ما بالُ عَينٍ شَوقُها استَبكاها

في رَمسِ دارٍ لَبِسَت بِلاها

What ails an eye whose passion makes it weep

For a home whose glories time has buried deep,

طامِسَةِ الأعلامِ قَد مَحاها

تَقادُم مِن عَهدِها أَبلاها

Where windswept sands have blotted every mark

That linked those desolate ruins to its past,

وَعاصِف يَتبَعُها ذَيلاها

تَستَنُّ بِالجَولانِ مِن حَصاها

And gales still follow, wildly in their sweep,

Chasing each trace that lingers to the last?

وَكُلُّ رَجَافٍ إِذا سَقاها

بِدِيَمٍ مَع رَهِمٍ وَلاها

There the oryx walks never knowing fear,

Roaming free in wastelands bleak and bare

وَالقانِصُ العِجلىُّ قَد رَآها

وَسَدَّدَ النَّبلَ الَّتِي سَواها

While nimble hunters watch with bows bent back

And arrows fixed to strike the prey they track.

يَسَّرَ سَهماً كانَ في أُولاها

ثُمَّ جَثَى لِرَميَةٍ رَماها

A hunter aimed at a charging oryx wild

And loosed a shaft too feeble to hold fast.

اهوَى بِسَهمٍ خائِبٍ اَشواها

فَعَضَّ بِالكَفِّ وَقَد دَمَاها

It glanced aside, and cutting through his hand

Left his fingers bathed in blood as it passed.

وَاَجفَلَت مُضطَمِراً قُطراها

وَبَلدَةٍ خاشِعَةٍ صُواها

Sullenly he bound his bleeding grip

While the antelope fled on with streaming mane.

هَيماءَ مَرهُوبٍ بِها سُراها

يُجاوِبُ البُومُ بِها صَداها

Only this abandoned site and lonely plain

Echo now where builders raised walls high.

قَطَعتُها بِمٍِقذَفٍ ساماها

اِنَّ تَمِيماً خَيَّسَت عِداها

Sounding oft his desolate refrain.

Tamim's glory lit the past now dead

وَيلٌ لِمَن حارَبَ اَو عاداها

وَوَرِثَت عِزَّتَهُ اَباها

Woe to those who break faith or oppose instead!

From her sires it won fame that still remains

اِذا مَعَدُّ زَخَرَت قُدناها

كُرهاً اِذا ما اجتَمَعَت عُتاها

When her fierce horsemen charged with lance and sword.

Loath, we meet where once her warriors massed,

نُذِلُّ في النَّاسِ عَشَوزَناها

وَاللَّهِ لَولا اَن يُقالَ شاها

And our might is gone, our name disgraced.

But for fear of shame, reproachful words,

وَرَهبَةَ النّارِ بِاَن نَصلاها

اَو يَدعُوَ النَّاسُ عَلَينا اللاّها

Or lest others pray bad luck may fall,

Or a lord denounce us, we would never bend

لَمَا عَرَفنا لاَمِيرٍ قاها

ما خَطَرَت سَعدٌ عَلَى قَناها

To meet where hostile hordes their ranks extend.

War we do not dread nor feel alarm

لا نَتَّقِي الحَربَ وَلا نَخشاها

نَضرِبُ بِالبِيضِ اِذا نَعصاها

When we bare our blades and brandish arms.

We whose lineage springs from Khandif's loins

وَنَحنُ مِن خِندِفَ فى ذُراها

سَما بِنا المَجدُ اِلى عُلاها

Were exalted to glory's highest plane.

First we were renowned for generous deeds.

نسبق بالخيرات في مداها