لِمَن دِمنَةٌ مِثلُ خَطِّ الزَبورِ

لِمَن دِمنَةٌ مِثلُ خَطِّ الزَبورِ

عَفَتها الدَبورُ وَرِيحُ الصَبا

عَفَتها الدَبورُ وَرِيحُ الصَبا

Whose are these campsite traces, like the script of the Psalms,

For whom is there a constitution like the line of bees,

effaced by the west wind and the east wind,

Whose chastity the decrepit and the zephyr wasted away,

وَكُلُّ مُلِثٍّ مِنَ المُعصِراتِ

وَكُلُّ مُلِثٍّ مِنَ المُعصِراتِ

لَهُ هَيدَبٌ مِثلُ هُدبِ الرِدا

لَهُ هَيدَبٌ مِثلُ هُدبِ الرِدا

and every unrelenting rain-laden cloud,

And every sweet-smelling fruit juice,

with a fringe of rain like the fringe of a cloak?

Has a cadaver like the cadaver of the burial shrouds?

تَرى البرقَ يَضحَكُ في جَوِّهِ

تَرى البرقَ يَضحَكُ في جَوِّهِ

وَحَتّى تَراهُ كَثيرَ البُكا

وَحَتّى تَراهُ كَثيرَ البُكا

You see lightning laughing in its sky,

You see the lightning laugh in its atmosphere,

and at last you see it weeping profusely.

And until you see it crying abundantly,

يَحُطُّ مِنَ النِيقِ ما في الوُكُورِ

يَحُطُّ مِنَ النِيقِ ما في الوُكُورِ

وَيُخفي مِنَ الأَرضِ ما في الكُوى

وَيُخفي مِنَ الأَرضِ ما في الكُوى

It brings down from the mountain peak whatever is in the nests,

It descends from the camels what is in the sheep-folds,

and conceals whatever lies in the hollows of the earth.

And conceals from the land what is in the dens,

وَتُضحي المَكاكيُّ مِن وَبلِهِ

وَتُضحي المَكاكيُّ مِن وَبلِهِ

كَوامِنَ في جَنَباتِ الصُوى

كَوامِنَ في جَنَباتِ الصُوى

And from its downpour the larks become

So the planets became brilliant because of its dampness,

hidden along the sides of the cairns.

Like the hiding places in the folds of the valleys,

خَلَت مِن مَها الإِنس تِلكَ الرُسومُ

خَلَت مِن مَها الإِنس تِلكَ الرُسومُ

وَأَضحَت مُعَوَّضَةً بالمَها

وَأَضحَت مُعَوَّضَةً بالمَها

Those traces are empty of the oryxes of humankind,

The landmarks were devoid of their beauty, oh people,

and have received wild oryxes in their stead.

And they became compensated with magnificence,

وَعَهدي بِها وَهِيَ مَأوى الحِسانِ

وَعَهدي بِها وَهِيَ مَأوى الحِسانِ

فَقَد أَصبَحَت وَهيَ مَأوى الجَوا

فَقَد أَصبَحَت وَهيَ مَأوى الجَوا

And I remember it as the abode of beautiful women;

My covenant with it while it was the asylum of well-being,

yet now it has become the abode of heartache.

So it became while it was the asylum of the hollows,

سَأَلنا رُباها عَنِ الظاعِنينَ

سَأَلنا رُباها عَنِ الظاعِنينَ

فَكانَ الجَوابُ جَوابَ الصَدا

فَكانَ الجَوابُ جَوابَ الصَدا

We asked its hills about those who had departed,

We asked its Lord about the wailers,

and the answer was the echo's answer.

So the answer was the answer of the reverberations,

وَمَرتٍ خَبَطناهُ بِالناجِياتِ

وَمَرتٍ خَبَطناهُ بِالناجِياتِ

وَقَد كَمَن الصُبحُ تَحتَ الدُجى

وَقَد كَمَن الصُبحُ تَحتَ الدُجى

And we crossed a barren waste on swift she-camels,

And once we were groping in the bright nights,

while dawn lay hidden beneath the darkness.

While the dawn was hiding underneath the darkness,

سَقَيتُ بِهِ الرَكبَ كَأسَ النُعاسِ

سَقَيتُ بِهِ الرَكبَ كَأسَ النُعاسِ

وَغَنّاهُمُ الذِئبُ لَما عَوى

وَغَنّاهُمُ الذِئبُ لَما عَوى

There I gave the caravan a cup of drowsiness to drink,

I gave the caravan a cup of drowsiness to drink,

and the wolf sang to them when it howled.

