لِمَن طَلَلٌ لَم يَعفُ مِنهُ المَذانِبُ

لِمَن طَلَلٌ لَم يَعفُ مِنهُ المَذانِبُ

فَجَنبا حِبِرٍّ قَد تَعَفّى فَواهِبُ

فَجَنبا حِبِرٍّ قَد تَعَفّى فَواهِبُ

Whose are these ruins, whose watercourses have not been effaced,

For whom are ruins that misdeeds have not desisted from,

and the two flanks of Hibirr, while Wahib has already faded away?

So keep away, ink-filled pens have dried out and gifts ceased.

دِيارُ بَني سَعدِ بنِ ثَعلَبَةَ الأولى

دِيارُ بَني سَعدِ بنِ ثَعلَبَةَ الأولى

أَذاعَ بِهِم دَهرٌ عَلى الناسِ رائِبُ

أَذاعَ بِهِم دَهرٌ عَلى الناسِ رائِبُ

The dwellings of the sons of Sa'd ibn Tha'labah, whom

The dwellings of Bani Sa'd ibn Tha'labah aforetime

time, menacing mankind, swept away.

Through which time broadcast against people afflictions.

فَأَذهَبَهُم ما أَذهَبَ الناسَ قَبلَهُم

فَأَذهَبَهُم ما أَذهَبَ الناسَ قَبلَهُم

ضِراسُ الحُروبِ وَالمَنايا العَواقِبُ

ضِراسُ الحُروبِ وَالمَنايا العَواقِبُ

So what swept away the people before them swept them away:

Thus it destroyed them as it destroyed people before them,

the grinding bite of wars and the deaths that follow.

The onslaughts of wars and deaths with their conclusions.

أَلا رُبَّ حَيٍّ قَد رَأَينا هُنالِكُم

أَلا رُبَّ حَيٍّ قَد رَأَينا هُنالِكُم

لَهُم سَلَفٌ تَزوَرُّ مِنهُ المَقانِبُ

لَهُم سَلَفٌ تَزوَرُّ مِنهُ المَقانِبُ

Ah, many a tribe we have seen there,

Indeed, how many living persons have we seen there,

with a vanguard from which cavalry bands veer aside.

For them were predecessors whose tracks are effaced.

فَأَقبِل عَلى أَفواقِ مالَكَ إِنَّما

فَأَقبِل عَلى أَفواقِ مالَكَ إِنَّما

تَكَلَّفتَ مِل أَشياءِ ما هُوَ ذاهِبُ

تَكَلَّفتَ مِل أَشياءِ ما هُوَ ذاهِبُ

So turn to the yields of what is yours; it is only

So turn to what your property suffices you; verily

passing things that you have burdened yourself with.

You have burdened yourself with things that will not last.