لَكَ ذُروَةُ البَيتِ العَتيقِ عِمادُهُ

وَمُقَلَّدُ السَيفِ الطَويلِ نِجادُهُ

You have the highest and eminent abode as its pillar,

And wield the long sword as its sash adornment

وَإِلَيكَ يَنتَسِبُ العَلاءُ قَديمُهُ

وَحَديثُهُ وَطَريفُهُ وَتِلادُهُ

The nobility of lineage, both new and old, traced back to you

Its virtuous and its generations and progeny.

آلَ المُظَرَّرِ مِنكُمُ بَدَأَ النَدى

وَإِلَيكُمُ دونَ الأَنامِ مَعادُهُ

The refreshing fragrance first emanated from you,

People of Al Muzrar, and to you alone, all return.

لَكُمُ المُناخُ الرَحبُ وارِيَةً لِأَب

ناءِ السَبيلِ الطارِقينَ زِنادُهُ

For you is the vast, wide expanse, shading the wayfarer

And the weary and the travellers at dark nights.

وَالمَنهَلُ العَذبُ النَميرُ تَزاحَمَت

عُصَباً عَلى أَرجائِهِ وُرّادُهُ

And the fresh sweet rippling spring, over which

Tribes quarrelled and contended for its every inch.

وَالبَيتُ يَستَتِرُ الوُفودُ بِظِلِّهِ

وَالغَيلُ يَفتَرِسُ العِدى آسادُهُ

And the house that shelters visitors under its shade

And the sheltering forest where prey feels secure.

بَيتٌ يَشِبُّ عَلى البِقاعِ إِذا خَبَت

نارُ الضِيافَةِ وَالقِرى إيقادُهُ

A house from which light radiates across the land,

Whenever its warmth and generosity are kindled.

رُذُمٌ إِذا قَحِطَ الزَمانُ جِفانُهُ

جَمٌّ إِذا قَلَّ الرَمادُ رَمادُهُ

A rain cloud drenching the land, whenever drought descends,

A generous cloud, when ash is short of embers.

فَكَفى الخِلافَةَ أَنَّكُم أَعضاؤُها

وَالمُلكَ فَخراً أَنَّكُم أَمجادُهُ

For the caliphate it suffices that you are its members

And for the kingdom it prides for you are its glory.

يا مَن إِذا ما رامَ أَمراً نالَهُ

قَسراً وَلَو أَنَّ النُجومَ مُرادُهُ

O those who achieve whatsoever they seek!

By sheer determination, even if it be the very stars that he pursues.

أَلفاتِكُ الوَهّابُ لا أَموالُهُ

تَبقى عَلى يَدِهِ وَلا أَضدادُهُ

Your determination snatches all that fortune withholds

Neither wealth in his possession nor adversity hinders.

رَوِيَت مِنَ العَذبِ الزُلالِ وُفودُهُ

وَمِنَ الدِماءِ المائِراّتِ صِعادُهُ

Their carriers are refreshed at springs of sweet water

And are bloodied climbing ascents shrieking danger.

رَبُّ الشَجاعَةِ وَالعُلى مَغشِيَّةٌ

أَبياتُهُ مَجفوفَةٌ أَغمادُهُ

The Lord of courage and supremacy overshadow them

His dwellings are scabbard-clad swords and their sheaths.

طَودٌ رَزينٌ حِلمُهُ وَوَقارُهُ

لَيثٌ خَفيفٌ كَرَّهُ وَطِرادُهُ

The tribe is dignity and self-restraint,

The lion awakened to raid and make sorties, fierce in both states.

يُزهى بِهِ في حالَتَيهِ يَراعُهُ

وَقَناتُهُ وَسَريرُهُ وَجَوادُهُ

Its nets, its carpets, its steeds bring him splendor

Prosperity at home, security for the cities.

خِصبٌ عَلى مَحلِ الدِيارِ دِيارُهُ

أَمنٌ عَلى خوفِ البِلادِ بِلادُهُ

He dwells behind the clouds, their rains protecting the land

He pounds the throne, its timber nearly sprouting green when he touches them.

خَلَفَ السَحابُ فَما يُبالي أَن يَصُب

بَ عَلى البِلادِ عِهادُهُ

The mother cloud descended upon barren ground,

So it brought forth plants when the father despaired of ever having children.

يُندي السَريرَ بِوَطإِهِ وَتَكادُ أَن

تَخضَرَّ حينَ يَمَسُّهُ أَعوادُهُ

Thus he came to be, virtuous like his forefathers

Their gauges of uprightness and of statemanship.

