أما والخيامُ المشرفاتُ على الحِمَى

أما والخيامُ المشرفاتُ على الحِمَى

ومن حَلّ في تلك الخيامِ وخيمّاَ

ومن حَلّ في تلك الخيامِ وخيمّاَ

Ah, by the tents overlooking the protected pasture,

Though the pavilions overlooking the fevered grounds,

And whoever dwelt in those tents and pitched camp,

And whoever pitched his tent in those grounds encamped,

وحيّ بنجدٍ كنتُ آلفُ وصلَهم

وحيّ بنجدٍ كنتُ آلفُ وصلَهم

وعيش بنجدَ كان لي قد تصرّ ما

وعيش بنجدَ كان لي قد تصرّ ما

And a clan in Najd whose company I once cherished,

And though I was wont the love of the Bani Asad,

And a life in Najd that was mine, now ended:

And lived the life of ease in their Najd,

لقد زادني سُقماً سقامُ جفونهم

لقد زادني سُقماً سقامُ جفونهم

ومَا سقمتْ ها تلك إلاّ لأسقما

ومَا سقمتْ ها تلك إلاّ لأسقما

The languor of their eyelids has increased my sickness,

Their languid eyelids increased my sickness upon sickness,

And those very eyelids grew languid only that I might sicken.

And I fell not sick, but that they might fall sick as well.

وأرْدفنَ أعضائي روادفهم ضنىَّ

وأرْدفنَ أعضائي روادفهم ضنىَّ

ففي أزرهم ري وفي كبدي ظما

ففي أزرهم ري وفي كبدي ظما

Their haunches added wasting sickness to my limbs;

Their litters jostled my limbs when we parted,

Their waist-wraps hold fullness, while my liver holds thirst.

So in their wrap I had but wind, while in my heart a blaze raged.

وفيهم أناةُ الخطو مُخْطَفِة الحشا

وفيهم أناةُ الخطو مُخْطَفِة الحشا

تريك فغيماً في النصيف وأهضما

تريك فغيماً في النصيف وأهضما

Among them is one slow of step and slender of waist,

The pace of their mounts was snatched by fate,

Showing you fullness beneath her veil and a slender waist.

Making you see a rain cloud in thin air followed by pitch darkness,

غداقيّةُ شعْراً سُلاَفيّةٌ لمَا

غداقيّةُ شعْراً سُلاَفيّةٌ لمَا

صُباحيِة وجهاً أقاحيّةٌ فمَا

صُباحيِة وجهاً أقاحيّةٌ فمَا

Raven-black in hair, wine-like in the darkness of her lips,

Their hair pouring down, their faces Sabaean,

Dawn-bright of face, chrysanthemum-like of mouth.

Radiant in the morning, sharp of glance,

أنارب لنا وجهاً وجنَّت ذوائبا

أنارب لنا وجهاً وجنَّت ذوائبا

وما الحُسْنُ إلاّ مَا أنار وأظلمَا

وما الحُسْنُ إلاّ مَا أنار وأظلمَا

She lit up her face for us and darkened her tresses;

Lighting a face for us, their tresses flowing freely,

Beauty is nothing but what shines and what grows dark.

For beauty is naught but that which illuminates or shades.

ولما رَمَتْنَا عن قسيّ جُفونِهَا

ولما رَمَتْنَا عن قسيّ جُفونِهَا

فدَيْنا يَدَ الرامي إلينا وَمَا رَمَى

فدَيْنا يَدَ الرامي إلينا وَمَا رَمَى

When she shot at us from the bows of her eyelids,

And when we shot glances at the hardness of their eyes,

We ransomed the hand of the archer shooting at us, and what he shot.

We ransomed the hand that shot arrows at us, though it shot naught.

أجارَتنا لا تُهملي لي مَا مَضى

أجارَتنا لا تُهملي لي مَا مَضى

ولا تُنْكُري ذاك الودادَ المقدما

ولا تُنْكُري ذاك الودادَ المقدما

O our neighbor, do not neglect, for my sake, what has passed,

Protect me, disregard not what has passed between us,

Nor deny that affection offered long ago.

