أَرَسماً جَديداً مِن نَوارَ تَعَرُّفُ

أَرَسماً جَديداً مِن نَوارَ تَعَرُّفُ

تُسائِلُهُ إِذ لَيسَ بِالدارِ مَوقِفُ

تُسائِلُهُ إِذ لَيسَ بِالدارِ مَوقِفُ

Do you recognize a fresh trace of Nawar,

A new drawing I make of strips for recognition

Questioning it when there is no place to linger at the dwelling?

I ask it, though at home there is no reception

تَبَغَّ اِبنَ عَمِّ الصِدقِ حَيثُ لَقيتَهُ

تَبَغَّ اِبنَ عَمِّ الصِدقِ حَيثُ لَقيتَهُ

فَإِنَّ اِبنَ عَمِّ السَوءِ إِن سَرَّ يُخلَفُ

فَإِنَّ اِبنَ عَمِّ السَوءِ إِن سَرَّ يُخلَفُ

Seek a true-hearted cousin wherever you meet him;

Seek your cousin of truth wherever you find him

For a bad cousin, even if he pleases you, will fail you.

For the evil cousin, if he seems good, will disappoint

إِذا ماتَ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ قامَ بَعدَهُ

إِذا ماتَ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ قامَ بَعدَهُ

نَظيرٌ لَهُ يُغني غِناهُ وَيُخلِفُ

نَظيرٌ لَهُ يُغني غِناهُ وَيُخلِفُ

When a chief among us dies, there rises after him

When one of our leaders dies, after him

His equal, who serves as he served and takes his place.

A peer arises, providing his bounty and office

وَإِنّي لَأَقري الضَيفَ قَبلَ سُؤالِهِ

وَإِنّي لَأَقري الضَيفَ قَبلَ سُؤالِهِ

وَأَطعَنَ قِدماً وَالأَسِنَّةُ تَرعُفُ

وَأَطعَنَ قِدماً وَالأَسِنَّةُ تَرعُفُ

And I surely offer the guest hospitality before he asks,

And I feed the guest before he asks

And I thrust forward while the spearheads bleed.

And step forth though tongues may stammer

وَإِنّي لَأَخزى أَن تُرى بِيَ بِطنَةٌ

وَإِنّي لَأَخزى أَن تُرى بِيَ بِطنَةٌ

وَجاراتُ بَيتي طاوِياتٌ وَنُحَّفُ

وَجاراتُ بَيتي طاوِياتٌ وَنُحَّفُ

And I am surely ashamed to be seen with a full belly,

I'm ashamed for my belly to be seen

While the women neighboring my home are hungry and gaunt.

While my neighbors' homes bend and lean

وَإِنّي لَأُغشي أَبعَدَ الحَيَّ جَفنَتي

وَإِنّي لَأُغشي أَبعَدَ الحَيَّ جَفنَتي

إِذا حَرَّكَ الأَطنابَ نَكباءُ حَرجَفُ

إِذا حَرَّكَ الأَطنابَ نَكباءُ حَرجَفُ

And I surely bring the farthest of the clan to my serving bowl,

I cover the farthest eye that winks

When a fierce, cold crosswind shakes the tent ropes.

When the winding paths roil the blink

وَإِنِّيَ أَرمي بِالعَداوَةِ أَهلَها

وَإِنِّيَ أَرمي بِالعَداوَةِ أَهلَها

وَإِنِّيَ بِالأَعداءِ لا أَتَنَكَّفُ

وَإِنِّيَ بِالأَعداءِ لا أَتَنَكَّفُ

And I direct my enmity at those who deserve it,

I hurl enmity on its people

And I do not shrink from enemies.

And I do not recoil from enemies

وَإِنّي لَأُعطي سائِلي وَلَرُبَّما

وَإِنّي لَأُعطي سائِلي وَلَرُبَّما

أُكَلَّفُ ما لا أَستَطيعُ فَأَكلَفُ

أُكَلَّفُ ما لا أَستَطيعُ فَأَكلَفُ

And I surely give to whoever asks me, and often

I give to those who ask, and sometimes

I am charged with what I cannot manage, yet I take it on.

