في ساحةِ الحَيِّ من تَيْماءَ غزْلانُ

في ساحةِ الحَيِّ من تَيْماءَ غزْلانُ

لَهُنَّ في الخِدر لا في الغابِ أوطانُ

لَهُنَّ في الخِدر لا في الغابِ أوطانُ

In the encampment's open ground are gazelles from Tayma;

In the courtyard of the neighborhood, gazelles from Taima’

their homes are in secluded chambers, not in the woods.

Whose homes are in the tents, not in the forest

تَحمِي حِماها رِجالٌ من بني مُضَرٍ

تَحمِي حِماها رِجالٌ من بني مُضَرٍ

في السِّلمِ إنسٌ وفي يوم الوَغَى جانُ

في السِّلمِ إنسٌ وفي يوم الوَغَى جانُ

Men of Banu Mudar guard their sanctuary,

They are protected by men from the tribe of Mudar

humans in peace, and jinn on the day of battle.

Creatures in peace, and warriors in times of battle

حيٌّ طَرَقناهُ والنِيرانُ ساطعةٌ

حيٌّ طَرَقناهُ والنِيرانُ ساطعةٌ

فيهِ وللشوقِ في الأكبادِ نيرانُ

فيهِ وللشوقِ في الأكبادِ نيرانُ

An encampment we visited by night, with fires blazing

A lively one visited us, with blazing fires around

within it, while longing has fires in our livers.

And the fires of longing burning in our hearts

أمسَى يُديرُ لنا كأسَ المُدامِ فَتىً

أمسَى يُديرُ لنا كأسَ المُدامِ فَتىً

بوَجهِهِ يُهتدَى والنَّجْمُ حَيرانُ

بوَجهِهِ يُهتدَى والنَّجْمُ حَيرانُ

A youth spent the evening passing us the cup of wine;

In the evening he passes around to us the cup of wine, a young man

by his face one finds the way, while the star is bewildered.

Whose face provides guidance, though the stars are lost

في كَفِّهِ النايُ يَسقِيهِ الرُّضابَ فلا

في كَفِّهِ النايُ يَسقِيهِ الرُّضابَ فلا

تَعجَبْ إذا مالَ فيها وَهْوَ نَشْوانُ

تَعجَبْ إذا مالَ فيها وَهْوَ نَشْوانُ

In his hand is the flute; he gives it saliva to drink, so do not

In his palm is the flute on which his fingers play

marvel if it sways in his hand, intoxicated.

Do not be surprised if it sways intoxicated in his hands

قد سَخَّرَ الرِّيحَ يَنهاها ويأمُرُها

قد سَخَّرَ الرِّيحَ يَنهاها ويأمُرُها

كأنَّما هُوَ في الدُّنيا سُلَيمانُ

كأنَّما هُوَ في الدُّنيا سُلَيمانُ

He has subdued the wind, forbidding it and commanding it,

He has tamed the winds, stopping and starting them

as though he were Solomon in this world.

As if he were Solomon in this world

يا جِيرةَ الحَيِّ أنتم عُرْبُ باديةٍ

يا جِيرةَ الحَيِّ أنتم عُرْبُ باديةٍ

فكَيفَ ضاعتْ لكم في الحَيِّ جِيرانُ

فكَيفَ ضاعتْ لكم في الحَيِّ جِيرانُ

O neighbors of the encampment, you are desert Arabs;

O people of this neighborhood, you are nomads of the desert

how, then, have your neighbors come to ruin in the encampment?

So how did you end up with neighbors in this settled community?

لنا ذِمامٌ من الأسيافِ عندَكمُ

لنا ذِمامٌ من الأسيافِ عندَكمُ

ولا ذِمامَ لِمَنْ تغزُوهُ أجفانُ

ولا ذِمامَ لِمَنْ تغزُوهُ أجفانُ

We have your pledge of protection against swords,

We have the reins of swords with you all

but no protection for one whom eyelids assail.

While those you raid have no such reins on their eyelids

قِفُوا اسمَعُوا اليومَ ما أنشا لنا ولكم

قِفُوا اسمَعُوا اليومَ ما أنشا لنا ولكم

مَنْ كُلَّ يومٍ لهُ في خَلْقِهُ شانُ

مَنْ كُلَّ يومٍ لهُ في خَلْقِهُ شانُ

Halt! Hear today what He has brought forth for us and you—

Stop! Listen today to what I composed for us and you

He who each day is at work among His creation.

He who each day has a special status in His creation

أنشا لنا اللهُ شَخصاً من عَشائِرِكم

أنشا لنا اللهُ شَخصاً من عَشائِرِكم

لهُ إيادٌ أبٌ والجَدُّ قَحْطانُ

لهُ إيادٌ أبٌ والجَدُّ قَحْطانُ

God has brought forth for us a man from your clans;

God has created for us someone from your tribes

Iyad is his father, and Qahtan his grandfather.