Nor deny the affection that was presented aforetime,

ولا تسمعي فيَّ الحَسُودُ وإن وَشى

ولا تسمعي فيَّ الحَسُودُ وإن وَشى

فما وُهّمَ الإنسانُ إلاَّ توَهّمَاً

فما وُهّمَ الإنسانُ إلاَّ توَهّمَاً

Do not heed the envier against me, even if he slanders,

And heed not the slanderer, though he whisper in your ear,

For no one is prompted to suspect without becoming suspicious.

Man imagines nothing but phantoms of his own making.

وإني لنحَّاتُ الكلام وعسَّافُ الظلام

وإني لنحَّاتُ الكلام وعسَّافُ الظلام

ومُنضى العيس في الميس سُهَّمَا

ومُنضى العيس في الميس سُهَّمَا

I am indeed a carver of words and a bold traveler through darkness,

Lo, I sculpt words and saddle obscurity,

And one who wears pale camels gaunt as they sway along.

Unsheathing the sword in battle, drowned in my own blood.

ومَا أمْدحُ الأجوادَ إلاّ لجودِهم

ومَا أمْدحُ الأجوادَ إلاّ لجودِهم

وما أخدمَ الساداتِ إلاّ لأِخدما

وما أخدمَ الساداتِ إلاّ لأِخدما

I praise the generous only for their generosity,

And I praise the generous only for their generosity,

And serve the lords only that I may be served.

And I serve the mighty only that I might serve.

ومالي وأهلِ الغور أطلبُ رفدهم

ومالي وأهلِ الغور أطلبُ رفدهم

وفي اشيح بَحْرٌ إذا زرته طمى

وفي اشيح بَحْرٌ إذا زرته طمى

What have I to do with the lowlanders, seeking their bounty,

Why would I seek the inadequate gifts of the vulgar

When in Ashih is a sea that surges whenever I visit it?

When the sea of Al-Saifi is at flood if I visit it?

ومَا زال مَغْنَى راشد بن مطفر بن مسعودٍ

ومَا زال مَغْنَى راشد بن مطفر بن مسعودٍ

مَغنىً للعُفاةِ وَمَغْنَما

مَغنىً للعُفاةِ وَمَغْنَما

The dwelling of Rashid ibn Muzaffar ibn Mas‘ud has always been

Ever shall the song of Rashid remain unsullied,

A home for seekers of bounty and a place of gain.

A song for the destitute, and plunder shared.

أأنتَجِعُ الأوشالَ في كل بلدة

أأنتَجِعُ الأوشالَ في كل بلدة

وأترك كفاً كالسحابِ إذا همى

وأترك كفاً كالسحابِ إذا همى

Should I seek scant trickles in every town,

Shall I seek rest in every land from all its evils,

And leave a hand like the clouds when they pour?

And leave a raincloud when it promises rain?

وأنوي لغير إبنِ المظفرِ حاجة

وأنوي لغير إبنِ المظفرِ حاجة

وما كل خلق الله أن سِيْل أنْعَمَا

وما كل خلق الله أن سِيْل أنْعَمَا

And turn with a need to someone other than Ibn al-Muzaffar,

Shall I court another besides the son of Muzaffar,

When not every creature of God bestows favors when asked?

When not all of God's creation can be like a torrent of bounty?

لقد ملأتْ عرضَ البلاد هِبَاتُه

لقد ملأتْ عرضَ البلاد هِبَاتُه

وأنجدَ حسنَ الذكرِ عنه واتهما

وأنجدَ حسنَ الذكرِ عنه واتهما

His gifts have filled the breadth of the land,

His gifts filled the horizons from end to end,

And his good renown has reached Najd and Tihamah.

And his good name rang out in Hijaz accused or praised.

