أَرامَةُ كُنتِ مَألَفَ كُلِّ ريمِ

لَوِ اِستَمتَعتِ بِالأُنسِ القَديمِ

Arammah, you were the companion of every poem

If only you enjoyed the old intimacy

أَدارَ البُؤسِ حَسَّنَكِ التَصابي

إِلَيَّ فَصِرتِ جَنّاتِ النَعيمِ

Misery made you beautiful with longing

So you became gardens of bliss to me

لَئِن أَصبَحتِ مَيدانَ السَوافي

لَقَد أَصبَحتِ مَيدانَ الهُمومِ

If you have become a battlefield for distractions

You have indeed become a battlefield of worries

وَمِمّا ضَرَّمَ البُرَحاءَ أَنّي

شَكَوتُ فَما شَكَوتُ إِلى رَحيمِ

And of what saddened absence is that I

Complained but did not complain to a compassionate one

أَظُنُّ الدَمعَ في خَدّي سَيَبقى

رُسوماً مِن بُكائي في الرُسومِ

I think the tears on my cheek will remain

Traces of my weeping in the traces

وَلَيلٍ بِتُّ أَكلَأُهُ كَأَنّي

سَليمٌ أَو سَهِرتُ عَلى سَليمِ

And nights I spend awake as if I were

Safe and sound or stayed up over Safeem

أُراعي مِن كَواكِبِهِ هِجاناً

سَواماً ما تَريعُ إِلى المُسيمِ

I am wary of its stars, roaring

Arrogantly, not grazing for the herdsman

فَأُقسِمُ لَو سَأَلتِ دُجاهُ عَنّي

لَقَد أَنباكِ عَن وَجدٍ عَظيمِ

So I swear if the darkness were asked about me

It would inform you of great passion

أَنَخنا في دِيارِ بَني حَبيبٍ

بَناتِ السَيرِ تَحتَ بَني العَزيمِ

We pitched our tents in the land of the beloved tribe

The daughters of travel under the sons of determination

وَما إِن زالَ في جَرمِ اِبنِ عَمرٍو

كَريمٌ مِن بَني عَبدِ الكَريمِ

And not ceased in the act of Ibn Amr

A generous one from the clan of the generous

يَكادُ نَداهُ يَترُكُهُ عَديماً

إِذا هَطَلَت يَداهُ عَلى عَديمِ

His help almost leaves him destitute

When his hands rain down upon the destitute

تَراهُ يَذُبُّ عَن حَرَمِ المَعالي

فَتَحسِبُهُ يُدافِعُ عَن حَريمِ

You see him defend the sanctity of glory

So you think he defends a haram

غَريمٍ لِلمُلِمِّ بِهِ وَحاشى

نَداهُ مِن مُماطَلَةِ الغَريمِ

A creditor annoyed with him, yet he

Avoided frustrating the creditor

سَفيهُ الرُمحِ أُرعِفَتِ العَوالي

وَلَيسَ المُرعِفاتُ سِوى الكُلومِ

The foolish spearman made the heights quake

And none make the heights quake but cowards

إِذا ما الضَربُ حَشَّ الحَربَ أَبدى

أَغَرَّ الرَأيِ في الخَطبِ البَهيمِ

When the striking of war intensifies, he shows

The most ignorant opinion in dangerous affairs

تُثَفّى الحَربُ مِنهُ حينَ تَغلي

مَراجِلُها بِشَيطانٍ رَجيمِ

War hides from him when its

Cauldrons boil with an accursed devil

فَإِن شَهِدَ المَقامَةَ يَومَ فَصلٍ

رَأَيتَ نَظيرَ لُقمانِ الحَكيمِ

So if he attends an assembly one day of separation

You will see the like of Luqman the Wise

إِذا نَزَلَ النَزيعُ بِهِم قَرَوهُ

رِياضَ الريفِ مِن أُنُفٍ جَميمِ

When exhaustion descends upon them, he distances it

From the countryside gardens with a lofty soul

فَلَو شاهَدتَهُم وَالزائِريهِم

لَما مِزتَ البَعيدَ مِنَ الحَميمِ

If you were to see them and their visitors

You would not differentiate between the distant and the intimate

أُولَئِكَ قَد هُدوا في كُلِّ مَجدٍ

إِلى نَهجِ الصِراطِ المُستَقيمِ

They are guided in every glory

To the path of the straight path

أَحَلَّهُمُ النَدى سِطَةَ المَعالي

إِذا نَزَلَ البَخيلُ عَلى التُخومِ

Prosperity made them inhabitants of lofty virtues

When the stingy descends upon the borders

فُروعٌ لا تَرِفُّ عَلَيكَ إِلّا

شَهِدتَ لَها عَلى طيبِ الأَرومِ

Outstanding qualities that will not please you

Unless you testify to their good aroma

وَفي شَرَفِ الحَديثِ دَليلُ صِدقٍ

لِمُختَبِرٍ عَلى الشَرَفِ القَديمِ

And in the nobility of speech is evidence of truth

For one testing the ancient nobility

لَهُم غُرَرٌ تُخالُ إِذا اِستَنارَت

بَواهِرُها ضَرائِرَ لِلنُجومِ

They have hidden pearls that when illuminated

Their brilliance rivals that of the stars

قُرومٌ لِلمُجيرِ بِهِم أُسودٌ

نَكالٌ لِلأُسودِ وَلِلقُرومِ

Brave men for one seeking refuge through them, lions

For lions and for the brave

إِذا نَزَلوا بِمَحلٍ رَوَّضوهُ

بآِثارٍ كَآثارِ الغُيومِ

When they descend upon a place, they render it orderly

With traces like the traces of clouds

لِكُلٍّ مِن بَني حَوّاءَ عُذرٌ

وَلا عُذرٌ لِطائِيٍّ لَئيمِ

Every child of Eve has an excuse

And no excuse for a miserable delinquent

أَحَقُّ الناسِ بِالكَرَمِ اِمرُؤٌ لَم

يَزَل يَأوي إِلى أَصلٍ كَريمِ

The most deserving of people of generosity is a man

Who still comes to a generous origin