أَلِمّا عَلى أَطلالِ سُعدى نُسَلِّمِ

أَلِمّا عَلى أَطلالِ سُعدى نُسَلِّمِ

دَوارِسَ لَمّا اِستُنطِقَت لَم تَكَلَّمِ

دَوارِسَ لَمّا اِستُنطِقَت لَم تَكَلَّمِ

Stop, you two, at Su‘da’s ruins, that we may greet them—

When we passed by the ruins of Su'da's abode

effaced ruins that, when asked to speak, gave no answer.

We made our camels kneel down but they were silent

وُقوفاً بِها صَحبي عَلَيَّ وَإِنَّما

وُقوفاً بِها صَحبي عَلَيَّ وَإِنَّما

عَرَفتُ رُسومَ الدارِ بَعدَ التَوَهُّمِ

عَرَفتُ رُسومَ الدارِ بَعدَ التَوَهُّمِ

My companions stood there beside me; only

My friends stopped with me, though I only recognized

after conjecture did I recognize the dwelling’s traces.

The outline of the abode after much confusion

يَقولونَ لا تَهلِك أَسىً وَلَقَد بَدَت

يَقولونَ لا تَهلِك أَسىً وَلَقَد بَدَت

لَهُم عَبَراتُ المُستَهامِ المُتَيَّمِ

لَهُم عَبَراتُ المُستَهامِ المُتَيَّمِ

They say, “Do not perish of grief,” while already there appeared

They said "Don't sorrow yourself to death", though to them

to them the tears of one maddened and enslaved by love.

My streaming tears revealed my deep distress

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تَعذُلوني فَإِنَّها

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تَعذُلوني فَإِنَّها

مَنازِلُ كانَت مِن نَوارَ بِمَعلَمِ

مَنازِلُ كانَت مِن نَوارَ بِمَعلَمِ

So I said to them, “Do not reproach me, for these are

I said "Don't blame me, for it was once a dwelling

dwellings once belonging to Nawar, at a known site.”

Of splendor, clearly marked and known"

أَتاني مِنَ الأَنباءِ بَعدَ الَّذي مَضى

أَتاني مِنَ الأَنباءِ بَعدَ الَّذي مَضى

لِشَيبانَ مِن عادِيِّ مَجدٍ مُقَدَّمِ

لِشَيبانَ مِن عادِيِّ مَجدٍ مُقَدَّمِ

News reached me, after what had gone before

After what has passed, news reached me

of Shayban’s ancient, foremost glory:

Of glory and honor coming to Shimr the old

غَداةَ قَرَوا كِسرى وَحَدَّ جُنودِهِ

غَداةَ قَرَوا كِسرى وَحَدَّ جُنودِهِ

بِبَطحاءِ ذي قارٍ قِرىً لَم يُعَتَّمِ

بِبَطحاءِ ذي قارٍ قِرىً لَم يُعَتَّمِ

the morning they entertained Kisra and the might of his troops

The morning Kisra's army shattered

on Dhu Qar’s broad plain, with a feast served without delay.

The hosts of Qarqisiya unsuspectingly

أَباحوا حِمىً قَد كانَ قِدماً مُحَرَّماً

أَباحوا حِمىً قَد كانَ قِدماً مُحَرَّماً

فَأَضحى عَلى شَيبانَ غَيرَ مُحَرَّمِ

فَأَضحى عَلى شَيبانَ غَيرَ مُحَرَّمِ

They opened a guarded preserve that had long been forbidden,

They violated a sanctuary, long forbidden

so it became no longer forbidden to Shayban,

Leaving Shimr's waters free for all

مِنِ اِبنَي نِزارٍ وَاليَمانَينَ بَعدَهُم

مِنِ اِبنَي نِزارٍ وَاليَمانَينَ بَعدَهُم

أَيادي سَبا وَالعَقلُ لِلمُتَفَهِّمِ

أَيادي سَبا وَالعَقلُ لِلمُتَفَهِّمِ

among Nizar’s two sons and the Yemenites after them—

By the hands of Banu Nizar and the Yemenites after them

scattered like Saba’s people; understanding is for the discerning.

