لك اللّهُ من برقٍ بنَعْمَأنَ أَبْرَقَا

لك اللّهُ من برقٍ بنَعْمَأنَ أَبْرَقَا

وصافحَ رِثْماً بالكثيبين والنَّقا

وصافحَ رِثْماً بالكثيبين والنَّقا

God bless you, lightning that flashed at Na‘man,

For you, may Allah grant flashes of lightning from clouds,

And caressed the broom shrubs at the two dunes and the sandhill.

That illuminated the sand dunes and the hills.

أَلاحَ وعمرُ الفجرِ في أُخْرَياتهِ

أَلاحَ وعمرُ الفجرِ في أُخْرَياتهِ

فغادرَ للظلماءِ جَيْباً مُشَقَّقا

فغادرَ للظلماءِ جَيْباً مُشَقَّقا

It gleamed while dawn was in its final moments,

Dawn emerged in its last moments,

Leaving the darkness with a torn-open collar.

Leaving behind a slit torn in the darkness.

سرى وظلامُ الليل يجلو صباحَهُ

سرى وظلامُ الليل يجلو صباحَهُ

فلاحَ إلينا أدهمُ الليلِ أَبْلَقا

فلاحَ إلينا أدهمُ الليلِ أَبْلَقا

It coursed by night, the night's darkness unveiling its dawn,

The night darkness receded as morning dawned,

And night's black steed appeared to us piebald.

And the gloomy night shone brightly towards us.

وما هاجني إلا رنينُ مطوَّقٍ

وما هاجني إلا رنينُ مطوَّقٍ

أقامَ على الأغصانِ يدعو مُطَوَّقَا

أقامَ على الأغصانِ يدعو مُطَوَّقَا

Nothing stirred me but a ringdove's ringing call,

I was disturbed only by the sound

Perched on the branches, calling to a ringdove.

Of a confined bird calling to other confined birds.

وللّه نَشْوَى جاذب الدعصُ خَصْرَها

وللّه نَشْوَى جاذب الدعصُ خَصْرَها

هضيماً بما دونَ السِّوارِ مُمَنْطَقا

هضيماً بما دونَ السِّوارِ مُمَنْطَقا

And, by God, what a tipsy beauty, her dune-like hips tugging at her waist—

By Allah, the pulling of the bowed branch at her waist,

Slender, girdled by what lay below her bracelet.

Covered below by the bracelet, aroused passion.

ويُخْشَى لديه اليَأْسُ من حيثُ يُرتجى

ويُخْشَى لديه اليَأْسُ من حيثُ يُرتجى

ويُرْجَى لديهِ الجودُ من حيث يُتَّقى

ويُرْجَى لديهِ الجودُ من حيث يُتَّقى

And in his presence despair is feared where hope is expected,

From him is feared despair where hope is expected,

And in his presence bounty is hoped for where he is feared.

And from him generosity is expected where fear is felt.

مُحَيّاً يريكَ الشمسَ نورُ جبينهِ

مُحَيّاً يريكَ الشمسَ نورُ جبينهِ

فكلُّ مكان حَلَّهُ كانَ مَشْرِقا

فكلُّ مكان حَلَّهُ كانَ مَشْرِقا

A face whose brow's radiance shows you the sun,

Radiant, the light of his forehead shows you the sun,

So every place he dwelt became a place of sunrise.

So everywhere he stayed became illuminated.

وإِنَّكَ لو أَوْمَأْتَ دونَ مَجَسِّهِ

وإِنَّكَ لو أَوْمَأْتَ دونَ مَجَسِّهِ

إلى الحجَر القاسي بيمناك أَوْرَقا

إلى الحجَر القاسي بيمناك أَوْرَقا

Indeed, if you were to gesture without touching it,

If you gestured, without touching him,

Toward the hard stone with your right hand, it would put forth leaves.

With your right hand, even solid rock would sprout greenery.

إذا ما ملكتَ المالَ مَلَّكْتَهُ الوَرَى

إذا ما ملكتَ المالَ مَلَّكْتَهُ الوَرَى

كأَنَّكَ لم تُرْزَقْهُ إلا لِيُرْزَقَا

كأَنَّكَ لم تُرْزَقْهُ إلا لِيُرْزَقَا

Whenever you possessed wealth, you gave it to mankind,

When you possess wealth, you make the world possess it,

As though you were granted it only so that it might be granted to others.

As if you were not granted it except to grant it.

تَهُزُّ يراعاً كالردينيِّ ذابلاً

تَهُزُّ يراعاً كالردينيِّ ذابلاً

يَفُلُّ سناناً حين يسطو ومِخْفَقَا

يَفُلُّ سناناً حين يسطو ومِخْفَقَا

You brandish a reed pen, slender as a Rudaynian spear,

You make a withered branch shake,

It blunts a spearpoint and a broad sword when it strikes.

Wilting, when the spears thrust and charge.

ترى العَلَقَ القاني مداداً لخطِّهِ

ترى العَلَقَ القاني مداداً لخطِّهِ

وجانحةَ القِرْنِ المدجَّجِ مُهْرَقا

وجانحةَ القِرْنِ المدجَّجِ مُهْرَقا

You see crimson blood as ink for its writing,

You see the brave warrior as ink for his writing,

And the armored adversary's rib as parchment.

And the heavily armed soldier as fodder.

صحائفُهُ تَفْري الصفائحَ كلما

صحائفُهُ تَفْري الصفائحَ كلما

نُشِرْنَ وتحكي الروضَ فيها منمَّقا

نُشِرْنَ وتحكي الروضَ فيها منمَّقا

Its pages cleave sword blades whenever

His scrolls roll out the scrolls whenever

They are unfolded, and evoke a meadow richly adorned within them.

They are opened, describing within them an elegant garden.

فلو لاحَظَتْ عينُ ابنِ أوسٍ متونَها

فلو لاحَظَتْ عينُ ابنِ أوسٍ متونَها

رأى أَيُّها كُتْباً من السيف أصدقا

رأى أَيُّها كُتْباً من السيف أصدقا

So if the eye of Ibn Aws beheld their texts,

If the eyes of Ibn Aws observed its texts,

He would see which of those writings were truer than the sword.

He would say: "Which of the two is more truthful - this or the sword?"