عَلامَ تَلومُ عاذِلَةٌ جَهولُ

عَلامَ تَلومُ عاذِلَةٌ جَهولُ

وَقَد بَلّى رَواحِلَنا الرَحيلُ

وَقَد بَلّى رَواحِلَنا الرَحيلُ

Why does an ignorant woman reproach me,

Why does the blamer blame, ignorant one,

when travel has worn out our riding camels?

When our camels' saddles are worn by travel?

فَإِنَّ السَيفَ يُخلِقُ مِحمَلاهُ

فَإِنَّ السَيفَ يُخلِقُ مِحمَلاهُ

وَيُسرِعُ في مَضارِبِهِ النَحولُ

وَيُسرِعُ في مَضارِبِهِ النَحولُ

For a sword wears out its two carrying straps,

The sword creates its own disaster,

and its striking edges swiftly grow thin.

And rushes headlong into peril.

قَطَعنَ إِلَيكُمُ مُتَشَنَّعاتٍ

قَطَعنَ إِلَيكُمُ مُتَشَنَّعاتٍ

مَهامِهِ ما يُعَدُّ لَهُنَّ ميلُ

مَهامِهِ ما يُعَدُّ لَهُنَّ ميلُ

They crossed toward you, grown unsightly,

Long-necked she-camels came to you

through wastes whose miles cannot be counted.

With ambitions that cannot be counted.

أَتَينَ عَلى السَماوَةِ بَعدَ خَبتٍ

أَتَينَ عَلى السَماوَةِ بَعدَ خَبتٍ

قَليلٌ ما تَأَنّينا قَليلُ

قَليلٌ ما تَأَنّينا قَليلُ

They passed through al-Samawah after Khabt;

They came to glory after being despised,

little did we linger—little indeed.

We tarried but little, little.

وَقَد عَزَّ الكَواهِلُ بَعدَ نَيٍّ

وَقَد عَزَّ الكَواهِلُ بَعدَ نَيٍّ

عَرائِكَها وَقَد لَحِقَ الثَميلُ

عَرائِكَها وَقَد لَحِقَ الثَميلُ

And, after fatness, the withers have overtopped

The shoulders grew weary after intention,

their humps, and the belly has drawn tight.

Their saddles slipping and the bindings loosening.

عَلَيكِ وَإِن بَليتِ كَما بَلينا

عَلَيكِ وَإِن بَليتِ كَما بَلينا

سَلامُ اللَهِ أَيَّتُها الطُلولُ

سَلامُ اللَهِ أَيَّتُها الطُلولُ

Upon you, though you have worn away as we have,

Peace of God be upon you, O tall mountains,

be God's peace, O traces of abandoned camps.

If you are worn out as we are worn out.

أَبانَ الحَيُّ يَومَ لِوى حُيَيٍّ

أَبانَ الحَيُّ يَومَ لِوى حُيَيٍّ

نَعَم بانوا وَلَم يُشفَ الغَليلُ

نَعَم بانوا وَلَم يُشفَ الغَليلُ

Did the clan depart that day at the sand-bend of Huyayy?

The living man on the day (he was killed) twisted his neck

Yes, they departed, and the burning thirst remained unquenched.

Yes, they became manifest, but thirst was not quenched.

لَيالِيَ لا تُوَدِّعُنا بِصُرمٍ

لَيالِيَ لا تُوَدِّعُنا بِصُرمٍ

فَتُؤيِسَنا وَلا بِجَداً تَنولُ

فَتُؤيِسَنا وَلا بِجَداً تَنولُ

Those nights when she would not bid us farewell in estrangement,

May you not bid us farewell sullenly during nights

and make us despair, nor would she grant us a favor.

So that you make us despair or refuse to share water.

كَأَنَّكَ حينَ تَشحَطُ عَنكَ سَلمى

كَأَنَّكَ حينَ تَشحَطُ عَنكَ سَلمى

أَميمٌ حينَ تَذكُرُهُ تَبيلُ

أَميمٌ حينَ تَذكُرُهُ تَبيلُ

It is as though, when Salma goes far from you,

It is as if when you push Salma away,

you were head-wounded, wasting away when you recall it.

She is a loving woman when you remember her.

