هَل يَنفَعَنَّكَ إِن جَرَّبتَ تَجريبُ
أَم هَل شَبابُكَ بَعدَ الشَيبِ مَطلوبُ
Will trying benefit you, though old age comes
Or is your youth still desired after white hair?
أَم كَلَّمَتكَ بِسُلمانينَ مَنزِلَةٌ
يا مَنزِلَ الحَيِّ جادَتكَ الأَهاضيبُ
Has a high-ranked woman addressed you
O abode of the living, the wild cows have raided your pastures
كَلَّفتُ مَن حَلَّ مَلحوباً فَكاظِمَةً
أَيهاتَ كاظِمَةٌ مِنها وَمَلحوبُ
I tasked the one who unties a salty, tightly-bound knot
Alas! A tight knot made of salt
قَد تَيَّمَ القَلبَ حَتّى زادَهُ خَبَلاً
مَن لا يُكَلَّمُ إِلّا وَهوَ مَحجوبُ
My heart has been orphaned until confusion increased it
He who is not addressed except while veiled
قَد كانَ يَشفيكَ لَو لَم يَرضَ خازِنُهُ
راحٌ بِبَردِ قَراحِ الماءِ مَقطوبُ
Cool water from the cold springs would have healed you
Had its keeper not refused
كَأَنَّ في الخَدِّ قَرنَ الشَمسِ طالِعَةً
لَمّا دَنا مِن جِمارِ الناسِ تَحصيبُ
As if the sun’s rays rise from the cheek
When he drew near to the people of grit, driving away the cows
تَمَّت إِلى حَسَبٍ ما فَوقَهُ حَسَبٌ
مَجداً وَزَيَّنَ ذاكَ الحُسنُ وَالطيبُ
Glory reached a lineage above which no lineage,
Honor adorns that beauty and perfume
تَبدو فَتُبدي جَمالاً زانَهُ خَفَرٌ
إِذا تَزَأزَأَتِ السودُ العَناكيبُ
Revealing a beauty decorated by the guard
When the black-coated mares jostled
هَل أَنتَ باكٍ لَنا أَو تابِعٌ ظُعُناً
فَالقَلبُ رَهنٌ مَعَ الأَظعانِ مَجنوبُ
Are you crying over us or blaming our faults?
For the heart is held hostage by blamers
أَما تَريني وَهَذا الدَهرُ ذو غِيَرٍ
في مَنكِبَيَّ وَفي الأَصلابِ تَحنيبُ
Don’t you see me while fate changes
Bending backs and straightening stooped ancestors
فَقَد أُمِدُّ نِجادَ السَيفِ مُعتَدِلاً
مِثلَ الرُدَينِيُّ هَزَّتهُ الأَنابيبُ
I stretch the sheath of the sword in balance
Like Rudainiyy brandished by the water pipes
وَقَد أَكونُ عَلى الحاجاتِ ذا لَبَثٍ
وَأَحوَذِيّاً إِذا اِنضَمَّ الذَعاليبُ
I can be patient with needs
And crafty if the anklets gathered
لَمّا لَحِقنا بِظُعنِ الحَيِّ نَحسِبُها
نَخلاً تَراءَت لَنا البيضُ الرَعابيبُ
When we caught up with the living tribe’s camping ground
The white domes of the cow-milkers appeared
لَمّا نَبَذنا سَلاماً في مُخالَسَةٍ
نَخشى العُيونَ وَبَعضُ القَومِ مَرهوبُ
When we threw greetings in whispered talk
We feared the eyes, some of the people startled
وَفي الحُدوجِ الَّتي قِدماً كَلِفتُ بِها
شَخصٌ إِلى النَفسِ مَوموقٌ وَمَحبوبُ
On the cheeks my feet have burdened
A figure desiring itself, loved and desired
قَتَلنَنا بِعُيونٍ زانَها مَرَضٌ
وَفي المِراضِ لَنا شَجوٌ وَتَعذيبُ
They killed us with eyes, sicknesses adorned them
In sickness is our agony and torture
حَتّى مَتى أَنتَ مَشغوفٌ بِغانِيَةٍ
صَبٌّ إِلَيها طَوالَ الدَهرِ مَكروبُ
How long are you obsessed with singing girl?
A passion pouring towards her lifelong
هَل يَصبُوَنَّ حَليمٌ بَعدَ كَبرَتِهِ
أَمسى وَأَخدانُهُ الأَعمامُ وَالشيبُ
Can a forbearing man pour in his old age
When his molars and white hair took over?