جاءَت عَلى عُقمٍ بِهِ أُمُّ النَدى

بَرّاً إِذا عَقَّت أَباً أَولادُهُ

The nobility of his tribe was not enough, so he raised

A house on mountain tops towering with pride.

فَأَتى كَما قَرَحَ العَلاءُ إِبائُهُ

وَمُضائُهُ وَوَقارُهُ وَسَدادُهُ

And ascended heights, matched only by those of the unseen

Supported by deeds of those gone by.

لَم يَكفِهِ شَرَفُ القَبيلَةِ فَاِبتَنى

بَيتاً عَلى قُلَلِ السُها أَوتادُهُ

Reaching for the sky, so its constellations became his servants

And its stars - from envy - his adversaries.

وَسَما إِلَيهِ وَمِثلُهُ مَن لا يُرى

كَلّاً عَلى ما شَيَّدَت أَجدادُهُ

His eyes never rest except at dusk, nor his pillows find peace until then.

If the religion flourished on a course of determination and solidarity,

طالَ السَماءَ فَأَصبَحَت أَفلاكُها

خُدّامَهُ وَنُجومُها حُسّادُهُ

His pen strokes lay its foundations, and the blood of men - its ink.

My praises have filled the horizons among my compatriots -

لا تَطمَئِنُّ إِلى الرُقادِ جُفونُهُ

دونَ الخُفوقِ وَلا يَقُرُّ وِسادُهُ

There his munificence and his generosity lie.

The burden of tribulations brought upon you weighs heavy

إِن سارَ مَجدُ الدينِ في نَهجٍ سَمَت

حَصَباؤُهُ وَتَطامَنَت أَطوادُهُ

The demands of obligation and of its dues.

You quell it’s turbulent oceans, its waves breaking upon each other

أَو كَرَّ يَمشُقُ في الفَوارِسِ فَالقَنا

أَقلامُهُ وَدَمُ الرِجالِ مِدادُهُ

Hurling spittle and froth in all directions.

Your horses wore the garbs of virulent attack,

مَلَأَت فَضاءَ الخافِقَينِ مَدائِحي

فيهِ وَجودُ يَمينِهِ وَجِيادُهُ

Their shooting stars equal to their lightning bolts.

Swords dripped blood on pristine white,

وَوَغى نَهَضتَ بِعِبءِ ما حُمِّلتَهُ

مِنها وَقَوّادُ الجَرادِ بَدادُهُ

Lances stained daylight into black.

The kingdom nearly shifted from its base

في مَأزِقٍ مُتَلاطِمٍ تَيّارُهُ

مُتَقاذِفٍ بِكُماتِهِ إِزبادُهُ

Its pillars about to fall from their upper echelons

Until by you it light penetrated its darkness

لَبِسَت رِشاشَ الطَعنِ فيهِ خُيولُهُ

حَتّى تَساوَت شُهبُهُ وَوِرادُهُ

And by you its corners found peace, and its tent pegs stabilised, found rest.

In your company, the livestock flock sleeps now sound

وَالنَصلُ قَد خَضَبَ النَجيعُ بِياضَهُ

وَالنَقعُ قَد صَبَغَ النَهارَ سَوادُهُ

Under your guard and protection - no worries for raiders.

When you confronted the enemy, wavering was their supporters’ stance

وَالمُلكُ قَد كادَت تَميلُ قَناتُهُ

وَتَخُرُّ مِن أَعلى السِماكِ عِمادُهُ

And hesitation crept into the hearts of their soldiers

He withdrew fearful of you, eyes filled with your awe

حَتّى اِستَنارَ ظَلامُهُ وَتَوَطَّأَت

أَكنافُهُ بِكَ وَاِستَوى مَيّادُهُ

His steps retracted as though his feet were chained

Terrifying the blowing wind by his retreat

وَغَدا بِرَأيِكَ آمِناً في سِربِهِ

لا ريع سَرحٌ أَنتُمُ ذُوّادُهُ

Teaching the rising morning star fear - through his heart.

If he saw you in a dream that visited his sleep

لَمّا طلَعتَ عَلى العَدُوِّ تَخاذَلَت

أَنصارُهُ وَتَواكَلَت أَجنادُهُ

In fear of you, his repose would be forbidden him.

O you who denies respite to those pleading mercy!

فَنَحا وَمِلءُ جُفونِهِ لَكَ هَيبَةٌ

وَمُطَّت خُطاهُ كَأَنَّها أَصفادُهُ

Against your foe is your onslaught and your thunder roar!

O my beloved!

