أوميض برق بالحمى يتوهم

أو صبح ثغر بنواله يتبسم

Is it a flash of lightning imagined over the protected grounds,

or the dawn of lips smiling with his bounty?

وسحاب مزن ام غمام ماطر

ام بحر جود بالمكارم منعم

And is it a rain-laden cloud, or a cloud pouring rain,

or a sea of generosity bestowing noble gifts?

واخو حروب عند مشتك القنا

ام فيلق قد صال وهو عرمرم

And is he a man of war where the spears clash,

or an army that has charged, vast in number?

بمحله حرم غدا ام ملجأ

ام كعبة الراجين حين تيمموا

Is his dwelling now a sanctuary, or a refuge,

or the Kaaba of the hopeful when they turn toward it?

ما عنتر لما يجول محاربا

ما حاتم لما يجود ويحلم

What is ʿAntar beside him when he ranges in battle?

What is Ḥātim beside him when he gives and shows forbearance?

فلعبده هذا اذا صحنته

وتراه في تصحيف ذا يتحتم

For this one is indeed his servant, if you alter its lettering [reading uncertain];

and, in repointing this one's letters, you see it become inevitable [wordplay unclear].

واذ تفوّه بالنوال فلفظه

كالدر في اسلاكه يتنظم

And when he speaks of bounty, his utterance

strings itself like pearls upon their threads.

لم يثنه ثان عن العليا ولا

في الجود يسمع ما تقول اللوم

No discourager has turned him from high honor, nor

in generosity does he heed what reproachers say.

حاشاه ليس يروعه ملل ولا

يمناه من بذل المكارم تسأم

Far be it from him! Weariness does not daunt him, nor

does his right hand tire of bestowing noble gifts.

فهو المعمم والمسود قومه

يوم الندى والفارس المتلثم

For he is the turbaned one, the chief of his people

on the day of bounty, and the veiled horseman.

ان قت ليث فهو اعظم سطوة

او قلت غيث فهو منه اكرم

If you say 'a lion,' his might is greater;

or if you say 'rain,' he is more generous than it.

والجمع بين الجمه فيه تباين

والفرق مثل الصبح لا يتكتم

Yet bringing them together reveals disparity;

and their difference, like dawn, cannot be concealed.

فالغيث تلقاه قطوبا عابسا

ابدا وهذا ضاحك يتبسم

For you find the rain scowling and frowning

always, while this man laughs and smiles.

والليث ان قالوا يسمى ضيغما

هذا له في كل عضو ضيغم

And if they call the lion 'the fierce lion,'

this man has a fierce lion in every limb.

ياذا الذي خلق الحيا من وجهه

ولقد غدا من جوده يتعلم

O you, from whose face life-giving rain was created,

and indeed, it has come to learn from his generosity!

قسما بيمناك الكريمة انها

نعم اليمين بها يبرّ المقسم

I swear by your noble right hand: truly it is

a fine oath, through which the swearer proves true,

ان المكارم قد جمعت وانه

جمع صحيح بالعطاء مقسم

that you have gathered noble virtues, and that this

is a perfect sum, divided out in gifts.

لله درك من جواد سابق

وله على كل الجياد تقدم

God bless you—a noble steed racing ahead,

and he has the lead over every noble steed.

لم انس موقفك الذي قد قمته

والخيل تعثر والقنا تتحطم

I have not forgotten the stand you took,

while horses stumbled and spears shattered.

وغدت تمر بك الفوارس في الوغى

خرسى بألسنة الظبا تتكلم

And horsemen came passing by you in the clash of battle,

mute, yet speaking with the tongues of sword-blades.

اذكرتنا عمرا سميك في الورى

وكذا السمي مع السمي بكرم

You reminded us of ʿAmr, your namesake among mankind,

and thus namesake matches namesake in generosity.

وكسوت آل النيربي من الثنا

حلل الفخار لها طرازة معلم

And you clothed the house of al-Nayrabi in praise—

robes of glory with a distinctive embroidered border.

ولهم عمرت على السماك مكانة

عمرية بالمجد لا تتهدم

And for them you built, above al-Simak, a lofty station,

ʿAmrian in glory, never to crumble.

ونشرت ذكرا في ذرى العليا لهم

لا ينطوي ابدا ولا يتصرم

And you spread renown for them upon the summits of exalted rank,

never to be folded away, nor ever to come to an end.

اعظم بها في وصف حسنك مدجة

فلقدرك العالي اجل واعظم

How magnificent a praise-poem this is, describing your beauty!

For your lofty worth is more sublime and greater still.

واستجلها من عبد بابك خدمة

فالسعد قد وافى لبابك يخدم

And behold it unveiled, a service from the servant at your gate;

for Fortune has come to your gate to serve.

وانعم بها بكرا عروسا تجتلى

يا فوز من بالبكريات بنعم

And how delightful she is—a virgin bride unveiled!

Oh, the good fortune of one who delights in virgin brides!

وامنح لفقري من عطاياك التي

ضاءت فليل الففر مني مظلم

And grant my poverty some of your gifts, which

have shone, for my night of poverty is dark.

لا زلت للشعراء كهفا في الورى

بك يبدأ الذكر الجميل ويختمُ

May you ever remain a sheltering cave for poets among mankind,

with you noble praise begins and ends,

ما هز عطفك بالمدائح شاعرٌ

يوم النوال وما شدا مترنم

as long as a poet sets you swaying with praise

on the day of bounty, and as long as a singer sings.