1. أَجَل إِنهُ رَبعُ الحَبيبِ فَسَلِّم

    وَقِف نَتَبَيَّن ظاعِناً مِن مُخَيِّمِ

    Yes, this is the beloved's dwelling, so greet it.

    And stop; let us distinguish the departing from those still encamped.

  2. مَعاهِدُ حَلَّ الحُسنُ فيها نِطاقَهُ

    وَقُرَّةُ عَينِ الناعِمِ المُتَغَنِّمِ

    Abodes where beauty loosened its girdle,

    And the delight of one living in ease and good fortune.

  3. عَهِدت بِها بيضاً أَوانِسَ كَالدُمى

    غَرائِرَ مَلهىً لِلمُحِبِّ المُتَيَّمِ

    I knew there fair, companionable maidens like statues,

    Innocent girls, a delight to the love-enthralled lover,

  4. عَوابِثَ بِالأَلبابِ مِن غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

    نَوافِرَ بِالأَبدانِ عَن كُلِّ مَأثَمِ

    Playing with minds without impropriety,

    Yet bodily shunning every sin.

  5. وَقَفنا جُنوحاً بِالرُبوعِ فَواجِمٌ

    وَآخَرُ قَد أَدمى الأَصابِعَ بِالفَمِ

    We halted, leaning toward the dwellings: one stood speechless,

    While another had bloodied his fingers with his mouth.

  6. فَقُلتُ لِصَحبي رَفِّعوا العيسَ وَالطِموا

    بِأَخفافِها ظَهرَ الصَعيدِ المُرَكَّمِ

    I told my companions: Quicken the pale camels, and strike

    With their padded feet the surface of the heaped-up earth.

  7. بَحائِبُ لَولا أَن عَرَفنا فُحولَها

    لَقُلنا لِهَيقٍ خاضِبِ الساقِ أَصلَمِ

    Noble she-camels—had we not known their sires,

    We would have called them offspring of a red-shanked, earless ostrich.

  8. طَوَينا بِها حَزنَ الفَلا وَسُهولَهُ

    وَقَد خَضَّبَتهُ مِن ظِلافٍ وَمَنسِمِ

    On them we traversed the desert's rugged ground and plains,

    Their hooves and toe-pads having stained it.

  9. إِذا ما أَدَرنا كَأسَ ذِكرِكَ بَينَنا

    يَكَدنَ يَطِرنَ بَينَ نَسرٍ وَمِرزَمِ

    Whenever we passed the cup of your remembrance among us,

    They almost flew between Nasr and Mirzam.

  10. يُرِدنَ المَكانَ الخِصبَ وَالمُلِكَ الذي

    إِلَيهِ بَنو الآمالِ بِالقَصدِ تَرتَمي

    They seek the fertile land and the king

    Toward whom hope's children purposefully cast themselves.

  11. إِمامَ بَني الدُنيا الذي شَهِدَت لَهُ

    عَلى رَغمِها أَملاكُها بِالتَقَدُّمِ

    The imam of this world's people, acknowledged

    As foremost by its kings, despite themselves.

  12. هُوَ المَلِكُ الحامي حِمى الدينِ بِالتُقى

    وَسُمرِ العَوالي رُكِّبَت كُلَّ لَهذمِ

    He is the king who guards the sanctuary of faith with piety,

    And dark-shafted lances fitted with keen spearheads.

  13. لَهُ هَزَّةٌ في الجودِ تُغني عُفاتَهُ

    وَأُخرى بِها حَتفُ الكَمِيِّ المُعَلَّمِ

    He has an impulse of bounty that enriches his petitioners,

    And another that brings death to the armored warrior bearing his insignia.

  14. لَهُ سَلَفٌ يَعلو المَنابِرَ ذِكرُهُم

    وَيَنحَطُّ عَنهُ قَدرُ كُلِّ مُعَظَّمِ

    He has forebears whose remembrance rises upon pulpits,

    And every exalted man's standing falls beneath it.

  15. هُمُ أَوضَحوا لِلنّاسِ نَهجَ نَبِيِّهِم

    بِمُحكَمِ آياتٍ وَشَفرَةِ مِخذَمِ

    They clarified for the people their Prophet's path

    With decisive verses and the edge of a cleaving sword.

