طَرِبْتُ وَما كانَ ذاكَ الطَّرَبْ

طَرِبْتُ وَما كانَ ذاكَ الطَّرَبْ

إِلى دَعَجٍ فِي الْمَها أَوْ شَنَبْ

إِلى دَعَجٍ فِي الْمَها أَوْ شَنَبْ

I was stirred to rapture, but that rapture was not

I was disturbed, but not by folly in the moon, or a mirage in the haze,

for the dark eyes of oryx-like beauties, or gleaming teeth;

Rather, by all my past with the noble scion of the south, the noble lineage,

وَلكِنْ إِلى كُلِّ ماضِي الْجَنا

وَلكِنْ إِلى كُلِّ ماضِي الْجَنا

نِ سَبْطِ الْبَنانِ كَرِيمِ الْحَسَبْ

نِ سَبْطِ الْبَنانِ كَرِيمِ الْحَسَبْ

but for every man of resolute heart,

Like my father, the most generous of all people, is anyone like him found in the clouds?

open-handed and noble in ancestral honor,

If you are a neighbor of a neighbor who has him, how can you fear the turns of fate?

كَمِثْلِ أَبِي الْيُمْنِ فِي الْعالَمِينَ

كَمِثْلِ أَبِي الْيُمْنِ فِي الْعالَمِينَ

وَهَلْ مِثْلُ نائِلِهِ فِي السُّحُبْ

وَهَلْ مِثْلُ نائِلِهِ فِي السُّحُبْ

like Abu al-Yumn among mankind.

He is the tallest of stems and branches, and grows to the good of his ancestors,

And is there bounty like his in the clouds?

He points to them - can the new moon avoid its origin in the full moon?

إِذا كُنْتَ جاراً لِجارٍ لَهُ

إِذا كُنْتَ جاراً لِجارٍ لَهُ

فَكَيْفَ تَخافُ صُرُوفَ النُّوَبْ

فَكَيْفَ تَخافُ صُرُوفَ النُّوَبْ

If you are a neighbor to a neighbor of his,

He sees glory as the best thing to attain, and praise as the noblest thing to gain,

how then could you fear the turns of calamity?

Noble in ambition, refined in manners, strange of dew, prohibition, and discipline,

يَطُولُ بِأَطْولِ أَسْلٍ وَفَرْعٍ

يَطُولُ بِأَطْولِ أَسْلٍ وَفَرْعٍ

وَيُنْمى إِلى خَيْرِ جَدٍّ وأَبْ

وَيُنْمى إِلى خَيْرِ جَدٍّ وأَبْ

He towers with the longest spears and loftiest branch,

A young man forever enamored with the sublime, tempted by generosity, and dedicated to glory,

and his descent is traced to the finest grandfather and father.

He grew accustomed to dispelling hardship, relieving affliction, and revealing anguish through generosity.

يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِمْ وَهَل لِلْهِلا

يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِمْ وَهَل لِلْهِلا

لِ مَعْدىً عَنِ الْبَدْرِ إِمّا انْتَسَبْ

لِ مَعْدىً عَنِ الْبَدْرِ إِمّا انْتَسَبْ

He bears witness to them; and can the crescent

turn aside from the full moon when it traces its lineage?

يَرى الْمَجْدَ أَفْضَلَ ما يَقْتَنِي

يَرى الْمَجْدَ أَفْضَلَ ما يَقْتَنِي

هِ وَالْحَمْدَ أَشْرَفَ ما يُكْتَسَبْ

هِ وَالْحَمْدَ أَشْرَفَ ما يُكْتَسَبْ

He deems glory the finest thing he acquires,

and praise the noblest thing to be earned.

شَرِيفُ الْمَرامِ مُنِيفُ الْمَقامِ

شَرِيفُ الْمَرامِ مُنِيفُ الْمَقامِ

غَرِيبُ النَّدى وَالنُّهى وَالأَدَبْ

غَرِيبُ النَّدى وَالنُّهى وَالأَدَبْ

Noble in purpose, lofty in station,

exceptional in generosity, wisdom, and refinement;

فَتىً بِالْعُلى أَبَداً مُغْرَمٌ

فَتىً بِالْعُلى أَبَداً مُغْرَمٌ

وَِالْجُودِ مُغْرىً وَبِالْمَجْدِ صَبْ

وَِالْجُودِ مُغْرىً وَبِالْمَجْدِ صَبْ

a youth forever enamored of lofty deeds,

captivated by generosity and passionately in love with glory.

تَعَوَّدَ بِالْجُودِ صَرْفَ الْمُهِمِّ

تَعَوَّدَ بِالْجُودِ صَرْفَ الْمُهِمِّ

وَدَفْعَ الْمُلِمِّ وَكَشْفَ الْكُرَبْ

وَدَفْعَ الْمُلِمِّ وَكَشْفَ الْكُرَبْ

Through generosity, he habitually averts grave troubles,

and repels affliction and relieves distress.