لميٍّ بوادى المنحنَى طللٌ قَفْرُ

لميٍّ بوادى المنحنَى طللٌ قَفْرُ

سقاهُ الحيَا الوسْمِى من نؤيه الفَقْرُ

سقاهُ الحيَا الوسْمِى من نؤيه الفَقْرُ

Of Mayy, in the valley of the bend, a desolate campsite remains.

A desolate ruin of Mayy's lies in the valley of al-Munhana.

May the life-giving seasonal rain water its broken trench;

The autumn rain watered it through the hollows of its encircling trench.

وغاداه منهل مِن المزْن هاملُ

وغاداه منهل مِن المزْن هاملُ

وعلَّ ثَرَاه مرعدٌ واكفُ غَمْرُ

وعلَّ ثَرَاه مرعدٌ واكفُ غَمْرُ

and may a streaming cloudburst visit it each morning,

And drenching, streaming rain from the clouds visited it at dawn.

while thundering, steady, engulfing rain drenches its soil anew.

And thunderous, pouring, copious rain gave its soil a second drink.

وقفتُ به لما مررتُ بربْعِه

وقفتُ به لما مررتُ بربْعِه

أسائِله عنهم ولى أدمعٌ غُزْرُ

أسائِله عنهم ولى أدمعٌ غُزْرُ

I stopped there when I passed by its encampment,

I stood beside it when I passed its dwelling place,

asking it about them, while my tears poured freely.

Questioning it about them, with tears in profusion.

وعهدى به يُنض شموس كواعبِ

وعهدى به يُنض شموس كواعبِ

تسيل دماً مهما تَوَهَّمها الفِكرُ

تسيل دماً مهما تَوَهَّمها الفِكرُ

I remember it when it teemed with proud, budding maidens

And I remember it with [unclear word] sunlike, full-breasted maidens,

whose blush ran blood-red whenever thought so much as pictured them—

Who draw tears of blood whenever the mind imagines them.

زواهرُ أمثال الأهلّةِ وُضَّحُ

زواهرُ أمثال الأهلّةِ وُضَّحُ

حِسان التَّثنِّى دونها الأنجمُ الزُّهْرُ

حِسان التَّثنِّى دونها الأنجمُ الزُّهْرُ

radiant, bright as crescent moons,

Radiant, like crescent moons, shining bright,

fair in their graceful swaying, before whom the shining stars pale.

Lovely in their swaying; the bright stars fall short of them.

وفيهنَّ مَعسُولُ المراشِفِ غادةٌ

وفيهنَّ مَعسُولُ المراشِفِ غادةٌ

مُهَفْهَفَةٌ لمياءُ وَهْنانةٌ بِكْرُ

مُهَفْهَفَةٌ لمياءُ وَهْنانةٌ بِكْرُ

Among them was a maiden with honey-sweet lips,

And among them is a graceful maiden with honey-sweet lips,

slender-waisted, dark-lipped, languid, and untouched.

Slender-waisted, dark-lipped, languid, a virgin.

لها مُقْلَةٌ تُسْبى العقولَ ملاحةً

لها مُقْلَةٌ تُسْبى العقولَ ملاحةً

كأنَّ بها سحراً وليس بها سِحْرُ

كأنَّ بها سحراً وليس بها سِحْرُ

She had an eye whose beauty enthralled the mind,

She has an eye that takes minds captive with its beauty,

as though it held magic—though no magic was there—

As though it held magic, yet there is no magic in it.

وريقةُ ثغرٍ كالسُّلافَةِ طَعمُها

وريقةُ ثغرٍ كالسُّلافَةِ طَعمُها

أو الشهدِ بلْ من دونها الشهدُ والخمرُ

أو الشهدِ بلْ من دونها الشهدُ والخمرُ

and the moisture of her mouth tasted like pure wine,

And the moisture of her mouth tastes like the finest wine,

or honey—rather, honey and wine both fell beneath it.

Or honey—rather, honey and wine fall short of it.

شفاءَ قلوبِ العاشقين مزارُها

شفاءَ قلوبِ العاشقين مزارُها

وداؤُهم منه الموشح والنَّحْرُ

وداؤُهم منه الموشح والنَّحْرُ

A visit from her was healing for lovers’ hearts,

A visit to her heals the hearts of lovers,

yet their malady in her lay in her sash-girdled waist and breast.

And their ailment comes from her sash-adorned waist and bosom.

سرَى طيفُها مِن حاجرٍ بعد هَجعةٍ

سرَى طيفُها مِن حاجرٍ بعد هَجعةٍ

إلى مضجعى من بعد ما شَفَّنِى الهجْرُ

إلى مضجعى من بعد ما شَفَّنِى الهجْرُ

Her phantom journeyed by night from Hājir after a stretch of sleep

Her phantom journeyed by night from Hajir, after a spell of sleep,

to my bed, after estrangement had worn me thin.

To my bed, after separation had worn me thin.

فأحْيَتْ برؤيا طيفِها قلبَ عاشقٍ

فأحْيَتْ برؤيا طيفِها قلبَ عاشقٍ

أخى وَلَهٍ قد خَانَهُ بعدها الصبرُ

أخى وَلَهٍ قد خَانَهُ بعدها الصبرُ

The vision of her phantom revived a lover’s heart—

So she revived, through the vision of her phantom, a lover's heart,

a brother to rapture, whose patience failed once she was gone.

One distraught with longing, whom patience had betrayed after she left.

