اِلقَ حَرباً فَحَيِّهِ

اِلقَ حَرباً فَحَيِّهِ

ثُمَّ سَلهُ عَنِ القَدَح

ثُمَّ سَلهُ عَنِ القَدَح

Meet Harb and greet him,

Throw him into battle and give him courage

then ask him about the cup.

Then ask him about ambition

أَقَريبٌ مَزارُهُ

أَقَريبٌ مَزارُهُ

أَم مَعَ النَجمِ قَد طَمَح

أَم مَعَ النَجمِ قَد طَمَح

Is it near enough to visit,

Is his tomb near

or has it risen high beside the star?

Or with the stars has he aimed

إِن يَكُن في السَماءِ أَع

إِن يَكُن في السَماءِ أَع

رَضتُ عَنهُ وَلَم أَلِح

رَضتُ عَنهُ وَلَم أَلِح

If it is in the sky, I shall turn

If in heaven he be

away from it and not insist.

I am content and do not insist

قَد وَفى لي المُفَضَّلُب

قَد وَفى لي المُفَضَّلُب

نُ عُبادٍ وَما بَلَح

نُ عُبادٍ وَما بَلَح

Al-Mufaddal has indeed kept faith with me—

Al-Mufaddal has fulfilled for me

son of ʿUbād—and has not faltered.

The sons of Ubad and did not fail

وَوَزَنّاهُ بِالكِرا

وَوَزَنّاهُ بِالكِرا

مِ فَساوى وَقَد رَجَح

مِ فَساوى وَقَد رَجَح

And we weighed him against the generous

And we weighed him with generosity

men: he matched them, and indeed outweighed them.

So he equaled and excelled

فَلَهُ الفَضلُ حَيثُ كا

فَلَهُ الفَضلُ حَيثُ كا

نَ عَلى مَن وَأى وَشَح

نَ عَلى مَن وَأى وَشَح

So his is the preeminence, wherever he may

So he has virtue wherever

be, over anyone who promised and was stingy.

he was, over whoever scorned and was stingy