حَيّوا المَقامَ وَحَيّوا ساكِنَ الدارِ

ما كِدتَ تَعرِفُ إِلّا بَعدَ إِنكارِ

Greet the abode and greet the dweller therein

You almost wouldn't recognize it save after denial

إِذا تَقادَمَ عَهدُ الحَيِّ هَيَّجَني

خَيالُ طَيِّبَةِ الأَردانِ مِعطارِ

When the covenant of settlement grows old

The fancy of the sweet-smelling Ardan gladdens me

لا يَأمَنَنَّ قَوِيٌّ نَقضَ مِرَّتِهِ

إِنّي أَرى الدَهرَ ذا نَقضٍ وَإِمرارِ

No strong one is safe from having his strength rend

I see time full of rending and passing away

قَد أَطلُبُ الحاجَةَ القُصوى فَأَدرِكُها

وَلَستُ لِلجارَةِ الدُنيا بِزَوّارِ

I seek the highest necessity and attain it

While I am no visitor to the base world

إِلّا بِغُرٍّ مِنَ الشيزى مُكَلَّلَةٍ

يَجري السَديفُ عَلَيها المُربِعُ الواري

Save with a noli me tangere girded with chains

Over which the flowing trains race

إِذا أَقولُ تَرَكتُ الجَهلَ هَيَّجَني

رَسمٌ بِذي البَيضِ أَو رَسمٌ بِدُوّارِ

When I say I have left ignorance arouses me

A picture of him with white hands or a picture of him with tan hands

تُمسي الرِياحُ بِهِ حَنّانَةً عُجُلاً

سَوفَ الرَوائِمِ بَوّاً بَينَ أَظآرِ

The winds spend the night being gentle to it

The rushes of the east wind roaring amongst the thorns

هَل بِالنَقيعَةِ ذاتِ السِدرِ مِن أَحَدٍ

أَو مَنبِتِ الشيحِ مِن رَوضاتِ أَعيارِ

Is there anyone in the noli me tangere with sidr

Or the nabk groves from the gardens of thickets

سُقيتِ مِن سَبَلِ الجَوزاءِ غادِيَةً

وَكُلَّ واكِفَهِ السَعدَينِ مِدرارِ

I was watered from the Scorpio torrents passing

And every rain-shower beating from the Two Fortunate Ones

قَد كُدتُ إِنَّ فُراقَ الحَيِّ يَشعَفُني

أَنسى عَزايَ وَأُبدي اليَومَ أَسراري

I almost, separation from the settlements distracts me

I forget my misery and reveal my secrets today

لَولا الحَياءُ لَهاجَ الشَوقَ مُختَشِعٌ

مِثلُ الحَمامَةِ مِن مُستَوقِدِ النارِ

Were it not for modesty, ardent longing would stir in me

Like the dove from the glowing embers

لَمّا رَمَتني بِعَينِ الرَيمِ فَاِقتَتَلَت

قَلبي رَمَيتُ بِعَينِ الأَجدَلِ الضاري

When she shot me with the eye of cunning, she fought with me

I shot my heart with the eye of the lethal archer

مِلءُ العُيونِ جَمالاً ثُمَّ يونِقُني

لَحنٌ لَبيثٌ وَصَوتٌ غَيرُ خَوّارِ

Eyes full of beauty, then she seduces me

An ugly tune and a voice other than melodious

قَومي تَميمٌ هُمُ القَومُ الَّذينَ هُمُ

يَنفونَ تَغلِبَ عَن بُحبوحَةِ الدارِ

My people Tameem, they are the people who

Ward off the conquest of Buħbuħah’s abode

النازِلونَ الحِمى لَم يُرعَ قَبلَهُمُ

وَالمانِعونَ بِلا حِلفٍ وَلا جارِ

The descendents of fever whom none protected before them

And the forbididers without alliance or neighbor

ساقَتكَ خَيلي مِنَ الأَشرافِ مُعلِمَةً

حَتّى نَزَلتَ جَحيشاً غَيرَ مُختارِ

My horses carried you from the noble

Until you descended to Jehesh unwillingly

لَن تَستَطيعَ إِذا ما خِندِفٌ خَطَرَت

شُمَّ الجِبالِ وَلُجَّ المُزبِدِ الجاري

You will not avail, if a Khandif appears,

To smell the mountains or plunge into the turbulent sea

تَرمي خُزَيمَةُ مَن أَرمي وَيَغضَبُ لي

أَبناءُ مُرٍّ بَنو غَرّاءَ مِذكارِ

Khuzaymah shoots whoever I shoot and is wrathful for me

The sons of Murr, sons of Garrā’ Mudhakkir

إِنَّ الَّذينَ اِجتَنَوا مَجداً وَمَكرُمَةً

تِلكُم قُرَيشِيَ وَالأَنصارُ أَنصاري

They who attained glory and honor

They are my Quraysh and my Ansār, my supporters

وَالحَيُّ قَيسٌ بِأَعلى المَجدِ مَنزِلَةً

فَاِستَكرَموا مِن فُروعٍ زَندُها واري

