هو ما عَلِمْتِ فأقْصري أو فاعْذُلِي

وتَرقَّبي عن أيّ عُقْبَى تَنْجَلي

Whether you know or are ignorant, be brief or excuse yourself,

And anticipate whatever consequence may result.

لا عارَ إنْ عَطلَتْ يدايَ من الغنَى

كم سابقٍ في الخيلِ غيرِ مُحجَّل

No shame if my hands are idle from bounty,

How many racers have no saddle!

صانَ اللّئيمُ وصُنتُ وَجْهي ما لَهُ

دُوني فلم يَبذُلْ ولم أتبَذَّل

The vile were shielded while I protected my face;

He is below me so he neither spent nor was wasteful,

أبكي لهمٍ ضافَني مُتأوّباً

إنّ الدُّموعَ قِرَى الهمومِ النُّزَّل

I cry for a tribe that hosted me dejected,

For tears are the settlements of settled sorrows.

ذهَب الّذينَ صَحبْتُهمْ فوجَدْتُهمْ

سُحُبَ المُؤمِّلِ أنجمَ المُتأمِّل

Those whom I accompanied are gone, and I found them

Like the clouds of hope for one who wishes.

وبُلِيتُ بعدَهُمُ بكلِّ مُذَمَّمٍ

لا مُجمِلٍ طَبْعاً ولا مُتَجمِّل

After them, I was afflicted with every frowning face

Neither beautiful by nature nor by ornament.

فاقْنَيْ حَياءكِ يا أميمة واتْرُكي

لَوْمي وحُلّي من عقاليَ أرحُلِ

So curb your shyness, O Umayma, and leave

Blaming me, untie from my mind, I depart.

لا تُنكري شَيباً ألمَّ بمَفرِقي

عَجِلاً كأنّ سَناهُ سَلّةُ مُنْصل

Do not deny the white hair that has touched my temples,

As if its teeth were the blades of a sharp sickle.

فلقد دُفِعْتُ إلى الهمومِ تَنوبُني

منها ثلاثُ شدائدٍ جُمِّعْنَ لي

For I was pushed to sorrows that befall me,

Among them are three severe calamities combined for me:

أسَفٌ على ماضي الزّمان وحَيْرةٌ

في الحالِ منه وخَشيةُ المُستَقْبَل

Regret over the past days and confusion

In the present of it and fear of the future.

ما إن وصَلْتُ إلى زمانٍ آخِرٍ

إلاّ بكَيْتُ على الزّمانِ الأوّل

When I reached another time

I cried over the first time.

للهِ عَهْدٌ بالحِمَى لم أنْسَه

أيّامَ أعصي في الصَّبابةِ عُذَّلي

To God is a pact I have not forgotten,

The days I rebelled frivolously in my youth.

كم رُعْتُ هذا الحَيَّ إمّا زائراً

فَرْداً وإما ثائراً في جَحْفَل

How often I herded this tribe, sometimes visiting

Alone, and sometimes rebelling in throngs.

فأسَرْتُ آساداً غِضاباً منهمُ

ورجَعْتُ من أسْرَى غزالٍ أكْحَل

I captured lions raging at them

And returned from the captivity of a black gazelle.

وهَززْتُ أعطافَ الصَّباحِ إليهمُ

في مَتْنِ لَيلٍ بالنّهارِ مُخَلْخَل

I shook the edges of dawn to them

In the belly of a night blended with day.

جَذْلانَ يَنتصِبُ انتصابَ المَجْدَلِ ال

عالي ويَنقَضُّ انقضاضَ الأجْدَل

My camel rises like an upright tent peg

Lofty, and descends like a landslide,

ويَهُزُّ جِيداً كالقناةِ يَنوطُه

بحَديدِ أُذْنٍ كالسِّنانِ مُؤلَّل

And shakes his neck like a cane tied

With iron ears like studded pearls.

وتَخالُ غُرّتَهُ سُطوعَ ذُبالةٍ

طَلعتْ بها ليلاً ذُؤابةُ يَذْبُل

And his arrogance rivals the radiance of a lamp

That rose in the darkness, the dimming stars.

وكأنّ خَطْفَ يَمينه وشِماله

مَسْرَى جَنوبِ بالفلاةِ وشَمْأل

As if his snatching to the right and left

Were the course of Sirius in the barren land and Suhayl.

قَلّدْتُه ثِنْيَ العِنانِ فطارَ بي

مَرَّ الشّهابِ يقُدُّ ليلَ القَسطَل

I adorned him with the bending of the bridle, so he flew with me

Faster than a shooting star, leading the night of Scatal.