  16. لُيوثٌ إِذا لاقَوا بُدورٌ إِذا اِنتَدَوا

    غُيوثٌ إِذا أَعطوا جِبالٌ لِمُحتَمِ

    Lions when they meet in battle, full moons when they gather in council,

    Rain clouds when they give, mountains for whoever seeks refuge.

  17. وَإِن وَعَدوا أَوفَوا وَإِن قَدَروا عَفَوا

    وَإِن حَكَّموهُم أَقسَطوا في المُحَكَّمِ

    When they promise, they fulfill; when they have power, they pardon.

    When appointed judges, they judge the entrusted matter justly.

  18. يَصونونَ بِالأَموالِ أَعراضَ مَجدِهِم

    إِذا ضَنَّ بِالأَموالِ كُلُّ مُذَمَّمِ

    With wealth they safeguard the honor of their glory,

    When every blameworthy man begrudges his wealth.

  19. وَهُم يُرخِصونَ الروحَ في حَومَةِ الوَغى

    إِذا كَعَّ عَنها كُلُّ لَيثٍ غَشَمشَمِ

    They hold life cheap in the thick of battle,

    When every fierce, headlong lion shrinks from it.

  20. أولئِكَ أَوتادُ البِلادِ وَنورُها

    صَنائِعُهُم فيها مَواقِعُ أَنجُم

    Those were the land's anchoring stakes and its light;

    Their benefactions there were the stations of stars.

  21. مَضَوا وَهُمُ لِلنّاسِ في الدينِ قادَةٌ

    مَفاتيحُ لِلخَيراتِ في كُلِّ مَوسمِ

    They passed away, leaders for the people in faith,

    Keys to good things in every season.

  22. فَلَمّا غَشانا بَعدَهُم لَيلُ فِتنَةٍ

    بِهِ عَمَّ نَهبُ المالِ وَالسَفكُ لِلدَّمِ

    Then, when a night of strife covered us after them,

    In which plunder of wealth and bloodshed spread everywhere,

  23. أَغاثَ إلهُ العالَمينَ عِبادَهُ

    بِمَن شادَ رُكنَ الدينِ بَعدَ التَثَلُّمِ

    The God of all worlds rescued His servants

    Through one who rebuilt the pillar of faith after its breach:

  24. إِمامُ الهُدى عَبدُ العَزيزِ بنُ فَيصَلٍ

    سِمامُ العِدى بَحرُ النَدى وَالتَكَرُّمِ

    The imam of guidance, Abd al-Aziz ibn Faisal,

    Poison to his foes, an ocean of bounty and generosity.

  25. هُمامٌ أَقادَتهُ القَنا وَسُيوفُهُ

    وَهِمّاتُهُ أَن يَمتَطي كُلَّ مَعظَمِ

    A hero led onward by lances and his swords,

    And by his ambitions, to mount every mighty undertaking.

  26. هُوَ القائِدُ الجُردَ العَناجيجَ شَزَّباً

    وَكُلَّ فَتىً يَحمي الحَقيقَةَ ضَيغَمِ

    He leads the sleek-coated, noble steeds, lean from exertion,

    And every lionlike youth defending what must be protected.

  27. جَحافِلُ يَغشى الطَيرَ في الجَوِّ نَقعُها

    وَيُزعِجنَ وَحشَ الأَرضِ مِن كُلِّ مَجثَمِ

    Vast armies whose dust envelops the birds in the sky,

    And drives the earth's wild beasts from every lair.

  28. فَأَمَّنَها بِاللَهِ مِن أَرضِ جِلَّقٍ

    إِلى عَدَنٍ مُستَسلِماً كُلُّ مُجرِمِ

    Through God he made it safe, from the land of Jilliq

    To Aden, every criminal submitting.

  29. فَلا مُتهِمٌ يَخشى ظُلامَةَ مُنجِدٍ

    وَلا مُنجِدٌ يَخشى ظُلامَةَ مُتهِمِ

    No inhabitant of Tihamah fears injustice from one of Najd,

    Nor does one of Najd fear injustice from one of Tihamah.

  30. فَما أَعظَمَ النُغمى عَلَينا بِمُلكِهِ

    وَلكِنَّ بَعضَ الناسِ عَن رُشدِهِ عَمي

    How great the blessing upon us through his reign!

    Yet some people are blind to his right guidance.