يُملي عَلى الريحِ الهَبوبِ فِرارُهُ

وَيُعَلِّمُ الرِقَّ الخُفوقَ فُؤادُهُ

You who find all my lyrics dedicated to you.

And to whom is given without bounds or limits - all that you seek!

لَو باتَ في حُلمٍ يَراهُ لَعادَ خَو

فاً مِنكَ مَحظوراً عَليهِ رُقادُهُ

You spare me from pursuing the path of any miser-

Their hopes dashed and aspirations felled at his door!

ياعارِضاً لِلمُعتَفينَ زُلالَهُ

وَعَلى العَدُوِّ بُروقُهُ وَرِعادُهُ

Your lasting devotion relates tales of absent beloveds,

Keeps faith of the awaited reunion.

يامَن حَبَستُ عَلَيهِ أَشعاري وَما

اِحتُبِسَت مَواهِبُهُ وَلا أَرفادُهُ

He attempted that I undertake a deed unbecoming of me,

And not of my usual temperament and wont.

أَغنَيتَني عَن قَصدِ كُلِّ مُبَخَّلٍ

خابَت لَدى أَبوابِهِ قُصّادُهُ

Seeking to debase my dignity, placing its lead under

The reigns of humiliation held together by his scheme.

يَحكي وِصالَ الغائِباتِ وَفاؤُهُ

وَيُريكَ أَحلامَ الكَرى ميعادُهُ

He saw in my praise his opportunity for gain, but found

His efforts misguided and his vision blurred.

أَمسى يُحاوِلُ أَن أُكَلِّفَ شيمَتي

وَإِباءَ نَفسي غَيرَ ما تَعتادُهُ

Shall I abandon the sweetest springs to taste bitterness,

While crops wither and die atop the barren, arid land?!

وَيَسومُ فَضلي أَن يَبيتَ مُذَلَّلاً

بِيَدِ الهَوانِ زِمامُهُ وَقِيادُهُ

Never! For Muhammad’s meadows have enriched me beyond measure

And his oasis made needless watering holes I once sought!

يَبغي لَدَيَّ المَدحَ ضَلَّلَ سَعيَهُ

فيما بَغى مِنّي وَقَلَّ رَشادُهُ

I am steadfast to a noble man - his way is loyalty

Since his nature has always been - faithfulness to oath.

أَأُجاوِزُ العَذبَ النَميرَ مُيَمِّماً

وَشلاً يَجُفُّ عَلى الوُرودِ ثَمادُهُ

If the poets’ guide denies their fortune, then I

Am the one gifted with fortunes pouring forth!

هَيهاتَ أَغنَتني رِياضُ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَحِياضُهُ عَن مَنهَلٍ أَرتادُهُ

No land you travelled to remained in drought

Nor has time begrudged your unparalleled charity!

أَنا في ذِمامِ فَتىً عَزيزٍ جارُهُ

مُذ كانَ شيمَتُهُ الوَفاءُ وَعادُهُ

Your excellence grants rights without denial

And praise of you brings no fear of waning favour.

إِن يَكذِبِ الشُعَراءَ رائِدُ حَظِّهِم

فَأَنا الَّذي صَدَقَت لَهُ رُوّادُهُ

Yet gratitude endures over all your hoarded treasure

For all pleasures haste away except when from your grace!

ما أَجدَبَت أَرضٌ حَلَلتَ بِها وَلا

بَخِلَ الزَمانُ وَأَنتُمُ أَجوادُهُ

So I shall dress time itself in praises of you -

That fine jewels adorn the necklaces of its odes’ composition,

وَالفَضلُ عِندَكَ لا تَضيعُ حُقوقُهُ

وَالمَدحُ عِندَكَ لا يَخافُ كَسادُهُ

As years flaunt themselves in the rhythm of his poems,

And festivities revel in the ink of his inscription.

وَالحَمدُ أَبقى ما اِدَّخَرتَ وَكُلُّ مُذ

خورٍ سَريعٌ في يَدَيكَ نَفادُهُ

A eulogy excellently crafted for you -

And recited in your honour, more beautiful when conveyed.

فَلأُلبِسَنَّ الدَهرَ فيكَ مَدائِحاً

تَحلى بِنَظمِ عُقودِها أَجيادُهُ

تَختالُ في أَفوافِها أَعوامُهُ

وَتَميسُ في حِبَراتِها أَعيادُهُ

مَدحٌ كَنَظمِ الرَوضِ أُحسِنَ نَظمُهُ

لَكُمُ وَيَحسُنُ فيكُمُ إِنشادُهُ