ومعْسولِ الشَّمائلِ منْ نِزارٍ

ومعْسولِ الشَّمائلِ منْ نِزارٍ

يَفوقُ بسعْيهِ عَمّاً وخَالا

يَفوقُ بسعْيهِ عَمّاً وخَالا

And a man of honey-sweet character from Nizār,

With the sweet disposition of Nizar

who by his striving surpasses paternal and maternal uncles.

Surpassing the efforts of an uncle and maternal uncle

إذا لاقيتهُ لاقيْتَ وِرْداً

إذا لاقيتهُ لاقيْتَ وِرْداً

على ظَمأٍ بهاجِرَة زُلالا

على ظَمأٍ بهاجِرَة زُلالا

When you meet him, you find a draught of water,

If you meet him, you meet a rose

clear and cool, for your thirst in the midday heat.

To the thirst of a lively gazelle

يَحُلُّ الضَّيْفُ منه في المَشاتي

يَحُلُّ الضَّيْفُ منه في المَشاتي

إذا ما يَمَّمَ الحَيَّ الحِلالا

إذا ما يَمَّمَ الحَيَّ الحِلالا

In winter, the guest lodges with him,

The guest can take from him in the drinking-places

when he makes for the encamped tribe,

If he seeks the lawful livelihood

بأكْرَمِهمْ إذا نزلوا مَبيتاً

بأكْرَمِهمْ إذا نزلوا مَبيتاً

وأطْعَمِهِمْ إذا هَبَّتْ شَمالا

وأطْعَمِهِمْ إذا هَبَّتْ شَمالا

with their most generous host when they lodge for the night,

The most generous of them when they lodge for the night

and their most lavish giver of food when the north wind blows,

And the most feeding of them when misfortune strikes

وأرْفَعِهمْ إذا نَزلوا قِباباً

وأرْفَعِهمْ إذا نَزلوا قِباباً

وأمْنَعِهِمْ إذا ما الخَطْبُ غالا

وأمْنَعِهِمْ إذا ما الخَطْبُ غالا

and the one with the loftiest tents when they encamp,

And the highest of them when they pitch tents

and their strongest protector when calamity assails.

And the most preventing of them when matters become grave

كأنَّ جَبينَهُ سيْفٌ يَمانٍ

كأنَّ جَبينَهُ سيْفٌ يَمانٍ

أجادَ القَيْن صفْحَتهُ صِقالا

أجادَ القَيْن صفْحَتهُ صِقالا

His brow is like a sword of Yemen,

As if his forehead is a Yemeni sword

whose surface the smith has polished to perfection.

Its blade honed to a polish

يَفوقُ الزَّعْزعَ الهوْجاءَ عزْماً

يَفوقُ الزَّعْزعَ الهوْجاءَ عزْماً

وعند أنانِهِ الشُّمِّ الجِبالا

وعند أنانِهِ الشُّمِّ الجِبالا

In resolve he surpasses the raging gale,

He surpasses the shaking storm in resolve

and the mountains beside his lofty clouds.

And before his helplessness stand mountains

وبَسَّامٌ إذا بكَتِ المَواضي

وبَسَّامٌ إذا بكَتِ المَواضي

بيوْم الرَّوْعِ مُحْمَرّاً مُذالا

بيوْم الرَّوْعِ مُحْمَرّاً مُذالا

And he is ever smiling when the keen swords weep,

A smiling face if the meadows weep

on the day of terror—crimson tears, freely shed.

On a day of calamity, red in misery

وزيرٌ جَلَّ عنْ كِبْرٍ وبَأوٍ

وزيرٌ جَلَّ عنْ كِبْرٍ وبَأوٍ

إذا الوزراءُ ظَنُّوهُ جَلالا

إذا الوزراءُ ظَنُّوهُ جَلالا

A vizier exalted above arrogance and vainglory,

A minister far above arrogance and evil

while viziers deem such pride grandeur.

When the ministers suppose him glorious

فلمْ يذهبْ تواضعُهُ بمَجْدٍ

فلمْ يذهبْ تواضعُهُ بمَجْدٍ

ولكنْ مُبْلِغُ المَجْدَ الكَمالا

ولكنْ مُبْلِغُ المَجْدَ الكَمالا

And his humility has not diminished his glory,

His humility did not diminish his glory

but brings glory to perfection.

