يا بارِقاً باتَ يُحيي لَيلَهُ سَهَرا

لَم تَروِ لي عَن أُهَيلِ المُنحَنى خَبَرا

O lightening that brought life to his sleepless night

O lightning that spent the night awake, reviving the darkness,

Have you no news for me from the bending sand dunes?

You brought me no news of the loved ones in the winding valley.

وَهَل تَأَلَّقتَ في تِلكَ الرُبوعِ وَهَل

جَرَّت عَلَيها الصَبا أَذيالَها سَحَرا

Did you shine on those meadows, did the morning breeze

Did you flash brightly over those encampments, and did

Trail its skirts over them at dawn?

The East Wind trail its skirts across them at dawn?

لا أَستَقيلُ الهَوى مِمّا أُكابِدُهُ

وَلا أُبالي بِمَن قَد لامَ أَو عَذَرا

I will not give up passion though it gives me pain

I seek no release from this passion, despite all I endure,

Nor care if blamed or excused.

Nor do I care for those who cast blame or offer excuse.

نَفسي الفِداءُ لِأَقوامٍ مى ذُكِروا

تَحَدَّرَت عَبَراتي تُشبِهُ المَطَرا

My soul I'd sacrifice for people who were named

My soul is a ransom for a people who, whenever mentioned,

And made my tears flow down like rain.

Cause my tears to flow down like falling rain.

مَن لي بِأَحوَرَ مَهزوزِ القَوامِ إِذا

بَدا تَوَهَّمتُهُ في سَعدِهِ القَمَرا

When the slim one sways, I imagine him, blessed,

Who can bring me that doe-eyed one of swaying stature? If

Picking roses from his cheek, honey dissolving from his mouth,

He appears, I mistake him in his radiance for the moon.

يُجنيكَ مِن خَدِّهِ وَرداً وَمِن فَمهِ

شَهداً مُذاباً وَمن أَلفاظِهِ دُرَرا

Scattering pearls in his words.

He offers you roses to harvest from his cheek, and from his mouth,

His beauty delights your eyes in his tresses,

Molten honey, and pearls scattered from his speech.

يَحلو لِعَينَيكَ حُسناً في غَلائِلِهِ

وَيَطرُدُ الهَمَّ إِمّا كانَ مُؤتزِرا

Banishes care, be it deep or slight.

He is sweet beauty to your eyes when in his sleeping robes,

I seek God's forgiveness. Since the sun of old age rose

And he dispels all sorrow when girt in his outer cloak.

أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ ما لي بَعدَ بَزَغَت

شَمسُ المَشيبِ بِلَيلِ الفودِ وَاِنحَسَرا

At the fading of youth's night, and sank.

I seek God’s forgiveness! What use have I for love after

Leave remembering loves you craved in the days

The sun of gray hair has risen in the night of my locks, driving back the dark?

فَدَع تَذَكُّرَ آرامٍ شُغِفتَ بهِم

أَيّامِ رَوضُ التَصابي بِالصِبا خَضِرا

When the garden of youth was green.

So cease recalling the gazelles with whom you were smitten,

Turn your words to one, if you composed

In the days when the garden of passion was verdant with youth.

وَاِصرِف مَقالَكَ فيمَن لَو نَظَمتَ لهُ

زُهرَ الكَواكِبِ مَدحاً كانَ مُحتَقَرا

The stars' flowers in praise of him, it would be nothing.

And turn your verse toward one for whom, were you to string

A king made of valor and nobility

The shining stars as a necklace of praise, it would still seem meager.

مَلكٌ تَكوَّنَ من بَاسٍ وَمن كَرَمٍ

يُفني الصَفاتِ وَيَسقي ضِدَّه كَدرا

Who puts titles to shame, turns their bitterness sweet.

A King composed of martial might and boundless generosity,

His ambitions rode the regiments in which

Who exhausts all praise, and forces his opponent to drink from a bitter cup.

طَغَت بِيامٍ أَمانيها فَجرَّ لها

دُهمَ الكَتائِبِ فيها كلُّ لَيثِ شَرى

Every audacious hero had his place.

The tribe of Yam was deluded by arrogant hopes, so he led against them

Naked they came to attack him at home

Dark battalions, filled with every lion of the thicket,

جُرداً مَتى صَبَّحت حيّاً بِمَنزِلهِ

لَم تَلقَ مُعتَصَماً مِها وَلا وَزَرا

And found no protector or minister there.

