يسُحُّ نوالُهُ من غير شَيْمٍ

يسُحُّ نوالُهُ من غير شَيْمٍ

إذا ما أخْلَفَ الجَوْنُ الرُّكامُ

إذا ما أخْلَفَ الجَوْنُ الرُّكامُ

His bounty pours forth without watching for lightning,

His generosity flows without reserve

when the dark, piled cloud fails to rain.

When youth’s ardour cools into calm

ويَحْمي والمَعاقِلُ مُسْلِماتٌ

ويَحْمي والمَعاقِلُ مُسْلِماتٌ

وقد ذَلَّ المُثَقَّفُ والحُسامُ

وقد ذَلَّ المُثَقَّفُ والحُسامُ

And he protects when the strongholds surrender,

Defending the fortresses, staunch in faith

and the straightened spear and keen sword have already been humbled.

While swords and men of learning bow meekly down

ويَرْزُنُ والرَّواسِي طائشاتٌ

ويَرْزُنُ والرَّواسِي طائشاتٌ

كأنَّ رَبيطَ حَبْوَتِهِ شَمامُ

كأنَّ رَبيطَ حَبْوَتِهِ شَمامُ

And he stays steady while the rooted mountains reel,

The bridges tremble, unsteady in themselves

as though the man bound in his knee-wrap were Shamam.

As if the ropes securing their planks were mere threads

ويعءتكرُ الدُّجى وقْتاً وحَظّاً

ويعءتكرُ الدُّجى وقْتاً وحَظّاً

فيَجْلوها النَّدى والابْتِسامُ

فيَجْلوها النَّدى والابْتِسامُ

And gloom thickens in both time and fortune,

Gloom alternates awhile with joy and delight

then generosity and a smile dispel it.

Till chased away by the smile of dawn’s dew

ويحْسُدهُ على لُطْفِ السَّجايا

ويحْسُدهُ على لُطْفِ السَّجايا

زُلالُ الماءِ عَذْباً والمُدامُ

زُلالُ الماءِ عَذْباً والمُدامُ

And for the gentleness of his nature he is envied

He envies water its gentle pleasure

by limpid water in its sweetness, and by wine.

Sweet to drink and tempered with wine

يَرُقُّ لسائليهِ ومُعْتَفيهِ

يَرُقُّ لسائليهِ ومُعْتَفيهِ

ويَقْسو حينَ يرتفِعُ القَتامُ

ويَقْسو حينَ يرتفِعُ القَتامُ

He is tender toward his petitioners and those seeking his bounty,

Gracious to both petitioner and penitent

and turns stern when the dust of battle rises.

Yet harsh when the darkness of war descends

إذا الوزراءُ مَتُّوا بالمَساعي

إذا الوزراءُ مَتُّوا بالمَساعي

شَآى الوزراءَ أحْمَدُها الهُمامُ

شَآى الوزراءَ أحْمَدُها الهُمامُ

When viziers press their claims through their achievements,

When the ministers succumb to fatigue

their most praiseworthy, the valiant one, outstrips the viziers.

The illustrious hero relieves their burdens

شآهُمْ موْثلٌ من كلِّ خَطْبٍ

شآهُمْ موْثلٌ من كلِّ خَطْبٍ

إذا لم يُلْفَ منْ شَرٍّ عِصامُ

إذا لم يُلْفَ منْ شَرٍّ عِصامُ

He outstrips them, a refuge from every calamity,

He relieves them, a refuge from every peril

when no safeguard against evil can be found.

When no ties of kinship can ward off harm

يُدِرُّ المَحْلُ ديمَةَ راحتَيْهِ

يُدِرُّ المَحْلُ ديمَةَ راحتَيْهِ

ويُغْريهِ بنائلهِ سَلامُ

ويُغْريهِ بنائلهِ سَلامُ

Drought makes the steady rain of his palms flow,

He keeps the realm happy in peace and comfort

and a greeting spurs him to bestow his bounty.

Luring it with his gifts to well-being

عَزوفُ النفس عن حُبِّ الدَّنايا

عَزوفُ النفس عن حُبِّ الدَّنايا

وبالعَلْياءِ صَبٌّ مُسْتَهامُ

وبالعَلْياءِ صَبٌّ مُسْتَهامُ

His soul shuns the love of base things,

Aloof from love of this lowly world

and is passionately, utterly enamored of lofty honor.

And roused to fervour for lofty deeds

هو السيفُ الصَّقيلُ بكفِّ ذمْرٍ

هو السيفُ الصَّقيلُ بكفِّ ذمْرٍ

فلا نابي الغِرارِ ولا كَهامُ

فلا نابي الغِرارِ ولا كَهامُ

He is the polished sword in a valiant man's hand,

He is the sword burnished by a warrior’s hand

so its edge neither glances off nor is blunt.

