بَناتِ المَهاري الصُهبِ كُلِّ نَجيبَةٍ

بَناتِ المَهاري الصُهبِ كُلِّ نَجيبَةٍ

جُمالِيَّةٍ تَبري لِأَعيَسَ راجِفِ

جُمالِيَّةٍ تَبري لِأَعيَسَ راجِفِ

Daughters of the tawny Mahri camels, each a noble she-camel,

The daughters of the skillful dancers, each noble

powerfully built, coming alongside a quivering whitish male.

Beautiful that brings joy to one struck with passion

يَظَلُّ الحَصى مِن وَقعِهِنَّ كَأَنَّما

يَظَلُّ الحَصى مِن وَقعِهِنَّ كَأَنَّما

تَرامى بِهِ أَيدي الأَكُفِّ الحَواذِفِ

تَرامى بِهِ أَيدي الأَكُفِّ الحَواذِفِ

The pebbles beneath their footfalls seem

The pebbles remain from their footsteps as if

to be tossed back and forth by the palms of flinging hands.

Thrown by hands waving veils back and forth

إِذا رَكِبَت دَوِّيَّةً مُدلَهِمَّةً

إِذا رَكِبَت دَوِّيَّةً مُدلَهِمَّةً

وَصَوَّتَ حاديها لَها بِالصَفاصِفِ

وَصَوَّتَ حاديها لَها بِالصَفاصِفِ

When they cross a dark, trackless wilderness,

When she rides a mare galloping

and their camel-driver calls to them on the open flats,

And her guide calls to her with whistles

تَغالَينَ كَالجِنّانِ حَتّى تَنوطَهُ

تَغالَينَ كَالجِنّانِ حَتّى تَنوطَهُ

سُراها وَمَشيُ الراسِمِ المُتَقاذِفِ

سُراها وَمَشيُ الراسِمِ المُتَقاذِفِ

they lengthen their strides like serpents, until he is worn out

They race like jinn until she stops it

by their night travel and the bounding gait of the swift-trotting camel.

Her saddle blanket and the gait of one throwing spears

عِتاقٌ تَغَشَّتها السُرى كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

عِتاقٌ تَغَشَّتها السُرى كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

وَرُكبانُها كَالمَهمَهِ المُتَجانِفِ

وَرُكبانُها كَالمَهمَهِ المُتَجانِفِ

Night travel envelops the noble-bred camels every night,

Slaves whom the breasts cover each night

and their riders are like a wilderness slanting away.

And their riders like rumbling waves

كَأَنَّ عَصيرِ الزَيتِ مِمّا تَكَلَّفَت

كَأَنَّ عَصيرِ الزَيتِ مِمّا تَكَلَّفَت

تَحَلَّبَ مِن أَعناقِها وَالسَوالِفِ

تَحَلَّبَ مِن أَعناقِها وَالسَوالِفِ

It is as though pressed oil, from their exertions,

As if the oil's extract from their necks

has oozed from their necks and the sides of their necks.

Poured out and the hanging braids

عَوامِدُ لِلعَبّاسِ لَم تَرضَ دونَهُ

عَوامِدُ لِلعَبّاسِ لَم تَرضَ دونَهُ

بِقَومٍ وَإِن كانوا حِسانَ المَطارِفِ

بِقَومٍ وَإِن كانوا حِسانَ المَطارِفِ

Bound for al-‘Abbas, they would not accept in his stead

Pillars for Al-‘Abbas would not suffice

any people, even if their bordered cloaks were splendid.

Even if they were the best spear-throwers

لِتَسمَعَ مِن قَولي ثَناءً وَمِدحَةً

لِتَسمَعَ مِن قَولي ثَناءً وَمِدحَةً

وَتَحمِلُ قَولي يا اِبنَ خَيرِ الخَلائِفِ

وَتَحمِلُ قَولي يا اِبنَ خَيرِ الخَلائِفِ

So that you may hear praise and commendation from my words,

So you may hear praise and eulogy from my words

and bear my words, O son of the best of caliphs.

