سَما لَكَ شَوقٌ مِن نَوارَ وَدونَها

سَما لَكَ شَوقٌ مِن نَوارَ وَدونَها

مَهامِهُ غُبرٌ آجِناتُ المَناهِلِ

مَهامِهُ غُبرٌ آجِناتُ المَناهِلِ

Longing for Nawar rose in you, while between you and her

Your longing spans a beautiful, radiant light

Lie dusty wastes with stagnant watering places.

While worries dim the sheen of pleasure pools

فَهِمتَ بِها جَهلاً عَلى حينِ لَم تَذِر

فَهِمتَ بِها جَهلاً عَلى حينِ لَم تَذِر

زَلازِلُ هَذا الدَهرِ وَصلاً لِواصِلِ

زَلازِلُ هَذا الدَهرِ وَصلاً لِواصِلِ

So you fell foolishly in love with her, at a time when

Yet with wisdom you endured times of ignorance

This age's upheavals left no bond for anyone to keep.

Calmed life’s tremors, and reached out to unite

وَمِن بَعدِ أَن كَمَّلتَ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

وَمِن بَعدِ أَن كَمَّلتَ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

وَفارَقتَ عَن حُلمِ النُهى كُلَّ جاهِلِ

وَفارَقتَ عَن حُلمِ النُهى كُلَّ جاهِلِ

And after you had completed ninety years

Ninety pilgrimages behind, the dreams of passion done

And, through reasoned forbearance, parted from every fool,

You've turned from fools, let the lessons settle, alight

فَذَر عَنكَ وَصلَ الغانِياتِ وَلا تَزِغ

فَذَر عَنكَ وَصلَ الغانِياتِ وَلا تَزِغ

عَنِ القَصدِ إِنَّ الدَهرَ جَمُّ البَلابِلِ

عَنِ القَصدِ إِنَّ الدَهرَ جَمُّ البَلابِلِ

So put aside your ties with beautiful women, and do not stray

Leave loose women be, hold to righteousness, know

From the straight course: time is full of troubles.

That time entangles all threads without respite

أَبادَ القُرونَ الماضِياتِ وَإِنَّما

أَبادَ القُرونَ الماضِياتِ وَإِنَّما

تَمُرُّ التَوالي في طَريقِ الأَوائِلِ

تَمُرُّ التَوالي في طَريقِ الأَوائِلِ

It swept away the bygone generations, and only

Eons pass yet that which flows ever constant

Along the path of the first do the later ones pass.

Is destiny’s path from first footsteps to last flight

شَكَرنا لِعَبدِ اللَهِ حُسنَ بَلائِهِ

شَكَرنا لِعَبدِ اللَهِ حُسنَ بَلائِهِ

غَداةَ كَفانا كُلَّ نِكسٍ مُواكِلِ

غَداةَ كَفانا كُلَّ نِكسٍ مُواكِلِ

We thanked Abd Allah for his fine service

We thank Abdullah for his fine ordeal

On the morning he spared us every feeble shirker,

Each setback now behind, tomorrow shines bright

بِجابِيَةِ الجَولانِ إِذ عَمَّ فَضلُهُ

بِجابِيَةِ الجَولانِ إِذ عَمَّ فَضلُهُ

عَلَينا وَقِدماً كانَ جَمُّ الفَواضِلِ

عَلَينا وَقِدماً كانَ جَمُّ الفَواضِلِ

At Jabiyah in al-Jawlan, when his bounty spread

At Jubaylia in Al Jawlan, where his grace

Over us; long had he been abundant in favors.

Rained down and his deeds all nobleness, aright

فَلَستُ وَإِن كانَت ذُؤابَةُ دارِمٍ

فَلَستُ وَإِن كانَت ذُؤابَةُ دارِمٍ

نَمَتني إِلى قُدموسِ مَجدٍ حَلاحِلِ

نَمَتني إِلى قُدموسِ مَجدٍ حَلاحِلِ

So I am not—though the crest of Darim

My family, though long set in Darim

Traced my line to an ancient, glorious chieftain,

Has risen with glory to heights luminescent, white

وَإِن حَلَّ بَيتي مِن سَماءِ مُجاشِعٍ

وَإِن حَلَّ بَيتي مِن سَماءِ مُجاشِعٍ

بِمَنزِلَةٍ فاتَت يَدَ المُتَناوِلِ

بِمَنزِلَةٍ فاتَت يَدَ المُتَناوِلِ

And though my house in Mujashiʿ's heaven has settled

And though tempestuous times have battered our home

At a height beyond any reaching hand—

Some things remain beyond the grasp of envious blight

بِناسٍ لِبَكرٍ حُسنَ صُنعِ أَخيهِمُ

بِناسٍ لِبَكرٍ حُسنَ صُنعِ أَخيهِمُ

إِلَيَّ لَدى الخِذلانِ مِن كُلِّ خاذِلِ

إِلَيَّ لَدى الخِذلانِ مِن كُلِّ خاذِلِ

One to forget the kindness of Bakr's brother

Kin of Bakr whose brotherly affection

To me, when every deserter forsook me.

Stood sturdy when others betrayed without contrition

كَفانا أُموراً لَم يَكُن لِيُطيقَها

كَفانا أُموراً لَم يَكُن لِيُطيقَها

مِنَ القَومِ إِلّا كامِلٌ وَاِبنَ كامِلِ

مِنَ القَومِ إِلّا كامِلٌ وَاِبنَ كامِلِ

He handled matters for us that none could have borne

He shielded us from what no man could withstand

Among the people but a consummate man and son of a consummate man.

Save one perfected, son of the wholly upright

أَلِكني إِلى أَفناءِ مُرَّةَ كُلِّها

أَلِكني إِلى أَفناءِ مُرَّةَ كُلِّها

رِسالَةَ ذي وُدٍّ لِمُرَّةَ واصِلِ

رِسالَةَ ذي وُدٍّ لِمُرَّةَ واصِلِ

Carry my message to all the branches of Murrah,

Your fond missive has reached all Murra’s homes

The message of one who loves Murrah and keeps his ties.

Carrying friendship to those true bonds unite

فَلَولا أَبو عَبدِ المَليكِ أَخوكُمُ

فَلَولا أَبو عَبدِ المَليكِ أَخوكُمُ

رَجَعتُ إِلى عِرسي بِأَفوَقَ ناصِلِ

رَجَعتُ إِلى عِرسي بِأَفوَقَ ناصِلِ

For, had it not been for your brother Abu Abd al-Malīk,

Without, Abu Abdulmalik, brother mine

I would have returned to my wife with a broken-nocked, headless arrow,

I would have left to glad welcome without slight

وَحُلِّئتُ عِندَ الوِردِ مِن كُلِّ حاجَةٍ

وَحُلِّئتُ عِندَ الوِردِ مِن كُلِّ حاجَةٍ

وَغودِرتُ في الجَولانِ رَثَّ الحَبائِلِ

وَغودِرتُ في الجَولانِ رَثَّ الحَبائِلِ

And been barred, when coming to water, from all I needed,

At peace by the roses, no troubles detain,

And been left in al-Jawlan with my cords frayed.

Enwrapped by Al Jawlan’s soft, sweet moonlit night