1. بَعضُ الَّذي نالَنا يا دَهرُ يَكفِينا

    فَاِمنُن بِبُقيا وَأَودِعها يَداً فِينا

    Some of what has befallen us, O Time, is enough for us.

    So grant us mercy, and leave it as a favor among us.

  2. إِن كانَ شَأنُكَ إِرضاءَ العَدُوِّ بِنا

    فَدُونَ هَذا بِهِ يَرضى مُعادينا

    If your business is to please the enemy through us,

    Then less than this would satisfy our foe.

  3. فَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ حَمداً لا نفادَ لَهُ

    إِذ لَم يَكُن ضَعفُنا إِلّا بِأَيدِينا

    Praise be to God, with praise that never ends,

    Since our weakness came only through our own hands.

  4. خافَت بَنُو عَمِّنا أَمراً يُعاجِلُنا

    مِن قَبلِ إِلحاقِ تالينا بِماضينا

    Our cousins feared something would swiftly overtake us,

    Before our successors were joined to our predecessors.

  5. وَاِستَيقَنَت أَنَّ كُلَّ المُلكِ مُنتَزَعٌ

    وَلَو تَمَكَّثَ في أَربابِهِ حِينا

    And they knew for certain that all kingship is wrested away,

    Even if it lingers with its lords a while.

  6. وَحاذَرت دَولَةً في عَقبِ دَولَتِها

    تَأتي سَريعاً فَتُلقِي سُمَّها فِينا

    They feared a dynasty following their dynasty,

    Coming swiftly to pour its poison into us.

  7. فَلَم تَدَع لِمُرجٍّ سَلبَ نِعمَتِها

    أَرضاً قَراحاً بِأَيدِينا وَلا لِينا

    So, for anyone hoping to strip them of their blessings, they left no

    Bare land in our hands, nor any date palms.

  8. وَلَم تَزَل هَذِهِ فِينا عِنايَتُها

    حَتّى تَساوى اِبنُ سِتٍّ وَاِبنُ سِتِّينا

    And this remained their care for us,

    Until a six-year-old and a sixty-year-old were equal.

  9. هَذا هُوَ الحَزمُ وَالرَأيُ السَديدُ فَلا

    تَظُنّهُ القَومُ زَهداً في مَغانينا

    This is prudence and sound judgment; so let not

    The people mistake it for indifference to our dwellings.

  10. لِأَنَّ مَن يَتَوَلّى الأَمرَ بَعدَهُمُ

    لَيسُوا بِمَأمُونِ شَرٍّ في نَواحينا

    For those who take power after them

    Cannot be trusted to do no harm in our region.

  11. وَالفَقرُ في أَرضِنا خَيرٌ لِصاحِبِهِ

    مِنَ الغِنى وَالقَليلُ النَزرُ يُرضِينا

    Poverty in our land is better for its sufferer

    Than wealth; a scant little satisfies us,

  12. لِما يُعانيهِ رَبُّ المالِ مِن تَعَسٍ

    في أَرضِنا لا لِأَنَّ المالَ يُطغِينا

    Because of the misery the owner of wealth endures

    In our land, not because wealth makes us transgress.

  13. وَكَم غِنىً عِندَنا قَد جَرَّ داهِيَةً

    دَهياءَ تَترُكُ فَحلَ القَومِ عِنِّينا

    How often wealth among us has brought a calamity,

    A dire one that leaves the tribe's virile champion impotent.

  14. فَاِنظُر أَخا العَقلِ وَالتَدبيرِ إِنَّ لَهُ

    شَأناً عَظيماً وَدَوِّنهُ الدَواوِينا

    Consider, man of reason and foresight: it has

    Great importance; record it in the registers.

  15. لَم يَهتَدِ المَرءُ كِسرى أَن يُدَبِّرَهُ

    وَكانَ أَرجَحَها عَقلاً وَتَمكِينا

    Not even Khosrow could find a way to devise it,

    Though he was foremost among them in wisdom and power.