في غِلمةٍ لَفُّوا نَواصيَ خَيلِهم

شُعْثاً بأطرافِ الوَشيج الذُّبَّل

In a boyhood where they wrapped the manes of their horses

Disheveled at the edges of worn out rugs.

وكأنّ صُبحاً سائلاً من أوجُهٍ

منها أصابَ قَرارةً في أرْجُل

As if the morning, asking from faces

Among them hit moisture in the legs.

أرمي بها دارَ العَدوّ وفي الحَشا

لِهوَى الأحبّةِ غُلّةً لم تُبْلَل

I shoot them at the abode of the enemy and in the battle

For the love of loved ones, arrows never moistened.

ومدِلّةٍ بالحُسْنِ لا تُبدي الرِّضا

حتّى أُحكّم سَهْمَها في مَقْتلي

And a twisting in beauty that does not show pleasure

Until I steady her arrow in my slaughter.

رَحَلَتْ ونابَ خيالُها في ناظري

عن وَجْهها فكأنّها لم تَرْحَل

She went away, and her apparition remains in my sight,

As if she did not depart from her face.

وأبَى خَلاصيَ من طويلِ عَذابِها

قلْبٌ متى يَعِدِ التَّسلّيَ يَمْطُل

And my deliverance from her long torment refused

A heart whenever it promises consolation, it delays.

لو قَبْلَ أن عَلِقَ الفؤادُ بحُبِّكمْ

يا سادتي لم تَعْدِلوا لم نَعْذُل

Had it not been for my heart becoming attached to you

My masters, we would not have leaned nor would you be unjust.

لكنْ ملكتُمْ بالغرامِ قُلوبَنا

فاليومَ إن لم تُجْمِلوا لم يَجْمُل

But you possessed our hearts with passion

So if today you do not treat us well, it will not be beautiful.

فلأسْمُونَّ إلى العَلاء بهِمّةٍ

طَمّاحةٍ تَرمي الكواكبَ من عَل

I will soar to the heights with an ambition

That shoots for the stars above.

والنَّفْسُ في الوطَنِ الذي نشأَتْ به

كالسّيفِ يُسأمُ في يَمينِ الصَّيقَل

The soul in the homeland in which it was raised

Is like the sword that dislikes the hand of the polisher.

وعَصائبٍ لاثوا العَصائبَ للسُّرى

مُتَرنِّحِينَ على فُروعِ الأرحُل

And bands who made the bands for the captives sigh

Swaying on the tree branches.

يَطْوي الفلا زَجَلُ الحُداةِ وراءهمْ

بمُهَجِّراتٍ ظلُّها لم يَفْضُل

The plains fold behind them the sound of the guides,

With female camels whose shade did not remain.

أقبلْنَ من شَرَفِ العُذَيبِ بَواكراً

والفَجْرُ مثلُ صَفيحةٍ لم تُصقَل

They came from the elevation of Udhayb at daybreak

And dawn is like an unsmoothed metal sheet.

وكَرعْنَ من ماء النُّقَيْبِ عَشيّةً

واللّيلُ جَفْنٌ بالدُّجَى لم يُكْحَل

They drank from the spring of Nuqayb in the evening

And the night is an eyelid blackened with kohl.

وذرَعْنَ عَرْضَ البِيدِ طائشةَ الخُطا

بأخي عَزائمَ في البلادِ مُجَوِّل

They spanned the expanse of the desert, wandering,

With my brother's determinations that roam through countries.

ما زوّد الأحبابَ منه تَعلُّلاً

إلاّ وَداعَ الظّاعنِ المُتَحمِّل

What the loved ones were given from it of excuses

Except the farewell of the complaining endurer.

وسَما للَثْمِ يد المُوفَّقِ إنّه

سَببُ العلاء فعافَ كُلَّ مُقَبِّل

And they named the hand of the successful so it is

The cause of glory, so reward every kisser.

لأَغرَّ من عُلْيا بَجيلةَ ماجدٍ

بادي المَهابةِ في النُّفوسِ مُبَجَّل

I boast about Ulya the majestic abode of the glorious Maajid

Whose awe is hidden in souls, revered.

خَضِلُ الأنامل ما تَزالُ يَمينُه

مَوصولةً بتَطاوُلٍ وتَطَوُّل

Smooth are the fingers, his hand still

Connected with height and lengthening.

يَعْفو عنِ الجاني وإن لم يَعتَذِرْ

ويَجودُ للعافي وإنْ لم يُسأَل

He forgives the sinner even if he does not apologize

And is generous to the healthy even if he is not asked.

