صَنعَةٌ عَزَّتِ الأَنامَ بِلُطفٍ

صَنعَةٌ عَزَّتِ الأَنامَ بِلُطفٍ

وَعَزَّتها إِلى القَديرِ العَوازي

وَعَزَّتها إِلى القَديرِ العَوازي

A creation that outmatched mankind through subtlety,

A craft that gave people dignity through kindness,

And those tracing its source ascribed it to the Almighty.

And its dignity is owed to the Capable and Mighty.

مَلِكٌ أَنشَأَ السَمَواتِ فَالبَدرُ

مَلِكٌ أَنشَأَ السَمَواتِ فَالبَدرُ

لَدَيهِ في صورَةِ الجِلوازِ

لَدَيهِ في صورَةِ الجِلوازِ

A King who created the heavens; so the full moon

A King who created the heavens, so the full moon

Is before Him in the guise of a constable.

Is to Him like a young camel.

كَم لَهُ كَوكَبٌ أَبَرَّ وَأَزَّ النا

كَم لَهُ كَوكَبٌ أَبَرَّ وَأَزَّ النا

سَ حَتّى سَطى عَلى أَبَروازِ

سَ حَتّى سَطى عَلى أَبَروازِ

How many a star of His overpowered and goaded the

How many stars did He elevate and honor

People, until it assailed Abarwaz.

Until they veiled the Pleiades?

أَغوى زيجُ ناظِرٍ في مَعاني ال

أَغوى زيجُ ناظِرٍ في مَعاني ال

شُهبِ أَم حَلَّ بِالمَنايا الغَوازي

شُهبِ أَم حَلَّ بِالمَنايا الغَوازي

Did an observer’s astronomical tables err about the meanings of the

Does a pair of eyes gazing at the meanings of meteors go astray,

Shining stars, or did raiders descend with death?

Or do they meet their fate through the deceiving meteors?

نَصَّتِ البَينَ في حَوّاءِ زِيادٍ

نَصَّتِ البَينَ في حَوّاءِ زِيادٍ

بارِحاتٌ كَأَنَّهُنَّ الحَوازي

بارِحاتٌ كَأَنَّهُنَّ الحَوازي

Parting was proclaimed in Ziyad’s encampment

The distance in the environs of Ziyad participates

By ill-omened birds, as though they were soothsayers.

As if it itself were the desert.

وَنَوى زَينَبٍ تُهونُ عَلى القَلبِ

وَنَوى زَينَبٍ تُهونُ عَلى القَلبِ

وَفيهِ مِثلُ الشَرارِ النَوازي

وَفيهِ مِثلُ الشَرارِ النَوازي

And Zaynab’s departure grows light upon the heart,

And the resolution of Zainab alleviates the heart

Though it holds something like leaping sparks,

While it contains sparks similar to lightning.

لِنُفوسٍ جَوازِئٍ بِاِصطِبارٍ

لِنُفوسٍ جَوازِئٍ بِاِصطِبارٍ

يَتَوَقَّعنَ خِلسَةً لِلجَوازِ

يَتَوَقَّعنَ خِلسَةً لِلجَوازِ

For souls that make do with patient endurance,

For brave souls with patience

Awaiting a stolen chance for a draught of water.

They expect secretly the permits.

لَيسَ مُعطٍ في دَولَةِ اليُسرِ مِنهُ

لَيسَ مُعطٍ في دَولَةِ اليُسرِ مِنهُ

مِثلَ مُعطٍ في دَولَةِ الإِعوازِ

مِثلَ مُعطٍ في دَولَةِ الإِعوازِ

A giver of it in times of plenty is not

There is no giver in the state of affluence like

Like a giver in times of want.

A giver in the state of poverty.

وَوَجَدنا خَوازِنَ المالِ ضَيَّعنَ

وَوَجَدنا خَوازِنَ المالِ ضَيَّعنَ

وَأَبقَينَ مَنفَساً لِلخَوازي

وَأَبقَينَ مَنفَساً لِلخَوازي

And we found the keepers of wealth had squandered it

And we found the treasurers of money lost it

And left an opening for shameful things.

And kept barely enough for survival.

وَالرَزايا زَوائِري بِاِختِياري

وَالرَزايا زَوائِري بِاِختِياري

وَسِواهُنَّ بَعدَ ذاكَ الرَوازي

وَسِواهُنَّ بَعدَ ذاكَ الرَوازي

And calamities are my visitors, by my own choice,

And difficulties are my visitors by my choice,

And all else, thereafter, puts me to the test.

And anything other than them are imposters.

وَاللَيالي هَوازِئٌ راجِعاتٌ

وَاللَيالي هَوازِئٌ راجِعاتٌ

في أَبي جادِها وَفي هَوّازِ

في أَبي جادِها وَفي هَوّازِ

And the nights are mockers, ever returning

And the nights are returning winds

To their Abu Jad and their Hawwaz.

In the valley of her father and in its gusts.

لا أُواريكَ في طِلابِ المَعالي

لا أُواريكَ في طِلابِ المَعالي

وَهِيَ في الغَدرِ كَالظِلالِ الأَوازي

وَهِيَ في الغَدرِ كَالظِلالِ الأَوازي

I do not deceive you about pursuing high honors;

I do not cover up when seeking the sublime,

And in treachery they resemble receding shadows.

Though it is most cunning like creeping shadows.

لَو مَلَكتِ الأَراكَ أَجمَعَ وَالأَ

لَو مَلَكتِ الأَراكَ أَجمَعَ وَالأَ

سحِلَ لَم تَحصَلي عَلى مِضوازِ

سحِلَ لَم تَحصَلي عَلى مِضوازِ

Even if you owned all the arak trees and the

If I owned all thrones and districts,

Ashil trees, you would not obtain a tooth-stick.

I would not gain the desired permits.

جَوَزينا وَنَحنُ سَفرٌ بِأَرضٍ

جَوَزينا وَنَحنُ سَفرٌ بِأَرضٍ

أَظمَأَتنا وَما لَنا مِن جَوازِ

أَظمَأَتنا وَما لَنا مِن جَوازِ

Give us water—we are travelers in a land

We experienced thirst while traveling in a land

That has made us thirsty, and we have no water.

That left us thirsty without any permits.

نَخبِطُ اللَيلَ وَالبَوازِلُ كا

نَخبِطُ اللَيلَ وَالبَوازِلُ كا

لخُمَّسِ ريعَت مِنَ البُزاةُ البَوازي

لخُمَّسِ ريعَت مِنَ البُزاةُ البَوازي

We grope through the night, and the mature camels are like

We grope the night as the brave stars

Sandgrouse thirsting for their fifth-day drink, startled by swooping hawks.

Leak out from the grip of the winners.

فَوَزَّ الرَكبُ يَبتَغونَ صَلاحاً

فَوَزَّ الرَكبُ يَبتَغونَ صَلاحاً

مِن حِمامٍ وَالفَوزُ لِلفَوّازِ

مِن حِمامٍ وَالفَوزُ لِلفَوّازِ

So the caravan hastened, seeking safety

So the troop succeeded seeking righteousness

From death; victory belongs to the victor.

From a pigeon, and success is for the winnner.

وَإِذا حازَتِ الأَنامِلُ مِلكاً

وَإِذا حازَتِ الأَنامِلُ مِلكاً

صارَ هُلكاً في قَبضَةِ الحَوّازِ

صارَ هُلكاً في قَبضَةِ الحَوّازِ

And when fingertips acquire a possession,

And if the destinies rule a kingdom,

It becomes ruin in the possessor’s grasp.

It becomes ruin in the grip of Fate.