لِمن الدَّيارُ طوامسٌ أعلامُها
قد غُيّرت وتُخرَّمت أعوامُها
The dwellings have guides though their banners are changed,
Their years have passed as their markings are effaced.
دِمَن لموذيَ بالعقيقِ تأبَّدتْ
وعَفَتْ معالمها ومحَّ مقامُها
Who will last at Muwaylih adorned by carnelians,
When their landmarks are covered and gathering-places erased?
ألوت بها الهوجُ السواهكُ برهةً
ومواطرٌ متواترٌ تسجامُها
There the wild cows with calves remained a while,
And successive downpours whose runnels interlaced.
مصحت وكان بها الجميعُ فأرحَلوا
وُسجاً تهدُّ قوى الفلا أزلامُها
All gathered there and then set out on their travels,
Leaving only the fiber shelters of Arfaj folk displaced.
فثوت بها ظِلمانها ونعاجها
وتأجَّلت بعراصها آرامُها
There the shadows remain of its she-goats and lambs,
While the plaster that wrapped its pillars lies frayed.
والعفرُ عاطفةٌ على أطْلائها
خُرقاً قضْينَ بأمنِها أيامُها
Cephalophorus on its high fort gazes down
At the perforated Yemen huts where the twins were born and raised.
شاقتكَ موذيةٌ غداةَ طويلعٍ
إذ لاحَ مبسمها وطاحَ لثامُها
You roused Muwaylih one long, shadowed dawn,
When the Pleiades smiled and the veil was displaced.
وتجاذبت تيهاً فحين تجاذبت
ماجت روادفها وماس قوامُها
They jostled in confusion till when they jostled,
Their cushions slid sideways and their necks were abrased.
وبدَتْ تمايَلُ كالقضيب بدِعصه
عبث النسيم بها فسال هَيامُها
They swayed their staves, like the swaying of plants
When the winds make their tresses hang down unbraced.
لو أنَّ موذي قابلت بدر السما
أربى على بدر التمامِ تمامُها
Had Muwaylih faced the full moon- it would vie
With the full moon itself- no perfection erased!
ريَّا المخَلخلِ والمسور غادةٌ
جما المرافق لا تَبينُ عظامُها
Lightfoot, so delicate, spaced are her steps.
Slender, not a bone shows, like metal encased.
غرَّآءُ بارعةُ الجمالِ خريدَةٌ
صفرا الوشاحِ لطيفة أقداُمها
Bright-white, soft, rosy, diaphanous,
Fine-textured, enchanting minds through veils delicately laced.
شمسيةُ قمريةٌ رشئيةٌ
خوطيةٌ شف القلوبَ غرامُها
Far apart her eyes, like a mountain-top dwelling
With a perforated Yemen robe that is loosely encased.
وبعيدة الطرفينِ طامسةِ الصُّوى
خَرقٍ تأزَّر بالسرابِ إكامُها
She outstripped Ubayran, her camel surging ahead,
Her howdah slides sideways, the riding-camel steadfastly paced.
جاوزتها بدِرَفسةٍ عَيْرانةٍ
عبُلتْ مناكبها وحف لحُامها
Curved like the silent ostrich, shawl gathered in,
Bending as she brings down the steeds on the valley's broad space.
عوجاءَ صامتَةِ النعامِ شِملةِ
هوجاء ينتهبُ الفلا إخدامُها
I was as if I rode a weaned she-camel, unbroken,
That the noble sir kept for himself from the herd he'd replaced.
وكأنما أنا راكبٌ دَوِّيةً
سَقفاء أفردها الأصيلَ نعامُها
She flowed, her brightness merging with her shadow,
Wresting with her hands, striking with her brace.
فسرت تخالطُ ملعَها بنسيلها
وبها تقاذفُ بيدها ورضامها
Was she a terrified creature, bolting away?
For she suddenly shed her mantle as her restraint gave way.
أفتلك أمْ مذعورةٌ وجريَّة
فقدت لها ذرعاً فطار هيامُها
The turtledove spiralled around her in passion,
Under the umbels where the sands shift and cascade.
