إِذا عَزَّت صِفاتُكَ أَن تُراما

إِذا عَزَّت صِفاتُكَ أَن تُراما

قَضَينا في الحَديثِ بِها ذِماما

قَضَينا في الحَديثِ بِها ذِماما

If your qualities are too lofty to attain,

If your noble traits disdain to be desired,

We discharge our duty by speaking of them.

We have delimited them in our talk with restraint.

وَما قَصُرَت يَدٌ دونَ الثُّرَيّا

وَما قَصُرَت يَدٌ دونَ الثُّرَيّا

فَخافَت عِندَ عارِفِها مَلاما

فَخافَت عِندَ عارِفِها مَلاما

And no hand that fell short of the Pleiades

No hand falls short of high ambition

Feared reproach from one who knew it.

Unless before the knower it fears blame.

لَكَ النَّسَبُ الَّذي مَن سارَ فيهِ

لَكَ النَّسَبُ الَّذي مَن سارَ فيهِ

فَما يَخشى الضَّلالَ وَلا الظَّلاما

فَما يَخشى الضَّلالَ وَلا الظَّلاما

Yours is the lineage along which whoever travels

Yours is the lineage one who journeys therein

Fears neither straying nor darkness.

Fears no straying, no darkness.

إِذا طَلَعَت بُدور بَني حُمَيدٍ

إِذا طَلَعَت بُدور بَني حُمَيدٍ

فَحَقٌّ لِلكواكِبِ أَن تُضاما

فَحَقٌّ لِلكواكِبِ أَن تُضاما

When the full moons of Banu Humayd rise,

When the full moons of the Bani Humeid appear,

It is fitting that the stars be overshadowed.

The stars have every right to shut tight.

أَما وَقُبورُهُم فَلَقَد أَجَنَّت

أَما وَقُبورُهُم فَلَقَد أَجَنَّت

عِظاما في ضَرائِحِها عِظاما

عِظاما في ضَرائِحِها عِظاما

Indeed, by their graves, they have enclosed

As for their graves - they have brought forth

Bones within their sepulchers—the bones of mighty men.

Bones within their burial places - bones.

لَقَد أَبقَيتَ مَجدَهُمُ وَماتوا

لَقَد أَبقَيتَ مَجدَهُمُ وَماتوا

فَكانوا لا حَياةَ وَلا حِماما

فَكانوا لا حَياةَ وَلا حِماما

You have preserved their glory, though they died,

You have made their glory endure though they died;

So they were neither alive nor dead.

Thus no life, no dovelike moan.

وَرُبَّ مُنازِع لَكَ في المَعالي

وَرُبَّ مُنازِع لَكَ في المَعالي

سَهِرتَ عَلى الطِّلاب لَها وَناما

سَهِرتَ عَلى الطِّلاب لَها وَناما

And many a rival of yours for lofty honors—

While many contend with you for supremacy,

You stayed awake pursuing them, while he slept.

You have stayed sleepless seeking it out as they slept.

يُحَدِّثُ عَن لِقائِكَ بِالأَماني

يُحَدِّثُ عَن لِقائِكَ بِالأَماني

فَقالَ العارِفونَ بِها سَلاما

فَقالَ العارِفونَ بِها سَلاما

He speaks of facing you with wishful hopes,

With wishes he speaks of meeting you,

So those who know those hopes say, "Peace."

While the knowledgeable say "Peace" to him.

وَمُجتازٍ بِأَرضِكَ حَذَّرَتهُ

وَمُجتازٍ بِأَرضِكَ حَذَّرَتهُ

سُيوفُكُ إِن يُريدُ بِها مُقاما

سُيوفُكُ إِن يُريدُ بِها مُقاما

And many a traveler through your land was warned

And to one passing through your land you have cautioned

By your swords, should he wish to settle there.

Your swords, should he desire a stay.

أَدَلَّ بِجَدِّهِ فَكَفاكَ جدٌّ

أَدَلَّ بِجَدِّهِ فَكَفاكَ جدٌّ

يَفُلُّ سُعودُهُ الجَيشَ اللُّهاما

يَفُلُّ سُعودُهُ الجَيشَ اللُّهاما

He presumed upon his luck; yours sufficed,

His ancestor's probity suffices you - a probity

Its lucky stars shattering the vast host.

That makes his good fortune a crushing torrent.

