لِمَنِ الهوادِجُ في عَراءِ الهَوْجَلِ

لِمَنِ الهوادِجُ في عَراءِ الهَوْجَلِ

تحتَ القِبابِ تَشُقُّ ذَيلَ القَسطَلِ

تحتَ القِبابِ تَشُقُّ ذَيلَ القَسطَلِ

Whose are the howdahs in the open wilderness,

For whom are the tents in the wilderness of Al-Hawjal

beneath the domed canopies, cleaving the dust cloud's train?

Beneath the domes, dragging the train of Al-Qastal

يَتَتَّبعُ الآثارَ قلبي خَلفَها

يَتَتَّبعُ الآثارَ قلبي خَلفَها

فلَوِ انثَنيْنَ وَطِئنَهُ بالأرجُلِ

فلَوِ انثَنيْنَ وَطِئنَهُ بالأرجُلِ

My heart follows their tracks behind them;

My heart follows their traces

were they to turn back, they would trample it underfoot.

And if they were to tread on it with two feet

أبراجُ أقمارٍ تَغيبُ نَهارَها

أبراجُ أقمارٍ تَغيبُ نَهارَها

فيها وتَطلعُ في الظَّلامِ المُقبلِ

فيها وتَطلعُ في الظَّلامِ المُقبلِ

Towers of moons that hide through the day

Towers of crescent moons that disappear in daylight

within them, and rise in the approaching darkness.

And rise again in the approaching darkness

حَمّلننَي ما لو تَحَمَّلَ بَعضَهُ

حَمّلننَي ما لو تَحَمَّلَ بَعضَهُ

حُمْرُ النِّياقِ لمَا نَهَضْنَ بمَحمَلِ

حُمْرُ النِّياقِ لمَا نَهَضْنَ بمَحمَلِ

They laid on me such a burden that, were part of it borne

They burdened me with that, if a part of which

by red she-camels, they could not rise with a litter.

Were borne by reddish camels, they would not arise with the load

لي ذاتُ خِدرٍ بَينَهُنَّ أنا لَها

لي ذاتُ خِدرٍ بَينَهُنَّ أنا لَها

وأوَدُّ لو رَضِيَتْ فقالتْ أنتَ لي

وأوَدُّ لو رَضِيَتْ فقالتْ أنتَ لي

I have a secluded lady among them; I am hers,

I have a love among them, I am hers

and I wish she would consent and say, 'You are mine.'

And I wish that she would be pleased and say “You are mine”

قامَتْ تَصُولُ منَ الرِّماحِ بأبيضٍ

قامَتْ تَصُولُ منَ الرِّماحِ بأبيضٍ

ومِنَ السُّيوفِ بأسوَدٍ لم يُصقَلِ

ومِنَ السُّيوفِ بأسوَدٍ لم يُصقَلِ

She rose to assail with a white spear,

She stood tall, thrusting with white spears

and a black sword that had never been polished.

And black swords that were not polished

ولَقد أقُولُ لِمَنْ أقامَ بمَرْصَدٍ

ولَقد أقُولُ لِمَنْ أقامَ بمَرْصَدٍ

ما كانَ ضَرَّكَ لو أقَمْتَ بمَعْزِلِ

ما كانَ ضَرَّكَ لو أقَمْتَ بمَعْزِلِ

And indeed I say to one who has taken up a watchpost:

And I say to whoever stayed watchful

What harm would it have done you, had you kept apart?

It would not have harmed you if you had stayed remote

أقصِرْ عَناكَ وحيثُ حَلَّتْ نِعمةُ الرْ

أقصِرْ عَناكَ وحيثُ حَلَّتْ نِعمةُ الرْ

رُوحِ الأمينِ على مُحمَّدَ فانزِلِ

رُوحِ الأمينِ على مُحمَّدَ فانزِلِ

Cease your toil, and where there alighted the blessing of the

Keep away from us and wherever the bounty of the

Trustworthy Spirit upon Muhammad, alight.

Spirit of the Trustworthy has descended upon Muhammad, descend!

زُرْ ذلكُ الرَبْعَ الخصيبَ وقِفْ بهِ

زُرْ ذلكُ الرَبْعَ الخصيبَ وقِفْ بهِ

يوماً وُقوفَ الآملِ المُتأمِّلِ

يوماً وُقوفَ الآملِ المُتأمِّلِ

Visit that fertile abode, and halt there

Visit that fertile land and stand in it

for a day, like one who stands in hope and contemplation.

A day standing hopefully and contemplatively

يومٌ يَحقُّ لهُ التَذَكُّرُ بعدَ ما

يومٌ يَحقُّ لهُ التَذَكُّرُ بعدَ ما

طالَ المَدَى لا يومُ دارةِ جُلجُلِ

طالَ المَدَى لا يومُ دارةِ جُلجُلِ

A day that merits remembrance after

A day deserving of remembrance after

a long time has passed—not the day of Darat Juljul.

