كَيفَ الهِجاءُ وَما تَنفَكُّ صالِحَةٌ

كَيفَ الهِجاءُ وَما تَنفَكُّ صالِحَةٌ

إِذا ذُكِرتَ بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ تَأتيني

إِذا ذُكِرتَ بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ تَأتيني

How can I lampoon you, when a kindness never ceases

How is satire, and never ceasing, ever useful,

to reach me whenever you are mentioned in your absence?

When you are mentioned in absentia, it comes to me,

جادَت لَهُم مُضَرُ العُليا بِمَجدِهِمِ

جادَت لَهُم مُضَرُ العُليا بِمَجدِهِمِ

وَأَحرَزوا مَجدَهُم حيناً إِلى حينِ

وَأَحرَزوا مَجدَهُم حيناً إِلى حينِ

Exalted Mudar endowed them with their glory,

Muḍar gave them glory with their glory,

and they secured their glory from age to age.

And they kept their glory for a time, until a time,

أَحمَت رِماحُ بَني سَعدٍ لِقَومِهِمِ

أَحمَت رِماحُ بَني سَعدٍ لِقَومِهِمِ

مَراعِيَ الحُمرِ وَالظِلمانِ وَالعينِ

مَراعِيَ الحُمرِ وَالظِلمانِ وَالعينِ

The spears of the sons of Saʿd protected for their people

The lances of the tribe of Saʿd protected their people,

the pastures of wild asses, male ostriches, and wide-eyed wild cattle,

Pastures of red, darkness, and eyes,

بِكُلِّ أَجرَدَ كَالسِرحانِ مُطَّرِدٍ

بِكُلِّ أَجرَدَ كَالسِرحانِ مُطَّرِدٍ

وَشَطبَةٍ كَعُقابِ الدَجنِ يُردينِ

وَشَطبَةٍ كَعُقابِ الدَجنِ يُردينِ

with every sleek steed, coursing like a wolf,

With every bare-headed one, like a wild ass, chasing,

and slender mare, like an eagle in dark clouds, galloping onward,

And a young horse like a wild dove swooping down,

مُستَحقِباتٍ رَواياها جَحافِلَها

مُستَحقِباتٍ رَواياها جَحافِلَها

حَتّى رَأَوهُنَّ مِن دونِ الأَظانينِ

حَتّى رَأَوهُنَّ مِن دونِ الأَظانينِ

their hosts bearing their water-skins slung behind them,

Galloping squadrons, their tales, their regiments,

until they saw them on this side of al-Aẓānīn.

Until they saw them beyond imaginations,