يَا خَاتِمَ الفَضْلِ أَوْ يَا حَاتِمَ الزَّمَنِ

يَا خَاتِمَ الفَضْلِ أَوْ يَا حَاتِمَ الزَّمَنِ

وَمُشْتَرِي الْحَمْدِ بِالْغَالِي مِنَ الثَّمَنِ

وَمُشْتَرِي الْحَمْدِ بِالْغَالِي مِنَ الثَّمَنِ

O crowning seal of excellence—or O Ḥātim of the age!

O seal of excellence, or Hatim of the age,

And you who purchase praise at a price made dear by its very worth,

And buyer of praise at a dear price,

وَمُرْسِلَ المَثَلِ الْجَارِي بِكُلِّ عُلاَ

وَمُرْسِلَ المَثَلِ الْجَارِي بِكُلِّ عُلاَ

فَوْقَ البَسِيطَةِ مِنْ شَامٍ إِلى يَمَنِ

فَوْقَ البَسِيطَةِ مِنْ شَامٍ إِلى يَمَنِ

and send the far-traveling proverb through every lofty realm,

And sender forth of the proverb that travels with every noble deed,

across the face of the earth, from Syria to Yemen.

Across the earth, from Syria to Yemen.

يَا مَنْ إِذَا مَا حَكَاهُ الْجِلَّةُ افْتَضَحُوا

يَا مَنْ إِذَا مَا حَكَاهُ الْجِلَّةُ افْتَضَحُوا

إِذَا التَّوَرُّمُ مُمْتَازٌ مِنَ الِسّمَنِ

إِذَا التَّوَرُّمُ مُمْتَازٌ مِنَ الِسّمَنِ

O you whom, whenever eminent men imitate, their pretensions are exposed,

O you—when the eminent imitate you, they are put to shame,

when bloated swelling is distinguished from true fullness.

When swelling is distinguished from fatness.

يَا مَنْ تَلَقَّيتُ مِنْهُ الخَلْقَ فِي رَجُلٍ

يَا مَنْ تَلَقَّيتُ مِنْهُ الخَلْقَ فِي رَجُلٍ

وَقُدْتُ نَافِرَة الأَيَّامِ فِي رَسَنِ

وَقُدْتُ نَافِرَة الأَيَّامِ فِي رَسَنِ

O you from whom I encountered all creation embodied in a single man,

O you through whom I encountered all mankind in a single man,

and you have led the skittish days by a bridle.

And led the skittish days by a halter.

لِلَّهِ مَاذَا رَأَتْ عَيْنِي وَقَدْ لَمَحَتْ

لِلَّهِ مَاذَا رَأَتْ عَيْنِي وَقَدْ لَمَحَتْ

ذاك الْكَمَالَ وَمَاذَا قُلِّدَتْ أُذُنِي

ذاك الْكَمَالَ وَمَاذَا قُلِّدَتْ أُذُنِي

By God, what wonders my eye saw when it glimpsed

God be praised—what my eye saw when it glimpsed

that perfection—and with what wonders my ear was adorned!

That perfection, and with what my ear was adorned!

دَعْ ذكْرَ قَيْصَرَ أَوْ كِسْرَى وَمَا جَمَحَتْ

دَعْ ذكْرَ قَيْصَرَ أَوْ كِسْرَى وَمَا جَمَحَتْ

بِهِ الْحِكَايَةُ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ ذِي يَزَنِ

بِهِ الْحِكَايَةُ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ ذِي يَزَنِ

Leave aside the fame of Caesar or Khosrow, and whatever extravagant lengths

Leave mention of Caesar or Kisra, and all the wild exaggerations

the tales have reached concerning Sayf ibn Dhī Yazan.

In tales about Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan.

مَا الْفَخْرُ إِلاَّ لمُلْكٍ أَنْتَ تَخْدُمه

مَا الْفَخْرُ إِلاَّ لمُلْكٍ أَنْتَ تَخْدُمه

فَحُلّ منْهُ مَحَلَّ الرُّوحِ فِي الْبَدَنِ

فَحُلّ منْهُ مَحَلَّ الرُّوحِ فِي الْبَدَنِ

Glory belongs only to a king whom you serve;

Glory belongs only to a kingdom that you serve;

so occupy within him the place the spirit holds in the body.

So take within it the place of the soul in the body.

إِنْ لَم يَفُزْ مِنْهُ بِالْغَايَاتِ مِثْلُكَ أَوْ

إِنْ لَم يَفُزْ مِنْهُ بِالْغَايَاتِ مِثْلُكَ أَوْ

تَعْلُو الْكَوَاكِبُ فِي آفَاقِهِ فَمَنِ

تَعْلُو الْكَوَاكِبُ فِي آفَاقِهِ فَمَنِ

If one such as you cannot attain the highest aims through him—or

If one like you cannot win from it the highest aims, or

if the stars do not rise in his horizons—then through whom?

Rise above the stars in its horizons—then who can?

