اِسمَع ثَنائي فَإِنّي لَستُ مُمتَدِحاً

اِسمَع ثَنائي فَإِنّي لَستُ مُمتَدِحاً

إِلّا اِمرَأً مِن يَدَيهِ الخَيرُ يُنتَظَرُ

إِلّا اِمرَأً مِن يَدَيهِ الخَيرُ يُنتَظَرُ

Hear my praise, for I praise no one

Hear my praise, for I do not flatter

Except a man from whose hands good is expected.

Except a man from whom good is expected

وَأَنتَ ذاكَ الَّذي تُرجا نَوافِلُهُ

وَأَنتَ ذاكَ الَّذي تُرجا نَوافِلُهُ

عِندَ الشِتاءِ إِذا ما دوخِلَ الحَجَرُ

عِندَ الشِتاءِ إِذا ما دوخِلَ الحَجَرُ

And you are the one whose gifts are hoped for

And you are the one whose supererogations are hoped for

In winter, when stones are fitted together.

In winter, when the homes are entered

وَكَم نَماكَ مِنَ الآباءِ مِن مَلِكٍ

وَكَم نَماكَ مِنَ الآباءِ مِن مَلِكٍ

بِهِ لِذُبيانَ كانَ الوِردُ وَالصَدَرُ

بِهِ لِذُبيانَ كانَ الوِردُ وَالصَدَرُ

How many a king among your forefathers begot you,

And how many kings of fathers raised you

Through whom Dhubyan came to water and departed.

With it, the roses and chests were for the young men

يا اِبنَي سُكَينٍ إِذا مَدَّت حِبالُهُما

يا اِبنَي سُكَينٍ إِذا مَدَّت حِبالُهُما

حَبلَينِ ما فيهِما ضَعفٌ وَلا قِصَرُ

حَبلَينِ ما فيهِما ضَعفٌ وَلا قِصَرُ

O two sons of Sukayn, when their ropes are stretched—

O son of Sukayn, when their two ropes are extended

Two ropes with neither weakness nor shortness,

Two ropes in which there is no weakness or shortness

حَبلَينِ طالا حِبالَ الناسِ قَد بَلَغا

حَبلَينِ طالا حِبالَ الناسِ قَد بَلَغا

حَيثُ اِنتَهى مِن سَماءِ الناظِرِ النَظَرُ

حَيثُ اِنتَهى مِن سَماءِ الناظِرِ النَظَرُ

Two ropes surpassing men's ropes, which have reached

Two long ropes beyond the ropes of people, they have reached

Where the beholder's gaze ends in the sky.

Where the sight of the beholder ended

يا اِبنَي كَريمَي بَني ذُبيانَ إِنَّ يَداً

يا اِبنَي كَريمَي بَني ذُبيانَ إِنَّ يَداً

عَلَيَّ خَيرُ يَدٍ لِلدَهرِ تُدَّخَرُ

عَلَيَّ خَيرُ يَدٍ لِلدَهرِ تُدَّخَرُ

O sons of the two nobles of Banu Dhubyan, indeed a hand

O two generous sons, sons of Dhubyan, indeed a hand

Extended to me is the best hand stored against hard times.

Upon me, the best hand for fate preserved

أَنتَ رَجائي بِأَرضي إِنَّني فَرِقٌ

أَنتَ رَجائي بِأَرضي إِنَّني فَرِقٌ

مِن واسِطٍ وَالَّذي نَلقاهُ نَنتَظِرُ

مِن واسِطٍ وَالَّذي نَلقاهُ نَنتَظِرُ

You are my hope in my land; I am afraid

You are my hope for my land, I am anxious

Of Wasit, and we await what we shall face.

From Wasit, and that which we encountered, we await

وَما فَرِقتُ وَقَد كانَت مَحاضِرُنا

وَما فَرِقتُ وَقَد كانَت مَحاضِرُنا

مِنها قَريباً حِذاري وِردَها هَجَرُ

مِنها قَريباً حِذاري وِردَها هَجَرُ

Nor did I fear—though our encampments were

And I did not separate while our dwellings

Near it—Hajar as I dread entering Wasit.

Were near, beware its return estranged

اِسأَل زِياداً أَلَم تَرجِع رَواحِلُنا

اِسأَل زِياداً أَلَم تَرجِع رَواحِلُنا

وَنَخلُ أَفأَنَّ مِنّي بُعدُهُ نَظَرُ

وَنَخلُ أَفأَنَّ مِنّي بُعدُهُ نَظَرُ

Ask Ziyad: did our riding camels not return,

Ask Ziyad, did not our she-camels return

With Afʾan's palms a glance away from me?

And the palm trees of Afann, did their distance from me end