عُوجا نُحَيِّ رُبوعاً غَيرَ أَدراسِ

عُوجا نُحَيِّ رُبوعاً غَيرَ أَدراسِ

بَينَ اللِوى وَهِضابِ الأَرعَنِ الراسي

بَينَ اللِوى وَهِضابِ الأَرعَنِ الراسي

Turn aside, you two; let us greet dwellings not effaced,

Wandering we roam gardens unknown,

between al-Liwa and the heights of the jutting, firmly rooted mountain,

Between the folds and plateaus erect.

إِلى الأَبارِقِ حَيثُ العِينُ راتِعَةٌ

إِلى الأَبارِقِ حَيثُ العِينُ راتِعَةٌ

مِنَ الحِمى بَينَ أَنقاءٍ وَأَدهاسِ

مِنَ الحِمى بَينَ أَنقاءٍ وَأَدهاسِ

toward the stony knolls where wide-eyed wild cattle graze,

To the lightnings where the eye keeps watch

within the protected pasture, between dunes and soft plains.

From the zeal between clear and turbid.

سَقى الدِيارَ بِحَيثُ الخَبت مِن هَجَرٍ

سَقى الدِيارَ بِحَيثُ الخَبت مِن هَجَرٍ

شُؤبُوبُ كُلِّ مُلِثٍّ الوَبلِ رَجّاسِ

شُؤبُوبُ كُلِّ مُلِثٍّ الوَبلِ رَجّاسِ

May the dwellings where Hajar's lowland lies be watered

It watered the lands where remoteness lay,

by the downpour of every thunderous cloud of unceasing heavy rain.

The rain of every dissolving cloud.

دِيارَ ناسٍ صَحِبناهُم بِها زَمَناً

دِيارَ ناسٍ صَحِبناهُم بِها زَمَناً

يا حَبَّذا ناسُ تِلكَ الدارِ مِن ناسِ

يا حَبَّذا ناسُ تِلكَ الدارِ مِن ناسِ

The dwellings of people whose company we kept there for a time—

The home of a people we kept company with for a time,

ah, how fine were the people of that abode!

Oh, blessed are the people of that house!

إِن أَوحَشُوني فَما أَنسى بِقُربِهِم

إِن أَوحَشُوني فَما أَنسى بِقُربِهِم

أُنسي فَأَمزِجَ إِيحاشي بِإِيناسي

أُنسي فَأَمزِجَ إِيحاشي بِإِيناسي

Though they have left me lonely, I do not forget what their nearness brought:

If they make me lonely, I don’t forget their nearness,

my joy in their company; thus I mingle my loneliness with my solace.

I mix my loneliness with their company.

يا صاحِبيَّ أَبَرقٌ لاحَ مُبتَسِماً

يا صاحِبيَّ أَبَرقٌ لاحَ مُبتَسِماً

مِن دُونِ تَيماءَ أَم مِشكاةُ نِبراسِ

مِن دُونِ تَيماءَ أَم مِشكاةُ نِبراسِ

O my two companions, is it lightning that shines, smiling,

My friend, a lightning flashed, smiling,

on this side of Tayma, or a niche holding a lamp?

Beyond Taima, or a lamp of Nibras.

أَم نَحنُ لَمّا جَعَلنا قَصدَنا حَلَباً

أَم نَحنُ لَمّا جَعَلنا قَصدَنا حَلَباً

بَدَا لَنا النُورُ مِن وَجهِ ابنِ مِرداسِ

بَدَا لَنا النُورُ مِن وَجهِ ابنِ مِرداسِ

Or, when we set our course for Aleppo,

When we headed to Aleppo,

did light appear to us from the face of Ibn Mirdas?

The light shone on us from Ibn Mirdas’ face.

مُتَوَّجٌ مِن بَني الشَدّادِ قَد جُمِعَت

مُتَوَّجٌ مِن بَني الشَدّادِ قَد جُمِعَت

فِيهِ المَحامِدُ مِن جُودٍ وَمِن باسِ

فِيهِ المَحامِدُ مِن جُودٍ وَمِن باسِ

A crowned scion of Banu al-Shaddad, in whom are gathered

Crowned of the Beni Shaddad, in him combined

the praiseworthy virtues of generosity and valor.

Goodness and munificence.