تَبأَى الْعُلَى مِنْكَ يَوْمَ الْفَخْرِ بِابْنِ أَبٍ

تَبأَى الْعُلَى مِنْكَ يَوْمَ الْفَخْرِ بِابْنِ أَبٍ

جَمّ السِّيَادَةِ عَفِّ السِّرِّ وَالْعَلَنِ

جَمّ السِّيَادَةِ عَفِّ السِّرِّ وَالْعَلَنِ

On glory’s day, loftiness found its home in you, a worthy son of a worthy father,

Nobility boasts of you on the day of pride, as the son of a father

abounding in sovereignty, pure in private and in public;

Rich in lordship, pure in secret and in public,

مَاضِي العَزِيمَةِ مَيْمُونٍ نَقِيبَتُهُ

مَاضِي العَزِيمَةِ مَيْمُونٍ نَقِيبَتُهُ

جَارٍ مِنَ الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقوَى عَلَى سنَنِ

جَارٍ مِنَ الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقوَى عَلَى سنَنِ

resolute in purpose, auspicious in character,

Firm in resolve, blessed in his disposition,

proceeding in righteousness and piety along a straight path,

Following a straight path of goodness and piety,

إِلَى مَضَاءٍ كَنَصْلِ السَّيْفِ يَعْضِدُهُ

إِلَى مَضَاءٍ كَنَصْلِ السَّيْفِ يَعْضِدُهُ

رَأيٌ يُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ المَاءِ وَاللَّبَنِ

رَأيٌ يُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ المَاءِ وَاللَّبَنِ

with incisiveness like a sword’s edge, upheld by

Along with a keenness like a sword's blade, supported by

judgment that distinguishes water from milk.

A judgment that distinguishes between water and milk.

أَفَادَنِي زَمَنِي لُقْيَاكَ مُعْتَذِرا

أَفَادَنِي زَمَنِي لُقْيَاكَ مُعْتَذِرا

عَمَّا جَنَاهُ فَلاَ أَدْعُو عَلَى زَمَنِي

عَمَّا جَنَاهُ فَلاَ أَدْعُو عَلَى زَمَنِي

My fortune granted me the meeting with you, apologizing

My time granted me a meeting with you, in apology

for all it had wrought; so I no longer curse my fortune.

For the wrong it had done; so I do not curse my time.

مِنْ بَعْدِ لُقْيَاكَ لاَ آسَى عَلَى وَطَرٍ

مِنْ بَعْدِ لُقْيَاكَ لاَ آسَى عَلَى وَطَرٍ

مَهْمَا تَعَذَّرَ أَوْ أَبْكِي عَلَى وَطَنِ

مَهْمَا تَعَذَّرَ أَوْ أَبْكِي عَلَى وَطَنِ

Since meeting you, I shall not grieve over a homeland,

After meeting you, I grieve for no desire,

however inaccessible it grows, nor weep for any homeland.

However hard to fulfill, nor weep for a homeland.

عَقَدْتُ صَفْقَةَ وُدِّي فِيكَ رَابِحةً

عَقَدْتُ صَفْقَةَ وُدِّي فِيكَ رَابِحةً

إِنْ حَلَتِ الْحالُ لاَ تَخْشَى مِنَ الْغَبَنِ

إِنْ حَلَتِ الْحالُ لاَ تَخْشَى مِنَ الْغَبَنِ

I struck the bargain of my affection for you—a profitable bargain;

I struck a profitable bargain in my affection for you;

should circumstances change, it fears no loss.

If circumstances grow sweet, you need not fear being cheated.

فَالْبَسْ نَسِيجَةَ مَا قَدَّمْتَ مَعْلَمَةً

فَالْبَسْ نَسِيجَةَ مَا قَدَّمْتَ مَعْلَمَةً

مِنْ صَنْعَةِ الْيُمْنِ تُنْسِي صَنْعَةَ الْيَمَنِ

مِنْ صَنْعَةِ الْيُمْنِ تُنْسِي صَنْعَةَ الْيَمَنِ

Valor is his woven fabric; no master craftswoman ever produced its like—

So wear the patterned fabric of what you have bestowed,

a work of auspicious fortune that makes one forget the craftsmanship of Yemen.

Wrought by good fortune, making one forget the craft of Yemen.

مَنْ زَارَ رَبْعَكَ لَمْ تَبْرَحْ جَوَارِحُهُ

مَنْ زَارَ رَبْعَكَ لَمْ تَبْرَحْ جَوَارِحُهُ

تَرْوِي أَحَادِيثَ مَا أَوْلَيْتَ مِنْ منَنِ

تَرْوِي أَحَادِيثَ مَا أَوْلَيْتَ مِنْ منَنِ

Whoever visits your dwelling—his limbs and faculties never cease

Whoever visits your dwelling, his limbs never cease

recounting the favors you have bestowed upon him:

Relating tales of the favors you bestowed.

فَالْعَيْنُ عَن قُرَّةٍ والكَفُّ عَنْ صِلَةٍ

فَالْعَيْنُ عَن قُرَّةٍ والكَفُّ عَنْ صِلَةٍ

وَالْقَلْبُ عَنْ جابِر والأُذْنُ عَنْ حَسَنِ

وَالْقَلْبُ عَنْ جابِر والأُذْنُ عَنْ حَسَنِ

the eye tells of delight, and the hand of a gift;

Thus the eye relates from Qurra (delight), and the hand from Sila (bounty);

the heart tells of a mender, and the ear of gracious words.

And the heart from Jabir (the mender), and the ear from Hasan (the fair).