فبِتْنَا جميعاً في نعيم ولذةٍ

فبِتْنَا جميعاً في نعيم ولذةٍ

وإيفاءِ وعدٍ لا يكدِّرُه الغَدْرُ

وإيفاءِ وعدٍ لا يكدِّرُه الغَدْرُ

Together we passed the night in bliss and delight,

So we spent the night together in bliss and pleasure,

with a promise fulfilled, unclouded by betrayal.

And fulfillment of a promise unclouded by betrayal.

أبثُّ لها الشكْوى وتُبْدِى ملاحة

أبثُّ لها الشكْوى وتُبْدِى ملاحة

إلى أن طوى أثوابَ ليلَتِنا الفجرُ

إلى أن طوى أثوابَ ليلَتِنا الفجرُ

I poured out my complaint while she revealed her charms,

I pour out my lament to her, and she reveals her beauty,

until dawn folded away the garments of our night.

Until dawn folded the garments of our night.

فقامتْ سريعاً للوداعِ ودمعُها

فقامتْ سريعاً للوداعِ ودمعُها

على خدّها يَحْكِيه ما ضمَّه الثغرُ

على خدّها يَحْكِيه ما ضمَّه الثغرُ

She rose swiftly to take her leave, her tears

Then she rose quickly to bid farewell, and her tears

upon her cheek mirrored by what her mouth enclosed.

On her cheek resembled what her mouth enclosed.

فولَّتْ ولى دمعٌ يسيلُ كأنّه

فولَّتْ ولى دمعٌ يسيلُ كأنّه

نَدَى كفِّ سلطان بن سيف هُو البحرُ

نَدَى كفِّ سلطان بن سيف هُو البحرُ

She turned away, while my own tears streamed as though they were

Then she turned away, and my tears flowed as though they were

the dew—the bounty—of Sultan ibn Sayf’s hand: he is the sea.

The dew of Sultan bin Saif's hand—he is the sea.

إمام هدًى زاكِى الأرومةِ ماجدٌ

إمام هدًى زاكِى الأرومةِ ماجدٌ

مليكُ الورَى أضحى له النَّهْى والأمرُ

مليكُ الورَى أضحى له النَّهْى والأمرُ

An imam of guidance, noble and pure of stock,

An imam of guidance, pure of lineage, illustrious,

the sovereign of humankind, whose are command and prohibition.

King of mankind, now holding the power to forbid and command.

إذا جادَ بالإحسانِ لا جودُ حاتمٍ

إذا جادَ بالإحسانِ لا جودُ حاتمٍ

وإن كرَّ في الفرسان لا مِثلُه عمرُو

وإن كرَّ في الفرسان لا مِثلُه عمرُو

When he gives in beneficence, Hātim’s giving is no generosity;

When he bestows kindness, Hatim's generosity is no match;

and when he charges among the horsemen, even ʿAmr is not his equal.

And if he charges among the horsemen, Amr is not his equal.

جوادٌ له في ثَغْرٍ وبلْدةٍ

جوادٌ له في ثَغْرٍ وبلْدةٍ

لكثرةِ ما يُسْدِى على أهلها ذِكْرُ

لكثرةِ ما يُسْدِى على أهلها ذِكْرُ

Openhanded, he has renown in every frontier post and town

Generous, he enjoys in frontier post and town

from the abundance of what he bestows upon their people.

Renown for the many favors he bestows upon their people.

حليمٌ يقيسُ الأمرَ قبل وُقوعه

حليمٌ يقيسُ الأمرَ قبل وُقوعه

فكلُّ عظيمٍ عنده ما لَهُ قَدْرُ

فكلُّ عظيمٍ عنده ما لَهُ قَدْرُ

Forbearing, he weighs a matter before it comes to pass,

Forbearing, he weighs a matter before it comes to pass,

so every daunting thing, to him, has no weight.

So every great matter carries no weight with him.

كذَا الدهرُ فعَّالُ لما هو كائنٌ

كذَا الدهرُ فعَّالُ لما هو كائنٌ

ولا شكَّ أن العُسْرَ يتبعه اليُسْرُ

ولا شكَّ أن العُسْرَ يتبعه اليُسْرُ

Thus does Time bring about whatever is to be,

Such is time, ever bringing about whatever is to be,

and there is no doubt that hardship is followed by ease.

And there is no doubt that ease follows hardship.

ودونَك شِعراً يا بن سيف بن مالك

ودونَك شِعراً يا بن سيف بن مالك

سليمَ القوافي زانَه اللف والنَّشْرُ

سليمَ القوافي زانَه اللف والنَّشْرُ

Here, then, is a poem for you, O son of Sayf ibn Mālik,

And take this poem, O son of Saif, son of Malik,

sound in its rhymes, adorned with entwining and unfolding.

Sound in rhyme, adorned by enumeration and corresponding elaboration.

ولا زِلْتُ في نُعْماك في اليُسْرِ والغنَى

ولا زِلْتُ في نُعْماك في اليُسْرِ والغنَى

وما مسّ نفسى مُذْ صَحِبتكمُ العُسْرُ

وما مسّ نفسى مُذْ صَحِبتكمُ العُسْرُ

May I remain amid your favors, in ease and wealth;

And I have never ceased to live in your bounty, in ease and wealth,

hardship has not touched my soul since I entered your company.

And hardship has not touched my soul since I became your companion.

فدمْ وابْقَ في عزٍّ وملكٍ مُخلّدٍ

فدمْ وابْقَ في عزٍّ وملكٍ مُخلّدٍ

ومَجْدٍ أثيلٍ لا يغيرهُ العصرُ

ومَجْدٍ أثيلٍ لا يغيرهُ العصرُ

So endure and remain in glory and everlasting rule,

So endure and remain in honor and everlasting dominion,

and in deep-rooted splendor that the age can never alter.

And in deep-rooted glory that time cannot change.