أسَديُّ البأس عُذْريُّ الوَفا

أسَديُّ البأس عُذْريُّ الوَفا

خِنْدِفيُّ النَّجْر سُحْبيُّ النِّحَل

خِنْدِفيُّ النَّجْر سُحْبيُّ النِّحَل

Lion-like in valor, ʿUdhri in fidelity,

The bravest of fighters, most loyal in friendship

Khindifi in lineage, cloud-like in giving.

The kindest in jest, most bountiful in giving

طاهِرُ السَّعْي كريمُ المُلْتَقى

طاهِرُ السَّعْي كريمُ المُلْتَقى

مُخْبتُ الأخلاق عُلويُّ المَحَلْ

مُخْبتُ الأخلاق عُلويُّ المَحَلْ

Pure in his endeavors, gracious when met,

Of purest endeavor, noblest in gathering

Humble in character, lofty in station.

Of finest morals, highest in station

طوْدُ حِلْمٍ فإذا أحْفَظْتَهُ

طوْدُ حِلْمٍ فإذا أحْفَظْتَهُ

فعصوفٌ ذاتُ رَوْعٍ وزَجَلْ

فعصوفٌ ذاتُ رَوْعٍ وزَجَلْ

A mountain of forbearance; but if you anger him,

Steadfastness of forbearance - once grasped

Then a raging gale, full of terror and clamor.

Becomes pliant withes, bowed branches

لفْظُهُ منْ روْضةٍ ناضِرَةٍ

لفْظُهُ منْ روْضةٍ ناضِرَةٍ

وضِرامٍ ذي شَرارٍ وشُعَلْ

وضِرامٍ ذي شَرارٍ وشُعَلْ

His speech comes from a verdant garden,

His words from a lush, verdant meadow

And from a blaze of sparks and flames.

And embers with sparks and flames aplenty

قسْوَةُ الجَلْمَدِ في إِقْدامِهِ

قسْوَةُ الجَلْمَدِ في إِقْدامِهِ

وهو في السَّلْم نسيمٌ وسَبَلْ

وهو في السَّلْم نسيمٌ وسَبَلْ

His advance has the hardness of rock,

Hard as frozen rock when advancing

Yet in peace he is a breeze and falling rain.

Yet gentle as breeze and path in peace

جائرُ الطَّعْنِ إذا جَدَّ الوَغى

جائرُ الطَّعْنِ إذا جَدَّ الوَغى

وإذا يحْكُمُ في السَّلْمِ عَدَلْ

وإذا يحْكُمُ في السَّلْمِ عَدَلْ

Unjust in his thrusts when battle grows fierce,

Vicious in attack when battle rages

And when he judges in peace, he acts justly.

Just when rule's established and discord fades

وطَروبٌ لأحاديثِ العُلى

وطَروبٌ لأحاديثِ العُلى

طَربَ الوامِقِ بالصَّوت الرَّملْ

طَربَ الوامِقِ بالصَّوت الرَّملْ

And he thrills to tales of glory,

Delightful, his lofty discourse, which captivates

As a lover thrills to a song in ramal rhythm.

Like the shifting sands' song to the dunes

ولَبيبٌ ألْمَعِيٌّ كُلَّما

ولَبيبٌ ألْمَعِيٌّ كُلَّما

أعْضَلَ المُشْكِلُ واسْتبهم حلْ

أعْضَلَ المُشْكِلُ واسْتبهم حلْ

And he is wise and keen-witted: whenever

Ingenious, illuminating, whenever

A problem grows difficult and obscure, he solves it.

Perplexity looms and confusion reigns

مُدْرِكٌ ما دَقَّ مِنْ غامِضَةٍ

مُدْرِكٌ ما دَقَّ مِنْ غامِضَةٍ

مثلما يُدْرَكُ ما بانَ وجَلْ

مثلما يُدْرَكُ ما بانَ وجَلْ

He grasps the subtleties of obscure matters,

Grasping the obscure as clearly as the evident

Just as one grasps what is evident and great.

Just as vagueness dissolves when meaning unveiled

فإذا الفِكْرُ نَبا عنْ مُعْضِلٍ

فإذا الفِكْرُ نَبا عنْ مُعْضِلٍ

حَلَّهُ حَدُّ الصَّوابِ المُرْتَجل

حَلَّهُ حَدُّ الصَّوابِ المُرْتَجل

So if thought recoils from a difficult problem,

His keen intellect solves every riddle

The keen edge of spontaneous, sound judgment solves it.

With ready wisdom and insight unfailing

شَرفُ الدِّينِ أبو جعفرِهِ

شَرفُ الدِّينِ أبو جعفرِهِ

كُنْيَةٌ عن لُجِّ بحْرٍ وجَبَلْ

كُنْيَةٌ عن لُجِّ بحْرٍ وجَبَلْ

Sharaf al-Din, the faith's Abu Jaʿfar—

The glory of faith, Abu Ja'far

A byname for a sea's depths and a mountain.

Nickname for ocean depths and mountain heights

للكُماةِ الصِّيدِ والكُومِ ضُحىً

للكُماةِ الصِّيدِ والكُومِ ضُحىً

ودُجىً إِن عَنَّ مَحْلٌ وَوهَلْ

ودُجىً إِن عَنَّ مَحْلٌ وَوهَلْ

For proud warriors and high-humped camels, in morning light

Quarry for archers, the vale their hunting ground

And night's darkness, if drought and terror arise,

Refuge if place or time are unsuitable

ضربةُ العُرْقوبِ هَبْراً والطُّلى

ضربةُ العُرْقوبِ هَبْراً والطُّلى

ومَعاليهِ تُنادي لا شَلَلْ

ومَعاليهِ تُنادي لا شَلَلْ

A cleaving stroke to hocks and necks;

Blow of the mace violent, while his grandeur

And his noble deeds cry, 'May his hand never be palsied!'

Proclaims "Do not waver, stand firm and tall!"

وسِقابُ الحيِّ تشكو يُتْمَها

وسِقابُ الحيِّ تشكو يُتْمَها

مثْلَ شكوى اليُتْم أولادُ البطلْ

مثْلَ شكوى اليُتْم أولادُ البطلْ

And the tribe's male camel-calves lament their orphanhood,

And the swords of the living protest their neglect

As a champion's children lament orphanhood.

Like war orphans bereft after the hero's fall

نِعْمَ مَنْ سَنَّ عليه لامَةً

نِعْمَ مَنْ سَنَّ عليه لامَةً

ومشَى في الحيِّ زَوْلاً ورَفَلْ

ومشَى في الحيِّ زَوْلاً ورَفَلْ

Excellent is he who dons armor,

Blessed is he who dons the garb of censure

And walks among the tribe, a gallant, strutting proudly.

And walks modestly, humbly, head bowed low

فحماهُ اللّهُ منْ صَرْف الرَّدى

فحماهُ اللّهُ منْ صَرْف الرَّدى

ما بَدا إِشْراقُ شمسٍ وطَفَلْ

ما بَدا إِشْراقُ شمسٍ وطَفَلْ

So may God protect him from death's blows,

May God protect him from fickle fortune

As long as sunshine and twilight appear.

Until sunrise glows and the daystar beams