تَلَفَّتَ بالثَّوِيّةِ نحوَ نَجْدِ

فَباتَ فؤادُهُ عَلِقاً بوَجْدِ

He set out towards Najd draped in his cloak,

His heart clung in passionate longing.

وقد خَلَصَتْ إليه بُعَيْدَ وَهْنٍ

صَباً عَثَرَتْ على لَغَبٍ بِرَنْدِ

Feeble old age had come upon him,

A youth who stumbled upon separation in that land.

فَهاجَ حَنينُهُ إبِلاً طِراباً

تُكَفْكِفُ عَرْبَها حَلَقاتُ قِدِّ

His yearning stirred for the camels, restless,

Their necklaces jingling as they walked.

حَثَوْنَ على العراقِ تُرابَ نَجْدٍ

فَلا ألْقَتْ مَراسِيها بِوِرْدِ

Urging them on towards Iraq, the dust of Najd,

Until they arrived, their tethers cast aside.

وكَمْ خَلّفْنَ منْ طَلَلٍ بحُزْوى

وسَمْتُ عِراصَهُ مَرَحاً بِبُرْدي

How many ruins we left behind in barren plains,

I marked its boulders leisurely with my stick.

ولَيِّنَةِ المَعاطِفِ في التّثَنّي

ضَعيفَةِ رَجْعِ ناظِرَةٍ وقَدِّ

The folds of her soft cloak as she turned,

Weak in her retreat, her necklace glinting.

تجلّتْ للوَداع على ارْتِياعٍ

من الواشي يُنيرُ بنا ويُسْدي

She appeared to bid farewell in sorrow,

Lit by the shimmering mirage that illuminates and shades.

وقد جَعَلَتْ على خَفَرٍ تَراءى

فتُخفي من محاسِنِها وتُبْدي

She had veiled herself behind a thin screen,

Now revealing, now hiding, her beauty.

وكمْ باكٍ كأنّ الجيدَ منها

يُوَشِّحُ منْ مَدامِعِهِ بعِقْدِ

Many wept as though her braids themselves

Were wiping his tears away with her necklace.

شَجاهُ البَرقُ فهْوَ كما تَنَزّى

إليك السِّقْطُ من أطرافِ زَنْدِ

Lightning had struck him and he was ablaze,

The sparks cascading towards you from the flint stone.

تَناعَسَ حينَ جاذَبَهُ كَراهُ

وقد شَمِطَ الظّلامُ هَديرُ رَعْدِ

Drowsiness overcame him when dislike pulled him back,

As the darkness roared with thunder.

فَما لكِ يا بْنَةَ القُرَشِيِّ غَضْبى

أمَنْسيٌّ على العَلَمَيْنِ عَهدي

Why do you frown upon me, O maiden of Quraysh,

Have I forgotten our pact, the promise between us?

وبَيْنَ جَوانِحي شَجَنٌ قَديمٌ

أَعُدُّ لهُ الغِوايَةَ فيكِ رُشْدي

In my heart is an old passion

For which I prepare temptation for your virtue.

فَلا مَلَلٌ أَلُفُّ عليه قَلْباً

ولا غَدْرٌ أَخيطُ عليهِ جِلْدي

I will not grow weary adoring a heart,

Nor betray it though my skin is flayed.

وإنْ يَكُ صافِياً وشَلٌ تَمَشّتْ

بجانِبِه الصَّبا فكَذاكَ وُدّي

If it remains pure while the youth is infirm,

Then so is my love.

وبي عن خُطّةِ الضَّيْمِ ازْوِرارٌ

إذا ما جَدَّ للعَلْياءِ جِدّي

In me are the secrets of preserving honor

When seriousness sets in for the highborn.

فَلا أُلْقي الجِرانَ بِها مُبِنّاً

بَطيءَ النَّهْضِ كالجَمَلِ المُغِدِّ

I will not expose weaknesses to people,

Slow to rise like a tired camel.

ولكنّي أخو العَزَماتِ ماضٍ

ومَرْهوبٌ على اللُّؤَماءِ حَدّي

But I am the brother of resolute deeds, advancing,

And formidable to the cowardly, my sword sharp.

فهَلْ مِن مُبلِغٍ سَرواتِ قَومي

مُضاجَعَتي على العَزّاءِ غِمْدي

Is there a messenger to my people's quarters

To whisper to them my resting place is my scabbard?

وإدْلاجي وجِنْحُ اللّيلِ طاوٍ

جَناحَيْهِ على نَصَبٍ وكَدِّ

My entering in as the wing of night spreads,

Casting its wings over hardships and toil.

وقدْ رَنَتِ النّجومُ إليّ خُوصاً

بأعْيُنِ كاسِراتِ الطَّرْفِ رُمْدِ

The stars called me softly, winking

With eyes whose glances pierced like arrows.

