عُوجا المطيَّ على رُسوم المنزلِ

وقفا على الطَّلل القديم الممحلِ

The mount swaying upon the ruins of the house,

Stood still by the ancient deserted dwelling,

واستمطرا سيلَ الشُّؤن فعله

يطفي غليلَ العاشق المتعلّلِ

And drew down a flood of cares which did

Quench the burning thirst of the longing lover,

دارٌ عَفت آيانها فكأنها

رقمُ الأعاجم في صفيح الجندلِ

A house whose marks have been effaced as though

They were strange lettering on a slate;

أو خطُّ وَشْمٍ في رواهشِ كاعبٍ

غرَّاءَ ذاتَ تأوُّد وتدلَّلِ

Or like the tattoo marks on the back of a weeping captive

Who shows affection and coquetry,

فوقفتُ فيها ناقتي وكأنها

صعلٌ بذات الأثل أو في أوْرَلِ

So I stopped my she-camel, as though she were

A class of genealogists or an advisor;

وسألتُها فاستعجمت ولو أنها

نطقت لكانَ جوابها لم تسألِ

And I asked about it (the abandoned campsite) but it was speechless

And even if it had spoken its answer would have been: Ask not!

كيفَ السؤالُ وهل يردُّ جوابنا

طللٌ على مرِّ الليالي قد بلي

How to ask, and does a deserted abode return an answer?

An abode changed by the passage of nights?

أقوى سوى نؤي وأشعثَ مُفَردٍ

ومناصبٍ سُفعٍ وأوْرَقَ محولِ

I have nothing left but my hopes and me, unkempt and lonely,

And positions of power and abundant respectable goods;

مَعجِتَ به هوجُ الرياح الزُّجلِ

وبه اسبكرَّ بفيض كلّ مجلجلِ

With these my soul was made turbid by the violent winds

And with them I was joyous with an abundance of flowing water,

يا مَربعاً رَبعَ الزمانُ بأهله

أنَّي سلبتَ تجلّدي وتجمّلي

O dwelling square building and closely built!

Has time caused me to lose my pride and good looks?

فأنعم صباحاً أيها الطَّللُ الذي

كنا به في خفض عيشٍ مخضلِ

Bestow then, O you dwelling, a happy morning

In which we lived in ease and luxury,

أيام نحن عن الخطوب بمعقل

حامٍ وعن سعي العذولِ بمعزلِ

When we were safe from disasters in an impregnable position

And far from the efforts of the obstructionist,

نلهو ونمرح بين بيضٍ نُهَّدِ

غيدٍ عطابلَ كالعواهج خذَّلِ

We sported and frolicked amongst the white sandhills—

Encampments which were as the embroidered gowns loosened for play;

من كل مخطفة الحشا وهنانةٍ

قد زانها كحلٌ بغير تكحُّلِ

With girls of the protected quarters, and impudent females

Adorned with kohl unmixed with tears,

تفترُّ عن غُرٍ كأنَّ وميضه

برقٌ أضاءَ بعارضٍ متهللِ

Who flash their white teeth when they smile

Like lightning gleaming from a fleeing cloud,

ولها محيّا كالغزالة مشرقٌ

من تحت منسدل الغدائر مُرسَلِ

And with them are slave-girls smooth of face like gazelles,

Who peek from beneath the strand-plaited hair;

كالكْرمِ مال على الدَّعائم فاجمٌ

أو مثل قِنْوِ النخلةِ المتعثكلِ

Bent over like branches heavy with fruit

Or like palm trees with interwoven branches;

كالغُصن فوق الدَّعصُ رُكَب فوقه

بدرٌ تلألأ تحت ليلٍ أليْلِ

Like the branch above the vegetable patch is mounted upon it—

A brilliant moon amidst an intensely dark night;

ولرُبَّ يومٍ قد لهوتُ وليلةٍ

جذلا بها في ظلّ وصلٍ مقبلِ

And many days I sported and many a night

I spent in play with them under union and acceptance,

ورشفتُ من فيها وقد غلب الكرى

ظلَماً ألذَّ من الرحيق السلسلِ

And I drank from these which were overflowing

With a darkness sweeter than the limpid nectar,

دعْ ذا وعَدَّ عن الديار وأهلها

والوصل والعهد القديمِ الأولِ

Leave this be! Count as past the dwellings and their dwellers,

And the union and the old first love!

