مثل لعينك خدرا في الحمى ضربا

وانشد فؤادا مَع الاحباب مغتربا

Picture before your eyes a pavilion pitched in the protected grounds,

And seek a heart far from home with the beloved.

وابك المَنازِل بعد الظاعنين دما

ان لم تر الدمع يَقضي عنك ما وجبا

And weep blood over the dwellings after those who departed,

If you find that tears do not discharge what you owe.

وَلا تَلم في الهوى العذرى ذا شجن

في الغور هب له ريح الصبا فصبا

And do not blame one sorrowing in chaste love:

The east wind blew upon him in the lowlands, and he yearned.

ان حدث الركب عَن نجد بكى شجنا

وان رأى النار في نجد بكى طربا

If the riders speak of Najd, he weeps with longing,

And if he sees the fire in Najd, he weeps in rapture.

وَالورق ساجعة تغرى الغرام به

وَالبرق يلهبه وجدا اذا التهبا

And the cooing doves incite passion against him,

And lightning inflames him with longing when it flares.

يود لو أَنَّ أَيام الحمى رجعت

وَقلما رد شيء بعد ما ذهبا

He wishes the days in the protected grounds would return,

Yet seldom is anything restored once it has gone.

فَيا حويدي المَطايا ذا الكَثيب وَذا ال

مرغي الخَصيب فدعها ترعى العذبا

So, O dear little camel-driver, here is the dune, and here the

Lush pasture [reading uncertain]; let them graze on sweet herbage.

في روضة ظل نجدى النَسيم بها

نشوان بنثر من حب الندى حببا

In a garden where the breeze of Najd lingered,

Intoxicated with scattering beads from the pearls of dew.

وان وردت بها ماء العَذيب فقل

سَقى العذيب من الامواه ما عذبا

And if you bring them to the water of al-Udhayb, say:

May al-Udhayb be watered with sweet waters.

وَخل عنها اذا اِرتاحت لرائحة

من طيب طيبة أوريا رياض قبا

And let them loose when they quicken at a scent

From Tayba's fragrance, or the perfume of Quba's gardens.

وان وصلت بها باب السلام فقل

مني السَلام عَلى أَوفى الورى حسبا

And if you reach the Gate of Peace with them, say:

Peace from me upon the most honorable of all mankind:

محمد خير منزول بساحته

كهف الارامل والايتام وَالغربا

Muhammad, the best of those in whose courtyard one alights,

The refuge of widows, orphans, and strangers.

أَغر أَرسله الرحمن مرحمة

للخلق بالحق يهدي العجم وَالعربا

Radiant, sent by the All-Merciful as a mercy

To creation, guiding non-Arabs and Arabs with the truth.

نور الوجود تمام الجود ان نزلت

به الوفود بسوح ضيق رحبا

The light of existence, the fullness of generosity; should there alight

Delegations with him in a narrow courtyard, it grows spacious.

ملاذ كل صَريخ ما صدمت به

خطبا فكلّ وَلا اِستَعطيته فأبى

The refuge of everyone crying for help; you never faced, with his aid,

A calamity and found him falter, or sought his bounty and were refused.

تندى الغمام اذا اِستَمطرتها مطرا

وابن العواتك تندى كفه ذهبا

The clouds shed rain when you ask them to shower,

And the son of the Atikas—his palm drips gold.

وَتسلب الشمس ثوب النور آفلة

وَنور أَحمد شق الترب واِشتَهيا

And the setting sun is stripped of its robe of light,

And Ahmad's light split the soil and was desired [reading uncertain].

ان ابن عبد مناف شمس اِبتَهَجَت

لما رآها سَنا أَهل الضلال خبا

Indeed, the son of Abd Manaf is a sun that rejoiced;

When the radiance of the misguided saw it, it faded.

كَم عاندته قريش في نبوّته

وَكم أَضافوا اليه السحر وَالكَذِبا

How often Quraysh opposed him in his prophethood,

And how often they accused him of sorcery and lies!