لأورِثَهُمْ مَآثِرَ صالحاتٍ

شَفَعْتُ طَريفَها لهُمُ بِتُلْدِ

That I may bequeath them deeds of righteousness,

By whose nobility I intercede for them on the Day of Recompense.

ولولا اللهُ ثمَّ بنو عُقَيْلٍ

لقصَّرَ دون غايَتِهِنّ جُهْدي

Were it not for God, then the people of 'Uqail,

My efforts would have fallen short of their goal.

فها أنا بالعِراقِ نَجِيُّ عِزٍّ

وإلْفُ كَرامَةٍ وحَليفُ رِفْدِ

And a confidante of nobility, an ally of help.

With it I compose rhymes of perfection

أقُدُّ بهِ قَوافيَ مُحْكَماتٍ

لأَرْوَعَ قُدَّ منْ سَلَفَيْ مَعَدِّ

To surpass the excellent poetry of predecessors.

Its hospitality flows generously,

أغَرُّ تُدِرُّ راحَتُهُ سَماحاً

ولم تُعْصَبْ رغائِبُهُ بوَعْدِ

Its pride is not constrained by promises.

And in his munificence is a shyness

ويُغْضي منْ تَكَرُّمِهِ حَياءً

ودونَ إبائِهِ سَطَواتُ أُسْدِ

That falls short of the boldness of lions.

When the place was emptied of all goodness,

لهُ والمَحْلُ غادَرَ كُلَّ عافٍ

يكُدُّ العيسَ مُنتَجِعاً فيُكْدي

It tries the mettle of men, exhausting them.

A fertile expanse, a vast abode,

فِناءٌ مُخْصِبُ العَرَصاتِ رَحْبٌ

إذا ضاقَتْ مَباءَةُ كُلِّ وَغْدِ

When the hospitality of each tomorrow is limited.

Gifts rain upon it daily,

تُلَثِّمُهُ المَواهِبُ كلَّ يومٍ

تَمُجُّ سَماؤهُ عَلَقاً بَوفْدِ

Its sky laden with incoming delegations.

The maidens listen intently to its commotion

وتُصْغي الأرحَبيَّةُ في ذَراهُ

إِلى قُبٍّ أياطِلُهُنَّ جُرْدِ

Towards a courtyard, their braids uncovered.

Ever watchful, heated glances protect it,

وما متَوقِّدُ اللّحَظاتِ يَحْمي

على حَذَرٍ مُعَرَّسَهُ بوَهْدِ

Fortified with caution against transgression.

As though the tanning of its leather hides

كأنّ نَفِيَّ جِلْدَتِهِ بَقايا

دِلاصٍ فَضّها المَلَوانِ سَرْدِ

Were the remnants of gilded armor rent by stabs.

You see time has kohl-lined eyes,

تَراهُ الدّهْرَ مُكتَحِلاً بجَمْرٍ

يَكادُ يُذيبُ مُهْجَتَهُ بوَقْدِ

Its passion almost melting its core.

When it sees redness, it flares up,

بأحْضَرَ وَثبَةً مِنْهُ إذا ما

رأى إغْضاءَهُ يَلِدُ التّعَدّي

Inciting it to exceed proper bounds.

I prepare you for battle, O Saad, so cry out

أُعِدُّكَ للْعِدا يا سَعْدُ فاهْتِفْ

بسُمْرٍ مِنْ رِماحِ الخَطِّ مُلْدِ

With a forest of spears flashing.

And raise your forelegs up high and prevent

ومُدَّ إِلى العُلا ضَبْعَيَّ وامْنَعْ

صُروفَ الدّهْرِ أنْ يُضْرِعْنَ خَدّي

The turns of fate from subduing my cheek.

With you is the convergence of the paths to glory

فعِنْدَكَ مُلتَقى سُبُلِ المَعالي

ومُعْتَرَكُ القوافي الغُرِّ عندي

And the battlefield of wonderful poetry is with me.

The feast day comes to you, raising its gaze

أتاكَ العيدُ يَرْفَعُ ناظِرَيْهِ

إِلى ما فيكَ منْ كَرَمٍ ومَجْدِ

To your magnanimity and glory.

Let your time call its people to you

ودَهْرُكَ دَعْ بَنيهِ إليكَ يَهْفو

بِطاعَةِ مُسْتَبينِ الرِّقِّ عَبْدِ

In obedience to the clear authority of the compliant servant.

And know that your sword in a little while

ويعلَمُ أنّ سَيفَكَ عن قَليلٍ

يَشوبُ منَ العَدُوِّ دَماً بحِقْدِ

Will stain the enemy's blood with hatred.

So may your days remain secure for you,

فلا زالَتْ لك الأيامُ سِلْماً

مُلَقَّحَةً لَيالِيها بِسَعْدِ

Their nights sown with good fortune.