لِمَن طَلَلٌ بِرامَةَ لا يَريمُ

لِمَن طَلَلٌ بِرامَةَ لا يَريمُ

عَفا وَخَلا لَهُ حُقُبٌ قَديمُ

عَفا وَخَلا لَهُ حُقُبٌ قَديمُ

Whose is the ruined campsite at Rama, unmoving?

For one whose abode at Ramah does not fall into decay

It has weathered away, and a long time has passed over it.

It has remained deserted for ages long gone

تَحَمَّلَ أَهلُهُ مِنهُ فَبانوا

تَحَمَّلَ أَهلُهُ مِنهُ فَبانوا

وَفي عَرَصاتِهِ مِنهُم رُسومُ

وَفي عَرَصاتِهِ مِنهُم رُسومُ

Its people struck camp and departed from it,

Its people have endured much from it so they deserted it

And in its open grounds remain traces of them.

And in its courtyard vestiges of them remain

يَلُحنَ كَأَنَّهُنَّ يَدا فَتاةٍ

يَلُحنَ كَأَنَّهُنَّ يَدا فَتاةٍ

تُرَجَّعُ في مَعاصِمِها الوُشومُ

تُرَجَّعُ في مَعاصِمِها الوُشومُ

They gleam as though they were a maiden's two hands,

The stones look as if they are the braceleted hand

Upon whose wrists the tattoos are retraced.

Of a maiden pushing back her armlets

عَفا مِن آلِ لَيلى بَطنُ ساقٍ

عَفا مِن آلِ لَيلى بَطنُ ساقٍ

فَأَكثِبَةُ العَجالِزِ فَالقَصيمُ

فَأَكثِبَةُ العَجالِزِ فَالقَصيمُ

Traces of Layla's folk have faded from Saq's valley floor,

The lineage of Layla has left only a barren hill

And from the dunes of al-Ajaliz, and al-Qasim.

And hillocks where sheep wandered

تُطالِعُنا خَيالاتٌ لِسَلمى

تُطالِعُنا خَيالاتٌ لِسَلمى

كَما يَتَطَلَّعُ الدَينَ الغَريمُ

كَما يَتَطَلَّعُ الدَينَ الغَريمُ

Visions of Salma appear before us,

Before us arise visions of Salma

As a creditor watches for repayment of a debt.

As the debtor eyes his creditor

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ ما هَرِمُ بنُ سَلمى

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ ما هَرِمُ بنُ سَلمى

بِمَلحِيٍّ إِذا اللُؤَماءُ ليموا

بِمَلحِيٍّ إِذا اللُؤَماءُ ليموا

By your father's life, Harim son of Salma is not

By your father's life, the age of Harim bin Salma

One to be censured when the ignoble are censured.

Has not tired my wit when disaster strikes

وَلا ساهي الفُؤادِ وَلا عَيِيِّ ال

وَلا ساهي الفُؤادِ وَلا عَيِيِّ ال

لِسانِ إِذا تَشاجَرَتِ الخُصومُ

لِسانِ إِذا تَشاجَرَتِ الخُصومُ

Nor heedless of heart, nor faltering of the

Nor made my heart languid or my tongue weary

Tongue when adversaries quarrel.

When antagonists engaged in altercation

وَهو غَيثٌ لَنا في كُلِّ عامٍ

وَهو غَيثٌ لَنا في كُلِّ عامٍ

يَلوذُ بِهِ المُخَوَّلُ وَالعَديمُ

يَلوذُ بِهِ المُخَوَّلُ وَالعَديمُ

And he is rain for us in every year;

For he is a downpour for us every year

The wealthy and the destitute seek refuge in him.

To which the destitute and the needy resort

وَعَوَّدَ قَومَهُ هَرِمٌ عَلَيهِ

وَعَوَّدَ قَومَهُ هَرِمٌ عَلَيهِ

وَمِن عاداتِهِ الخُلُقُ الكَريمُ

وَمِن عاداتِهِ الخُلُقُ الكَريمُ

And Harim has accustomed his people to this,

And Harim has accustomed his tribe to rely on him

And noble character is among his habits,

For his is the habit of noble manners

كَما قَد كانَ عَوَّدَهُم أَبوهُ

كَما قَد كانَ عَوَّدَهُم أَبوهُ

إِذا أَزَمَتهُمُ يَوماً أَزومُ

إِذا أَزَمَتهُمُ يَوماً أَزومُ

As his father had accustomed them before,

Even as his father had accustomed them

When a biting calamity gripped them one day:

Whenever a grievous day visits them

كَبيرَةُ مَغرَمٍ أَن يَحمِلوها

كَبيرَةُ مَغرَمٍ أَن يَحمِلوها

تُهِمُّ الناسَ أَو أَمرٌ عَظيمُ

تُهِمُّ الناسَ أَو أَمرٌ عَظيمُ

A heavy indemnity, whose bearing

It bothers people greatly when one they love

Weighs upon people, or some momentous affair,

Bears an important matter

لِيَنجوا مِن مَلامَتِها وَكانوا

لِيَنجوا مِن مَلامَتِها وَكانوا

إِذا شَهِدوا العَظائِمَ لَم يُليموا

إِذا شَهِدوا العَظائِمَ لَم يُليموا

So they might escape reproach for it; and they would,

So that they may avoid blaming him while they

When facing great crises, do nothing blameworthy.

Do not flinch when witnessing grave events

كَذَلِكَ خِيمُهُم وَلِكُلِّ قَومٍ

كَذَلِكَ خِيمُهُم وَلِكُلِّ قَومٍ

إِذا مَسَّتهُمُ الضَرّاءُ خيمُ

إِذا مَسَّتهُمُ الضَرّاءُ خيمُ

Such is their nature; and every people,

Thus is their way of life and for every folk

When adversity touches them, has a nature of its own.

There is a lifestyle when hardship touches them

وَإِن سُدَّت بِهِ لَهواتُ ثَغرٍ

وَإِن سُدَّت بِهِ لَهواتُ ثَغرٍ

يُشارُ إِلَيهِ جانِبُهُ سَقيمُ

يُشارُ إِلَيهِ جانِبُهُ سَقيمُ

And if through him the throats of a frontier are sealed,

And if the aspirations of an ambitious one are achieved through him

One men point to, its flank vulnerable,

The feeble side of another is pointed to

مَخوفٍ بَأسُهُ يَكلَأكَ مِنهُ

مَخوفٍ بَأسُهُ يَكلَأكَ مِنهُ

عَتيقٌ لا أَلَفُّ وَلا سَؤومُ

عَتيقٌ لا أَلَفُّ وَلا سَؤومُ

Its might feared, you are guarded against it by

A dreaded one whose might chews upon him

A noble man, neither faltering nor easily wearied.

An old man not wont to intimacy or cheer

لَهُ في الذاهِبينَ أُرومُ صِدقٍ

لَهُ في الذاهِبينَ أُرومُ صِدقٍ

وَكانَ لِكُلِّ ذي حَسبٍ أُرومُ

وَكانَ لِكُلِّ ذي حَسبٍ أُرومُ

He has honorable ancestral roots among those gone before,

Among the departed he has true pillars

And every man of noble standing had ancestral roots.

And each person of status has pillars