  16. وَصاحِبٍ قالَ لي وَالعَينُ تَحرُسُهُ

    حِيناً وَيَنطِقُ بِالشَكوى أَحايينا

    A companion said to me, while the eye kept watch on him

    At times, and at others he voiced his complaint:

  17. أَما تَرى قَومَنا فِينا وَما صَنَعُوا

    لَم يَترُكُوا أَمَلاً فِينا لِراجِينا

    "Do you not see our kinsmen, how they treat us, and what they have done?

    They have left no hope in us for anyone who looks to us.

  18. مالُوا عَلَينا مَعَ الأَيّامِ وَاِستَمَعُوا

    فِينا أَقاوِيلَ شانِينا وَقالِينا

    They sided against us with the days, and listened

    To the sayings about us of our detractors and our haters,

  19. مِن غَيرِ شَيءٍ سِوى قَصرٍ بِأَلسُنِنا

    عَمّا يُعابُ وَطُولٍ في عَوالينا

    For nothing but restraint of our tongues

    From what is blameworthy, and length in our spears;

  20. وَأَنَّنا نَرِدُ الهَيجاءَ تَحسَبُنا

    مِن زَأرِنا في الوَغى جِنّاً مَجانينا

    And because we enter battle—you would think us,

    From our roaring in the fray, mad jinn.

  21. وَلا نُبالي شَقَقنا في عَجاجَتِها

    هَوادِيَ القَومِ أَو شَقَّت هَوادِينا

    We care not whether, amid its dust, we split

    The men's necks, or our own necks are split.

  22. وَيُكرِهُ الصَعدَةَ السَمراءَ أَصغَرُنا

    سِنّاً وَيُفحِمُ كَهلَ القَومِ ناشِينا

    Our youngest makes the brown lance submit,

    In years; and our youth silences the tribe's mature man.

  23. نَحنُ المُلوكُ وَأَردافُ المُلوكِ وَفي

    بَحبُوحَةِ العِزِّ شادَ العِزَّ بانينا

    We are kings and kings' deputies, and in

    The very heart of glory our builder raised glory.

  24. نَحمي عَلى الجارِ وَالمَولى وَيَأمَنُنا

    عَلى اِختِلافِ اللَيالي مَن يُصافِينا

    We guard neighbor and client, and we are trusted

    Through the changing nights by those sincere in friendship with us.

  25. آباؤُنا خَيرُ آباءٍ إِذا ذُكِرُوا

    كانُوا المَشاوِذَ وَالناسُ التَساخِينا

    Our fathers are the best of fathers; when remembered,

    They were the turbans, while other men were the boots.

  26. أَيّامُنا لَم تَزَل غُرّاً مُحَجَّلَةً

    وَلا تُباعُ بِأَيّامٍ لَيالينا

    Our days have always been white-blazed and white-footed,

    Nor would our nights be traded for days.

  27. تَرَعرَعَ المُلكُ في أَبياتِنا وَنَشا

    حَتّى اِستَوى وَمُرَبِّيهِ مُرَبِّينا

    Kingship grew up in our houses and was raised,

    Until it stood full-grown; its nurturers were our nurturers.

  28. يا لَيتَ شِعري أَيُّ الذَنبِ كانَ لَنا

    حَتّى بِهِ اِجتيحَ دانينا وَقاصِينا

    Would that I knew what sin was ours,

    That through it our near and distant kin were swept away!

  29. أَضحَت بَساتِينُنا نَفدي بِأَحسَنِها

    شِقصاً لِأَدنى خَسيسٍ مِن مَوالينا

    Our orchards have come to this: with their finest we ransom

    A share belonging to the lowest wretch among our clients.

  30. بِجُلَّةِ التَمرِ وَالشاةِ الرَعُومِ غَدَت

    أَملاكُنا وَاِحتَمَت أَملاكُ عادينا

    For a basket of dates and a nursing ewe went

    Our estates, while our enemy's estates remained protected.

  31. إِنّا إِلى اللَهِ لا أَرحامُنا نَفَعَت

    وَلا طِعانُ حُماةِ القَومِ يَحمينا

    We turn to God: neither our ties of blood availed us,

    Nor do the spear-thrusts of the tribe's defenders protect us.

