لَستُ بِدارٍ عَفَت وَغَيَّرَها

ضِربانِ مِن قَطرِها وَحاصِبِها

I do not weep for the abode which virtue has deserted,

I care not for a dwelling erased and altered,

Nor for the places thereof which the winds and rains have effaced;

By the striking of its pouring rain and pelting hail,

وَلا لِأَيِّ الطُلولِ أَندُبُها

لِلريحِ وَالرُقشِ مِن قَرانِبِها

Nor for which of its graceful and delicate damsels I should mourn;

Nor do I weep for any scattered ruins,

Its vestiges have been swept by the winds and showers around it.

Left to the wind and the speckled beetles in their burrows,

وَلا نُطيلُ البُكا إِذا شَطَّتِ ال

نِيَّةُ وَاِستَعبَرَت لِذاهِبِها

Neither do we prolong our laments when the intention has wandered,

Nor do we prolong our crying when the journey stretches far,

And thought turns away from what has passed of it.

And the eye sheds tears for the one who departs.

بَل نَحنُ أَربابُ ناعِطٍ وَلَنا

صَنعاءُ وَالمِسكُ مِن مَحارِبِها

But we are lords of bounty and Sa'na'a is ours,

Nay, we are the lords of Na'it, and to us belongs

As is musk from its combatant youths.

Sanaa, where musk wafts from her prayer-niches.

وَكانَ مِنّا الضَحّاكُ يَعبُدُهُ ال

خائِلُ وَالوَحشُ مِن مَسارِبِها

And our ruler was al-Dhahhak, whom the horsemen and wild beasts

And of our blood was Al-Dahhak, worshipped by

Served, coming from every remote path to him.

The rain-clouds and the wild beasts in their tracks.

وَدانَ أَذواؤُنا البَرِيَّةَ مِن

مُعتَرِّها رَغبَةً وَراهِبِها

Our power subdued the desert tribes, greedy and begging for favors

Our Kings of the 'Dhu' lineage ruled all creation,

And gifts until we gave them a kingdom whose splendor dazzles the sight.

Both those who begged in hope and those who bowed in fear.

وَنَحنُ إِذ فارِسٌ تُدافِعُ بَه

رامَ قَسَطنا عَلى مَزارِبِها

Thus Qabus remained a prisoner in our bonds for seven years

And it was we, when Persia defended Bahram,

While his realm waited for one who should take charge of it.

Who descended with force upon her satraps,

بِالخَيلِ شُعثاً عَلى لَواحِقَ كَال

سيدانِ تُعطي مَدى مَذاهِبِها

Without any crime on our part except that maidens

With dust-maned horses upon lean mounts like

Of their noble families complained of those who had seized them.

Predatory wolves, traversing the farthest paths,

بِالسودِ مِن حِميَرٍ وَمِن سُلَفٍ

أَرغَنَ وَالشُمِّ مِن مَناسِبِها

Whenever a captive tripped she cried "Shame!" and "Lack of pleasure

With the mighty lords of Himyar and forebears

On him who brought this upon me!"

Of Arghan, and the lofty peaks of their lineage.

وَيَومَ ساتيدَما ضَرَبنا بَني ال

أَصفَرِ وَالمَوتُ في كَتائِبِها

Woe to him who violates holy things, who fears not

And on the day of Satidama, we struck down the sons

Swooping calamity on a day of disaster!

Of the Pale Ones, while death stalked their battalions.

إِذ لاذَ بِروازُ يَومَ ذاكَ بِنا

وَالحَربُ تَمري بِكَفِّ حالِبِها

Who flees from the spears though he be accused;

When Parviz sought refuge with us on that day,

Who finds death coming towards him with gripping fingers!

