وَحَلَّت بِدَهناها تَميمٌ وَأَلجَأَت

وَحَلَّت بِدَهناها تَميمٌ وَأَلجَأَت

إِلى ريفِ بَرنِيٍّ كَثيرٍ تَمائِرُه

إِلى ريفِ بَرنِيٍّ كَثيرٍ تَمائِرُه

And Tamim settled in its Dahna and sought refuge

Tamim's she-camels came to Dahna's valley, seeking

in fertile Barni-date country, with abundant date supplies.

Refuge in fertile southern climes where palms are heavy with dates.

كَأَنَّهُمُ لِلمُبتَغي الزادِ عِندَهُم

كَأَنَّهُمُ لِلمُبتَغي الزادِ عِندَهُم

بَخاتِيُّ جَمّالٍ ضَمورٍ قَياسِرُه

بَخاتِيُّ جَمّالٍ ضَمورٍ قَياسِرُه

To one seeking provisions from them, they seem like

As though for the traveler they offer ample provisions -

a camel-driver's Bactrian camels, his great beasts lean.

Swaying, date-laden palms amid which the fruited branches hang.

وَلَو لَم تَكُن عَبسٌ تُقاتِلُ مَسَّها

وَلَو لَم تَكُن عَبسٌ تُقاتِلُ مَسَّها

مِنَ الجوعِ ضُرٌّ لا يُغَمِّضُ ساهُرُه

مِنَ الجوعِ ضُرٌّ لا يُغَمِّضُ ساهُرُه

And had Abs not fought, it would have been struck

Were it not for the hunger pangs that gnaw and torment her people

by hunger's anguish, whose sleepless sufferer cannot close his eyes.

Sleeplessness would not afflict one kept awake through the night.

وَلَكِنَّهُم يَستَكرِهونَ عَدُوَّهُم

وَلَكِنَّهُم يَستَكرِهونَ عَدُوَّهُم

إِذا هَزَّ خِرصانَ الرِماحِ مَساعِرُه

إِذا هَزَّ خِرصانَ الرِماحِ مَساعِرُه

But they overpower their enemy

Yet they scorn to accept as lord one hostile to their faith

when its war-kindlers brandish the spearheads.

Whenever his spear-butts would goad on the steeds to charge.

أَلا كُلُّ أَمرٍ يا اِبنَ مَروانَ ضائِعٌ

أَلا كُلُّ أَمرٍ يا اِبنَ مَروانَ ضائِعٌ

إِذا لَم تَكُن في رَحَتَيكَ مَرائِرُه

إِذا لَم تَكُن في رَحَتَيكَ مَرائِرُه

Behold, every affair, O son of Marwan, is lost

O Ibn Marwan, without your guidance all things come to naught;

unless its twisted cords lie in your two palms.

Unless you hold the reins, affairs will go astray.

وَكُلُّ وُجوهِ الناسِ إِلّا إِلَيكُمُ

وَكُلُّ وُجوهِ الناسِ إِلّا إِلَيكُمُ

يَتيهُ بِضُلّالٍ عَنِ القَصدِ جائِرُه

يَتيهُ بِضُلّالٍ عَنِ القَصدِ جائِرُه

And every direction people take, except toward you,

All men's faces turn to you, save those led far astray

has a wayward course that leads the lost away from the right path.

By caprice, swerving from the path into wayside wastes.

أَغِثني بِكُنهي في نِزارٍ وَمُقبَلي

أَغِثني بِكُنهي في نِزارٍ وَمُقبَلي

فَإِنّي كَريمُ المَشرِقَينِ وَشاعِرُه

فَإِنّي كَريمُ المَشرِقَينِ وَشاعِرُه

Aid me according to my true standing among Nizar, and for my coming,

Help me, in my poverty and as my fortunes decline!

for I am a nobleman of the two Easts and Nizar's poet.

For I am the sublime poet of East and West combined.

وَإِنَّكَ راعي اللَهِ في الأَرضِ تَنتَهي

وَإِنَّكَ راعي اللَهِ في الأَرضِ تَنتَهي

إِلَيكَ نَواصي كُلِّ أَمرٍ وَآخِرُه

إِلَيكَ نَواصي كُلِّ أَمرٍ وَآخِرُه

And you are God's shepherd on earth; there come

To you, God's regent on earth, all matters come home to rest;

to you the forelocks of every affair, and its end.