  32. هَذا الجَزاءُ لِما سَنَّت أَسِنَّتُنا

    يا لَلرِجالِ وَما أَمضَت مَواضينا

    This is the reward for what our spearheads established—

    O men, come to our aid!—and what our keen swords accomplished,

  33. يَومَ العَطيفَةِ إِذ جاءَت مُغَلِّسَةً

    كَتائِبٌ نَحوَنا بِالمَوتِ تُردِينا

    On the day of al-Atifah, when there came before dawn

    Battalions bearing death toward us, to strike us down.

  34. تُوفي ثَلاثَةَ آلافٍ مُضَمَّنَةً

    وَلا تجاوِزُ في عَدٍّ ثَلاثينا

    Making up a full three thousand, guaranteed,

    Yet not exceeding thirty in number:

  35. رِماحُهُم وَظَلامُ النَقعِ يَستُرُنا

    وَكَرُّنا وَضِياءُ البيضِ يُبدِينا

    Their spears, while the dark battle-dust concealed us;

    And our charge, while the gleam of bright swords revealed us.

  36. طَعناً بِهِ كانَ إِبراهيمُ وَالِدنا

    مِن قَبلِ أَن يَنزِلَ البَحرَينِ يُوصِينا

    Spear-thrusts such as our father Ibrahim

    Had urged upon us before he settled in Bahrain,

  37. حَتّى تَوَلَّوا وَقَد جاشَت نُفُوسُهُمُ

    غَيظاً لِما عايَنُوهُ مِن تَحامِينا

    Until they turned away, their souls seething

    With rage at the mutual defense they had witnessed from us.

  38. وَقَبلُ رَدَّت رُبُوعَ القَومِ أَربَعَةٌ

    مِنّا فَمَن ذا إِلى مَجدٍ يُسامِينا

    And earlier, four had driven back the tribe's encampments,

    Four of us—so who can rival us in glory?

  39. يَومَ الشَباناتِ لا نَثني أَعِنَّتَها

    كَأُسدِ خَفّانَ هِيجَت أَو عِفرِّينا

    On the day of al-Shabanat, we did not turn their reins back,

    Like roused lions of Khaffan or Ifrin.

  40. تَتلُوهُمُ آلُ حَجّافِ وَما وَلَدَت

    أُمُّ العَجَرَّشِ مِثلَ الجُربِ طُلِّينا

    The house of Hajjaf followed them, along with those borne by

    Umm al-Ajarrash; like mangy beasts, we were coated.

  41. لَم يَترُكُوا فَضلَ رُمحٍ في أَكُفِّهِمُ

    وَنَحنُ نَقصدُها قَرعاً فَتُخَطِينا

    They left no spare length of spear in their palms,

    And we headed straight at them, clashing, yet they missed us.

  42. هَل غَيرُنا كانَ يَلقاهُم بِعُدَّتِنا

    لا وَالَّذي بَيَّنَ الفُرقانَ تَبيينا

    Could anyone but us have faced them with our equipment?

    No, by Him who made the Criterion plain.

  43. وَكَم لَنا مِن مَقامٍ لا نُعابُ بِهِ

    وَلا نُذَمُّ بِهِ دُنيا وَلا دِينا

    How many a stand is ours for which we cannot be faulted,

    Nor censured in worldly affairs or in religion!

  44. يا ضَيعَةَ العُمرِ يا خُسرانَ صَفقَتِنا

    يا شُؤمَ حاضِرِنا الأَشقى وَبادِينا

    O wasted lifetime! O the loss of our bargain!

    O the ill fortune of our wretched townsmen and our nomads!

  45. كُنّا نَخافُ اِنتِقالَ المُلكِ في مُضَرٍ

    فَمَرحَباً بِكَ يا مُلكَ اليَمانينا

    We once feared kingship passing to Mudar;

    Welcome, then, O rule of the Yemenites!

  46. فَإِن تَوَلَّت مُلُوكُ الرُومِ ما بَلَغَت

    مِعشارَ ما صَنَعَت إِخوانُنا فِينا

    If the kings of Rum took power, they would not reach

    A tenth of what our brothers have done to us.

  47. كُنّا نَضِجُّ مِنَ الحِرمانِ عِندَهُمُ

    وَنَطلُبُ الجاهَ فيهِم وَالبَساتِينا

    We once cried out at deprivation under them,

    And sought standing among them, and orchards.

