عَفا ذو الغَضا مِن أُمِّ عَمروٍ فأقفَرا

وَغَيَّرَهُ بَعدي البِلى فَتَغَيَّرا

The forgiving one from Umm Amr's tribe became desolate, so they both changed.

Dhu al-Ghada has been effaced of Umm Amr and become desolate,

And time changed it after me, so they both altered.

And decay altered it after my departure, so it was transformed.

وَبُدِّلَ أَهلاً غيرِها وَتَبَدَّلَت

بِهِ بَدَلاً مَبدىً سِواهُ وَمَحضَرا

Its people were replaced by others and it was substituted

It exchanged inhabitants other than her, and she exchanged

With a substitution for it other than it, though once populated.

In its place a substitute, a different dwelling and abode.

إِلى عَصَرٍ ثُمَّ استَمَرَّت نَواهُمُ

لِصَرفٍ مَضى عَن ذاتِ نَفسِكَ أَعسَرا

Until an era when their renown persisted

Until the evening, then their separation continued,

Due to circumstances beyond your own soul's capacity.

Due to a turn of fate that passed, most harsh upon your soul.

وَكانَ اجتِماعُ الحيِّ حَتّى تَفَرَّقوا

قَليلاً وَكانوا بِالتَفَرُّقِ أَجدَرا

The gathering of the living was brief until they separated,

The gathering of the tribe lasted only until they scattered,

And it was better for them to separate.

Briefly, for they were more destined for separation.

بَل الزائِرُ المُنتابُ مِن بَعدِ شُقَّةٍ

وَطولِ ثَناءٍ هاجَ شَوقاً وَذكَّرا

But the occasional visitor revived by yearning after an absence,

Nay, it is the phantom visitor returning after a long journey,

And much praise, his fervor was stirred and he was reminded.

And long absence, stirring longing and memory.

خَيالٌ سَرى مِن أُمِّ عَمروٍ وَدونَها

تَنائِفُ تُردى ذا الهِبابِ المُيَسَّرا

An apparition set out from Umm Amr's abode, and beneath it

A phantom traveled from Umm Amr, while between her lie

Were rising dunes, smoothly flowing.

Wastelands that destroy the brisk, well-paced camel.

طَروقاً وَأَعقابُ النُجومِ كأَنَّها

تَوالي هِجانٍ نَحوَ ماءٍ تَغَوَّرا

As if they were the settings of stars coming one after another

Arriving at night, when the trailing stars resembled

Towards water that became turbulent.

The rear of white camels heading toward sunken water.

فَقُلتُ لَها أُبي فَقَد فاتَنا الصِبا

وآذِنَ رَيعانُ الشَبابِ فادبَرا

So I said: Oh how youth has eluded us,

I said to her: 'Refrain, for youth has passed us by,

And the freshness of youth gave notice of its departure.

And the prime of youth signaled farewell and departed.

وَحالَت خُطوبٌ بَعدَ عَهدِكَ دونَنا

وَعَدّى عَن اللَهو العَداءُ فأقصَرا

Events came between us after your time,

And calamities have intervened between us since your time,

And enmity went beyond recreation, so it was cut short.

And enmity diverted me from amusement, so I abstained.'

أُمورٌ وأَبناءٌ وَحالٌ تَقَلَّبَت

بِنا أَبطُنٌ يا أُمَّ عَمروٍ وأَظهُرا

Matters, children, and a state that changed for us;

Affairs, sons, and a state that has fluctuated,

Inward and outward, O Umm Amr, they altered.

Turning us inside out and upside down, O Umm Amr.

أُصِبنا بِما لَو أَنَّ رَضوى أَصابَها

لَسَهَّلَ مِن أَركانِها ما تَوعَّرا

We were struck with what - had it struck those pleased -

We were struck by a calamity that, had it struck Mount Radwa,

Would have smoothed what became rough of its pillars.

Would have leveled its rugged pillars to dust.

فَكَم وَجَدَت مَن آمنٍ فَهوَ خائِفٌ

وَذي نِعمَةٍ مَعروفَةٍ فَتَنَكَّرا

So how often did you find one who felt secure, and now is apprehensive?

How many secure ones did it find who became fearful,

And one with a known bounty, then he denied it?

And those of known blessing who became unrecognizable?

بِأَبيَضَ يُستَسقى الغَمامُ بِوَجهِهِ

إِذا اختيرَ قالوا لَم يَقِل من تَخَيَّرا

With the white-faced one, whose face is begged to bring rain,

Mourning a radiant one, by whose face rain is sought from the clouds,

When chosen, they say no less could have been chosen.

When chosen, they said: 'He who made the choice did not err.'

ثِمالِ اليَتامى يُبرِىءُ القَرحَ مَسُّهُ

وَشَهمٍ إِذا سيمَ الدِنيَّةَ أَنكَرا

An orphan's rags that heal wounds when touched,

The refuge of orphans, whose touch heals the wound,

And a gallant who - when rags of dishonor clothe him - denies it.

