1. هَلْ أنْجَزَتْ لكَ وَعْدَ الوَصْلِ أسمآءُ

    أم شانَ مَوْعودَها مَطْلٌ وإِنسآءُ

    Has Asma fulfilled her promise of union with you,

    Or did delay and postponement mar her promise?

  2. أم هَل شَفا منكَ داءَ الحبِّ مُصْطبراً

    أم اسْتمرَّ عَقاماً ذلك الدَّاءُ

    Or has patient endurance cured love's sickness in you,

    Or has that sickness remained incurable?

  3. صادتك أسماءُ لحظاً وهي آنسةٌ

    بَيضاءُ ليِّنةُ الأطْرافِ حَسْنآءُ

    Asma ensnared you with a glance, a gentle maiden,

    Fair-skinned, soft-limbed, beautiful.

  4. تَعرَّضت لك في دَلٍّ وفي خَفَرٍ

    تُخالُ وهي أناةُ الخَطْو غَيْدآءُ

    She appeared before you with coquetry and modesty,

    Seeming, with her measured steps, supple and swaying.

  5. وأبرزتْ لك عن خدٍّ وسالِفَة

    كأنَّما التَفتتْ في السِّرب أدْمْاءُ

    And bared for you a cheek and the side of her neck,

    As though a pale gazelle had turned within the herd.

  6. ووَسْوَسَ الحَلْيُ منها حينَ تلبَسهُ

    جَيْدآءُ برَّاقةُ اللَّبَّاتِ مَلْسآءُ

    Her jewelry whispered as she wore it,

    Long-necked, smooth-skinned, her upper chest gleaming.

  7. وتَستَقِلُّ بأرْدافٍ تَنوءُ بها

    في للشَيْ مُخْطَفُة الكَشْحَينِ هيفآءُ

    She rises, bearing hips whose weight bears her down,

    In her gait [reading uncertain], narrow-flanked and slender.

  8. وَرقْرَقَت لكَ عَيْنَيْ جُؤذَرٍ فَرِقٍ

    كِلتاهُما في فُتورِ الطَّرفِ كَحْلآءُ

    She made the eyes of a frightened oryx calf shimmer for you,

    Both dark-rimmed, with a languid gaze.

  9. تفْتَرُّ على بارِقاتٍ من عَوارِضها

    معسولةِ الظَّلم والتفليج لَمْياءُ

    She parts her lips over flashes from her side teeth,

    Honey-sweet in sheen and spacing, dark-lipped.

  10. وأبدت القمرَ الوضَّاحَ طاف بهِ

    ليلٌ مُعقرَبة الأصداغ فرعاءُ

    And revealed the radiant moon, encircled by

    Night—her temple-locks scorpion-curled, her hair luxuriant.

  11. لاحين ذكري وشوقي كلَّما هَتفت

    رأدَ الضُّحى من حمامِ الأيْكِ وَرقاءُ

    [Opening unclear] my remembrance and longing, whenever there called

    At early forenoon, a gray dove among the thicket's doves.

  12. ما كانَ أحلى لُيَيْلاتٍ لنا سَلفتْ

    وللزَّمان بنا حُسنٌ وَغَضْراءُ

    How sweet were those brief nights we once enjoyed,

    When time was fair and flourishing for us.

  13. ونحن في عُنفوان العيشِ يَجمعنا

    تواصُلٌ وبِطالات واهواءُ

    While we were in life's prime, brought together by

    Companionship, idle pleasures, and desires,

  14. واصفياءٌ وروضات ودَسكرة

    ومجلس ٌوأغاريدٌ وصهباءُ

    And close friends, gardens, and a country villa,

    And a gathering, songs, and tawny wine.

  15. عِشنا بذلك حيناً في رَفاهيةٍ

    يَضمنُّا في الصِّبا لهْوٌ وسرّاءُ

    We lived thus for a while in ease,

    Embraced in youth by amusement and joy.

  16. أيَّامَ لي بَشَرات لونُها يَقَقٌ

    ولمة في عيون البيض سوداءُ

    In days when my skin was pure white,

    And my locks were black in fair women's eyes.

  17. حتى إذا ما بياضُ الشَّيبِ اشرقَ في

    ليلِ الشَّبابِ تجلَّت منه ظلماءُ

    Until, when the whiteness of gray hair shone in

    Youth's night, its darkness cleared away.

