نظرةٌ منكِ ويومٌ بالجَرِيبِ

حَسْب نفسي من زمانٍ وحبيبِ

A glance from you and a day at Al-Jarib

Is enough for my soul after a time and a lover

فمنَ الواقفُ بي بينكما

جمَعَ الفُوقَ على سهمٍ مُصيبِ

So who is standing between us

Who gathered superiority over a hitting arrow

وقفةً لا أشتكي من بعدها

غُلَّةَ الصدرِ ولا ذلَّ الغريبِ

A stance I do not complain about after it

The anguish of my chest or the misery of an outcast

يا ابنة الجمرةِ من ذِي يَزَنٍ

في الصميم العِدِّ والبيتِ الرحيبِ

O daughter of embers, from the family of Yazan

At the core of the pillar and the spacious house

ما لكم لا أجدبَ اللهُ بكم

يرتعِي جاركُمُ غيرَ الخصيبِ

Why does God not make you infertile

While your neighbor reaps without fertilizing?

الجدَي يمنعُه ذو جِدَةٍ

والجنابُ الرحبُ ينبو بالجُنوبِ

Seriousness prevents those who are serious

While the kind heart grows in kindness

ورماحٌ دون أضيافِكُمُ

تأخذُ السالمَ فيكم بالمريبِ

And spears defend your guests

Taking safety among you as suspicious

أتَّقيكم والهوى يقدمُ بي

وأغضُّ الصوت والدمعُ يَشِي بي

I fear you but passion leads me

And I lower my voice while tears speak through me

ومن الشِّقوةِ في زورتِكم

أنّ عينَ الرمح من عينِ الرقيبِ

From misery in your visit

That the eye of the spear is the eye of the watcher

لا يكن آخِرَ عهدِي بِكُمُ

يا وُلاةَ القلبِ ليلاتُ القليبِ

Let my last covenant with you

O hearts’ governors, not be nights of distress

يا لَمن ينكُص عن غِزلانكم

وهو وثَّابٌ على الليثِ الغضوبِ

Woe to those who recoil from your gazelles

While they are devoted to the angry lion

ومتى العزُّ وفي أبياتكم

أعينٌ تقهرُ سلطانَ القلوبِ

And when is glory, and in your verses

Eyes that conquer the sultan of hearts?

