وَافَى وَأَرْواحُ العُذَيْبِ نَواسِمُ

وَافَى وَأَرْواحُ العُذَيْبِ نَواسِمُ

وَاللَّيْلُ فِيهِ مِنَ الصَّبَاحِ مَباسِمُ

وَاللَّيْلُ فِيهِ مِنَ الصَّبَاحِ مَباسِمُ

He arrived while al-‘Udhayb’s breezes softly blew,

He came, and the spirits of Udhayb were smiling,

and the night held within it the smiles of dawn.

And the night contained glimpses of the dawn.

أَهْلاً بِمَنْ أَسْرَى بِهِ وَعْدٌ لَهُ

أَهْلاً بِمَنْ أَسْرَى بِهِ وَعْدٌ لَهُ

مُتَأخِّرٌ وَهَوَىً لَنَا مُتَقَادِمُ

مُتَأخِّرٌ وَهَوَىً لَنَا مُتَقَادِمُ

Welcome to him, brought through the night by his promise—

Greetings to him whose promise carried him here -

long delayed—and by our long-standing love.

Though late, the one my passion has desired.

قَدْ كُنْتُ أَقْنَعُ عِنْدَ رُؤْيَتِهِ بِمَا

قَدْ كُنْتُ أَقْنَعُ عِنْدَ رُؤْيَتِهِ بِمَا

يَهْدِيهِ في التَّأْوِيبِ طَيْفٌ قَادِمُ

يَهْدِيهِ في التَّأْوِيبِ طَيْفٌ قَادِمُ

I had been content, at the sight of him, with what

When seeing him before, I would be content

a visiting phantom offered on its return.

With what to me his specter's coming inspired;

غِضّ الشَّبيبةِ وَالمَلاحَةِ يَعْذُرُ ال

غِضّ الشَّبيبةِ وَالمَلاحَةِ يَعْذُرُ ال

مُضْنَى بِهِ وَيُلامُ فيهِ اللَّائِمُ

مُضْنَى بِهِ وَيُلامُ فيهِ اللَّائِمُ

Fresh in youth and beauty, he excuses the

But youth and vigor pardon such constraint,

one wasted with love for him; the reproacher of that love is blamed.

And none would blame the one by love inspired.

النَّضْرُ مِنْ أَعْطَافِهِ وَكِنَانَةٌ

النَّضْرُ مِنْ أَعْطَافِهِ وَكِنَانَةٌ

بِلِحَاظِهِ وَلِمُهْجَتِي هُوَ هَاشِمُ

بِلِحَاظِهِ وَلِمُهْجَتِي هُوَ هَاشِمُ

Al-Nadr—gold—comes from his contours, and Kinanah—a quiver—

From his glances, grace, and by my inclination

lies in his glances; to my heart he is Hashim, the crusher.

To him, Hashim's line - forebears exemplary!

فَرْعٌ بِهِ أَصْلُ الصَّبَابَةِ هَلْ تَرَى

فَرْعٌ بِهِ أَصْلُ الصَّبَابَةِ هَلْ تَرَى

بِالقُرْبِ مِنْهُ لِجَمْعِ شَمْلٍ نَاظِمُ

بِالقُرْبِ مِنْهُ لِجَمْعِ شَمْلٍ نَاظِمُ

A bough in whom longing has its root—do you see

Do you see, by his approach, the tribe's cohesion,

one to weave reunion by drawing near to him?

And order's restoration, his concern?

وَنَواظِرٌ هُنّ الذَّوابِلُ لَوْ دَرَى

وَنَواظِرٌ هُنّ الذَّوابِلُ لَوْ دَرَى

مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ فَتكْنَ هُنَّ صَوَارِمُ

مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ فَتكْنَ هُنَّ صَوَارِمُ

And eyes—they are slender spears, if only he knew it,

Were eyes like swords, they'd know whom they accused

he who said, when they slew, ‘They are keen swords!’

