أحبابنَا كم عَسى الصدودُ

أحبابنَا كم عَسى الصدودُ

ومَا لكم مَا لكُم عُهودُ

ومَا لكم مَا لكُم عُهودُ

Our beloveds, how long can this estrangement last?

Our loved ones, how many greetings were repelled,

And what ails you? You keep no pledges.

And yet, you had no covenants,

وعدتموني برمل حزْوى

وعدتموني برمل حزْوى

وصلاً فما تمت الوُعوُد

وصلاً فما تمت الوُعوُد

You promised me, in the sands of Hazwa,

You promised me the sands of Hazwa,

Reunion, yet the promises went unfulfilled.

Yet the vows were never fulfilled.

وقلْتُمُ قد سلوتَ عنّا

وقلْتُمُ قد سلوتَ عنّا

وهَذه أدمعي شهودُ

وهَذه أدمعي شهودُ

And you said, 'You have forgotten us,'

And you said, “Ask about us,”

Yet these tears of mine bear witness.

The sanctity of love did not prevent you,

وَحُرْمةُ الودِ ما قَلاَكم

وَحُرْمةُ الودِ ما قَلاَكم

ولا سلا قلبي العَمْيدُ

ولا سلا قلبي العَمْيدُ

By love's sanctity, it has neither spurned you

Nor did the pleading of my resolute heart.

Nor forgotten you—my love-stricken heart.

Since you deserted the abode of Ani,

ومُذ حَلَلْتم زرودَ أني

ومُذ حَلَلْتم زرودَ أني

أقول لا أوْحشت زرود

أقول لا أوْحشت زرود

And since you settled in Zarud, I

I say, no longer does the abode seem desolate.

Say, 'May Zarud never be desolate.'

In her herd, I was told there are gazelles

في سِرْبهَا قِيْلَ لي ظبّاءٌ

في سِرْبهَا قِيْلَ لي ظبّاءٌ

بلحظهَا تُقْنصُ الأسودُ

بلحظهَا تُقْنصُ الأسودُ

In its herd, I was told, are gazelles

With a glance, they hunt the lions.

Whose glances ensnare lions.

Beneath your tents are alluring doe

وتحت أخداركم مهَاةٌ

وتحت أخداركم مهَاةٌ

يظلُّها الفاحمُ الجعيد

يظلُّها الفاحمُ الجعيد

And beneath your canopies is an oryx-doe,

Shaded by the towering palm.

Shaded by coal-black, curly hair.

When they walk, they touch the heights,

إذا مشت ماست الأعالي

إذا مشت ماست الأعالي

وأرتج ما حازت البرود

وأرتج ما حازت البرود

When she walks, her upper body sways,

And when settled, the coolness spreads.

And what her striped cloaks enclose quivers.

For the rod, they have grace,

فقدّها للقضيب قَدٌّ

فقدّها للقضيب قَدٌّ

وجيدُها للغزالِ جيدُ

وجيدُها للغزالِ جيدُ

So her figure is a slender bough's figure,

And for the fawn, charm.

And her neck is a gazelle's neck.

If little of their clan is kind

إن قلّ من قومها رحيم

إن قلّ من قومها رحيم

أوعزّ منْ مائهم وَرود

أوعزّ منْ مائهم وَرود

If few among her people are merciful,

Or abundant in meadows and flowers.

Or access to their water is hard,

In the abode of Al-Walid is a sea,

ففي مَحَلّ الوليد بحرٌ

ففي مَحَلّ الوليد بحرٌ

تنيخُ من حولِه الوفودُ

تنيخُ من حولِه الوفودُ

Then at al-Walid's abode there is a sea,

Where delegations alight around it.

Around which delegations make their camels kneel.

Suhail, the father of deserts,

إذا سُهَيلٌ أبو الغوادي

إذا سُهَيلٌ أبو الغوادي

والسؤدد الطارف التليد

والسؤدد الطارف التليد

Behold Suhayl, father of the morning rains,

And the towering, straight, towering palm.

And of nobility, newly won and inherited.

None can be found like Abu Al-Mazin,

مثل أبي المزن لَيْسَ يُلْقى

مثل أبي المزن لَيْسَ يُلْقى

من أينْ يُلقي له نَديد

من أينْ يُلقي له نَديد

One like Abu al-Muzn is not to be found;

Whence can his equal be found?