Whose lineage goes back to Iyad and Aba and to Qahtan of old

أعطاهُ حاتمُ إرثَ الجُودِ مَكرُمةً

أعطاهُ حاتمُ إرثَ الجُودِ مَكرُمةً

والحِلمَ مَعْنٌ وجاهَ المُلكِ نُعمانُ

والحِلمَ مَعْنٌ وجاهَ المُلكِ نُعمانُ

Hatim bestowed on him the legacy of generosity as a noble gift,

Hatem endowed him with the inheritance of generosity

and Ma'n forbearance, and Nu'man the prestige of kingship.

And the forbearance of Ma'n and the glory of king Nu’man

وَهْوَ الرَّبيعُ وقَيسٌ في نَباهتِهِ

وَهْوَ الرَّبيعُ وقَيسٌ في نَباهتِهِ

وفي فَصاحتهِ قُسٌّ وسَحْبانُ

وفي فَصاحتهِ قُسٌّ وسَحْبانُ

And he is al-Rabi' and Qays in his distinction,

He is the spring, like Qais in his vitality

and, in his eloquence, Quss and Sahban.

And in his eloquence, like Quss and Sahbaan

إنْ جُزتَ في غَربِ لُبنانَ الخَصيبِ فقُلْ

إنْ جُزتَ في غَربِ لُبنانَ الخَصيبِ فقُلْ

يا آلَ رَسلانَ ها قد قامَ رسلانُ

يا آلَ رَسلانَ ها قد قامَ رسلانُ

If you pass through the west of fertile Lebanon, say:

If you pass through fertile western Lebanon, say

O house of Raslan, behold: Raslan has arisen!

O family of Raslan, behold, Raslan has arisen!

إن لم يكُنْ شخصَهُ قد عادَ منتشراً

إن لم يكُنْ شخصَهُ قد عادَ منتشراً

فمجدهُ عادَ حيّا وهْوَ رَيَّانُ

فمجدهُ عادَ حيّا وهْوَ رَيَّانُ

If he himself has not returned, risen from the dead,

If his person has not returned and become widespread

then his glory has returned alive and well-watered.

Then his glory has returned alive and flourishing

شادَ الأمينُ بِناءَ المجدِ فارتَفَعَتْ

شادَ الأمينُ بِناءَ المجدِ فارتَفَعَتْ

عِمادُهُ واستقامَتْ منهُ أركانُ

عِمادُهُ واستقامَتْ منهُ أركانُ

Al-Amin raised the edifice of glory, and up rose

The Trustworthy One constructed the edifice of glory, so its

its pillars, and its cornerstones stood firm.

Pillars rose up straight and secure

فإنْ بَنَى الدَّارَ في أرضٍ فعادتُهُ

فإنْ بَنَى الدَّارَ في أرضٍ فعادتُهُ

في ذِرْوَةِ الأفْقِِ تأسيسٌ وبُنيانُ

في ذِرْوَةِ الأفْقِِ تأسيسٌ وبُنيانُ

For if he builds a house on earth, his custom is

If he built his house on a parcel of land, its peak

to lay foundations and build at the horizon's summit.

Is establishment and construction at the horizon’s highest point

قد شادَها كَعْبةً للوَفْدِ في حَرَمٍ

قد شادَها كَعْبةً للوَفْدِ في حَرَمٍ

للمُلَتجينَ بهِ للحَقِّ مِيزانُ

للمُلَتجينَ بهِ للحَقِّ مِيزانُ

He has raised it as a Kaaba for delegations, within a sanctuary

He erected it like the Kaaba, a haven for pilgrims in a sacred precinct

for those seeking refuge; within it stands a balance for justice.

For those yearning for truth and justice

في جَنَّةٍ تَحتَها الأنهارُ طافحةٌ

في جَنَّةٍ تَحتَها الأنهارُ طافحةٌ

تَجري وفي بابها المَيمونِ رِضْوانُ

تَجري وفي بابها المَيمونِ رِضْوانُ

In a garden beneath which brimming rivers

In a garden underneath which rivers flow abundantly

flow, and at its auspicious gate is Ridwan.

And near its gate of good fortune flows contentment

من قَصْرِ غُمدانَ مِحرابٌ لها وبها

من قَصْرِ غُمدانَ مِحرابٌ لها وبها

من صُنعِ كِسرَى أنُوشِروانَ إيوانُ

من صُنعِ كِسرَى أنُوشِروانَ إيوانُ

It has a lofty chamber from Ghumdan Palace, and within it

From his Ghumdan Palace is a prayer niche, and in it

is a vaulted hall made by Kisra Anushirwan.

