كَبِرتُ كَذاكَ المَرءُ ما عاشَ يَكبُرُ
وَقَد يَهرَمُ الباقي الكَبيرُ المُعَمَّرُ
One grows old just by living, even if still young at heart
For time diminishes even the strongest and the oldest
لَقَد كُنَّ يَأتينَ الغَواني يَزُرنَني
بِأَردانِها مِسكٌ ذَكيٌّ وَعَنبَرُ
Once beautiful maidens used to visit me,
With perfumed dresses and sweet ambergris
وَلَمّا رَأَينَ البيضُ شَيبي وَذَرنَني
وَنادَينَني يا عَمُّ وَالشَيبُ يوذِرُ
But when they saw the gray in my hair and I was left behind
They called me uncle and the gray hair made them flee
تَنَفَّرنَ عَنّي حينَ أَبصَرنَ شامِلاً
عَلى مَفرِقي كَالقُطنِ بَل هُوَ أَنوَرُ
When they saw I had turned hoary, they became averse to me
As if my hair was cotton, nay it is more radiant
وَكُنَّ خِلالي يَومَ شَعري كَأَنَّهُ
جَناحُ غُدافٍ أَسوَدٍ حينَ يُنثَرُ
In my youth my hair was as if it were
The black wings of a dove when scattered
أَريعُ عَلَيهِ البانُ في كُلِّ لَيلَةٍ
فَيُصبِحُ جَعداً كَالعَناقيدِ يَقطُرُ
I used to bathe it every night with dew
So it would be curly like hanging grapes that drip
وَقَد كُنتُ أَمشي كَالرُدَينِيِّ ثابِتاً
فَصِرتُ كَأَنّي ظالِعُ الرِجلِ أَصوَرُ
I used to walk straight and steady like a spear
But now I walk as if mounting a staff I hold
فَبُدِّلتُ شَيباً بَعدَما اِسوَدَّ حالِكٌ
مَتى مَسَّهُ خَضبٌ إِذا هُوَ أَحمَرُ
After it had turned black, my hair turned white
Whenever dyed, no matter the color, it would show
كَرابِيَةٍ حَمراءَ في رَأسِ حالِقٍ
عَلى شَعَفٍ بادٍ لِمَن يَتَبَصَّرُ
Like a red cap on the head of a barber
On a flimsy turban for those who can see
عَلا الشَيبُ رَأسي بَعدَما كانَ أَسوَداً
وَفي الشَيبِ آياتٌ لِمَن يَتَفَكَّرُ
My head turned white after it had been black
In white hair there are signs for those who contemplate
وَبَعدَ الشَبابِ الشَيبُ وَالضَعفُ وَالفَنا
وَمَوتٌ لَهُ قَدرٌ عَبوسٌ مُكَدِّرُ
After youth comes old age and weakness and death
With a gloomy appointed time that saddens
فَكَم كَم مِنَ الأَملاكِ قَد ذَلَّ مُلكُهُم
وَهَل مِن نَعيمٍ دائِمٍ لا يُغَيَّرُ
How many kings has time overpowered
Is there any lasting bliss that does not change?
سِوى مُلكُ رَبّي ذي الجَلالِ فَإِنَّهُ
لَهُ المُلكُ يَقضي ما يَشاءُ وَيَقدِرُ
Except my Lord’s kingdom, for He
Has the kingdom, He ordains what He wishes
لَقَد كانَ قَحطانُ النَدى القَرمِ جَدُّنا
لَهُ مَنصِبٌ في رافِعِ السَمكِ يُشهَرُ
Our ancestor Qahtan was famous and noble
He had a high position as rainmaker
يَنالُ نُجومَ السَعدِ إِن مَدَّ كَفَّهُ
تَقِلُّ أَكُفٌّ عِندَ ذاكَ وَتَقصُرُ
If he extended his palm, the stars of fortune he would grasp
While other palms would be too short and fail
وَرِثنا سَناءً مِنهُ يَعلو وَمَحتِداً
مُنيفَ الذُرى سامي الأَرومَةِ يُذكَرُ
We inherited glory and leadership from him
Exalted, known to all people near and far
إِذا اِنتَسَبَت شوسُ المُلوكِ فَإِنَّما
لَنا الرايَةُ العُليا الَّتي لَيسَ تُكسَرُ
If the pedigree of kings is recounted
Ours is the highest flag none can lower
لَنا مُلكُ ذي القَرنَينِ هَل نالَ مُلكَهُ
مِنَ البَشَرِ المَخلوقِ خَلقٌ مُصَوَّرُ
We ruled the kingdom of he of the two horns
Did any other human as exalted rule?