  31. لَكَ الفَضلُ لَو تُرغِم أُنوفَ معاشِرٍ

    سَرَوا في دُجىً مِن حالِكِ الجَهلِ مُظلِمِ

    Yours is the merit, even should you humble the noses of peoples

    Who traveled through the gloomy darkness of pitch-black ignorance.

  32. يَعيبونَ بِالشَيءِ الذي يَأخذونَهُ

    فَوا عَجَباً مِن ظالِمٍ مُتَظَلِّمِ

    They find fault with the very thing they take for themselves;

    What a wonder: a wrongdoer claiming to be wronged!

  33. تَنَزَّهتَ عَن فِعلِ المُلوكِ الذينَ هُم

    دُعوا أُمراءَ المُؤمِنينَ بِمَحكَمِ

    You kept yourself above the conduct of those kings who

    Were, by binding decree, called Commanders of the Faithful:

  34. فَلا شارِباً خَمراً وَلا سامِعاً غِنىً

    إِذا نُقِرَت أَوتارُهُ لِلتَرَنُّمِ

    Neither drinking wine nor listening to song

    When its strings are plucked for singing.

  35. وَلا قَولَ مَأمونٍ نَحَلتَ وَلا الذي

    أَتى بَعدَهُ في عَصرِهِ المُتَقَدِّمِ

    Nor did you adopt al-Ma'mun's doctrine, nor that of him who

    Followed him in that bygone age.

  36. وَكُلُّهُمُ يُدعى خَليفَةَ وَقتِهِ

    وَطاعَتُهُ فَرضٌ عَلى كُلِّ مُسلِمِ

    Each was called the caliph of his time,

    And obedience to him was incumbent upon every Muslim.

  37. وَلكِن نَصَرتَ الحَقَّ جُهدَكَ وَاِعتَلَت

    بِكَ السُنَّةُ الغَرّاءُ في كُلِّ مَعلَمِ

    But you upheld the truth with all your strength, and there rose

    Through you the radiant Sunna at every landmark.

  38. فَأَصبَحَتِ الدُنيا وَريفاً ظِلالُها

    عَروساً تُباهي كُلَّ بِكرٍ وَأَيِّمِ

    The world became, with its ample shades,

    A bride outshining every maiden and widow.

  39. وَأَلَّفتَ شَملَ المُسلِمينَ وَقَد غَدَوا

    أَيادي سَبا ما بَينَ فَذٍّ وَتَوأَمِ

    You united the Muslims after they had become

    Saba's scattered bands, singly and in pairs.

  40. عَفَوتَ عَنِ الجاني وَأَرضَيتَ مُحسِناً

    وَعُدتَ بِإِفضالٍ عَلى كُلِّ مُعدِم

    You pardoned the offender and satisfied the doer of good,

    And bestowed your bounty upon every destitute person.

  41. فَلَو أَنَّهُم أَعطوا المُنى في حَياتِهِم

    وَقَوكَ الرَدى مِنهُم بِكُلِّ مُطَهَّمِ

    If they were granted their wishes in their lifetimes,

    They would shield you from death with every well-built man among them.

  42. فَلَولاكَ لَم تَحلُ الحَياةُ وَلم يَكُن

    إِلَيهِم لَذيذاً كُلُّ شَربٍ وَمَطعَمِ

    But for you, life would not be sweet, nor would

    Any drink or food be delicious to them.

  43. بَنَيتَ بُيوتَ المَجدِ بِالبيضِ وَالقَنا

    وَسُدتَ بَني الدُنيا بِفَضلِ التَكَرُّمِ

    You built the houses of glory with bright swords and lances,

    And ruled this world's people through surpassing generosity.

  44. وَما الجودُ إِلّا صورَةٌ أَنتَ روحُها

    وَلَولاكَ أَضحى كَالرَميمِ المُرَمَّمِ

    Generosity is only a form whose soul you are;

    Without you it would become like patched-up, crumbling bones.

  45. وَطابَ لِأَهلِ المَكَّتَينِ مَقامُهُم

    وَقَبلَكَ كانوا بَينَ ذُلٍّ وَمَغرَمِ

    The people of the two Meccas found their dwelling pleasant;

    Before you they lived between humiliation and financial exaction.

  46. يَسومونَهُمُ أَعرابُهُم وَوُلاتُهُم

    مِنَ الخَسفِ سَومَ المُستَهانِ المُهَضَّمِ

    Their Bedouins and governors used to subject them

    To abasement, treating them as despised and oppressed.