ذَكَرنا ما نَسيتِ غَداةَ قَوٍّ

ذَكَرنا ما نَسيتِ غَداةَ قَوٍّ

وَقَد يَهتاجُ ذو الطَرَبِ الوَصولُ

وَقَد يَهتاجُ ذو الطَرَبِ الوَصولُ

We remembered what you forgot on the morning at Qaww,

We mentioned what you forgot the morning after the battle,

and a faithful lover may be stirred to yearning.

And he whose breast was rent may be overjoyed.

أَعاذِلَ ما لِلَومِكَ لا أَراهُ

أَعاذِلَ ما لِلَومِكَ لا أَراهُ

يُفيقُ وَشَرُّ ذي النُصحِ العَذولُ

يُفيقُ وَشَرُّ ذي النُصحِ العَذولُ

O reproacher, what ails your reproach? I do not see it

I blame the one whom your blame does not awaken

abating; the worst adviser is the fault-finder.

And the severing of the sincere advisor is the worst.

سُلَيمانُ المُبارَكُ قَد عَلِمتُم

سُلَيمانُ المُبارَكُ قَد عَلِمتُم

هُوَ المَهدِيُّ قَد وَضَحَ السَبيلُ

هُوَ المَهدِيُّ قَد وَضَحَ السَبيلُ

Blessed Sulayman, as you well know,

Suleiman the Blessed, you have known

is the rightly guided one; the path has become clear.

He is the rightly guided one, the path is clear.

أَجَرتَ مِنَ المَظالِمِ كُلَّ نَفسٍ

أَجَرتَ مِنَ المَظالِمِ كُلَّ نَفسٍ

وَأَدَّيتَ الَّذي عَهِدَ الرَسولُ

وَأَدَّيتَ الَّذي عَهِدَ الرَسولُ

You sheltered every soul from oppression,

You have saved every soul from injustice

and fulfilled what the Messenger enjoined.

And fulfilled what the Messenger entrusted.

صَفَت لَكَ بَيعَةٌ بِثَباتِ عَهدٍ

صَفَت لَكَ بَيعَةٌ بِثَباتِ عَهدٍ

فَوَزنُ العَدلِ أَصبَحَ لا يَميلُ

فَوَزنُ العَدلِ أَصبَحَ لا يَميلُ

The pledge of allegiance to you is pure, its covenant firm,

A pledged allegiance clings to you with steadfastness,

so the balance of justice now does not tilt.

So the balance of justice leans to neither side.

أَلا هَل لِلخَليفَةِ في نِزارٍ

أَلا هَل لِلخَليفَةِ في نِزارٍ

فَقَد أَمسَوا وَأَكثَرُهُم كُلولُ

فَقَد أَمسَوا وَأَكثَرُهُم كُلولُ

Ah, has the caliph any concern for Nizar?

Is there no recourse for the Caliph among us?

For they have come to this: most of them are worn out.

For most have become cowards at night.

وَتَدعوكَ الأَرامِلُ وَاليَتامى

وَتَدعوكَ الأَرامِلُ وَاليَتامى

وَمَن أَمسى وَلَيسَ بِهِ حَويلُ

وَمَن أَمسى وَلَيسَ بِهِ حَويلُ

And widows and orphans call upon you,

The widows and orphans call upon you,

and whoever has come to have no means.

And those who have fallen into dire poverty.

وَتَشكو الماشِياتُ إِلَيكَ جَهداً

وَتَشكو الماشِياتُ إِلَيكَ جَهداً

وَلا صَعبٌ لَهُنَّ وَلا ذَلولُ

وَلا صَعبٌ لَهُنَّ وَلا ذَلولُ

And women on foot complain to you of hardship,

The she-camels complain to you of exhaustion,

and have neither an unruly mount nor a tame one.

Nothing is difficult or humiliating for them.

وَأَكثَرُ زادِهِنَّ وَهُنَّ سُفعٌ

وَأَكثَرُ زادِهِنَّ وَهُنَّ سُفعٌ

حُطامُ الجِلدِ وَالعَصَبُ المَليلُ

حُطامُ الجِلدِ وَالعَصَبُ المَليلُ

And most of their food, dark-faced as they are,

Most of their provisions are rags,

is scraps of hide and sinew roasted in embers.

