1. أَطَرِبتَ أَم رُفِعَت لَعَينِكَ غُدوَةً

    بَينَ المَكَيمِنِ وَالزُجَيجِ حُمولُ

    Were you stirred with longing, or did there rise before your eyes at dawn

    Laden caravans between al-Makaymin and al-Zujayj?

  2. زُجلاً تَراوَحَها الحُداةُ فَحَبسُها

    وَضَحَ النَهارِ إِلى العَشِيِّ قَليلُ

    Resounding as the drivers take turns urging them; their halting

    In broad daylight until evening is brief.

  3. لَمّا هَبَطنَ لِعَرعَرٍ وَتَقاذَفَت

    مِنهُ بِهِنَّ حُزونُهُ وَسُهولُ

    When they descended to Ar'ar and were tossed to and fro

    Across its rugged tracts and level plains,

  4. مُتَيامِناتٍ ما يَرِدنَ غُمارَةً

    نَحوض البَياضِ كَأَنَّهُنَّ نَخيلُ

    Heading rightward, not making for Ghumara,

    Toward al-Bayad, as though they were palm trees.

  5. مَنَعَ الرُقادَ مُجَمجَمٌ أَضمَرتُهُ

    بَينَ الجَوانِحِ وَالحِجابُ دَخيلُ

    An unspoken concern that I concealed has barred sleep,

    Between my ribs and the diaphragm, lodged deep within.

  6. يَمشي مَعي كِمعَ المَنامِ كَأَنَّهُ

    مُستَتبِعٌ وَيَقيلُ حَيثُ أُقيلُ

    It walks beside me, a bedfellow in sleep, as though

    It were drawing me along; it rests at noon wherever I rest.

  7. وَكَأَنَّ لَيلي حينَ تَغرُبُ شَمسُهُ

    بِسَوادِ آخِرَ مِثلِهِ مَوصولُ

    And it is as though my night, when its sun sets,

    Is joined to the darkness of another just like it.

  8. أَرعى النُجومَ إِذا تَغَيَّبَ كَوكَبٌ

    أَبصَرتُ أُخرى كَالسِرادِ تَحولُ

    I watch the stars; when a star vanishes,

    I see others moving like a threaded row.

  9. وَلَقَد تُعَلِّلُني مُنَعَّمَةٌ لَها

    بَوضٌ إِذا تَضَعُ الثِيابَ جَميلُ

    Indeed, a pampered woman comforts me; she has

    Lovely hips when she lays aside her clothes.

  10. بَرَدَ المُقَبِّلُ مِن لَذاذَهِ ثَغرِها

    حُمشَ اللِثاثِ كَأَنَّهُ مَصقولُ

    The kisser is cooled by the sweetness of her mouth,

    Slender-gummed, as though it were polished

  11. مِن ماءِ غادِيَةٍ تَقَطَّعُ بَعدَما

    جَحَفَت أَبطِحَهُ عَلَيهِ سُيولُ

    With water from a morning shower, breaking up after

    Torrents have swept across its gravelly beds.

  12. فَفُؤادُهُ رَهنٌ لَها بِمَوَدَّةٍ

    وَرَهينُهُنَّ مُعَذَّبٌ مَكبولُ

    So his heart is pledged to her in affection,

    And their captive is tormented and fettered.

  13. هَل يُبلِغَنَّ بِلادَها مُتحامِلٌ

    شَهمٌ إِذا سُئِلَ النَجاءَ رَجيلُ

    Will a burden-bearing mount indeed reach her country—

    Spirited and strong-legged when speed is asked of it?

  14. يَمشي العِرَضنَةَ ثانِياً وَإِذا عَدا

    أَزَمَت عَلَيهِ خِزامَةٌ وَجَديلُ

    It walks with a swaying gait, bending its neck; and when it runs,

    Its nose-ring and braided rein grip it tightly.

  15. يَنضو المَطِيَّ بِمنَكبَيهِ وَصُلبِهِ

    تَعبٌ وَأَبطَأَ سَيرُهُنَّ ذَميلُ

    It wears out the other mounts; in its shoulders and backbone

    Is weariness, and their slowest gait is a brisk trot.

  16. وَإِذا تَنَحنَحَ راكِبٌ فَكَأَنَّما

    إَياهُ يَزجُرُ أَو عَلَيهِ يَصولُ

    And when a rider clears his throat, it is as though

    He were urging that very mount on, or charging at it.