And the wolf sang to them when it howled,

أَقولُ لَهُم وَرُؤُوسُ المَطيِّ

أَقولُ لَهُم وَرُؤُوسُ المَطيِّ

كَأَنَّ عَلَيها بُصاقَ الدَبى

كَأَنَّ عَلَيها بُصاقَ الدَبى

I say to them, while the heads of the riding camels

I say to them and the heads of the camels

seem covered with the spittle of young locusts,

Were as if the spittle of insects were on them,

وَنَحنُ وَهُنَّ كَحُدبِ القِسِيِّ

وَنَحنُ وَهُنَّ كَحُدبِ القِسِيِّ

مِن طُولِ ما جَنَفَتنا السُرى

مِن طُولِ ما جَنَفَتنا السُرى

and we and they are like the curves of bows,

While we and they were like the hump of tattered garment

from the long night journeys that have bent us sideways:

From the length of tribulation which maimed us,

أَريحُوا قَليلاً فَدُون المُعِزّ

أَريحُوا قَليلاً فَدُون المُعِزّ

تَنائِفُ يُرهَبُ فيها التَوى

تَنائِفُ يُرهَبُ فيها التَوى

"Rest a little, for before al-Mu'izz

Rest a little, for beneath the shelters,

lie trackless wastes where death is feared."

There are successive rests, in which languor is awed,

فلَمّا نَزَلنا بِبَعضِ الهُجولِ

فلَمّا نَزَلنا بِبَعضِ الهُجولِ

شَكَونا إلى البرِّ طُولَ القَوى

شَكَونا إلى البرِّ طُولَ القَوى

Then, when we camped in one of the hollows,

So when we descended to one of the barren lands,

we complained to the wilderness of our long hunger.

We complained to the wilderness about the length of the journey,

وَقُمنا نَدِبُّ دَبيبَ الصِلالِ

وَقُمنا نَدِبُّ دَبيبَ الصِلالِ

بَينَ القُلال وَبَين الجُوى

بَينَ القُلال وَبَين الجُوى

We rose and crept like serpents,

And we stood lamenting the creep of twilight,

between the hilltops and the hollows.

Between the hills and between the valleys,

فلاحَت لَنا عِندَ وَجه الصَباحِ

فلاحَت لَنا عِندَ وَجه الصَباحِ

حِقباءُ مِن تَحت عَبلِ الشَوى

حِقباءُ مِن تَحت عَبلِ الشَوى

At daybreak there appeared to us

And there appeared to us at the face of the morning,

a white-bellied wild she-ass beneath a stout-limbed beast,

Encampments from below the thickets of heat,

مُكِبٌّ عَلَيها بِمَلمُومَةٍ

مُكِبٌّ عَلَيها بِمَلمُومَةٍ

لَها شُعلَتان كجَمر الغَضا

لَها شُعلَتان كجَمر الغَضا

stooping over her with a compact, rounded head,

Inclining on it with blameworthy,

bearing two flames like embers of ghada wood,

Having two flames like embers of coal,

وَفيها نَواجِمُ بيضُ المُتونِ

وَفيها نَواجِمُ بيضُ المُتونِ

مُذَرّبة مِثلُ رُوسِ المُدى

مُذَرّبة مِثلُ رُوسِ المُدى

and in it jut fangs, white on their backs,

In it pure-white bellies of vessels,

sharpened like the tips of knives.

Flowing like heads of outstretched necks,

لَهُ لِبَدٌ كَجَناحِ الظَليم

لَهُ لِبَدٌ كَجَناحِ الظَليم

بِيضُ الأَسافِلِ حُمرُ الذُرى

بِيضُ الأَسافِلِ حُمرُ الذُرى

He has mane-tufts like the wing of a male ostrich,

It has a garment like the wing of a dark bird,

white at their bases and red at their crests.

White at the lower parts, red at the higher parts,

فَلَمّا رَآنا رَأَى مِثلَهُ

فَلَمّا رَآنا رَأَى مِثلَهُ

خِماصَ البُطونِ لِفَرط الطَوى

خِماصَ البُطونِ لِفَرط الطَوى

When he saw us, he saw his own like:

So when it saw us, it saw the likes of it,

hollow-bellied from excessive hunger.

Weak bellies because of the abundance of journeying,

فَزَمجَر حَتّى رَأَيتَ الوِهادَ

فَزَمجَر حَتّى رَأَيتَ الوِهادَ

يُزَلزِلُها صَوتُه وَالرُبى

يُزَلزِلُها صَوتُه وَالرُبى

He growled until you saw the lowlands

So it roared until you saw the valleys

and the hills shaken by his voice.

