رِد بالمطي موارد الغزلان

وانشد فؤادا بين أَهل البان

Return the gazelles to their pastures

And sing to a heart among the tent dwellers

واعكف عَلى الدمن الَّتي بمحجر

وَدع الحنين لا برق الحنان

And devote yourself to the abode that is in the stony ground

And leave yearning without the lightning of delight

واندب زَمان اللَهو في عرصاتها

وَمواقف القينات وَالفتيان

And lament the time of playfulness in its meadows

And the stands of the bowmen and the youths

أَيام لَيلى العامرية جارَتي

وَخباؤه المَضروب قيد عناني

The days of Layla al-Amiriyya my neighbor

And her tent pegged at the end of my tether

وَالربع مَحروس الجناب من النَوى

والناس ناسي وَالزَمان زَماني

And the quarter closely guarded from harm

While I forget people and time forgets me

يا لَيتَ شعري وَالزمان مفرق

أَيَعود لي زَمَني بشعب رمان

Oh if only my poetry knew and time had dispersed

Will my time return to me in the valley of pomegranates?

وأبيت في سمرات رامة سامرا

واظل تحت ظلالها المتداني

And I would spend the night conversing in the gatherings of Rama

And remain beneath its trailing shadows

هَيهات ذاكَ زمان أنس عز أن

أَنساه أَو أَلقاه أَو يَلقاني

Alas that was a time of intimate friendship

That it forgot or left behind or will leave me

قالوا تعز عَن الهَوى فأجبتهم

ما أَبعد الذكرى من النسيان

They said, “Forget passion,” and I replied to them

“How far is recollection from forgetfulness!”

أَم كَيفَنسلو في الغوير وَربعنا

شام وَربع النجدين يماني

Or how could we forget in the twisted valleys and our quarters

Sham and the quarters of the two Najds, Omani

وَحَياتهم وَسماتهم ما لذلي

زَمن الصبا الاوهم جيراني

And their life and features that delighted me

In the prime of youth, though they are my neighbors

طرق النَسيم الحاجري لحاجري

سحر افعانق ناعم الاغصان

The breeze blew gently to my dear one at dawn

When a delicate branch embraced the tender stems

وَسَقى الحيا روض الربا فَتَبَسمَت

عن ابيض يقق وأحمر قاني

And watered the meadow of the dwellings, so they smiled

With white acacia and red oleander

وَتَطارَحَت ورق الحَمائم بالحمى

طرف السجوع بعليب الالحان

And the leaves of the doves fluttered in ardour

A nape inclined with the melodies of passion

وَبَكيت أَوطاني وَربع هواي في

زَمَن الصبا حييت من أَوطان

And I wept for my homelands and quarters of love

When in the days of youth I revived homelands

وَبَغيت غيثا مُستَعيرا جوده

من جود عَبد اللَه ذي الاحسان

And sought borrowed rain in its generosity

From the bounty of Abdullah, the benefactor

أَعنى الوليّ اين الوليّ المنتقى

صافى السَريرَة صفوة الرَحمن

I mean the guardian - where is the chosen guardian?

Of pure heart, elite of the Merciful

سيف الصَلاح يد السماح فَتى أَبي

بكر حمى الفرباء وَالضيفان

Sword of righteousness, hand of charity, youth of my father

Bakr, protector of the honorable and guests

بحر يموج غني لملتمس الغَني

وَحيا يَصوب كَصَيب العقيان

A sea surging, rich for the seeker of riches

And a serpent striking like the strikes of `Uqyan

الحامل الاثقال وَالحامي حمى ال

اسلام وَالداعي الى الايمان

Bearing burdens and guarding the sanctity of Islam

And calling to faith

وَالصائِم الوقدات وَالمتهجد ال

محيدجى الظلمات بالقرآن

Fasting midmornings and vigil keeping night devotions

With glorious Quran

أَضحى عَفيف الدين فرد جَلالة

يَعلو وَيَسمو أن يقاس بِثاني

He rose, chaste in religion, peerless in majesty

Ascending and rising, not matched by a second

لما سمعت به سمعت بواحد

وَرأيته فاذا هو الثقلان

When I heard of him, I heard of the incomparable

And when I saw him - behold! - the two planets

فوجدت كل الصيد في جوف الفرا

وَلَقيت كل الناس في انسان

So I found all goodness in the interior of excellence

And met all people in one man

وَالشمس تخجل من بهاء جَبينه

وَالبحر يغرق بين خمس بنان

The sun is embarrassed by the brilliance of his brow

And the sea drowns between five fingers

نعمت بساحته الوفود فَما دَروا

أَديار ترغم أَم رياض جنان

Delegations enjoyed his court, perplexed

Were these lands subjugated or gardens of paradise?

