1. عِش مِن صُروفِ الدَهرِ في أَمانِ

    وَابقَ لَنا يا مَلِكَ الزَمانِ

    Live secure from the vicissitudes of time,

    and remain for us, O king of the age.

  2. وَاسلَم رَفيعَ القَدرِ وَالمَكانِ

    في نِعمَةٍ ثابِتَةٍ الأَركانِ

    And stay safe, exalted in rank and station,

    in prosperity whose foundations stand firm,

  3. كَأَنَّها حُبُّكَ في جَناني

    يا مَلِكَ الدُنيا العَظيمَ الشانِ

    as though it were my love for you within my heart.

    O king of the world, great in eminence,

  4. وَيا كَريمَ اليَدِ وَاللِسانِ

    لَو قيلَ لِلبَأسِ وَلِلإِحسانِ

    and O generous of hand and tongue:

    if valor and beneficence were asked,

  5. هَل يُجمَعُ الجِنسانِ في إِنسان

    قالا جُمِعنا في أَبي العُلوانِ

    “Can the two kinds be united in one man?”

    they would say, “We are united in Abu al-Ulwan”—

  6. أَفرَسِ مَن عُدّ منَ الفُرسانِ

    وَأَغزَرِ الناسِ نَدى بَنانِ

    the finest horseman counted among the knights,

    and the richest of men in the dew of his fingertips.

  7. فَاعجَب لِطَعامٍ بِها طَعّانِ

    فَلِلقَرى طَوراً وَلِلأَقرانِ

    So marvel at one who feeds and thrusts with those fingers,

    now for hospitality, now against his rivals.

  8. فَردٌ فَهَل تَأَتي لَهُ بِثاني

    لا وَإِلهِ الشُحُبِ الأَبدانِ

    He stands alone—can you produce his equal?

    No, by the God of the gaunt-bodied camels,

  9. المُشبِهاتِ كُتَبَ الشِنانِ

    الواشِحاتِ أَوجُهَ الغِيطانِ

    resembling the stitching thongs of worn-out waterskins,

    girdling the faces of the lowlands,

  10. وَالكاسِياتِ قُللَ الرِعانِ

    ضَرائِبَ العَطبِ مِنَ الارسانِ

    and clothing the summits of the mountain spurs

    in tufts of cotton from their halters,

  11. تَهوي بِشُعثٍ نُزّحِ الأَوطانِ

    مالُوا عَلى مَقادِم الكِيرانِ

    rushing along with disheveled men far from their homelands,

    who leaned over the fronts of their camel-saddles,

  12. كَأَنَّهُم ضَربُ الجَريدِ الفاني

    حَتّى إِذا رَأَوا فَتى الفِتيانِ

    as though they were withered palm fronds,

    until, when they saw the foremost of youths,

  13. أَنقَذَهُم مِن رِبقَةِ الهَوانِ

    فَأصبَحُوا في أَكرِمِ المَغاني

    he rescued them from the noose of humiliation,

    and they found themselves in the noblest abodes,

  14. كَأَنَّهُم في نُضرَة الجِنانِ

    عِندَ الفَتى المَنّانِ لا المنّانِ

    as though amid the verdure of gardens,

    with the youth who gives freely, not one who taunts with his gifts:

  15. مُعِزِّ قَيسٍ وَفَتى قَحطانِ

    لا لِحَزِ الكَفِّ وَلا هِدّانِ

    the exalter of Qays and the champion of Qahtan,

    neither tight-fisted nor cowardly,

  16. أَبيَضُ مِثلُ الصارم اليَماني

    كَالبَدر ذي سِتٍ وَذي ثَمانِ

    bright as the keen Yemeni sword,

    like the full moon, fourteen nights old.

  17. يا مُنتَهى الآمال وَالأَماني

    وَياغِنى القاصي وَرِيفَ الداني

    O ultimate goal of hopes and wishes,

    and O wealth for those far away, lush pasture for those near,

  18. أَنتَ الَّذي ذَلَّلتَ لي زَماني

    وَأَنتَ أَرهَفتَ شَبا سِناني

    you are the one who tamed my time for me,

    and you sharpened the edges of my spearhead,

  19. وَفَضلُكَ الغامِرُ قَد أَغناني

    فَما أَرى الفَقرَ وَلا يَراني

    and your overflowing bounty has indeed enriched me,

    so I see no poverty, nor does it see me.

  20. فَما الَّذي يَطلُبُ مِنّي الشاني

    عِلمُكَ بِالحاسِدِ قَد كَفاني

    What, then, does the one who hates me seek from me?

    Your knowledge of the envious man has indeed sufficed me.

  21. فَسَوفَ أَبني لَكَ مِن لِساني

    غَرائِباً لَم يَبِنهِنّ باني

    So I shall build for you from my tongue

    marvels no builder has ever built.

  22. فَاستَغنِ بي تُغنِكَ ذي المَعاني

    مِن حَسَنٍ عَن حَسَنٍ بنِ هاني

    So be content with me: these poetic thoughts will suffice you,

    from Hasan, in place of Hasan ibn Hani.