يا صَبا نجدٍ ويا بانَ الغضا

اُرفُقا بي بالتثنِّي والهبوبِ

O morning breeze of Najd and O dew of Ghada

Be gentle with me in your whispers and blowing

واسلما لا مثلَ ما طاحَ دمي

منكما بين نسيمٍ وقضيبِ

And deliver me not like what my blood has spilled

Between a breeze and a twig from you

قَسَم البينُ فما عدّل بي

غدرةَ الوافي وتبعيدَ القريبِ

Fate divided so it did not make fair

The betrayal of the loyal and the banishment of the near

وقضى الدهرُ فحالتْ صِبغةٌ

عُدَّ ذنبُ الدهرِ فيها من ذنوبي

And time decreed so a color came

The sin of time in it became my sins

وفؤادي يشتكي جَورَ النوى

وعِذارِي يشتكي جَورَ المشيبِ

And my heart complains of the injustice of determination

While my honor complains of the injustice of old age

كم أُدارِي عَنَتَ الأيّام في

غَبْنِ حظِّي وأُطاطِي للخطوبِ

How much time makes me taste

The injustice of my share and my humiliation for calamities

وأردّ الحزمَ في أُفحوصِه

وهو هافٍ يتنزَّى للوثوبِ

And I restrain my resolve in its wandering

While it is negligent, refusing to leap

قاعداً والجَدُّ قد رحَّلَ بي

والمعالي يتقاضَيْن ركوبي

Sitting while seriousness has made me travel

And virtues demand my riding

جِلسةَ الأعزلِ يلوِي يَدَهُ

وسلاحي بين كُورِي وجَنيبي

The sitting of the powerless, twisting his hand

While my weapon is between my waist and side

أمدحُ المثرِين ظنَّاً بهِمُ

ربّما يقمَر بالظنّ الكذوبِ

I praise the fertile out of thinking

Perhaps the invalid assumption would fruit

كلُّ وغدِ الكفِّ منبوذِ الحيا

طيِّب المحضرِ مسبوبِ المغيبِ

Every tomorrow the palm of the despaired life

Of good company, poured misfortune

يمنع الرِّفد وتَلقَى وفدَه

قِحَةُ البخلِ بإدلالِ الوهوبِ

Prevents bestowal and takes its delegation

The mound of stinginess with the pretense of gift-giving

يطلبُ المدحَ لأن يفضحَهُ

وهو قبلَ المدحِ مستورُ العيوبِ

Seeking praise so it exposes him

While before praise he is hidden in flaws

قلتُ للآمال فيه كَذَبَتْ

أُمُّهُ إن كنتِ آمالي فخيبي

I said to hopes in him, it lied

Its mother, if you were my hopes then disappoint me

جَلَبُ الأرضِ عريضٌ دونه

وسُرَى العيسِ وإدمانُ اللّغوبِ

The width of the land is beneath him

And the axes of livelihood and insisting on nonsense

وغلامٌ آخذٌ ما طلبتْ

نفسهُ أو فائتٌ كلَّ طلوبِ

And a boy who takes what his soul wants

Or loses every demand

يقْمَحُ الضيمَ ولو أبصرهُ

ليلة العِشرِ على الماءِ الشَّروبِ

He resents the blame even if he saw it

On the night of the tenth on the drinking water

ما أذلَّ الخصبَ في دارِ الأذى

وألذَّ العزَّ في دار الجُدوبِ

He who humiliated fertility in the house of harm

And made glory most delightful in the house of magnanimity

يا بني كلِّ نعيم ضاحكٍ

في حِمى وجهٍ من اللؤمِ قَطوبِ

O children of every laughing bliss

In a sanctuary from a face of disasters, sealed

قد مللِناكم على شارتِكم

ويضيقُ الصدرُ في البيتِ الرحيبِ

You have wearied us with your condition

And the chest tightens in the spacious house

وعسى الدنيا التي أدَّتكُمُ

تصطفينا من بنيها بنجيبِ

And hopefully the world that led you

Will choose us from its children as virtuous

ماجدِ الشيمةِ سهلٍ ليلهُ

للقِرَى صبٍّ إلى الحمدِ طَروبِ

Majid Al-Shimah Sahl, his night

Is pouring praise to the praised everlasting

يكسِبُ المالَ لأن يُتلِفهُ

والعلا في يدِ مِتلافٍ كَسوبِ

He earns money to spend it

While science in the hand of a destroyer is impure

تَخبُث الأيدي وفي راحتِهِ

من نداه أرجُ المَشتَا المَطيبِ

The hands are wicked while in his comfort

Is the most aromatic fragrance of the aromatic

كابن حمّادٍ ولا مِثلَ له

هل تَرى للبدر فرداً من ضِريبِ

Like the son of Hammad without an equal

Do you see the moon having a match from a portion?