A gallant spirit who, if offered lowliness, refuses indignantly.

صَبورٍ عَلى مَكروهِ ما يَجشِمُ الفَتى

وَمُرٍّ إِذا يُبغى المَرارَةُ مُمقِرا

One patient with hated things that would vex a young man,

Patient over the hardships that a young man must bear,

And bitter - when bitterness is sought - he admits it.

And bitter, when bitterness is required, to the utmost.

مِنَ الرافِعينَ الهَمَّ لِلذِكرِ والعُلى

إِذا لَم يَنؤَ إِلا الكَريمُ ليُذكَرا

Among those who raise glory and ascendancy through mention,

Among those who raise their ambition for renown and glory,

When none persists except the generous in order to be mentioned.

When only the noble rises to be remembered.

وَريقٍ إِذا ما الخابِطونَ تَعالموا

مَكانَ بَقايا الخَيرِ أَن يَتأَثَّرا

And a comrade - when pretenders inquire -

And bountiful when the night-travelers signal to one another,

Where goodness remains, in order to be affected by it.

Seeking the place where the remnants of goodness can be traced.

رُزينا فَلَم نَعثُر لِوَقعَتِهِ بِنا

وَلَو كانَ مِن حَيٍّ سِوانا لأعثَرا

We searched but did not stumble due to what befell us,

We were bereaved, yet we did not stumble from the blow,

And had he been alive like us, he would have stumbled upon it.

Though had it struck a tribe other than ours, they would have fallen.

وَما دَهرُنا أَلَّا يَكونَ أَصابَنا

بِثِقلٍ وَلكِنَّا رُزينا لِنَصبِرا

Our time never failed to burden us,

It is not that fate failed to strike us

But we were stoic in order to be patient.

With a heavy burden, but we were bereaved to prove our patience.

فَزالَ وَفينا حاضِروهُ فَلَم يَجِد

لِدَفعِ المَنايا حاضِرٌ مُتأَخَّرا

So he passed away while we were attending to him, but did not find

He departed while his spirit remained among us, so

One late in coming to ward off destiny.

No present defender found a way to delay the decree of death.

كأَن لَم يَكُن مِنّا وَلَم نَستَعِن بِهِ

عَلى نائباتِ الدَهرِ إِلّا تَذَكُّرا

As if he had never been one of us and we did not seek aid through him

As if he had never been one of us, nor had we sought his aid

Against the strokes of fate, except by remembering him.

Against the calamities of time, except in memory.

وإِنّا عَلى غَمزِ المَنونِ قَناتَنا

وَجَدِّكَ حاموا فَرعِها أَن يُهَصَّرا

We buttressed the stalks of our lives against the hints of death

Yet we, despite death's testing of our spear-shaft,

And your seriousness to protect its branches from being severed

—By your ancestor—protected its tip from being shattered.

بِجُرثومَةٍ في فَجوَةٍ حيلَ دونَها

سُيولُ الأَعادي خيفَةً أَن تَنَمَّرا

By a handful in a crevice, we prevented

Rooted deep in a sanctuary, guarded against

The floods of enemies from fear of being ripped to shreds.

The torrents of enemies, lest they provoke a fierce wrath.

أَبى ذَمُّنا إِنّا إِذا قالَ قَومُنا

بِأَحسابِنا أَثنوا ثَناءً مُحَبَّرا

The dispraise of us refused - when our people

We refuse to be blamed; for when our people speak

Speak of our reputations, they praise in embellished terms.

Of our lineage, they offer praise adorned and beautified.

وَإِنّا إِذا ما الناسُ جاءَت قُرومُهُم

أتينا بقرم يَفرَعُ الناسَ أَزهَرا

And we - when the tribes of people come -

And when the people bring forth their chiefs,

Bring forth a tribe that makes the people blossom.

We bring a chief who towers above the people, radiant.

تَرى كُلَّ قَرمٍ يَتَّقيهِ مَخافَةً

كَما تَتَّقي العُجمُ العَزيزَ المُسَوَّرا

You see every tribe fear it out of dread,

You see every leader avoiding him in fear,

As non-Arabs fear the mighty adorned king.

Just as the Persians fear the mighty, crowned king.

وَمُعضِلَةٍ يُدَعى لَها مَن يُزيلُها

إِذا ذُكِرَت كانَت سَناءً وَمَفخَرا

And a dilemma none can resolve is presented,

And for a dilemma where a solver is summoned,

So when mentioned it brings renown and pride.

Its mention becomes a source of brilliance and pride.

دَفَعتُ وَقَد عَيَّ الرِجالُ بِدَفعِها

وأَصبَحَ مِني مِدرَهُ القَومِ أَوجَرا

I repelled when men despaired of repelling it,

I repelled it when other men were weary of repelling it,

And the tribe's refuge from its distress became enervated.

And the spokesman of the people became awed by me.