Intelligence belongs to the understanding minds

فَخُصَّت بِهِ شَيبانُ مِن دونِ قَومِها

فَخُصَّت بِهِ شَيبانُ مِن دونِ قَومِها

عَلى راضِياتٍ مِن أُنوفٍ وَرُغَّمِ

عَلى راضِياتٍ مِن أُنوفٍ وَرُغَّمِ

Thus Shayban alone was singled out for it among its people,

So Shimr was singled out among her tribe

whether noses were content or rubbed in the dust.

With the satisfied, dignified noses

فَصارَت لِذُهلٍ دونَ شَيبانَ إِنَّهُم

فَصارَت لِذُهلٍ دونَ شَيبانَ إِنَّهُم

ذَوُو العِزِّ عِندَ المُنتَمى وَالتَكَرُّمِ

ذَوُو العِزِّ عِندَ المُنتَمى وَالتَكَرُّمِ

Then it fell to Dhuhl alone among Shayban, for they

And so Shimr surpassed the tribe of Duhl

possess honor in lineage and noble generosity.

The honorable and generous as all deemed

فَآلَت لِحَمّامٍ فَفازوا بِصَفوِها

فَآلَت لِحَمّامٍ فَفازوا بِصَفوِها

وَمَن يُعطِ أَثمانَ المَكارَمِ يُعظَمِ

وَمَن يُعطِ أَثمانَ المَكارَمِ يُعظَمِ

Then it passed to Hammam, and they won its choicest share;

Authority passed to the dove, and it succeeded through her favour

and whoever pays the price of noble deeds is honored.

Whoever gives generously is always revered

فَأَبلِغ أَبا عَبدِ المَليكِ رِسالَةً

فَأَبلِغ أَبا عَبدِ المَليكِ رِسالَةً

يَمينَ وَفاءٍ لَم تَنَطَّف بِمَأثَمِ

يَمينَ وَفاءٍ لَم تَنَطَّف بِمَأثَمِ

So convey to Abu ‘Abd al-Malīk a message:

So pass on my message of faithful alliance

an oath of fidelity, untainted by sin.

It bears no sin or treason as I have sworn

سَتَأتيكَ مِنّي كُلَّ عامٍ قَصيدَةٌ

سَتَأتيكَ مِنّي كُلَّ عامٍ قَصيدَةٌ

مُحَبَّرَةٌ نوفيكَها كُلَّ مَوسِمِ

مُحَبَّرَةٌ نوفيكَها كُلَّ مَوسِمِ

Every year a poem from me will come to you,

To you I will send a ode every year

finely adorned, which we shall deliver to you in full each season.

Inked in devotion at each season

فَهَذي ثَلاثٌ قَد أَتَتكَ وَبَعدَها

فَهَذي ثَلاثٌ قَد أَتَتكَ وَبَعدَها

قَصائِدَ إِلّا أودِ لا تَتَصَرَّمِ

قَصائِدَ إِلّا أودِ لا تَتَصَرَّمِ

These, then, are three that have reached you; after them

More poems unless you forbid their flow

will come poems that, if I do not perish, will not cease,

In reward for honoring me, clothing me

جَزاءً بِما أَولَيتَني إِذ حَبَوتَني

جَزاءً بِما أَولَيتَني إِذ حَبَوتَني

بِجابِيَةِ الجَولانِ ذاتِ المُخَرَّمِ

بِجابِيَةِ الجَولانِ ذاتِ المُخَرَّمِ

in return for what you bestowed on me when you favored me

In the gowns of Golan, their dye now faded

at Jabiya of the Golan, with its mountain pass.

If I have reproached the Bakrs in the past, still I

وَإِن أَكُ قَد عاتَبتُ بَكراً فَإِنَّني

وَإِن أَكُ قَد عاتَبتُ بَكراً فَإِنَّني

رَهينٌ لِبَكرٍ بِالرِضا وَالتَكَرُّمِ

رَهينٌ لِبَكرٍ بِالرِضا وَالتَكَرُّمِ

Though I have reproached Bakr, I am

Am indebted to the Bakrs, bound by consent and kindness

bound to Bakr by goodwill and noble generosity.