  47. فَأَضحَوا وَهُم عَن ذا وَذاكَ بِنَجوَةٍ

    مُحِلُّهُمُ في أَمنِهِ مِثلُ مَحرِمِ

    Now they are safely removed from both this and that;

    Their unconsecrated man, in his safety, is like a consecrated pilgrim.

  48. فَسَمعاً بَني الإِسلامِ سَمعاً فَما لَكُم

    رَشادٌ سِوى في طاعَةِ المُتَيَّمِ

    Then heed, children of Islam, heed! For you have

    No right guidance except in obedience to the love-enthralled one.

  49. أَديموا عِبادَ اللَهِ تَحديقَ ناظِرٍ

    بِعَينَي فُؤادٍ لا بِعَينِ التَوَهُّمِ

    Keep gazing steadily, servants of God,

    With the heart's two eyes, not the eye of fancy.

  50. وَقوموا فُرادى ثُمَّ مَثنى وَفَكِّروا

    إِذا ما عَزَمتُم فِكرَةَ المُتَفَهِّمِ

    Stand singly, then in pairs, and reflect,

    When you resolve, with a discerning person's reflection.

  51. إِذا لَم يَكُن عَقلٌ مَعَ المَرءِ يَهتَدي

    بِه رَبُّهُ في الحادِثِ المُتَغيهِمِ

    If a man has no intellect by which

    Its possessor finds his way through a darkening crisis,

  52. وَيَنظُرُ في عُقبى العَواقِبِ عارِفاً

    مَصادِرَهُ في المَورِدِ المُتَقَحَّمِ

    And considers the ultimate consequences, knowing

    His exits from the watering-place he rushes into,

  53. وَلا يَحمَدُ المَرقى إِذا ما تَصَعَّبَت

    مَسالِكُهُ عِندَ النُزولِ فَيَندَمِ

    Nor praises an ascent when

    Its paths grow difficult on the descent, leaving him regretful—

  54. فَإِنَّ الفَتى كُلَّ الفَتى مَن إِذا رَأى

    لهُ فُرصَةً أَهوى لها غَيرَ محجِمِ

    For the true man, the whole man, is one who, on seeing

    An opportunity before him, rushes to it without shrinking.

  55. فَإِن خافَ بِالإِقدامِ إيقاظَ فِتنَةٍ

    تُغِصُّ بريقٍ أَو تَجيءُ بِمُؤلِمِ

    But if he fears that advancing will awaken strife

    That chokes one on one's saliva or brings suffering,

  56. تَرَقَّب وَقتَ الإِقتِدار فَرُبَّما

    يُغاثُ بِيَومٍ لِلمُعادينَ أَشأَمِ

    He waits for the time of power, for perhaps

    Help will come with a day ill-omened for his enemies.

  57. فَما كَلَّفَ اللَهُ اِمرءاً غَيرَ وُسعِهِ

    كَما جاءَ نَصّاً في الكِتابِ المُعَظَّمِ

    God has charged no person beyond his capacity,

    As is expressly stated in the exalted Book.

  58. وَما العَقلُ إِلّا ما أَفادَ تَفَكُّراً

    بِمُستَقبَلٍ أَو عِبرَةً بِالمُقَدَّمِ

    Reason is only that which yields reflection

    On the future, or a lesson from what went before.

  59. لَكُم زائِدٌ عَنكُم بِسَيفٍ وَمُنصَلٍ

    وَرَأيٍ كَمَصقولِ الجُزازِ المُصَمِّمِ

    You have a defender who shields you with sword and blade,

    And judgment like a polished blade that cuts clean through.

  60. قِفي رَأيِهِ إِصلاحُ ما قَد جَهِلتُمُ

    وَفي سَيفِهِ سُمٌّ يَدافُ بِعَلقَمِ

    For in his judgment lies the remedy for what you failed to understand,

    And in his sword is poison mixed with colocynth.

  61. أَلَيسَ الذي قَد قَعقَعَ البيضَ بِالقَنا

    وَخَضَّبَها مِن كُلِّ هامٍ وَلَهذَمِ

    Is he not the one who made bright swords clash with lances,

    And dyed them with blood from every head and towering warrior?

  62. وَأَنعَلَ جُردَ الخَيلِ هامَ عِداتِهِ

    كَأَنَّ حَواميها خُضِبنَ بِعَندَمِ

    He shod his sleek horses with his enemies' heads,

    As though their hoof-edges had been stained with red dye.

