تَأَبَّدَتْ مَعْقُلَةٌ فَوَاحِفُ

تَأَبَّدَتْ مَعْقُلَةٌ فَوَاحِفُ

فَمِذْنَبُ البُرْدَيْنِ فَالنَواصِفُ

فَمِذْنَبُ البُرْدَيْنِ فَالنَواصِفُ

Ma‘qulah has grown desolate, and Wahif,

Everlasting are the castles though assailants strike

Then the watercourse of al-Burdayn, then al-Nawasif.

So the tails of the coats of mail and the piercing blades.

وَقَدْ يُرَى حَيٌّ بِهَا لَفَائِفُ

وَقَدْ يُرَى حَيٌّ بِهَا لَفَائِفُ

وَلِلْنَوَى بِالمُنْتَوَى مَصَارِفُ

وَلِلْنَوَى بِالمُنْتَوَى مَصَارِفُ

And once a tribe could be seen there, in mingled bands.

And the living may be seen in them wrapped in winding sheets

And separation has its turns at the chosen destination.

And for resolve at the tryst are diversions.

وَالصَرْفُ يُنْئِي عَنْكَ أَوْ يُساعِفُ

وَالصَرْفُ يُنْئِي عَنْكَ أَوْ يُساعِفُ

يَوْماً بِمَنْ أَنْتَ لَهُ مُؤَالِفُ

يَوْماً بِمَنْ أَنْتَ لَهُ مُؤَالِفُ

And fortune puts someone far from you, or favors you

Time may favour or augment thee

One day with someone to whom you are attached.

One day with him whose intimacy thou seekest.

وَخَلْج أَشْطان النَوَى مَقَاذِفُ

وَخَلْج أَشْطان النَوَى مَقَاذِفُ

وَبَلْدَةٍ لِغَوْلِها نَسائِفُ

وَبَلْدَةٍ لِغَوْلِها نَسائِفُ

And far-flung wastes tug at separation’s cords.

And the writhing of the curvature of resolve hurls

And many a land has drifting sands across its deadly expanse;

At a land whose darkness enshrouds it, chargers.

لِلْهامِ فِي أَرْجائِها هَواتِفُ

لِلْهامِ فِي أَرْجائِها هَواتِفُ

وَلِارْتِجَاسِ الجِنِّ فِيها عازِفُ

وَلِارْتِجَاسِ الجِنِّ فِيها عازِفُ

The owls have cries within its reaches,

By the suggestions implanted in its environs, whisperers;

And the jinn’s tumult there has a wailing voice.

And by the shaking of the jinn in it, pipers.

وَظُعْنُها وَالعِيسُ بِي خَوانِفُ

وَظُعْنُها وَالعِيسُ بِي خَوانِفُ

إِلَى سُدىً تُشْفَى بِهِ الشَفاشِفُ

إِلَى سُدىً تُشْفَى بِهِ الشَفاشِفُ

And traveling across it, the pale camels swerving with me,

Its splendour and the many flocks I tend

Toward rainwater that soothes the pangs of thirst,

Lead to a barren land which sates all quenchers of thirst,

دَاوٍ عَلَى جَمَّاتِهِ قَراطِفُ

دَاوٍ عَلَى جَمَّاتِهِ قَراطِفُ

كَأَنَّما أَنْقَعَ وَرْساً دائِفُ

كَأَنَّما أَنْقَعَ وَرْساً دائِفُ

Scum-covered, with shaggy rugs upon its pools,

A remedy for him who mounts his ragged old camel,

As though a mixer had steeped yellow wars-dye.

As if letting a crooked rope trail behind.

لأَمْدَحَنَّ وَالعَرُوفُ عارِفُ

لأَمْدَحَنَّ وَالعَرُوفُ عارِفُ

بِمُسْتَجِدّاتٍ لَها طَرائِفُ

بِمُسْتَجِدّاتٍ لَها طَرائِفُ

I shall surely praise—and the discerning man discerns—

I will praise the unique, the peerless, the singular

With fresh-made verses holding rare delights.

With novelties that have subtleties.

لَها مَسِيرٌ وَلَها مَواقِفُ

لَها مَسِيرٌ وَلَها مَواقِفُ

أَسَّسَها صَنْعٌ بِهِنَّ قَائِفُ

أَسَّسَها صَنْعٌ بِهِنَّ قَائِفُ

They have a course, and they have stopping places.

