَكَيفَ حال الاحباب الأولى بانوا

O neighbors of the encampment among these tamarisks and moringas,

O neighbor of the quarter in these ruins and tents

How, then, fare the loved ones who departed?

How are the first loved ones who have gone?

وَهَل مررتم بنعمان الاراك عَلى

وَهَل مررتم بنعمان الاراك عَلى

نعم فأحلى الهوى نعم وَنعمان

نعم فأحلى الهوى نعم وَنعمان

And at Na'man of the arak trees, did you pass by

And have you passed by Nu'man al-Arak upon

Nu'm? For the sweetest love is Nu'm and Na'man.

The most beautiful love, yes Nu'man

عَهدي بهم وَديار الحي آنسة

عَهدي بهم وَديار الحي آنسة

بالمنجدين وَهم فيالحي جيران

بالمنجدين وَهم فيالحي جيران

I remember them when the encampment's dwellings were cheerful

My covenant with them and the homes of the quarter were intimate

With the people of Najd, who were neighbors in the camp.

With the adorned ones and they in the quarter are neighbors

وَالعَيش أَخضر وَالدنيا مساعدة

وَالعَيش أَخضر وَالدنيا مساعدة

وَقاتل الحب وَالمَقتول اخوان

وَقاتل الحب وَالمَقتول اخوان

And life was green, and the world favorable,

And life is green and the world is favorable

And love's slayer and its slain were brothers.

And the killer of love and the killed are brothers

وَالشيح متشح بالظل مبتهج

وَالشيح متشح بالظل مبتهج

وَالورد مبتَسم وَالزهر الوان

وَالورد مبتَسم وَالزهر الوان

And wormwood, cloaked in shade, was joyful,

And the old man adorned with shade is cheerful

And roses smiled, and blossoms were many-hued.

The rose smiling and the flowers are colors

وَالمسك تذريه أَرواح النَسيم وَفي

وَالمسك تذريه أَرواح النَسيم وَفي

خَمائل الشعب تَغريد وألحان

خَمائل الشعب تَغريد وألحان

And the breaths of the breeze scattered musk, and in

And musk the souls of the breeze scatter, and in

The ravine's groves were birdsong and melodies.

The curves of the dunes twittering and melodies

وَفي الخدور يَدور في ملاحظها

وَفي الخدور يَدور في ملاحظها

سحر وَفي حسنها ماء وَنيران

سحر وَفي حسنها ماء وَنيران

And in the curtained chambers, through her glances swirled

And in the cheeks revolves in its glances

Enchantment; and in her beauty were water and flames.

Magic and in its beauty water and fire

وَبنت عشر سَقاها الحسن خمر صبا

وَبنت عشر سَقاها الحسن خمر صبا

فالقَلب منها بغير السكر سَكران

فالقَلب منها بغير السكر سَكران

And a girl of ten, whom beauty gave the wine of youth:

And a girl of ten intoxicated by youth’s wine

So the heart is drunk on her, without wine.

So the heart without nectar is drunk

نعس مكحلة لعس معسلة

نعس مكحلة لعس معسلة

فيهن حسن وَما فيهن احسان

فيهن حسن وَما فيهن احسان

Drowsy-eyed, kohl-adorned; dusky-lipped, honey-sweet—

Slumber kohl-adorned, before kohl purified

In them is beauty, but in them no kindness.

In them beauty not in them any favor

تريك في الرمل حقف الرمل فوقهما

تريك في الرمل حقف الرمل فوقهما

ليل وَشمس وَرمان وَمران

ليل وَشمس وَرمان وَمران

She shows you, in her gait, curved sand dunes; above them lie

You see in the sand buried under them

Night and a sun, pomegranates and supple spears.

Night, sun, pomegranate and vegetation

أَتلك لؤلؤة غر محاسنها

أَتلك لؤلؤة غر محاسنها

أَم فضة شابها ورس وَعقبان

أَم فضة شابها ورس وَعقبان

Is she a pearl whose charms are radiant,

Is that a pearl whose beauty has no equal

Or silver mingled with wars-dye and gold?