On short-haired steeds; when they raid a tribe at dawn in their dwellings,

So at dawn God's armies came on them

That tribe finds no fortress against them, nor any place of refuge.

فَصَبَّحَتهُم جُنودُ اللَهِ ضاحِيَةً

فَغادَرَتهُم لِحَدِّ المَشرَفي جُزُرا

And left them corpses piled on the hill.

The armies of God struck them in the bright morning,

Swords wrote with their blood

Leaving them as slaughtered carcasses for the Mashrafi blades.

قَواضِبٌ كَتَبَت أَيدي المنونِ بِها

آجالَ مَن خانَ عهدَ اللَهِ أَو غَدرا

The fate of those who break faith or betray.

Sharp swords with which the hands of Fate have written

You roused a lion whose claws

The deadlines of those who betrayed God’s covenant or played false.

أَهَجتُمُ أَسداً تُدمي أَظافِرهُ

كَم أَصيَدٍ تَرَكَت في التُربِ مُعتَفِرا

Leave many victims buried in the dust.

Did you provoke a lion whose claws drip with blood?

You never thought that he who provoked you

How many a proud warrior has he left soiled in the dust!

ما حكتمُ فَاِقتَضاكُم ذو مُماحَكَةٍ

ما اِعتداَ في طَبعهِ جُبناً وَلا خَورا

Was not destined by nature for fear or flight.

You stirred up trouble, so a relentless avenger came to claim his due,

He came when you had no wings to soar

One whose nature knows neither cowardice nor frailty.

فَجاءَكم حيثُ لا خُفٌ يَسيرُ بكُم

وَلا جَناحٌ إِذا ما طِرتُمُ شُهرا

Nor any chance when you took alarm.

He came upon you where no camel could carry you to safety,

You turned between slain and fleeing

And no wing could aid you, even if you took to the sky.

وَلَّيتُمُ بينَ مَقتولٍ وَمُنهَزمٍ

قَدِ اِستَعارَ جناحَ الرَألِ إِذ ذُعِرا

Borrowing the ostrich's wing in panic.

You turned and fled, some slain, some routed,

The boy calls his father, knowing him well

Like the ostrich chick borrowing wings in its terror.

يَدعو الوَليدُ أَباهُ بعدَ مَعرِفَةٍ

فَما يُردُّ له ليتاً وَإن جَأرا

But gets no answer, however loud his cry.

The child calls out to his father, recognizing him,

When the cloud of your ignorance lifted

But the father turns not his head, though the child screams.

لَمّا اِنجَلَت عَنكمُ غُمّاءُ جَهلِكمُ

كُنتُم كنا كِثَةِ الغَزلِ الذي ذُكرا

You were like the rebuked spinners' wool.

When the dark cloud of your ignorance finally lifted,

If after this you want an evil end

You were like the woman who unravels her own spun thread.

وَبَعدَها إِن أَرَدتُم سوءَ مُنقَلبٍ

فَشاغِبوا أَو فَقولوا لا إِذا أَمرا

Make mischief or refuse obedience if ordered.

And hereafter, if you desire a wretched fate,

Who will be like Abdullah on the day of battle,

Then rebel again, or say 'No' when he commands.

فَمن يَكونُ كَعبدِ اللَهِ يومَ وَغىً

إِذا الكُماةُ تَهابُ الوِردَ وَالصَدَرا

When the champions fear the roses and breasts?

For who can compare to Abdullah on the day of battle,

Striking the necks, aiming at the skulls

When armored warriors fear to charge and fear to retreat?

الضارِبِ القِرنَ هَبراً وَالقَنا قَصداً

وَمُكرِهِ الخَيلِ حَتّى تَركب الوَعر

And forcing the horses over rugged ground.

He who cleaves his opponent apart while spears shatter,

Cubs of the black lions whose prey

And drives his horses to storm the rugged heights.

شِبلُ الأُسودِ التي كانَت فرائِسهُم

صيدَ المُلوكِ إِذا ما اِستَشعَرُ صَعرا

Were kings' game when they sensed the hunt.

Scion of lions whose prey has always been

Why not ask Oman whose fires he lit

The grandest of kings, whenever they dared to show pride.