Of violence in loving, scarcely hearing

أَمُعَنِّفِينَ عَلى الغَرَامِ وَقَلَّمَا

أَمُعَنِّفِينَ عَلى الغَرَامِ وَقَلَّمَا

يُصْغِي لأَوْهَامِ العَوَاذِلِ هَائِمُ

يُصْغِي لأَوْهَامِ العَوَاذِلِ هَائِمُ

O you who rebuke me for love—seldom

Reason's protests. His eyes betray a lover,

does a lovestruck wanderer heed the reproachers’ fancies.

And features where affection leaves its trace.

هُوَ نَاظِرٌ مُتَعَشِّقٌ وَجَوَانِحٌ

هُوَ نَاظِرٌ مُتَعَشِّقٌ وَجَوَانِحٌ

فِيهَا مَواطِنُ لِلْجَوَى وَمَعَالِمُ

فِيهَا مَواطِنُ لِلْجَوَى وَمَعَالِمُ

He is an enamored eye, and ribs

My heart is passionately his, and I am passion's hostage,

where love’s anguish has its dwellings and landmarks.

Patience and reproach defying with disdain.

وَهَوَىً لِقَلْبِي غَارِمٌ أَنَا غَارِمٌ

وَهَوَىً لِقَلْبِي غَارِمٌ أَنَا غَارِمٌ

صَبْرِي بِهِ وَأَخُو المَلامَةِ رَاغِمُ

صَبْرِي بِهِ وَأَخُو المَلامَةِ رَاغِمُ

And love is indebted to my heart; I forfeit

Would I rein in my passion, though still fresh

my patience through it, while the reproacher is humbled.

And tender the shoot of life within his reign?

هَيْهَاتَ أَن أَثْني عَنَانِي وَالصِّبَا

هَيْهَاتَ أَن أَثْني عَنَانِي وَالصِّبَا

غَضٌّ وَغُصْنُ العُمْرِ رَطْبٌ نَاعِمُ

غَضٌّ وَغُصْنُ العُمْرِ رَطْبٌ نَاعِمُ

Far be it that I should turn my reins, while youth

Or lament my state, when she I love

is fresh, and life’s bough is moist and tender.

Is ever true, heedless of rejection's pain?

أَوْ أَشْتَكِي حَالِي وَمَنْ أَحْبَبْتُهُ

أَوْ أَشْتَكِي حَالِي وَمَنْ أَحْبَبْتُهُ

أَبَداً لإِخْلافِ القُبُولِ مُلازِمُ

أَبَداً لإِخْلافِ القُبُولِ مُلازِمُ

Or complain of my state, while the one I love

Or dread a matter in the town espied,

forever persists in breaking his promise of acceptance.

Where Bahauddin rules, Joseph of his age?

أَوْ أَخْتَشِي خَطْباً أَراهُ بِبَلْدَةٍ

أَوْ أَخْتَشِي خَطْباً أَراهُ بِبَلْدَةٍ

وَبِهَا بَهَاءُ الدينِ يُوسفُ حَاكِمُ

وَبِهَا بَهَاءُ الدينِ يُوسفُ حَاكِمُ

Or fear a calamity I see in a town

O best endowed to bear the burdens of the lofty -

while Baha al-Din Yusuf is ruler there.

Of awe and majesty the tokens plain!

يا خَيْرَ مَنْ نِيطَتْ عَلَيْه لِلْعُلَى

يا خَيْرَ مَنْ نِيطَتْ عَلَيْه لِلْعُلَى

وَمِنَ المَهَابَةِ وَالجَلالِ تَمَائِمُ

وَمِنَ المَهَابَةِ وَالجَلالِ تَمَائِمُ

O best of those upon whom, for glory, are hung

None born before you was so generous,

amulets of awe and majesty.

Nor after, of your noble line, remain.

