أَلا كلُّ ليلٍ لم تنمهُ طويلُ

وكلُّ جليسٍ لا تَودّ ثقيلُ

Oh! Every long night when I could not sleep

And every tiresome companion whom I do not like

وكلُّ وصالٍ لم يكن بين أهلِهِ

مواثيق من حبل الهوى سَيَزُولُ

And every union that was not between kindred

Its affections from the rope of passion will wane

وأحلى الهوى ماشَكَّ في الوصل رَبّه

إذا ماسَعى واشِ ولجَّ عذولُ

And the sweetest passion is that which doubted its link

When it strove and the bashful withdrew

وما عدمُ الخلاّن فانقَبض امرؤ

ولكنّما أهلُ الوفاءِ قليلُ

And the fewness of boon companions is not because of a man’s absence

But rather because true loyalty is so little

إذا طَرقتنا والعيُون غُفولُ

وقد حانَ للشعرى العَبورُ أفولُ

When we visited while still in the stupor of sleep

And it was time for youth to pass and decline

عُليّة زارتنا وقد حالُ دُونَها

عوائقُ من حلم الشبابُ شُكولُ

Ulayya visited us but modesty of youth prevented her

Obstacles that were fanciful dreams of adolescence

بسطنا لها لهوَ الحديث ولم يكن

إلى غيره بين الخلاط وُصولُ

We entertained her with lighthearted talk but there was no

Way to anything else between jest and acceptance

أما أنّه لو زرتِنا حين صبوةٍ

لأَدنتك منّا رقّةٌ وقَبُولُ

If only you had visited us in the throes of passion

We would have drawn you near with tenderness and acceptance

وأَنتِ خلوبُ العَين فتّانةُ الصِّبا

كأنّك كحلاءُ الجُفون خَذُولُ

You are the flirt of the eye, the seducer of youth

As if you are the kohl of the eyelids, so languid

قوامكِ مهتزٌ وجيدك واضحٌ

وحيث مجال الطّوق منك أسيلُ

Your figure sways and your cheeks glow

Wherever the necklace falls on you it flows

وثغركِ برّاقٌ كانَ رُضابِه

مع الرّشف صَهباءُ اللثات شَمُولُ

Your mouth gleams, its moisture

With saliva is the lips’ whiteness, clear

وخدّ بجريال الحياءِ مُوَرَّدٌ

وطَرف بسحر البابلي كَحيلُ

Your cheek with the rose of modesty is blushing

Your glance with the magic of Babel is tempting

ولكنّه ولّى الشباب واقبلت

مواعظ شيبٍ لو أفاقَ جهولُ

But youth is gone and the counsel of elders has come

Even if an ignoramus would wake up from counsel

فياصاح مالي والبطالة بعدما

بدا في سواد العارضين نُصولُ

So my friend, what is with me when unemployment comes after

In the blackness of my brows determination appeared

ومالي وادمان الإقامةِ إنّني

إذاً لَضَعيف الإعتزامِ كليلُ

And what is with me and addiction to staying when I

Am thus weak in resolve like one who is ill

إذا مانبت نَزْوَى ففي الأرْض مذْهبٌ

وفي العيس إرقْالٌ وفيَّ رحيلُ

If I set out to travel then the earth has scope

And in livelihood there is earning and in me there is departure

ساترك منّي غربَ كلَّ تنوفةٍ

بها من رسيم اليعملات فُلولُ

I will leave from me the west of every shelter

In which are remnants of temporary dwellings

واشحذُ من طبع القوافي صارماً

لها بين أعراض الِّلئام صليلُ

And I will sharpen the blade of rhyming couplets

Against the dispositions of villains there is clashing

ويكشفُ عنّي كَربَ كلَّ مهمّة

مَبيتٌ بأجور الفلا ومَقيلُ

And the hardship of every important matter is unveiled for me

A night's stay on horseback and departure by camel

على كلّ مفتول الذّراع كأنّه

إذا ماتمطّى في الجديل جديلُ

As if every weak-armed man when he exerts himself

In battle is a warrior

أجسّمه سيْرَ الهَواجر والسُّرى

له خَذَيانٌ تارة وذَميلُ