Frayed skins and worn nerves.

وَيَدعوكَ المُكَلَّفُ بَعدَ جَهدٍ

وَيَدعوكَ المُكَلَّفُ بَعدَ جَهدٍ

وَعانٍ قَد أَضَرَّ بِهِ الكُبولُ

وَعانٍ قَد أَضَرَّ بِهِ الكُبولُ

And the overburdened man calls upon you after hardship,

The oppressed call upon you after hardship

and a captive whom fetters have hurt.

And suffering which has burdened them with anxiety.

وَما زالَت مُعَلَّقَةً بِثَديٍ

وَما زالَت مُعَلَّقَةً بِثَديٍ

بِذي الديماسِ أَو رَجُلٌ قَتيلُ

بِذي الديماسِ أَو رَجُلٌ قَتيلُ

And there was always a woman hung by a breast

There are still sucklings attached to a wet nurse

at Dhu al-Dimas, or a man slain.

Or a man with bloody intestines.

فَرَجتَ الهَمَّ وَالحَلَقاتِ عَنهُم

فَرَجتَ الهَمَّ وَالحَلَقاتِ عَنهُم

فَأَحيا الناسُ وَالبَلَدُ المُحولُ

فَأَحيا الناسُ وَالبَلَدُ المُحولُ

You freed them from anguish and iron rings,

You have relieved their anxiety and suffering

so the people and the drought-stricken land revived.

So the people and the changed land live again.

إِذا اِبتُدِرَ المَكارِمُ كانَ فيكُم

إِذا اِبتُدِرَ المَكارِمُ كانَ فيكُم

رَبيعُ الناسِ وَالحَسَبُ الأَثيلُ

رَبيعُ الناسِ وَالحَسَبُ الأَثيلُ

When noble deeds are competed for, among you are

When you are generous, you are the people's spring

the people's springtime and deep-rooted nobility.

And the most noble lineage.

تُهينونَ المَخاضَ لِكُلِّ ضَيفٍ

تُهينونَ المَخاضَ لِكُلِّ ضَيفٍ

إِذا ما حُبَّ في السَنَةِ الجَميلُ

إِذا ما حُبَّ في السَنَةِ الجَميلُ

You freely slaughter pregnant she-camels for every guest,

You scorn hardship for every guest

when rendered fat is prized in a famine year.

When the year is plentiful.

عَلَوتُم كُلَّ رابِيَةٍ وَفَرعٍ

عَلَوتُم كُلَّ رابِيَةٍ وَفَرعٍ

وَغَيرُكُمُ المَذانِبُ وَالهُجولُ

وَغَيرُكُمُ المَذانِبُ وَالهُجولُ

You have risen above every hill and summit,

You surpassed every hilltop and branch,

while others are valley-bottoms and hollows.

While others are recluses and uncouth.

لَكُم فَرعٌ تَفَرَّعَ كُلَّ فَرعٍ

لَكُم فَرعٌ تَفَرَّعَ كُلَّ فَرعٍ

وَفَضلٌ لا تُعادِلُهُ الفُضولُ

وَفَضلٌ لا تُعادِلُهُ الفُضولُ

Yours is a branch that overtops every branch,

You have a branch that branched from every branch

and an excellence no other excellences can match.

And a superiority that no superiors can equal.

لَقَد طالَت مَنابَتُكُم فَطابَت

لَقَد طالَت مَنابَتُكُم فَطابَت

فَطابَ لَكَ العُمومَةُ وَالخُؤولُ

فَطابَ لَكَ العُمومَةُ وَالخُؤولُ

Indeed, your ancestral stock has grown tall and noble,

Your loftiness has lasted and become pleasant,

so noble are your paternal and maternal uncles.

So the most general and special leadership was good for you.

تَزولُ الراسِياتُ بِكُلِّ أُفقٍ

تَزولُ الراسِياتُ بِكُلِّ أُفقٍ

وَمَجدُكَ لا يُهَدُّ وَلا يَزولُ

وَمَجدُكَ لا يُهَدُّ وَلا يَزولُ

The firmly rooted mountains may vanish on every horizon,

Firm mountains pass away in every horizon,

but your glory is never demolished and never passes away.

But your glory does not waver or pass away.