هَلْ تَعْرِف الدارَ عَفَت أَنْدابُها
فَهَاجَ شَوْقاً شائِقاً ذَهابُها
Do you know the house whose traces have been effaced,
So that longing for it makes the yearner waste away in desire?
فَدَمْعُ عَيْنِي لَا يَنِي تَسْكَابُهَا
ذَكَّرَهَا مِنْ طَرَبٍ أَطْرابُها
My tears flow without cease for the memory of it;
It recalls to me its days of joy and pleasure.
وَالبِيضُ حَيْث أَرِجَت أَطْبابُها
ذَكِيَّ مِسْكٍ شَبَهٍ ملابُها
The whiteness there where its tent-pegs were struck;
The sweet perfume of musk that filled its rooms.
كَأَنَّهَا مِنْ طُولِ مَا يَنْتَابُها
إِنْجِيل أَحْبارٍ وَحَى كُتَّابُها
As if from its long standing the manuscripts within
Were the Bible, written by Jewish scribes of the Torah.
وَقَدْ تُري مُؤْتَلِفا أَتْرابُها
أَزْمان أَرْوَي رُؤْدَةٌ شَبَابُها
You can see there a tribe united in fellowship;
A time when its fresh saplings grew tall.
مَهَاةُ خُنْسٍ عَذْبَةٌ رُضَابُهَا
يُلْقَى بِعِطْفَيْ شارِع أَخْطَابُهَا
A resting-place smooth and joyous for the roe-deer;
Where it lays its cheek down, dreaming, on the path.
مَزْؤُودَةٌ لَا يَنْجلِي غُرَابُهَا
فَقَدْ مَضَى مِنْ حِجج أَحْقَابُهَا
A star that keeps its brightness though clouds cover it;
Its curtain has dropped down over its dwelling-place.
وَبَلْدَةٍ مُغْبَرَّة أَقْرابُهَا
لَمَّاعَةٍ مَوْصُولَةٍ سِهابُهَا
A tribe that yielded, though pressed sore by disaster,
Until its booty spilled from its ravaged coat of mail.
بِأَرْضِ حَرٍّ قَذَفٍ يبَابُهَا
يَجْرِي بضَحْضَاحِ الضُحَى سَرَابُها
Many a milch-camel there driven off as prey,
When the tribe was thrown into confusion at the raid.
إِذا عُلاَة أَطْرَدَتْ حِدَابُها
تَعْوِي بِسِقْطَيْ مُقْفِرٍ ذِئَابُها
And bit savagely with its sharp teeth.
Terror of our onslaught kept its clamor still.
يَحْبُو بِحَابٍ ضَفِر أَصْلاَبُها
إِلَى نِعَافٍ جُنَّح أَنْصَابُها
When the Tamīm tribe rose their necks were bowed;
It dragged prone the necks of the foe without effort.
تَعَسَّفَتْهَا قُلُصٌ تَجْتَابُها
إِلَى دِفَانٍ سُدُم أَشْرابُها
Breaking their necks, taking captive and plundering,
Hobbling and goring the enemy’s riding-beasts.
عَلَيْهِ مِنْ رِيش القَطَا أَزْغابُهَا
إِذَا المَهَارِي دَمِيَت أَنْقابُها
Its booty poured forth from them like the trailing skirts
Of a bride on her wedding-night – no mere boast!
فِي سُبُلٍ ضَحَّاكَةٍ نِقَابُها
وَقَدْ يُلِذُّ رائِداً جَنَابُهَا
When requested, in time of need they lent aid.
Though some spoke against us and their false words spread.
يَحْلِي بِنَضّاح النَدَى أَعْشَابُها
تَرَاوَحَتْها خُلَّج أَهْوَابُها
Tamīm are free of all fault that is imputed;
To them cling only fine qualities that all men praise.
فَلَا تَنِي سَارِيةٌ تَنْتَابُها
وَغادِيَات سُحَّج أَهْبابُها
Not one of the People of the Camel bears them malice
That he should garble their name or speak slander of them.
