فَلَيتَ لَنا مَكانَ المَلكِ عَمروٍ

رَغوثاً حَولَ قُبَّتِنا تَخورُ

Would that we had Amr's royal dwelling-place,

A refuge round our tents when hot winds blow,

مِنَ الزَمِراتِ أَسبَلَ قادِماها

وَضَرَّتُها مُرَكَّنَةٌ دَرورُ

Where antelopes in plenty gather, pacing

Slowly, protected by the hunting bow!

يُشارِكُنا لَنا رَخِلانِ فيها

وَتَعلوها الكِباشُ فَما تَنورُ

The palms there side by side give us their bounty,

And sheep stand by, too numerous to know.

لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ قابوسَ بنَ هِندٍ

لَيَخلِطُ مُلكَهُ نوكٌ كَثيرُ

By your life, Kābūs ibn Wushmgīr will mix

His kingship's power with treachery and woe!

قَسَمتَ الدَهرَ في زَمَنٍ رَخيٍّ

كَذاكَ الحُكمُ يَقصِدُ أَو يَجورُ

You have divided time into fair seasons,

So rule will aim at right, or work us wrong.

لَنا يَومٌ وَلِلكِروانِ يَومٌ

تَطيرُ البائِساتُ وَلا نَطيرُ

We have our day, the caravans have theirs.

Poor helpless creatures, we remain; they're gone

فَأَمّا يَومُهُنَّ فَيَومُ نَحسٍ

تُطارِدُهُنَّ بِالحَدَبِ الصُقورُ

Their day is unlucky; hawks with cruel claws

Chase them and scream disaster in their ears.

وَأَمّا يَومُنا فَنَظَلُّ رَكباً

وُقوفاً ما نَحُلُّ وَما نَسيرُ

As for our day, we camp, a mounted band,

Halting or marching on with neither haste nor fears.