أَفي نَجدٍ تُحاوِرُكَ القَبولُ
أَظُنُّ الرّيحَ تَفهَمُ ما تَقولُ
In Najd, does acceptance converse with you?
I think the wind understands what you say
تَغَنَّت في رِحالِ الرَّكبِ حَتّى
تَشابَهَتِ الذَّوائِبُ وَالذُّبولُ
It sang in the travelers' bags until
The humps and the hobbled camels were alike
صَحِبنا في دِيارِكُمُ صَباها
تَناوَبها التَّنَفُّسُ وَالنُّحولُ
Our youth in your lands passed their time
Taking turns feeble and wasting away
وَأَمطَرنا سَحابَ الدَّمعِ حَتّى
حَسِبنا أَنَّهُ مُهَجٌ تَسيلُ
And we rained tears of sorrow until
We thought it was pouring rain
وَعُجنا ذاهِلينَ فَما عَلِمنا
أَنَحنُ السّائِلونَ أَمِ الطُّلولُ
And we lingered in ignorance, not knowing
Were we the askers or the shirkers?
وَأَعدَينا بِذِكرِكُمُ الخُزامى
فَمالَ مَعَ النَّسيمِ كَما يَميلُ
And in mentioning you we stirred up longing
Which leaned with the breeze as it sways
وَفي الأَظعانِ لَيِّنَةُ الثَّنِيِّ
عَصِيُّ الرِّدفِ مانِعَةٌ بَذولُ
In the she-camels are the soft, bending saddles
The short ropes holding them back from departure
سَأَلناها تُحَيِّينا فَضَنَّت
وَذَلِكَ لَو تَجودُ بِهِ جَزيلُ
We asked them to greet us, but they were stingy
Though it would be little, if they were generous
سَقَت أَرضَ السَّوِيَّةِ وَالغَوادي
تَهاداها الأَباطِحُ وَالسُّهولُ
They quenched the thirst of al-Suwayyah and al-Ghadah
As the smooth plains and valleys sprawled out
يَمانِيَةٌ تُصَفِّقُها النَّعامى
إِذا خَطَرَت وَتَلحَقُها القَبولُ
A she-camel of Yemen, slapped by ostriches
When she struts, and chased by the bull camels
كَأَنَّ يَدَ المُعِزِّ حَنَت عَلَيها
مَخافَةَ أَن تَضُرَّ بِها السُّيولُ
As if the goat herder's hand caressed her
Fearing the floods would harm her
شَفى مَرَضَ العَواصِمِ عامِرِيٌّ
تَنمُّ عَلى خَلائِقِهِ الشَّمولُ
'Amir tended the sickness of the cities until
Health spread throughout his dominion
جَلا صَدأَ القَذى عَنها وَصَحَّت
فَلَيسَ سِوى النَّسيمِ بِها عَليلُ
He removed the rust of malady from them, and they recovered
So that nothing there is sick except the breeze
وَآمَنَ سِربها مِن كُلِّ خَطبٍ
فَأمُّ النّائِباتِ بِها ثُكولُ
And their flock is safe from every misfortune
As their patron resolves every complaint
كَريمٌ يَستُرُ المَعروفَ حَتّى
كَأَنَّ كَثيرَ ما يُعطي قَليلُ
Noble, concealing favors as though
His many gifts were but paltry
تَغيرُ عَلى سوابِقِهِ الفَيافي
وَتَضرِبُ في صَوارِمِهِ الفُلولُ
His cavalry gallop into the midst of enemies
And the tips of their spears serve as guides
تَزورُ جِيادُهُ أَرضَ الأَعادي
وَأَطرافُ الرِّماحِ لَها دَليلُ
They came out from al-Jazirah at daybreak
As the hills and valleys called them
طَلَعنَ مِنَ الجَزيرَةِ في هَناتٍ
تَقاضاها الطَّوائِلُ وَالدُّخولُ
