يَفِرُّ الخطْبُ قد أمْهي شَباهُ

يَفِرُّ الخطْبُ قد أمْهي شَباهُ

وتُطْردُ عن مراكزها الهُمومُ

وتُطْردُ عن مراكزها الهُمومُ

Calamity flees, its sharp edge already blunted,

The speech flees; its enthusiasts have become apathetic.

And worries are driven from their strongholds.

Worries are driven away from their abodes.

ويُضْحي المحْلُ بالآفاقِ خِصْباً

ويُضْحي المحْلُ بالآفاقِ خِصْباً

يَعُمُّ الخفْضُ منهُ والنَّعيمُ

يَعُمُّ الخفْضُ منهُ والنَّعيمُ

And drought turns to fertility across the horizons;

The region becomes fertile with prospects.

From it, ease and bliss spread everywhere.

Prosperity and comfort prevail.

وفي دسْتِ العُلى بحرٌ خِضَمٌّ

وفي دسْتِ العُلى بحرٌ خِضَمٌّ

تُقِرُّ له السَّحائِبُ والعُلومُ

تُقِرُّ له السَّحائِبُ والعُلومُ

And on the throne of eminence is a vast sea;

In the hands of the exalted, there is a roaring sea

The clouds and the sciences defer to him.

To which clouds and knowledge submit.

طَليقُ الوجهِ أغْلبُ خِنْدِفيٌّ

طَليقُ الوجهِ أغْلبُ خِنْدِفيٌّ

به افْتخرت وإن قدُمت تَميمُ

به افْتخرت وإن قدُمت تَميمُ

Cheerful of face, lion-like, of Khindif's line,

Unconstrained is the cheerful, triumphant one.

Tamim has taken pride in him, ancient though it is.

Tameem boasts of him though Tamim came earlier.

يُناطُ نِجادُ صارِمِهِ بمُعْدٍ

يُناطُ نِجادُ صارِمِهِ بمُعْدٍ

على الأيامِ منْزِلُهُ حَريمُ

على الأيامِ منْزِلُهُ حَريمُ

His keen sword's baldric hangs on a protector;

The sword of his formidable, gallant one

His dwelling remains inviolate through the days.

Has its sheath, in the days, inviolable.

بغزْوتِهِ وغُرَّتِهِ يَجِنُّ ال

بغزْوتِهِ وغُرَّتِهِ يَجِنُّ ال

صبَّاحُ ويُسْفِرُ الليلُ البَهيمُ

صبَّاحُ ويُسْفِرُ الليلُ البَهيمُ

Through his onslaught and his radiant brow, darkness shrouds the

With his raids and valor he reaps

morning, and the pitch-black night grows bright.

Daybreak and the ignorant night turns bright.

فأكْدَرُ لا يَفِرُّ لهُ طَعينٌ

فأكْدَرُ لا يَفِرُّ لهُ طَعينٌ

وأزْهَرُ هارِبٌ منهُ الصَّريمُ

وأزْهَرُ هارِبٌ منهُ الصَّريمُ

Thus he is dark: no one he pierces escapes;

So I am turbid; no complaint flees me.

And he is radiant: the dark night flees from him.

And I am efflorescent; the coward flees me.

سَجيحٌ في مودَّتهِ حَييٌّ

سَجيحٌ في مودَّتهِ حَييٌّ

وأفْوَهُ في حفيظَتِه خَصيمُ

وأفْوَهُ في حفيظَتِه خَصيمُ

Gentle in his affection, modest,

Full of love for him, I am audacious.

And outspoken in his indignation, a fierce disputant.

Articulate in my preservation, I am an opponent.

يَحوزُ الأسْودانِ لهُ المَعالي

يَحوزُ الأسْودانِ لهُ المَعالي

كثيفُ الجَيْش والسَّطْرُ الرَّقيم

كثيفُ الجَيْش والسَّطْرُ الرَّقيم

The two black ones win him lofty honors:

The two blacks belong to him along with glories -

The massed army and the inscribed line.

A dense army and a solid, firm line.

فيُنْجدُهُ بليغٌ أو كَمِيٌّ

فيُنْجدُهُ بليغٌ أو كَمِيٌّ

مجالُهُما الصَّحائفُ والهُضومُ

مجالُهُما الصَّحائفُ والهُضومُ

So an eloquent speaker or an armored warrior aids him;

So a fluent or a perfect one supports him;

Their fields are pages and valley hollows.

Their arena is scrolls and tomes.

مُذيعُ النَّصْر للمخذول جَهْراً

مُذيعُ النَّصْر للمخذول جَهْراً

لكن للنَّدى مُخْفٍ كَتومُ

لكن للنَّدى مُخْفٍ كَتومُ

He openly proclaims support for the forsaken,

He who proclaims openly victory for the defeated one

But keeps his generosity concealed and secret.

But has a concealed whisper for the dew.

عَلِقْتُ بحبْلِ أروْعَ من نِزارٍ

عَلِقْتُ بحبْلِ أروْعَ من نِزارٍ

به الخَشْيانُ يَأمَنُ والعَديمُ

به الخَشْيانُ يَأمَنُ والعَديمُ

I have clung to the rope of a splendid man of Nizar;

I held fast to a rope finer than the rope of Nuzaar

Through him the fearful and the destitute find safety.

By which the meek feel safe and the penniless.

بمِطْعانٍ إذا ذَلَّ المُحامي

بمِطْعانٍ إذا ذَلَّ المُحامي

ومِطْعامٍ إذا خَوَتِ النُّجومُ

ومِطْعامٍ إذا خَوَتِ النُّجومُ

A fierce lancer when the defender is humbled,

With a piercing when the pleader is disgraced

And a lavish giver of food when the stars bring no rain.

And a morsel when the stars withdraw.

رَقَدْتُ ولم يَنَمْ لصلاحِ أمري

رَقَدْتُ ولم يَنَمْ لصلاحِ أمري

ويَفْدي ساهِرَ المجدِ النَّؤُومُ

ويَفْدي ساهِرَ المجدِ النَّؤُومُ

I slept, while he stayed awake to set my affairs right;

I slept but the watcher of my affairs did not sleep

And the heavy sleeper would ransom him who keeps vigil for glory.

And the grief-stricken one redeems the glorious one.

وصانَ تَبَرُّعُ النَّعْماءِ منهُ

وصانَ تَبَرُّعُ النَّعْماءِ منهُ

إِباءً للخَصاصَةِ ما يَريمُ

إِباءً للخَصاصَةِ ما يَريمُ

And his free bestowal of blessings preserved

And he protected the donations of the benefactress from him,

An unyielding refusal to bow to poverty.

Disdaining to give the envious what they covet.

فجادَ بِنعْمَتيْ رِفْدٍ وعِزٍّ

فجادَ بِنعْمَتيْ رِفْدٍ وعِزٍّ

نَطوفُ السَّيْفِ جفْنتهُ رَذومُ

نَطوفُ السَّيْفِ جفْنتهُ رَذومُ

Thus he gave the two blessings of aid and honor;

So he was generous with my grace of help and honor.

His sword drips; his great serving bowl brims over.

We circle the sword whose sharpness is blunted by sheaths.