ويُشنِّفُ الأسماعَ بارعُ مَنطِقٍ

يَثْني زِمامَ الرّاكبِ المُستَعْجِل

He comforts the ears, eloquent in speech,

That holds back the bridle of the impatient rider.

لَفَظ اللآلئَ منه زاخِرُ صَدره

والدُّرُّ يعدَمُ في مَضيقِ الجَدول

From him, pearls overflow from his ample chest,

While pearls are scarce in the narrow stream.

وعَجبْتُ من قلَمٍ بكفِّكِ كيف لم

يُورِقْ بأدْنى لَمْسِ تلك الأنْمُل

I am amazed by a pen in your hand, how

It did not flourish with the slightest touch of those fingers.

ما بينَ طَبْعٍ مثلِ ماءٍ قاطرٍ

جَرْياً وذهْنٍ كالحريقِ المُشْعَل

What is between a nature like pouring rain,

Flowing, and a mind like blazing fire,

وتَقاوُمُ الضِّدَّيْنِ في جسمٍ معاً

سَبَبُ البقاء على المِزاجِ الأعْدل

And resisting two opposites in one body

Is the cause of survival in the most equitable temperament.

لك عن حِماكَ دفاعُ لَيْثٍ مُشبِلٍ

ولِمَنْ رجَاك قطارُ غَيْثٍ مُسْبِل

For your protection is the defense of a twisting lion

And whoever hopes for you has copious rain.

فأعِنْ على حَربِ الدُّهورِ مُؤازِراً

فلقد أنخْنَ على الكرامِ بِكَلْكَل

So help me in the war against the ages

For it has chimed against the generous with tinkling.

فتَنٌ علا فيها الزّمانُ بعُصْبَةٍ

وسيَرجعونَ إلى الحَضيض فأمْهل

Strife rose in which the time united with a band

And they will return to the lowliest so wait.

وإذا انتَهى مَجْرَى الخُيولِ وكُفَّ من

غُلَوائها انحَطَّ القَتامُ المُعْتلَي

And when the course of horses ends and their

Madness ceases, the lofty rider dismounts.

أصبحْتَ للعلياء أكرمَ خاطِبٍ

وذُراكَ في اللأواءِ أمنَعُ مَعْقِل

You have become for the noble ones the most generous suitor

And your homes in banners are the strongest refuge.

غَوْثُ الأفاضلِ في زمانِ أراذِلٍ

فكأنّه عَلَمٌ أُقيمَ بمَجْهَل

Succor of the virtuous in an age of scoundrels

As if it is a flag raised in ignorance.

فامْنُنْ عليّ بفَضْلِ جاهِك إنّه

قَمِنٌ بإطْلاعِ الحُقوقِ الأُفَّل

So favor me with your glorious position, it is

A shield, made aware of neglected rights.

فقدِ امتُحِنْتُ معُ العُداةِ بمَنْزلٍ

لا مُمكِنِ المَثْوَى ولا المُتَحوَّل

For I was tested with the enemies in a position

Neither inhabitable dwelling nor transferable.

في عُصبةٍ هَجَروا النّدى فديارُهمْ

للطّارقينَ قليلةُ المُتَعلَّل

In a band who abandoned cordiality so their homes

Have little access for visitors.

بَعُدَتْ طرائقُهْم وقَلَّ سائلي

وعِلاجُ غَوْرِ الماء وَصْلُ الأحْبُل

Their roads grew distant and few are my questioners,

And mending the water's depth and rope tying.

فاشفَعْ إلى كرمِ الصَّفيِّ فإنّه

بيدَيْكَ مِفتاحُ النّجاح المُقْفَل

So intercede to the generosity of the pure one, for

In your hands is the key to the locked success.

فَهو الّذي أَضحَتْ مَواهبُ كفِّه

كالشّمسِ إن يُشْرِقْ سَناها يَشْمَل

For it is he whose gifts of palm

Are like the sun, brightening when it rises, inclusive.

لا غَرْوَ إن صدَقَتْ ظُنوني بَعدَما

عَلِقَتْ يدي بالفاضلِ المُتفَضَّل

No wonder if my hopes prove true after

My hand held to the exceptional, generous one.

فأجِبْ وإن صَمَّ اللّئامُ فإنّما

حُمِد القِرىَ في كُلِّ عامٍ مُمحِل

So respond even if the vile are silent, for

The valleys are praised in each populated year.

وتَهنَّ عيداً مُقْبلاً وافاك بالنْ

نُعْمَى وعشْ في ظلِّ جَدٍّ مُقْبِل

And have a happy upcoming feast, and may you be granted the

Blessings, and live in the shade of an upcoming ancestor.