مَن فَتَّشَ الناسَ مِن بَدوٍ وَمِن حَضَرٍ

مَن فَتَّشَ الناسَ مِن بَدوٍ وَمِن حَضَرٍ

لَم يَلقَ مِثلَ أَبي العُلوانِ في الناسِ

لَم يَلقَ مِثلَ أَبي العُلوانِ في الناسِ

Whoever has searched among people, nomads and townsfolk,

Whoever searched the nomads and the settled peoples

has found none among them like Abu al-Ulwan.

Found none like Abu Ulwan among all people.

مُرَدَّدٌ في أُصُولٍ غَيرِ ذاوِيَةٍ

مُرَدَّدٌ في أُصُولٍ غَيرِ ذاوِيَةٍ

مِنَ النَدى بَينَ مِرداسٍ وَمَيّاسِ

مِنَ النَدى بَينَ مِرداسٍ وَمَيّاسِ

His lineage runs through roots that never wither,

Echoing principles not of the religion

sustained by the dew of bounty, between Mirdas and Mayyas.

Between Mirdas and Mayyas.

مازلتُ أُفرِغُ في أَوصافِهِ هِمَمي

مازلتُ أُفرِغُ في أَوصافِهِ هِمَمي

دَهراً وَأُتعِبُ أَقلامي وَقِرطاسي

دَهراً وَأُتعِبُ أَقلامي وَقِرطاسي

I have kept pouring my energies into describing him,

I exhausted my energies describing him

for a long time, wearing out my pens and paper,

For ages, tiring my pens and paper

حَتّى أَخَذتُ أَماناً مِن مَكارِمِهِ

حَتّى أَخَذتُ أَماناً مِن مَكارِمِهِ

أَن لا يُقَلقِلَ في الآفاقِ أَفراسي

أَن لا يُقَلقِلَ في الآفاقِ أَفراسي

until I gained assurance from his generosity

Until I took a covenant from his virtues

that my horses need not be sent roaming the horizons.

That my steeds not stir any discord.

يَشِتُّ وَفرِي وَلي مِن وَفرِ راحَتِهِ

يَشِتُّ وَفرِي وَلي مِن وَفرِ راحَتِهِ

وَفرٌ وَأَعرى وَلي مِن فَضلِهِ كاسي

وَفرٌ وَأَعرى وَلي مِن فَضلِهِ كاسي

My wealth may scatter, yet from his palm's abundance I have

My leather mat and tent suffice me with his bounty,

abundance; I may go bare, yet his bounty provides one to clothe me.

More than suffice me than his surplus robes.

قَسا عَلَيَّ زَماني فَاستَجَرتُ بِهِ

قَسا عَلَيَّ زَماني فَاستَجَرتُ بِهِ

فَباتَ لي غَيرَ قاسٍ قَلبُهُ القاسي

فَباتَ لي غَيرَ قاسٍ قَلبُهُ القاسي

Time was harsh toward me, so I sought his protection;

Time was harsh so I took refuge in him,

then its hard heart became gentle toward me.

And his harsh heart overnight to me was gentle.

يا مَن مَكارِمُهُ اللّاتي عُرِفتُ بِها

يا مَن مَكارِمُهُ اللّاتي عُرِفتُ بِها

مَكارِمٌ أَنبَتَت شَعرِي عَلى راسي

مَكارِمٌ أَنبَتَت شَعرِي عَلى راسي

O you whose generous deeds made me known—

O you whose noble deeds I’m known for,

generous deeds that made the hair grow upon my head!

Deeds that grew my hair over my head.

جَميلُ فِعلِكَ فخري في بَني زَمَني

جَميلُ فِعلِكَ فخري في بَني زَمَني

وَحُسنُ وَصفِكَ فَخري بَينَ جُلّاسِي

وَحُسنُ وَصفِكَ فَخري بَينَ جُلّاسِي

The beauty of your deeds is my pride among my contemporaries,

Sweet your action, my pride among my generation,

and the beauty of describing you is my pride among my companions.

And your virtues my pride among poets.

وَطِيبُ ذِكرِكَ لا يَنفَكُّ عَن خَلَدِي

وَطِيبُ ذِكرِكَ لا يَنفَكُّ عَن خَلَدِي

كَأَنَّ ذِكرَكَ مقرُونٌ بِأَنفاسي

كَأَنَّ ذِكرَكَ مقرُونٌ بِأَنفاسي

And the sweetness of remembering you never leaves my mind,

And good your mention, never leaving my eternity,

as though remembering you were bound to my breaths.

As if your memory coupled with my breath.