أَفي طَلَلٍ قَفرٍ تَحَمَّلَ آهِلُهْ

أَفي طَلَلٍ قَفرٍ تَحَمَّلَ آهِلُهْ

وَقَفتَ وَماءُ العَينِ يَنهَلُّ هامِلُهْ

وَقَفتَ وَماءُ العَينِ يَنهَلُّ هامِلُهْ

Is it at a desolate ruin whose inhabitants have departed

In the ruins of a barren desert its people endured

that you stood, while your eyes’ streaming tears poured down?

You stopped with tears flowing down

تُسائِلُ عَن سَلمى سَفاهاً وَقَد نأَت

تُسائِلُ عَن سَلمى سَفاهاً وَقَد نأَت

بِسَلمى نَوىً شَحطٌ فَكَيفَ تُسائِلُهْ

بِسَلمى نَوىً شَحطٌ فَكَيفَ تُسائِلُهْ

You foolishly ask about Salma, though far away

Asking foolishly about Salma though fate took her away

a vast separation has borne Salma—how, then, can you question it?

How can you ask one who cannot speak?

وَتَرجو وَلَم يَنطِق وَلَيسَ بِناطِقٍ

وَتَرجو وَلَم يَنطِق وَلَيسَ بِناطِقٍ

جَواباً مُحيلٌ قَد تَحَمَّل آهِلُهْ

جَواباً مُحيلٌ قَد تَحَمَّل آهِلُهْ

And you hope—though it has not spoken and is no speaker—

You hope though none will answer,

for an answer from a timeworn ruin whose people have departed.

Only the grieving remains

وَنؤيٌ كَخَطِّ النونِ ما إِن تَبينُهُ

وَنؤيٌ كَخَطِّ النونِ ما إِن تَبينُهُ

عَفتَهُ ذُيولٌ مِن شَمالٍ تُذايلُهْ

عَفتَهُ ذُيولٌ مِن شَمالٍ تُذايلُهْ

And a trench, like the outline of the letter nūn, you cannot make out;

A vision like dotted nun, unclear

the trailing skirts of a north wind sweeping over it have effaced it.

Tails from the left trail it

فَقُل للسَريِّ الواصِلِ البرِّ ذي النَدى

فَقُل للسَريِّ الواصِلِ البرِّ ذي النَدى

مَديحاً إِذا ما بُثَّ صُدِّقَ قائِلُهْ

مَديحاً إِذا ما بُثَّ صُدِّقَ قائِلُهْ

So offer the noble man, who maintains ties, is kind and bountiful,

Say to the honorable man of virtue and generosity

praise whose speaker is believed whenever it is spread abroad.

Praise, when uttered, its speaker is believed

جَوادٌ عَلى العِلّاتِ يَهتَزُّ لِلنَدى

جَوادٌ عَلى العِلّاتِ يَهتَزُّ لِلنَدى

كَما اِهتَزَّ عَضبٌ أَخلَصَتهُ صَياقِلُهْ

كَما اِهتَزَّ عَضبٌ أَخلَصَتهُ صَياقِلُهْ

Generous despite every hardship, he quivers with eagerness to give,

A steed steady on the heights, stirred by dew

as a keen sword quivers, burnished by its polishers.

As a polished sword quivers, made keen by its sharpener

نَفى الظُلمَ عَن أَهلِ اليَمامَةِ عدلُهُ

نَفى الظُلمَ عَن أَهلِ اليَمامَةِ عدلُهُ

فَعاشوا وَزاحَ الظُلمُ عَنهُم وَباطِلُهْ

فَعاشوا وَزاحَ الظُلمُ عَنهُم وَباطِلُهْ

His justice banished oppression from the people of al-Yamamah;

His justice removed injustice from people of Yamamah

so they lived, and oppression and its falsehood left them.

They lived and falsehood vanished

وَناموا بأمنٍ بَعدَ خَوفٍ وَشِدَّةٍ

وَناموا بأمنٍ بَعدَ خَوفٍ وَشِدَّةٍ

بسيرَةِ عَدلٍ ما تُخافُ غَوائِلُهْ

بسيرَةِ عَدلٍ ما تُخافُ غَوائِلُهْ

And they slept in safety after fear and hardship,

They slept secure after fear and hardship

under a just rule whose perils none need fear.

With the path of justice, none fear its dangers

وَقَد عَلِمَ المَعروفُ أَنَّكَ خِدنُهُ

وَقَد عَلِمَ المَعروفُ أَنَّكَ خِدنُهُ

وَيَعلَمُ هَذا الجوعُ أَنَّكَ قاتِلُهْ

وَيَعلَمُ هَذا الجوعُ أَنَّكَ قاتِلُهْ

And goodness knows full well that you are its close companion,

Goodness knows you are its pillar

and this hunger knows that you are its slayer.

And hunger knows you are its vanquisher

بِكَ اللَهُ أَحيى أَرض حَجرٍ وَغَيرَها

بِكَ اللَهُ أَحيى أَرض حَجرٍ وَغَيرَها

مِن الأَرضِ حَتّى عاشَ بالبَقلِ آكلُهْ

مِن الأَرضِ حَتّى عاشَ بالبَقلِ آكلُهْ

Through you, God revived the land of Hajr and other parts

Through you Allah gave life to the land of Hajar and beyond

of the earth, until those who ate the herbage lived on it.

Until the greens' eater lived

وَأَنتَ تُرَجّى لِلَّذي أَنتَ أَهلُهُ

وَأَنتَ تُرَجّى لِلَّذي أَنتَ أَهلُهُ

وَتَنفَعُ ذا القُربى لَدَيكَ وَسائِلُهْ

وَتَنفَعُ ذا القُربى لَدَيكَ وَسائِلُهْ

And you are looked to for what befits you,

You are hoped for what you deserve

and a kinsman’s ties avail him with you.

And help your kin, their means is through you