من بات مثلي للنجوم نزيلا

لم يمس عقد نظامه محلولا

Whoever spends the night, like me, a guest of the stars,

Will not reach evening with his necklace unstrung.

لي فيكم آل الرسول مخيم

مذ ضمني ما بت فيه ذليلا

Among you, O family of the Messenger, I have a camp;

Since it embraced me, I have never spent a night there abased.

جاورتهم فوطيت أعناق الورى

ومددت باعا في الأنام طويلا

I became their neighbor and trod upon the necks of humankind,

And extended my reach far among mankind.

وحللت منهم في أعز مكانة

لا ينبغي سوء إلي سبيلا

And settled among them in the most honored station;

No harm can find a path to me.

ما بتك أشكو الضيم مذ جاورته

أبدا ولا أمسى دمي مطلولا

I have not spent a night lamenting oppression since becoming his neighbor,

Nor has my blood ever gone unavenged.

فليعلمن الشامتون بأنني

عند الممهد قابلا مقبولا

So let the gloaters know that I

Will be welcome with al-Mumahhad in time to come.

مات الحسود بغيظه لما رأى

لي عند هذا معشرا وقبيلا

The envious man died of rage when he saw

That I had a company and a clan beside this lord.

خفض عليك فأنت لو جاورته

أنسى بك الترحيب والتأهيلا

Be easy on yourself: if you became his neighbor,

His welcome to you would make every other greeting forgotten.

ورفعت من أدنى الحضيض على السها

ووجدت ظلا للمقيل ظليلا

You would be raised from the lowest depths above al-Suha,

And find deep shade for your midday rest.

ما كنت أول من نجا بجواره

مما يخاف وأدرك المامولا

You would not be the first to find safety in his protection

From what he fears, and attain what he hopes for.

وسع الأنام وكل قطر ضيق

فمتى نزلت به وجدت مقيلا

He embraces all mankind, though every land is narrow;

Whenever you lodge with him, you find a noonday refuge.

لو حاول الثقلان ضرك بعدما

أواك ما وجدوا إليك سبيلا

Were humans and jinn to try to harm you after

He sheltered you, they would find no path to you.

ملك متى تدعو به لملمة

ملأ البلاد صفائحا ونصولا

A king—whenever you call on him in calamity,

He fills the land with sword blades and spearheads,

من كل ثبت زاجر وإذا دعى

يوم النزال هناك كان عجولا

Borne by steadfast, daunting warriors who, when summoned

On the day of combat, hasten there.

المقدمون أسنة وأعنة

والمرهبون مخايلا وخيولا

Foremost with spearheads and reins,

Fearsome in their bearing and their horses,

والسائرون مواهبا ومناقبا

والثابتون معاقلا وعقولا

Renowned afar for gifts and noble deeds,

Firm in their strongholds and their minds,

متناسبون فواضلا وفضائلا

متشابهون ضراغما وشبولا

Alike in their benefactions and their virtues,

Alike as lions and as cubs.

فالسيد البهلول خلف منهم

للناسبين السيد البهلولا

Among them, one noble, generous lord has succeeded

Another noble, generous lord, as genealogists reckon.

قد أنبتوا غرس السماح وذللوا

للسائلين قطوفه تذليلا

They have made generosity's sapling grow and bent low

Its fruit clusters, within easy reach of those who ask.

اشدد يديك بحبلهم مستعصما

تلقاه حبلا بالندى موصولا

Clasp their rope firmly with both hands, seeking protection;

You will find it a rope joined to generosity.

وادعو الممهد فهو واسط عقدهم

واهتف به تلقى المنى والسولا

And call on al-Mumahhad, the central jewel of their necklace;

Cry out to him: you will attain wishes and desires.

ملك إذا هطلت سماء سماحة

فضح الفرات أتيها والنيلا

A king—when the sky of his generosity pours,

Its torrent puts the Euphrates and the Nile to shame.

كرمية أوصافه كرمية

نفحاته وهباته إن سيلا

Noble are his qualities; generous

His benefactions and gifts whenever he is asked.

ما زال مذعرف الحسام يمينه

يبنى المعالى بكرة وأصيلا

Ever since the sword knew his right hand, he has never ceased

Building lofty honors, morning and evening.

يا ابن الليوث إذا نصبت منازلا

وابن الغيوث إذا نصبت نزولا

O son of lions when you take your stand in combat,

And son of rain clouds when you make ready for guests!

أنا من عرفت وليس تجهل قصتي

فتحيج عبدك أن تقيم دليلا

I am the one you know; you are not ignorant of my story,

That you should leave your servant needing you to furnish proof.

آملها كم اضحكت من شامت

خافت وأبكت صاحبا وخليلا

I hope for it—how many a gloater it has made laugh,

Quiet though he was, and made companion and friend weep.

فانظر العين سخاك فهي بصيرة

وتول ذا دنف وداو عليلا

Look, then, with the eye of your generosity, for it is discerning;

Care for one wasting away, and heal an ailing man.

فالعود قد يفنى إذا حملته

حمل الجميع ولو يكون قليلا

For a wooden pole may give way if you load it

With everyone's burden, even if it is slight;

وإذا فرقت على الجماعة جملة

حملوا وخف ولو يكون ثقيلا

But if you distribute a whole load among a company,

They bear it, and it grows light, however heavy it is.

لا زلت نجما في سما أفق العلا

تهدي إليها لا تخاف أفولا

May you remain a star in the sky of glory's horizon,

Guiding toward it, never fearing a setting.