سَقَتْك الغوادي يا طلول سعادِ

سَقَتْك الغوادي يا طلول سعادِ

وجادك منها كلُّ أسحم غادي

وجادك منها كلُّ أسحم غادي

May the morning showers water you, O ruins of Suʿad,

The valleys have led you, O Talool, to happiness,

and may every dark morning cloud among them drench you.

And every smooth, flowing stream has granted you gifts.

لئن خان أهلُ البان أهلك ذمتي

لئن خان أهلُ البان أهلك ذمتي

وعهدي فإني لم أخُنْكِ وُدادي

وعهدي فإني لم أخُنْكِ وُدادي

Though the people of al-Ban—your people—betrayed my covenant

If the people of the valleys have betrayed their word to you,

and my pledge, I have not betrayed you in my affection.

Then my promise and loyalty have not betrayed our love.

وإن غبت عن عيني وقد كنتِ نورُها

وإن غبت عن عيني وقد كنتِ نورُها

فإنّك مِنْ قلبي مكانَ سَوادي

فإنّك مِنْ قلبي مكانَ سَوادي

And though you are absent from my eye, whose light you once were,

And if you’ve been absent from my eyes, though once their light,

you occupy the dark core of my heart.

In my heart you remain, where darkness resides.

فأين ثوت في البان سُعدي وأهلها

فأين ثوت في البان سُعدي وأهلها

وأني حديَ منها الركائب حادي

وأني حديَ منها الركائب حادي

Where, then, in al-Ban have Suʿda and her people settled?

So where are you settled in the valleys, my joy and its people?

And whither has a camel-driver urged the mounts away from her?

And me, urging the riding beasts away.

وإن رقدتْ بعدي وطال مَنامها

وإن رقدتْ بعدي وطال مَنامها

لقد حَرُمَتْ عيني لذيذَ رُقادي

لقد حَرُمَتْ عيني لذيذَ رُقادي

And though she sleeps in my absence, and her sleep is long,

And if after me you fall into a lengthy slumber,

my eye has been denied the sweetness of my sleep.

My eyes are deprived of sweet sleep.

وَمَنْ لي يزور الطيفُ منها لوانّه

وَمَنْ لي يزور الطيفُ منها لوانّه

برحْلي أو يزورُ وسادي

برحْلي أو يزورُ وسادي

And who will grant me a visit from her dream-phantom—if only it

And who will visit me in apparition, his shape,

were at my camp, or would visit my pillow!

At my encampment, or upon my pillow?

لَعْمري لقد عاديت فيها أصادقي

لَعْمري لقد عاديت فيها أصادقي

وصادقت في حبي لتلك أعادي

وصادقت في حبي لتلك أعادي

By my life, for her sake I have turned against my friends,

By my life, in you I've made enemies of friends

and, in my love for that woman, befriended my enemies.

And befriended, in my love for you, enemies.

وما أنا ممن يجحد الحب جسمَه

وما أنا ممن يجحد الحب جسمَه

بل الغيّ غيي والرشادُ رشادي

بل الغيّ غيي والرشادُ رشادي

I am not one who withholds his body from love;

I'm not one to deny love its substance;

rather, the folly is my folly, and right guidance my guidance.

Rather, love leads me, and guidance guides me.

يقولون لي أفْسَدت عفّتَك الرُّنَا

يقولون لي أفْسَدت عفّتَك الرُّنَا

وأيّ صلاحٍ لو دَرَوُه فسادي

وأيّ صلاحٍ لو دَرَوُه فسادي

They tell me, 'Lingering gazes have ruined your chastity';

They say to me "Passion has corrupted your chastity."

yet what virtue my corruption is—if only they knew it!

But what good is soundness if it breeds decay?

علامَ أَحثُّ الباخلين على الندى

علامَ أَحثُّ الباخلين على الندى

وجُودُ سُهيل بالعُفاة يُنادي

وجُودُ سُهيل بالعُفاة يُنادي

Why should I urge the misers toward generosity,

Why drive the stingy to be generous

when Suhayl's bounty calls to those who seek gifts?

While Suhayl's magnanimity calls out to the destitute?

وعندي من سَعْدِ بن بنتِ بن نهشل

وعندي من سَعْدِ بن بنتِ بن نهشل

جوادٌ حَثَى في وجهِ كلِّ جَواد

جوادٌ حَثَى في وجهِ كلِّ جَواد

And in Saʿd, son of the daughter of Nahshal's son, I have

From Saʿd son of Bint Bin Nahshal I have

a generous man who has flung dust in every generous man's face.

A steed that surpasses all other steeds in speed.

حياضُ أبي عثمان أعذبُ موردٍ

حياضُ أبي عثمان أعذبُ موردٍ

ونادي أبي عثمان أخصَبُ نادي

ونادي أبي عثمان أخصَبُ نادي

Abu ʿUthman's pools are the sweetest watering-place,

The meadows of Abi Uthman are the sweetest springs,

and Abu ʿUthman's gathering-place the most fertile gathering-place.

And the plains of Abi Uthman are the most verdant meadows.

وإنّ السماحَ النّاصحيّ لكافلٌ

وإنّ السماحَ النّاصحيّ لكافلٌ

برزق الورى من حاضرين وباد

برزق الورى من حاضرين وباد

And Nasihi generosity surely guarantees

Indeed, the generous adviser Al-Kāfil

the livelihood of humankind, settled folk and desert-dwellers.

