أبا عُمارةَ أنْ شطَّتْ منازلُنا

أبا عُمارةَ أنْ شطَّتْ منازلُنا

فمن معاليك إِدْناءٌ وتقريبُ

فمن معاليك إِدْناءٌ وتقريبُ

O Abū ʿUmārah, though our dwellings have grown far apart,

O Abu Umara, if our dwellings lie far apart,

among your lofty virtues is the power to bring them near—

your noble deeds include drawing us near and bringing us close,

كما يجوزُ ضياء الشمس مطلعها

كما يجوزُ ضياء الشمس مطلعها

ويبعث العَرْفَ للمستنشق الطيب

ويبعث العَرْفَ للمستنشق الطيب

just as the sun’s radiance passes beyond its rising-place,

as the sun's radiance travels beyond its rising-place,

and sweet perfume sends fragrance to whoever inhales it.

and perfume sends its fragrance to whoever breathes it in.

أنت الأمير ووجه الشمس مُلْتثمٌ

أنت الأمير ووجه الشمس مُلْتثمٌ

واليوم ليلٌ بركض الخيل غربيب

واليوم ليلٌ بركض الخيل غربيب

You are the commander when the sun’s face is veiled,

You are the commander while the sun's face is veiled,

and day becomes raven-black night through the horses’ gallop.

and day is pitch-black night from the horses' galloping.

تشقى بك النيب في شهباء مجديةٍ

تشقى بك النيب في شهباء مجديةٍ

وترتوي بكَ في الرَّوْع الأنابيب

وترتوي بكَ في الرَّوْع الأنابيب

For your sake, aged she-camels toil through an ashen, barren waste,

The aged she-camels suffer through you in a gray, bounty-yielding year,

and through you the spear-shafts drink their fill amid battle’s terror.

and in battle's terror the spear-shafts drink their fill through you.

فلا حمامٌ وبأسٌ منك مُصْطلمٌ

فلا حمامٌ وبأسٌ منك مُصْطلمٌ

ولا غَمامٌ وكفَّاكَ الشآبيبُ

ولا غَمامٌ وكفَّاكَ الشآبيبُ

Thus death is not feared when annihilating might comes from you,

No death compares with your annihilating might,

nor is a raincloud needed when your two hands are pouring showers.

nor any cloud, when your two hands are downpours.

ماضٍ على الهولِ لا يثنيك عن خطر

ماضٍ على الهولِ لا يثنيك عن خطر

عيش نضير ولا حسناءُ رُعبُوبُ

عيش نضير ولا حسناءُ رُعبُوبُ

You press onward into terror; from danger you are not turned back

You press on through terror, not turned away from danger

by a flourishing life or a full-figured beauty.

by a flourishing life or a beautiful, tender woman.

جاورتَ جدَّك مُستناً بسُنَّتهِ

جاورتَ جدَّك مُستناً بسُنَّتهِ

فالخير مُنتجعٌ والبأسُ مرهوبُ

فالخير مُنتجعٌ والبأسُ مرهوبُ

You kept close to your grandfather, following his established way;

You have drawn close to your forefather, following his way;

thus goodness is a pasture sought, and martial might is feared.

thus bounty is sought out and might is feared.

أحنُّ شوقاً على نأي الديار بنا

أحنُّ شوقاً على نأي الديار بنا

كما تحنُّ إلى جيرانها النِّيبُ

كما تحنُّ إلى جيرانها النِّيبُ

I yearn with longing, though our homeland lies far from us,

I yearn with longing, though our homes have borne us far apart,

as aged she-camels yearn for their familiar neighbors.

as aged she-camels long for their neighbors.

ولو ثنتْ عن وداد الشيء غَيبتهُ

ولو ثنتْ عن وداد الشيء غَيبتهُ

لما أَضَرَّ بفرط الشوقِ يعقوبُ

لما أَضَرَّ بفرط الشوقِ يعقوبُ

If a thing’s absence could turn the heart away from loving it,

If a thing's absence could turn one from loving it,

Jacob would not have suffered from such consuming longing.

