أَهاجَكَ بِالبَيداءِ رَسمُ المَنازِلِ
نَعَم قَد عَفاها كُلُّ أَسحَمَ هاطِلِ
The traces of encampments excite you in the desert,
Though every fool has obliterated them.
وَجَرَّت عَلَيها الرامِساتُ ذُيولَها
فَلَم يَبقَ مِنها غَيرُ أَشعَثَ ماثِلِ
The she-camels have dragged their trains over them,
Leaving nothing but a disheveled ruin.
دِيارُ الَّتي راقَ الفُؤادَ دَلالُها
وَعَزَّ عَلَينا أَن تَجودَ بِنائِلِ
The abodes whose charm delighted my heart,
And which were too proud to be generous to us.
لَها عَينُ كَحلاءِ المَدامِعِ مُطفِلٍ
تُراعي نَعاماً يَرتَعي بِالخَمائِلِ
They have an eye like the tearful gaze of a doe
That grazes ostriches in the thickets.
دِيارُ الَّتي كادَت وَنَحنُ عَلى مِنىً
تَحُلُّ بِنا لَولا نَجاءُ الرَواحِلِ
The abodes which, when we were hopeful,
Were about to be honored by our coming, had not fate intervened.
أَلا أَيُّها الساعي لِيُدرِكَ مَجدَنا
نَأَتكَ العُلى فَاِربَع عَلَيكَ فَسائِلِ
O you who strive to regain our glory,
Come to us; we will meet your demands.
فَهَل يَستَوي ماءانِ أَخضَرُ زاخِرٌ
وَحِسيٌ ظَنونٌ ماؤُهُ غَيرُ فاضِلِ
Can brackish stagnant water be compared
To a fresh and copious stream?
فَمَن يَعدِلُ الأَذنابَ وَيحَكَ وَالذُرى
قَدِ اِختَلَفا بِرٌّ يَحُقُّ بِباطِلِ
Who can make the tails equal to the heads, or chaff to grain?
Right and wrong are clearly distinguished.
تَناوَل سُهَيلاً في السَماءِ فَهاتِهِ
سَتُدرِكُنا إِن نِلتُهُ بِالأَنامِلِ
Take Suhail in the sky, for if you obtain it
You will overtake us though we flee.
أَلَسنا بِحَلّالينَ أَرضَ عَدُوِّنا
تَأَرَّ قَليلاً سَل بِنا في القَبائِلِ
Are we not the defenders of our foe's land,
Ask the tribes if we tarried a little.
تَجِدنا سَبَقنا بِالفَعالِ وَبِالنَدى
وَأَمرِ العَوالي في الخُطوبِ الأَوائِلِ
You will find we surpassed in deeds and gifts,
And in lofty enterprises in early days.
وَنَحنُ سَبَقنا الناسَ مَجداً وَسُؤدَداً
تَليداً وَذِكراً نامِياً غَيرَ خامِلِ
We surpassed men in glory and generosity,
Anciently and recently, unceasingly.
لَنا جَبَلٌ يَعلو الجِبالَ مُشَرَّفٌ
فَنَحنُ بِأَعلى فَرعِهِ المُتَطاوِلِ
We have a mountain that dominates mountains, sublime,
And we are on its loftiest peak.
مَساميحُ بِالمَعروفِ وَسطَ رِحالِنا
وَشُبّانُنا بِالفُحشِ أَبخَلُ باخِلِ
Our old men are noted for kindness amid our tents,
And our youths are stingier with evil than a miser.
وَمِن خَيرِ حَيٍّ تَعلَمونَ لِسائِلٍ
عَفافاً وَعانٍ موثَقٍ في السَلاسِلِ
As for the finest tribe, when a questioner asks,
You know them to have chastity and a pact bound by chains.
وَمِن خَيرِ حَيٍّ تَعلَمونَ لِجارِهِم
إِذا اِختارَهُم في الأَمنِ أَو في الزَلازِلِ
And the finest of tribes, you know to be for their neighbor,
If chosen, in time of security or deadly adversity,
وَفينا إِذا ما شُبَّتِ الحَربُ سادَةٌ
كُهولٌ وَفِتيانٌ طِوالُ الحَمائِلِ
And among us, when war is kindled, are leaders,
Elders and young men with long spears.
نَصَرنا وَآوَينا النَبِيَّ وَصَدَّقَت
أَوائِلُنا بِالحَقِّ أَوَّلَ قائِلِ
We gave victory and shelter to the Prophet, and
Our earliest ones confirmed the truth when first proclaimed.
وَكُنّا مَتى يَغزُ النَبِيُّ قَبيلَةً
نَصِل حافَتَيهِ بِالقَنا وَالقَنابِلِ
And whenever the Prophet raided a clan,
We joined his two flanks with the bow and the arrows.
وَيَومَ قُرَيشٍ إِذ أَتَونا بِجَمعِهِم
وَطِئنا العَدُوَّ وَطأَةَ المُتَثاقِلِ
And the day the Quraysh came against us with their multitude,
We trod the foe with the tread of a heavily-laden camel.
وَفي أُحُدٍ يَومٌ لَهُم كانَ مُخزِياً
نُطاعِنُهُم بِالسَمهَرِيِّ الذَوابِلِ
And at Uhud, a day of humiliation for them,
Our thrusts with the swords were like lightning bolts.
وَيَومَ ثَقيفٍ إِذ أَتَينا دِيارَهُم
كَتائِبَ نَمشي حَولَها بِالمَناصِلِ
And the day we came to the districts of Thaqif
In companies, marching around them with sharp swords.
فَفَرّوا وَشَدَّ اللَهُ رُكنَ نَبِيِّهِ
بِكُلِّ فَتىً حامي الحَقيقَةِ باسِلِ
So they fled, and God strengthened His Prophet’s position
With every hero, steadfastly defending the truth.
فَفَرّوا إِلى حِصنِ القُصورِ وَغَلَّقوا
وَكائِن تَرى مِن مُشفِقٍ غَيرِ وائِلِ
So they fled to the fortress of castles and bolted it,
And you would see, from one who fears, none to help.
وَأَعطَوا بِأَيديهِم صَغاراً وَتابَعوا
فَأَولى لَكُم أَولى حُداةَ الزَوامِلِ
They gave their wrists in surrender – and followed;
So you are more justified, O reddened swords.
وَإِنّي لَسَهلٌ لِلصَديقِ وَإِنَّني
لَأَعدِلُ رَأسَ الأَصعَرِ المُتَمايِلِ
Truly, I am easy on a friend, and truly I
Rectify the bent head of the swaying drunkard.
وَأَجعَلُ مالي دونَ عِرضي وِقايَةً
وَأَحجُبُهُ كَي لا يَطيبَ لِآكِلِ
And I make my wealth a protection, not exposing my honor,
Veiling it so it will not be good to a devourer.
وَأَيُّ جَديدٍ لَيسَ يُدرِكُهُ البِلى
وَأَيُّ نَعيمٍ لَيسَ يَوماً بِزائِلِ
What new thing will not age destroy?
What bliss will not one day cease?
