سَقى دِمنَتَينِ لَم نَجِد لَهُما مِثلا
بِحقلٍ لَكُم يا عَزَّ قَد زانَتا حَقلا
Two she-camels that we could find no match for,
Have adorned your meadow, O Aziz, a beautiful meadow.
نَجاءُ الثُرَيّا كَلَّ آَخِرِ لَيلَةٍ
يَجودُهُما جوداً وَيُتبِعُهُ وَبلا
The Pleiades came in their glory at the end of night,
Bestowing generously upon them, following with more.
إِذا شَحَطَت دارٌ لِعَزَّةَ لَم أَجِد
لَها في الأولى يَلحَينَ في وَصلِها مِثلا
When the Abode of Aziz was adorned, I could not find
In the first adornment, two nights of union like it.
فَيا لَيتَ شِعري وَالحَوادِثُ جَمَّةٌ
مَتى تَجمَعُ الأَيّامُ يَوماً بِها شَملا
Oh, would that I knew - and events are all confusion -
When will the days gather a day in which we are united?
وَكَيفَ يَنالُ الحاجِبِيَّةَ آلِفٌ
بِيَليَلَ ممساهُ وَقَد جاوَزَت نَخلا
How can one reach Al-Hajibiyah, journeys beyond count,
When it has surpassed the date palms in distance?
فَيا عَزَّ إِن واشٍ وَشى بِيَ عِندَكُم
فَلا تُكرِميهِ أَن تَقولي لَهُ أَهلا
So O Aziz if a slanderer slanders me to you,
Do not honor him by saying to him "Welcome!"
كَما لَو وَشى واشٍ بِوُدِّكِ عِندَنا
لَقُلنا تَزَحزَح لا قَريباً وَلا سهلا
Just as if a slanderer slandered your love among us
We would say "Begone! Neither close nor easy."
فَأَهلاً وَسَهلاً بِالَّذي شَدَّ وَصلَنا
وَلا مَرحَباً بِالقائِلِ اِصرِم لَها حَبلا
So welcome, and easy access, to the one who tied our bond,
And no welcome to the one who cut its rope.
أَلَم يَأنِ لي يا قَلب أَن أَترُكَ الجَهلا
وَأَن يُحدِثَ الشَيبُ المُلِمُّ لِيَ العَقلا
Has not the time come, O heart, for me to leave foolishness,
And for old age to bring wisdom to me?
عَلى حين صارَ الرَأسُ مِنّي كَأَنَّما
عَلَت فَوقَهُ نَدّافَةُ العَطَبِ الغَزلا
When my head has become as if
A decorated spindle were set upon it.
وَنَحنُ مَنَعناَ مِن تِهامَةَ كُلِّها
جُنوبَ نَقا الخَوّارِ فَالدَمِثَ السَهلا
And we who were banned from all of Tihama,
From Nuq Al-Kharar to Al-Dumuth's plains.
بِكُلِّ كُميتٍ مُجفَرِ الدَفِّ سابِحٍ
وَكُلِّ مِزاقٍ وَردَةٍ تَعلِكُ النِكلا
With every brave knight, his sword flashing,
And every elegant camel decked in necklaces.
غَوامِضُ كَالعُقبانِ إِن هِيَ أُرسِلَت
وَإِن أُمسِكَت عَن غَربِها نَقَلَت نَقلا
Darts that fly like eagles when unleashed,
And if held back from their setting they are restless.
عَلَيهِنَّ شُعثٌ كَالمَخاريقِ كُلُّهُم
يُعِدُّ كَريماً لا جَباناً وَلا وَغلا
Dishevelled hair covers them like sieves, all of them
Count as generous, not cowardly or treacherous.
بِأَيديهِمُ خَطّيّة وَعَلهِمُ
سَوابِغُ فِرعَونِيَّةٌ جُدِلت جَدلا
In their hands, lances, and over them
Long coats like those of Pharaoh, plaited.
تَرانا ذَوي عِزٍّ وَيَزعُمُ غَيرُنا
مِن أَعدائِنا أَن لا يَرَونَ لَنا مِثلا
We see ourselves as honorable, while others,
Our enemies, claim to see no equals to us.
نُحارِبُ أَقواماً فَنَسبي نِساءَهُم
وَنُصفِدُهُم أَسراً وَنوجِعُهُم قَتلا
We fight people, capturing their women,
Imprisoning them, and inflicting death.
فَيُؤخَذُ مِنّا العَقلُ دونَ دِمائِنا
وَنَأبى فَلا نَستاقُ مِن دمنا عَقلا
So reason is taken from us, not our blood,
And we refuse, not drawing reason from our blood.
وَيَضرِبُ رَيعانَ الكَتيبَةِ صَفُّنا
إِذا أَقبَلَت حَتّى نُطَرِّفَها رَعلا
The columns of soldiers strike our lines
Until we force them back disgracefully.
وَأَثبَتُهُ داراً عَلى الخَوفِ ثَملُها
فُروعُ عَوالي الغابِ أَكرِم بِها ثَملا
I stationed it in a house, laden with fear,
The branches of lofty trees honoring its load.
وَأَبعَدُهُ سَمعاً وَأَطيَبُهُ نَثاً
وَأَعظَمُهُ حِلماً وَأَبعَدُهُ جَهلا
I distanced it from hearing, perfumed it,
Increased its patience, and distanced it from ignorance.
وَأَقوَلُهُ لِلضَيفِ أَهلاً وَمَرحَباً
وَآمَنُهُ جاراً وَأَوسَعُهُ جَبلا
I say to the guest, "Welcome and greetings!"
I shelter my neighbor and broaden the mountain.
فَسائِل بِقَومي كُلَّ أَجرَدَ سابِحٍ
وَسَل غَنَماً رُبّي بِضَمرَةَ أَو سَخلا
So ask about my people every bare knight,
And ask about sheep kept at Dhumra or Sakhal.
سَواءٌ كَأَسنانٍ الحِمارِ فَلا تَرى
لِذي كَبرَةٍ مِنهُم عَلى ناشِئٍ فَضلا
They are all equal, like the teeth of a donkey,
No elder among them has virtue over a youth.
وَما حَسَبَت ضَمرِيَّةٌ جَدَوِيَّةٌ
سِوى التَيسِ ذي القَرنَينِ أَنَّ لَها بَعلا
Nor did a ewe of Dhumra think herself
Other than a horned goat, that she have a husband.
فَأَبلِغ لِيَ الذَفراءَ وَالجَهلُ كَاِسمِهِ
وَمَن يَغوِ لا يَعدَم عَلى غِيِّهِ عَذلا
So convey to Az-Zhafira' that ignorance is her name,
And whoever errs will not lack reproach for his error.
