سَمُجَ الزَّمانُ وأوحش البلدُ
فكأنّما هو ما به أَحدُ
The times have become bleak and the country desolate
As if no one lives in it
والنّاسُ في ضيق المصُيبة ما
وسِعتهم نَزْوى ولا سَمَدُ
And people are distressed by calamity
Neither refuge nor pillars avail them
فقَدوا العزيزةَ من بني حسن
فتبّلدوا بمصابِ من فقدوا
They have lost the precious one from the clan of Hasan
So they are afflicted by the loss of her they lost
وعليهم الأحزانُ ظاهرة
والوَجْدُ والحسرات والكمَدُ
Sorrows are manifest upon them
As well as anguish, regrets and suppressions
وعيونهم بالدمع جاريةٌ
فكأَنها العُوّارُ والرَّمَدُ
Their eyes flow with tears
As if they are diseased and afflicted
وتقطّعت من مشفِقٍ حيلٌ
وتصدّعت من مُحرقِ كَبدُ
The means of the compassionate are severed
And the livers of those in anguish are cracked
ما جفَّ جفن من أَقاربها
والأجنبيين ولا خلا جَلَدُ
No eyelid of her kin has dried
Nor of strangers, every skin is torn
بصبَابة عَبراتُها دِررٌ
وكآبةٍ زفراتُها تَقِدُ
With the pearls of her tears
And the sighs of her anguish, fires are kindled
وبكا إِذا جرت الصّبا سَحراً
وإذا تغنى الطائرُ الغَرِدُ
They weep when the morning breeze blows
And when the singing bird chirps
فمن الرّجال غطارفٌ نجبٌ
ومن النساء كواعبٌ خردُ
Among the men are noble horsemen
And of the women, delicate maidens
فُجعوا بسيدة الأَنام نَدًى
وتُقى وفيها الحلمُ والرّشدُ
They have been bereaved of the leader of all women, a wet nurse
Chaste, wise, forbearing
ويمينُها بالفضل جارية
للجار والقربى ومن يَفِدُ
Her right hand flows with virtue
To the neighbor, the kin, and the aspiring
والجودُ عادتُها وشيمَتُها
والبرُّ والحَسنات والرّفدُ
Charity is her habit and nature
As well as righteousness, good deeds and help
زالت عن الضُّعفاءِ رحمتُها
فَرأوا وذاقوا غير ما عَهدوا
Her mercy to the weak has gone
And they saw and tasted other than what they were accustomed to
ويَح اليتامى والأراملِ ما
أبقى لهم سَبَد ولا لبدُ
The cry of the orphans and widows, after
No dinner or clothes were left for them
ذهبَ الرّجاءُ وغاب بشرهُم
وعلاهُم البأساءُ والثكدُ
Hope has departed and their good tidings have disappeared
And misery and barrenness have afflicted them
عَدموا العزيزةَ ثم لو طلَبوا
مثلا لها في الأرض ما وجدوا
They lost the precious one, but even if they sought
The likes of her on earth, they would not find
بقيت فضائلها وسيرتُها
من غاب إلاّ الرّوح والجسدُ
Her merits and conduct remain
Except for the soul and body that have passed
لهفي تلك المحاسن في
بطن الصّعيد يضمها اللّحدُ
Yearning for those virtues in
The belly of the ground that the coffin embraces
من تحتها للترب مفترش
ومن الجنادل فوقها نضدُ
Beneath her the dust is spread
And above her the wooden planks are stacked
هذا سبيلُ بني الزّمان وقد
يبلى الورى وصروفه جُدُد
Such is the way of the people of times
And the world wears out as its conditions change
والدَّهر في حِدثانه عِبَرٌ
تمضي السنونَ وتنفَدُ الُمدَدُ
In its renewal, fate gives lessons
Years pass and periods expire
ولكل حي ينقضي أَجلٌ
ولكلِّ أَمر ينتهي أَمدُ
Every living being has a destined term
And every matter has an ending
أين الجبابرةُ الذين طَغوا
في ملكهم وبعزهم مَرَدُوا
Where are the tyrants who were insolent
In their reign, and in their glory, defiant
لهم القصورُ الشُّمّ شامخةً
والخيلُ والأنصارُ والعَدَدُ
For them lofty palaces reaching the sky
And horses, supporters and troops
من كلِّ من في خدّه صَعرٌ
لعُتو وبأنفه صَيَدُ
All those with a dazzling and an arrogant forehead
And a prowling, hunting nose
بطَشوا وعاثوا في البلاد وهم
سامُوا الرّجال الخسفَ واضطَهدوا
They pillaged and corrupted the lands
They poisoned men, oppressed and persecuted
حتى إذا بلغَ المدى بهمُ
ورَدوا جمام حياضه ورَدُوا
Until, when they reached the end of their term
They arrived at the stables of their ruin
هلكت ثمودُ وعادٌ انقرِضت
وأَباد قوم تبّع الأَبدُ
Thamud perished and Aad was eradicated
And the people of Tubba only ruin remained
وكذلك لقمانُ الذي فنيت
عنه النّسور وخانه لُبَدُ
And so was Luqman who was carried off
By the eagles as snakes betrayed him
ثم الأَكاسرة الأولى كثرت
لهم الكنوز فما بها خلدوا
Then the early Caesars amassed
Treasures but were not immortalized by them
كل امرءٍ لاقى منيّته
ما لامرئ عن وردها حَيَدُ
Every man met his death
None can evade its appointed time
لكن شجانَا فقدُ سادتنا
فانهدّ منّا الصّبْرُ والجَلدُ