ما كَانَ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ كَرِيمٍ يُرْتَجى

ما كَانَ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ كَرِيمٍ يُرْتَجى

مِنْهُ وَلاَ وُلِدَتْ سِوَاكَ أَكَارِمُ

مِنْهُ وَلاَ وُلِدَتْ سِوَاكَ أَكَارِمُ

Before you there was no generous man to hope

But previously your nature was engraved

for bounty from; nor were noble men born but you.

On time, which dubbed it, rightly, "Hatem."

لَكِنْ تَجَسَّمَ قَبْلَ خَلْقِكَ جُودُكَ ال

لَكِنْ تَجَسَّمَ قَبْلَ خَلْقِكَ جُودُكَ ال

بَادِي وَسمَّاه البَرِيَّةُ حَاتِمُ

بَادِي وَسمَّاه البَرِيَّةُ حَاتِمُ

But before your creation, your generosity took bodily form,

It is beneath your determination to arise

plain to see, and humankind named it Hatim.

To some ambition that the world disdained

حَاشَا لِعَزْمِكَ أَنْ تَقُومَ لِهِمَّةٍ

حَاشَا لِعَزْمِكَ أَنْ تَقُومَ لِهِمَّةٍ

وَالدَّهْرُ عَنْ إِتْمَامِهَا لَكَ نَائِمُ

وَالدَّهْرُ عَنْ إِتْمَامِهَا لَكَ نَائِمُ

Far be it from your resolve that you rise to a high aim

To perfect; or to hint, no sage unaware;

while Time sleeps instead of fulfilling it for you.

Or speak, no scholar failing to explain;

أَوْ أَنْ تَلُوحَ وَلَيْسَ يَخْفَى عَاقِلٌ

أَوْ أَنْ تَلُوحَ وَلَيْسَ يَخْفَى عَاقِلٌ

أَوْ أَنْ تَقُولَ وَلَيْسَ يَخْرَسُ عَالِمُ

أَوْ أَنْ تَقُولَ وَلَيْسَ يَخْرَسُ عَالِمُ

Or that you shine forth without a wise man fading from sight,

Or give, no sycophant made rich thereby;

or speak without a learned man falling mute,

Or gesture, leaving no oppressor's rights arraigned.

أَوْ أَنْ تَجُودَ وَلَيْس يَثْرَى مُمْلِقٌ

أَوْ أَنْ تَجُودَ وَلَيْس يَثْرَى مُمْلِقٌ

أَوْ أَنْ تُشِيرَ وَلَيْسَ يَعْدِلُ ظَالِمُ

أَوْ أَنْ تُشِيرَ وَلَيْسَ يَعْدِلُ ظَالِمُ

or give generously without a pauper growing rich,

My noble sons, you have been granted drink and food

or give a sign without a wrongdoer acting justly.

And homes, while your devoted slaves remain.

أَبَني الزَّكِيِّ سُقِيتُم وَوُقِيتُمُ

أَبَني الزَّكِيِّ سُقِيتُم وَوُقِيتُمُ

وَبَقِيتُمُ وَالأَكْرَمُونَ فِدَاكُمُ

وَبَقِيتُمُ وَالأَكْرَمُونَ فِدَاكُمُ

O sons of al-Zaki, may you be watered and protected,

A lineage, when it is said whose it may be,

and may you endure, with the noblest as your ransom.

The lineages of Arabs for you complain.

نَسَبٌ إِذَا ما قِيلَ مَنْ هُوَ أَعْرَبتْ

نَسَبٌ إِذَا ما قِيلَ مَنْ هُوَ أَعْرَبتْ

أَحْسَابُ أَعْرَابٍ لَكُمْ وَأَكَارِمُ

أَحْسَابُ أَعْرَابٍ لَكُمْ وَأَكَارِمُ

A lineage: when ‘Who is he?’ is asked, it is proclaimed

for you by Bedouin ancestral honors and noble men.