As war yielded its flow to the hand of the milker,

يَذودُ عَنهُ بَنو قَبيصَةَ بِال

خَطِّيِّ وَالبيضِ مِن قَواضِبِها

Take then pride in Qahtan without gloom, for Hatem is bounteous;

The sons of Qabisah defended him with

Nor do you see a knight like his knights

Linear spears and sharp, flashing blades,

حَتّى دَفَعنا إِلَيهِ مَملَكَةً

يَنحَسِرُ الطَرفُ عَن مَواكِبِها

When thoughts have ceased crowding on his mind.

Until we restored to him a mighty kingdom,

There were 'Amr and Qais and the two Ash'ars,

Whose processions dazzle and weary the eye.

وَفاظَ قابوسُ في سَلاسِلِنا

سِنينَ سَبعاً وَفَت لِحاسِبِها

And Zaid was a lion of steeds, playing with them.

And Qabus perished within our iron chains,

They turned away to chase wild beasts with scraggy hair

Seven full years as the reckoner counts.

وَنَحنُ حُزنا مِن غَيرِ ما كَنَبٍ

بَناتِ أَشرافِهِم لِغاصِبِها

And noble hawks in the thickets captured them.

And we seized, without toil or callus,

The living Ghassan and 'Iyla' were endowed with kingship and gained

The daughters of their nobles for the one who took them.

مِن كُلِّ مَسبِيَّةٍ إِذا عَثَرَت

قالَت لَعاً مُتعَةً لِكاسِبِها

Fortune's gifts even from those who envy them.

From every captive beauty, who, if she stumbled,

And Khimyar, whose decisions the nobles cause to be carried out;

Cried out 'May you rise!' a delight to her captor.

تَعساً لِمَن ضَيَّعَ المَحارِمَ يَو

مَ الرَوعِ يَجتاحُ مِن صَواحِبِها

They love the most honored position through their glory.

Woe to him who squandered sacred honors on the day

Love Quraish because of the love of Ahmad;

Of panic, when he was swept away from her side,

وَفَرَّ مِن خَشيَةِ الطِعانِ وَأَن

يَلقى المَنايا بِكَفِّ جالِبِها

Acknowledge their abundance of gifts!

And fled for fear of the lance-thrust, dreading

When Quraish traced their lineage

To meet doom at the hand of its bringer.

فَاِفخَر بِقَحطانَ غَيرَ مُكتَإِبٍ

فَحاتِمُ الجودِ مِن مَناقِبِها

The half (of glory) belonged to them as their share.

So boast of Qahtan with spirit unbowed,

The mother of the rightly guided one, al Mahdi,

For Hatim the Generous is among their glories.

وَلا تَرى فارِساً كَفارِسِها

إِذ زالَتِ الهامُ عَن مَناكِبِها

(She is) the mother of Musa - the best part of us,

And you will see no horseman to match their knight

So boast of her relationship!

When heads are severed from their shoulders.

عَمروٌ وَقَيسٌ وَالأَشتَرانِ وَزَي

دُ الخَيلِ أُسدٌ لَدى مَلاعِبِها

If she contends with us we have naught to boast of

Amr, and Qays, and the two Ashtars, and Zayd—

Except our traffic from our trade that profits us.

Zayd of the Horses—lions in the fields of war.

بَل مِل إِلى الصيدِ مِن أَشاعِثِها

وَالسادَةِ الغُرِّ مِن مَهالِبِها

Attack (the tribe of) Niz?r and quench their ardor!

Turn rather to the proud kings among their dusty warriors,

And rend the curtain veiling their shameful deeds!

And the radiant lords from the clan of Muhallab,

وَالحَيُّ غَسّانُ وَالأُلى أودِعوا ال

مُلكَ وَحازوا عِرنينَ ناصِبِها

As for (the tribe of) Tamim, they are not to be blamed

And the tribe of Ghassan, and those entrusted with

If a slave stammers in their idiom!

Kingship, who seized the very pinnacle of power.

وَحِميَرٌ تَنطِقُ الرِجالُ بِما اِخ

تارَت مِنَ الفَضلِ في مَراتِبِها

The first and the last glory belongs to them,

And Himyar—men speak of what they

If glory be mentioned - they bent its bow!

