أَلِمّا عَلى دارٍ بِمُنقَطِعِ اللِوى

أَلِمّا عَلى دارٍ بِمُنقَطِعِ اللِوى

خَلاءٍ تُعَفّيها رِياحُ الجَنايِبِ

خَلاءٍ تُعَفّيها رِياحُ الجَنايِبِ

Stop, you two, at a dwelling where the winding sands end,

When at a house, deserted and forlorn,

Deserted, its traces effaced by southerly winds.

Swept by the winds of the south, I did mourn,

مَنازِلُ كانَت مِن أُناسٍ عَهِدتُهُم

مَنازِلُ كانَت مِن أُناسٍ عَهِدتُهُم

غَطاريفَ مُردٍ سادَةً وَأَشايِبِ

غَطاريفَ مُردٍ سادَةً وَأَشايِبِ

Dwellings once belonging to people I knew—

A home where once dwelt people that I knew,

Noble beardless youths, chieftains, and gray-haired men.

Chiefs and elders of dignity and fame,

لَعَمرُكَ ما لِلفاخِرينَ عَشيرَةٌ

لَعَمرُكَ ما لِلفاخِرينَ عَشيرَةٌ

تُفاخِرُني وَلا لَهُم مِثلُ غالِبِ

تُفاخِرُني وَلا لَهُم مِثلُ غالِبِ

By your life, the boasters have no clan

By my life, no tribe of boasters could compare,

To rival me in glory, nor anyone like Ghalib.

Nor match the exalted house of Mudar's heir,

بَنى بَيتَهُ حَتّى اِستَقَلَّ مَكانَهُ

بَنى بَيتَهُ حَتّى اِستَقَلَّ مَكانَهُ

فَسامى بِهِ الجَوزاءَ بَينَ الكَواكِبِ

فَسامى بِهِ الجَوزاءَ بَينَ الكَواكِبِ

He built his house until he deemed its place too small,

He built his home until he made it rise,

Then with it rivaled Orion among the stars.

Touching the stars that light the evening skies,

وَبَيتُ الكُلَيبِيِّ القَصيرُ عِمادُهُ

وَبَيتُ الكُلَيبِيِّ القَصيرُ عِمادُهُ

يُمَدُّ عَلَيهِ اللُؤمُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

يُمَدُّ عَلَيهِ اللُؤمُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

And al-Kulaybi's house, with its short pillar,

While the short house of Kulayb still depends,

Is draped in baseness from every side.

On props and buttresses from all its ends,