The long span not like the days of clamor

هذا ابنُ رِسلانَ التَنُوخِيُّ الذي

هذا ابنُ رِسلانَ التَنُوخِيُّ الذي

هُوَ في السَرَاةِ منَ الطِرازِ الأوَّلِ

هُوَ في السَرَاةِ منَ الطِرازِ الأوَّلِ

This is Ibn Rislan al-Tanukhi, who

This is the son of Rislan Al-Tanookhi who

is among the nobles of the foremost rank.

He is of the first class in leadership

هذا الذي تُروَى مآثِرُهُ كما

هذا الذي تُروَى مآثِرُهُ كما

يُروى الحديثُ عن النبيِّ المُرسَلِ

يُروى الحديثُ عن النبيِّ المُرسَلِ

This is he whose noble deeds are recounted as

The one whose exploits are narrated as

the traditions of the Prophet sent forth are recounted.

The Prophet’s Hadith by the messenger is narrated

مَولىً يَظَلُّ السَّعدُ يَخدُمُ بابَهُ

مَولىً يَظَلُّ السَّعدُ يَخدُمُ بابَهُ

ويَسيرُ حولَ رِكابهِ في الجَحفَلِ

ويَسيرُ حولَ رِكابهِ في الجَحفَلِ

A lord whose gate good fortune ceaselessly serves,

A master whom luck keeps serving his door

and marches around his mounts amid the host.

And walking around his mount in the army

غَلَبَ الطَّوالِعَ نَجمُهُ فتضاءلت

غَلَبَ الطَّوالِعَ نَجمُهُ فتضاءلت

كالشَّمسِ تُزري بالسِّماكِ الأعزَلِ

كالشَّمسِ تُزري بالسِّماكِ الأعزَلِ

His star surpassed the ascendant stars, and they dwindled,

His star outshone the planets so they faded

as the sun puts Simak the Unarmed to shame.

Like the sun that makes the planets invisible

فإذا مَشَى تَمشي المواكبُ خَلفَهُ

فإذا مَشَى تَمشي المواكبُ خَلفَهُ

وإذا استَقَرَّ يَحُلُّ صَدرَ المَحفِلِ

وإذا استَقَرَّ يَحُلُّ صَدرَ المَحفِلِ

So when he walks, the processions walk behind him;

So when he walks, the processions walk behind him

and when he settles, he takes the foremost place in the assembly.

And when he settles down, he sits in the place of honor

وإذا تَكلَّمَ يُنصِتونَ كأنَّهُ

وإذا تَكلَّمَ يُنصِتونَ كأنَّهُ

يدعو بآياتِ الكتابِ المُنزَلِ

يدعو بآياتِ الكتابِ المُنزَلِ

And when he speaks, they listen attentively, as though he

And when he speaks, they listen as if he

were proclaiming verses of the revealed Book.

Recites the Verses of the Revealed Book

مُتوَقِّدُ الأفكارِ لو بَرَزَت لنا

مُتوَقِّدُ الأفكارِ لو بَرَزَت لنا

أغنَتْ عنِ المِصباحِ بالصُّبحِ الجَلي

أغنَتْ عنِ المِصباحِ بالصُّبحِ الجَلي

His thoughts blaze; were they to appear to us,

Kindling ideas, if they appeared to us

they would make the lamp needless with their radiant dawn.

They would suffice instead of the lamp at dawn

يَرمِي صُروفَ الحادثاتِ بأسهُمٍ

يَرمِي صُروفَ الحادثاتِ بأسهُمٍ

منْ لحظِهِ فيُصِيبُ عينَ المَقتَلِ

منْ لحظِهِ فيُصِيبُ عينَ المَقتَلِ

He shoots at the turns of adversity with arrows

He throws the turns of events with arrows

from his glance, and hits the very fatal spot.

From his glance, hitting the eye of the target

ما زالَ يفعَلُ ما يَقولُ وإنني

ما زالَ يفعَلُ ما يَقولُ وإنني

في المدحِ لَستُ أقولُ ما لم يَفعَلِ

في المدحِ لَستُ أقولُ ما لم يَفعَلِ

He has always done what he says, and I, indeed,

He continues to do as he says, and I

in praise, never speak of what he has not done.

In praise, say nothing but what he did

ما زلتُ كالرَّواي الأمينِ ورُبَّما

ما زلتُ كالرَّواي الأمينِ ورُبَّما

غَلَبَ الهُيامُ فكنُتُ كالمتُغَزِّلِ

غَلَبَ الهُيامُ فكنُتُ كالمتُغَزِّلِ

I have always been like a trustworthy narrator, and sometimes

I remain like the honest narrator, and sometimes

love's frenzy prevailed, and I became like a love poet.

