أَفي طَلَلٍ قَفرٍ تَحَمَّلَ آهِلُهْ

وَقَفتَ وَماءُ العَينِ يَنهَلُّ هامِلُهْ

In the ruins of a barren desert its people endured

You stopped with tears flowing down

تُسائِلُ عَن سَلمى سَفاهاً وَقَد نأَت

بِسَلمى نَوىً شَحطٌ فَكَيفَ تُسائِلُهْ

Asking foolishly about Salma though fate took her away

How can you ask one who cannot speak?

وَتَرجو وَلَم يَنطِق وَلَيسَ بِناطِقٍ

جَواباً مُحيلٌ قَد تَحَمَّل آهِلُهْ

You hope though none will answer,

Only the grieving remains

وَنؤيٌ كَخَطِّ النونِ ما إِن تَبينُهُ

عَفتَهُ ذُيولٌ مِن شَمالٍ تُذايلُهْ

A vision like dotted nun, unclear

Tails from the left trail it

فَقُل للسَريِّ الواصِلِ البرِّ ذي النَدى

مَديحاً إِذا ما بُثَّ صُدِّقَ قائِلُهْ

Say to the honorable man of virtue and generosity

Praise, when uttered, its speaker is believed

جَوادٌ عَلى العِلّاتِ يَهتَزُّ لِلنَدى

كَما اِهتَزَّ عَضبٌ أَخلَصَتهُ صَياقِلُهْ

A steed steady on the heights, stirred by dew

As a polished sword quivers, made keen by its sharpener

نَفى الظُلمَ عَن أَهلِ اليَمامَةِ عدلُهُ

فَعاشوا وَزاحَ الظُلمُ عَنهُم وَباطِلُهْ

His justice removed injustice from people of Yamamah

They lived and falsehood vanished

وَناموا بأمنٍ بَعدَ خَوفٍ وَشِدَّةٍ

بسيرَةِ عَدلٍ ما تُخافُ غَوائِلُهْ

They slept secure after fear and hardship

With the path of justice, none fear its dangers

وَقَد عَلِمَ المَعروفُ أَنَّكَ خِدنُهُ

وَيَعلَمُ هَذا الجوعُ أَنَّكَ قاتِلُهْ

Goodness knows you are its pillar

And hunger knows you are its vanquisher

بِكَ اللَهُ أَحيى أَرض حَجرٍ وَغَيرَها

مِن الأَرضِ حَتّى عاشَ بالبَقلِ آكلُهْ

Through you Allah gave life to the land of Hajar and beyond

Until the greens' eater lived

وَأَنتَ تُرَجّى لِلَّذي أَنتَ أَهلُهُ

وَتَنفَعُ ذا القُربى لَدَيكَ وَسائِلُهْ

You are hoped for what you deserve

And help your kin, their means is through you