طالَ البِعادُ فطالَ الشَّوقُ والكَمَدُ

طالَ البِعادُ فطالَ الشَّوقُ والكَمَدُ

وقصَّرتْ هِمَّتي والصبرُ والجَلَدُ

وقصَّرتْ هِمَّتي والصبرُ والجَلَدُ

Separation has lasted long, and so have longing and grief;

The separation lengthened, so longing grew, and so did despair,

And my resolve, patience, and endurance have faltered.

My determination shortened, and patience and composure too,

يُقرِّبُ الوهمُ داراً حينَ اقصِدُها

يُقرِّبُ الوهمُ داراً حينَ اقصِدُها

يحولُ من دونِها أمرٌ فتبتعِدُ

يحولُ من دونِها أمرٌ فتبتعِدُ

Imagination draws a dwelling near when I head for it;

Imagination brings a house near when I head towards it,

An obstacle bars the way to it, and it grows distant.

But something comes between to make it recede.

لا يُمسِكُ العبدُ من حاجاتهِ بيدٍ

لا يُمسِكُ العبدُ من حاجاتهِ بيدٍ

ما لم تُساعِدْهُ من أمرِ القديرِ يَدُ

ما لم تُساعِدْهُ من أمرِ القديرِ يَدُ

No servant can lay a hand on what he needs,

No servant can grasp his needs with a hand,

Unless a hand helps him by the Almighty's command.

Unless the hand of the Almighty helps him in his matter,

وللحوائجِ أوقاتٌ بها ارتُهِنَتْ

وللحوائجِ أوقاتٌ بها ارتُهِنَتْ

كأنفُسِ النَّاسِ للآجالِ ترتَصِدُ

كأنفُسِ النَّاسِ للآجالِ ترتَصِدُ

And needs have times to which they are pledged,

Needs have times in which they are fulfilled,

Like human souls awaiting their appointed ends.

Like people's souls lie in wait for their deadlines.

اليومَ يا ناقتي النيروزُ مرَّ بنا

اليومَ يا ناقتي النيروزُ مرَّ بنا

في شهرِ تمُّوزَ لا بَرْدٌ ولا بَرَدُ

في شهرِ تمُّوزَ لا بَرْدٌ ولا بَرَدُ

Today, O my she-camel, Nowruz has come our way,

Today, my she-camel, New Year passed by us

In the month of Tammuz, with neither cold nor hail.

In July, no cold or cold wind,

جِدِّي ولا تشتكي من سَيرِنا تعباً

جِدِّي ولا تشتكي من سَيرِنا تعباً

فسوف تَرتاحُ منا الرُّوحُ والجَسدُ

فسوف تَرتاحُ منا الرُّوحُ والجَسدُ

Press on, and do not complain of weariness from our journey,

Be serious and do not complain of fatigue from our journey,

Then both our soul and body will rest.

For the soul and body will soon rest from us.

هذا هوَ الغربُ لاحَ النَّيِّرَانِ بهِ

هذا هوَ الغربُ لاحَ النَّيِّرَانِ بهِ

فذاكَ شَرْقٌ عليهِ النَّاسُ تَعتمِدُ

فذاكَ شَرْقٌ عليهِ النَّاسُ تَعتمِدُ

This is the west, where the two luminaries have shone;

That is the west, fires lit up in it,

Thus that is an east on which people rely.

And that is the east, people depend on it,

من حَيدَرٍ ملحمٌ قد قامَ فيهِ لنا

من حَيدَرٍ ملحمٌ قد قامَ فيهِ لنا

يا حبَّذا والِدٌ يا حبذا وَلَدُ

يا حبَّذا والِدٌ يا حبذا وَلَدُ

From Haydar, Mulhim has arisen there for us;

From Haider, heros have risen for us,

Oh, what an excellent father! Oh, what an excellent son!

Blessed be such a father, blessed be such a son!

هما الأميرانِ من قومٍ إمارَتُهُم

هما الأميرانِ من قومٍ إمارَتُهُم

من عَهْدِ عادٍ ومَن مِن قبلهِ عُهِدُوا

من عَهْدِ عادٍ ومَن مِن قبلهِ عُهِدُوا

They are the two princes, of a people whose princely rule

They are the two princes of a people whose leadership

Dates from the age of ʿAd and those known before it.