وَضلة نبزوه بالجنون وَلَم

يَبقوا لأسمائه من ضدها لقبا

And, in error, they branded him mad, and did not

Spare his names a single epithet drawn from their opposites.

حَتّى رَماهم بجيش لا كفاء له

يَهدي إِلى الهدين الحرب وَالحربا

Until he struck them with an army that had no equal,

Bringing war and spears to [unclear recipient].

بيض المفارق وَالهَيجاء مظلمة

كانهم في ظهور الخَيل نبت ربا

White of crown, though the battle is dark,

As though on the horses' backs they were plants upon hills.

فيهم عتيق وَفاروق وَصنوهما

عثمان وَالحيدري الضاري اذا وثبا

Among them are Atiq, Faruq, and their peer,

Uthman, and Haydari, fierce when he leaps.

أئمة شرف الله الوجود بهم

ساموا العلا فسموا فوق العلا رتبا

Leaders through whom God honored existence;

They sought loftiness and rose above it in rank.

وهن نزار وَفرعى تغلب عرب

أَرباب سمر وَبيض تلتظى لهبا

And they are Arabs of Nizar and the two branches of Taghlib,

Masters of dusky lances and white swords blazing like flame,

الخَائضي غمرات الموت متخذي

هام الكماة عَلى أَرماحهم عذبا

Plunging into death's depths, taking

Warriors' heads as pennons upon their spears.

الشاربي الموت صرفا في الهياج فَما

يَدرون طعنا وَضَربا كان أَم ضربا

Drinking death unmixed in battle's fury, they do not

Know whether it was thrusts and blows, or honey.

محبة لنبي بين اظهرهم

اختاره واِجتَباه اللَه واِنتخبا

Out of love for a prophet in their midst,

Whom God chose, selected, and singled out.

مؤيدا بكتاب اللَه معتصما

بِاللَه منتصرالِلَّه محتسبا

Supported by God's Book, holding fast

To God, championing God's cause and seeking His reward.

يا أَشرف الخلق من حاف وَمنتعل

وَمنتقى من مشي منهم ومن ركبا

O noblest of creation, barefoot and shod,

And choicest of those among them who walk and those who ride,

كان ابن مسلم جار الجنب من برع

فكنت من بعد جاري جارك الجنبا

Ibn Muslim of Bura' was a distant neighbor,

So, after my neighbor, I became your distant neighbor.

أَهدى اليك من النيابَتين عَلى

شوقي اليك حروفا تشبه الشهبا

I offer you, from the two deputations, out of

My longing for you, letters resembling shooting stars.

فصل بمرحمة عَبد الرَحيم ومن

يَليه أَهلا وأرحاما وَمُصطَحَبا

So favor Abd al-Rahim with mercy, and those

Close to him: family, kin, and companions.

وان دعا فأجبه واحم جانبه

وَصله ما قطعت أَيامه السَبيل

And if he calls, answer him and protect his side,

And favor him as long as his days traverse the path.

لا نلت قوة ضعفي ان نبازمني

وَفي يَدي منك سيف ما هَوى فَنَبا

May I gain no strength for my weakness if my times forsake me,

While in my hand is a sword from you that never glances off when swung.

وَلا عدمتك في الدارين معتمدا

بجاه وَجهك مِثلي يَتقي التربا

And may I never lack you as my support in both worlds;

Through the honor of your face, one like me is shielded from destitution.

فقم بحالي وَحال المُسلمين اذا

ضاق الخناق ورض لي كل ما صعبا

So attend to my plight and the Muslims' plight when

The noose tightens, and tame for me everything difficult.

مني عليك صَلاة اللَه دائمة

تنمى فَتَستَغرق الاعصار وَالحقبا

From me upon you be God's unceasing blessings,

Growing until they encompass ages and epochs.

نزيد قدرك يا سر الوجود علا

والآل وَالصحب نعم السادة النجبا

We exalt your rank, O secret of existence,

And the family and companions—what excellent, noble masters!

ما حن رعد وَما غنت مطوقة

وَما تغنت حمامات الحمى طَرَبا

As long as thunder moans and a collared dove sings,

And as long as the doves of the protected grounds sing in rapture.