وانم القتودَ على ذَمُولٍ حُرَّةٍ

موَّارةِ الضَّبعين هَوْجا عندلِ

Saddlebags on led horses whose

Whose pistol cases sway on saddles

عَيرانةِ زيَّافةِ بنحيرها

حرفٍ هملَّعةٍ دفاقٍ هوجلِ

With a howdah travelling party, its leader magnificently dressed;

Rebellious, defiant, bouncing howdahs

إن سُمتَها الأرقالَ يوماً أرقلت

كرماً أو استرقلتها لم ترقُل

If its camels are counted as mounts, they would be found to surpass

Any wealth; or if they were ascribed to a tribe, no tribe owns the like!

كم قد فَروتُ بها التّنائفَ موضعاً

ليلاً وكم أوردتُها من مَنهل

How often have I traveled the sandy waterless wilderness with them

By night, and how often have I brought them to watering places!

ولقد شهدتُ الخيلَ وهي مُغيرةٌ

في سَرْجِ أدهم بالظلامِ مسربلِ

And indeed I have witnessed horses with them, fully caparisoned

As the darkness gathered, wrapped in their saddle cloths

ضخم المناكبِ شيظمٍ عبلِ الشَّوى

نَهدٍ مراكله أغرَّ مُحجَّل

Huge of shoulder, fierce-eyed, piebald stripe on the forehead,

Of splendid stock, their necks ornamented with tassels;

وكأنه وطئَ الصباحَ وقد بَدا

في وجهه كالكواكب المتهلّلِ

As though he had stamped the morning with his hoof when it appeared

On his face like stars appearing from behind the clouds,

شهمٍ أجشَّ الصوتِ محبوكِ القَرى

عردِ النَّسا سامٍ عمرَّدَ هيكل

Chestnut-colored, sounding loudly the neighborhoods,

Whose voice fills the valley as he neighs;

سِلم الشَّظا قد أشرقت حُجُباته

ذي مَيعهٍ زلقِ القَطاةِ مجَلَّلِ

Flowing with his mane, smooth in the legs, fetlocks tufted

His coronets are surrounded with feathers;

صافي الأديمِ كأنَّ صهوةَ مَتنِه

تحت الكميِ أرندجٌ لم يُنعلِ

Pure white in color as if the splash marks on his shoulders

Were a silvery dress under his neck cloth;

يطأ الحجارَ بمثلها فيرَّضها

بملاطِسٍ صُمٍ كمثل الجَندلِ

He paws violently at rocks until they resemble

Deaf stones turned to hollow and smooth pebbles;

يرقى ويطعن في الَّلِجام وينتحي

غربا وينصبُّ انصباب الأجدلِ

He bolts into a gallop then steadies, racing downhill

To the west then wheeling around towards the east;

متضرمٌ كالنارِ من أشَرٍ به

وإذا جرى مثلَ الشَّهاب المرسلِ

Aflame like fire sparked by the blacksmith

And when he gallops he is like a shooting star;

سبّاحُ كالسّرحان في إرخائه

وتّابُ في تقريبه كالتَّتفُلِ

He swims powerfully without tiring,

And trots rhythmically gathering speed;

أعددتُه للِقا الكُماةِ وجُنَّةً

ومهنَّداً مثل الشهابِ المشعَلِ

I prepared him to meet the warriors and readied him

Like a burning star flung high;

لأشيدَ مجداً مُشمخّراً سمكُهُ

لم آلُ جهداً في بناه الأطولِ

I built glory toweringly high its construction

Has not been made less laborious by building it even higher

حازَ الفَخارَ أبي وشيّدَ في العُلى

بيتاً يشقُّ على السَّماكِ الأعزلِ

My father won pride and built in the heights

A house which amazes even the well-sheltered;

فسلكتُ في طلبِ العُلى منهاجه

بتكرُّمٍ وتعمُّدٍ وتفضُّلِ

So I followed his approach to the heights with bounty, intent and favor

And I am the son of one who surpassed all the kings

وأنا ابنُ من سادَ الملوك بأسْرها

من عهد غسّانَ المليكِ الأفضلِ

From the epoch of al-Ghassan, the most noble king;

And I am the one whose enemies bear witness to his superiority

وأنا الذي شهدت له حُسَّاده

بالفضل إن لم تدرِ حقاً فاسأل

If you do not really know, then ask!

And I am the son of Nubuhan whose grandfather was Tubba`

وأنا ابنُ نبهان وجدي تُبَّعٌ

ولنا من التفضيلِ ما لم يُجهلِ

To us belongs the preference from which none are oblivious

The best of kings, in descent and achievements

خيرُ الملوكِ عناصراً ومآثراً

شُمُّ الأنوف من الطرازِ الأولِ

Noble countenances and distinguished pedigree

My Lord has blessed us, revealing our praise

بَرَّ الإلهُ بنا فأنزل مدحنا

بالنصِ في آي الكتاب المُنزلِ

In the verses of the Book sent down,