جذابَ الرُّوَّاضَ عن مِقودِهِ

مرِسُ الجمرةِ وهّاجُ الثُّقوبِ

Driving away the willful from his lead

Striker of embers and kindler of flames

أين يا سائقها أين بها

جعجعِ الآمال في غيرِ عزيبِ

Where O driver where with it

Longings clamor in other than a creek

جَمَعَ الصاحبُ من أطرافها

وَفْىَ حَيْرَى الطُّرقِ عَمياءِ النُّكوبِ

The master gathered from its edges

And fulfilled the blindness of paths, blind in setbacks

ضمَّها بالرأيِ حتى التأمتْ

شُلَّتاها من شُذوذٍ وشذوبِ

He gathered it with opinion until it integrated

Its loose parts from deviation and dispersal

ويدٍ لا ترِبتْ تلك يداً

رِبقةِ الجاني وفكِّ المستنيبِ

And a hand that did not become delicate is that a hand

Delicacy of the criminal and release of the chained

سلَّتِ الدولةُ منه صارماً

شِرقَ الصفحةِ ظمآنَ الغُروبِ

The state drew from him a sharp sword

Thirsty for sunset, shining of page

طَبعَ الأقبالُ من جوهرهِ

زُبْرةً تقدحُ نيرانَ الحروبِ

Fate stamped from his essence

Sulphur that ignites the fires of wars

لو أطاعته يدٌ حاملةٌ

لم تُكذِّبْ ظبتاهُ عن ضَريبِ

If an obeying hand carried it

Its edge would not deny it from a portion

جَرَّبوه ماضياً حيثُ مضى

صادعَ الوحيِ ومحتومَ الغيوبِ

They tested him in the past where he passed

Annuller of evil and destined of the unseen

قَلِقاً يَنفِي الكرى عن وجههِ

عِلمُه أنَّ المعالي في الهبوبِ

Restless, repelling conceit from his face

His knowledge that glories are in giving

أَلْمعِياً سوّدته نفسُهُ

والمساعي قبلَ تسويدِ الشعوبِ

Radiant, his self has blackened him

While endeavors before blackening of nations

قدَّمتْهُ صاعداً عن قومِهِ

مَصْعَدَ اللَّهذمِ قُدَّامَ الكعوبِ

It presented him ascending above his people

The ascent of vilification in front of masses

هَبهَبوا منه بليثٍ في الوغى

قرِمِ الأظفارِ مستاقِ النّيوبِ

They roared at him like an angry lion in turmoil

Bitter of claws, baring of canines

خيرِ من خَبَّتْ له أو وَخَدتْ

للجدَى ذاتُ سَنامٍ وسبَيبِ

Better than it became enraged for him or supported him

The self of a camel driver and gray hair

يأخذُ الحاجاتِ من حيثُ غلتْ

غيرَ معذولٍ على حبِّ الغُصوبِ

He takes needs wherever they become difficult

Not frustrated over love of treasures

تحسَبُ الغابةَ مما اجترَّهُ

حومةً بين عَقيرٍ وتريبِ

You would think the forest was because of what he pulled in it

A blaze between stunted and interwoven

ماضياً لم يثنِهِ عن قصدِهِ

هجمةُ الليل ولا طولُ الدؤوبِ

In the past, the night attack did not stop him from his intention

Nor the length of efforts

جَمَعَ الجودَ إلى البأسِ كما

شعشعَتْ نارٌ بماءٍ في قضيبِ

He gathered generosity and courage as

A fire blazed with water in a rod

راحةٌ لم يَعلَق البخلُ بها

وفؤادٌ لم يُسفَّهْ بالوجيبِ

Comfort that stinginess did not cling to

And a heart that foolishness did not corrupt

ولسانٌ يخصِمُ السيفَ بهِ

يترك الفارِسَ عبداً للخطيب

And a tongue that argues with the sword with it

Leaving the horseman a slave of the orator

مَنْ رسولٌ سَعِدتْ رحلتُهُ

يومَ أدعوهُ بلبَّيْكَ مجيبي

Who is a messenger, his journey succeeded

When I call him with “at your service, answering”

