إِذا العارِضُ الوَسمِيُّ جادَ فَأَسبَلا
فَقُل سَقِّ بِالحِزانِ رَبعاً وَمَنزِلا
When the clouds pour down
Say: Guide your camel to shelter and lodging.
وَمَهما تَبَخَّلتَ الرَبابَ فَزُر بِهِ
طُلُولاً بَصَحراءِ النُخَيلَةَ مُثَّلا
However much the courtyard complains of rain,
Send it far into the date palm desert.
يُفَرِّقُ في الغَبراءِ ظَبياً وَمِكنَساً
وَيَرمي مِنَ الشَغواءِ وَكراً وَأَجدَلا
It separates the gazelles in the dust,
And casts stones from the caves and crevices.
وَرَوّى شَماريخَ المَضيقِ بِصَيّبٍ
يُرى مِنهُ أَسرابُ الأَياييلِ جُفَّلا
It waters the valleys of the narrow pass with a pouring rain,
Through which the herds of mountain goats are seen scared.
إِذا وَأَلَت مِن رَيِّقِ الوَبلِ لَم تَجِدِ
لَها غَيرَ أَهدابِ الطَرافيِّ مَوئلا
When the pregnant camels weaken from the strain of walking
They find no refuge but the edges of the sand dunes.
تَشابَكنَ بِالأَفنانِ عُصلاً كَأَنَّما
تَحَمَّلنَ مِنهُنَّ النَخيلَ المُنَخَّلا
They entwine the baby camels with the fibrous ropes
As if the palm trees were carrying them knotted.
وَعُج عَوجَةً بِالرقَّتَينِ فَسَقِّها
حَياءً إِذا ما جَلجَلَ الرَعدُ أَسبَلا
It shuffles awkwardly on its two front feet, so lead it away quickly
Whenever lightning flashes and thunder roars.
يُغادِرُ مِن كُلِّ النَواحي بِأَرضِها
غَديراً كَذَيلِ السابِرِيِّ وَجَدوَلا
It leaves a pool in every part of the land,
Like the tail of a bustard trailing behind.
وَإِن كانَ يَغنيها المُعِزُّ بنُ صالِحٍ
عَن العارِضِ الوَسميِّ أَن يَتَهَلَّلا
And even if Mu'izz the son of Salih sings
To the rainy cloud so it may settle a while,
فَتىً طالَ بِالإِحسانِ وَالطَولِ قَدرُهُ
وَما طالَ قَدرُ المَرءِ حَتّى تَطَوَّلا
A man whose virtue and height of glory grew long
For no man's glory grows until his hopes have spanned far.
لَهُ راحَةٌ في أَن يَرى كُلَّ راحَةٍ
بِلا رَاحَةٍ مِن أَن تَجودَ وَتُفضِلا
He is at peace to see every peace rendered without any peace
On his part - without freely giving and bestowing bounty.
وَلَيلٍ نَضَينا العِيسَ فيهِ إِلى فَتىً
هُدى العِيسِ فيهِ بَعدَ أَن كُنَّ ضُلَّلا
And a night whose new moon we desired towards a man
The new moon desired after having gone astray.
وَجُبنا إِلَيهِ كُلَّ تَيهاءَ لا تَرى
بِها غَيرَ سِيدانِ الظَهيرَةِ عُسَّلا
We all came to him, every lost thing that does not see
In it other than the mid-day sun sweetly flowing.
إِذا جُعنَ أَدمَنَّ العُواءَ كَأَنَّما
ثَمِلنَ فَأَكثَرنَ الغناءَ المُرَتَّلا
When they are collected they passionately howl
As if they were pregnant, multiplying the gentle singing.
خِماصٌ إِذا ما رُحنَ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ
إِلى الوُجرِ أَشبَهنَ الدِمَقسَ المبقِّلا
Partridges, whenever they return at night
To the brushwood resemble the soldier, steadfast.
وَغُبرُ النَعامِ الرُبدِ يَرقُصنَ كُلَّما
تَوَجَّسنَ في الظَلماءِ لِلرَكبِ أَزمَلا
And the bustard's wing beats dance whenever
They suspect the caravan in the darkness hopefully.
كَأَنَّ قُسوساً بِالأَداحيِّ أَصبَحَت
مُكَوَّسَةً تَتلو الكِتابَ المُنزَّلا
As if old men wake linking arms
Reciting the Holy Book sent down.
وَحِقبٌ إِذا ما لاحَ إِيماضُ بارِقٍ
نَجَعنَ الحَيا مِن أَيِّ صَوبٍ تَخَيَّلا
And a span of time when the flashing of lightning appears
The living creature stirs whichever way it fancies.