أَخَذنا بِأَيدينا فَعادَ كَريهُها

مُخِفّاً وَمولىً قَد أَجَبنا لِنَنصُرا

We took it into our own hands, and its repulsiveness returned

We took matters into our hands, so the hateful burden returned

Submissively, and we had responded to defend an ally

Lightened; and a client we answered to support.

بِغَيرِ يَدٍ مِنهُ وَلا ظُلمِ ظالِمٍ

نَصَرناهُ لَمّا قامَ نَصراً مؤَزَرا

Without his assistance or wronging by an oppressor;

Without a prior favor from him, nor to aid an oppressor,

We supported him when he stood supported.

We supported him when he rose, with strengthened aid.

فإِن نَنجُ مِن أَهوالِ ما خافَ قَومُنا

عَلينا فإِنَّ اللَهَ ما شاءَ يَسَّرا

So if we survive the horrors our people feared upon us,

If we escape the terrors our people feared

Then God has facilitated what He willed.

For us, it is because Allah facilitates what He wills.

فإِن غالَنا دَهرٌ فَقَد غالَ قَبلَنا

مُلوكَ بَني نَصرٍ وَكِسرى وَقَيصَرا

And if time overcomes us, it had overcome before us

But if time destroys us, it has destroyed before us

Kings of Bani Nasr, Kisra, and Caesar.

The kings of Bani Nasr, and Chosroes, and Caesar.

وآباؤنا ما نَحنُ إِلّا بَنوهُمُ

سَنَلقى الَّذي لاقوا حِماماً مُقَدَّرا

Our forefathers - we are but their sons -

And our fathers—we are but their sons—

We will meet what they met, a destined annihilation.

We shall meet what they met: a destined death.

وَعَوراءَ مِن قَولِ امرىءٍ ذي قَرابَةٍ

تَصامَمتُها وَلَو أَساءَ وَأَهجَرا

And covering the defects of a kinsman's words,

And a crooked word from a kinsman,

Even if he did wrong and shunned relations.

I feigned deafness to it, though he offended and spoke ill.

كَرامَةَ حَيٍّ غيرَةً واصطِناعَةً

لِدابِرَةٍ إِن دَهرُنا عادَ اَزوَرا

Honoring a comrade out of zeal and patronage

To honor the tribe, out of jealousy and kindness,

For one brought low - our time has grown deceitful.

For the sake of kinship, should our fortune turn away.

وَذي نَيرَبٍ قَد عابَني لينالَني

فأَعبى مَداهُ عَن مَدايَ فأَقصَرا

And one of small gifts who blamed me to reach me

And a slanderer who found fault to provoke me,

So I made his extent fall short of my capacity.

His reach fell short of mine, so he desisted.

وَكَذَّبَ عَيبَ العائِبينَ سَماحَتي

وَصَبري إِذا ما الأَمرُ عَضَّ فأَضجَرا

And he denied the flaws of the criticizers, my tolerance,

My generosity gave the lie to the critics' blame,

And my patience when the matter was frustrating and vexing.

And my patience when circumstances bite and distress.

وَإِني إِذا ما المَوتُ لَم يَكُ دونَهُ

مَدى الشِبرِ أَحمي الأَنفَ أَن أَتأَخَّرا

I - when death is not beyond the span of a hand - protect my self-respect lest I delay.

And indeed, if death stands not within

And a matter I seized like the hilt of a sword, I held to it

A hand's span, I protect my honor from retreating.

وَأَمرٍ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ صَلتاً حَذَوتُهُ

إِذا الأَمرُ أَعيى مَورِدَ الأَمرِ مَصدَرا

When the affair wearied the course of affairs as a source.

And a matter sharp as a sword-edge I have handled,

If time treats me with enmity and strikes me

When the issue offered no easy entry or exit.

فإِن يَكُ دَهرٌ نابَني فأَصابَني

بِرَيبٍ فما تُشوي الحَوادِثُ مَعشَرا

With doubt, affairs do not equate people.

So if time has afflicted me and struck me

So I am neither downcast by calamity nor

With calamity, misfortunes do not miss any company of men.

فَلا خاشِعٌ لِلنَّكبِ مِنهُ كآبَةً

وَلا جازِعٌ إِن صَرفُ دَهرٍ تَغَيَّرا

Swayed if the turns of fate change.

I am not humbled by disaster into depression,

And days have preserved in me a recollection

Nor panicking if the turns of fate alter.

وَقَد أَبقَتِ الأَيامُ مِنّي حَفيظَةً

عَلى جُلِّ ما لاقَيتُ وآسماً مُشَهَّرا

Of all I endured and a remembered glory.

The days have left within me a burning resolve,

So I am not - when woes come - desperate,

Despite all I have met, and a mark renowned.

فَلَستُ إِذا الضَراءُ نابَت بِجُبّاً

وَلا قصِفٍ إِن كانَ دَهرٌ تَنَكَّرا

Nor dejected if time grew estranged.

I am not, when hardship strikes, a coward,

Nor brittle if time turns its face against me.