ألا طَرَقَت بَعدَ العِشاءِ جَنوبُ

وَذَلكَ مِنها إِن عَجِبتَ عَجِيبُ

Oh did she visit the tents after the evening feast, and that is wondrous if you are surprised.

And Mar passed by us, and I saw him, and Duwan spent an evening and slept below her and the scout.

تَسَدَّت وَمَرٌّ دونَنا وَأَراكُهُ

وَدُونانُ أَمسَى دُونَها وَنَقيبُ

And we are in the desert plains of Hajun as if we are sick before their saddlebags, moaning.

So she greeted the sleeping tents, but they did not return her greeting, and some of the ignoble showed ill-will.

وَنَحنُ بِبَطحَاءِ الحَجُونِ كأننا

مِراضٌ لَهُم وَسطَ الرِحالِ نَحيبُ

Indeed, she visited us from afar, and she is, in my knowledge, energetic to the night visitors.

I love you as long as she leaned towards the valleys of Tuhama, as the she-camels with their returning calves moaned to their herds.

فَحَيَّت نِياماً لم يَرُدُّوا تَحِيَّةً

إِليها وَفي بَعضِ اللَمامِ شُغوبُ

And as long as a cooing dove in a valley bottom responds to the evening caller.

I am made to bend by shyness, so I bend, and sit, while the walk to you is near,

لَقَد طَرَقَتنَا في التَنائي وَإِنَها

على القُربِ عِلمي للسُّرى لَهَيُوبُ

And I come to houses around you that I do not like, and I increase abandoning the tent, and it is intimate.

And I wink at things from you that disturb me, and I pretend to what keeps you from me, so I respond.

أُحِبكِ ما حَنَّت بِغَورِ تُهامَةٍ

إِلى البو مِقلاتُ النِتاجِ سَلُوبُ

And I have not ceased remembering you, until it is as if I am a solicitor in the far sides of the abode.

And as if I were, from passionate love of you, a solicitor in the desolate wilderness, a stranger.

وَما سَجَعَت مِن بَطنِ وادٍ حَمامَةٌ

يُجاوِبُها صاتُ العَشِيِّ طَرُوبُ

I confide in you what I experience, while in the soul there is a need for it, buzzing between my skin and bones.

When I visit you my visits are few, little hospitality appears from you to me.

وَإِني لَيَثنِيني الحَياءُ فَأَنثَني

وَأَقعُدُ والمَمشى إليكِ قَريبُ

Explain to me if you depend on us with what I see of love, or if I am at fault with you.

Explain to me, for I am either confused about my condition to you, or I am at fault so I will repent.

وَآتي بُيوتاً حَولَكُم لا أُحِبُّها

وَأُكثِرُ هَجرَ البَيتِ وَهوَ جَنِيبُ

I swore, and there is no fault with a man who sees it, yet some oath takers are liars.

By the Lord of the floating camels, and what Quraysh built and pilgrims donate and respond.

وَأُغضي على أَشياءَ مِنكِ تَريبُني

وَأُدعَي اِلى ما نَابَكُم فَأُجيبُ

And the throwing of pebbles from Mina, where Iyad and Hamid circled, and Atayib stayed.

The oath of a man who did not sin in it, a truthful one, and over the swearers a watcher.

وَما زِلتُ مِن ذِكراكِ حَتّى كَأَنَّني

أَميمٌ بِأَكنافِ الدِيارِ سَليبُ

What a good host are those who visit his fire, and the resting place of the evening travelers while they are absent.

And the protector of the tribe’s fray, when successive double calamities and deep sorrows befall the people.

وَحَّتى كَأنّي مِن جَوَى الحُبِّ مِنكُمُ

سَليبُ بِصَحراءِ البُرَيحِ غَريبُ

In any case, if a disaster pains us, while substitutions take turns.

A young man whose silence is forbearance, and his speech is judicious, and in valor praised for his firmness.

أَبُثُّكِ ما أَلقى وَفي النَفسِ حاجَةٌ

لَها بَينَ جِلدي وَالعِظامِ دَبِيبُ

An orator who, if he one day speaks wisely, awe covers the porch, fearsome.

Abundant in bounty, he brings bounty wherever he goes, and if he is absent, bounty is absent wherever he is absent.

أَراكُم إِذا ما زُرتُكُم وَزِيارَتي

قَليلٌ يُرَى فِيكُم إِلَيَّ قُطوبُ

A generous man of noble deeds, the noble do not see in him any flaw in his nobility and praiseworthy qualities.

A father who refused to acknowledge tyranny, his heart is resolute against his enemies.

أَبِيني أَتعويلٌ عَلَينا بِما أَرَى

مِنَ الحُبِّ أَم عِندي إِلَيكِ ذُنوبُ

Turning his bright blue eyes above a hill, his tall neck reaching to the sky beneath him.

Tomorrow in a bright morning, the southern corners opened up for him after the pigeons returned.

أَبِيني فَإِما مُستَحيرٌ بِعِلَّةِ

عَلَيَّ وَإِمّا مُذنِبٌ فَأَتوبُ

He picked the fruits of glory for Abu Hafs, a father who built beneath him difficulties for the builders.

So this one builds upon the foundation of that one, both excellent and refined.

حَلَفتُ وَما بِالصِدقِ عَيبٌ عَلى اِمرِىءٍ

يَرَاهُ وَبَعضُ الحالِفينتَ كَذوبُ

A grandfather whose father built the foundation, and each grew up cultured and lettered.

So you follow their example, following in their footsteps. What they closed up is before you, and you come after.

