أهَلْ خَبَرٌ فِيْهِ النُّجَيْدُ لنا يُرْوَى

أهَلْ خَبَرٌ فِيْهِ النُّجَيْدُ لنا يُرْوَى

تَفَجَّرَ دَمْعِي والنُّجيْدُ به يَرْوَى

تَفَجَّرَ دَمْعِي والنُّجيْدُ به يَرْوَى

Is there any news of al-Nujayd to be recounted to us?

News in which Nujayd is mentioned is narrated to us

My tears burst forth, and al-Nujayd is watered by them.

My tears burst forth, and with Nujayd they are narrated

وَيَرْوى به مِسْيالهُ وتِلاعُه

وَيَرْوى به مِسْيالهُ وتِلاعُه

وإنْ زادَ فَوقَ السَّكْبِ سَكْباً فلا غروى

وإنْ زادَ فَوقَ السَّكْبِ سَكْباً فلا غروى

And its streambed and hills are watered by them.

And with him his outpouring and lament are narrated

And if pouring is added upon pouring, there is no wonder.

And if more than a downpour is added to the pouring, there is no wonder

لأنَّ فؤادي ذَائِبٌ من فِراقِهِ

لأنَّ فؤادي ذَائِبٌ من فِراقِهِ

ولا راحةً قد رام قطُّ ولا حَزْوَى

ولا راحةً قد رام قطُّ ولا حَزْوَى

For my heart is melting from parting with it.

Because my heart is melting from being separated from him

It has never sought rest, nor Hazwa.

And it has not known any rest or tranquility ever

وَغازَلتُ غِزلاناً بِهِ وجَآذِراً

وَغازَلتُ غِزلاناً بِهِ وجَآذِراً

وأسْكَرني تِيْهي فلا أعرِفُ الصَحْوا

وأسْكَرني تِيْهي فلا أعرِفُ الصَحْوا

And there I courted gazelles and wild-ox calves.

I courted youth and passion

And my bewilderment intoxicated me, so I know no sobriety.

And his loss left me bewildered, unable to be sober

وأحوى حَوَى قلبي فَحَاولت وَصْلَه

وأحوى حَوَى قلبي فَحَاولت وَصْلَه

فَحال القَضَا حتى انقضى عمرُ من يَهوى

فَحال القَضَا حتى انقضى عمرُ من يَهوى

And a dark-lipped one captured my heart, so I sought union with him.

My heart wandered, so I sought to unite with him

But fate intervened until the lover's life was spent.

But fate prevented it until the life of the lovesick ended

بُليت وما أبلى الهوى غير مُهْجَتي

بُليت وما أبلى الهوى غير مُهْجَتي

وَفُرقَةُ أهلِ العِشْقِ من أعظمِ البَلوى

وَفُرقَةُ أهلِ العِشْقِ من أعظمِ البَلوى

I was afflicted, and love wore away nothing but my heart's blood.

I suffered, and nothing makes one suffer like passion

And lovers' separation is among the greatest afflictions.

And the separation of lovers is among the greatest sufferings

وَحُبْي لهُ حُبُّ البَخيلِ لمالِه

وَحُبْي لهُ حُبُّ البَخيلِ لمالِه

وراضٍ عليهِ لو يُحَمِّلُني رَضَوى

وراضٍ عليهِ لو يُحَمِّلُني رَضَوى

And my love for him is a miser's love for his wealth.

My love for him is like the miser's love of his money

And I am content with him, even were he to burden me with Mount Radwa.

Content for it to burden me, even with harm

وَلَو مَنَّ لي مَنْ ريْقِهِ بِجُريَعة

وَلَو مَنَّ لي مَنْ ريْقِهِ بِجُريَعة

عَرَفْتُ بأنَّ المَنَّ أحلى من السَلْوى

عَرَفْتُ بأنَّ المَنَّ أحلى من السَلْوى

And if he granted me a little sip of his saliva,

If someone gave me a sip from his saliva

I would know that manna is sweeter than quail.

I would know the favor is sweeter than drink

فأطْرَق لما أطْرقَ الوَخْطُ مِفْرَقي

فأطْرَق لما أطْرقَ الوَخْطُ مِفْرَقي

وَفَارقْتُ لذاتِ الشبيبةِ واللَّهْوَا

وَفَارقْتُ لذاتِ الشبيبةِ واللَّهْوَا

So he lowered his gaze when gray flecks touched the parting of my hair.

So I bowed my head when the beloved turned away

And I forsook the pleasures of youth and amusement.