هلّا سَأَلتُم عُماناً كيفَ أَشعَلَها

ناراً إِلى الآنِ فيها تَقذِفُ الشَررا

Till now flinging sparks skyward?

Have you not asked Oman how he set it ablaze,

They took refuge in their forts, sure they would save them,

A fire that casts forth sparks to this very day?

لاذوا بِمَعقَلِهِم أَن سَوفَ يَمنَعُهُم

فَجاءَهُم كَعُقابِ الجَوِّ إذ كَسَرا

But he came like a swooping eagle and broke them.

They took shelter in their fortress, thinking it would save them,

You tasted a sample of their might

But he descended upon them like a diving eagle.

وَأَنتُمُ ذُقتُمُ من بَأسِهِم طَرفاً

يَومَ العُنَيقا دِماكُم أُلغِيَت هَدرا

The day of Unayqah when your blood flowed wasted.

And you, too, have tasted a portion of their might;

And at Batariq, the day of schism, a lesson

On the day of al-Unayqa, your blood was shed with impunity.

وَفي البَطاريقِ يَومَ الشَقبِ مُعتَبَرٌ

لَو كانَ فيكُم رجالٌ تَعقِلُ الخَبَرا

Had you men who understand events.

And in the fate of the chieftains at al-Shaqb there is a lesson,

O fortunate king, good fortune's bird,

If only you had men among you who could understand the warning.

يا أَيُّها المَلكُ المَيمونُ طائِرهُ

اِنشُر لِواءَكَ تَلقَ العِزَّ وَالظَفرا

Unfurl your banner and meet glory and triumph.

O King, whose omen is ever auspicious,

With your grandfather's power this age smiles

Unfurl your banner, and you shall meet glory and victory.

بِسَعدِ جدِّكَ هذا الدَهرُ مُبتَسِماً

بَعدَ العَبوسِ وَهذا المَجدُ مُفتَخرا

After sullenness, and glory exults in this honor.

Through your good fortune, Time itself is smiling

Arise, with God's help you will be victorious,

After its frown, and Glory stands proud.

فَاِنهَض فَأنت بِحَولِ اللَه مُنتَصَرٌ

وَاِملِك إِذا شِئتَ باديها وَمن حَضرا

Rule their lands if you wish, absent and present.

So rise! For by the power of God you are triumphant,

Set the foundations of the glory founded

And rule, if you will, over the nomad and the city-dweller alike.

وَشِد قَواعِدَ مَجدٍ كان وطَّدَهُ

قِدماً أَبوك وَبحرُ الموتِ قد زَخرا

By your father while death's ocean seethed.

Reinforce the foundations of glory that were established

Brace yourself with a sword that if you strike with it

Long ago by your father, when the sea of death surged high.

وَاِشدُد يَدَيكَ بِسَيفٍ إِن ضَرَبتَ بهِ

أَصبَحتَ تَحمدُ من أَفعالهِ الأَثَرا

You will thank it for its feats.

Strengthen your grip on a sword which, if you strike with it,

Keener than a serpent, resolute for your order

You will surely praise the impact of its deeds.

أَمضى مِنَ العَضبِ مَصقولاً عَزائِمهُ

طَوعاً لِأَمرِكَ فيما جَلَّ أَو صَغُرا

Be it grave or slight.

Sharper than a polished blade is his resolve,

Lofty in generosity, giver of bounties, pillar

Obedient to your command in matters great or small.

سامي المَكارمِ وَهّابُ الكَرائِمِ رَكّ

ابُ العَظائِمِ لا يَستَعظِمُ الخَطَرا

Of supreme acts, who does not shun danger.

He is high in virtue, a bestower of precious gifts, who rides

Your brother, your support, protector of the fallen,

Upon great undertakings, never daunted by the danger.

أَخوكَ صِنوُكَ حامي كُلِّ عاثِرَةٍ

عَبدُ الرحيمِ الذي بِالبَأسِ قَد شُهِرا

Abdul Rahim, renowned in war.

Your brother, your twin soul, the protector of the fallen,

While you two watch the horizon nothing mars

Abdul-Rahim, he who is renowned for his might.

لا زِلتُما فَرقَدَي أُفقٍ بِلا كَدَرٍ

تُقَضِيّانِ بأسنى الرُتبَةِ العُمُرا

Your commanding the finest rank and life.

May you both remain as the two bright stars of a cloudless horizon,

Spending your lives in the highest stations of glory.