  17. كَمُطَرَّدٍ صَحلٍ يُقَلِّبُ عانَةً

    فيها لَواقِحُ كَالقِسِيِّ وَحولُ

    Like a harried, hoarse-voiced wild ass steering a herd,

    Among them pregnant females like bows, and others without young.

  18. نَفَشَت رِياضَ أَعامِقٍ حَتّى إِذا

    لَم يَبقَ مِن سَمَلِ النَهارِ ثَميلُ

    They grazed the meadows of A'amiq until, when

    Not a drop remained of the dregs of day,

  19. بَسَطَت هَواديها بِها فَتَكَمَّشَت

    وَلَهُ عَلى أَكسائِهِنَّ صَليلُ

    They stretched out their necks there and hurried forward,

    His ringing cry sounding over their hindquarters.

  20. يَقحَمنَ جانِبَ زَورِهِ وَجَبينِهِ

    وَلَهُ عَلى آثارِهِنَّ سَحيلُ

    They crowd past the side of his chest and forehead,

    And his braying resounds along their tracks.

  21. حَتّى وَرَدنَ مِنَ الأَزارِقِ مَنهَلاً

    وَلَهُنَّ مِن وَضَحِ النَهارِ أَصيلُ

    Until they reached a watering-place at al-Azariq,

    With late afternoon their portion of the bright day.

  22. فَاِستَفنَهُ وَنُفوسُهُنَّ مُطارَةٌ

    تَدنو فَتَغشى الماءَ ثُمَّ تَحولُ

    They sniffed it, their spirits startled,

    Approaching to cover the water, then turning away.

  23. شُمساً يَجِدنَ مِنَ الشَريعَةِ كُلَّما

    قارَبنَ ماءً أَو تَخَمَّشَ غيلُ

    Skittish, they feel fright at the watering-place whenever

    They approach water or a thicket is disturbed.

  24. يَدنونَ ثَمَّتَ يَنقَلِبنَ تَورُّداً

    وَلَهُنَّ من وَهجِ السُمومِ غَليلُ

    They approach; there they turn back, seeking to drink,

    With burning thirst from the searing heat of the simoom.

  25. مُلسُ المتونِ يَصورُهُنَّ عَنِ الهَوى

    فَيضٌ يُرِدنَ مَكانَهُ وَضُحولُ

    Sleek-backed, they are turned away from desire

    By abundant water, whose place they seek, and shallow pools.

  26. فَوَرَدنَ حينَ أَجَنَّهُنَّ مُجَلِّلٌ

    تَتَحَيَّرُ الأَبصارُ فيهِ ظَليلُ

    They came to drink when an enveloping darkness hid them,

    Deeply shadowed, bewildering the eyes within it.

  27. ماءٌ تَرَقرَقُ بِالعَشِيِّ مُتونُهُ

    فَتَراهُ عَن دَوحِ الرِياحِ يَميلُ

    Water whose surfaces shimmer in the evening;

    You see it sway under the sweeping force of the winds.

  28. فَشَرِبنَ ثُمَّ صَدَرنَ غَيرَ سَواكِنٍ

    مِن لَونِ حَمأَتِهِ لَهُنَّ حُجولُ

    They drank, then departed without standing still,

    Wearing anklets of the color of its black mud.

  29. فَاِذكُر أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ بِمَدحَةٍ

    إِنَّ الوَليدَ لَهُ عَلَيَّ فُضولُ

    So mention the Commander of the Faithful with praise:

    Indeed, al-Walid has bestowed many favors upon me.

  30. أُثني وَلا آلو وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

    فَوقَ الَّذي أُثني بِهِ وَأَقولُ

    I praise him, sparing no effort, and know that he

    Is above all the praise I give and all I say.

  31. وَلَأَمدَحَنَّكَ مِدحَةً مَذكورَةً

    إن لَم تَغَلني قَبلَ ذَلِكَ غولُ

    And I shall surely praise you with memorable praise,

    Unless a fatal calamity carries me off before then.

  32. وَلَقَد شَكَرتُ لَكَ الَّذي أَولَيتَني

    وَرَضيتَ مَنزِلَتي فَأَينَ أَزولُ

    I have indeed thanked you for what you bestowed upon me,

    And you approved my station—where, then, should I go?

  33. وَلَهُ يَدانِ يَدٌ يُخافُ عِقابُها

    وَيَدٌ تَحَلَّبُ بِالنَدى وَتَنيلُ

    He has two hands: one whose punishment is feared,

    And one that flows with bounty and bestows gifts.