And carry my words, O son of the best caliphs

وَكَم مِن كَريمٍ يَشتَكي ضَعفَ عَظمِهِ

وَكَم مِن كَريمٍ يَشتَكي ضَعفَ عَظمِهِ

أَقَمتَ لَهُ ما يَشتَكي بِالسَقائِفِ

أَقَمتَ لَهُ ما يَشتَكي بِالسَقائِفِ

And many a noble man has complained of weakness in his bones;

And how many generous ones complain of frail bones

you have set right for him what ailed him, with splints.

You established for them what they complain with supporters

وَآمَنتَهُ مِمّا يَخافُ إِذا أَوى

وَآمَنتَهُ مِمّا يَخافُ إِذا أَوى

إِلَيكَ فَأَمسى آمِناً غَيرَ خائِفِ

إِلَيكَ فَأَمسى آمِناً غَيرَ خائِفِ

And you made him safe from what he feared when he sought refuge

And secured them from what they fear when they take refuge

with you, so he became secure and unafraid.

In you, so they become safe, no longer afraid

وَأَنتَ غِياثُ المُمحِلينَ إِذا شَتَوا

وَأَنتَ غِياثُ المُمحِلينَ إِذا شَتَوا

وَنورُ هُدىً يا اِبنَ المُلوكِ الغَطارِفِ

وَنورُ هُدىً يا اِبنَ المُلوكِ الغَطارِفِ

And you are the succor of the drought-stricken when winter comes,

You are relief for the displaced when they wander

and a guiding light, O son of illustrious kings.

And guiding light, O son of munificent kings

ثَنائي عَلى العَبّاسِ أَكرَمِ مَن مَشى

ثَنائي عَلى العَبّاسِ أَكرَمِ مَن مَشى

إِذا رَكِبوا ثُمَّ اِلتَقوا بِالمَواقِفِ

إِذا رَكِبوا ثُمَّ اِلتَقوا بِالمَواقِفِ

My praise is for al-‘Abbas, noblest of those who walk,

My praises of Al-‘Abbas, most generous of those who walk

when they mount and then meet at the gathering places.

When they rode and then met at the stopping places

تَراهُم إِذا لاقاهُمُ يَومَ مَشهَدٍ

تَراهُم إِذا لاقاهُمُ يَومَ مَشهَدٍ

يَغُضّونَ أَطرافَ العُيونِ الطَوارِفِ

يَغُضّونَ أَطرافَ العُيونِ الطَوارِفِ

You see them, when he meets them on a day of assembly,

You see them when they face him on a field day

lowering the gaze of their blinking eyes.

Lowering their eyelids’ edges that glance

وَلَو ناهَزوهُ المَجدَ أَربى عَلَيهِمُ

وَلَو ناهَزوهُ المَجدَ أَربى عَلَيهِمُ

بِخَيرَ سُقاةٍ تَعلَمونَ وَغارِفِ

بِخَيرَ سُقاةٍ تَعلَمونَ وَغارِفِ

And even if they vied with him in glory, he would surpass them,

Had they surpassed him in glory, it would be too little for them

with the finest givers of drink you know, and the finest ladler.

With the best water-bearers you know and overflowing

وَتَعلو بُحورَ العالَمينَ بُحورُهُم

وَتَعلو بُحورَ العالَمينَ بُحورُهُم

بِفِعلٍ عَلى فِعلِ البَرِيَّةِ ضاعِفِ

بِفِعلٍ عَلى فِعلِ البَرِيَّةِ ضاعِفِ

And their seas rise above the seas of all the worlds,

And their seas rise above the seas of all creatures

through deeds twice as great as the deeds of creation.

With a deed atop the deeds of creation twofold

وَما وَلَدَت أُنثى مِنَ الناسِ مِثلَهُ

وَما وَلَدَت أُنثى مِنَ الناسِ مِثلَهُ

وَلا لَفَّهُ أَظآرُهُ في اللَفائِفِ

وَلا لَفَّهُ أَظآرُهُ في اللَفائِفِ

No woman among humankind has borne his equal,

No female born of mankind is like him

nor have wet nurses wrapped his like in swaddling cloths.

Nor has any wrapped him in winding cloths