بَواتِرَ يَتلو الشَمسَ عِندَ غُروبَها
لِيَنظُرَها في عَينِها حينَ تَحضُرُ
With gates facing sunrise and sunset
To watch the sun when it would disappear
وَيَسمو إِلَيها حينَ تَطلُعُ غَدوَةً
فَيَلمَحَها في بُرجِها حينَ تَظهَرُ
And rise high to see it at dawn
Catching sight of it in its tower when it appears
وَكيلاً بِأَسبابِ السَماءِ نَهارَهُ
وَلَيلاً رَقيباً دائِماً لَيسَ يَفتُرُ
All day long watching the sky and its portents
All night long an ever wakeful guard
وَأَوصَدَ سَدّاً مِن حَديدٍ أَذابَهُ
وَمِن عَينِ قِطرٍ مُفرَغاً لَيسَ يَظهَرُ
He built a barrier of melted iron
Poured from springs, solid, that would not crack
رَمى فيهِ يَأجوجاً وَمَأجوجَ عِنوَةً
إِلى يَومِ يُدعى لِلحِسابِ وَيُنشَرُ
He confined Gog and Magog behind it
Until the day of Reckoning and Revival
وَفي سَبَإٍ هَل كانَ عِزٌّ كَعِزِّهِم
لَهُم حَسَبٌ مَحضٌ لُبابٌ وَجَوهَرُ
In Sheba, was there ever glory like theirs?
Of pure lineage, essence, and jewel
وَقَد كانَ في بَينونَ مُلكٌ وَسُؤدُدٌ
وَفي ناعِطٍ مُلكٌ قَديمٌ وَمَفخَرُ
There was a kingdom for Banyan and Sua'd
And for Natiq an ancient glorious rule
وَأَسعَدَ كانَ الناسُ تَحتَ سِيوفِهِ
حَواهُم بِمُلكٍ شامِخٍ لَيسَ يُقهَرُ
Happiest were the people under their swords
Their great kingdom could not be defeated
تَواضَعُ أَشرافُ البَرِيَّةِ كُلِّها
إِذا ذُكِرَت أَشرافَها اكصيدُ حِميَرُ
The nobility of all the land's tribes bowed
When the nobility of their poets, Hinwir, was praised
وَفي الكُفرِ كُنّا قادَةً وَذَوي نُهى
لَنا عَدَدُ القِبصِ الَذي هُوَ يَكثُرُ
In unbelief we were leaders of repute
Ours was the number of soldiers ever growing
وَأَوَّلُ مَن آوى النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّداً
نَصَرنا وَآوَينا نَذُبُّ وَنَنصُرُ
We were the first to give refuge to Prophet Muhammad
We supported and sheltered him, ever loyal
عَنِ المُشرِقِ المَيمونِ أَحمَدَ ذي النُهى
كَأَنّا ضَراغيمُ الفَضا حينَ نُصحِرُ
From the blessed rising east, Ahmad the revered
Is to us like the rising of the radiant dawn
إِذا شَمَرَت حَربٌ وَهَزَّ هَزيزُها
نَهَضنا مَساعيراً لَها حينَ تُسعَرُ
When the clamor of war rouses and rages
We rise as fiery stallions responding to the call
نَكُبُّ الكُماةَ الشوسَ عِندَ اِصطِلائِها
قَتَلنا وُلاةَ الشُركِ مَن كانَ يَكفُرُ
We defeat the armored horsemen when they attack
Killing the polytheist leaders who reject belief
إِذا زَفَّتِ الأَنصارُ حَولَ مُحَمَّدٍ
بِجَيشٍ كَيَمٍّ مُزبِدٍ حينَ يَزخُرُ
When the Helpers marched around Muhammad
An army like a torrential flood
يَزُفّونَ حَولَ الهاشِمِيَ نَبِيِّهِم
عَلى وَجهِهِ نورٌ مِنَ اللَهِ يُزهِرُ
They marched around their Hashemite prophet
A light from God adorning his noble face
إِذا خَطَروا بِالمَشرِفِيَّةِ وَالقَنا
فَبِخ بِخ لَهُم مِن عُصبَةٍ حينَ تَخطُرُ
When they walked in Al-Mashrafiyya and Al-Qana
What a commotion from the regiment as it walked
إِذا ما مَشوا في السابِغاتِ كَأَنَّها
هَزيمٌ مِنَ الرَعدِ المُجَلجِلِ يَزأَرُ
When they marched in armor as if it were
The rumbling thunder in its might
فَضَلنا مُلوكَ الشامِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدٍ
لَنا الأَثرُ في المَرعى وَوِردٌ وَمَصدَرُ
We surpassed the kings of Damascus in every battle
For us are the meadows, watersprings and dwellings
