نُسائِلُها أَيَّ المَواطِنِ حَلَّتِ
وَأَيُّ دِيارٍ أَوطَنَتها وَأَيَّتِ
We ask her which homelands hosted her,
And in which lands did she settle and reside,
وَماذا عَلَيها لَو أَشارَت فَوَدَّعَت
إِلَينا بِأَطرافِ البَنانِ وَأَومَتِ
What would she have gestured to us in farewell
With the palms of her hands in departure?
وَما كانَ إِلّا أَن تَوَلَّت بِها النَوى
فَوَلّى عَزاءُ القَلبِ لَمّا تَوَلَّتِ
But destiny has turned her away.
So the heart's consolation turned away when she turned.
فَأَمّا عُيونُ العاشِقينَ فَأُسخِنَت
وَأَمّا عُيونُ الشامِتينَ فَقَرَّتِ
The eyes of her lovers ignited in passion,
While the eyes of her enviers have been brought low.
وَلَمّا دَعاني البَينُ وَلَّيتُ إِذ دَعا
وَلَمّا دَعاها طاوَعَتهُ وَلَبَّتِ
When we were parted I turned away at his call,
But when he called her, she inclined to him in obedience.
فَلَم أَرَ مِثلي كانَ أَوفى بِذِمَّةٍ
وَلا مِثلَها لَم تَرعَ عَهدي وَذِمَّتي
Never did I see anyone truer to a vow,
Nor anyone like her who cared not for mine own vows.
مَشوقٌ رَمَتهُ أَسهُمُ البَينِ فَاِنثَنى
صَريعاً لَها لَمّا رَمَتهُ فَأَصمَتِ
Yearning has pierced with the arrows of separation
One who fell prostrated before her when she let arrows fly.
وَلَو أَنَّها غَيرَ النَوى فَوَّقَت لَهُ
بِأَسهُمِها لَم تُصمِ فيهِ وَأَشوَتِ
Had she but slightly deflected her arrows from him,
She'd not have killed with her piercing arrows and shafts.
كَأَنَّ عَلَيها الدَمعَ ضَربَةَ لازِبٍ
إِذا ما حَمامُ الأَيكِ في الأَيكِ غَنَّتِ
It is as if tears upon her are the blow of a smooth spear
Whenever the doves in the leafy abode sang their song.
لَئِن ظَمِئَت أَجفانُ عَيني إِلى البُكا
لَقَد شَرِبَت عَيني دَماً فَتَرَوَّتِ
If my eyelids thirst to weep,
My eyes have drunk blood and are fully sated.
عَلَيها سَلامُ اللَهِ أَنَّى اِستَقَلَّتِ
وَأَنَّى اِستَقَرَّت دارُها وَاِطمَأَنَّتِ
May Allah's peace be upon her - but where did she alight?
Where is her house now settled and secured?
وَمَجهولَةِ الأَعلامِ طامِسَةِ الصَوى
إِذا اِعتَسَفَتها العيسُ بِالرَكبِ ضَلَّتِ
A stranger with unknown banners, obscured dwellings -
If shadows befall her steed among the throng, she is lost.
إِذا ما تَنادى الرَكبُ في فَلَواتِها
أَجابَت نِداءَ الرَكبِ فيها فَأَصدَتِ
If a band upon the wilderness calls out,
She responds to the band's call therein and guides them straight.
تَعَسَّفتُها وَاللَيلُ مُلقٍ جِرانَهُ
وَجَوزاؤُهُ في الأُفقِ حينَ اِستَقَلَّتِ
I accosted her while night donned its black gown
And Canopus in the horizon as she descended.
بِمُفعَمَةِ الأَنساعِ موجِدَةِ القَرا
أَمونِ السُرى تَنجو إِذا العيسُ كَلَّتِ
With a belly full and life-giving provisions,
Securing the secret conversation if darkness befalls the band.
طَموحٌ بِأَثناءِ الزِمامِ كَأَنَّما
تَخالُ بِها مِن عَدوِها طَيفُ جِنَّةِ
High aspirations halfway up the bridal, as if
Her phantom form takes flight from her foe.
إِلى حَيثُ يُلفى الجودُ سَهلاً مَنالُهُ
وَخَيرَ اِمرِئٍ شُدَّت إِلَيهِ وَحَطَّتِ
To where bounty is found easy to attain
And betterment alights for whom she descends.
إِلى خَيرِ مَن ساسَ الرَعِيَّةَ عَدلُهُ
وَوَطَّدَ أَعلامَ الهُدى فَاِستَقَرَّتِ
To the best man whose justice equips governance
And firmly installs the standards of guidance - so she alighted.
حُبَيشٌ حُبَيشُ بنُ المُعافى الَّذي بِهِ
أُمِرَّت حِبالُ الدينِ حَتّى اِستَمَرَّتِ
Hubaish, Hubaish son of good omen - by his hand
The ropes of religion are tied until they are strengthened.
وَلَولا أَبو اللَيثِ الهُمامُ لَأَخلَقَت
مِنَ الدينِ أَسبابُ الهُدى وَأَرَثَّتِ
And were it not for Abu-l-Layth the sublime hero
The means of guidance had crumbled and collapsed.
أَقَرَّ عَمودَ الدينِ في مُستَقَرِّهِ
وَقَد نَهَلَت مِنهُ اللَيالي وَعَلَّتِ
He shored up the pillar of religion in its position
Though nights have drained it and risen over it.
وَنادى المَعالي فَاِستَجابَت نِداءَهُ
وَلَو غَيرُهُ نادى المَعالي لَصَمَّتِ
And he called out loudly and the lofty responded to his call
Were another to summon the eminent they would be silent.