إِنَّ الإِمامَ الَّذي تُرجى نَوافِلُهُ
بَعدَ الإِمامِ وَلِيُ العَهدِ أَيّوبُ
The Imam whose optional deeds are hoped for
After the Imam, the heir apparent Ayyub
مُستَقبَلُ الخَيرِ لا كابٍ وَلا جَحِدٌ
بَدرٌ يَغُمُّ نُجومَ اللَيلِ مَشبوبُ
The forthcoming good, no denial or stinginess
A moon covering the dimmed stars
قالَ البَرِيَّةُ إِذ أَعطوكَ مُلكَهُمُ
ذَبِّب وَفيكَ عَنِ الأَحسابِ تَذبيبُ
Nomads said when they gave you their kingdom: Decorate
And you are above accounting—all accounting dissipated
يَأوي إِلَيكَ فَلا مَنٌّ وَلا جَحَدٌ
مَن ساقَهُ السِنَّةُ الحَصّاءُ وَالذَيبُ
Whoever fate—the sly and the wolf—drove to you
Seeks refuge without refuge denied or stinginess
ما كانَ يُلقى قَديماً في مَنازِلِكُم
ضيقٌ وَلا في عُبابِ البَحرِ تَنضيبُ
No tightness or plaiting sea spray was found before
In your dwellings that are adorned with domes
اللَهُ أَعطاكُمُ مِن عِلمِهِ بِكُمُ
حُكماً وَما بَعدَ حُكمِ اللَهِ تَعقيبُ
God has given you of His knowledge
Wisdom—and after God’s wisdom no rebuttal
أَنتَ الخَليفَةُ لِلرَحمَنِ يَعرِفُهُ
أَهلُ الزَبورِ وَفي التَوراةِ مَكتوبُ
You are the Caliph of the Merciful, known
By the people of scripture, written in Torah
كونوا كَيوسُفَ لَمّا جاءَ إِخوَتُهُ
وَاِستَعرَفوا قالَ ما في اليَومِ تَثريبُ
Be like Yusuf when his brothers came
And recognized him, he said no reproach today
اللَهُ فَضَّلَهُ وَاللَهُ وَفَّقَهُ
تَوفيقَ يوسُفَ إِذ وَصّاهُ يَعقوبُ
God privileged him and God guided him
The guidance of Yusuf, when Ya’qub recommended him
لَمّا رَأَيتَ قُرومَ المُلكِ سامِيَةً
طاحَ الخُبَيبانِ وَالمَكذوبُ مَكذوبُ
When you saw the pillars of the kingdom lofty
The vile and the liar fell—the liar exposed
كانَت لَهُم شِيَعٌ طارَت بِها فِتَنٌ
كَما تَطَيَّرُ في الريحِ اليَعاسيبُ
They had followers, through whom strife flew
Like how the rock partridges scatter in the wind
مُدَّت لَهُم غايَةٌ لَم يَجرِها حَطِمٌ
إِلّا اِستَدارَ وَعَضَّتهُ الكَلاليبُ
An extent was reached they did not damage
Except it turned back and the dogs bit it
سَوَّستُمُ المُلكَ في الدُنيا وَمَنزِلُكُم
مَنازِلُ الخُلدِ زانَتها الأَكاويبُ
You tempted the transient kingdom while your dwellings
Are the eternal abodes adorned with domes
لَمّا كَفَيتَ قُرَيشاً كُلَّ مُعضِلَةٍ
قالَت قُرَيشٌ فَدَتكَ المُردُ وَالشيبُ
When you relieved Quraysh of every quandary
Quraysh said: may you ransom us, the beloved old man
إِنّا أَتَيناكَ نَرجو مِنكَ نافِلَةً
مِن رَملِ يَبرينَ إِنَّ الخَيرَ مَطلوبُ
We come to you hoping for an extra
From the Sands of Yabrīn—for the good is sought
تَخدي بِنا نُجُبٌ أَفنى عَرائِكَها
خِمسٌ وَخِمسٌ وَتَأويبٌ وَتَأويبُ
Fine she-camels lead for us, their litters lost
Five and five in order and order
حَتّى اِكتَسَت عَرَقاً جَوناً عَلى عَرَقٍ
يُضحي بِأَعطافِها مِنهُ جَلابيبُ
Until they perspired, skin above skin
Their shoulders squandering their outer garments
عيدِيَّةٌ كانَ جَوّابٌ تَنَجَّبَها
وَاِبنا نَعامَةَ وَالمَهرِيُّ مَعكوبُ
‘Eediyya was an answer you composed
And the two sons of Na’mah and Ma’kub the struck
يَنهَضنَ في كُلِّ مَخشِيِّ الرَدى قَذَفٍ
كَما تَقاذَفَ في اليَمِّ المَرازيبُ
Rising in every feared pit of harm
As the small boats toss in the tumultuous sea
مِن كُلِّ نَضّاخَةِ الذِفرى عَذَوَّرَةٍ
في مِرفَقَيها عَنِ الدَفَّينِ تَحنيبُ
Of every molded slope, rough
Bending its elbow away from the chin
إِن قيلَ لِلرَكبِ سيروا وَالمَها حَرِجٌ
هَزَّت عَلابِيَها الهوجُ الهَراجيبُ
If the caravan is told: “Depart!” and the slope is hard
Their piebalds shook out the Harajib gowns
قالوا الرَواحَ وَظِلُّ القَومِ أَردِيَةٌ
هَذا عَلى عَجَلٍ سَمكٌ وَتَطنيبُ
They said: “For rest!”—and the tribe’s shade are litters
This fresh caught fish and kneaded dough
كَيفَ المَقامُ بِها هَيماءَ صادِيَةً
في الخِمسِ جَهدٌ وَوِردِ السُدسِ تَنحيبُ
How to stay there desolate?
Exertion in the fifth, and the sixth, sobbing
قَفراً تَشابَهُ آجالُ النَعامِ بِها
عيداً تَلاقَت بِهِ قُرّانُ وَالنوبُ
A desert where the lifespans of ostriches converge
An ‘Eed where sand grouse and gazelles meet
