1. O you the wise leader
Guide to the voracious wolf your unmatched praise
١. يا أيُّها الرائِدُ ذُو التَلَمُّسِ
أَهْدِ إِلَى الذِئْبِيِّ غَيْرِ المُبْلِسِ
2. That reveals your misery of miseries
Like rain in the hearts of elders fully dressed
٢. مَدْحَكَ يَكْشِفْ عَنْكَ بُؤْس الأَبْؤُسِ
كَالغَيْثِ فِي جَوْنِ القُدامَى مُلْبِسِ
3. Its meteors unleashed not constrained
For it a star of glory anchored
٣. أَنْواءَهُ بِالطَلْقِ لا بِالأَنْحُسِ
هاجَتْ لَهُ بَغْرَةُ نَجْمٍ مِرْجَسِ
4. That the son of Qais is at every prison
Who obeys himself despite resentment
٤. إِنَّ ابنَ قَيْسٍ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَحْبِسِ
طاوَعَ نَفْساً عِنْدَ ضِنِّ الأَنْفُسِ
5. Commanding in generosity not miserliness
It humbles with abundant overflowing generosity
٥. أَمَّارَةً بِالجُودِ لا بِالأَيْبَسِ
ذَلَّت بِإِعْطاءِ الجَزِيلِ المُنْفِسِ
6. And diving into oceans of streaming generosity
It averted the honor of a man who did not sin
٦. وَالغَرْفِ مِنْ فَيْضِ البِحارِ القُمَّسِ
ذَوَّدَ عَنْ عِرْضِ امْرِىءٍ لَمْ يَطْفَسِ
7. And who emulated him was not disgraced
Easy when the frowning faces dusty
٧. وَمَنْ جَرَى مَجْرَاهُ لَمْ يُدنَّسِ
سَهْلٌ إِذَا اغْبَرَّ وُجُوهُ العُبَّسٍ
8. Radiant bracelet long in measurement
Impetuous like the watching lion
٨. أَبْلَجُ سَوّارٌ طَوِيلُ المِقْيَسِ
هَوَّاسَةٌ كَالأَسَدِ المُفَرِّسِ
9. Rising with the sword of Musa the warrior
Headers and stabs with the sharpened spear
٩. يَعْلُو بِحَدِّ السَيْفِ مُوسَى القَوْنَسِ
صَقْعاً وَيُورِي بِالطِعانِ المِدْعَسِ
10. You see the glittering arches of armored horses
Repelling from him the insects of the generous man
١٠. تَرَى مَلاوِيحَ الحُرُوبِ الضُرَّسِ
يُجْلِينَ مِنْهُ عَن كَرِيمِ المَعْطِسِ
11. And know that I am an ambitious man who did not despair
I send my praise from afar
١١. وَاعْلَمْ بِأَنِّي طامِعٌ لَم أَبْأَسِ
أُهْدِي ثَنَائِي مِنْ بَعِيدِ المَحْدِسِ
12. When the mail disrupted the gangs
Rising for every sorrowful person
١٢. إِذَا البَرِيدُ الْتَاثَ لَمْ يُعَرِّسِ
طَوَالِعاً يَمْأَسُ كُلَّ مَمْأَسِ
13. Their help lasting after the guards
I used to pelt the glorious inaccessible
١٣. أَعْنانُهَا يَبْقَيْنَ بَعْد الأَحْرُسِ
قَدْ كُنْت أَرْمِي بِالجُلال الأَعْيَسِ
14. With a hand like the desert of outstretched skin
And the mother sends stars that pierce
١٤. بيداً كَصَحْراء الأَدِيم الأَمْلَسِ
وَالأَمُّ يُهْدِي بِالنُجُومِ الطُمَّسِ
15. When the necks of vile cowards yield
And the shock of creeping cowards surge
١٥. إِذْ لانَ أَعْناقُ الوَسَانَى النُعَّسِ
وَماجَ إِرْجافُ المَهَارَى الرُعَّسِ
16. The generosity of rigid heads and tough arms
And every goat-like wrinkled and small
١٦. بَوَّاعَة الأَيْدِي صِلابِ الأَرْؤُسِ
وَكُلِّ وَجْناءَ ضَمُوزٍ عِرْمِسِ
17. As the sands love the mound of rubble
I came at it with the pace of pitch-dark blindness
١٧. وَإِنْ حَبَا رَمْلُ الرُكام الأَدْهَسِ
جُبْتُ بِهَا جَوْبَ الظَلامِ الحِنْدِسِ
18. Below you seriously I pace about
Rising above the incapable and pretend cripple
١٨. دُونَكَ مِنْ جِدِّي عَلَى التَنَطُّسَ
تَعْلُو عَلَى الإِقْواءِ وَالمُخَمَّسِ
19. An eruption like the passing of smooth flow
Whose man is ignorantly known or not
١٩. فُتْلاً كَإِمْرارِ المُمَرِّ الأَمْلَسِ
يُجْهَلُ أَوْ يُعْرَفُ مِنْهَا المُحْتَسِي
20. Without malice or prying
People hope through you the sacred house
٢٠. فِي غَيْرِ لا بَغْيٍ وَلا تَفَجُّسِ
يَرْجُوكَ أَقْوَامٌ بِبَيْتِ المَقْدِسِ
21. And whoever saw your face did not frown
If the devil of a whispering man is defeated
٢١. وَمَنْ رَأَى وَجْهَكَ لَمْ يُنَكِّسِ
إِنْ خَبَّ شَيْطانُ امْرِىءٍ مُوَسْوَسِ
22. You showed me gentle intimacy
In you sometimes the sun’s ray at noon
٢٢. أَبْدَيْتَ لِينَ الآنِسِ المُسْتَأْنِسِ
وَفِيكَ أَحْياناً شِماسُ الشُمَّسِ
23. Against the platforms of creeping evil
That kills flies of armored horses with venom
٢٣. عِنْدَ مِراسِ الشَرِّ ذِي التَمَرُّسِ
يَقْتُلُ بِالنِفْطِ ذَبابَ الدُرَّسِ
24. O leader of army and beauty of council
Equip me as the chiefs' help has dwindled
٢٤. يا قائِدَ الجَيْشِ وَزَيْنَ المَجْلِسِ
أُسْنِي فَقَدْ قَلَّت رِفادُ الأُوَّسِ