ناصحُ الجيبِ بما حمَّلتُهُ

حيثُ يَخشَى مُرسِلٌ غِشَّ الجيوبِ

Advisor of the pocket for what I tasked him

When a sender fears betrayal of pockets

لم أكلِّفهُ سُرى البيدِ ولم

أتعسَّفْه بأخخطارِ السُّهوبِ

I did not burden him with the path of deserts, nor

Did I impose upon him the risks of plains

عيسهُ ملمومةٌ يركب منها

مطمئناً ظهرَ مِذلالٍ رَكوبِ

His livelihood is troubled, riding from it

Reassured, the back of a submissive riding beast

يقسِمُ الماءَ بباعٍ مطلَقٍ

وفَقارٍ مُرسَلِ الحبلِ سَروبِ

He divides water with outstretched for no price

And emptied saddlebag, released rope

صعبةُ الخِلقةِ سهلٌ أرضها

فهو بين اللينِ منها والصَّليبِ

Of difficult nature, its land is easy

So he is between its softness and firmness

سارياً ليستْ عليه خِيفةٌ

ما وقاه الله سَوْراتِ الجَنُوبِ

Traveling, there is no fear upon him

What God protected from the winds of the south

قل لنوتِيَّك شَرِّعْ آمناً

حَدَثَ التَّيارِ والموجِ العصيبِ

Tell Nutayyik to set sail reassured

Severe current and high wave

رِدبها مَيسانَ واحبسها على ال

مَعقلِ الممنوعِ والوادي العشيبِ

Make its course Meisan and detain it on the

Fortress of the prohibited and valley of lush grasses

فإذا ضاقت فعلِّقها أَبَا

طاهرٍ تَعلَقْ بفرّاجِ الكروبِ

So if it is constrained, hang it on

Abu Tahir, clinging to the reliever of calamities

وإلى ذي الرتبتيْن ابتدرتْ

فُرصُ المجدِ وحاجاتُ الأريبِ

And to the one with two ranks, the opportunities of glory came to him

And needs of the miserable came to him

قل له عَنِّيَ حيَّتك العُلا

بوكيفٍ من حَيَا الشكرِ صَبيبِ

Tell him from me, may your eminence live

With how blessed from the greeting of clear gratitude

وسَقَى عِرضَك ما استسقيتَه

بارقٌ من مِدَحِي غيرُ خَلوبِ

And your honor was watered by what you sought rain for

A flash from my praise, not inadequate

ترفُلُ الأحسابُ في روضتهِ

مَرفَلَ الغادةِ في البُرْدِ القشيبِ

Accounts revel in his meadow

Like the partridge in the cool fragrant

خيرُ ما استثمرَ من غَرس الندى

واجتنىَ من غُصُنِ الجودِ الرطيبِ

Best of what he produced from planting of dew

And harvested from the branch of fresh generosity

وبذلتَ الوفْرَ حتى ابتعتَهُ

هَمَّ آدابك من حُسنٍ وطِيبِ

And you spent abundance until you bought it

The concerns of your manners from goodness and aroma

جاءني أنّك مشعوفٌ به

شَعَفَ العذريّ بمدحٍ أو نسيبِ

It came to me that you are covered with it

The wrappings of the chaste with praise or lineage

راغباً أن تُصْطَفَى من جِدّه

والفكاهاتِ بمدحٍ أو نسيبِ

Wanting to be chosen from his seriousness

And amusements with praise or lineage

وتُحَلَّى منه عِقداًن باقياً

فخرُهُ في كلِّ جِيدٍ وتريبِ

And adorned with from it a lasting necklace

Its pride in every good and rare

قلتُ فضلٌ عَجبٌ من دهرنا

وهو من فاعله غيرُ عجيبِ

I said grace, wondrous from our time

And it is from its doer not wondrous

ما تبالي حين تَستامُ العلا

أخطيبُ الشمسِ أم أنتَ خطيبي

Why do you care when you seek eminence

Is my addresser the sun or are you my addresser?

أنا من يُعطيك مجداً حاضراً

ويُبَقِّي لك مجداً في العَقيبِ

I am who gives you present glory

And keeps glory for you in the future

لا كقولٍ يطرد الساقي به

جذوةً تخمدُ من قبلِ اللهيبِ

Not like words that expel the cupbearer with it

An ember that is extinguished before the flare

كم يُمنِّيني على سلطانها

نفْسَ مَرجُوٍّ ومَخشِيٍّ مَهيبِ

How he wishes upon me over her sultan

A fanciful and reverent soul

وابتغَى بالمالِ أن يشرِيَني

فترفَّعْتُ فطارتْ عفَّتي بي

And he wanted with money to buy me

So I was aloof, my chastity flew with me

لكن اشتقتُ وقد سُمِّيتَ لي

بسماتِ الفضلِ والجودِ الغريبِ

But I missed when you were named to me

With the smiles of grace and strange kindness

فافترعْ خيرَ هَدِيٍّ وأَثِبْ

خيرَ ما جادت به نفسُ مُثيبِ

So take the best guidance and prove

The best that a generous soul gave

وإذا صرتَ نصيبي منهُمُ

فقد استوفيتُ من دهري نصيبي

And if you became my share of them

Then I got my share from my time