ضَرَبناهُ بِذِكرِكَ وَهوَ لَفظ

ضَرَبناهُ بِذِكرِكَ وَهوَ لَفظ

فَكانَ القَلب وَاليَد وَالحُساما

فَكانَ القَلب وَاليَد وَالحُساما

We struck him with your name, though it was a word;

We have struck him with your mention, and it is a word -

It became the heart, the hand, and the sword.

Thus the heart, the hand, and the sword.

عَجِبتُ لِقَصدِهِ المولى بِعَزم

عَجِبتُ لِقَصدِهِ المولى بِعَزم

يُقَصِّر أَن يَنالَ بِهِ الغُلاما

يُقَصِّر أَن يَنالَ بِهِ الغُلاما

I marveled at his aiming at the master with resolve

I wonder that the Protector with resolve

Too weak to let him reach even a boy.

Seeks to attain through him while a stripling.

حَلَفتُ بِها خِماصاً كَالحَنايا

حَلَفتُ بِها خِماصاً كَالحَنايا

وَإِن كانَت لِسُرعَتِها سِهاما

وَإِن كانَت لِسُرعَتِها سِهاما

I swore by those mounts, lean as bows,

I swear that it, nimble as a serpent,

Though in their swiftness they were arrows.

Though it be arrows in its speed.

تَخبُّ بِمُحرِمينَ تَسَنَّموها

تَخبُّ بِمُحرِمينَ تَسَنَّموها

وَأَمّوا فَوقَها البَلَدَ الحَراما

وَأَمّوا فَوقَها البَلَدَ الحَراما

They trot with consecrated pilgrims who mounted them

It fathoms those who have assumed its climbing,

And upon them made for the Sacred City.

And they harbor above it the holy precinct.

لِيَوم فيهِ دَولَتُك اطمَأَنَّت

لِيَوم فيهِ دَولَتُك اطمَأَنَّت

قَواعِدُها حَقيقٌ أَن يُضاما

قَواعِدُها حَقيقٌ أَن يُضاما

Surely a day when your dominion grew secure

For a day on which your dynasty settled down,

In its foundations deserves to be joined by others.

Its foundations warrant buttressing indeed.

أَبَيتَ اللَّعنَ إِن كَثُرَت شُجوني

أَبَيتَ اللَّعنَ إِن كَثُرَت شُجوني

فَإِنّي قَد وَجَدتُ لَها مَساما

فَإِنّي قَد وَجَدتُ لَها مَساما

May you be above curses! If my sorrows are many,

You refused blasphemy though my agonies multiplied,

I have indeed found an outlet for them.

For I found in them a place for breathing.

فَإِن بَلَغَت إِلَيكَ بيَ اللَّيالي

فَإِن بَلَغَت إِلَيكَ بيَ اللَّيالي

فَقَد زَجَّيتُها عاماً فَعاما

فَقَد زَجَّيتُها عاماً فَعاما

And if the nights have brought me to you,

Should they reach you through the nights I have strung them,

I have passed them, year after year.

Year upon year.

شَكَرتُ جَميلَ ذِكرِكَ وَهوَ عِندي

شَكَرتُ جَميلَ ذِكرِكَ وَهوَ عِندي

تَمامُ الجودِ أَنَّ لَهُ تَماما

تَمامُ الجودِ أَنَّ لَهُ تَماما

I gave thanks for your gracious remembrance; to me it is

I thanked the beauty of your mention which is with me

Generosity's completion, for generosity has a completion.

The perfection of bounty, its perfect form.

وَرَوَّتني سَحابُكَ في بِلادٍ

وَرَوَّتني سَحابُكَ في بِلادٍ

كَثيراً ما شَكَوتُ بِها الأُواما

كَثيراً ما شَكَوتُ بِها الأُواما

And your clouds quenched my thirst in lands

Your clouds sated me in lands wherein

Where I often complained of burning thirst.

Often I complained of burning thirst.

وَأَغناني عَطاؤُكَ عَن أُناس

وَأَغناني عَطاؤُكَ عَن أُناس

حَسِبتُهُمُ وَلا بَلَغوا كِراما

حَسِبتُهُمُ وَلا بَلَغوا كِراما

And your giving freed me from need of people

Your gifts have enriched me beyond people

I thought generous—may they never prosper!

I deemed - but they attained no nobility.

بَعَثتُ إِلى نَوالِهمُ رَجاء

بَعَثتُ إِلى نَوالِهمُ رَجاء

تَعَلَّمَ كَيفَ يَنتَجِعُ الجَهاما

تَعَلَّمَ كَيفَ يَنتَجِعُ الجَهاما

I sent a hope toward their bounty;

To their spending I sent hope

It learned how to seek pasture from rainless clouds.