  34. وَتَرى بُغاةَ الخَيرِ يَنتَجِعونَهُ

    مِنَ كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

    You see the seekers of bounty journeying to him;

    From every quarter a road leads to him.

  35. يَرِدونَ ثُمَّتَ يَصدُرونَ فَمِنهُمُ

    مُتَرَحَلِّونَ وَآخَرونَ نُزولُ

    They come to drink, then depart; among them

    Are travelers moving on and others remaining as guests.

  36. يَغشَونَ مُشتَرَكَ الفَواضِلِ عِندَهُ

    مَثوىً تَوارَثُهُ الوُفودُ رَسيلُ

    They frequent the common gathering-place of his generous favors,

    An abode inherited by delegations in unbroken succession.

  37. فَتَرى مَنازِلَهُ كَأَنَّ تُرابها

    وَسَطَ الرِحالِ مُغَربَلٌ مَنخولُ

    You see his dwellings as though their soil,

    Amid the saddles, were sieved and sifted.

  38. تَرَكَت بِهِ رَكبُ المطِيَّ مَراغَةً

    فَتَرى سَفاها بِالعَشِيِّ تَجولُ

    The mounted caravans have left a dust-wallow there;

    You see its fine dust swirling in the evening.

  39. أَعطى أَباكَ اللَهُ أَمرَ جُنودِهِ

    وَعَطاءُ رَبِّ العالَمينَ جَزيلُ

    God gave your father command of His armies,

    And the gift of the Lord of the worlds is bountiful.

  40. فَرَعى بِإِحسانٍ وَكُلُّ خَليفَةٍ

    عَمّا رَعى مُتَحَبَّرٌ مَسؤولُ

    He tended them with goodness; and every caliph

    Is examined and questioned about what he tended.

  41. وَقَضى لَكَ اللَهُ الخِلافَةَ بَعدَهُ

    وَقضَاءُ رَبِّكَ نافِذٌ مَفعولُ

    And God decreed the caliphate for you after him,

    And your Lord's decree takes effect and is fulfilled.

  42. فَإِذا لِبَيتِكَ حينَ عُدَّ عَمادُهُ

    عَرَضٌ يَزيدُ عَلى البُيوتِ وَطولُ

    Behold, your house, when its pillars are reckoned, has

    Breadth surpassing other houses, and height.

  43. بِمَجامِعِ المِصرَينِ حَيثُ تَلاقَيا

    فَرعٌ مَجامِعُ شُعبَتَيهِ أَصيلُ

    At the meeting-place of the two cities, where they meet,

    Stands a scion, nobly rooted where its two branches join.

  44. إِنَّ الخِلافَةَ لَم يَكُن لِيَطيقَها

    إِلّا اِمرؤٌ لِلمُعضِلاتِ حَمولُ

    Indeed, the caliphate could not be borne

    Except by a man able to shoulder grave difficulties.

  45. بُدوءَ لَهُ مَعَ دينِهِ وَتَمامِهِ

    حَلمٌ إِذا وُزِنَ الحُلومُ ثَقيلُ

    First, alongside his faith and completeness, he has

    Forbearance that weighs heavy when forbearances are weighed.

  46. وَإِذا تَفاخَرَتِ المَكارِمُ أَهلُها

    وَلِكُلِّ ذي يَسَبٍ أَخٌ وَخَليلُ

    When the possessors of noble qualities vie in boasting,

    And every man of lineage has a brother and close friend,

  47. طَمَّت عَلى ما يَذكُرونَ مِنَ العُلى

    مِن فَيضِ بَحرِكَ جَمَّةٌ وَحَفيلُ

    Over all the greatness they recount there surged

    A vast swell and mighty flood from the overflow of your sea.

  48. وَإِذا وَعَدَنَ الناسَ خَيراً جاءَهُم

    عَفواً وَأَنتَ لما تَقولُ فَعولُ

    And when they promise people good, it comes to them

    Freely—and you carry out what you say.

  49. أَمراً قَضاهُ عَلى لِسانِكَ رَبُّنا

    فَنَداكَ لا عَسِرٌ وَلا مَمطولُ

    A matter our Lord ordained through your tongue;

    So your bounty is neither hard to obtain nor delayed.

  50. فَالحَمدُ وَالنِعماءُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي

    جُعِلَت كَرامَتُهُ إِلَيكَ تَؤولُ

    Praise and blessing belong to God, whose

    Grace has been made to find its way to you.