دِمَنُ الدارِ دُثورَ
لَيسَ فيهِنَّ مُحيرُ
The dwelling's traces are effaced;
The abodes are desolate,
no one in them answers.
In them there is no confusion,
بَلِيَت مِنها المَغاني
مِثلَما تَبلى السُطورُ
Their dwelling places have worn away,
The songs have worn out in them,
as written lines wear away.
As lines of poetry wear out.
قَسَمَ البَينَ عَلَيهنْ
نَ رَواحٌ وَبُكورُ
Parting was apportioned among them
Separation has divided among them,
by evening and morning,
Spirits and early mornings,
وَلَيالٍ ساجِياتٍ
نامَ عَنهُنَّ السَميرُ
and by still, silent nights
And nights conversing,
through which the night companion slept, heedless.
While the night companion sleeps.
فَطَوَت أَخبِيَةَ الحَيْ
يِ كَما يُطوى الحَبيرُ
Then they folded up the tribe's tents,
So they folded the tent of life,
as brocade is folded.
As silk is folded.
فَاِستَجَرَّتهُم فَدَوَّت
مِن نَوى البَينِ جَرورُ
Then it dragged them off, and there thundered
They dragged them and ran away,
a sweeping force from distant parting.
From the intent of separation furious.
وَبِعَينَيكَ حُمولُ الْ
حيِّ وَالبَينُ الشَطيرِ
Before your eyes are the laden camels of the
And in your eyes the burdens of life,
tribe, and far-reaching separation,
And separation is quick.
كَذُرا النَخلِ أَشاعَت
زَهوَها الريحُ الدَبورُ
like palm-crowns whose
Like palm branches they displayed
ripening fruit the west wind scattered.
Their beauty as the winds blew.
خُلِّفَت بِالدارِ حورٌ
وَغَدَت في الظُعنِ حورُ
Fair-eyed beasts were left at the dwelling,
Left behind in the abode are maidens,
and fair-eyed women left at dawn with the caravans.
Who in the loops became maidens.
بُدِّلا ما اِستُبدِلَ الدا
ئِرُ فيها وَالمُديرُ
Both were exchanged—what a change for the one
Changing what the revolving one changed in it,
who roams there, and the one who leads!
And the resident.
نُفَّرٌ مُستَجفِلاتٌ
لَم تُرَبِّبها الخُدورُ
Skittish creatures, easily startled,
Scattered are disgusted ones,
whom curtained chambers never reared.
Not disciplined by manners.
رُبَّما أَعتَسِفُ العي
سَ أُسَدّي وَأَسيرُ
Often I take the pale camels across trackless ground,
Sometimes I visit the family,
traveling through the night and journeying on,
Arriving unexpectedly and stealthily moving.
وَأَزورُ الكاعِبَ الخَو
دَ تُواريها السُتورُ
and visit the full-breasted young maiden,
And I visit the lonely ruins,
tender, and concealed by curtains,
Hidden by the curtains.
إِذ عُيونُ الدارِ صورٌ
وَإِذا الجيرَةُ خيرُ
when the dwelling's watching eyes are averted,
For the eyes of the abode are pictures,
and when the neighbors are kindly.
And the neighbor is good.
إِعذِلي إِنَّ سَفاهاً
مِن كَبيرٍ لَكَبيرُ
Reproach me: folly
Excuse me, for foolishness
in an old man is grave indeed.
From an elder to an elder.
أَلَفَت عَينُكِ عَيني
فَأًَبى ذاكَ القَتيرُ
Your eye grew familiar with my eye,
Your eye grew accustomed to my eye,
but gray hair forbade it.
But that tyrant refused.
لَم يَدَع لي وَلِأَخدا
نِكِ ما يَخشى الغَيورُ
It left, between me and your companions,
He left me and your cheeks,
nothing a jealous man would fear.
Nothing to fear the jealous one.
فَاِرقُدي ما وَسِنَت عَي
ناكِ وَالنَوم غَزيرُ
So sleep whenever drowsiness overtakes
So sleep while your eye is adorned,
your eyes; sleep is plentiful.
And sleep is abundant.
قَلِقَ الجَسرَةُ وَالرَح
لُ عَلَيها وَالضُفورُ
The sturdy she-camel shakes, and the saddle
The tree branch and the doe are restless upon it,
upon her, and the braided straps;
And the cuckoo bird.
وِقِرانُ البيدِ بِالبي
دِ كَما يُلوى المَريرُ
and desert is joined to desert
Like the bitter aloe is twisted,
as a strong cord is twisted.
