1. إِن كانَ ذاكَ الطَودُ خَ

    رَّ فَبَعدَ ما اِستَعلى طَويلا

    If that mountain has fallen,

    it was after towering high so long.

  2. موفٍ عَلى القُلَلِ الذَوا

    هِبِ في العُلى عَرضاً وَطولا

    Overlooking the peaks that soar

    in loftiness, in breadth and height.

  3. قَرمٌ يُسَدِّدُ لَحظَهُ

    فَتَرى القُرومَ لَهُ مُثولا

    A noble sire who directs his gaze,

    so you see the sires standing before him.

  4. وَيُرى عَزيزاً حَيثُ حَل

    لَ وَلا يَرى إِلّا ذَليلا

    And he is seen as mighty wherever he

    dwells, and sees none but the abased.

  5. كَاللَيثِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ اِت

    تَخِذَ العُلى وَالمَجدَ غيلا

    Like a lion, except that he has

    made loftiness and glory his thicket.

  6. وَعَلا عَلى الأَقرانِ لا

    مِثلاً يُعَدُّ وَلا عَديلا

    He rose above his peers, deemed neither

    their like nor their equal.

  7. مِن مَعشَرٍ رَكِبوا العُلى

    وَأَبَوا عَنِ الكَرَمِ النُزولا

    From a people who mounted the heights

    and refused to descend from nobility.

  8. غُرٌّ إِذا نَسَبوا لَنا ال

    غُرَرَ اللَوامِعَ وَالحُجولا

    Radiant men, when they ascribe to us

    the gleaming forehead-blazes and white fetlocks.

  9. كَرُموا فُروعاً بَعدَما

    طابوا وَقَد عُجِموا أُصولا

    They were noble as branches, after

    proving sound as roots when put to the test.

  10. نَسَبٌ غَدا روّادُهُ

    يَستَنجِبونَ لَنا الفُحولا

    A lineage whose scouts have come

    to choose noble sires for us.

  11. يا ناظِرَ الدينِ الَّذي

    رَجَعَ الزَمانُ بِهِ كَليلا

    O eye of the faith, through whom

    Time returned, its edge blunted.

  12. يا صارِمَ المَجدِ الَّذي

    مُلِئَت مَضارِبُهُ فُلولا

    O keen blade of glory, whose

    striking edges were filled with notches.

  13. يا كَوكَبَ الأَحسابِ أَع

    جَلَكَ الدُجى عَنّا أُفولا

    O star of noble lineages, hastened

    by darkness to set and leave us.

  14. يا غارِبَ النِعَمِ العِظا

    مِ غَدَوتَ مَعموراً جَزيلا

    O crest of mighty blessings,

    you became flourishing and abundant.

  15. يا مُصعَبَ العَلياءِ قا

    دَتكَ العِدا نِقضاً ذَلولا

    O untamed mount of eminence, led

    by enemies, worn-out and docile.

  16. لَهفي عَلى ماضٍ قَضى

    أَلّا تَرى مِنهُ بَديلا

    My grief for one departed, whose passing decreed

    that you would see no replacement for him;

  17. وَزَوالُ مُلكٍ لَم يَكُن

    يَوماً يُقَدَّرُ أَن يَزولا

    and for the loss of a realm never

    expected, on any day, to pass away;

  18. وَمَنازِلٍ سَطَرَ الزَما

    نُ عَلى مَعالِمِها الحُؤولا

    and for dwellings where Time has written

    change upon their landmarks,

  19. مِن بَعدِ ما كانَت عَلى ال

    أَيّامِ مَربَأَةً زَلولا

    after they had stood against

    the days as a lookout, too slippery to scale,

  20. وَالأُسدُ تَرتَكِزُ القَنا

    فيها وَتَرتَبِطُ الخُيولا

    and lions planted their spears

    there, and tethered their horses.

  21. مَن يُسبِغُ النِعَمَ الجِسا

    مَ وَيَصطَفي المَجدَ الجَزيلا

    Who lavishes mighty blessings

    and chooses abundant glory?

  22. مَن يُنتِجُ الآمالَ يَو

    مَ تَعودُ بِاللَيّانِ حولا

    Who makes hopes give birth on the day

    they come back barren through delay?

  23. مَن يورِدُ السُمرَ الطِوا

    لَ وَيُطعِمُ البيضَ النُصولا

    Who brings the long brown lances to water

    and feeds the helmets spearheads?

  24. مَن يَزجُرُ الدَهرَ الغَشو

    مَ وَيَكشِفُ الخَطبَ الجَليلا

    Who rebukes ruthless Time

    and dispels the mighty calamity?

  25. وَتَراهُ يَمنَعُ دونَنا

    وادي النَوائِبِ أَن يَسيلا

    And you see him holding back, to shield us,

    the valley of calamities from flooding.

  26. عَقّادُ أَلوِيَةِ المُلو

    كِ عَلى العُلى جيلاً فَجيلا

    Binder of the banners of kings

    on the heights, generation after generation.

  27. هَذا وَكَم حَربٍ تَبُز

    زُ الأُسدَ سَطوَتُها الغَليلا

    Such was he—and many a war whose

    onslaught robs lions of their burning thirst,

  28. صَمّاءُ تُخرِسُ آلَها

    إِلّا قِراعاً أَو صَهيلا

    deaf, it strikes its people dumb

    save for clashing arms or neighing;

  29. وَالخَيلُ عابِسَةٌ تَجُر

    رُ مِنَ العَجاجِ بِها ذُيولا

    and the horses, grim-faced, drag

    tails of swirling dust through it—

  30. أَجتابُ عارِضَها وَقَد

    رَحَلَ المَنونُ بِهِ هَمولا

    I traverse its storm-cloud, while

    Death has saddled an untended camel within it.

  31. كَالثائِرِ الضِرغامِ إِن

    لَبِسَ الوَغى دَقَّ الرَعيلا

    Like a raging lion, if

    he dons battle, he crushes the vanguard.

  32. صانَعتُ يَومَ فِراقِهِ

    قَلباً قَدِ اِعتَنَقَ الغَليلا

    On the day of his parting, I coaxed

    a heart that had embraced burning anguish.

  33. ظَعَنَ الغِنى عَنّي وَحَو

    وَلَ رَحلَهُ إِلّا قَليلا

    Prosperity departed from me and moved

    its baggage, leaving only a little.

  34. إِن عادَ يَوماً عادَ وَج

    هُ الدَهرِ مُقتَبِلاً جَميلا

    If he returns one day, the face

    of Time returns youthful and fair.

  35. وَلَئِن مَضى طَوعَ المَنونِ

    مُؤَمِّماً تِلكَ السَبيلا

    And even if he went obedient to Death,

    making for that path,

  36. فَلَقَد تَخَلَّفَ مَجدُهُ

    عِبأً عَلى الدُنيا ثَقيلا

    his glory has indeed remained behind,

    a heavy burden upon the world;

  37. وَاِستَذرَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن

    نَفَحاتِهِ ظِلّاً ظَليلا

    and the days have sought, from

    his bounteous breezes, a deep sheltering shade.