أَبكي لِصَخرٍ إِذا ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

أَبكي لِصَخرٍ إِذا ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

حَمامَةٌ شَجوَها وَرقاءُ بِالوادي

حَمامَةٌ شَجوَها وَرقاءُ بِالوادي

I weep for Sakhr when a ring-necked bird laments—

I weep for a rock when a turtledove confined

A gray dove pouring out her grief in the valley.

Coos her laments, and the greenish become drab in the valley,

إِذا تَلَأَّمَ في زَغفٍ مُضاعَفَةٍ

إِذا تَلَأَّمَ في زَغفٍ مُضاعَفَةٍ

وَصارِمٍ مِثلِ لَونِ المِلحِ جَرّادِ

وَصارِمٍ مِثلِ لَونِ المِلحِ جَرّادِ

When he donned supple, doubled mail,

When she moans during a repeated gale

And a keen-edged sword, the color of salt,

And swaying spears like the hue of salt locusts,

وَنَبعَةٍ ذاتِ إِرنانٍ وَوَلوَلَةٍ

وَنَبعَةٍ ذاتِ إِرنانٍ وَوَلوَلَةٍ

وَمارِنِ العودِ لا كَزٍّ وَلا عادِ

وَمارِنِ العودِ لا كَزٍّ وَلا عادِ

And a nabʿ-wood bow, ringing and wailing,

And a spring amid bent twigs and stirrings,

And a supple-shafted spear, neither stiff nor crooked.

And the thickets' bendings, neither crooked nor bent.

سَمحُ الخَليقَةِ لا نِكسٌ وَلا غُمُرٌ

سَمحُ الخَليقَةِ لا نِكسٌ وَلا غُمُرٌ

بَل باسِلٌ مِثلُ لَيثِ الغابَةِ العادي

بَل باسِلٌ مِثلُ لَيثِ الغابَةِ العادي

Generous by nature, neither a coward nor a novice,

Magnanimous, neither devious nor gloomy,

But valiant, like the charging lion of the thicket,

But valiant like the forest’s wonted lion,

مِن أُسدِ بَيشَةَ يَحمي الخِلَّ ذي لِبَدٍ

مِن أُسدِ بَيشَةَ يَحمي الخِلَّ ذي لِبَدٍ

مِن أَهلِهِ الحاضِرِ الأُدنَينِ وَالبادي

مِن أَهلِهِ الحاضِرِ الأُدنَينِ وَالبادي

One of Bisha’s lions, maned, guarding his friend,

From the lions of Bishah who protect the worn garment

Among his kin, the nearby settled folk and the nomads.

Of their clansmen, the nearest and those far away,

وَالمُشبِعُ القَومِ إِن هَبَّت مُصَرصَرَةٌ

وَالمُشبِعُ القَومِ إِن هَبَّت مُصَرصَرَةٌ

نَكباءُ مُغبَرَّةٌ هَبَّت بِصُرّادِ

نَكباءُ مُغبَرَّةٌ هَبَّت بِصُرّادِ

And he feeds the people their fill when a howling wind blows—

And who satisfy people should a gritty

A dust-laden crosswind, blowing with bitter cold.

Gust blow, dusty, blowing with hot wind.