And the night is ungenerous.
وَقَطاً نازَعتُهُ المَو
رِدَ وَاللّيلُ كَفورُ
And sandgrouse I rivaled for the watering-place,
A cat I struggled with,
while the night concealed everything.
And the night is disbelieving.
لَم يَذَرَّفي نَواحي
هِ مِن الصُبحِ ذَرورُ
Through its reaches there had not spread
It did not leave in its regions,
a sprinkling of dawn.
From the dawn remnants.
بِنَواجٍ حَزَّ مِنهُنْ
ن النَجاءُ المُستَطيرُ
On swift she-camels, carved lean
With gazelles it divided,
by headlong, far-ranging speed,
From them the she-oryx fled.
لِحُمَيدٍ وَحمَيدٌ
قَمَرُ الأَرضِ المُنيرُ
for Humayd—and Humayd
For Humaid and Humaid is
is the earth's shining moon.
The shining moon of the earth.
لَو حَمى الدُنيا حمَيدٌ
لَم يَكُن فيها فَقيرُ
Were Humayd to protect the world,
If Humaid protected the world,
no poor person would remain in it.
There would be in it no poor.
مَلِكٌ كِلتا يَدَيهِ
بِعَطاياهُ دَرورُ
A king, both of whose hands
A king whose both hands
overflow with his gifts;
Are overflowing with gifts.
وَكِلا يَومَيهِ في الأَر
ضِ بَشيرٌ وَنَذيرُ
and both his days on earth
And both his days in the land
herald glad tidings and warning.
Are bearers of good news and warners.
مُستَبِدُّ الشَأوِ لا يَبْ
لُغُ مَسعاهُ الفَخورُ
Sole master of the race: no
Arrogant in command, the proud,
boaster reaches the course he runs.
Do not attain his lofty aims.
إِنَّ مَن حاوَلَ في الأُف
قِ اِطِّلاعاً لَحَسيرُ
Whoever strives to rise on the horizon
Indeed whoever strives in the horizon,
is surely exhausted.
Seeking to peer, will be wretched.
وَكَفاهُ أَنَّهُ يَمٌّ
تُساميهِ البُحورُ
It is enough for him that he is a sea
And suffice him that he is vile,
which other seas strive to rival.
While the seas cannot reach his height.
أَريَحِيٌّ مُنهِبُ الما
لِ وَبِالسَيفِ شَتورُ
Openhanded, he gives his wealth for the taking,
Easy going, spending money,
and with the sword he is a fierce cleaver.
And with the sword a butcher.
وَرَكوبٌ ثَبَجَ الخُطَّ
ةِ يَخشاها الجَسورُ
And he rides the crest of an ordeal
And a rider who stirred anxiety,
that the bold man fears.
Feared by the brave.
ضَمِنَ الأَرضَ حُمَيدٌ
فَهوَ لِلأَرضِ خَفيرُ
Humayd has taken the earth into his keeping;
Humaid guaranteed the land,
he is the earth's guardian,
So he is for the land a guard.
بِيَدٍ تَنَهلُّ خِلفَي
نِ فَتُحي وَتُبيرُ
with a hand pouring through two teats,
With a hand that draws from behind,
giving life and bringing destruction.
So it brings victory and destroys.
يَقلَقُ المالُ عَلَيها
وَبِها تَشجى الدّثورُ
Wealth is restless upon it,
Money is restless in it,
and great fortunes are distressed by it.
And through it sorrows are consoled.
صامِتيٌّ فَرَعَ المَج
دَ وَزَكَّتهُ النُجورُ
A Samiti, he has scaled glory,
Silent, so dignity was kindled,
and his ancestral roots have ennobled him.
And it was purified by honor.
فَلَهُ الحَمدُ المُبَدّى
وَلَهُ الحَمدُ الأَخيرُ
To him belongs the first praise,
So for him is never-ending praise,
and to him belongs the last praise.
And for him is the final praise.
كَدِرَ الناسُ وَصا
في النَيلِ ما فيهَ الأَخيرُ
People have grown turbid; he is clear
People were troubled and proceeded,
in giving; there is no "last" in him [wording unclear].
In the Nile what is in it is the remains.
وَعَجولٌ بِعَطايا
وَعَلى الرَوعِ قَتورُ
And swift with gifts,
And swift with gifts,
yet miserly with fear.
And in frightening firm.
ما أَعَزَّ اللَهُ جاراً
بِسِواهُ يَستَجيرُ
God has not honored a neighbor
How dear is the one God supports,
who seeks shelter with anyone but him.
Other than Him one seeks refuge!
