1. يُشْرقُ النَّادي إذا حَلَّ بهِ

    مثلَما يَشْرَقُ منهُ المُحْتَرِبْ

    The assembly shines when he arrives there,

    just as the combatant chokes because of him.

  2. يَتَجلَّى النَّقْعُ والفقْرُ إذا

    صرَّحَ الشَّرَّانِ جَدْب ورهَبْ

    Battle-dust and poverty become manifest when

    the two evils declare themselves: drought and dread.

  3. فاللُّهى والهَامُ منْ راحَتِهِ

    بالنَّدى والبأسِ نَثْرٌ مُنْتَهَبْ

    Thus largesse and heads from his palm,

    through bounty and battle-might, are scattered and snatched up.

  4. يمْلأُ اليومينِ سَلْماً وَوَغىً

    شَرَفُ الدين نَوالاً وعَطَبْ

    Both days—peace and battle—are filled

    by Sharaf al-Din with bounty and destruction.

  5. فهو مُحْيي كُلَّ حَظٍّ هامِدٍ

    وهو قَتَّالُ الأعادي والسَّغَبْ

    So he revives every dormant fortune,

    and he is the slayer of enemies and hunger.

  6. عادِلٌ سِيَّانِ في إِنْصافِهِ

    من تَحرِّيه رِضاهُ والغَضَبْ

    He is just; alike in his fair judgment,

    through his scrupulous care, are his pleasure and anger.

  7. لا يَرُدُّ الفصْلَ منْ أحكامِهِ

    لَسَنُ الخصْم ولا فرط الشَّغب

    No decisive verdict of his can be overturned

    by a litigant's eloquence or excessive clamor.

  8. بل أبو جعفرَ والحقُّ مَعاً

    أخَوا صِدْقٍ فما قالَ وَجَبْ

    Rather, Abu Ja'far and truth together

    are true brothers; so whatever he says is binding.

  9. طَوْدُ حِلْمٍ راجحٍ إذْ يحْتبي

    وهو في العزْمِ حُسامٌ ذو شُطَب

    A mountain of weighty forbearance when he sits with knees drawn up,

    and in resolve he is a keen sword with a grooved blade.

  10. يوسعُ القِرْنَ كِفاحاً رائعاً

    فإذا أمْكَنَهُ النَّصْرُ وَهَبْ

    He heaps fearsome face-to-face combat upon his rival;

    then, when victory is within his grasp, he gives freely.

  11. ويسيرُ الشَّدَّ في كَسْبِ العُلى

    ويَرى التَّقْريبَ عاراً والخَبَبْ

    And he gallops hard in pursuit of eminence,

    and deems the canter a disgrace, and the trot as well.

  12. عاجلُ الزَّاد إذا عَزَّ القِرى

    صادقُ الجودِ إذا الرَّعدُ كذَبْ

    Swift with provisions when guest-fare is scarce,

    true in generosity when the thunder lies.

  13. أبْلَجُ الوجهِ مُضيءٌ بِشْرُهُ

    أحْرزَ المجدَ بسَعْيٍ ونَسَبْ

    Bright of face, his cheerfulness radiant,

    he has won glory through effort and lineage.

  14. فهو ماءٌ طَيِّبٌ موْردُهُ

    رائِقُ الجَمَّةِ مأمونُ القَرَبْ

    So he is water whose drinking-place is pleasant,

    whose pool is clear and whose approach is safe.

  15. أو كَغيْثٍ صَيِّبٍ من حافِلٍ

    شيمَ بَرْقُ البِشْرِ منهُ فَسكب

    Or like pouring rain from a laden cloud:

    its lightning of cheer was sighted, and then it poured.