وَدَجْنُ غَيْنٍ حَرِجٍ ذِهَابُها
يَنْهَضُ مِنْ عَوْرَتِهِ سَحَابُها
Tamīm came in truth, their dove returned;
With humility they obeyed and bowed their necks.
تَبْرَقُ حِينَ يَسْتَوِي رَبَابُها
مِنْ حَوْمِ غَيْنٍ سَرِب أَسْرَابُها
To Him whose origin was their origin;
From the dust of Whose land comes their dust.
فِي دِيَمٍ تَسَاقَطَت أَهْدَابُها
وَقَدْ تَرَي حَرّاً رَكَاماً لاَبُها
In the cords of Whose causes lie the cords of their causes
Till they arrive at Adam's lineage through ages long past.
بِهَا وَأَنْضَاداً رَسَتْ هِضَابُها
وَالخَيْلُ تَعْدُو القَفَزَى عِرَابُها
They will plunge down a mighty descent to reach their destination:
God's vicegerent – may they attain to his neighborhood! –
بِأُسْدِ غاب يُتَّقَى تَوْثَابُها
تَضْبِرُ حِينَ يُبْتَلَى ضِرابُها
When their sumpter-beasts flounder down the precipice
Or get stuck in some slough, pawing the mire.
فِي أَجَمٍ مِن الرِّماحِ غابُها
وَقُلْتُ جِدّاً يَرْتَمِي إِعْتَابُها
As the torrent carries along foam-flakes on its eddies,
Dashing them into bits as its plunge grows wilder.
فِي كُلِّ نَحْوِ يَنْتَحِي جَوَابُها
إِذَا القَوَافِي أَسْمَح اقْتِضَابُها
To a broad hollow its sides extend;
The bucket-ropes water and are watered by its pools.
سامَح أَوْ يَنْتَحِب انْتِحَابُها
مِنْ نُجُبٍ عَادِيَّة أَحْسَابُها
How many a pregnant domestic-ass runs loose there,
When the stallions are roused and begin to stampede!
وَغارَةٍ مُسْتَوْعِبٍ إِيعَابُها
فِي فِتْنَةٍ يَلْتَهِبُ الْتِهَابُها
Silence hushes the clamor we rouse,
And down from their eyries drop its kites and vultures.
شَهْبَاءَ فِي مُسْتَوْقِدٍ شِهَابُهَا
تَحْمِي إِذَا تَحَزَّبت أَحْزَابُها
When the situation is examined, falsehood falls away from our claim,
Although sometimes the course of events wounds us painfully.
قُمْنَا بِهَا حَتَّى خَبَا أَجْلاَبُها
وَاجْتَحَرتْ مِنْ خَوْفِنَا أَحْضابها
We do not turn back until men's minds regain balance
And the cloud their thoughts obscure rolls completely away.
وَطارَ فِي طَيَّارِهِ ضَبابُها
عَنَّا وَقَد أَرْهَبَهَا إِرْهابُها
If we are opposed, passion entangles opposition
And conflict plunges them deep in its dark abyss.
وَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّنَا أَصْحابُها
لَمَّا عَوَتْ مِنْ كَلَبٍ كِلاَبُها
When the two armies close, conflict is kindled,
Its spark flashing forth from the clash of spears.
كَانَ عَلَيْنَا بِالشَبَا عِقَابُها
وَحُسَّدٌ لَمْ يَنْكِنَا تِكْذَابُها
Their cavalry turns back from charging us,
And down from the hillside plunge its twisting paths.