Where could an equal to him be found?

Of high glory, of high lineage,

رفيعُ مجدٍ رفيعُ جَدٍ

رفيعُ مجدٍ رفيعُ جَدٍ

فدت حِذا حده الخُدود

فدت حِذا حده الخُدود

Lofty in glory, lofty in fortune,

Ransoms offered to curb his assault.

Cheeks offer themselves in ransom before his blade's edge.

In his hand appears a full moon,

يَطْلعُ في الدست منه بدر

يَطْلعُ في الدست منه بدر

ينيرُ أو وابلٌ يجود

ينيرُ أو وابلٌ يجود

In the seat of honor he rises, a full moon,

Illuminating, or clouds that pour forth.

Shining—or a downpour pouring bounty.

From his palm pours forth bounty,

يفيضُ من كفّهِ عطايا

يفيضُ من كفّهِ عطايا

أقلُّها القُودُ والنقود

أقلُّها القُودُ والنقود

Gifts overflow from his palm,

The least of which is Dirhams and Dinars.

The least of them are led steeds and coins.

How oft has fate sought to mar

كم حاول الدهرُ ثلم عَكّ

كم حاول الدهرُ ثلم عَكّ

فْسدّه رأيه السَّديد

فْسدّه رأيه السَّديد

How often Time has tried to breach Akk,

His upright opinion, yet it holds firm.

And his sound judgment sealed the breach.

Matters are surrendered to him, only intending

ألْقَتْ إليه الأمور فما إن

ألْقَتْ إليه الأمور فما إن

تريد إلا الذي يريد

تريد إلا الذي يريد

Affairs have yielded to him, and they do not

That which he intends.

Desire anything but what he desires.

And with them, how many troops has he invaded,

وكم بها قد غزا جنودا

وكم بها قد غزا جنودا

منها على إثرها جنودُ

منها على إثرها جنودُ

And how often with it he has attacked armies,

After which, troops followed in succession.

From it come armies, one on another's heels.

From them, he leads countless legions

يقودُ منها العديدَ فردٌ

يقودُ منها العديدَ فردٌ

بمثلِه يَكْمُلُ العَديد

بمثلِه يَكْمُلُ العَديد

One man leads its many men,

With his like, the countless thrives.

With one like him, the host is complete.

He has ruled them as a youth and elder

قد سادها يافعاً وكهلاً

قد سادها يافعاً وكهلاً

ومثله واجب يسود

ومثله واجب يسود

He has led it in youth and in maturity,

And one like him is destined to rule.

And one like him must lead.

O Father of Ali, O Father Al-Walid

أبا عليٍّ أبا وليدٍ

أبا عليٍّ أبا وليدٍ

لافارقت نجمَك السعود

لافارقت نجمَك السعود

O Abu Ali, O Abu Walid,

May your star never abandon highness.

May auspicious stars never desert your star.

My song was beneath the ridge of my abode

أغنيتي تحت عقر داري

أغنيتي تحت عقر داري

وكان لي أينقُ وبيد

وكان لي أينقُ وبيد

You enriched me at the heart of my own home,

And to me belonged soft lament and hand.

And I once had she-camels and deserts.

So O son of Zann and O son of Sa’d

فيا ابن زَنٍّ ويا ابن سَعْد

فيا ابن زَنٍّ ويا ابن سَعْد

ويا ابن عكٍ وهم أسود

ويا ابن عكٍ وهم أسود

So, O son of Zann, and O son of Sa'd,

And O son of ‘Akk, for they are lions.

And O son of Akk—and they are lions—

Garb me in that which will not perish

كسوتني ما يبيد فَالْبَس

كسوتني ما يبيد فَالْبَس

مدائحاً قط لا تبيد

مدائحاً قط لا تبيد

You clothed me in what perishes; so wear

With praises never perishing.

Praises that will never perish,

Inherited in your sons, not old,

موروثة في بنيك لابل

موروثة في بنيك لابل

بينهم برْدُها جديد

بينهم برْدُها جديد

Handed down among your sons—no, rather,

Among them, its embroidery renewed.

Among them, their cloak remains new.