But our wounds! For we have lost our masters
Patience and composure collapsed within us
أودت من الكرماء سيدَةٌ
وكانت يلاذُ بها ويُعتَمَدُ
A generous lady was lost
Our place of refuge and pillar
وهي العزيزة في عشيرتها
لم يخذْلوا عنها ولا بعُدُوا
She was precious among her clan
They did not abandon or distance themselves from her
وهم الأَعزة كلهم نُجبٌ
صبرُ شدادٌ في الوغى نُجُدُ
They are all honorable nobles
The loyalty of Shaddad in battle, helpers
رَكبوا متونَ الخيل عاديةً
عادتُها الغاراتُ والطّردُ
They rode the steeds straight
Their habit is raids and repulsion
والبيضُ والسّمرُ اللّذان لهم
منصوبةٌ والبيض والزّرَدُ
The white and the brown horses they own
Saddled, the white and the green
وبنوا زياد الأَكرمون لها
أهل ومن مضر لها عددُ
And the most generous tribe of Ziyad built for her
Family, and of Mudar she had many
أبو سعيد النّافعيّ أبٌ
ومحمّد بنُ معمّر وَلدُ
Her father Abu Saeed the Benefactor
And Muhammad the son of Muammer
السّيد الحامي الذّمار كما
يحنو على أشباله الأُّسدُ
The Master, protector of the poor
As a lion shows tenderness over his cubs
وهو المبرَزّ في سماحته
يهب اللّهى ويفي بما يَعِدُ
He is the distinguished one in his generosity
He bestows lavishly and fulfills his promise
وذَراه للوفادِ منتجعَ
وحماه للخَواف مُستندُ
He made it a place of refuge for visitors
And a guardian for the fearful, a pillar
ونراه بين النّاس وهو بما
فيه من الأَخلاق مُنفَردُ
We see him among the people with his
Unique traits of character
وبمجدِه وبجوده اعترفوا
وله بكل فضيلة شَهدوا
They acknowledged his glory and generosity
And testified for him every virtue
وإذا هُم قصدوا لعائدَةِ
وجَدوا النجاح لما به قصدوا
And when they set out to the place of return
They found success in what they intended
لمحمد بن معمر قدمٌ
تَعلو العُلى وعلى المُلوك يَدُ
Muhammad bin Muammer has a foot
That rises above the heights, and over kings, a hand
أبقى أبو عمَر له حسباً
فلصونهِ يسعى ويجتهدُ
His father Abu Umar left him a lineage
For which he strives and exerts himself
في كل يوم يستفيد عُلىً
ولجَدّهِ في مَجدِه صَعَدُ
Every day he attains high merits
And for his endeavor in his glory, he ascends
أبداً له يوم يزيدُ على
أمس ويعدو بالمزيد غَدُ
His day never ceases to increase over
Yesterday, and tomorrow he will leap forward
صبراً أبا عبد الإله عَلى
مكروه ما تلقى وما تجدُ
Have patience Abu Abdel Ilah over
The adversity you encounter and find
إنْ تبكِ أو تجزْعْ لسّيدة
فقدت فلا عجبٌ ولا فَنَدُ
If you cry or despair for the lady
You have lost, no wonder and no shame
أو تصطبرْ فالصّبرُ مكرمةٌ
وعبادةٌ اللهِ تعتمدُ
Or if you are patient, patience is an honor
And worship of God on which one relies
لو شاءَ ربُّكَ لم يُصبك أَذى
وشجاً عداك الهَمُّ والشَّهَدُ
If your Lord willed, no harm would have afflicted you
And sorrow, care and agony would have missed you
واسلم أَبا عبد الإله وعِشْ
عيشاً به السّرآءُ والرَّغدُ
Surrender Abu Abdel Ilah and live
A life in which is serenity and comfort
واعْذُرْ حسودَك في عَداوتهِ
لولا الفضيلةُ لم يكن حَسَدُ
Excuse those who envy you for their enmity
If not for virtue, there would have been no envy
حَسدوك إذ وَجدوك افضَلهم
لا انكروا شرَفاً ولا جحَدوا
They envied you when they found you better than them
Not denying nobility or rejecting it
مَنْ منكرٌ شرفَ العتيك ومَن
مُخفٍ فضائل ما به حُمِدوا
Who denies the nobility of Ateeq? And who
Conceals the merits for which he is praised?
عيدانُ وعلى مجدٍ ما بها خورٌ
وقناةُ عزّ ما بها أَوَدُ
Aydaan, no shame in the glory they possess
And Qanaah, pillar of might they lean on
وعلى دعائمها سوابقهم
ولها العواسل والظّبا عَمَدُ
And their predecessors are their pillars
For them are the steeds and the mountain goats
غَمرتهم أَيدي بني عمرٍ
كلٌ لكلٍ منهم عَضُدُ
The clan of Omar inundated them
Each of them to each a pillar
وعلى عزيزتك السّلامُ لها
منه على طول المدى مَدَدث
And peace be upon your precious one, for her
From Him an extended lifetime
وسَقى الغمائمُ ترابها وعفى
عنها المليك الواحدُ الصّمدُ
The clouds have watered her soil and the King
The One, the Eternal has pardoned her
وبقيت تحبوُ الناس سألوا
براً وتصلحهم إذا فسدوا
She will continue to love people, they sought
Righteousness and she reformed them when corrupt
وإليكم مثلَ العَروسِ فَقد
زُفَّت إليك أَوابدٌ شُرُدُ
And to you the likes of the bride have been lost
Many warning examples have been set
