وَلِيَ النَّبعَةُ مِن سُلَّافِها

وَلِيَ النَّبعَةُ مِن سُلَّافِها

وَلِيَ الهامَةُ مِنها وَالكُبُرْ

وَلِيَ الهامَةُ مِنها وَالكُبُرْ

And mine is the nabʿ branch from its ancestral stock;

The stream springs from its source

And mine are its headship and highest rank;

As does arrogance and greatness from it

وَلِيَ الزَّندُ الَّذي يُورَى بِهِ

وَلِيَ الزَّندُ الَّذي يُورَى بِهِ

إِن كَبا زَندُ لَئيمٍ أَو قَصُرْ

إِن كَبا زَندُ لَئيمٍ أَو قَصُرْ

And mine is the fire-stick by which fire is kindled,

As does the sword brandished

If a base man's fire-stick fails or falls short.

Be the sword long or short

وَأَنا المَذكُورُ مِن فِتيَانِها

وَأَنا المَذكُورُ مِن فِتيَانِها

بِفَعالِ الخَيرِ إِن فِعلٌ ذُكِرْ

بِفَعالِ الخَيرِ إِن فِعلٌ ذُكِرْ

And I am renowned among its young men

And I am the one mentioned among its youth

For good deeds, whenever a deed is mentioned.

For good deeds if deeds are mentioned

أَعرِفُ الحَقَّ فَلا أُنكِرُهُ

أَعرِفُ الحَقَّ فَلا أُنكِرُهُ

وَكِلابِي أُنُسٌ غَيرُ عُقُرْ

وَكِلابِي أُنُسٌ غَيرُ عُقُرْ

I recognize what is due, so I do not deny it;

I know the truth so I don't deny it

And my dogs are friendly, not biters.

And my dogs are companions, not biters

لا ترى كَلبِيَ إِلَّا آنِساً

لا ترى كَلبِيَ إِلَّا آنِساً

إِن أَتَى خابِطُ لَيلٍ لَمْ يَهِرّْ

إِن أَتَى خابِطُ لَيلٍ لَمْ يَهِرّْ

You see my dog only welcoming;

You won't see my dog except being friendly

If a night-wanderer comes, he does not growl.

Even if a night prowler comes unnoticed at night

كَثُرَ النَّاسُ فَما يُنكِرُهُمْ

كَثُرَ النَّاسُ فَما يُنكِرُهُمْ

مِن أَسِيفٍ يَبتَغِي الخَيْرَ وَحُرّْ

مِن أَسِيفٍ يَبتَغِي الخَيْرَ وَحُرّْ

The people are many, so he finds none of them strange,

Many people came but they don't reject

Whether a servant seeking kindness or a free man.

A sword seeking good and free

هَل عَرَفْتَ الدارَ أَمْ أَنكَرْتَهَا

هَل عَرَفْتَ الدارَ أَمْ أَنكَرْتَهَا

بَيْنَ تِبْرَاكٍ فَشَسَّيْ عَبَقُرّْ

بَيْنَ تِبْرَاكٍ فَشَسَّيْ عَبَقُرّْ

Did you recognize the dwelling, or find it unfamiliar,

Do you know the house or are ignorant of it

Between Tibrāk and the two rocky tracts of ʿAbaqurr?

Between Tabarak and Fashshay Abqur

جَرَّرَ السَّيلُ بِها عُثنُونَهُ

جَرَّرَ السَّيلُ بِها عُثنُونَهُ

وَتَعَفَّتْها مَدَاليجُ بُكُرْ

وَتَعَفَّتْها مَدَاليجُ بُكُرْ

The torrent dragged its beard across it,

The torrents dragged their hems towards it

And night-roaming, early-rising winds effaced it.

And the valleys' paths led to it at dawn

يَتَقارَضْنَ بِها حَتّى اِستَوَت

يَتَقارَضْنَ بِها حَتّى اِستَوَت

أَشهُرَ الصَيفِ بِسَافٍ مُنفَجِرْ

أَشهُرَ الصَيفِ بِسَافٍ مُنفَجِرْ

They passed across it in turn until it was leveled,

Quarrelling over it until it leveled

Through the summer months, by surging, windblown sand.

In the heated summer months with bursting springs

وَتَرى مِنها رُسُوماً قَد عَفَت

وَتَرى مِنها رُسُوماً قَد عَفَت

مِثلَ خَطِّ اللامِ في وَحيِ الزُبُرْ

مِثلَ خَطِّ اللامِ في وَحيِ الزُبُرْ

And you see traces of it, already faded,

You see ruins of it that have faded

Like the stroke of lām in the script of books.

Like the script line in the revelation of scripture

قَد نَرَى البِيضَ بِها مِثلَ الدُّمى

قَد نَرَى البِيضَ بِها مِثلَ الدُّمى

لَم يَخُنهُنَّ زَمَانٌ مُقشَعِرّْ

لَم يَخُنهُنَّ زَمَانٌ مُقشَعِرّْ

We once saw fair-skinned women there, like statues,

We see the white within like the red

Whom no grim, bristling time had betrayed.

Time did not betray them, dreadful

يَتَلَهَّينَ بِنَومَاتِ الضُّحى

يَتَلَهَّينَ بِنَومَاتِ الضُّحى

راجِحَاتِ الحِلمِ وَالأُنسِ خُفُرْ

راجِحَاتِ الحِلمِ وَالأُنسِ خُفُرْ

They amused themselves with midmorning naps,

Frolicking in the slumber of forenoon

Sound of judgment, friendly, and modest;

Restrained by shyness and guarded chastity

قُطُفَ المَشيِ قَرِيبَاتِ الخُطَى

قُطُفَ المَشيِ قَرِيبَاتِ الخُطَى

بُدَّناً مِثلَ الغَمَامِ المُزمَخِرّْ

بُدَّناً مِثلَ الغَمَامِ المُزمَخِرّْ

Slow of gait, taking short steps,

Plucked steps of gait, nearby paces

Full-bodied, like towering clouds.

Bodies like laden clouds low and heavy

يَتَزَاوَرْنَ كَتَقْطاءِ القَطَا

يَتَزَاوَرْنَ كَتَقْطاءِ القَطَا

وَطَعِمْنَ العَيشَ حُلواً غَيرَ مُرّْ

وَطَعِمْنَ العَيشَ حُلواً غَيرَ مُرّْ

They visit one another like calling sandgrouse,

They visit each other like partridges

And they tasted life sweet, not bitter.

And sweet life they enjoy, not bitter

لَم يُطاوِعْنَ بِصُرْمٍ عاذِلاً

لَم يُطاوِعْنَ بِصُرْمٍ عاذِلاً

كادَ مِن شِدَّةِ لَوْم يَنْتَحِرْ

كادَ مِن شِدَّةِ لَوْم يَنْتَحِرْ

They would not obey a reproacher by severing ties,

They don't obey an accusing rebel

Who nearly killed himself from the force of his reproach.

Who almost died from the intensity of blame

وَهَوَى القَلبِ الَّذِي أَعْجَبَهُ

وَهَوَى القَلبِ الَّذِي أَعْجَبَهُ

صورَةٌ أَحسَنُ مَن لاثَ الخُمُرْ

صورَةٌ أَحسَنُ مَن لاثَ الخُمُرْ

And the heart's desire, which delighted it,

And the heart that was infatuated with

Is a form—the fairest of those who wrapped on head-veils.

An image more beautiful than the wine's redness