Quaking with its voice and the ruins,

وَأَقبَلَ يَمشي إِلى فِتيةٍ

وَأَقبَلَ يَمشي إِلى فِتيةٍ

يُريعُون مِنهُ وَمِنها العِدى

يُريعُون مِنهُ وَمِنها العِدى

He came walking toward young men

And it walked toward youths,

who terrified foes of his kind and hers.

Who were frightened of it and of the return,

فَشَدّوا عَلى كَهمَسٍ شَدَّةً

فَشَدّوا عَلى كَهمَسٍ شَدَّةً

فَبَعضٌ وَجاهُ وَبَعضٌ رَمى

فَبَعضٌ وَجاهُ وَبَعضٌ رَمى

They charged the lion fiercely;

So they moved toward an old she-camel decisively,

some stabbed him, and some shot.

Whereupon one confronted it while the other shot arrows,

واُبنا بِزادَين نَحوَ الرِكابِ

واُبنا بِزادَين نَحوَ الرِكابِ

عَيرِ الفَلاةِ وَلَيثِ الشَرى

عَيرِ الفَلاةِ وَلَيثِ الشَرى

We returned toward the mounts with two provisions:

We hurried with the supplies toward the caravan -

the desert's wild ass and the lion of al-Shara.

Beast of the desert and lion of evildoing -

وَظَلنا نُلَهوِجُ ذاكَ القَنيصَ

وَظَلنا نُلَهوِجُ ذاكَ القَنيصَ

وَنَأكُلُ مِن عَجَلٍ ما اِنشَوى

وَنَأكُلُ مِن عَجَلٍ ما اِنشَوى

We kept hastily roasting that quarry,

And we remained biting that shirt of mail

and in our haste ate whatever was roasted.

And eating from a slaughtered calf what was roasted,

فَلَمّا اِكتَفَينا قرَينا الوُحُوشَ

فَلَمّا اِكتَفَينا قرَينا الوُحُوشَ

مِن مِثلِها فَضَلاتِ الشَوى

مِن مِثلِها فَضَلاتِ الشَوى

When we had eaten our fill, we hosted the wild beasts

So when we were satiated, we fed the beasts

on leftover roast meat from their own kind.

Remnants similar to the remnants of roasting,

وَرُحنا نَخوضُ بِها في السَرابِ

وَرُحنا نَخوضُ بِها في السَرابِ

طِوالَ الرِقابِ طِوالَ الخُطا

طِوالَ الرِقابِ طِوالَ الخُطا

We set out, wading with them through the mirage,

And we set out wading with it in the mirage,

long of neck and long of stride,

Long of necks, long of slaughters,

إِلى مَلِكٍ جازَ قَدرَ المُلوكِ

إِلى مَلِكٍ جازَ قَدرَ المُلوكِ

فَكانَ الثُريا وَكانوا الثَرى

فَكانَ الثُريا وَكانوا الثَرى

toward a king who surpassed the rank of kings:

To a king who surpassed the position of kings,

he was the Pleiades, and they were dust.

So he was wealth and they were earth,

بَنى وَبَنوا دَرَجَ المَكرُماتِ

بَنى وَبَنوا دَرَجَ المَكرُماتِ

فَطالَ عَلى ما بَنَوا ما بَنى

فَطالَ عَلى ما بَنَوا ما بَنى

He built, and they built, the steps of noble deeds,

He built and they built the steps of favors,

but what he built towered above what they built.

So what he built lasted longer than what they built,

فَلمّا وَصَلنا أَبا صالِحٍ

فَلمّا وَصَلنا أَبا صالِحٍ

وَصَلنا أَجَلّ مُلُوكِ الوَرى

وَصَلنا أَجَلّ مُلُوكِ الوَرى

When we reached Abu Salih,

So when we arrived at Abu Salih,

we reached the most exalted of the kings of humankind.

We arrived at the greatest of earth’s kings,

فَتىً سَبَقَ الناسَ بِالمَكرُماتِ

فَتىً سَبَقَ الناسَ بِالمَكرُماتِ

إِلى أَمَدٍ لَم يَحُزهُ مَدى

إِلى أَمَدٍ لَم يَحُزهُ مَدى

A young man who outstripped people in noble deeds,

A young man who surpassed people in favors,

to a goal no reach has ever attained.