Or silver mixed with myrrh and eagle

أَم تلك حورية نورية خلقت

أَم تلك حورية نورية خلقت

من درة حليها در ومرجان

من درة حليها در ومرجان

Or is she a houri of light, created

Or is that a luminous Houri created

From a pearl, her ornaments pearls and coral?

From a single pearl, her jewelry pearls and coral

فاقت ببهجتها كل الحسان كَما

فاقت ببهجتها كل الحسان كَما

فاق الكِرام عَفيف الدين عثمان

فاق الكِرام عَفيف الدين عثمان

She surpassed all beauties in her splendor, just as

She surpassed all the beautiful as

Afif al-Din Uthman surpassed the noble.

The generous surpassed the chaste Othman

فرد الجَلالَة خرق لا نظير له

فرد الجَلالَة خرق لا نظير له

أَمواله لصنوف المجد أَثمان

أَمواله لصنوف المجد أَثمان

Peerless in majesty, magnanimous, with no equal;

He returned the glory, unmatched,

His wealth pays for glory in its many forms.

His wealth to the various types of glory prices

غيث بفيض بمرفض الندى أَبَدا

غيث بفيض بمرفض الندى أَبَدا

كل إِلى صوب ذاك الغيث ظمآن

كل إِلى صوب ذاك الغيث ظمآن

A rain forever abundant with streaming bounty;

A rain whose downpour is eternal bounty

Everyone thirsts for that rain's downpour.

All towards that rain are thirsty

بحر من الجود ملآن يموج غنى

بحر من الجود ملآن يموج غنى

فالناس تغرف منه وَهو ملآن

فالناس تغرف منه وَهو ملآن

A sea brimming with generosity, surging with riches;

A sea of generosity filled surging wealth

So people scoop from it, while it stays full.

And the people draw from it and it is filled

رحب المَنازِل ما عبت منازله

رحب المَنازِل ما عبت منازله

وَفد ووفد وَضَيفان وَضَيفان

وَفد ووفد وَضَيفان وَضَيفان

His dwellings are spacious, never drained by

Spacious lodgings, his dwellings are uninhabited

Delegation after delegation, and pair after pair of guests.

Delegation and delegation, guests and guests

أَبوه سيد عدنان فبورك من

أَبوه سيد عدنان فبورك من

فرع منيف نماه الاصل عدنان

فرع منيف نماه الاصل عدنان

His father is the lord of Adnan; blessed be such a

His father master of Adnan so blessed is he who

Lofty branch, nurtured by its root, Adnan.

Is a branch grown from the pure origin Adnan

وَجده الاهدل المَشهور سيرته

وَجده الاهدل المَشهور سيرته

مبارك كله يمن وايمان

مبارك كله يمن وايمان

And his grandfather is al-Ahdal, whose life is renowned:

And his grandfather the famed Ahdal whose reputation

Blessed is he, all good fortune and faith.

Is blessed, all Yemin and faith

لا يغلق الباب عَن راحي النَوال وَلا

لا يغلق الباب عَن راحي النَوال وَلا

يقابل الوفد الا وهو جذلان

يقابل الوفد الا وهو جذلان

He never shuts the door against seekers of bounty, nor

He does not close the door to the seekers of bounty, nor

Meets a delegation except with joy.

Does he meet a delegation except with acceptance

ان ابن أَحمد شمس في جَلالَته

ان ابن أَحمد شمس في جَلالَته

وَلَيسَ كالشَمس بهران وَكيوان

وَلَيسَ كالشَمس بهران وَكيوان

Indeed, Ibn Ahmad is a sun in his majesty,

Indeed the son of Ahmad is a sun in his glory

And Bahran and Kaywan are not like the sun.

And he is not like the sun, fleeting and waning

رتعن آمالنا في ريف رأفته

رتعن آمالنا في ريف رأفته

فنحن بنت رجاء وَهو هتان

فنحن بنت رجاء وَهو هتان

Our hopes grazed in the fertile land of his compassion;

Our hopes pasture in the prairie of his kindness

So we are hope's offspring, and he is steady rain.