It has a journey and halting-places,

A craftsman founded them, a keen judge of them:

Founded by an artificer who has built for it boxwood huts,

خَلِيفَةً آباؤُهُ خَلائِفُ

خَلِيفَةً آباؤُهُ خَلائِفُ

لَهُ إِذَا عُدَّ القَدِيمُ الآثِفُ

لَهُ إِذَا عُدَّ القَدِيمُ الآثِفُ

A caliph whose forefathers were caliphs.

A caliph whose forefathers were themselves caliphs.

His, when the ancient, abiding heritage is reckoned,

When the ancients are counted, he is the plodder.

مَجْدُ القَدِيمِ وَالجَزِيلُ الرادِفُ

مَجْدُ القَدِيمِ وَالجَزِيلُ الرادِفُ

وَسالِفٌ مُرْتَفِعٌ وَسَالِفُ

وَسالِفٌ مُرْتَفِعٌ وَسَالِفُ

Are the glory of old and abundant glory that follows,

The glory of the ancients and the abundant successor,

And an exalted forebear, and another forebear,

And a sublime dynasty and a sublimer yet.

في مُشْمَخِرّاتٍ لَهَا مَناعِفُ

في مُشْمَخِرّاتٍ لَهَا مَناعِفُ

دُونَ الَّتِي مِنْ دُونِهَا نَفانِفُ

دُونَ الَّتِي مِنْ دُونِهَا نَفانِفُ

Amid towering heights with jutting summits,

In lofty eyries that multiply

Below the height beneath which lie vast empty expanses.

Beyond those that fall short and are deficient.

وَمِنْ بَنِي مَرْوانَ عِزٌّ شارِفُ

وَمِنْ بَنِي مَرْوانَ عِزٌّ شارِفُ

راسٍ إِذا مَا اهْتَزَّتِ الرَواجِفُ

راسٍ إِذا مَا اهْتَزَّتِ الرَواجِفُ

And from Marwan’s sons, towering might,

And from the House of Marwan a noble branch

Firmly rooted when upheavals shake,

Firm of root when foundations shake.

ما طَرَدَ اللَيْلَ النَهارُ العاطِفُ

ما طَرَدَ اللَيْلَ النَهارُ العاطِفُ

وَوُدُّ أَخْوَالِكَ كَهْفٌ كاهِفُ

وَوُدُّ أَخْوَالِكَ كَهْفٌ كاهِفُ

As long as returning day drives night away.

Neither has the day driven away the night that enfolds

And your maternal uncles’ love is a sheltering cave,

And the love of your maternal uncles is a sheltering cave

إِذَا أَضَرَّ بِالقَنَا المُحَاجِفُ

إِذَا أَضَرَّ بِالقَنَا المُحَاجِفُ

أَيّامَ آجالٍ لَها مَتالِفُ

أَيّامَ آجالٍ لَها مَتالِفُ

When the shield-bearer presses close with spears,

When the squanderer injures the treasure vaults -

In days of fated deaths, with their deadly perils.

Days of respites that succeed each other.

أَسَوْكَ حَتَّى يَأْمَنَ المَخَاوِفُ

أَسَوْكَ حَتَّى يَأْمَنَ المَخَاوِفُ

وَلِلْوَلِيدِ العَدْلُ وَالتَكَالِفُ

وَلِلْوَلِيدِ العَدْلُ وَالتَكَالِفُ

They succored you until the dangerous places grew safe.

It embraced you until the fears are allayed,

And al-Walid has justice and arduous duties,

And for al-Walid are equity and vying in glory,

مِن أَوْق أَثْقالٍ لَها مَآزِفُ

مِن أَوْق أَثْقالٍ لَها مَآزِفُ

لا تَسْتَطِيعُ حَمْلَها المَزَاحِفُ

لا تَسْتَطِيعُ حَمْلَها المَزَاحِفُ

Of heavy burdens with their pressing straits,

With burdens that mountains find heavy,

Which marching armies cannot carry,

Which the tall sailing ships cannot carry

وَلا السَرَاةُ الجِلَّةُ الغَطارِفُ

وَلا السَرَاةُ الجِلَّةُ الغَطارِفُ

إِذَا أَلَحَّ القُحَم الأَوانِفُ

إِذَا أَلَحَّ القُحَم الأَوانِفُ

Nor the chiefs, the great and noble lords,

Nor the glorious regiments of chargers.

When fresh perils press relentlessly.