Needing no whetstone, no shield for its edge

يُجرِّدُه ويُغْمِدُه مضاءٌ

يُجرِّدُه ويُغْمِدُه مضاءٌ

وحِلْمٌ إذْ يَجِلُّ الاِجْتِرامُ

وحِلْمٌ إذْ يَجِلُّ الاِجْتِرامُ

Resolve unsheathes it, and it is sheathed

Unveiled and sheathed by valour

by forbearance when wrongdoing grows grave.

And clemency when rage would run wild

فعند السَّلءمِ صَفْحٌ واحْتمالٌ

فعند السَّلءمِ صَفْحٌ واحْتمالٌ

وعند الحربِ بطْشٌ وانتقامُ

وعند الحربِ بطْشٌ وانتقامُ

So in peace there are pardon and patience,

Gentle in peace, avenging in war

and in war, force and vengeance.

A king’s crown is not won by miserliness

وما تاجُ المُلوكٍ بمُسْتَزادٍ

وما تاجُ المُلوكٍ بمُسْتَزادٍ

وجودُ يديْهِ والنُّعْمى سِجامُ

وجودُ يديْهِ والنُّعْمى سِجامُ

Nor is the crown of kings sought as an added gift,

But by the bounty of his hands and noble nature

while his hands' bounty and blessings pour down.

With my heart and rhymes I sing his love

بقلبي والقوافي منْ هَواهُ

بقلبي والقوافي منْ هَواهُ

وجودِ يديْهِ والنُّعْمى غَرامُ

وجودِ يديْهِ والنُّعْمى غَرامُ

In my heart and verses, from love of him

The bounty of his hands and noble nature

and his hands' bounty and blessings, there is ardent love.

So my praise cannot be touched by blame

فمَدْحي لا يلُمُّ بهِ مَعابٌ

فمَدْحي لا يلُمُّ بهِ مَعابٌ

ووُدِّي لا يَدِبُّ إليهِ ذامُ

ووُدِّي لا يَدِبُّ إليهِ ذامُ

So no blemish touches my praise,

And my love breeds no rancour in return

and no reproach creeps into my affection.

I am not like those whose affection is pretence

ولستُ كمنْ مودَّتُهُ رِياءٌ

ولستُ كمنْ مودَّتُهُ رِياءٌ

ولا مَنْ حَبْلُ صُحبتهِ رِمامُ

ولا مَنْ حَبْلُ صُحبتهِ رِمامُ

I am not like one whose affection is pretense,

Or whose bonds of friendship are gossamer threads

nor one whose cord of friendship is rotten.

I was created by the loyal to be true

خُلِقْتُ أبا الوَفاءِ لغيرِ مُجْدٍ

خُلِقْتُ أبا الوَفاءِ لغيرِ مُجْدٍ

فكيفَ بمنْ أنامِلُهُ غَمامُ

فكيفَ بمنْ أنامِلُهُ غَمامُ

I was born the father of fidelity even toward one who gives nothing;

So how could one made of clouds enrapture me?

how much more toward one whose fingertips are clouds!

If my rhymes complain of him in part

فإنْ شكَتِ القَوافي بعضَ ما بي

فإنْ شكَتِ القَوافي بعضَ ما بي

فليسَ إليه ينصَرفُ الكلامُ

فليسَ إليه ينصَرفُ الكلامُ

So if my verses complain of some of what ails me,

My speech is not addressed to him in full

the words do not refer to him.

Rather I complain of my time to him

ولكن أشْتكي زَمَني إليهِ

ولكن أشْتكي زَمَني إليهِ

وبالشّكْوى إليه لا ألامُ

وبالشّكْوى إليه لا ألامُ

Rather, I complain to him of my times,

And in complaining to him I cannot go wrong

and I am not blamed for complaining to him.

As sickness is complained of to the doctor

كما أنَّ الطَّبيبَ إليهِ يُشْكى

كما أنَّ الطَّبيبَ إليهِ يُشْكى

السَّقامُ ولم يكُنْ منهُ السَّقامُ

السَّقامُ ولم يكُنْ منهُ السَّقامُ

Just as one complains to the physician

Though he did not cause the sickness

of illness, though the illness did not come from him.

To conceal one’s secret thoughts from a loved one

وكِتْمانُ السَّرائرِ عن حبيبٍ

وكِتْمانُ السَّرائرِ عن حبيبٍ

بفَتْوى الحبِّ كِتْمانٌ حَرامُ

بفَتْوى الحبِّ كِتْمانٌ حَرامُ

And concealing secrets from a beloved

Is forbidden by love’s decree

is concealment forbidden by love's decree.