ونَاظم الشّعْر يهديه لعوسجة

ونَاظم الشّعْر يهديه لعوسجة

كحاملِ السيف يهديه إلى عدن

كحاملِ السيف يهديه إلى عدن

And a composer of verse who offers it to Awsaja

The poet guides it to ruggedness

is like a sword-bearer who offers it to Aden.

Like the bearer of the sword guides it to Aden

وإنما الجهلُ غطَّى كلَّ مَثْلَبةٍ

وإنما الجهلُ غطَّى كلَّ مَثْلَبةٍ

وشاعرُ الشام يَرْعَى شاعرَ اليمنِ

وشاعرُ الشام يَرْعَى شاعرَ اليمنِ

And ignorance alone concealed every blemish,

Only ignorance has covered every track

and the poet of Syria tends the poet of Yemen.

And the poet of the Levant grazes the poet of Yemen

قحطانُ هود أبونا لو ذكرت له

قحطانُ هود أبونا لو ذكرت له

وقاسماً قال أنتم نصرتي وبني

وقاسماً قال أنتم نصرتي وبني

If you mentioned to him Qahtan, Hud our father,

If you mentioned Qahtan, the father of Hud to him

and Qasim, he would say: “You are my support and my sons.”

And Qasim he said you are my aid and sons

وللخزاعي كل الفخر قاسَمَني

وللخزاعي كل الفخر قاسَمَني

فيه وسيفٌ كساه الفخر ذويزن

فيه وسيفٌ كساه الفخر ذويزن

And all glory belongs to al-Khuza‘i; he shared with me

And for the Khazaaji is all the pride Qasim gave me

in it, as did Sayf Dhu Yazan, whom glory clothed.

In him and a sword the pride adorned Thowizn