وَرُحنَ يُرَجِّعنَ السَحيلَ تَوالياً
إِلى حَيثُ يَتلو ساطِعُ البَرقِ مِسحَلا
And they went back driving the torrents successively
To where the lightning pours out its brilliant blaze.
وَخَيلٍ يُحَفِّرنَ الصَفا بِحَوافِرٍ
يُلَقِّينَ مِنها جَندَلَ القاعِ جَندَلا
And steeds furrowing the plain with hooves
Casting pebbles over the earth like pebbles.
إِذا ما قَدَحنَ النارَ مِن كُلِّ جَروَلٍ
يُضِئنَ بِها في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ مِشعَلا
Whenever they strike fire from each flint
They light a flame in the darkness of night.
عَوايِدُ مَيمُونِ النَقيبَةِ لا يَرى
عَلى نَيلِهِ في الناسِ أَن يَتَنَيَّلا
The habit of prosperous Meimouna is not to be seen
Abase himself before people to gain advantage from them.
فَلَمّا وَصَلنَ المُدرِكي ابنَ صالِحٍ
وَصَلنَ أَجَلَّ الناسِ قَدراً وَأَفضَلا
But when the sons of Salih came of age
They came of the noblest and most generous people.
فَتى كَرَمٍ لا يُقفَلُ الرِزقُ دُونَهُ
إِذا باتَ بابُ الرِزقُ دُونَكَ مُقفلا
A generous man whose provision is not shut to him
Even if the gate of provision is locked to you.
مَتى ما يُؤمَّل لَم يَزُل مِن جَنابِهِ
مُؤَمِّلُهُ حَتّى يَصيرُ مُؤَملا
Whenever he is looked to favorably he remains not
Without looking to his expectations until they are fulfilled.
فَزُرهُ تَزُر مَن لا يُخلّيهِ مُرمِلا
مِنَ المالِ إِلا سائِلٌ جاءَ مُرمِلا
So visit him. You visit one who does not refuse
A petitioner who came covered in rags.
بَنى لِبَني الشَدّادِ فَخراً مُوَطَداً
عَلى كُلِّ مَخلوقٍ وَمَجداً مُؤَثَّلا
He built for the clan of Shaddad pride and power
Over all creation and glory adorned.
بِعَزمٍ ثَنى صَدرَ القَناةِ مُحَطَّماً
وَرَدَّ غِرارَ المَشرَفيّ مُفَلَّلا
With determination he folded the breast of defenders broken
And rebutted the attack of the overreaching.
نَسِينا بِهِ مَن كانَ في الدَهرِ قَبلَه
وَكَم قَد رَأَينا آخِراً فاقَ أَوَّلا
We forgot, because of him, those who were before him
And how many we later saw surpassing the first!
وَقَد فَضَّلَ اللَهُ الرَسولَ مُحَمَّداً
عَلى كُلِّ مَن قَد كانَ مِن قَبلُ مُرسَلا
And God has preferred Muhammed the Prophet
Above all messengers who were sent before.
وَإِن طاعَنَ الأَقرانَ لَم يقبقِ حَلقَةً
عَلى دارِعٍ إِلّا وَيُوضِحُ مَقتَلا
And if he thrusts his spear at a band of warriors, no ringMAIL
Covers a knight except it shows the place of death.
يَخَوضُ بِهِ الطِرفُ الأَغَرُّ دَمَ العِدى
وَلا يَنثَني إِلّا أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلا
The slender, crooked spear point plunges in blood
And does not bend back except to make grievous slaughter.
وَنَظما رِماحُ الخَطِّ حَتّى يَمَسَّها
يَمينُ ثِمالٍ ثُمَّ تُشرَعَ مَنهَلا
The lines of his caligraphy are like spearheads planted
Until they are touched by the right hand of one wielding a sword.
أَبا صالِحٍ لا خَلقَ إِلّاكَ مُحسِناً
وَلا مَلِكٌ إِلّاكَ في الناسِ مُفضِلا
O Father of Salih none but you does good
And no king but you bestows favor on people.
شَجُعتَ فَصَيَّرتَ الشُجاعَ مُرَوَّعاً
وَجُدتَ فَغادَرتَ الجَوادَ مُبَخَّلا
You emboldened and made the valiant to be fearful
You were generous and made the liberal seem stingy.
وَحَمَّلتَني ما لَو تَحَمَّلَ بَعضَهُ
ثَبيرٌ لَأَوهى رُكنَهُ ما تَحَمَّلا
You burdened me with what if another were to endure but some of it
A young camel would weaken its frame under the load.
فَلا زِلتُ أُثني فيكَ مَدحاً مُحَبّراً
وَأَنظِمُ عِقداً مِن ثَناكَ مُفَصَّلا
I do not stop praising you extravagantly
And stringing together a necklace from your glory.
