لا تحسب النَّبطُ الأوغادُ أنَّهُمُ

لا تحسب النَّبطُ الأوغادُ أنَّهُمُ

أولى من العربِ الأمْجادِ بالقلمِ

أولى من العربِ الأمْجادِ بالقلمِ

Do not suppose that the base Nabataeans

The ignoble Nabataeans must not think

Are more entitled to the pen than the illustrious Arabs.

That they, more than the glorious Arabs, deserve the pen,

وإن غَدوا دون أهلِ الأرضِ إخوته

وإن غَدوا دون أهلِ الأرضِ إخوته

أبوهُمُ وأبيهِمْ منبتُ الأجمِ

أبوهُمُ وأبيهِمْ منبتُ الأجمِ

And even if, alone among earth’s people, they have become its brothers,

Though they be brethren to the men of earth;

Their father—by their father!—is where reed-thickets grow.

Their father and their ancestor is the source of the dunes.

كم من أخٍ لو أخوه كان هاديه

كم من أخٍ لو أخوه كان هاديه

إذاً لضلَّ ضلالاً ليس بالأمم

إذاً لضلَّ ضلالاً ليس بالأمم

How many a brother, if his brother were his guide,

How many a brother, had his brother guided him,

Would then go astray, and not by a little.

Would not have gone astray with other nations.

هداه أقصى غريبٍ قصدَ وِجْهتِهِ

هداه أقصى غريبٍ قصدَ وِجْهتِهِ

من بعد ما حار في داجٍ من الظُّلم

من بعد ما حار في داجٍ من الظُّلم

The most distant stranger guided him toward his destination,

He guided him, though from afar he came, to his destination

After he had been bewildered in pitch-black darkness.

After he had wandered confused in deep darkness.

هذا أبو الصقر فردٌ في كتابتِه

هذا أبو الصقر فردٌ في كتابتِه

وهو ابن شيبانَ بيْن الطلح والسَّلم

وهو ابن شيبانَ بيْن الطلح والسَّلم

This is Abu al-Saqr, peerless in his writing,

This is Abu al-Sakr, unique in his writing,

And he is a son of Shayban, among acacias and salam-trees.

He is the son of Shayban between al-Talh and al-Salam.

ما جاورتْ نبطيَّ الزلِّ نبعتُه

ما جاورتْ نبطيَّ الزلِّ نبعتُه

بل جاورت النبع والشم

بل جاورت النبع والشم

His bow-wood tree never neighbored a Nabataean of the reeds;

I did not settle near the slippery Nabataean,

Rather, it neighbored bow-wood trees and lofty peaks.

But near the spring and the idol.

هو الذي حملَ الأقلامَ ضاحيةً

هو الذي حملَ الأقلامَ ضاحيةً

عن الطريق وقد جارتْ عن اللُّقم

عن الطريق وقد جارتْ عن اللُّقم

He is the one who took up the pens, far astray

It is he who carried the pens flaming

From the road, when they had veered from the main track.

Away from the path, though mouths had deviated from morsels.

أمسى وأصبحَ بين الناسِ أرْفَعَهُمْ

أمسى وأصبحَ بين الناسِ أرْفَعَهُمْ

ذكراً وأشهرَهُمْ بالمجد والكرم

ذكراً وأشهرَهُمْ بالمجد والكرم

Evening and morning find him highest among men

He rose and retired among men most eminent

In renown, and most famed for glory and generosity.

In fame, most noble in glory and generosity.

كأنَّه الشمسُ في الأوج المُنيفِ بها

كأنَّه الشمسُ في الأوج المُنيفِ بها

على البريَّةِ لا نارٌ على علمِ

على البريَّةِ لا نارٌ على علمِ

He is like the sun at the zenith that lifts it high

As if he were the sun at its lofty zenith

Above all creation—not a fire upon a mountain peak.

Over the wilderness - no fire on a flagpole.

فزاده الله تشريفاً وأصْحبه

فزاده الله تشريفاً وأصْحبه

رُشْداً يُثَبِّتُ منه وطْأةَ القدم

رُشْداً يُثَبِّتُ منه وطْأةَ القدم

So may God increase his honor and grant him the company of

May God give him more honor and grant him

Right guidance that steadies his footfall.

Steadfastness to strengthen the tread of his feet.