إِنَّ مَحَلّاً وَإِنَّ مُرتَحِلاً

وَإِنَّ في السَفرِ ما مَضى مَهَلا

Whether settled or a wanderer

And travelling has what's passed as respite

اِستَأثَرَ اللَهُ بِالوَفاءِ وَبِال

عَدلِ وَوَلّى المَلامَةَ الرَجُلا

God has kept faith and justice for Himself

And man is left with blame

وَالأَرضُ حَمّالَةٌ لِما حَمَّلَ ال

لَهُ وَما إِن تَرُدَّ ما فَعَلا

The earth bears what He loaded it with

And nothing can change what He has done

يَوماً تَراها كَشِبهِ أَردِيَةِ ال

خِمسِ وَيَوماً أَديمُها نَغِلا

One day you see it like a worn out cloak

The next its hide is tanned

أَنشى لَها الخُفَّ وَالبَراثِنَ وَال

حافِرَ شَتّى وَالأَعصَمَ الوَعِلا

He gave it horses’ hooves, camels’ pads

Donkeys' hooves and palms made hard with work

وَالناسُ شَتّى عَلى سَجائِحِهِم

مُستَوقِحاً حافِياً وَمُنتَعِلا

And people everywhere with their riding beasts

Barefoot, shod, or wearing sandals

وَقَد رَحَلتُ المَطِيَّ مُنتَخِلا

أُزجي ثِقالاً وَقُلقُلاً وَقِلا

And I have ridden off on my mount

Jolting, jangling, with little provision

أُزجي سَراعيفَ كَالقِسِيِّ مِنَ ال

شَوحَطِ صَكَّ المُسَفَّعِ الحَجَلا

I jolt along like a bow of wild olive wood

That knocks together the striker’s wrist guards

وَالهَوزَبَ العَودَ أَمتَطيهِ بِها

وَالعَنتَريسَ الوَجناءَ وَالجَمَلا

Riding a mountain goat and a she-camel

Slow but sure over the long empty terrain

يَنضَحُ بِالبَولِ وَالغُبارِ عَلى

فَخذَيهِ نَضحَ العَبدِيَّةِ الجُلَلا

Dribbling urine and dust on its thighs

Like a sprinkling of saffron rice

وَسّاجَ سابَ إِذا هَبَطتَ بِهِ ال

سَهلَ وَفي الحَزنِ مِرجَماً حَجَلا

Traveling like one who crosses vast deserts

To settle with camels as reward

بِسَيرِ مَن يَقطَعُ المَفاوِزَ وَال

بُعدَ إِلى مَن يُثيبُهُ الإِبلا

And a young she-camel, a boy slave,

A maid—gifts for the absent friend

وَالهَيكَلَ النَهدَ وَالوَليدَةَ وَال

عَبدَ وَيُعطي مَطافِلاً عُطُلا

Honoring whatever she has earned

And recompensing her for her labour

يُكرِمُها ما ثَوَت لَدَيهِ وَيَج

زيها بِما كانَ خُفُّها عَمِلا

Dawn has come to generous Salama

Yet his heart is anxious and fearful

أَصبَحَ ذو فائِشٍ سَلامَةُ ذو ال

تَفضالِ هَشّاً فُؤادُهُ جَذِلا

He is fair, fears not emaciation

Breaks no family tie, betrays no secret

أَبيَضُ لا يَرهَبُ الهُزالَ وَلا

يَقطَعُ رِحماً وَلا يَخونُ إِلا

O best of riders, who drinks no cup

Save from an open-handed giver

يا خَيرَ مَن يَركَبُ المَطِيِّ وَلا

يَشرَبُ كَأساً بِكَفِّ مَن بَخِلا

I have given you these verses, generous Salama

The thing belongs where it is placed

قَلَّدتُكَ الشِعرَ يا سَلامَةَ ذا ال

تِفضالِ وَالشَيءُ حَيثُما جُعِلا

Poetry brings down the noble man

As rain brings down the pouring clouds

وَالشِعرُ يَستَنزِلُ الكَريمَ كَما اِس

تَنزَلَ رَعدُ السَحابَةِ السَبَلا

If you were a collected pool of water

The tribe could drink when they arrive

لَو كُنتَ ماءً عِدّاً جَمَمتَ إِذا

ما وَرَدَ القَومُ لَم تَكُن وَشَلا

The days of your parents gave birth to you

When they obtained you, what a fine gain!

أَنجَبَ أَيّامُ والِدَيهِ بِهِ

إِذ نَجَلاهُ فَنِعمَ ما نَجَلا

A knight, a donkey, and a nomad alike

Know each other on the flat land

قَد عَلِمَت فارِسٌ وَحِميَرُ وَال

أَعرابُ بِالدَشتِ أَيُّهُم نَزَلا

Do you remember when you were my cloak

And I made you my paradigm?

هَل تَذكُرُ العَهدَ في تَنَمُّصَ إِذ

تَضرِبُ لي قاعِداً بِها مَثَلا

A lion in battle, though fate bows to him

He spurned kings’ ways and their works

لَيثٌ لَدى الحَربِ أَو تَدوخَ لَهُ

قَسراً وَبَذَّ المُلوكَ ما فَعَلا