For we are hopeful and he is bestowing

له بِفاطِمة الزَهرا وَحيدرة

له بِفاطِمة الزَهرا وَحيدرة

وَأَحمد شرف يَسمو وَبنيان

وَأَحمد شرف يَسمو وَبنيان

He has, through Fatimah al-Zahra and Haydarah

For him is Fatima the blossom and Haydar

And Ahmad, soaring honor and an edifice.

And Ahmad an honor rising and structure

قوم حوا عَن حَواشيهم وَطالَ بهم

قوم حوا عَن حَواشيهم وَطالَ بهم

فوق الكَواكِب عمار وَسلمان

فوق الكَواكِب عمار وَسلمان

A people who guarded those around them; through them rose

A people removed from their peripheries and whose length

Above the stars, Ammar and Salman.

Above the stars is Omar and Suleiman

فان طَغى الدهر أَو نابَت نوائبه

فان طَغى الدهر أَو نابَت نوائبه

فالاهدليون حصن أَينما كانوا

فالاهدليون حصن أَينما كانوا

So if time turns tyrannical, or its calamities strike,

So if time betrayed or misfortunes struck

Then the Ahdalis are a fortress, wherever they may be.

The Ahdalis are a fortress wherever they may be

حالي بهم مستقر بعد تفرته

حالي بهم مستقر بعد تفرته

عني وَربعي لخيل الخيرميدان

عني وَربعي لخيل الخيرميدان

My state is settled through them, after its flight

My state with them is settled after my homelessness

From me; and my dwelling is an arena for the steeds of goodness.

From me and my quarter to the horses of the Abode of Grace a racecourse

يا سَيدي يا عَفيف الدين جئتك في

يا سَيدي يا عَفيف الدين جئتك في

حَوائج أَغفلت وَالدهر يقظان

حَوائج أَغفلت وَالدهر يقظان

O my master, O Afif al-Din, I have come to you concerning

My master, O chaste al-Din I have come to you in

Needs left neglected, while time is wide awake.

Needs I neglected and time is vigilant

فرش جناحي ببذل المكرمات وصل

فرش جناحي ببذل المكرمات وصل

حبلي فاني الى نعماك غرثان

حبلي فاني الى نعماك غرثان

So feather my wing by bestowing noble gifts, and join

So flap your wing with acts of generosity and join

My rope, for I hunger for your bounty.

My rope for I am to your favors indebted

ان لم تقم بي وَتمدد بالنوال يدي

ان لم تقم بي وَتمدد بالنوال يدي

فالحظ متقص وَالريح خسران

فالحظ متقص وَالريح خسران

If you do not stand by me and supply my hand with bounty,

If you do not stand by me and extend with bounty my hand

Then fortune is diminished, and the wind brings loss.

Then fate is negligent and the wind lost

فاِسمح بعارفة بيضاء تنعشني

فاِسمح بعارفة بيضاء تنعشني

فَما يساميك بالاحسان انسان

فَما يساميك بالاحسان انسان

So bestow a radiant favor that revives me;

So allow an acquaintance white that revives me

For no human being rivals you in kindness.

For no human equals you in benevolence

واكس الاديب من البر النَفيس وَلا

واكس الاديب من البر النَفيس وَلا

تردد لبيد القَوافي وَهو عريان

تردد لبيد القَوافي وَهو عريان

And clothe the poet in precious beneficence, and do not

Clothe the poet with fine kindness and do not

Turn away the Labid of rhymes while he is naked.

Hesitate to Bid the versifier and he is naked

بقيت للدين وَالدنيا وأَهلهما

بقيت للدين وَالدنيا وأَهلهما

نورا عَلى كل نور منه عنوان

نورا عَلى كل نور منه عنوان

May you remain for religion, the world, and their people

You remained for religion and the world and its people

A light above all lights, each bearing its mark,

A light upon every light from it a minaret

ما حن رعد وَما غنت مطوّقة

ما حن رعد وَما غنت مطوّقة

وَما تعانق أَغصان وَأَغصان

وَما تعانق أَغصان وَأَغصان

As long as thunder moans, and as long as a ring-dove sings,

No thunder roared and no ringdove sang

And as long as branches embrace branches.

And no branches entwined with branches