Provides the world its fortune through presence and absence

ألَيسَ الذي أحيالعكٍ فخارَها

ألَيسَ الذي أحيالعكٍ فخارَها

وأرغم عنْهَا أنفَ كلّ معاد

وأرغم عنْهَا أنفَ كلّ معاد

Is he not the one who revived ʿAkk's pride

Is he not the one who restored Al-ʿAkk's pride

and, on her behalf, ground every enemy's nose into dust,

And humbled all who envied it?

وقامَ بأعباء العشائِر وحدَه

وقامَ بأعباء العشائِر وحدَه

وسَدَّ ثغور الحيّ أيّ سَداد

وسَدَّ ثغور الحيّ أيّ سَداد

who bore the burdens of the clans alone

He took on alone the burdens of the tribes

and sealed the tribe's breaches—how securely?

And fortified the walls of the living with firmness.

رفيع عماد البيت منها ولم يكن

رفيع عماد البيت منها ولم يكن

ليرفعٌ بيتٌ فوق غير عماد

ليرفعٌ بيتٌ فوق غير عماد

The pillar of his house stands high among them; never could

He raised the pillar of the house from there, though no house

a house be raised upon anything but a pillar.

Could be raised without a pillar.

فتىَ ليس يُبطي الزاد من دون ضيفه

فتىَ ليس يُبطي الزاد من دون ضيفه

إذا أبطأتْ أيدي الرجال بِزاد

إذا أبطأتْ أيدي الرجال بِزاد

A young man who never holds food back from his guest,

A man who does not stint in providing for a guest

when men's hands are slow to offer provisions.

When men's hands lag in provisions -

يَرُدُّ هَوادي الخيل عاملُ رمحِه

يَرُدُّ هَوادي الخيل عاملُ رمحِه

فتحسبُها كانت بغير هوادي

فتحسبُها كانت بغير هوادي

The forepart of his spear turns back the horses' necks,

His practiced spear returns the stampeding horses

so you would think they had never had necks.

Till you'd think they stampeded without a herder.

ولا يرتضي الأفعال غيرَ كريمةٍ

ولا يرتضي الأفعال غيرَ كريمةٍ

ولا يركبُ الأهوالَ غيرَ شداد

ولا يركبُ الأهوالَ غيرَ شداد

And he approves of none but noble deeds,

He accepts no deed but honorable

and rides into none but the fiercest terrors.

And mounts no terror but boldly.

تَيَمَمْ فنا السوح السُهَيْلي تَلْقه

تَيَمَمْ فنا السوح السُهَيْلي تَلْقه

وما شِئْتَ من جودٍ به وجِيَاد

وما شِئْتَ من جودٍ به وجِيَاد

Make for the forecourt of the Suhayli precincts; you will find him,

He frequented Al-Suhayli's lofty plains; receive him there

and, with him, whatever bounty and fine steeds you desire,

With whatever bounty you have, and steeds.

بحيث الجفانُ الغُرمَن حول مثلها

بحيث الجفانُ الغُرمَن حول مثلها

وحيثُ الصِّعادُ السمر حولَ صِعاد

وحيثُ الصِّعادُ السمر حولَ صِعاد

where gleaming bowls surround others like them,

Where the reddened swords surround their like,

and where brown lances stand around other lances,

And the brownish blades their counterparts.

وحيثُ وفودُ الحمد قد شمل الغنى

وحيثُ وفودُ الحمد قد شمل الغنى

جَميعَهم من رايحين وغادي

جَميعَهم من رايحين وغادي

and where wealth has embraced the delegations of praise,

Where delegations of praise encompass bounty,

all of them, evening-goers and morning-goers alike.

All those departing and arriving.

وأبلجُ من عدنان تُرْبُ بلاده

وأبلجُ من عدنان تُرْبُ بلاده

تُقبِّله سُكانُ كلِّ بلاد

تُقبِّله سُكانُ كلِّ بلاد

And a radiant-faced man of ʿAdnan, whose homeland's soil

I see more radiant than ʿAdnān's progeny

is kissed by the inhabitants of every land,

Are the lands he inhabits, kissed by every land's inhabitants.

حمُّ على القُربَى حليم عن الأذى

حمُّ على القُربَى حليم عن الأذى

معيد لاِفعالِ المودةش باد

معيد لاِفعالِ المودةش باد

devoted to kinship, forbearing in the face of harm,

He safeguards kin, is gentle despite injury,

one who renews and initiates deeds of affection.

Renewing the acts of affection that have passed.

بقيتَ لنا لاَ بَلْ وُقِيت من الردى

بقيتَ لنا لاَ بَلْ وُقِيت من الردى

وعِشتَ أخَا عِز بغير نفاد

وعِشتَ أخَا عِز بغير نفاد

May you remain for us—no, rather, be guarded against death,

You remain for us - no, you are preserved from harm -

and live as honor's brother, without end.

And live on, a pillar of glory without crumbling.

ولا زلت بل لا زلت رَبَّ مَراتبٍ

ولا زلت بل لا زلت رَبَّ مَراتبٍ

وربُّ يدٍ مَبْسُوطةٍ وأيادي

وربُّ يدٍ مَبْسُوطةٍ وأيادي

And may you not depart—rather, never cease to be lord of high stations,

You still are - no, you still are - atop ranks,

and lord of an outstretched hand and favors.

Master of hands: open, generous.

فأنت ربيعي لا الربيعَ الذي همَى

فأنت ربيعي لا الربيعَ الذي همَى

وأنت مرادي لا الظَبا مرادي

وأنت مرادي لا الظَبا مرادي

For you are my spring, not the spring that poured down rain,

So you are my springtime, not the spring that has vanished,

and you are my desire; the gazelles are not my desire.

And you are my wish, not the gazelle of my wishes.