Goes back to the era of ‘Aad and even before them,

كلاهما قائِمٌ باللهِ معتَصِمٌ

كلاهما قائِمٌ باللهِ معتَصِمٌ

بحولِهِ ناصِرٌ للحقِّ مُعْتَضِدُ

بحولِهِ ناصِرٌ للحقِّ مُعْتَضِدُ

Each stands firm in God, holding fast

Each steadfast for God, holding on to Him,

To His might, championing truth and drawing strength.

Supporting the truth, backed up in it.

قالوا رَأيناكَ تَصْبوا نحوَ دارِ بني

قالوا رَأيناكَ تَصْبوا نحوَ دارِ بني

رَسلانَ قد نطَقُوا عدْلاً بما شَهِدوا

رَسلانَ قد نطَقُوا عدْلاً بما شَهِدوا

They said, “We saw you yearning toward the house of the sons of

They said we saw you heading towards the abode of Bani,

Raslan.” They spoke justly of what they witnessed.

Raslan, they spoke justly about what they witnessed,

كُلٌّ يُحِبُّ مِنَ الدُّنيا كَرامتَهُ

كُلٌّ يُحِبُّ مِنَ الدُّنيا كَرامتَهُ

وهيَ العزيزةُ لا حيٌّ ولا بَلدُ

وهيَ العزيزةُ لا حيٌّ ولا بَلدُ

Everyone loves his own dignity in this world;

Everyone loves their own dignity in life,

And it is what is precious—not a tribe or a town.

It being precious, neither alive nor abode.

إن الصغيرَ يَرَى في نفسهِ صِغَراً

إن الصغيرَ يَرَى في نفسهِ صِغَراً

عند الكبارِ سواهم حينما يَفِدُ

عند الكبارِ سواهم حينما يَفِدُ

Indeed, a lesser man sees himself as small

The young one sees in himself only youth,

When he comes before great men other than them.

In the presence of elders when he comes to visit,

يُعطَى النَّزِيلُ مقاماً عندَهم فَيرَى

يُعطَى النَّزِيلُ مقاماً عندَهم فَيرَى

ما لم يكُنْ قبلها في نفسهِ يَجدُ

ما لم يكُنْ قبلها في نفسهِ يَجدُ

A guest is given standing among them, and sees

The guest is given a station with them, so he sees

What he had not found within himself before.

What he did not find before in himself.

هذِهْ مكارمُ أخلاقِ الكرامِ لَهُم

هذِهْ مكارمُ أخلاقِ الكرامِ لَهُم

قديمةٌ من تنوخِ الأَزدِ لا جُدُدُ

قديمةٌ من تنوخِ الأَزدِ لا جُدُدُ

These noble traits of the generous are theirs,

These are the noble manners of the generous ones,

Ancient, from Tanukh of the Azd, not new.

Ancient from the glory days of Azd, nothing new,

توَارثوها فكانَت في عشائِرِهِم

توَارثوها فكانَت في عشائِرِهِم

أغنَى الموارِيثِ لا مالٌ ولا عُدَدُ

أغنَى الموارِيثِ لا مالٌ ولا عُدَدُ

They inherited them in turn, and among their clans they became

Inheriting them, so it was in their clans,

The richest of legacies—not wealth or equipment.

The richest inheritance, neither money nor number.

صرفتُ أكثرَ شِعري في مدائِحِم

صرفتُ أكثرَ شِعري في مدائِحِم

والحَمْدُ للهِ لا زيغٌ ولا أَوَدُ

والحَمْدُ للهِ لا زيغٌ ولا أَوَدُ

I devoted most of my poetry to their praise,

I have composed most of my poetry in praising them,

And, praise be to God, there is no deviation or crookedness.

Thanks to God, no deviance nor enmity,

تُصَدِّقُ الناسُ فيهِم كلَّ مُمتَدِحٍ

تُصَدِّقُ الناسُ فيهِم كلَّ مُمتَدِحٍ

ولا يُصدِّقُ من يَغتابُهم أحَدُ

ولا يُصدِّقُ من يَغتابُهم أحَدُ

People believe everyone who praises them;

People believe every praiser of them,

And no one believes anyone who backbites them.

And no one believes one who slanders them.