Have chosen of virtue in their high ranks.

أَحبِب قُرَيشاً لِحُبِّ أَحمَدِها

وَاِعرِف لَها الجَزلَ مِن مَواهِبِها

And wretched is the noble's pride in a thin, yellow reed

Love Quraysh for the sake of their Ahmad,

Of Samha that casts no shade in barren lands!

And acknowledge the abundance of their gifts.

إِنَّ قُرَيشاً إِذا هِيَ اِنتَسَبَت

كانَ لَها الشَطرُ مِن مَناسِبِها

And Qais 'Ail?n! I wish for them nothing

For indeed, when Quraysh traces its line,

Save their battle days and the striking of the spears!

Half of their heritage springs from our blood.

فَأُمُّ مَهدِيِّ هاشِمٍ أُمِّ مو

سى الخَيرِ مِنّا فَاِفخَر وَسامِ بِها

And verily foul conduct will ruin them,

The mother of the Mahdi of Hashim, mother of Musa,

And loose tongues will release their venom against them!

The Good, is of us—so boast and vie in glory through her.

إِن فاخَرَتنا فَلا اِفتِخارَ لَها

إِلّا التِجاراتُ مِن مَكاسِبِها

The tribe of Aasad did not keep back their hounds from devouring

If they boast against us, they have no claim

The slaves of 'Irn?nah taken captive from them on costly camels.

Save for the trades and earnings of the souk.

وَاِهجُ نِزاراً وَاِفرِ جِلدَتَها

وَهَتِّكِ السَترَ عَن مَثالِبِها

Bakr Ibn Wa'il have no protection

Cast satire upon Nizar and flay their hide,

Except lies and foolish men!

And tear the veil that covers their shame.

أَمّا تَميمٌ فَغَيرُ داحِضَةٍ

ما شَلشَلَ العَبدُ في شَوارِبِها

The tribe of Taghlib laments past days but does not take blood revenge

As for Tamim, it cannot be denied

For their slain one though he fills their valleys.

What the slave let drip onto their mustaches.

أَوَّلُ مَجدٍ لَها وَآخِرُهُ

إِن ذُكِرَ المَجدُ قَوسُ صاحِبِها

They gained their sister (in marriage) for the lowest bridal gift under duress

Their first glory and their very last,

While no sense of honor resides in her suitor (to make him object).

Is but the pawned bow of their leader when glory is recalled.

وَبِئسَ فَخرُ الكَريمِ مِن قَصَبِ ال

شَوحَطِ صَفراءُ في مَعالِبِها

And wretched is a noble's pride derived from

A yellow stick of Shawhat wood in its casing.

وَقَيسُ عَيلانَ لا أُريدُ لَها

مِنَ المَخازي سِوى مَحارِبِها

And as for Qays Aylan, I seek for them

No disgrace greater than their own tribe of Maharib.

وَإِنَّ أَكلَ الأَمرَ موبِقُها

وَمُطلِقٌ مِن لِسانِ عائِبِها

Their eating of bitter herbs is their ruin,

Unleashing the tongue of the one who mocks them.

وَلَم تَعَف كَلبَها بَنو أَسَدٍ

عَبيدَ عيرانَةٍ وَراكِبِها

And Banu Asad did not spare their own dog,

Slaves to the camel and the one who rides her.

وَما لِبَكرِ بنِ وائِلٍ عِصَمٌ

إِلّا بِحَمقائِها وَكاذِبِها

And Bakr bin Wa'il possesses no defense,

Save through their foolish woman and their liar.

وَتَغلِبٌ تَندُبُ الطُلولَ وَلَم

تَثأَر قَتيلاً عَلى ذَنائِبِها

While Taghlib weeps over the ruins, yet never

Avenged a slain kin at the valley's end.

نيلَت بِأَدنى المُهورِ أُختَهُمُ

قَسراً وَلَم يَدمُ أَنفُ خاطِبِها

Their sister was taken for the lowest of dowries,

By force, without bloodying the suitor's nose.