1. Time has healed after us, so generations pass,
The tents of my beloved Suad are striking and lofty.
١. عَفا مَيثُ كُلفى بَعدَنا فَالأَجاوِلُ
فَأَثمادُ حَسنى فَالبِراقُ القَوابِلُ
2. As if her abode was never in the valleys of Ghayqah,
Nor were her dwellings seen in Hinn,
٢. كَأَن لَم تَكُن سُعدى بِأَعناءِ غَيقَةٍ
وَلَم تُرَ مِن سُعدى بِهِنَّ مَنازِلُ
3. Nor did she lounge about on travels, nor did
The summer own for her the shady branches.
٣. وَلَم تَتَرَبَّع بِالسُيرِ وَلَم يَكُن
لَها الصَيفُ خَيماتُ العُذَيبِ الظَلائِلُ
4. Patience forsook Suad for passionate love,
And sadness for Suad pierced through my heart.
٤. أَتى الصَبرَ عَن سُعدى هَوىً ذو عَلاقَةٍ
وَوَجدٌ بِسُعدى سارَكَ القَلبَ قاتِلُ
5. She is shy and will not shoot unless out of range,
Yet will shoot when able to fight.
٥. تَصُدُّ فَلا ترمى إِذا الشَخصُ فاتَها
وَتَرمي إِذا ما أَمكَنَتها المَقاتِلُ
6. When shall I ask after Suad? Her memory stirs in me
Doves or ruins of an abandoned abode.
٦. مَتى أَسلُ عَن سُعدى يَهِجني لِذِكرِها
حَمائِمُ أَو أَطلالُ دارٍ مَواثِلُ
7. The breezes, the winds and the dew have harmed her,
And the brightness of morn and the twilight changed her song.
٧. أَضَرَّت بِها الأَنواءُ وَالريحُ وَالنَدى
وَغَيَّرَ مَغناها الضُحى وَالأَصائِلُ
8. By Allah, I know not, had the nearness of her love
Approached my soul, what would God do in the nearness.
٨. وَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري وَلَو حُبَّ قُربُها
إِلى النَفسُ ماذا اللَهُ في القُربِ فاعِلُ
9. Leave what you cannot seek,
And who for you, if you reflect, is a distraction.
٩. فَدَع عَنكَ ما لا تَستَطيعُ طِلابَهُ
وَمَن لَكَ عَنهُ لَو تَفَكَّرتَ شاغِلُ
10. When thegood man is inspired with piety,
The passions of youth are restrained by him.
١٠. إِذا طَيِّبِ الأَثوابِ قَد أُلهِمَ التُقى
هِجانِ البَنينِ يَعتَريهِ المُعاقِلُ
11. Impetuous in giving away hundreds (of gifts) generously,
Prevailing in the matter which he undertakes.
١١. وَهوبٌ بِأَعناقِ المئينَ عَطاؤُهُ
غَلوبٌ عَلى الأَمرِ الَّذي هُوَ فاعِلُ
12. When he says: ‘I shall do’, his word is realized,
So the promises of the speaker are fulfilled.
١٢. إِذا قالَ إِنّي فاعِلٌ تَمَّ قَولُهُ
فَأَمضى مَواعيدَ الَّذي هُوَ قائِلُ
13. I want Abu Marwan. I saw him
Noble, growing more eminent through branching descendants,
١٣. أُريدُ أَبا مَروانَ إِنّي رَأَيتُهُ
كَريماً وَتَنميهِ الفُروعُ الأَطاوِلُ
14. Tall of shirt, his side never blamed,
A noble man when burdens are loaded on him,
١٤. طَويلُ القَميصِ لا يُذَمُّ جَنابهُ
نَبيلٌ إِذا نيطَت عَلَيهِ الحمائِلُ
15. Trustworthy, open of heart, his word forestalling
Deed, so he refuses to disappoint a hopeful one.
١٥. أَمينٌ مُقِرُّ الصَدرِ يَسبِقُ قَولَهُ
بِفِعلٍ فَيَأبى أَن يُخَيَّبَ آمِلُ
16. Neither is he preceded in anything he wants,
Nor is he distracted from the truth by falsehood.
١٦. وَلا هُوَ مَسبوقٌ بِشَيءٍ أَرادَهُ
وَلا هُوَ مُلهيهِ عَن الحَقِّ باطِلُ
17. He built for you the highest glories and surrounded them
With a building - every structure for it is diminished.
١٧. بَنى لَكَ أَشرافَ المعالي وَسورَها
بِناً كُلُّ بُنيانٍ لَها مُتضائِلُ
18. A father for you who tamed the kingdom until he humbled it,
And until tremors were calmed through men.
١٨. أَبٌ لَكَ راضَ المُلكَ حَتّى أَذَلَّهُ
وَحَتّى اِطمَأَنَّت بِالرِجالِ الزَلازِلُ
19. And you are Abu Shibl - his sword concealed -
Whose hidden side is gentle, yet deadly.
١٩. وَأَنتَ أَبو شِبلَينِ شاكٍ سِلاحُهُ
خَفِيَّةُ مِنهُ مَألَفٌ فَالغَياطِلُ
20. He has in the south of Qadisiyya and Sharah
Abodes where feet cannot tread.
٢٠. لَهُ بِجَنوبِ القادِسِيَّةِ فَالشَرى
مَواطِنُ لا يَمشي بِهِنَّ الأَراجِلُ
21. He sees the valiant men as numerous
And proceeds amidst the throng when it is crowded.
٢١. يَرى أَنَّ أُحدانَ الرِجالِ غَفيرَةٌ
وَيَقدُمُ وَسطَ الجَمعِ وَالجَمعُ حافِلُ