رَدَّكَ مَروانُ لا تُفسَخ إِمارَتُهُ

رَدَّكَ مَروانُ لا تُفسَخ إِمارَتُهُ

فَفيكَ راعٍ لَها ما عِشتَ سُرسورُ

فَفيكَ راعٍ لَها ما عِشتَ سُرسورُ

Marwān sent you back—may his rule not be undone.

Marwan restored you, his rule shall not unravel,

For in you, as long as you live, it has a shrewd shepherd.

So long as you live, you will watch over it contentedly,

ما بالُ بَردِكَ لَم يَمسَس حَواشيَهُ

ما بالُ بَردِكَ لَم يَمسَس حَواشيَهُ

مِن ثَرمَداء وَلا صَنعاءَ تَحبيرُ

مِن ثَرمَداء وَلا صَنعاءَ تَحبيرُ

What is wrong with your cloak, that its borders have not been touched

Why has not your cold touched its fringes,

By adornment from Tharmadāʾ or Ṣanʿāʾ?

Neither Tharmada nor Sanaa could chill it,

وَلَو دَرى أَنَّ ما جاهَرتَني ظَهَراً

وَلَو دَرى أَنَّ ما جاهَرتَني ظَهَراً

ما عُدتُ ما لألأَت أَذنابَها الفُورُ

ما عُدتُ ما لألأَت أَذنابَها الفُورُ

And had he known what you openly declared to me in public,

Had he known what you declared openly to me,

I would never have returned, so long as gazelles flash their tails.

Those tails of his would not return to stir up turmoil,

زَورٌ مُغِبٌّ وَمأمولٌ أَخو ثِقَةٍ

زَورٌ مُغِبٌّ وَمأمولٌ أَخو ثِقَةٍ

وَسائرٌ مِن ثَناءِ الصِّدقِ مَشهورُ

وَسائرٌ مِن ثَناءِ الصِّدقِ مَشهورُ

An occasional visitor, one hoped for, a trustworthy brother,

A mendacious hope, brother to trust,

And well known is the truthful praise that travels abroad.

And proceeding from the praise of truth, renowned,

إِذ لا حِجازَ لَنا إِلا مُقَوَّمَةٌ

إِذ لا حِجازَ لَنا إِلا مُقَوَّمَةٌ

زُرقُ الأسِنَّةِ والجردُ المَحاضيرُ

زُرقُ الأسِنَّةِ والجردُ المَحاضيرُ

For we have no defense except straightened spears,

For we have no Hijaz left but well-supported,

Blue-tipped, and sleek, swift-running horses.

The tongues are nimble, and the scribing pens ready,

يُعشي الجَبانَ شُعاعٌ في قوانِسها

يُعشي الجَبانَ شُعاعٌ في قوانِسها

إِذا تَجلّلَها الشُّعث المَغاويرُ

إِذا تَجلّلَها الشُّعث المَغاويرُ

A gleam upon their crests dazzles the coward

A ray shines on the coward in his keeps

When the tousle-haired, daring raiders bestride them.

When the disheveled locks of hair appear to him,

قَد نَكَّلَ النّاسَ عنّا في مَواطِننا

قَد نَكَّلَ النّاسَ عنّا في مَواطِننا

ضَربُ الرؤوسِ التي فيها العَصافيرُ

ضَربُ الرؤوسِ التي فيها العَصافيرُ

People have indeed been deterred from us in our battlefields

People have abandoned us in our dwellings

By blows to the heads containing the 'sparrow' bones.

Striking the heads in which are the little birds,

إِذا سَنابِكُها أَثرنَ مُغتَبَطاً

إِذا سَنابِكُها أَثرنَ مُغتَبَطاً

مِنَ التُّرابِ كبت فيها الأَعاصيرُ

مِنَ التُّرابِ كبت فيها الأَعاصيرُ

When their hooves stir up a dense mass

When its latticed windows please one exultant

Of dust, whirlwinds stumble among them.

From the dust that buried the gales in them.