They raided the enemies' strongholds until
The armies and cavalry took warning
وَجُبنَ مَعاقِلَ الأَعداءِ حَتّى
تَناذَرَتِ الرَّكائِبُ وَالخُيولُ
If their neighing deceived them, they would say
"The ostriches took flight from the footmen"
إِذا خَدَعَتهُمُ بِالنَّقعِ قالوا
نَعامُ الدَّوِّ أَفزَعَها الرَّعيلُ
And if the spurrings warned them of an attack
And the glistening spearpoints rose up
وَإِن صَدَقَتهُمُ الخُرصانُ عَنها
وَلاحَت في عَجاجَتِها النُّصولُ
Escape saved them from the highlands
And the lowly may be saved from fate
أَجارَهُمُ الفِرارُ مِنَ العَوالي
وَقَد يَنجو مِنَ القَدَرِ الذَّليلُ
They took refuge in the cliffs with ravines
Where only the lazy hyena prowls
وَحَلّوا بِالسَّماوَةِ في شِعابٍ
يُذَمُّ لَها مِنَ الطَّلَبِ الخُمولُ
They grazed there on brush, which was adorned
By the threshing floors and wandering livestock
رَعوا فيها الهَشيمَ وَقَد تَباهَت
بِزينَتِها المَخازِمُ وَالهُجولُ
When the brave heroes went out secure
And their encampments were emptied of tents
إِذا سَرَحَت قِلاصُ الحَيِّ أَمناً
وَسارَت عَن مَنازِلها الحُمولُ
They lodged the prisoners of war, who were comforted
By their mounts and the harnesses' jingling
ثَوَوا أَسرى الخِدارِ وَقَد أَريحَت
مَطِيُّهُمُ وَسالَمها الذَّميلُ
Seekers whom no mishap could startle
With determination no refusal could shake
طِلابٌ لا يُرَوِّعُهُ عِثارٌ
وَعَزمٌ لا يُنَفِّرُهُ نُكولُ
A kingdom which the torrents of valleys fortified
Realms pass away, but it does not pass
وَمُلكٌ شادَهَ ظَعنُ الهَوادي
تَزولُ الرّاسِياتُ وَلا يَزولُ
A heroic man preserved it from the trickery of nights
As exalted as what he guards is worth
حَماهُ مِن مُخاتَلَةِ اللَّيالي
فَتىً مِثلُ المُرادِ بِهِ جَليلُ
The summits of the highlands dread his might
For the awe of him makes them quake
تُحاذِرُ بَأسَهُ سُمرُ العَوالي
فَفيها مِن مَهابَتِهِ ذُبولُ
In the darkness of the plains, his might brings out
Stars that set in the predawn glow
وَيُطلِعُ في ظَلامِ النَّقعِ مِنها
نُجوماً في النُّحورِ لَها أفولُ
The clouds pass by it fearful
With no thoughts of rest in its expanse
مِنَ القَومِ الَّذينَ لَهُم أَكُفٌّ
يُبادِرُها فَتَنجابُ المُحولُ
They established in its gloomy valleys
A beacon so no path goes astray
كُهولُهُم إِذا غَضِبوا شَبابٌ
وَمُردُهُم إِذا حَلِموا كُهولُ
Beware, for Haleeb has ferocious lions
And the tips of their spears have venom
إِذا راعَت سُيوفُهُمُ المَطايا
تَمَنَّت أَنَّ مالِكَها بَخيلُ
From Damascus' interior to Dumayl
Are pastures with elongated thorns
غَدَت غُرَراً عَلى هامِ الأَعادي
وهُزَّ عَلى مَناسِمِها حُجولُ
Around it, for the people of Kilaab
Homes are built with no host inside
وَقَفرٌ قُيّدَت فيهِ الدَّياجي
فَما لِخِضابِها عَنهُ نُصولُ
Its valleys flow with the dew of wild thyme