ألوى بفرقدها الحمامُ وراعها
تحت الدَّجنِة بالكثيب حمامُها
She avoided the slaughtering swords and feared
The striking hooves as the warriors came charging apace.
فنجتْ محاذرةَ الحتوفِ وأوجستْ
رِكزاً فأقبل بالنّحاف رغامُها
At dawn, Muwaylih's horsemen departed veiled,
Zawra's sides scored where the darts found their place.
نزحت يموذية الفوارس طية
زوراءُ وانشعب الغداة لمامُها
Hearts yearn for Muwaylih but still her blamers
Will ever continue to censure her and debase.
شغفت بموذية القلوبُ ولم تزل
أبداً يكرِّرُ لوَمها لوَّامُها
Do you not know that I am Muwaylih's sultan,
Scion of great 'Amir's line, glory and fame's fount unerased?
أتراكِ لا تدرين موذيَ أنني
سلطان عترة عامرٍ فهامُها
Her roaring, her prowling, her snarling, her spying,
Her smiting, her spiting, her slaying, her waste.
وُمهابها نهَّابها دعّيسها
مرّيسها طعانها طعامها
The clutter her carrion-eaters made when they clustered!
Turn back her curved neck and the gulls she'll displace.
جحجاحُها كيف انتمت كرّارها
إن أدبرت غطريفها قَمقامُها
When kings vie in glory, I lead the advance,
I marshal their columns in me all excellences encased.
وإذا الملوكُ تساجلت لفضيلةِ
فأنا مُقدمُ شوسها وإمامُها
I'm the falcon, the hawk of all kings and their vengeance,
Their discipline, fury, their darkening cloud mass that's amassed.
وأنا غضنفرة الملوك وصقرها
وقريعها وخِضمُّها وغَمامُها
I killed kings in valor and generosity,
So the bravest salute me, extolling my graces.
فقتُ الملوك شجاعةً وسماحة
فأقرّ لي شجعانها وكرامُها
My might brings the foe to his knees, with my bounty
The clouds overflow, raining gifts without haste.
بأسي تذلُّ له العِدى ومَواهبي
دَيم يفيضُ على الوفود غمامُها
With my pleasure, mankind is abased, while my pride
Together with their lives and their turtle-doves chaste.
وبراحتي ذلُّ العبادِ وعزُّها
قُرنا معاً وحياتها وحِمامُها
My virtues are countless as stars, my ambition
Is loftier than the pleiades' cluster encased.
ومناقبي عدد النجوم وهمَّتي
يعلوَ مصامَ الفرقدين مصامُها
I'm the quintessence of all Murr's line,
Foremost in the thick where the kings' necks abrade.
وأنا المصَّفى عسجدٌ من عسجد
في حمأةٍ صيد الملوك رغامُها
I'm the son of Nubuhan's son Nabhan, who held
The kings' reins while their rule his dominion embraced.
وأنا ابنُ نبهانَ بنِ نبهان الذي
ملك الملوك وفي يديه زمامُها
I'm the brother of Hilm, when the confused kings
Rave wildly, their wits by illusions replaced.
وأخو الحلوم إذا الملوك تطايشت
آراؤها وتسافهت أحلامُها
And if generous deeds are recalled, I'm the foremost -
After my father - vying in glories retraced.
وإذا ذكرنَ المكرمات فانني
تاللهِ بعد أبي الهمام همامُها
I'm the one who controlled all the kings combined,
Their elders and youths bowing down when I faced.
وأنا الذي سادَ الملوكَ بأسرها
ولهُ تواضعَ كهلها وغلامُها
From blessed ancestral line of prophets I'm sprung,
A servant of kings, yet most splendidly graced.
من دوحةٍ هوديَّةٍ نبويةٍ
بذَّاخةٍ مولى الملوك غلامُها
For we are the noblest kings, the height of glory,
None rivals our name when perfection is traced.
ولنحن أعيانُ الملوك وصيدها
ولنحن إِن ذكر التمام تمامُها