  63. دَعوا اللَيثَ لا تَستَغضِبوهُ فَرُبَّما

    يَهيجُ بِدَهيا تَقصِمُ الظَهرَ صَيلَم

    Leave the lion alone; do not provoke him, for he may

    Rise with a crushing calamity that breaks the back.

  64. فَما هُوَ إِلّا ما عَلِمتُم وَما جَرى

    بِأَسماعِكُم لا بِالحَديثِ المُرَجَّمِ

    He is only what you have known and what has reached

    Your ears—not a tale built on conjecture.

  65. وَقائِعُ لا ما كانَ بِالشِعبِ نِدُّها

    وَلا يَومُ ذي قارٍ وَلا يَومُ مَلهَمِ

    Battles unequaled by what took place at al-Shi'b,

    Or the day of Dhu Qar, or the day of Malham.

  66. يُحَدِّثُ عَنها شاهِدٌ وَمُبَلِّغٌ

    وَيَنقُلُها مُستَأخرٌ عَن مُقَدَّمِ

    An eyewitness and a reporter relate them,

    And later generations transmit them from earlier ones.

  67. لَها أَخواتٌ عِندَهُ إِن تَصَعَّرَت

    خُدودٌ بِتَسويلِ الغَرورِ المُرَجِّمِ

    He has sisters to those battles in store, should

    Cheeks turn aside in pride, seduced by the conjecturing deceiver.

  68. جَوادٌ بِما يَحوي بخيلٌ بِعِرضِهِ

    وَإِن ضَرَّسَتهُ الحَربُ لَم يَتَأَلَّمِ

    Generous with what he possesses, sparing of his honor;

    Though war bites him with its teeth, he feels no pain.

  69. أَخوها وَما أَوفَت عَلى العَشرِ سِنُّهُ

    يَحُشُّ لَظاها بِالوَشيجِ المُقَوَّمِ

    War's brother, before his age had passed ten,

    He was stoking its blaze with straightened spears.

  70. إِلَيكَ إِمامَ المُسلِمينَ زَفَفتُها

    لَها بِكَ فَخرٌ بَينَ عُربٍ وَأَعجُمِ

    To you, imam of the Muslims, I have brought her as a bride;

    Through you she boasts among Arabs and non-Arabs.

  71. إِذا أُنشِدَت في مَحفِلٍ قالَ رَبُّهُ

    أَعِدها بِصَوتِ المُطرِبِ المُتَرَنِّمِ

    When she is recited in a gathering, its host says:

    Repeat her in the voice of a stirring, melodious singer.

  72. يَقولُ أُناسٌ إِنَّما جاءَ مادِحاً

    لِيَحظى بِسَجلٍ مِن نَداكَ المُقَسَّمِ

    Some people say: He came only to praise,

    To gain a bucketful of your apportioned bounty.

  73. وَما عَلِمَ الحُسّادُ أَنّي بِمَدحِكُم

    شَرُفتُ وَعِندي ذاكَ أَكبَرُ مَغنَمِ

    The envious have not known that by praising you

    I gained honor, and that, to me, is the greatest prize.

  74. وَكَم رامَهُ مِنّي مُلوكٌ تَقَدَّموا

    وَقَبلَكَ ما عَرَّضتُ وَجهي لِمُنعِمِ

    How many earlier kings sought it from me,

    Yet before you I never offered my face to a benefactor.

  75. وَكَم جَأجَاوا بي لِلوُرودِ فَلَم أَكُن

    لِأَشرَبَ مِن ماءٍ وَبٍ مُتَوَخِّمِ

    How often they called me to the watering-place, but I would not

    Drink from pestilential, unhealthy water.

  76. وَلَولاكَ أَمضَيتُ الرِكابَ مُبادِلاً

    عَلَيهِنَّ أَو سُفنٍ عَلى البَحرِ عوَّمِ

    But for you I would have driven my riding camels onward, changing rides,

    Upon their backs or ships afloat upon the sea.

  77. وَصَلِّ عَلى المُختارِ رَبّي وَآلِهِ

    وَأَصحابِهِ وَالتابِعينَ وَسَلِّم

    My Lord, bless the Chosen One and his family,

    And his Companions and the Followers, and grant them peace.