1. هل تملك الدار رجعَ سائلها

    وتقبلُ النفس عذل عاذلها

    Can the dwelling return an answer to its questioner,

    and can the soul accept its reprover's rebuke?

  2. دار لوحشيةُ النصيف إذا

    فؤادي السربُ من عقائلها

    A dwelling for a veiled wild beauty, when

    my heart—the herd among its noble ladies [wording unclear].

  3. غبينةٌ بُدّلت بخردها

    أو الف الرحل من خواذلها

    A losing bargain: it was exchanged for its shy maidens,

    or the saddle grew familiar among its solitary does [reading uncertain].

  4. فأخرست من ضجيج سامرها

    وأوحشت من رغاء جاملها

    So it fell silent, bereft of its night-talkers' clamor,

    and grew desolate, bereft of its camel herd's bellowing,

  5. كأنما حرب أحمدٍ وقدت

    ما بين مأهولها وآهلها

    as though Ahmad's war had blazed

    between its inhabited quarters and their inhabitants.

  6. من ساور الرقشَ في مكامنها

    واستنزل العصم من معاقلها

    He who assailed speckled vipers in their lairs,

    and brought white-footed ibex down from their fastnesses;

  7. من يعرُبَ الأكرمين في نسب

    يشارك الشمسَ في منازلها

    of the noblest of Ya'rub, with a lineage

    that shares the sun's stations;

  8. من أبحر المكرمات حيث طمت

    وسائرُ الناس من جداولها

    from the seas of noble deeds where they overflow,

    while the rest of mankind comes from their rivulets.

  9. حذار من أن ترى فوارسها

    مقنعات على صواهلها

    Beware of seeing its horsemen

    helmeted upon its neighing steeds,

  10. إذ لا رعودَ سوى هماهمها

    ولا بروقَ سوى مناصلها

    for there is no thunder but their rumbling,

    and no lightning but their sword blades.

  11. أهل السيوف اليمانيات إذا

    انتمت تميمٌ إلى صياقلها

    Men of Yemeni swords, when

    Tamim claims descent from their polishers.

  12. فمن جياد أحفوا سنابكها

    حتى تمشت على مراكلها

    How many fine steeds they have worn bare at the hooves,

    until they walked upon their flanks,

  13. ومن قنا أكرهوا أسنتها

    حتى تشكت إلى عواملها

    and how many spears whose points they drove so hard

    that the points complained to their shafts.

  14. فقل لأهل الغيطاء والإبل ال

    جرباء من بركها وشائلها

    Then tell the people of the lowlands and the camels—

    the mangy ones, both kneeling and tail-raising:

  15. فهل لكم فارسٌ كفارسها

    وهل لكم نائل كنائلها

    Have you a horseman like its horseman?

    And have you bounty like its bounty?

  16. إني وإن لم أفز بنسبتها

    ولم أورث على أوائلها

    Indeed, though I have not gained its lineage,

    and have not been made heir to its forebears,

  17. فلا أرى قائلا كقائلها

    مجدا ولا فاعلا كفاعلها

    I see no speaker like its spokesman

    in glory, nor any doer like its man of deeds;

  18. ولا أرى أحمدا كأحمدها

    لمرتقي بأسها ونائلها

    nor do I see an Ahmad like its Ahmad

    for one seeking the heights of its might and bounty:

  19. الضارب الأسد في بآدلها

    والطاعن الخيل في فوائلها

    the one who strikes lions in their neck-and-shoulder flesh,

    and thrusts his spear at horses in their haunches,

  20. والرائد الرادة العصارة إذا

    زالت عرى الهام عن معاقلها

    and guides the scouts, a refuge when

    the bonds of heads come loose from their fastenings.

  21. أرماحه لا تزال عالمة

    أن ليس بأس كبأس حاملها

    His spears never cease to know

    that no might equals their bearer's might;

  22. والخيل لا تعتزى إلى بطل

    سواه في ملتقى قنابلها

    and the horses claim allegiance to no hero

    but him when their squadrons meet.

  23. يقودها والنجيع يفهق ما

    بين شواها إلى كلاكلها

    He leads them while gore fills the space

    from their legs up to their chests,

  24. مسومات إلى قوانسها

    مخضبات إلى كواهلها

    marked up to the crests of their heads,

    dyed red up to their withers.

  25. حتى إذا استعجم الجواب ولم

    تردَّ نفسٌ جوابَ سائلها

    Until, when the answer becomes unintelligible and

    no soul can answer its questioner,

  26. وأعيت القومَ كل مشكلة

    ملتبسٌ حقها بباطلها

    and every difficult problem baffles the people,

    its truth entangled with its falsehood,

  27. تكشفت منه عن سُميدعها

    وضرَّحت منه عن حلاحلها

    it clears, revealing in him its noble master,

    and opens wide, revealing in him its mighty chief.

  28. هذا وإن ضنت السماء على

    الأرض بما ضن من هواطلها

    This man—even if the sky withholds from

    the earth whatever is withheld of its downpours—

  29. فهو الذي لا تزال راحته

    تهمي على المزن من نوافلها

    is he whose palm never ceases

    to pour its lavish gifts upon the rain clouds.

  30. يد قضى الله أنها خلقت

    حتف عداها ويسرَ آملها

    A hand God decreed was created

    as death for its foes and ease for those who hope in it;

  31. ينفجر الموت من صوارمها

    والعسجد النضر من أناملها

    death gushes from its keen swords,

    and lustrous gold from its fingertips.

  32. إن سخطت بالردى لشانئها

    ردت نفوس إلى شمائلها

    If it is wrathful, bringing death to its hater,

    souls are brought back to its gracious ways.

  33. دونكها لا أقول دونكها

    عجباً ولا مفخراً لقائلها

    Take it; I do not say “take it”

    in self-admiration, nor as a boast for its poet.

  34. فخرا بمدحك لا بسالف قح

    طانَ وإن كنت من مقاولها

    Pride in praising you, not in the ancient glory of Qah-

    tan—even though you are among its chieftains.

  35. كلتا يمينيك يا ابن ذي يمنٍ

    تكرما عم من فواضلها

    Both your right hands, O son of Dhu Yaman,

    through generosity that spreads from their abundant favors,

  36. أقرب رحمى إلى البرية من

    أنسابها في ذُرى قبائلها

    are closer kin to mankind than

    its own bloodlines in the heights of its tribes.

  37. تغدو نفوس رأتك واثقة

    قد فرغ الله من وسائلها

    Souls that have seen you go forth confident

    that God has already settled their means of access.