لا شامَ لِلسُلطانِ إِلّا أَن يُرى

نَعمُ البَداوَةِ كَالنَعامِ الطارِدِ

The sultan has no authority unless he is seen

How good is the Bedouin life, like the running ostrich

وَيَكونَ لِلبادينَ عَذبُ مِياهِهِ

مِثلَ المُدامَةِ لا تَحِلُّ لِوارِدِ

And the desert dwellers have sweet water

Like undrinkable wine for the newcomer

وَتَظَلُّ أَبياتٌ لَهُم شَعَريّةٌ

كَبُيوتِ شِعرٍ في البِلادِ شَوارِدِ

And some verses remain for them, poetically

Like houses of hair amidst the deserted lands

وَيَقومُ مَلِكٌ في الأَنامِ كَأَنَّهُ

مَلِكٌ يُبَرِّحُ بِالخَبيثِ المارِدِ

And a king rises among the people, as though he is

A king who suppresses the refractory demon

صَنَعُ اليَدَينِ بِقَتلِ كُلِّ مُخالِفٍ

بِالسَيفِ يُضرَبُ بِالحَديدِ البارِدِ

The work of the hands is killing every opponent

With the sword that strikes with cold iron

قالوا سَيَملِكُنا إِمامٌ عادِلٌ

يَري أَعادينا بِسَهمٍ صارِدِ

They said a just imam will rule us

He will see our enemies with a piercing arrow

وَالأَرضُ مَوطِنُ شِرَّةٍ وَضَغائِنٍ

ما أَسمَحَت بِسُرورِ يَومٍ فَارِدِ

And the land is the abode of wickedness and grudges

It has never allowed the joy of a wide day

وَلَو أَنَّ فيها ناظِراً كَالمُشتَري

يُعطي السَعودَ وَكاتِباً كَعُطارِدِ

If only it had a surveyor like the buyer

Who gives prosperity, and a scribe like Mercury