I take on what I cannot do, so I undertake

وَإِنّي لَمَذمومٌ إِذا قيلَ حاتِمٌ

وَإِنّي لَمَذمومٌ إِذا قيلَ حاتِمٌ

نَبا نَبوَةً إِنَّ الكَريمَ يُعَنَّفُ

نَبا نَبوَةً إِنَّ الكَريمَ يُعَنَّفُ

And I am surely blamed if it is said, 'Hatim

I'm blamed when called Hatim

Faltered once'; for the noble man is rebuked.

He prophesied, the generous are rebuked

سَآبى وَتَأبى بي أُصولٌ كَريمَةٌ

سَآبى وَتَأبى بي أُصولٌ كَريمَةٌ

وَآباءُ صِدقٍ بِالمَوَدَّةِ شُرِّفوا

وَآباءُ صِدقٍ بِالمَوَدَّةِ شُرِّفوا

I shall refuse it; noble roots keep me above it,

I'm inspired by noble roots

And true-hearted forefathers, honored for their affection.

And fathers of honesty ennobled by affection

وَأَجعَلُ مالي دونَ عِرضِيَ إِنَّني

وَأَجعَلُ مالي دونَ عِرضِيَ إِنَّني

كَذَلِكُمُ مِمّا أُفيدُ وَأُتلِفُ

كَذَلِكُمُ مِمّا أُفيدُ وَأُتلِفُ

And I make my wealth a shield for my honor; indeed, I

I make my wealth less than my honor, for I

Do so with what I acquire and spend.

Am such, benefitting and harmonizing

وَأَغفِرُ إِن زَلَّت بِمَولايَ نَعلَةٌ

وَأَغفِرُ إِن زَلَّت بِمَولايَ نَعلَةٌ

وَلا خَيرَ في المَولى إِذا كانَ يُقرِفُ

وَلا خَيرَ في المَولى إِذا كانَ يُقرِفُ

And I forgive if my ally's sandal slips;

And I forgive if my friend's foot slips

And there is no good in an ally who is fault-finding.

No good in the friend who nips

سَأَنصُرُهُ إِن كانَ لِلحَقِّ تابِعاً

سَأَنصُرُهُ إِن كانَ لِلحَقِّ تابِعاً

وَإِن جارَ لَم يَكثُر عَلَيَّ التَعَطُّفُ

وَإِن جارَ لَم يَكثُر عَلَيَّ التَعَطُّفُ

I shall support him if he follows what is right;

I'll help him if he follows truth

And if he acts unjustly, I will not feel much sympathy.

Though if he wrongs, he rarely shows me warmth

وَإِن ظَلَموهُ قُمتُ بِالسَيفِ دونَهُ

وَإِن ظَلَموهُ قُمتُ بِالسَيفِ دونَهُ

لَأَنصُرَهُ إِنَّ الضَعيفَ يُؤَنَّفُ

لَأَنصُرَهُ إِنَّ الضَعيفَ يُؤَنَّفُ

And if they wrong him, I rise with the sword in his defense,

And if they oppress him, I stand with sword for him

To support him; for the weak are scorned.

To help him, for the weak are cared for

وَإِنّي وَإِن طالَ الثَواءُ لَمَيِّتٌ

وَإِنّي وَإِن طالَ الثَواءُ لَمَيِّتٌ

وَيَعطِمُني ماوِيَّ بَيتٌ مُسَقَّفُ

وَيَعطِمُني ماوِيَّ بَيتٌ مُسَقَّفُ

And I, however long my stay, shall surely die,

Though safety be long in coming, I'm a dead man

And a roofed house will enclose me, O Mawiyya.

In a leaning, crumbling home enclosed

وَإِنّي لَمَجزِيٌّ بِما أَنا كاسِبٌ

وَإِنّي لَمَجزِيٌّ بِما أَنا كاسِبٌ

وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ رَهنٌ بِما هُوَ مُتلِفُ

وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ رَهنٌ بِما هُوَ مُتلِفُ

And I shall surely be recompensed for what I earn,

And I'm rewarded for what I earn

And every person is held in pledge for what he spends.

For each man is hostage to what he collects