أَبا حاتِمٍ قَد كانَ عَمُّكَ رامَني

أَبا حاتِمٍ قَد كانَ عَمُّكَ رامَني

زِياداً فَأَلفاني اِمرَأً غَيرَ نائِمِ

زِياداً فَأَلفاني اِمرَأً غَيرَ نائِمِ

O Abū Ḥātim, your uncle once came after me—

O Abu Hatim, your uncle had indeed tried to get at me—

Ziyād—and found me a man wide awake.

Ziyad—and found me a man who was not asleep.

أَبا حاتِمٍ ما حاتِمٌ في زَمانِهِ

أَبا حاتِمٍ ما حاتِمٌ في زَمانِهِ

بِأَفضَلَ جوداً مِنكَ عِندَ العَظائِمِ

بِأَفضَلَ جوداً مِنكَ عِندَ العَظائِمِ

O Abū Ḥātim, even Ḥātim, in his day,

O Abu Hatim, Hatim in his day was not

was no more generous than you when great trials came.

More generous than you in times of grave calamity.

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن أَعتَبتُكَ اليَومَ تارِكي

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن أَعتَبتُكَ اليَومَ تارِكي

وَبُؤتُ بِذَنبي يا اِبنَ باني الدَعائِمِ

وَبُؤتُ بِذَنبي يا اِبنَ باني الدَعائِمِ

So, if I make amends to you today, will you let me be?

Will you then leave me be, if I appease you today

And I have owned my fault, O son of the builder of pillars.

And confess my fault, O son of the builder of pillars?

أَبوكَ الَّذي ما كانَ في الناسِ مِثلُهُ

أَبوكَ الَّذي ما كانَ في الناسِ مِثلُهُ

إِذا نَزَلَت بِالمِصرِ إِحدى الصَيالِمِ

إِذا نَزَلَت بِالمِصرِ إِحدى الصَيالِمِ

Your father—there was none among mankind his equal

Your father was the one who had no equal among men

whenever some crushing calamity befell the land.

When one of the dire calamities descended upon the city.

بَهاليلُ مَعروفونَ بِالحِلمِ وَالتُقى

بَهاليلُ مَعروفونَ بِالحِلمِ وَالتُقى

وَآسادُها في المَأزِقِ المُتَلاحِمِ

وَآسادُها في المَأزِقِ المُتَلاحِمِ

Noble lords, famed for forbearance and piety,

Noble men, known for forbearance and piety,

and the land’s lions in the close-locked press of battle.

And its lions in the close-packed fray.