When the zealots importune,

وَمَنْحُ كَفَّيْكَ رَبِيعٌ وَاكِفُ

وَمَنْحُ كَفَّيْكَ رَبِيعٌ وَاكِفُ

جَوْد إِذا ما أَخْلَف المُخالِفُ

جَوْد إِذا ما أَخْلَف المُخالِفُ

And the gifts of your two palms are pouring spring rain,

Your palm's favours are a copious spring,

A downpour when the faithless one breaks his promise,

Generosity, when the dissenters are niggardly,

غَيْثٌ إِذَا ما اغْبَرَّتِ العَواصِفُ

غَيْثٌ إِذَا ما اغْبَرَّتِ العَواصِفُ

يُفْرِغُ فِي بَحْرِكَ بَحْرٌ قاصِفُ

يُفْرِغُ فِي بَحْرِكَ بَحْرٌ قاصِفُ

Rain when the storm winds turn gray with dust.

A downpour when the winds blow wild.

A crashing sea pours into your sea,

It pours into your sea a cleaving sea,

مَدٌّ وَمِنْ بَحْرِكَ يُسْقَى الغارِفُ

مَدٌّ وَمِنْ بَحْرِكَ يُسْقَى الغارِفُ

رِيّاً وَبَعْضُ المُسْتَقَى مَرَاشِفُ

رِيّاً وَبَعْضُ المُسْتَقَى مَرَاشِفُ

A flood-tide; and from your sea the water-drawer drinks

An ebb bore away by your sea when it swells high,

His fill, while some water drawn is only sips:

A current whose drawn water is turbid,

ثَمْدٌ بَكِيءٌ وَقَلِيلٌ ناشِفُ

ثَمْدٌ بَكِيءٌ وَقَلِيلٌ ناشِفُ

يا ابْنَ اليَزِيدَيْنِ اليَزِيدُ الطارِفُ

يا ابْنَ اليَزِيدَيْنِ اليَزِيدُ الطارِفُ

A scant, poor-yielding pool, and a little water drying up.

Some taken and some left dry.

O son of the two Yazids—Yazid, who wards off

O son of the two Yazids, the most glorious Yazid,

مِنَ الرَدَى وَالكامِلُ الخُنادِفُ

مِنَ الرَدَى وَالكامِلُ الخُنادِفُ

وَبِالعِراقَيْنِ لِمَنْ يُخَالِفُ

وَبِالعِراقَيْنِ لِمَنْ يُخَالِفُ

Destruction, and the consummate, mighty lion.

Free of all fault, the perfect and complete.

And in the two Iraqs, against anyone who opposes,

With the two Iraqs, for whoever contends,

ذُو مِرَّة أَنْيَابُهُ صَوارِفُ

ذُو مِرَّة أَنْيَابُهُ صَوارِفُ

يُوسُفُ وَالعايِفُ ضَيْماً عائِفُ

يُوسُفُ وَالعايِفُ ضَيْماً عائِفُ

A man of strength whose fangs are gnashing:

Baring fangs that rend and tear.

Yusuf—and he who scorns humiliation truly scorns it.

Joseph in the plenty and lean years contained

بِالمُحْسِنِينَ مُحْسِنٌ مُلاطِفُ

بِالمُحْسِنِينَ مُحْسِنٌ مُلاطِفُ

وَهوَ لِمَنْ شاوَسَ سَمٌّ ذائِفُ

وَهوَ لِمَنْ شاوَسَ سَمٌّ ذائِفُ

To those who do good, he is good and gracious.

Is equitable to the virtuous and gentle to those who do good,

And for whoever glares defiantly, he is deadly poison.

But to him who is stubborn, deadly poison.

وَفِيهِ حِينَ تُبْتَغَى الشَراسِفُ

وَفِيهِ حِينَ تُبْتَغَى الشَراسِفُ

قَهْرٌ وَإِضْرارٌ وَعَسْفٌ عاسِفُ

قَهْرٌ وَإِضْرارٌ وَعَسْفٌ عاسِفُ

And in him, when the rib-ends are targeted,

In him, when rapines are sought, are

Are subjugation, harm, and ruthless force.

Subjugation, oppression, and overbearing pride.

وَقَاصِدٌ إِنْ قَصَدُوا مُناصِفُ

وَقَاصِدٌ إِنْ قَصَدُوا مُناصِفُ

يَشْتَدُّ حَتَّى تَبْرأَ النَكائِفُ

يَشْتَدُّ حَتَّى تَبْرأَ النَكائِفُ

And moderate, if they act moderately, dealing fairly;

And he counters if they counter,

He grows stern until the glandular swellings heal

Hardening until the ulcers are healed

مِنَ المِراضِ وَالطِحالُ الشاغِفُ

مِنَ المِراضِ وَالطِحالُ الشاغِفُ

Among the sick, and the heart-afflicting spleen as well.

Of diseases, and the craving heart is sated.