And parted from the pleasures and distractions of youth

قَطَعْتُ سَبارِيتاً على أرْحَبِيَّةٍ

قَطَعْتُ سَبارِيتاً على أرْحَبِيَّةٍ

بِسَاطُ الفَيافي في مَنَاسِمها يُطْوَى

بِسَاطُ الفَيافي في مَنَاسِمها يُطْوَى

I crossed barren wastes on an Arhabi she-camel.

I traveled the wide world on a fine steed

The carpet of the deserts is folded beneath her padded feet.

The carpets of meadows folded up in their festivals

إلى عَلَمِ الدُّنيا وغَيْثِ بِقَاعِها

إلى عَلَمِ الدُّنيا وغَيْثِ بِقَاعِها

سعيد الذي من كَفِّهِ عُرِفَ الجَدْوَى

سعيد الذي من كَفِّهِ عُرِفَ الجَدْوَى

Toward the world's beacon and the rain of its lands,

To the land’s standard and the rain of its places

Sa'id, from whose palm bounty became known.

Happy is he from whose palm generosity is known

خلالةُ سلطان الهزيزِ الذي سَطَا

خلالةُ سلطان الهزيزِ الذي سَطَا

بِسَيْفٍ شَدا في الهَامِ يَوْمَ الوَغَى شَدْوا

بِسَيْفٍ شَدا في الهَامِ يَوْمَ الوَغَى شَدْوا

The surviving remnant of Sultan the Thunderous, who struck,

The daring sultan who attacked

With a sword that sang its song among heads on the day of battle.

With a sword, showing sharpness on the day of battle

فرَاحتُهُ نارٌ جَحِيمٌ على العِدى

فرَاحتُهُ نارٌ جَحِيمٌ على العِدى

وأمّا على وُفّادِهِ جَنّةُ المأوى

وأمّا على وُفّادِهِ جَنّةُ المأوى

Thus his palm is fire, an inferno against his enemies.

His repose is a blazing hell for the enemy

But for his visitors, it is the Garden of Refuge.

While for his loyal friends it is the garden of refuge

قَوِيّ إذا الأبطالُ طالَ كِفاحُها

قَوِيّ إذا الأبطالُ طالَ كِفاحُها

فلا بَطَلٌ يَوْمَ الكِفاحِ لَهْ يَقْوى

فلا بَطَلٌ يَوْمَ الكِفاحِ لَهْ يَقْوى

He is strong when the champions' combat grows prolonged.

Mighty when the heroes’ struggle intensifies

So no champion can withstand him on the day of combat.

No hero withstands on the day of struggle

سعى للعلا حتى علا فَوْقَ هامِها

سعى للعلا حتى علا فَوْقَ هامِها

بِعَزْمٍ قويٍ فاعتلى الغايةَ القُصْوى

بِعَزْمٍ قويٍ فاعتلى الغايةَ القُصْوى

He strove for glory until he rose above its summits.

He strove for supremacy until he rose above the pinnacles

With strong resolve, he ascended to the farthest goal.

With firm resolve, attaining the highest pinnacle

فتىً تَسْبِقُ الأقوالُ منهُ فِعالَهُ

فتىً تَسْبِقُ الأقوالُ منهُ فِعالَهُ

وفي الوَعْدِ مِصْدَاقٌ فلا عَرَفَ السَهْوا

وفي الوَعْدِ مِصْدَاقٌ فلا عَرَفَ السَهْوا

A young man whose words precede his deeds,

A noble youth whose deeds outpace his words

And true to his promise, he has never known a lapse.

And his promises are true, never erring

يَحِلّ عَسِيْرَ المُشِكلاتِ بَرَاعةً

يَحِلّ عَسِيْرَ المُشِكلاتِ بَرَاعةً

فلا غيرُهُ يُرْجَى إذا انقَطَعَ الرّجْوى

فلا غيرُهُ يُرْجَى إذا انقَطَعَ الرّجْوى

He skillfully solves difficult problems.

Solving the most difficult problems with skill

So none but he is looked to when hope is cut off.

When hopes are cut off, none but him is hoped in

هو العَيْلَمُ المُخْضَمُّ والعالِمُ الذي

هو العَيْلَمُ المُخْضَمُّ والعالِمُ الذي

ينير الهُدى مما يفوه مِن الفَتْوى

ينير الهُدى مما يفوه مِن الفَتْوى

He is the deep, boundless sea, and the scholar who

He is the learned scholar from whom guidance shines

Illuminates guidance through the religious rulings he utters.

Enlightening guidance from his legal rulings