  48. فَاليَومَ نَفرحُ أَن يُبقُوا لِمُوسِرِنا

    مِن إِرثِ جَدَّيهِ سَهماً مِن ثمانينا

    Today, then, we rejoice that they leave our wealthy man

    One share out of eighty from his two grandfathers' inheritance.

  49. أَفدي الَّذي قال وَالأَشعارُ سائِرَةٌ

    قَبلي يُدَوِّنُها الرَاوُونَ تَدوِينا

    I would ransom the man who said—his verses circulating

    Before me, with reciters setting them down in writing—

  50. يا طالِبَ الثّأرِ قُم لا تَخشَ صَولَتنا

    فَما نُراعي بِها مَن لا يُراعِينا

    'O seeker of vengeance, rise; do not fear our onslaught,

    For with it we do not defend those who do not defend us.

  51. فَسَوفَ يُسقى بِكاساتِ العُقوقِ عَلى

    حَرِّ الظَما مَن بِكَأسِ الغَبنِ يَسقِينا

    He shall be given cups of disloyalty, in

    Thirst's burning heat, who makes us drink from the cup of injustice.

  52. فَما المُعادي لَنا أَولى بِبَغضَتِنا

    مِن اِبنِ عَمٍّ مَدى الأَيّامِ يُؤذينا

    Our enemy is no more deserving of our hatred

    Than a cousin who harms us throughout the days.'

  53. أَعزِز عَلى اِبنِ عَلِيٍّ وَالأَكارِمِ مِن

    آبائِنا أَن يُسيمَ الضَيمُ وادِينا

    How grievous to Ibn Ali, and to the noble ones among

    Our forefathers, that oppression should graze our valley!

  54. نالَ المُعانِدُ مِنّا ما يُحاوِلُهُ

    سِرّاً وَجَهراً وَتَعرِيضاً وَتَعيينا

    The adversary obtained from us what he sought,

    Secretly and openly, by insinuation and explicitly.

  55. رامَت ذَوُو أَمرِنا إِطفاءَ جَمرَتِنا

    فَبَعدَها أَلحِقِ الأَحساءَ يَبرِينا

    Those who command us sought to extinguish our ember;

    Then, after that, join al-Ahsa to Yabrin.

  56. يا قُبحَ آرائِهِم فينا فَلو عَرَفُوا

    حَقَّ السَوابِقِ ما اِختارُوا البَراذِينا

    How ugly their judgments about us! Had they known

    The worth of swift steeds, they would not have chosen packhorses.

  57. فَقُل لَهُم لا أَقالَ اللَهُ صَرعَتَهُم

    وَزادَ أَمرَهُمُ ضَعفاً وَتَوهِينا

    So say to them: may God never lift them from their fall,

    And may He increase their condition in weakness and enfeeblement.

  58. هَل يَنقِمُونَ عَلَينا غَيرَ أَنَّ بِنا

    صارُوا مُلوكاً مَطاعِيماً مَطاعِينا

    Do they resent anything about us except that through us

    They became kings, lavish hosts and fierce spear-thrusters?

  59. عَزَّت أَوائِلُهُم قِدماً بِأَوَّلِنا

    لِذاكُمُ عَزَّ تاليهِم بِتالينا

    Their forebears grew mighty long ago through our forebears;

    Thus their successors grew mighty through our successors.

  60. كَم قَد كَفَيناهُمُ مِن يَومِ مُعضِلَةٍ

    لَوَ اِنَّهُم مَن عَلى الحُسنى يُكافِينا

    How many a day of crisis have we spared them!

    If only they were people who repaid us for kindness!

  61. نَحمي وَنَضرِبُ رَبَّ التاجِ دُونَهُمُ

    ضَرباً يُطيرُ فِراخُ الهامِ سِجّينا

    We defend them and strike the wearer of the crown in their defense,

    With blows that send the skulls' nestlings flying into Sijjin.

  62. فَسَوفَ يَدرُونَ أَنَّ الأَخسَرينَ هُمُ

    إِذا اِستَغاثُوا وَنادُوا يالمُحامِينا

    They will come to know that they are the greatest losers,

    When they cry for help and call out, 'O defenders!'"