وَنيطَت بِحَقوَيهِ الأُمورُ فَأَصبَحَت
بِظِلِّ جَناحَيهِ الأُمورُ اِستَظَلَّتِ
By his wisdom everything flourished,
And by the shade of his wings everything is sheltered.
وَأَحيا سَبيلَ العَدلِ بَعدَ دُثورِهِ
وَأَنهَجَ سُبلَ الجودِ حينَ تَعَفَّتِ
He revived the way of justice after its loss
And paved the pathways of bounty after their ruin.
وَيُلوي بِأَحداثِ الزَمانِ اِنتِقامُهُ
إِذاما خُطوبُ الدَهرِ بِالناسِ أَلوَتِ
By the ups and downs of fate shall his vengeance twist
If calamities befall humanity and become severe!
وَيَجزيكَ بِالحُسنى إِذا كُنتَ مُحسِناً
وَيَغتَفِرُ العُظمى إِذا النَعلُ زَلَّتِ
And he rewards you with goodness if you have done good
He pardons a grave sin if you happen to slip.
يَلُمُّ اِختِلالَ المُعتَفينَ بِجودِهِ
إِذا ما مُلِمّاتُ الأُمورِ أَلَمَّتِ
He mends the discord of those who boast of his bounty
If the affairs should afflict with severity and pain.
هُمامٌ وَرِيُّ الزَندِ مُستَحصِدُ القُوى
إِذا ما الأُمورُ المُشكِلاتُ أَظَلَّتِ
A lofty and acute-minded hero harvesting strength
If complex affairs should shade with darkness and gloom.
إِذا ظُلُماتُ الرَأيِ أُسدِلَ ثَوبُها
تَطَلَّعَ فيها فَجرُهُ فَتَجَلَّتِ
Whenever the gloomy thoughts don their veil,
His illumination therein shines through and reveals.
بِهِ اِنكَشَفَت عَنّا الغَيايَةُ وَاِنفَرَت
جَلابيبُ جَورٍ عَمَّنا فَاِضمَحَلَّتِ
By him were the darknesses lifted from us and turned away -
The robes of injustice covering us faded and wore thin.
أَغَرُّ رَبيطُ الجَأشِ ماضٍ جَنانُهُ
إِذا ما القُلوبُ الماضِياتُ اِرجَحَنَّتِ
My lord mounts his lively purebred courser
When hearts once filled with passion become inclined.
نَهوضٌ بِثِقلِ العِبءِ مُضطَلِعٌ بِهِ
وَإِن عَظُمَت فيهِ الخُطوبُ وَجَلَّتِ
Uplifted though burdened - tackling it,
Though within it severe events intensify.
تَطوعُ لَهُ الأَيّامُ خَوفاً وَرَهبَةً
إِذا اِمتَنَعَت مِن غَيرِهِ وَتَأَبَّتِ
Days obey and revere him, refusing
All others whom they spurn and deny.
لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ شَملُ مَجدٍ مُؤَلَّفٍ
وَشَملُ نَدىً بَينَ العُفاةِ مُشَتَّتِ
For him, every day has composed glory
And scattered dew between the noble and lowly.
أَبا اللَيثِ لَولا أَنتَ لَاِنصَرَمَ النَدى
وَأَدرَكَتِ الأَحداثُ ما قَد تَمَنَّتِ
Abu-l-Layth, were it not for you the dew would disperse
And events take what they desire.
أَخافَ فُؤادَ الدَهرِ بَطشُكَ فَاِنطَوَت
عَلى رُعُبٍ أَحشاؤُهُ وَأَجَنَّتِ
The heart of fate fears your grip
Its breast constricts with fright trembling within.
حَلَلتَ مِنَ العِزِّ المُنيفِ مَحَلَّةً
أَقامَت بِفَودَيها العُلى فَأَبَنَّتِ
You have descended from enduring glory
To settle the heights heaping glory upon them.
لِيَهنِئ تَنوخاً أَنَّهُم خَيرُ أُسرَةٍ
إِذا أُحصِيَت أولى البُيوتِ وَعُدَّتِ
Congratulations to Tanukh for they are the best clan
If the noble houses are counted and listed!
وَأَنَّكَ مِنها في اللُبابِ الَّذي لَهُ
تَطَأطَأَتِ الأَحياءُ صُغراً وَذَلَّتِ
You are the wisest among them - to you
The living bow down small showing humility.
بَنى لِتَنوخَ اللَهُ عِزّاً مُؤَبَّداً
تَزِلُّ عَلَيهِ وَطأَةُ المُتَثَبِّتِ
May God establish eternal glory for Tanukh
With weight pressing down that which persists!
إِذا ما حُلومُ الناسِ حِلمَكَ وازَنَت
رَجَحتَ بِأَحلامِ الرِجالِ وَخَفَّتِ
If the dreams of people are weighed against your wisdom,
Yours will tip the scales lighter and float high above.
إِذا ما يَدُ الأَيّامِ مَدَّت بَنانَها
إِلَيكَ بِخَطبٍ لَم تَنَلكَ وَشَلَّتِ
Whenever the hand of fate extends its fingertips to you
With events you've never had and paralyzes!
وَإِن أَزَماتُ الدَهرِ حَلَّت بِمَعشَرٍ
أَرَقتَ دِماءَ المَحلِ فيها فَطُلَّتِ
And if an era's crises befall a folk,
You let the blood of the afflicted therein flow and appear.
إِذا ما اِمتَطَينا العيسَ نَحوَكَ لَم نَخَف
عِثاراً وَلَم نَخشَ اللُتَيّا وَلا الَّتي
When we mounted steeds riding out towards you, we feared no
Stumbling, ghosts, or terror on our way.
