وإنَّ ابنَ عمّي لابن زيدٍ وإنَّهُ

وإنَّ ابنَ عمّي لابن زيدٍ وإنَّهُ

لَبَلالُ أَيدي جِلَّةِ الشَولِ بالدَمِ

لَبَلالُ أَيدي جِلَّةِ الشَولِ بالدَمِ

Indeed, my paternal cousin is a true son of Zayd—and indeed he is

Indeed, my cousin is Zayd’s son, and he

surely one who lavishly stains with blood the forelegs of the choicest milk-dry she-camels;

surely drenches the forelegs of large, mature dry she-camels with blood.

طَلوعُ الثَنايا بالمطايا وسابِقٌ

طَلوعُ الثَنايا بالمطايا وسابِقٌ

إلى غايةَةٍ مَن يَبتَدِرها يُقَدَّمِ

إلى غايةَةٍ مَن يَبتَدِرها يُقَدَّمِ

a tireless climber of mountain passes on riding-camels, and one who races

He scales mountain passes on riding camels and races ahead

toward a goal where whoever strives to reach it first is given precedence.

toward a goal: whoever hastens to it is given precedence.

يَسُرُّكَ مَظلوماً ويُرضيكَ ظالماً

يَسُرُّكَ مَظلوماً ويُرضيكَ ظالماً

ويكفيكَ ما حمَّلتَهُ حينَ تُغرَمُ

ويكفيكَ ما حمَّلتَهُ حينَ تُغرَمُ

He gladdens you when you are wronged and wins your approval when you are the wrongdoer,

He gladdens you when wronged, and appeases you when in the wrong,

and takes on whatever burden you lay upon him whenever you must pay;

and takes care of whatever you lay upon him when you must pay.

من النَفَرِ المدلينَ في كُلِّ حُجَةٍ

من النَفَرِ المدلينَ في كُلِّ حُجَةٍ

بمُستَحصِدٍ في جَولَةِ الرأيِ مُحكَمِ

بمُستَحصِدٍ في جَولَةِ الرأيِ مُحكَمِ

one of the band who, in every dispute, let down

He is among the men who, in every argument, come forward

a tightly twisted cord, firmly secured amid the clash of counsels—

with a firm, well-founded case in the contest of judgment.

جَديرونَ ألّا يذكروكَ بريبَةٍ

جَديرونَ ألّا يذكروكَ بريبَةٍ

ولا يغرِموكَ الدَهرَ ما لَم تُغَرَّمِ

ولا يغرِموكَ الدَهرَ ما لَم تُغَرَّمِ

men well worthy of never speaking of you with suspicion;

They can be trusted not to cast suspicion on you,

nor will Time ever exact from you what you have not been held liable for.

nor ever make you pay what you have not been held liable for.