  18. وراجع الحلمُ حتىَّ في الهوى سَمُجَت

    أشياءُ إذا حَسُنَت في الدّيِن اشياءُ

    And sober judgment returned, until in love there grew ugly

    Things, as other things in faith grew fair.

  19. تباركَ اللهُ ما أحلىَ العفافَ إذا

    ما صحَّ من صحَّة الإعلان إخفْاءُ

    Blessed is God! How sweet is chastity, when

    What is hidden proves as sound as what is shown.

  20. والحمدُ لله ما أبهاهُ من زمنٍ

    أيَّامه ببني نبهانَ زهراءُ

    And praise be to God—how splendid a time,

    Its days made radiant by the sons of Nabhan.

  21. آلِ العَتيك اليمانين الذينَ لهم

    من سادةِ الأزْدِ أجدادُ وآباءُ

    The Yemeni house of al-Atik, whose

    Forefathers and fathers were chiefs of Azd.

  22. أقسمتُ ما عَمَرَ الدُّنيا بزينتِها

    إلاّ الملوكَ اليمانون الأعِزَّاءُ

    I swore: none made the world flourish in its beauty

    But the mighty Yemeni kings,

  23. المدركونَ من الغايات ما طلبوا

    والنَّازلونِ كراماً حيثُ ما شاؤا

    Who attain whatever goals they seek,

    And alight in honor wherever they wish.

  24. والمؤمنونَ وأنصارُ الرسول هُمُ

    إذْ قومُهُ أهل تكذيبٍ وأعداءُ

    They are the believers and the Messenger's helpers,

    When his own people were deniers and foes.

  25. والمطعمونَ من الكُوم العَبيطَ إذا

    هبَّتْ على الحيَّ بالصَّرداءِ نكْباءُ

    They feed fresh meat from high-humped camels when

    A crosswind sweeps the camp with bitter cold.

  26. ينَوبُ عن مَطرِ الوَسْمي جودُهُمُ

    إنْ أقبلتْ سَنةْ بالمحل شَهباءُ

    Their generosity stands in for the first autumn rains,

    If an ashen year comes bearing drought.

  27. والراكبون العتاق الجُرْدَ عاديةَ

    إذا غدت غارةُ بالَخْيل شَعْواءُ

    And they ride noble, sleek-coated steeds in the charge,

    When a sweeping cavalry raid sets forth.

  28. مكارمٌ ومعالٍ قائمونَ بها

    لهم بنو عمرَ الصيدُ الأجلاءُ

    Noble deeds and lofty honors they uphold;

    The proud, illustrious sons of Umar possess them.

  29. فليزدْدِ الأزدُ تمجيداً بسعيهم

    فإنَّما سعيُهم مجدٌ وعلياءُ

    Let Azd grow still more glorious through their striving,

    For their striving is glory and eminence.

  30. جودٌ وبأس وأحلامٌ يمانَية

    وفطنةٌ وعزيماتٌ وآراءُ

    Generosity, valor, and Yemeni forbearance,

    And discernment, firm resolves, and counsels.

  31. محَاسنٌ هي في عينِ المحبَّ لهمْ

    كحلٌ وفي أعْينِ الُحسَّادِ أقْذاءُ

    Virtues that, in the eye of one who loves them,

    Are kohl, but in the eyes of the envious, specks of grit.

  32. لآلِ نبَهانَ أبياتٌ يُلاذُ بها

    فانَّها أجْبلٌ للعزِّ شمَّاء ُ

    The house of Nabhan has homes where refuge is sought,

    For they are lofty mountains of honor.

  33. ويُستضَاءُ ويُستسقى بأوْجهُهمْ

    أهلَّةً وَأكُفُّ القومِ أنواءُ

    Light is sought, and rain implored, through their faces,

    Crescent moons; the men's palms are rain-bringing stars.

  34. توَارثوا كَرَمَ الأخلاقِ واشتْبهتْ

    في الفَضْلِ والَحُسنِ آباء وأبناءُ

    They inherited noble character, and alike are

    Fathers and sons in excellence and goodness,

  35. وإِخوةُ وبنو عَمٍ وكلُّهُمُ

    في حُبِ بَعضهمِ بَعضاً أخِلاَّءُ

    And brothers and cousins, all of them

    Close friends in their love for one another.

