فَمَن يَكُ أَمسى في بِلادِ مُقامَةٍ

يُسائِلُ أَطلالاً بِها لا تُجاوِبُ

So who will dwell in the abodes of those who halted,

Asking ruins there that give no reply?

فَلَاِبنَةِ حِطّانَ بنِ قَيسٍ مَنازِلٌ

كَما نَمَّقَ العُنوانَ في الرَقِّ كاتِبُ

The dwellings of Banu Hittan son of Qais,

Like lines traced by a writer on parchment.

تُمَشّي بِها حولُ النِعامِ كَأَنَّها

أَماءٌ تُزَجّى بِالعَشِيِّ خَواطِبُ

The ostriches walk round them as though they were

Beautiful maidens, courted in the evening.

وَقَفتُ بِها أَبكي وَأُشعَرُ سُنخَةً

كَما اِعتادَ مَحموماً بِخَيبَرَ صالِبُ

I stopped and wept there, feeling deep grief,

As a lovelorn man did at ruined Khaybar.

خَليلَيَّ عوجا مِن نَجاءِ شِمِلَّةٍ

عَلَيها فَتًى كَالسَيفِ أَروَعُ شاحِبُ

My two friends, press on from Najaa Shamila,

Over which stands a knight like a gleaming sword.

خَليلايَ هَوجاءُ النَجاءِ شِمِلَّةٌ

وَذو شُطبٍ لا يَجتَويهِ المُصاحِبُ

My two friends, swerve away from Najaa Shamila,

A rough ground no companion can endure.

وَقَد عِشتُ دَهراً وَالغُواةُ صَحابَتي

أَولائِكَ خُلصاني الَّذين أُصاحِبُ

Long have I lived while free spirits were my friends,

Those were my true ones I would accompany.

قَرينَةَ مَن أَسفى وَقُلِّدَ حَبلَهُ

وَحاذَرَ جَرّاهُ الصَديقُ الأَقارِبُ

The mate of him who grieved and donned the rope of death,

And shunned the pull of a kinsman's tie.

فَأَدَّيتُ عَنّي ما اِستَعَرتُ مِنَ الصِبا

وَلِلمالِ عِندي اليَومَ راعٍ وَكاسِبُ

So I discharged on my own part what I borrowed from youth,

And now for wealth I have a guardian and earner.

لِكُلّ أُناسٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ عِمارَة

عَروضٌ إِلَيها يَلجَئونَ وَجانِبُ

For every people of Ma'add there are dwellings

To which they repair at times for refuge.

لُكَيزٌ لَها البَحرانِ وَالسَيفُ دونَهُ

وَإِن يَأتِهِم ناسٌ مِنَ الهِندِ هارِبُ

Al-Hirah has the two seas but the sword below it,

And should Indians come to it in flight.

تَطايَرُ عَن أَعجازِ حوشٍ كَأَنَّها

جَهامٌ هَراق ماءه فَهوَ آئِبُ

Birds take wing from the backs of a courtyard as though they were

A rushing torrent whose flow was cut off.

وَبَكرٌ لَها بَرُّ العِراقِ ولن تَخَف

يَحُل به حتى اليَمامَةِ حاجِبُ

And Bakr whose land is the expanse of Iraq will not fear

Any harm befalling it as far as al-Yamama.

وَصارَت تَميمٌ بَينَ قُفٍّ وَرَملَةٍ

لَها مِن جِبالٍ مُنتَأى وَمَذاهِبُ

Tamim lies between ridges and sandy plains.

It has mountains, remote and far extending.

وَكَلبٌ لَها خَبتٌ فَرَملَةُ عالِجٍ

إِلى الحَرَّةِ الرَجلاءِ حَيثُ تُحارِبُ

And Kalb whose war-trained men's succor is the sandy plain of `Alij

Against the noble fighters where war is waged.

وَغَسّانُ حَيُّ عِزُّهُم في سِواهُمُ

تُجالِدُ عَنهُم حُسَّرٌ وَكَتائِبُ

And Ghassan, alive is their glory among their neighbors,

Husayn and armies fight on their behalf.

وَبَهراءُ حَيُّ قَد عَلِمنا مَكانَهُم

لَهُم شَركٌ حَولَ الرَصافةِ لاحِبُ

And the Bahraa, alive we knew well their abode,

Partners they have round al-Rusafah, ever binding treaties.

وَغارَت إِياد في السَوادِ وَدونَها

بَرازيقُ عُجمٍ تَبتَغي مَن تُضارِبُ

Iyad swooped down into the black lands, and below them

Are the armies of `Ujman seeking those they would fight.

وَنَحنُ أُناسٌ لا حِجازَ بِأَرضِنا

مَعَ الغَيثِ ما نُلفى وَمَن هُوَ غالِبُ

While we are a people without Hijaz in our land.

When clouds gather, we are not encountered, and who will conquer?

تَرى رائِداتِ الخَيلِ حَولَ بُيوتِنا

كَمِعزى الحِجازِ أَعوَزَتها الزَرائِبُ

You can see the raiding parties around our houses

Like the she-goats of Hijaz, their udders gone dry.

فَيُغبَفنَ أَحلاباً وَيُصبَحنَ مِثلَها

فَهُنَّ مِنَ التَعداءِ قُبٌّ شَوازِبُ

They go about the water-holes bleating like them

And end up being plundered, easy prey.

فَوارِسُها مِن تَغلِبَ اِبنَةِ وائِلٍ

حُماةٌ كُماةٌ لَيسَ فيهِم أَشايِبُ

Their horsemen are from Taghlib, the daughter of Wail,

Young, vigorous men among whom are no greying old ones.

هُم يَضرِبونَ الكَبشَ يَبرُقُ بَيضُهُ

عَلى وَجهِهِ مِنَ الدِماءِ سَبائِبُ

They strike the ram whose sperm glistens

White on his face from the spurt of blood.

وَإِن قَصُرَت أَسيافُنا كانَ وَصلُها

خَطانا إِلى أَعدائِنا فَنُضارِبُ

And if our swords prove short, their slashing

Traces toward our foes patterns for us to follow.

فَلِلَّهِ قَومٌ مِثلُ قَومي عِصابَة

إِذا اِجتَمَعَت عِندَ المُلوكِ العَصائِبُ

By God, what people like my people, a band

When assembled before kings are high and haughty!

أَرى كُلَّ قَومٍ قارَبوا قَيدَ فَحلِهِم

وَنَحنُ خَلَعنا قَيدَهُ فَهوَ سارِبُ

I see that every nation that approached their might

And we have slipped our bonds so remain unbridled.