To an extent no range has included,

كَريمُ النَجابَةِ عَفُّ الإِزارِ

كَريمُ النَجابَةِ عَفُّ الإِزارِ

بَصيرٌ بِغَيرِ طَريقِ الخَنا

بَصيرٌ بِغَيرِ طَريقِ الخَنا

Noble in lineage, chaste beneath his waistcloth,

Noble in chastity, chaste in loincloth,

discerning in ways other than the way of vice.

Insightful without the path of error,

يَليقُ بِهِ المَجدُ وَالمَكرُماتُ

يَليقُ بِهِ المَجدُ وَالمَكرُماتُ

وَتَصدُق ألقابُهُ وَالكَنى

وَتَصدُق ألقابُهُ وَالكَنى

Glory and noble deeds befit him,

Glory and favors befit him,

and his titles and honorific names ring true.

And his nicknames and titles prove truthful,

فَما يَفعَلُ الناسُ مِن صالِحٍ

فَما يَفعَلُ الناسُ مِن صالِحٍ

فَإِنَّ المُعِزَّ بِذاكَ اِبتَدا

فَإِنَّ المُعِزَّ بِذاكَ اِبتَدا

Whatever good people do,

So whatever good people do,

al-Mu'izz was the first to do it.

Al-Muizz was first in initiating that,

يَوَدّ وَحاشاه لَو قُدِّمَت

يَوَدّ وَحاشاه لَو قُدِّمَت

إِلى الضَيفِ مُهجَتُه في القِرى

إِلى الضَيفِ مُهجَتُه في القِرى

He wishes—far be it from him—that there be served

He wishes - far be it from him - that

to the guest, as hospitality, his own lifeblood.

His guest’s present be brought forward in homes,

وَكَم عُدِمَ الخِصبُ في بَلدَةٍ

وَكَم عُدِمَ الخِصبُ في بَلدَةٍ

فَقامَ نَداهُ مَقامَ الحَيا

فَقامَ نَداهُ مَقامَ الحَيا

How often abundance was lacking in a town,

And how often fertility was absent in a country,

and his bounty took the place of rain.

So he took its place in the manner of life,

شَرى الزادَ بِالماِلِ مِن جالبِيهِ

شَرى الزادَ بِالماِلِ مِن جالبِيهِ

وَباتُوا فَأَطعَمَهُم ما شَرى

وَباتُوا فَأَطعَمَهُم ما شَرى

He bought provisions with money from their suppliers,

He bought supplies with money from its importers,

and they stayed the night, so he fed them what he had bought.

And they spent the night so he fed them what he bought.

فَسَل عَنهُ كَم فَرَّقَت كَفُّهُ

فَسَل عَنهُ كَم فَرَّقَت كَفُّهُ

مِنَ المالِ في جَمعِ هَذا البِنا

مِنَ المالِ في جَمعِ هَذا البِنا

Ask about him: how much his hand has distributed

So ask how much his palm dispersed

of wealth in putting this edifice together.

Of money in the collection of this structure,

إِذا شِئتَ تُحصي جَميلَ المُعِزِّ

إِذا شِئتَ تُحصي جَميلَ المُعِزِّ

فَعُدَّ النُجومَ وَعُدَّ الحَصا

فَعُدَّ النُجومَ وَعُدَّ الحَصا

If you wish to count al-Mu'izz's kindnesses,

If you want to count Al-Muizz’s good deeds,

count the stars and count the pebbles.

Then count the stars and count the pebbles,

فَإِن تُحصِها تَلقَ مَعروقَهُ

فَإِن تُحصِها تَلقَ مَعروقَهُ

يَزيدُ المِثالُ عَلى ذِي وَذا

يَزيدُ المِثالُ عَلى ذِي وَذا

If you count them, you will find his bounty [uncertain reading]

And if you count them you will meet his authenticated

exceeding, in comparison, both this and that.

Increase over that with examples,

بَداني بِنُعماهُ قَبلَ المُلوك

بَداني بِنُعماهُ قَبلَ المُلوك

وَما الفَضلُ إِلّا لِمَن قَد بَدا

وَما الفَضلُ إِلّا لِمَن قَد بَدا

He first bestowed his favors on me, before the kings,

He graced me with his bounties before kings,

and merit belongs only to the one who began.

And favor is only for he who has initiated,

زَكاني مَعروفُهُ وَالجَميلُ

زَكاني مَعروفُهُ وَالجَميلُ

إِذا كانَ عِندَ زَكِيٍّ زَكا

إِذا كانَ عِندَ زَكِيٍّ زَكا

His beneficence made me flourish; and kindness,

His good graced me and the fine thing is that

when placed with a worthy person, flourishes.