بِرَبِّ المَطايا السَابِحاتِ وَما بَنَت

قُرَيشٌ وَأَهدَت غَافِقٌ وَتُجِيبُ

You came to imitate your father, just as your father imitated his father in his deeds and was successful.

You have become in the evening a heart growing in tenderness, just as hearts grow amongst the tender.

وَمُلقَى الوَلايا مِن مِنىً حَيثُ حَلَّقَت

إيادٌ وَحَلَّت غامِدٌ وَعَتيبُ

Your father is the father of rebels, so who are you making him out to be? Some fathers are refined.

You are the one purified from one side, then the other, and from over here, and your luck when you repent.

يَمينَ اِمرِىءٍ لَم يَغشَ فيها أَثيمَةً

صَدوقٍ وَفَوقَ الحالِفَينَ رَقيبُ

You gave support during the destruction of Malik's wealth, when a time of hardship befell the prosperous.

You are the hoped for and the redeemer of the destroyed, and you are forbearing, beneficial, and successful.

لَنِعمَ أَبو الأَضيافِ يَغشَونَ نارَهُ

وَمُلقى رِحالِ العيسِ وَهيَ لَغُوبُ

If only you did not neglect a friend or abandon a companion, or deprive a stranger in your midst.

You gave life to one whose wealth was dead, for one who is called upon but does not answer is dead.

وَمُختَبَطُ الجادي إذا ما تَتابَعَت

عَلى النَاسِ مَثنى قَرَّةٍ وَجُدوبُ

You fulfilled the noble qualities of the lofty, so you embodied them, as you are the mantle of the lofty.

It is not the people who gave you the caliphate and piety, so do not thank them, the rewarder will reward you.

وَحامي ذِمارِ القومِ في ما يَنوبُهُم

إذا ما اِعتَرَت بَعدَالخَطوبِ خُطوبُ

Rather, it is a Knowing One who gave you that, a Bestower of the abundant and gifts.

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ إِن أَلَمَّت مُلِمَّةٌ

بِنا عُمَرٌ وَالنَّائِباتُ تَنوبُ

فَتىً صَمتُهُ حِلمٌ وَفَصلٌ مَقالهُ

وَفي البَأسِ مَحمودُ الثَناءِ صَليبُ

خَطيبٌ إِذا ما قالَ يوماً بِحِكمَةٍ

مِنَ القولِ مغشيُ الرَواقِ مَهيبُ

كَثيرُ النَدى يَأتي النَدى حَيثُما أَتى

وَإِن غابَ غابَ العُرفُ حَيثُ يَغِيبُ

كَريمُ كِرَامٍ لا يُرى في ذوي النَدى

له في النَدى وَالمَأثُراتِ ضَريبُ

أَبيٌّ أبى أَن يَعرِف الضيمَ غالِبٌ

لأَعدَائه شَهمُ الفؤادِ أَريبُ

يقلِّبُ عَينَي أزرَقٍ فوقَ مَرقَبٍ

يَفاعٍ لَهُ دونَ السَماءِ لُصوبُ

غَدا في غَداةٍ قَرَّةٍ فاِنتَحَت لَهُ

عَلى إِثرِ وُرادِ الحَمَام جَنوبُ

جَنى لأَبي حَفصٍ ذُرَى المَجدِ والدٌ

بَنى دونَهُ لِلبانِيَينِ صُعوبُ

فَهذا على بنيانِ هَذاك يَبتَني

بُناهُ وَكُلٌّ مُنجِبٌ وَنَجيبُ

وَجَدٌّ أَبيهُ قَد يُنافي على البُنا

بُناهُ وَكُلٌّ شَبَّ وَهُوَ أَديبُ

فَأَنتَ عَلى مِنهاجِهم تَقتَتَدي بِهم

أَمامَكَ ما سَدّوا وَأَنتَ عَقيبُ

فَأَصبَحتَ تَحذو مِن أَبيكَ كَما حَذا

أَبوكَ أَباهُ فِعلَهُ فَتُصيبُ

وَأَمسَيتَ قَلباً نابِتاً في أَرومَةٍ

كَما في الأَرُومِ النابِتاتِ قُلوبُ

أَبوكَ أَبو العاصي فَمَن أَنتَ جاعِلٌ

إِلَيهِ وَبَعضُ الوَالِدَينِ نَجيبُ

وَأَنتَ المُنقّى مِن هُنا ثُمَّ مِن هُنا

وَمِن هاهُنا وَالسَّعدكُ حينَ تؤوبُ

أَقَمتَ بِهَلكى مالكٍ حينَ عَضَّهُم

زَمَانٌ يَعُرُّ الواجِدينَ عَصيبُ

وَأنتَ المُرَجَّى والمُفَدّى لِهالِك

وَأَنتَ حَليمٌ نافِعٌ وَمُصيبُ

وَلِيتَ فَلَم تُغفِل صَديقاً وَلَم تَدَع

رَفيقاً وَلَم يُحرَم لَدَيكَ غَريبُ

وَأَحييتَ مَن قَد كانَ مَوَّتَ مالَهُ

فِإِن مُت مَن يُدعى لَهُ فَيُجِيبُ

قَضَيتَ لِسَوراتِ العُلا فَاِحتَويتَها

وَأَنتَ لِسَوراتِ العَلاءِ كَسُوبُ

وَمَا النَاس أَعطَوكَ الخِلافَةَ والتُقى

وَلا أَنتَ فاِشكُرهُ يُثِبكَ مُثيبُ

وَلَكنَما أَعطاكَ ذلِكَ عالمٌ

بِما فيكَ مُعطٍ لِلجَزيلِ وَهوبُ