To learn how the arid wastes fill.

فَإِن أَكدى لَئيمُ الظَّنِّ فيهِم

فَإِن أَكدى لَئيمُ الظَّنِّ فيهِم

فَإِنّي قَد عَرَفتُ بِهِ اللِّئاما

فَإِنّي قَد عَرَفتُ بِهِ اللِّئاما

If my unworthy expectations of them proved fruitless,

If the vile think ill in them,

Yet through it I came to know the base.

I have recognized in it the vile.

وَما لي وَالبَخيلُ وَقَد كَفَتني

وَما لي وَالبَخيلُ وَقَد كَفَتني

مَواهِبُكَ الَّتي كَفَتِ الأَناما

مَواهِبُكَ الَّتي كَفَتِ الأَناما

What have I to do with the miser, when I am provided for by

As for me and the miser - your gifts already

Your gifts, which have provided for all humankind?

Suffice me, those which sufficed men.

إِذا ضَنَّ السَّرابُ عَلى نَداهُ

إِذا ضَنَّ السَّرابُ عَلى نَداهُ

فَقَد نالَت يَدُ الصّادي الغَماما

فَقَد نالَت يَدُ الصّادي الغَماما

If the mirage begrudges its moisture,

If the mirage is stingy with its moisture,

The thirsty man's hand has already reached the clouds.

The hand of the rain-seeker has grasped the raincloud.

وَما غَبَّت مَكارِمكَ القَوافي

وَما غَبَّت مَكارِمكَ القَوافي

وَإِن كانَت زِيارَتُها لِماما

وَإِن كانَت زِيارَتُها لِماما

The rhymes have not neglected your noble deeds,

Not absent are your generous deeds, though

Though their visits have been only occasional.

Their visit be rare.

وَكَيفَ يَضيعُ جودُكَ في كَريم

وَكَيفَ يَضيعُ جودُكَ في كَريم

أَعَدَّ لِشُكرِهِ هَذا الكَلاما

أَعَدَّ لِشُكرِهِ هَذا الكَلاما

How could your bounty be wasted on a noble man

How could your bounty be lost on a generous one

Who prepared these words in gratitude for it?

Who has prepared for thanking you this utterance?

قَصائِدُ إِن تَرَنَّحَ سامِعوها

قَصائِدُ إِن تَرَنَّحَ سامِعوها

فَإِنّي قَد أَبَحتُ بِها المُداما

فَإِنّي قَد أَبَحتُ بِها المُداما

Poems: if their listeners sway,

If the ode should lean when listeners hear it,

Then I have made wine lawful through them.

Then I have poured in it the wine unmixed.

تَزورُ صَبابَةً وَأَحِنُّ شَوقاً

تَزورُ صَبابَةً وَأَحِنُّ شَوقاً

كِلانا يَدَّعي فيكَ الغَراما

كِلانا يَدَّعي فيكَ الغَراما

They visit out of passion, while I yearn with longing;

It visits lightly while I yearn ardently -

Both of us profess passionate love for you.

Each of us claims passionate love of you.

إِذا زُفَّت إِلَيكَ عَلِمتُ أَنّي

إِذا زُفَّت إِلَيكَ عَلِمتُ أَنّي

مَلَكتُ لِكُلِّ جامِحَةٍ زِماما

مَلَكتُ لِكُلِّ جامِحَةٍ زِماما

When they are led to you as brides, I know that I

When brought to you, I know that I

Have gained a rein for every unruly one.

Have tamed every raging lioness.

وَلَولا أَنَّها وَجَدَتكَ كُفؤاً

وَلَولا أَنَّها وَجَدَتكَ كُفؤاً

لَكانَت في الصُّدورِ مِنَ الأَيامي

لَكانَت في الصُّدورِ مِنَ الأَيامي

And had they not found you a worthy match,

Had she not found you a matching peer,

They would have remained in breasts, among the unwedded.

She would be among the epochs ruinous.

وَلَو قَصَدَت سِواكَ لَقُلتُ فيها

وَلَو قَصَدَت سِواكَ لَقُلتُ فيها

أَراني اللَّهُ نقبَكِ في السُّلامى

أَراني اللَّهُ نقبَكِ في السُّلامى

And if they made for someone other than you, I would say of them:

And had she sought other than you I would say

"May God show me sores in your foot-joints!"

Show me her grave amidst the channels!