1. In the courtyard of the neighborhood, gazelles from Taima’
Whose homes are in the tents, not in the forest

2. They are protected by men from the tribe of Mudar
Creatures in peace, and warriors in times of battle

3. A lively one visited us, with blazing fires around
And the fires of longing burning in our hearts

4. In the evening he passes around to us the cup of wine, a young man
Whose face provides guidance, though the stars are lost

5. In his palm is the flute on which his fingers play
Do not be surprised if it sways intoxicated in his hands

6. He has tamed the winds, stopping and starting them
As if he were Solomon in this world

7. O people of this neighborhood, you are nomads of the desert
So how did you end up with neighbors in this settled community?

8. We have the reins of swords with you all
While those you raid have no such reins on their eyelids

9. Stop! Listen today to what I composed for us and you
He who each day has a special status in His creation

10. God has created for us someone from your tribes
Whose lineage goes back to Iyad and Aba and to Qahtan of old

11. Hatem endowed him with the inheritance of generosity
And the forbearance of Ma'n and the glory of king Nu’man

12. He is the spring, like Qais in his vitality
And in his eloquence, like Quss and Sahbaan

13. If you pass through fertile western Lebanon, say
O family of Raslan, behold, Raslan has arisen!

14. If his person has not returned and become widespread
Then his glory has returned alive and flourishing

15. The Trustworthy One constructed the edifice of glory, so its
Pillars rose up straight and secure

16. If he built his house on a parcel of land, its peak
Is establishment and construction at the horizon’s highest point

17. He erected it like the Kaaba, a haven for pilgrims in a sacred precinct
For those yearning for truth and justice

18. In a garden underneath which rivers flow abundantly
And near its gate of good fortune flows contentment

19. From his Ghumdan Palace is a prayer niche, and in it
Are arches built with the craft of Anushirwan of Persia

20. And above it shines the light of one pure of heart, inscribed with
What the Possessor of Two Lights inscribed on the Tablet

21. This Prince who holds power over all affairs
Is the halter of fate and the saddle of time

22. If a minister gives others positions
Of governors, the Sultan has granted him authority

23. A lord who rules over submissive nobles
Their chieftains obedient to his command

24. He tamed the rugged lands that bowed down before him
So he came to possess in the deserts and seas, gardens and fields

25. The brave one is not he who makes cowards obey him
Rather, the brave one is he whom brave men obey

26. And the horseman of steeds is one who plunges into the fray with them
While the champions of the people surround him as horsemen

27. O mountain, steadfast upon a mountain, pride of Lebanon upon Lebanon!
For me, you alone are a compendium in which I composed

28. Praise – while for praising the rest of mankind, there is another compendium
For you are, to me, half of the people, and what a wonder!

29. If half the people can be considered just one human