And Qays, the most elevated in glory

So they were ennobled amongst outstanding branches

قَومي فَأَصلُهُمُ أَصلي وَفَرعُهمُ

فَرعي وَعَقدُهُمُ عَقدي وَإِمراري

My people, so their origin is my origin, their branch

My branch, their pact my pact and my life

مِنّا فَوارِسُ ذي بَهدى وَذي نَجَبٍ

وَالمُعلِمونَ صَباحاً يَومَ ذي قارِ

Amongst us the horsemen of distinction and high birth

And they who teach a lesson on the morning of Dhū Qār

مُستَرعِفينَ بِجَزءٍ في أَوائِلِهِم

وَقَعنَبٍ وَحُماةٍ غَيرِ أَغمارِ

Asking to be hired for a portion at the beginnings

And for Qa‘nab, Ḥumah other than submerged

قَد غَلَّ في الغُلِّ بِسطاماً فَوارِسُنا

وَاِستَودَعوا نِعمَةً في آلِ حَجّارِ

Indeed, our horsemen have rubbed shoulders with glory

And they entrusted bounty to the family of Ḥajjār

ما أَوقَدَ الناسُ مِن نيرانِ مَكرُمَةٍ

إِلّا اِصطَلَينا وَكُنّا موقِدي النارِ

None kindled fires of honor

Save we sought warmth and were the kindlers

إِنّا لَنَبلو سُيوفاً غَيرَ مُحدَثَةٍ

في كُلِّ مُعتَقِدِ التاجَينِ جَبّارِ

We brandish smooth swords

Through every zealot of the two Crumbling ones

إِنّي لَسَبّاقُ غاياتٍ أَفوزُ بِها

إِذاً أُطيلُ لَها شُغلي وَإِضماري

I precede to goals which I attain

For which I then lengthen my occupation and plot

يا خُزرَ تَغلِبَ إِنّي قَد وَسَمتُكُمُ

عَلى الأُنوفِ وُسوماً ذاتَ أَحبارِ

O Khuzaymah Taghlib I have branded you

On the noses with brands having inscription

لا تَفخَرُنَّ فَإِنَّ اللَهَ أَنزَلَكُم

يا خُزرَ تَغلِبَ دارَ الذُلِّ وَالعارِ

Glory not, for God has brought you down

O Khuzaymah Taghlib to the abode of disgrace and shame

ما فيكُمُ حَكَمٌ تُرضى حُكومَتُهُ

لِلمُسلِمينَ وَلا مُستَشهَدٌ شاري

Amongst you no referee whose rule

Pleases the Muslims nor have you a martyr noble

قَومٌ إِذا حاوَلوا حَجّاً لِبَيعَتِهِم

صَرّوا الفُلوسَ وَحَجّوا غَيرَ أَبرارِ

A people, if they try for the pilgrimage of their covenant

They strike coins and make pilgrimage without innocent ones

جِئني بِمِثلِ بَني بَدرٍ لِقَومِهِمُ

أَو مِثلِ أُسرَةِ مَنظورِ بنِ سَيّارِ

Bring me the like of the people of Badr for their people

Or the like of the family of Manẓūr ibn Sayyār

أَو مِثلِ آلِ زُهَيرٍ وَالقَنا قِصَدٌ

وَالخَيلُ في رَهَجٍ مِنها وَإِعصارِ

Or the like of the family of Zuhayr and straight course al-Qana

And horses in a plain amongst which is turbulence

أَو عامِرِ بِن طُفَيلٍ في مُرَكَّبِهِ

أَو حارِثٍ يَومَ نادى القَومُ يا حارِ

Or ʿĀmir ibn Ṭufayl in his litter

Or Ḥārith when the people called “O Hārith!”

أَو فارِسٍ كَشُرَيحٍ يَومَ تَحمِلُهُ

نَهدُ المَراكِلِ يَحمي عَورَةَ الجارِ

Or a horsemen like Shurayḥ when there carries him

The pounding of steeds guarding the shame of his neighbor

أَو آلِ شَمخٍ وَهَل في الناسِ مِثلُهُمُ

لِلمُعتَفينَ وَلا طُلّابِ أَوتارِ

Or the family of Shamkh—and are there any like them amongst men

For the admitting ones or seekers of strings

نَبَّأتَ أَنَّكَ بِالخابورِ مُمتَنِعٌ

ثُمَّ اِنفَرَجتَ اِنفِراجاً بَعدَ إِقرارِ

You claimed that you are protected in al-Khābūr

Then you surrendered in surrender after admitting

قَد كانَ دوني مِنَ النيرانِ مُقتَبَسٌ

أَخزَيتَ قَومَكَ وَاِستَشعَلتَ مِن ناري

There were fires kindled beneath me

You disgraced your people and caught fire from my fire

لَم تَدرِ أُمُّكَ ما الحُكمُ الَّذي حَكَمَت

إِذ مَسَّها سَكَرٌ مِن دَنِّها الضاري

Your mother didn’t know the rule she ruled

When drunkenness from its harm touched her