Jacob would not have gone blind from overwhelming longing.

والوصف يغني عن الرؤيا لذي أملٍ

والوصف يغني عن الرؤيا لذي أملٍ

كما نعيمُ جِنانِ الخُلد محبوبُ

كما نعيمُ جِنانِ الخُلد محبوبُ

Description spares the hopeful the need to see,

And description suffices in place of sight for one who hopes,

just as the bliss of eternity’s gardens is beloved.

as the bliss of the eternal gardens is beloved.

لا غرو أن تفرع العلياءَ مُبتدراً

لا غرو أن تفرع العلياءَ مُبتدراً

وقومك النُبلُ الغُرُّ المُناجيبُ

وقومك النُبلُ الغُرُّ المُناجيبُ

No wonder you hasten to scale the heights of glory,

No wonder you hasten to scale the heights of glory,

when your people are noble, radiant, high-born scions:

when your people are noble, radiant, and of excellent stock.

قومٌ إذا غضبوا فالنارُ مضرمةٌ

قومٌ إذا غضبوا فالنارُ مضرمةٌ

وفي التَّجاوز أطوادٌ شَناخيبُ

وفي التَّجاوز أطوادٌ شَناخيبُ

a people who, when angered, are a blazing fire,

A people who, when angered, are a blazing fire,

yet in forgiveness are mountains with towering peaks.

and in forgiveness, mountains with towering peaks.

الموردونَ العوالي وهي ظامئةٌ

الموردونَ العوالي وهي ظامئةٌ

والمقدمون وقلب الذِّمْر مرعوبُ

والمقدمون وقلب الذِّمْر مرعوبُ

They bring the lofty, thirsting lances to drink,

They bring the long spears to drink while they thirst,

and charge while the lion’s heart is terrified.

and advance while the champion's heart is terrified.

زنادُ مجدٍ أضاء الأفْقَ قادحُهُ

زنادُ مجدٍ أضاء الأفْقَ قادحُهُ

له بمجد رسول الله أُلْهوبُ

له بمجد رسول الله أُلْهوبُ

A firesteel of glory—its striker illumined the horizon;

Flints of glory, whose striker lit the horizon,

for him, through the glory of God’s Messenger, is a leaping blaze.

his flame blazing with the glory of God's Messenger

وعاصفٍ بكُماةٍ الشركِ صارمهُ

وعاصفٍ بكُماةٍ الشركِ صارمهُ

من الجحاجحِ والأبطال مَخضوبُ

من الجحاجحِ والأبطال مَخضوبُ

His sharp sword storms against the champions of polytheism,

and of one who storms against polytheism's champions, whose keen sword

stained with the blood of chieftains and heroes.

is stained with the blood of mighty chiefs and heroes.

غَرثانُ والعام خصبٌ من مكارمه

غَرثانُ والعام خصبٌ من مكارمه

ظمآن والجود من كفيه أثغوب

ظمآن والجود من كفيه أثغوب

Hungry, though the year is fertile through his noble gifts;

He hungers, though the year is fertile from his generous deeds;

thirsty, though bounty gushes ever more copiously from his two palms.

he thirsts, though bounty flows in a torrent from his two hands.

صدقُ البديهة في اثبات حجَّته

صدقُ البديهة في اثبات حجَّته

وللرويَّةِ تَصْعيدٌ وتصْويبُ

وللرويَّةِ تَصْعيدٌ وتصْويبُ

Sound is his ready insight when establishing his proof,

His ready wit is unerring in establishing his argument,

while deliberation ranges upward and downward.

while deliberation has its ascents and descents.

ردت له الشمس حيث الليل مقترب

ردت له الشمس حيث الليل مقترب

وأحسن القولَ في تكليمه الذِّيبُ

وأحسن القولَ في تكليمه الذِّيبُ

For him the sun was turned back when night was drawing near,

The sun was turned back for him when night drew near,

and the wolf was most eloquent in addressing him.

and the wolf addressed him with eloquent words.