وجاد أبو المهدي من شد أزره

وجاد أبو المهدي من شد أزره

وأنعم إنعامَ السحابِ وأرْغما

وأنعم إنعامَ السحابِ وأرْغما

Abu al-Mahdi gave generously to whoever strengthened his back,

The father of El-Muhdi strained his generosity,

Bestowed favors like the clouds, and humbled his foes.

Bestowing gifts like the rain cloud, bountiful and proud.

وشاد لسنحان بنِ عمرو مراتبا

وشاد لسنحان بنِ عمرو مراتبا

على الشهب يأبى الله أن يتهدما

على الشهب يأبى الله أن يتهدما

He raised for Sanhan ibn ‘Amr ranks

And he built up the position of Sinan ibn Imru El-Qais,

Above the bright stars, which God will not let fall.

To heights which God has made too lofty to destroy.

سريعُ إلى الداعي سريع إلى الوغى

سريعُ إلى الداعي سريع إلى الوغى

فإن شِئتَ مطعَانا وإن شئت مطعما

فإن شِئتَ مطعَانا وإن شئت مطعما

Swift to answer the caller, swift to battle,

Swift to answer the supplicant, swift to war,

If you wish, a mighty lancer; if you wish, a giver of food.

A piercing blade if you wished, a feast if you wished.

دع البرمكيين الذين تقدموا

دع البرمكيين الذين تقدموا

فكلهم أرضٌ وأنت لهم سَمَا

فكلهم أرضٌ وأنت لهم سَمَا

Leave aside the Barmakids who came before,

Leave the boasting Umawis, those who went before,

For they are all earth, and you are their sky.

For all are but dust, while you are the sky.

ولا تَعْجَبَنْ من ذكر كعبِ بن مَامَةٍ

ولا تَعْجَبَنْ من ذكر كعبِ بن مَامَةٍ

فما زلت أندى منه كفاً وأكرَما

فما زلت أندى منه كفاً وأكرَما

Do not marvel at mention of Ka‘b ibn Mamah,

And marvel not at the mention of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr,

For your hand has always been more generous than his, and you more noble.

For my palm is more generous and noble than his.

لِئَن جئت في أثارهم فمحمدٌ

لِئَن جئت في أثارهم فمحمدٌ

أتى أخِراً في الأنبيْاءِ مُقدّما

أتى أخِراً في الأنبيْاءِ مُقدّما

Even if you came in their wake, Muhammad

If I walk in their footsteps, Muhammad

Came last among the prophets, yet foremost.

Though last of the prophets, was also the first.

تَدَارَكْ من الأيام وتَرِى فإنني

تَدَارَكْ من الأيام وتَرِى فإنني

لقيت من الأيام خطباً عَرَمَرما

لقيت من الأيام خطباً عَرَمَرما

Redress the wrong time has done me, for I

The fates take turns, and you will yet see,

Have suffered at time's hands an overwhelming calamity.

I have borne grave tidings and great pain.

ومَا ارتجى خلقاً سواك بحاجتي

ومَا ارتجى خلقاً سواك بحاجتي

أأطلبُ من غير الكرامِ تكرَما

أأطلبُ من غير الكرامِ تكرَما

I look to no creature but you to meet my need.

I sought no man's aid but yours in my strait,

Should I seek generosity from anyone but the noble?

Shall I seek less than nobility from the noble?

ومن ذا الذي يبغي طبيباً لِدائه

ومن ذا الذي يبغي طبيباً لِدائه

وقد لاحَ لي وجه المسيح بن مريما

وقد لاحَ لي وجه المسيح بن مريما

Who would seek a physician for his ailment,

Who asks a physician to cure his ills,

When the face of the Messiah, son of Mary, has appeared to me?

When the face of Jesus son of Mary has appeared to me?

فعمُرّت للدنيا جمالاً وللورى

فعمُرّت للدنيا جمالاً وللورى

غياثاً وللهيجاء ليثا غشمشما

غياثاً وللهيجاء ليثا غشمشما

May you live long, an adornment to the world and, for humankind,

You brought the world beauty, the faith relief,

A source of succor, and in battle a fierce, fearless lion.

To the terrified, a bold lion who defends.