إِن كانَ ذاكَ الطَودُ خَ
رَّ فَبَعدَ ما اِستَعلى طَويلا
If that towering mountain was once small,
After rising high for so long,
موفٍ عَلى القُلَلِ الذَوا
هِبِ في العُلى عَرضاً وَطولا
Folding over the lofty peaks,
Towering mightily in the heights.
قَرمٌ يُسَدِّدُ لَحظَهُ
فَتَرى القُرومَ لَهُ مُثولا
A fortification focusing its gaze,
You see the fortresses humbled before it.
وَيُرى عَزيزاً حَيثُ حَل
لَ وَلا يَرى إِلّا ذَليلا
It seems mighty wherever it settles,
Not seeing anything but the lowly.
كَاللَيثِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ اِت
تَخِذَ العُلى وَالمَجدَ غيلا
Like a lion but for the fact that it has made
Glory and honor its booty.
وَعَلا عَلى الأَقرانِ لا
مِثلاً يُعَدُّ وَلا عَديلا
It rose above its peers,
With no equal or match.
مِن مَعشَرٍ رَكِبوا العُلى
وَأَبَوا عَنِ الكَرَمِ النُزولا
From a people who mounted the heights
And refused to descend from generosity.
غُرٌّ إِذا نَسَبوا لَنا ال
غُرَرَ اللَوامِعَ وَالحُجولا
They are strange when they attribute to us
The outstanding heroes and the brave youth.
كَرُموا فُروعاً بَعدَما
طابوا وَقَد عُجِموا أُصولا
They valued branches after
Their roots had flourished and grown.
نَسَبٌ غَدا روّادُهُ
يَستَنجِبونَ لَنا الفُحولا
A lineage whose seekers
Come to us for the gallant men.
يا ناظِرَ الدينِ الَّذي
رَجَعَ الزَمانُ بِهِ كَليلا
O beholder of the faith which
Time has been brought back lowly through it.
يا صارِمَ المَجدِ الَّذي
مُلِئَت مَضارِبُهُ فُلولا
O honor’s sword which
Its battlefields were filled with remnants.
يا كَوكَبَ الأَحسابِ أَع
جَلَكَ الدُجى عَنّا أُفولا
O star of the dynasties, your
Brilliance made the darkness clear for us.
يا غارِبَ النِعَمِ العِظا
مِ غَدَوتَ مَعموراً جَزيلا
O vanishing of great bounties,
You have become settled with much.
يا مُصعَبَ العَلياءِ قا
دَتكَ العِدا نِقضاً ذَلولا
O climber of high places, your
Enemies walk humbly before you.
لَهفي عَلى ماضٍ قَضى
أَلّا تَرى مِنهُ بَديلا
I yearn for a past which is gone,
If only I could find a substitute for it!
وَزَوالُ مُلكٍ لَم يَكُن
يَوماً يُقَدَّرُ أَن يَزولا
The passing of a kingdom which
Was never expected to decline.
وَمَنازِلٍ سَطَرَ الزَما
نُ عَلى مَعالِمِها الحُؤولا
And dwellings whose features
Time has marked for destruction.
مِن بَعدِ ما كانَت عَلى ال
أَيّامِ مَربَأَةً زَلولا
After they were smooth-floored
For the days, and steady.
وَالأُسدُ تَرتَكِزُ القَنا
فيها وَتَرتَبِطُ الخُيولا
The lions prowled in them
And the horses were tethered.
مَن يُسبِغُ النِعَمَ الجِسا
مَ وَيَصطَفي المَجدَ الجَزيلا
Who bestows bounty on the bodies
And selects abundant honor?
مَن يُنتِجُ الآمالَ يَو
مَ تَعودُ بِاللَيّانِ حولا
Who brings hopes the day
They return with gleamings?
مَن يورِدُ السُمرَ الطِوا
لَ وَيُطعِمُ البيضَ النُصولا
Who supplies the darting light
And feeds the hissing sparks?
مَن يَزجُرُ الدَهرَ الغَشو
مَ وَيَكشِفُ الخَطبَ الجَليلا
Who rebukes the sly days
And reveals the great perils?
وَتَراهُ يَمنَعُ دونَنا
وادي النَوائِبِ أَن يَسيلا
You see him holding back from us
The valley of calamities lest it overflow.
عَقّادُ أَلوِيَةِ المُلو
كِ عَلى العُلى جيلاً فَجيلا
The knotter of the banners of kings
Upon the heights, for generations.
هَذا وَكَم حَربٍ تَبُز
زُ الأُسدَ سَطوَتُها الغَليلا
Many a war claws with its
Might but it bites on granite.
صَمّاءُ تُخرِسُ آلَها
إِلّا قِراعاً أَو صَهيلا
Growling, silencing its squeaks
Save clashing or neighing.
وَالخَيلُ عابِسَةٌ تَجُر
رُ مِنَ العَجاجِ بِها ذُيولا
The horses frown, dragging
Their tails harshly.
أَجتابُ عارِضَها وَقَد
رَحَلَ المَنونُ بِهِ هَمولا
Their saddle-girths displaced, and
Death has loaded them with burdens.
كَالثائِرِ الضِرغامِ إِن
لَبِسَ الوَغى دَقَّ الرَعيلا
Like the enraged stallion when
It dons war's armor and pounds the ground.
صانَعتُ يَومَ فِراقِهِ
قَلباً قَدِ اِعتَنَقَ الغَليلا
On the day we parted I made
A heart that embraced anguish.
ظَعَنَ الغِنى عَنّي وَحَو
وَلَ رَحلَهُ إِلّا قَليلا
Wealth turned away from me and
Its belongings left me little.
إِن عادَ يَوماً عادَ وَج
هُ الدَهرِ مُقتَبِلاً جَميلا
If it returns one day it will return
With the world's face made beautiful.
وَلَئِن مَضى طَوعَ المَنونِ
مُؤَمِّماً تِلكَ السَبيلا
But if it passed willingly to death
Taking that road,
فَلَقَد تَخَلَّفَ مَجدُهُ
عِبأً عَلى الدُنيا ثَقيلا
Then its glory remains
A burden heavy on the world.
وَاِستَذرَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن
نَفَحاتِهِ ظِلّاً ظَليلا
And time has gained from
Its influences a lasting shade.