When it is with a gracious one, it is graced,

أَبا صالِحٍ إِن أَغِب عَن عُلاكَ

أَبا صالِحٍ إِن أَغِب عَن عُلاكَ

فَقَلبُكَ لي شاهِدٌ بِالوَلا

فَقَلبُكَ لي شاهِدٌ بِالوَلا

Abu Salih, if I am absent from your lofty presence,

Oh Abu Salih, if I am absent from your exaltation,

your heart bears witness to my loyalty.

Then your heart is witness to my devotion,

وَإِنَّ حَياتي إِذا لا أَراكَ

وَإِنَّ حَياتي إِذا لا أَراكَ

حَياةٌ وَمَوتي أَراها سِوا

حَياةٌ وَمَوتي أَراها سِوا

And my life, when I do not see you,

And that my life when I do not see you

is a life I deem equal to my death.

Is life, and my death - I see it as equal,

جَميلُكَ وَسَّعَ لي في المَعاشِ

جَميلُكَ وَسَّعَ لي في المَعاشِ

وَرَغَّبَني في ابتِناءِ القُرى

وَرَغَّبَني في ابتِناءِ القُرى

Your kindness has broadened my livelihood

Your beauty expanded for me the means of life,

and made me desire to build villages.

And made me hope for the building of homes,

وَأَنتَ بِفَضلِكَ صَيَّرتَني

وَأَنتَ بِفَضلِكَ صَيَّرتَني

أَغيبُ فَأجمَعُ مِنها اللُهى

أَغيبُ فَأجمَعُ مِنها اللُهى

And you, through your bounty, have made me one

And you, with your grace, made me

who goes away and gathers wealth from them.

Go away so I gather from it enjoyments,

وَأَيَّةُ أَرضٍ تَيَمَّمتُها

وَأَيَّةُ أَرضٍ تَيَمَّمتُها

تَيَمَّمَني مِنكَ فِيها الغِنى

تَيَمَّمَني مِنكَ فِيها الغِنى

Whatever land I seek,

And which land have I set my course for

wealth from you seeks me there.

Except that your riches have sufficed me in it?

فَلي مِن نَداكَ رَبيعٌ هُناكَ

فَلي مِن نَداكَ رَبيعٌ هُناكَ

وَلي مِن نَداكَ رَبيعٌ هُنا

وَلي مِن نَداكَ رَبيعٌ هُنا

From your bounty I have a springtime there,

So I have from your help a springtime there,

and from your bounty I have a springtime here.

And I have from your help a springtime here,

جُزيتَ عَنِ المَدحِ وَالمادِحينَ

جُزيتَ عَنِ المَدحِ وَالمادِحينَ

وَعَن أَهلِ دُنياكَ خَيرَ الجَزا

وَعَن أَهلِ دُنياكَ خَيرَ الجَزا

May you be rewarded on behalf of praise and its poets,

You were rewarded for praise and those who praise

and on behalf of your world's people, with the finest reward.

And the people of your world - the best reward,

فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ حَرَستَ الثُغورَ

فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ حَرَستَ الثُغورَ

وَذُدتَ بِسَيفِكَ عَنها العِدى

وَذُدتَ بِسَيفِكَ عَنها العِدى

For you yourself have guarded the frontiers,

For you defended the frontiers

and driven their enemies away with your sword.

And warded off enmity from them with your sword,

وَإِنَّكَ عَلّمتَ أَهلَ السَماحِ

وَإِنَّكَ عَلّمتَ أَهلَ السَماحِ

كَيفَ السَماحُ وَكَيفَ السَخا

كَيفَ السَماحُ وَكَيفَ السَخا

And you have taught the generous

And you taught the people of generosity

how to give freely and how to be munificent.

How is generosity and how is giving,

تَهَنَّ بِعيدِكَ وَلَيتَهَنَّ

تَهَنَّ بِعيدِكَ وَلَيتَهَنَّ

لِهَذى البَرِيّة هَذا الهَنا

لِهَذى البَرِيّة هَذا الهَنا

Rejoice in your festival, and may it be joyous

May your Eid be congratulated and congratulated

for these people—this happiness.

To the people of this wilderness - this congratulation,

وَعِش ما اِشتَهَيتَ حَليفَ السُرورِ

وَعِش ما اِشتَهَيتَ حَليفَ السُرورِ

حَليفَ السُعودِ حَليفَ البَقا

حَليفَ السُعودِ حَليفَ البَقا

And live as long as you wish, an ally of joy,

And live as long as you wish - friend of happiness,

an ally of good fortune, an ally of lasting life.

Friend of good fortune, friend of remaining,