بَنِي الحفيظَة هَل للمجدِ من طلبٍ

ليس الطّعان له من أنجح السّببِ

O Bani Al-Hufayzah, is there any desire for glory?

The slanderer has no successful means.

هزّوا إلى الحمد عِطْفَيْ كلِّ سَلْهَبَةٍ

تبُذُّ كلَّ سِراعِ الخيل بالخَبَبِ

Rush to praise, the kindliness of every blaze,

That runs through every steed with delight.

أُحبُّ كلَّ قليلِ الرّيثِ في وطنٍ

مُقسّمَ الفِكرِ بينَ الكور والقَتَبِ

I love everyone little given to composure in a homeland,

Whose thoughts are divided between plains and lowlands,

إِمّا على صَهَواتِ الخيل موطِنُهُ

أو دارُهُ في ظهور الأينُقِ النُّجُبِ

Either in the ravines of steeds is his dwelling,

Or his house is in the backs of elegant nobles.

إنّي وأصدقُ قولٍ ما نطقتُ بهِ

أَرعى منَ الوِدّ ما أرعى من النّسَبِ

Truly, and the truest word I have spoken,

I tend to love more than I tend to lineage.

ما عاقَني الحلمُ عن باغٍ عَنِفْتُ بهِ

وَلا نَسيتُ الرّضا في موطن الغَضبِ

Wisdom did not prevent me from a garden I was violent in,

Nor did I forget contentment in the abode of anger.

وَلا خَلطتُ بِيَأسٍ عَن غنىً طمعاً

وَلا مَزجتُ عُقارَ الجِدِّ باللّعِبِ

Nor did I mix despair for wealth with greed,

Nor mix the bitterness of earnestness with play.

أَلستُ إنْ عُدّ هَذا الخَلقُ خيرَهُمُ

لَم يَبرحوا بين جَدٍّ لِي وبين أبِ

If these people were counted among the best of them,

They would not cease between my seriousness and jest.

ما للنجومِ الّتي بانَتْ تُطالِعنا

مِن كُلّ عالٍ عَلا كلَّ الورى حَسبي

The stars that appeared watching us

From every lofty height above all creation are enough for me.

فَقُل لِمن ضلَّ مَغروراً يُفاخِرني

وَما له مثلُ عُجْمي لا ولا عَرَبي

So say to him who went astray proudly boasting to me,

And he has none like my Persian or Arabian lineage.

أَلَيسَ بيَن نبيٍّ مُرسَلٍ خُتِمَتْ

بهِ النبيّون أو صهرٍ له نسبي

Is he not between a sent prophet with whom

Prophethood was sealed or a relative by marriage to him in lineage?

بَني المُخلَّف ما اِستَمْتُمْ مَراتِبنا

حَتّى صَفَحنا لكمْ عن تلكُم الرّتبِ

O Bani Al-Mukhallaf, you have not attained our ranks,

Until we forgave you for those ranks.

أَلِفْتُمُ الحلمَ منّا ثُمّ طابَ لَكُمْ

لَمّا اِشرَأبّت إِليكُم أنفُسُ الغضَبِ

You have known forbearance from us, then it pleased you,

When rage was inspired in yourselves.

لَولا دفاعِيَ عَنكمْ يومَ أمْطَرَكمْ

نَوء السماكينَ أَشفيتمْ على العَطَبِ

Had I not defended you the day the storm poured upon you,

You would have perished in misery.

كَم عِندَكمْ وَبِأَيديكم لَنا سَلَبٌ

لَكِنّه لَو عَلِمتمْ ليس كالسَّلَبِ

How much with you and in your hands is our plunder,

But if you knew, it is not like plunder.

مَلأتُمونا عُقوقاً ثُمَّ نَحنُ لَكمْ

طولَ الزَّمانِ الوالدِ الحَدِبِ

You have filled us with filial disobedience, yet we are to you

Throughout time as the humpbacked father.

عَمَرْتُ ظاهركمْ جُهدي فَكَيف بما

أَعيا عَليَّ لكُمْ من باطنٍ خَرِبِ

I have built your facade with my effort, so what of

What has wearied me for you from a ruined essence?

وَكَمْ رَضيتُ ولكنْ زدتُكمْ سَخَطاً

وَلَيسَ بعدَ الرّضا شيءٌ سوى الغَضَبِ

And how much did I accept, but I increased your discontent,

And after acceptance, there is nothing but anger.

وَما تأمَّلتُ ما بَيني وبينَكُمُ

إِلّا رَجعتُ كظيظَ الصّدر بالعجبِ

I have not considered what is between me and you

Except I returned, my chest tight with wonder.