To which they have no path back to dry fodder
تَسَتَّر فيهِ ضَوء الصُّبحِ خَوفاً
فَنَمَّ بِسِرِّهِ السَّيفُ الصَّقيلُ
It cloaked their crime when patience was lost
And their minds strayed from guidance
تَمُرُّ بِهِ السَّحائِبُ خائِفاتٍ
فَلَيسَ لَها بِساحَتِهِ هُمولُ
Its people, when wrathful, are youthful lions
Yet when forbearing, aged men
أَقاموا في غَياهِبِهِ العَوالي
مَناراً ما يَضِلُّ بِهِ سَبيلُ
When their swords terrify the mounts
Those mounts wish their owners were stingy
حَذارِ فَإِنَّ في حَلَبٍ لُيوثاً
وَآجامُ الرِّماحِ لَهُنَّ غيلُ
They became embers upon the enemies' skulls
And their skulls were knocked by the clubs
وَمِن بَطنِ الشآم إِلى دُجَيلٍ
مَراتِعُ نَبتُها الأَسَلُ الطَّويلُ
A rugged land where the steeds were tethered
So that their dye could not escape
يُشَيَّدُ دونَها لِبَني كِلابٍ
بُيوت ما يُضامُ لَها نَزيلُ
The light of dawn hid there in fear
So the sharp sword slept with its secret
تَسيلُ شِعابُها بِنَدى ثِمالٍ
فَلَيسَ لَها إِلى كَلأ رَحيلُ
The clouds pass by it fearful
With no thoughts of rest in its expanse
تَغَمَّدَ جُرمَها إِن طاحَ حِلمٌ
وَضَلَّت عَن هِدايَتِها عُقولُ
They made their abode in its gloomy valleys
A beacon so no path goes astray
وَصُنها فَهيَ في يُمناكَ عَضبٌ
يُزينُكَ حَملُهُ وَبِهِ تَصولُ
So guard them, for in your wrath is a lion
Bearing it adorns you, and with it you pounce
فَدونَكَ عاجَلَت وَخزَ العَوالي
كَأَنَّ الرُّمحَ يَطعَنُهُ التَّليلُ
Before you the highlands were humbled and wounded
As if the spear's point strikes one despised
وَتَحتَ لِوائِكُم صَعبٌ أَباء
فَلَم يَركَب لَها ظَهرٌ ذَلولُ
Under your banner are the unyielding people
Upon whose backs no weakling rode
أَرى إِبلي شَوارِعَ من قُنوعي
مَوارِدَ ما يُبَلُّ بِها غَليلُ
I see my camels roaming freely in Qunu'
Drinking where no discomfort leaves a sickness
وَلَم تَعرِف لِمُصعَبِها قُيودٌ
وَلَم يَملِك لِشارِدِها جَديلُ
They know no harnesses restraining them
Nor a rope capturing the strays among them
وَآمالي مُطرحَةٌ بِطاء
يُنازِعُ دونَها قَدَرٌ مَطولُ
My hopes lie ruined by misfortune
As fate contends with them for long
أعيذُ نَميرَ وُدِّكَ مِن أَوامي
وَقَد أَودى بِجِمَّتِهِ النُّهولُ
I seek refuge for your affection from ruin
Which has destroyed communities of people
فَهَل يَرضى لَكَ الكَرَمُ اطِّراحي
وَلَو أَنّي لجودِكُمُ عَذولُ
Can your generosity be pleased with my humiliation
When I am, for your open-handedness, miserly?
فَما يَسمو الزَّمانُ إِلى قِراعي
وَظِلُّ جَنابِكُم أَبَداً ظَليلُ
No era rises to my battle
And the shade of your side is forever shady
وَلا تَسطو عَلَيِّ يَدُ اللَّيالي
وَظَنّي في رَجائِكُمُ جَميلُ
Let not the nights gain power over me
For my hopes in you are beautiful