وَثووا عكوفا حوله كعكوفهم

في الحج حول البيت وَالاركان

And they circled devotedly around him as they circle

Around the House and its corners on hajj

يا سائلي عنه اعتمده فانه

سر الوجود وَبهجة الازمان

Oh questioner about him, rely on him for he is

The secret of existence and joy of the age

ينميه بين خؤلة وَعمومة

جدان في التَفضيل مستويان

He grows between Khuwwa and `Amwama

Two full moons rising equally

بدران مبتدران في افق العلى

جبَلان مرتفعان ممتنعان

Two full moons appearing on the horizon of loftiness

Two lofty mountains, impenetrable

وَضعا نَعيم وابن عبد اللَه في

أَسراره نور الهدىالرباني

He placed Nayim and Ibn Abdullah in his mysteries

The light of divine guidance

فَحوى فَخارهما وَطالَ هداهما

شرفا فنعم النجم وَالقمران

So their pride and guidance became immense

What excellent stars and moons are the two of them!

لِلَّه من فاق الكِرام مكانه

فَعلا عَلى النظراء والاقران

To God belongs praise for his unmatched station

He rose above peers and comrades

بجَلالة الآباء وَالأَجداد ال

اعمام وَالأَخوال والاخوان

With the majesty of forefathers, uncles, and brothers

And brothers

بركاتها في المسلمين عميمة

كالغَيث يشمل سائر البلدان

His blessings encompass all Muslims

Like rain covering all lands

وَله كرمات يؤلف بعضهما

باللطف بين الماء وَالنيران

And he has noble deeds, some of which

Gently reconcile water and fire

وَلَقَد يشير إِلى السماء بطرفه

فيجاب قبل تصافح الاجفان

He gestures to the sky with a glance

And is answered before a blink of the eye

وَيَرى بنور اللَه منه فراسة

ما لا تَراه بنورها العَينان

And with God’s light he sees a discernment

That cannot be seen with two eyes

وَهُوَ الَّذي تَقوى الاله شعاره

وَدثاره في السر والاعلان

It is he whose banner and protection is God’s might

In private and public

خرم يَصول عَلى الخطوب ببأسه

وَيرود روض الخير كل أَوان

A lion who assaults calamities with his might

And continually makes the meadow of goodness verdant

وأغر يُستَسقى الغمام بوجهه

وَبه يعم الخير كل مَكان

A rain cloud from which rain is sought through his face

And through him good spreads everywhere

وَبحبه تَحيا النفوس لكونه

فيها مَكان الروح في الابدان

With love of him souls come alive, for he is

To them like the spirit to bodies

نَهدى مدائحنا اليه فتَكتَسي

منه مَعاني الشعر حسنمَعاني

We dedicate our praises to him and so

Poetry takes on beautiful meanings through him

وَيلذ للشعراء طيب ثَنائه

فَكانهم يَتلون سبع مَثاني

And the goodness of his praise delights poets

As if they recite the seven long poems

ما زلت اشكره نداه وَكلما

طالَت يَداه عليّ طال لِساني

I will keep thanking his bounty, and whenever

His hands stretch out to me, so my tongue stretches

مَولاي جئتك وَالخطوب عَوابس

وَالدَهر يصرف نابه لهواني

My master, I came to you while calamities frown

And fate mocks my inclinations

زمنيعاندني وَدين أَدنى

كصفا المشرق أدمن ثهلان

My time treats me with enmity and my debt has dwindled

Like the twilight of dawn that persists in fading

وَعلاج فقر لا يفارق منزلي

ما لي بسطوته علي يدان

And the cure of poverty that does not leave my abode

While I do not have the power to drive it away

فتولني وأقل بجودك عثرَتي

وأقل نوب نوائب الحدثان

So take me under your care and through your bounty reduce my stumbling

And reduce the turns of fate's afflictions

وانظر إِلىبعين لطفك نظرة

أحيى بها أَملي وأصلح شاني

And look upon me with an eye of your kindness, a glance

With which I revive my hopes and improve my affairs

وامدني بنداك وامسح بالغنى

فَقري وارغم انف من يشناني

And extend your hand to me and erase my poverty with riches

And frustrate the nose of those who rebuke me

فَعَساك ان أَكرَمتني أَحييتني

وأمت رب فلانة وَفلان

Hopefully if you honor me you will revive me

And the Lord of so-and-so and so-and-so

وَبقيت جاهى في الرمان وَوجهتي

وَبدى وَسَيفي في العدا وَسناني

And my status will remain in the pomegranates and my face

My sword arm in a fight and my tusks

اسلم وَدم جبلا نَلوذ بظله

وَغياث قاص في الانام وَداقي

Submit, a lofty refuge whose shade we take shelter in

And help that is complete among people and repels

في حيث مثوى الضيف مختلف القرى

كَرما وَجار الجنب غير مهان

In the dwellings of guests from different towns

Generous, neighbor of the vulnerable without disdain