Are arches built with the craft of Anushirwan of Persia

وفَوقَها نُورُ صافي القَلبِ خُطَّ بهِ

وفَوقَها نُورُ صافي القَلبِ خُطَّ بهِ

ما خَطَّ في اللَوحِ ذو النُّورين عثُمانُ

ما خَطَّ في اللَوحِ ذو النُّورين عثُمانُ

And above it is the pure-hearted one's light, with which was inscribed

And above it shines the light of one pure of heart, inscribed with

what Uthman, Possessor of the Two Lights, wrote on the tablet.

What the Possessor of Two Lights inscribed on the Tablet

هذا الأميرُ الذي للأمرِ في يَدِهِ

هذا الأميرُ الذي للأمرِ في يَدِهِ

أزِمَّةٌ ولعُنقِ الدَّهرِ أرسانُ

أزِمَّةٌ ولعُنقِ الدَّهرِ أرسانُ

This is the prince: for affairs he holds in his hand

This Prince who holds power over all affairs

reins, and for the neck of Time, halters.

Is the halter of fate and the saddle of time

إن كانَ يُعطي وزيرٌ غَيرَهُ رُتَباً

إن كانَ يُعطي وزيرٌ غَيرَهُ رُتَباً

مِنَ الوُلاةِ فقد أعطاهُ سُلطانُ

مِنَ الوُلاةِ فقد أعطاهُ سُلطانُ

If a minister grants ranks to others besides him

If a minister gives others positions

among the governors, then a sultan has granted him his.

Of governors, the Sultan has granted him authority

مَولىً يَسودُ على الساداتِ خاضعةً

مَولىً يَسودُ على الساداتِ خاضعةً

لأمرهِ أوجُهٌ منها وأعيانُ

لأمرهِ أوجُهٌ منها وأعيانُ

A lord who rules over lords; submissive

A lord who rules over submissive nobles

to his command are faces and notables among them.

Their chieftains obedient to his command

راضَ الصِّعابَ التي انقادَتَ فكانَ لهُ

راضَ الصِّعابَ التي انقادَتَ فكانَ لهُ

في القَفرِ والبَحرِ بُستانٌ ومَيْدانُ

في القَفرِ والبَحرِ بُستانٌ ومَيْدانُ

He tamed the unruly, which yielded, and so he had

He tamed the rugged lands that bowed down before him

in the wilderness and the sea a garden and an arena.

So he came to possess in the deserts and seas, gardens and fields

ليسَ الشُّجاعُ الذي انقادَ الجَبانُ لهُ

ليسَ الشُّجاعُ الذي انقادَ الجَبانُ لهُ

إنَّ الشُّجاعَ الذي طاعتهُ شُجعانُ

إنَّ الشُّجاعَ الذي طاعتهُ شُجعانُ

The brave man is not one to whom a coward submits;

The brave one is not he who makes cowards obey him

indeed, the brave man is one whom brave men obey.

Rather, the brave one is he whom brave men obey

وفارسُ الخيلِ من خاضَ العَجاجَ بها

وفارسُ الخيلِ من خاضَ العَجاجَ بها

وحولَهُ من كُماةِ القَومِ فُرسانُ

وحولَهُ من كُماةِ القَومِ فُرسانُ

And the horseman is he who plunges through the dust on horseback,

And the horseman of steeds is one who plunges into the fray with them

with horsemen from among the people's champions around him.

While the champions of the people surround him as horsemen

يا أيُّها الجبَلُ الرَّاسي على جَبَلٍ

يا أيُّها الجبَلُ الرَّاسي على جَبَلٍ

فخراً فأنتَ على لُبنانَ لُبنانُ

فخراً فأنتَ على لُبنانَ لُبنانُ

O mountain standing firm upon a mountain

O mountain, steadfast upon a mountain, pride of Lebanon upon Lebanon!

in pride! For you are a Lebanon above Lebanon.

For me, you alone are a compendium in which I composed

لي فيكَ وحدَكَ دِيوانٌ نَظَمتُ بهِ

لي فيكَ وحدَكَ دِيوانٌ نَظَمتُ بهِ

مدحاً وفي مَدحِ باقي الناسِ ديوانُ

مدحاً وفي مَدحِ باقي الناسِ ديوانُ

I have a collection devoted to you alone, in which I composed

Praise – while for praising the rest of mankind, there is another compendium

praise, and another collection in praise of the rest of mankind.

For you are, to me, half of the people, and what a wonder!

فأنتَ عِنديَ نِصفُ النَّاس وا عجَبا

فأنتَ عِنديَ نِصفُ النَّاس وا عجَبا

إن كانَ يُحسَبُ نِصفَ النَّاسِ إنسانُ

إن كانَ يُحسَبُ نِصفَ النَّاسِ إنسانُ

So, to me, you are half of mankind—oh, what a wonder,

If half the people can be considered just one human

if one human being is reckoned half of mankind!