  36. ليس التقُّاطعُ بالموجود بينهمُ

    ولا يُعارضهمْ ضغْنٌ وشَحْنُاء

    Estrangement is nowhere found among them,

    Nor are they troubled by rancor and hatred.

  37. ولا يَروْنَ رِضىً في الصهّرِ غَيرهُمُ

    كذاكَ يَشَتَبِهُ الأهلُ الأوِدَّاءُ

    They find no satisfaction in marriage with anyone but their own;

    Thus do loving kinsfolk resemble one another.

  38. ما أحْسنَ الصّهرَ بينَ الاقربينَ ومَا

    أَدنْاهُ من نَسَبٍ والقومُ اكفْاءُ

    How fine is marriage among close kin, and how

    Near to blood kinship, when the people are equals!

  39. ثمَّ اسْتقامَ لِنبهانٍ تأهُّلُهُ

    وتلكَ منزلةٌ في الدَّهرِ عَلياءُ

    Then Nabhan's marriage was duly accomplished,

    And that is a lofty station through all time.

  40. بالطَّالِعِ السَّعد والفألِ الحميدِ جرى

    لهُ منَ الله إتْمامٌ وإمْضاءُ

    With a fortunate rising star and a happy omen came

    Its completion and fulfillment for him from God.

  41. نعمَ الِهداء الَّذي نبهانُ خُصَّ بهِ

    فإنَّما هوَ للْخَيرات إهْداءُ

    How fine the bridal gift with which Nabhan was favored,

    For it is a gift that brings blessings.

  42. كَرامةٍُ الدّينِ والدُّنيا وأُنسُهُما

    عليهِ بينهما للهِ نَعمْاءُ

    The honor and solace of faith and worldly life—

    God's blessings rest on him in them both.

  43. وهو الحقيقُ بما أعطاهُ خالقُه

    ولا يحِقُّ لكلّ النَاسِ إِعْطاءُ

    He is worthy of what his Creator has given him,

    And not everyone deserves such giving.

  44. لقد سَمعتْ نحوَ غاياتِ العُلى بأبي

    محمَّدٍ شيَمٌ كالدُّر غرَّاء ُ

    Indeed, toward glory's highest goals rose [reading uncertain] Abu

    Muhammad, borne by virtues radiant as pearls.

  45. مُهذَّبُ الفعلِ والأقوالِ معتمد

    صُنْعَ الجميل وللمَذمومِ أبَّاءُ

    Refined in deed and speech, intent on

    Doing good, and averse to all that is blameworthy.

  46. ضاحي الأسِرَّةِ بِهُلولٌ يلوح على

    جَبينهِ من فريد الجُود لألاءُ

    Bright-faced, a generous lord; there shines upon

    His brow the gleam of peerless generosity.

  47. في مَنْصبِ الأزْد من آل العتَيكِ له

    سَوادُها ومن القلب السُّوَيْداءُ

    Within Azd's noble lineage, from the house of al-Atik, his is

    Its main body, and the innermost core of its heart.

  48. وليس حَسنُ السَّجايا بالعجيب لمنْ

    أبوهُ ذُهْلٌ فأنَّ النَّسْلَ قَفَّاءُ

    Good character is no marvel in one

    Whose father is Dhuhl: offspring follow their forebears.

  49. قد جاءَ بالشْيَمِ الحُسنَى أبو حَسَن

    ذهل كذاكَ بها أوْلادهُ جاؤوا

    Abu Hasan came bearing the finest traits—

    Dhuhl—and his sons have come bearing them likewise.

  50. طال البقاءُ لذُهلٍ في بَنيهِ معاً

    يَبقى لهمْ ولهُ عِزٌّ وإثراءُ

    Long may Dhuhl endure among all his sons,

    May honor and prosperity endure for them and him.

  51. وعاشَ نبهانُ يصفو ذاتُ بينِهم

    كما صَفا في المِزاج الخمرُ والماءُ

    And may Nabhan live, their bonds kept pure,

    As wine and water blend in clarity.

  52. تَواصُلُ النّعَمِ الجَمَّاتِ عندَهُم

    كما تَواصَل إصْباح وإمْساءُ

    May abundant blessings follow one another among them,

    As morning and evening follow one another.

  53. ولا يزالُ لهمْ بِرٌّ وَمَوْهِبّة

    في كل يومٍ ولي مَدْح وإِنشاءُ

    And may kindness and giving ever be theirs,

    Each day, and mine be praise and verse.