يا أَبا غانِمَ الغُن
مُ عَلى مَن يَستَميرُ
O Abu Ghanim, bounty
O Abu Ghanim the protected,
falls to whoever seeks provisions,
Against whom sorrows narrow.
وَأَبا الأَمنِ إِذا ضا
قَت مِنَ الخَوفِ الصُدورُ
and father of safety, when
O guardian of security when
breasts tighten with fear.
Fears tighten the chests.
بِكَ رُكنُ الأَرضِ يَرسو
وَرحى المُلكِ يَدورُ
Through you the earth's pillar stands firm,
Through you the pillar of earth is firm,
and the millstone of kingship turns.
And the mill of kingship turns.
أَنتَ لِلمُلكِ نَصيرٌ
وَلَكَ اللَهُ نَصيرُ
You are a helper to kingship,
You are a supporter of the kingdom,
and God is a helper to you.
And for you God is a supporter.
رُبَّ مُلتَفِّ السَرايا
غَرهُ مِنكَ الغَرورُ
Many a man surrounded by warbands
The thoughts of many turn,
was deceived about you by delusion.
Deceived by you arrogance and pomp.
أَبطَرَتهُ دَعَةُ النِع
مَةِ وَالعِزُّ النَميرُ
Ease in prosperity made him insolent,
He is tempted by ease of blessing,
and sweet-flowing might.
And the glittering illusion of power.
أَلِفَ النُكث إِلى النُك
ثِ يُغَزّي وَيُغيرُ
He grew used to breach of oath upon
He grew accustomed to betrayal upon betrayal,
breach, sending troops to war and raiding.
Inciting and changing.
قُدتَهُ بِالخَيلِ قَوداً
يَومَ قَودِ الخَيلِ زورُ
You drove him with the cavalry,
You led him with the horses, a leading,
on a day when driving horses was sheer force,
The day of the leading of horses in file.
وَخَميسٍ تُقبَضُ الأَر
ضُ لَهُ ظَلَّ يَسيرُ
and with an army before which the earth
And a Thursday when the land,
contracted as it kept marching.
Is grasped for him, a brief shadow.
تَصِلُ البيضَ خُطاه
وَقَنا الخَطِّ شَجيرُ
Its steps bring bright blades together,
Your steps reach the white,
and al-Khatt's spears are interlaced.
And the leader of the line the tree.
وَيُناجي فيهِ لِلمَو
تِ أَيامَي وَتَمورُ
And within it, whispering to death,
And he whispers in it to death,
serpents writhe,
My days and nights.
مِثلَ ما لَفَّ إِلَيهِ
قَزَعَ المُزنِ الصَبيرُ
as a towering cloud-bank gathers to itself
Like one who turned to him,
scattered patches of rain-cloud.
The patient twisting fate.
قَد تَرَكت الطَيرَ جاءَت
لِمَّةً وَهوَ عَقيرُ
You left him; the birds arrived
You have left the birds that came
in a flock, while he lay slain.
Suddenly while he is barren.
يَستَهِلُّ العَلَقُ السا
ئِلُ مِنهُ وَالنَعيرُ
His flowing blood gushes forth,
The questioning empty mind,
and from him comes a groaning roar.
Seeks from him and the opinion.
أَنتَ لِلصُّبحِ ضِياءٌ
لَيسَ لِلَصُّبحِ نَكيرُ
You are a radiance to the dawn;
You are for the dawn radiance,
dawn cannot deny it.
The dawn has no rejecter.
وَإِلى مَجدِكَ يَنمى
كُلُّ مَجدٍ وَيَحورُ
To your glory is traced
And to your glory grows,
every glory, and to it each returns.
Every glory and is humbled.
وَنَدى كَفَّيكَ بَحرٌ
مِنهُ تَنشَقُّ البُحورُ
The bounty of your two palms is a sea
And the palm of your hand is an ocean,
from which other seas branch.
From which oceans split.
كُلُّ ذي مَجدٍ طَوِيلٍ
عِندَ مَسعاكَ قَصيرُ
Every man of towering glory
Everyone with long glory,
is short beside your striving.
Is short next to your lofty aims.
وَقَليلٌ مِن أَيادي
كَ عَلى الناسِ كَثيرُ
A little of the favors
And little from your hands,
you bestow on people is much.
Upon the people is great.
فَاِبقَ ما عُدَّ مِنَ الدَه
رِ سُنوهُ وَالشُهورُ
So live as long as time's
So live beyond what is counted,
years and months are counted.
Of lifetimes, years, and months.
Sol 6.1