عَفَت بَعدَنا مِن أُمِّ حَسّانَ غَضوَرُ

وَفي الرَحلِ مِنها آيَةٌ لا تَغَيَّرُ

The cliffs of Umm Hasan were rent when we departed,

And in the saddlebags was a sign that does not change,

وَبِالغُرِّ وَالغَرّاءِ مِنها مَنازِلٌ

وَحَولَ الصَفا مِن أَهلِها مُتَدَوَّرُ

And in al-Gurr and al-Gharrā' were encampments from her people,

And around as-Safā were circles of her family revolving,

لَيالِيَنا إِذ جيبُها لَكَ ناصِحٌ

وَإِذ ريحُها مِسكٌ زَكِيٌّ وَعَنبَرُ

Those nights when their valleys called to you as a sincere advisor,

And when the scent of them was pure musk and ambergris,

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا أُمَّ حَسّانَ أَنَّنا

خَليطاً زَيالٍ لَيسَ عَن ذاكَ مَقصَرُ

Do you not know, O Umm Hasan, that we,

Are a mixed band, none among us falling short,

وَأَنَّ المَنايا ثَغرُ كُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

فَهَل ذاكَ عَمّا يَبتَغي القَومُ مُحصِرُ

And that death is the end of every finger-breadth,

So is that not beyond what people seek to restrain?

وَغَبراءَ مَخشِيَ رَداها مَخوفَةٍ

أَخوها بِأَسبابِ المَنايا مُغَرَّرُ

And Ghobarā' of Makhashī turned away in fear,

Her brother ensnared by the causes of death,

قَطَعتُ بِها شَكُّ الخِلاجِ وَلَم أَقُل

لِخَيّابَةٍ هَيّابَةٍ كَيفَ تَأمُرُ

I put an end to my nagging doubts but did not say

To the wavering and excitable one, "How do you command?"

تَدارَكَ عَوذاً بَعدَ ما ساءَ ظَنُّها

بِماوانَ عِرقٌ مِن أُسامَةَ أَزهَرُ

He sought refuge, after his confidence was shaken,

With the Banū Māwan, a branch of Usāmah, more flourishing,

هُم عَيَّروني أَنَّ أُمّي غَريبَةٌ

وَهَل في كَريمٍ ماجِدٍ ما يُعَيَّرُ

They reproach me that my mother is a foreigner,

And is there in a generous, glorious man that which can be reproached?

وَقَد عَيَّروني المالَ حينَ جَمَعتُهُ

وَقَد عَيَّروني الفَقرَ إِذ أَنا مُقتِرُ

And they reproached me for wealth when I gathered it,

And they reproached me for poverty when I was destitute,

وَعَيَّرَني قَومي شَبابي وَلِمَّتي

مَتى ما يَشا رَهطُ اِمرِئٍ يَتَعَيَّرُ

And my people reproached me for my youth and my folly

Whenever the comrades of a man choose to find fault,

حَوى حَيُّ أَحياءٍ شِتيرَ اِبنَ خالِدٍ

وَقَد طَمَعَت في غُنمِ آخَرَ جَعفَرُ

The living environs of Ḥayy have welcomed the son of Khālid,

While Jaʿfar has coveted the sheep of another,

وَلا أَنتَمي إِلّا لِجارٍ مُجاوِرٍ

فَما آخِرُ العَيشِ الَّذي أَتَنَظَّرُ

And I belong only to a neighbor who lives nearby,

So what is the end of this life for which I hope?