إِنَّ تَمِيماً بَرِئَتْ عِتَابُها
مِنْ كُلِّ عَيْبٍ مُعْتَب أَعْيَابُها
وَصَار أَهْلَ عَيْبَةٍ عُيَّابُهَا
لَمْ يَلْتَبِسْ بَقَذْرَةٍ ثِيابُها
وَأَكْذَبَتْ بِالْغَيْبِ مَنْ يَغْتَابُها
جَاءَتْ تَمِيمٌ وَاقِعاً غُرَابُها
بِطاعَةٍ لَيِّنَةٍ رِقَابُها
إِلَى الَّذِي مِن أَصْلِهِ نِصَابُها
وَمِنْ تُرَاب أَرْضِهِ تُرَابُهَا
وَفِي عُرَى أَسْبَابِه أَسْبَابُها
حَتَّى يَنَالَ آدَمَ انْتِسابُها
يَهْوِي حِيَال أَوْبِهِ مَآبُها
خَلِيفَةُ اللَّهِ الَّذِي إِجْلابُها
إِلَيْهِ حِينَ يَرْتَمِي عُبابُها
أَو حَفَشْتْ مِنْ ثَغَبٍ ثِغابُها
بِالسَّيْلِ حَتَّى اسْتَجْمَعَتْ رِغابُها
دَوَالِقاً يَنْثَعِبُ انْثِغابُها
إِلَى جَبىً وَاسِعَةٍ رِحابُها
تَسْقِي وَتُسْقَى الدِفِقَى ذِنَابُها
كَمْ مِنْ عِديً مَذْرُوبَة أَذْرابُها
إِذَا القُرُومُ اصْطَخَبَ اصْطِخابُها
وَأَصْلَقَتْ مِنْ حَرَد أَنْيَابُها
أَسْكَتَ خَوْفَ رَدِّنَا قَبْقابُها
وَإِنْ تَمِيمٌ بَذِخَت صِعَابُها
أَذَلَّ أَعْناق العِدَى جِذابُها
بِالحَصْد أَوْ مُخْتَنِقٍ سِآبُها
وَكَسْرُها الأَعْناقَ وَاعْتِصابُها
عَرْساً وَهَرْساً مَعِكاً جِرابُها
يَنْفَلُّ مِنْ قَارِفِها ذِنابُها
وَغَلَبَتْ فِي نَائِبٍ يَنْتَابُها
وَأُمَّةٍ تَحَزَّبَت أَحْزَابُها
مِنْ ساسَة النَّاسِ وَمَن أَرْبابُها
إِذَا الحُدُود اعْتُلِبَت أَعْلابُها
لَمْ يَلْتَبِسْ بِحَقِّنا مُرْتَابُها
وَإِنْ قُرَيْشٌ نَابَ مُسْتَنَابُها
أَوْ عَصَّبَت أَوْ ثَأَرَتْ عِصَابُها
وَرَابَهَا بِاللَّهِ وَارْتِيَابُها
تَنْمِي بِه إِلَى العُلا أَحْسَابُها
وَمَكْرُماتٌ وَاجِبٌ مُنْجَابُها
مَا فَوْقَ حَيْثُ يُبْتَنَى منابُها
اِلَّا سَماء اللَّهِ أَوْ حِجَابُها
أَوْتَادُهَا إِذْ مَدَّهَا أَطْنَابُها
فِي خالِداتٍ رُسَّب أَرْسابُها
وَالحَرْبُ حِينَ اشْتَغَبَ اشتِغابُها
وَخَفَقَتْ فِي حَصِدٍ عُقَابُها
نَرُدُّهَا مُفَلَّلا أَنْيَابُها
إِذَا الأُمُور عَلِمَت أَطبَابُها
وَطَاحَ عَنْ مُصْدَقِنَا تِكْذَابُها
وَإِنْ جَرَى فِي غِيَّةٍ آلاَبُها
لَمْ نَغْوِ حَتَّى رَجَعَت أَلْبابُها
وَإِنْ عُصِينَا كَبَّهَا كَبَابُها
وَتَلَّهَا فِي تِبَّةٍ تَبَابُها
وَالحَرْبُ حِينَ يَلْتَقِي آشَابُها
وَسَمُّهَا شَعْشَاعُهُ لُعَابُها
تَزِلُّ عَنْ هَضْبَتِنَا شِعَابُها
وَعَنْ جِبَالٍ صَعْبَةٍ شِقَابُها