Passion prevails, so I was like the lovesick poet

بمُحمَّدٍ وأبي مُحمَّدَ أشرَقَتْ

بمُحمَّدٍ وأبي مُحمَّدَ أشرَقَتْ

دارُ الإمارةِ كالثُرَيَّا تَنْجَلي

دارُ الإمارةِ كالثُرَيَّا تَنْجَلي

Through Muhammad and Abu Muhammad shone

With Muhammad and Abu Muhammad the abode

the house of rule, like the Pleiades coming into view.

Of leadership shone like the full moon rising

فَرعٌ نشا من خيرِ أصلٍ طاهرٍ

فَرعٌ نشا من خيرِ أصلٍ طاهرٍ

والشهدُ لا يأتي بماءِ الحَنظَلِ

والشهدُ لا يأتي بماءِ الحَنظَلِ

A branch sprung from the finest pure root,

A branch grew from the best pure origin

and honey does not yield the juice of colocynth.

And honey does not come from bitter colocynth

قابلتُهُ فإذا غُلامٌ أمرَدٌ

قابلتُهُ فإذا غُلامٌ أمرَدٌ

وخَبَرتُهُ فإذا بشيخٍ أكمَلِ

وخَبَرتُهُ فإذا بشيخٍ أكمَلِ

I met him: behold, a beardless youth;

When I met him he was but a young man

and I tested him: behold, a consummate elder.

And when I experienced him he was the perfect elder

يَروي حديثَ الأوَّلينَ كأنَّهُ

يَروي حديثَ الأوَّلينَ كأنَّهُ

من عهدِ طَسْمٍ شاهدٌ لم يَغفُلِ

من عهدِ طَسْمٍ شاهدٌ لم يَغفُلِ

He recounts the stories of the ancients, as though he

He narrates the Hadith of early times as if

were a witness from the age of Tasm who missed nothing.

He was from the era of Tasim, an eyewitness who did not neglect

أبصَرتُ مِن ألطافِهِ ما لم يَسعْ

أبصَرتُ مِن ألطافِهِ ما لم يَسعْ

لفظُ الرُواةِ فكانَ ما لم يُنقَلِ

لفظُ الرُواةِ فكانَ ما لم يُنقَلِ

I saw among his kindnesses what could not be contained

I saw from his refinements what the expression

in narrators' words, and so some went untold.

Of narrators did not convey, so it was unnarrated

ورأيتُ سِرَّ أبيهِ فيهِ مُصوَّراً

ورأيتُ سِرَّ أبيهِ فيهِ مُصوَّراً

كالشَّخصِ يبدو مِن ورَاءِ سَجنجَلِ

كالشَّخصِ يبدو مِن ورَاءِ سَجنجَلِ

And I saw his father's essence portrayed in him,

And I saw his father’s secret depicted in him

like a figure appearing from behind a polished mirror.

Like a person appearing from behind a screen

إن لم تُصِبْ قدَمِي الحُلولَ بدارِهِ

إن لم تُصِبْ قدَمِي الحُلولَ بدارِهِ

فالقلبُ فيها نازلٌ لم يَرحلِ

فالقلبُ فيها نازلٌ لم يَرحلِ

If my foot has not found lodging in his house,

If my feet do not settle in his abode

yet my heart dwells there and has never departed.

Then my heart settled in it and did not depart

هيَ أفضَلُ الأوطانِ عندي رُتبةً

هيَ أفضَلُ الأوطانِ عندي رُتبةً

ولذاكَ قد خَصَّصتُها بالأفضَلِ

ولذاكَ قد خَصَّصتُها بالأفضَلِ

It ranks highest among homelands in my eyes,

It is the best of lands to me in rank

and so I have reserved the best for it.

And so I singled it out with “the best”

دارٌ بها نَيلُ الفوائدِ والمُنَى

دارٌ بها نَيلُ الفوائدِ والمُنَى

ولها العَوائِدُ في الجميلِ الأجمَلِ

ولها العَوائِدُ في الجميلِ الأجمَلِ

A house where benefits and wishes are attained,

An abode wherein lies attainment of benefits and wishes

and its customary acts of kindness are the fairest.

And it has the finest customs in the most beautiful

لا غَيَّرَ الرحمنُ عادَتَهُ على

لا غَيَّرَ الرحمنُ عادَتَهُ على

من لم يُغَيِّرْ عادةً لُمؤمِّلِ

من لم يُغَيِّرْ عادةً لُمؤمِّلِ

May the Merciful never change His way toward

The Merciful has not changed His ways for

one who has never changed his way toward a hopeful petitioner.

One who did not change his expectation