But the conveyor of complete glory

وكمْ قدْرٍ يزيدُ مع انْحطاطٍ

وكمْ قدْرٍ يزيدُ مع انْحطاطٍ

مُسِفُّ السُّحْب أصدقُهنَّ خالا

مُسِفُّ السُّحْب أصدقُهنَّ خالا

And how often worth increases by lowering oneself:

And how much worth increases with decline

the low-hanging cloud is truest in its lightning's promise of rain.

The rainclouds its most truthful tattoo

إذا عَسلَتْ مَزابرهُ لخَطْبٍ

إذا عَسلَتْ مَزابرهُ لخَطْبٍ

مُلِمٍّ دَقَّتِ الأسَلَ الطِّوالا

مُلِمٍّ دَقَّتِ الأسَلَ الطِّوالا

When his pens dart to confront a calamity

If his correspondence is sweetened for grave tidings

that strikes, they shatter the long spears.

Of prolonged misfortunes pierced long spears

تكونُ سُطورُها سَلماً وحَرْباً

تكونُ سُطورُها سَلماً وحَرْباً

إذا سُطِرَتْ صِلاتٍ أوْ صِلالا

إذا سُطِرَتْ صِلاتٍ أوْ صِلالا

Their lines become peace and war,

Its lines will be peace and war

when written as gifts or as vipers.

If pacts or alliances are penned

إذا ضَلَّتْ رَويَّةُ أَلْمَعِيٍّ

إذا ضَلَّتْ رَويَّةُ أَلْمَعِيٍّ

أصابَ الأمر في الرَّأي ارْتجالا

أصابَ الأمر في الرَّأي ارْتجالا

When a keen-witted man's deliberation goes astray,

If the opinion of Al-Lam’i strays

he judges the matter rightly on the spot.

He hits the mark in opinion extemporaneously

أيابا جعفرٍ حُزْتَ المَعالي

أيابا جعفرٍ حُزْتَ المَعالي

فلم تتْرُكْ لطالِبها مَجالا

فلم تتْرُكْ لطالِبها مَجالا

O Abū Jaʿfar, you have attained the heights of honor,

Long live Ja’far you attained the heights

and have left no room for anyone seeking them.

And left no room for its seekers

وأبْصرتَ الزَّمانَ بعينِ صَدْقٍ

وأبْصرتَ الزَّمانَ بعينِ صَدْقٍ

فلم تذخَر سِوى الإحسانِ مالا

فلم تذخَر سِوى الإحسانِ مالا

And you have viewed time with an eye of truth,

And saw the times with the eye of truth

so you have stored up no wealth but good deeds.

And hoarded nothing but kindness

وعِلْمُك أنَّ مُلك الأرض طُرّاً

وعِلْمُك أنَّ مُلك الأرض طُرّاً

سوى المعروفِ لا يُغْني قِبالا

سوى المعروفِ لا يُغْني قِبالا

And your knowledge that dominion over all the earth,

And your knowledge that the kingdom of earth is fleeting

without kindness, is not worth a sandal-strap,

Except good deeds do not avail a span

أعادَك ملْجأً منْ كلِّ خَطْبٍ

أعادَك ملْجأً منْ كلِّ خَطْبٍ

فكُنْتَ لكلِّ مَلْهوفٍ ثِمالا

فكُنْتَ لكلِّ مَلْهوفٍ ثِمالا

has made you a refuge from every calamity,

He restored you a refuge from every misfortune

so you became a haven for everyone in distress.

And you were consolation to every distraught

فهَنَّا كُلَّ عامٍ مُسْتَجِدٍّ

فهَنَّا كُلَّ عامٍ مُسْتَجِدٍّ

بَقاؤكَ ما جَلا أفْقٌ هِلالا

بَقاؤكَ ما جَلا أفْقٌ هِلالا

So may every newly arriving year be gladdened

So every new year that dawns

by your continued life, as long as a horizon reveals a crescent.

Your existence does not wane a crescent moon