On you depends the outcome of each thing, first and last.

وَما زِلتُ أَرجو آلَ مَروانَ أَن أَرى

وَما زِلتُ أَرجو آلَ مَروانَ أَن أَرى

لَهُم دَولَةً وَالدَهرُ جَمٌّ دَوائِرُه

لَهُم دَولَةً وَالدَهرُ جَمٌّ دَوائِرُه

I have always hoped to see the house of Marwan

Still I hoped that the Marwanids might establish a dynasty

hold sway, though time's reversals are many,

While fickle Fortune continues to rotate her sphere.

لَدُن قُتِلَ المَظلومُ أَن يَطلُبوا بِهِ

لَدُن قُتِلَ المَظلومُ أَن يَطلُبوا بِهِ

وَمَولى دَمِ المَظلومِ مِنهُم وَثائِرُه

وَمَولى دَمِ المَظلومِ مِنهُم وَثائِرُه

ever since the wronged man was slain, hoping they would avenge him;

Ever since the martyred caliph met his unjust fate

and among them are the claimant to the wronged man's blood and his avenger.

His avenger has risen up from their line, angered and biting.

وَما لَهُمُ لا يُنصَرونَ وَمِنهُمُ

وَما لَهُمُ لا يُنصَرونَ وَمِنهُمُ

خَليلُ النَبِيِّ المُصطَفى وَمُهاجِرُه

خَليلُ النَبِيِّ المُصطَفى وَمُهاجِرُه

And why are they not aided, when among them is

Why do they not gain ascendancy, they from whose clan

the chosen Prophet's close friend and fellow emigrant?

Hails the Prophet's bosom friend and faithful emigrant?

مُلوكٌ لُهُم ميراثُ كُلِّ مَشورَةٍ

مُلوكٌ لُهُم ميراثُ كُلِّ مَشورَةٍ

وَبِاللَهِ طاوي الأَمرِ مِنهُم وَناشِرُه

وَبِاللَهِ طاوي الأَمرِ مِنهُم وَناشِرُه

Kings, to whom belongs the inheritance of every counsel;

Princes are they, heirs to every sound policy,

and, by God, among them are the folder and unfolder of affairs.

And with God's aid the rights they uphold shall prevail.

وَكائِن لَبِسنا مِن رِداءِ وَديقَةٍ

وَكائِن لَبِسنا مِن رِداءِ وَديقَةٍ

إِلَيكَ وَمِن لَيلٍ تُجِنُّ حَظائِرُه

إِلَيكَ وَمِن لَيلٍ تُجِنُّ حَظائِرُه

And how many mantles of scorching heat we have worn

Indeed we shall don the raiment of intimacy with you,

on our way to you, and nights whose enclosures shroud us,

As the nights unfold in which refreshing zephyrs blow.

لِنَبلُغَ خَيرَ الناسِ إِن بَلَغَت بِنا

لِنَبلُغَ خَيرَ الناسِ إِن بَلَغَت بِنا

مَراسيلُ خَرقٍ لا تَزالُ تُساوِرُه

مَراسيلُ خَرقٍ لا تَزالُ تُساوِرُه

to reach the best of men, if they bring us there—

Thus we may attain the best of men, if missives of accord,

swift-striding camels, ceaselessly assailing the wide desert.

Whose pages ceaselessly turn, can reach you and arrive.

إِذا اللَيلُ أَغشاها تَكونُ رِحالُها

إِذا اللَيلُ أَغشاها تَكونُ رِحالُها

مَنازِلَنا حَتّى تَصيحَ عَصافِرُه

مَنازِلَنا حَتّى تَصيحَ عَصافِرُه

When night envelops them, their saddles become

When night enshrouds them, their mounts take us straight

our lodgings, until its sparrows cry out.

To our encampments, till the birds in chorus sing at dawn.

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا مِن ذَواتِ قِتالِها

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا مِن ذَواتِ قِتالِها

مِنَ المُخِّ إِلّا في السُلامى مَصايِرُه

مِنَ المُخِّ إِلّا في السُلامى مَصايِرُه

So only in their stout-bodied camels did there remain

Now of their battle steeds naught remains

any marrow—only its remnants in the small joint-bones.

Save the bits' bosses still clasped in the chargers' mouths.