I imagine him the gait of a racer, sometimes galloping, sometimes trotting

Not every route on earth is narrow

فما كل مسلوكٍ من الأَرض ضيقٌ

ولا كلّ ذي مالٍ عليَّ بخيلُ

Nor is every wealthy man stingy toward me

Perhaps I will come upon a pony so I find

لعلّي ملمّ بالعتيك فواجدٌ

جَواداً عليه للعُفاة نزولُ

A generous one which to the destitute is a comfort

The generosity of the people of Nabhan toward me and their merit

فجودُ بني نبهان عندي وفَضلُهم

على فضل أبناء العتيك دَليلُ

Over the merit of the pony riders is proof

The people of Umar, hunters who are as if

بني عمرَ الصيّد الّذين كأنّهُم

أَسود لها من بطن بيشةَ غيلُ

They are lions spawn in the dens of Bisha

Muhammad the wise, Nabhan of high resolve

محمد الذاكي ونبهان ذي النّدى

وأحمد ذي الإحسان حين ينبلُ

And Ahmed of benevolence when he aims his arrows

Three eminent lords, all of them

ثلاثة سادات أَجلاء كلّهم

قؤول فعول للجَميل بَذولُ

Stalwart heroes, excellent and generous

They urge the generous one of noble descent Samida

أغرّ كَريم النّبعتين سَميدَع

أَشمُّ رحيبُ السّاعدين طويلُ

I smell the width of the two elbows, so long

If asked, he stirs with pleasure toward the call

إذا سئل اهتزَّ ارتياحاً إلىالنّدى

كمَا اهتز مشحوذُ الغِرار صَقيلُ

As the honed spear point stirs when polished

So their hoped for support never fails

فلا مُرتجيهمْ للهباتِ مخيَّبٌ

ولا جارهم في النائبات ذليلُ

And their neighbor in tribulations is not disgraced

When the family of Nabhan grew great through their father

إذا آل نبهانٍ سمَوا بأَبيهمِ

ففي كل قوم دقةٌ وخمولُ

In every people there is precision and sluggishness

O people of Umar, you have come upon the house of your glory

بني عمرٍ صادفتُمُ بيت مَجدكم

له حسب في الأكرمين أَثيلُ

With lineage among the most generous that is peerless

You have found and defended your eminence with what is yours

فجدتم وذدتم عن علاكم بما لكم

إذا ماأصابت شدة وقحولُ

Whenever difficulty and aggression befell

He who is generous is praiseworthy so whatever he spends

وذو الجود محمودٌ فمهما يجُدْ بِهِ

على قلة الموجود فهوجزيلُ

On scarce resources is plentiful

While others have attained wealth and are content with it

وغيركم حاز الغنى فاكتفى بهِ

وليس له في المكرمات سبيلُ

Yet have no way to noble deeds

He who has nothing but wealth for his honor

ومنلم يجد إلاّ الغنى شَرفاً لهُ

حماه بنجل فهومنه جليلُ

It protects him with an heir and so is great through him

Great when affluence is held in esteem

جليل إذا عُدَّ اليسارُ مفخمٌ

ولكنه يوم الفخار ضئيلُ

But on the day of pride it is paltry

As for you, O people of Nabhan, your carpentering

وأنتُم بنو نبهان أَمّا نِجاركم

فزاكٍ وأمّا سعيكم فجميلُ

Is excellent, and your effort is beautiful

Lights have shone for you in every east and west

أَضاءَت لكم في كل شرق ومغربٍ

مصابيح فضل مالهنَّ أَفولُ

Of the excellence of nobility that will never decline

I have found for my poetry a purpose in your praise

وجدت لشعري مذهباً في مديحكم

وأمكنَني بالصّدقِ كيف أقولُ

And truthfulness has allowed me to say what I will

So may the people of Nabhan live, people of bounty

فعاش بنو نبهان أَرباب نعمةٍ

وغالت عداهم بالحوادث غولُ

While misfortune has claimed others with aggression and injustice

Never ceasing to be in the right hand of Muhammad

ولا زالَ يوماً في يَمين محمّدٍ

ونبهان ذي الحسنى وأحمد طولُ

And Nabhan of good fortune and Ahmed of long life