بمثل فخاري فليجئني المُفاخر

فبي فَخَرَت دون الأنام المَفاخِرُ

With my poetry let the boastful come to me,

For through me the boastful have prided themselves over people,

وبي تُكشَفُ الجلّى وبي يُدرأ الردى

ومني لمن خاف المهالك جائر

And through me mysteries are unveiled and misfortunes averted,

And through me salvation comes to those who fear perdition.

وبي تجلب النعماء قومي ولم تطق

عليهم من الأعداء تعدو العشائر

Through me my people gained blessings, and

No enemies could subjugate them or conquer their clans,

بِيَ الحيُّ حيٌّ والأعادي هوالك

بيَ الوغد قومٌ والصغار أكابر

Through me the living live and the hostile perish,

Through me the vile become a people and the small become great.

إذا شِمتُ برقَ الضيم من أي وجهة

غدا نحوه مني على الغور غائر

When I sense the lightning of injustice from any direction,

A horseman from me charges forth into the darkness,

على ضامر شوهاء تعدو بضيغم

لرؤيته تبدي الخفيَّ الغمائر

Against a miserable coward who exceeds proper bounds,

So that the hidden coward may be exposed.

له السمهري اللون خدن ملازم

له الصارم الهندي حب مسامر

For him is a reddish-white steed, a constant companion,

For him is the Indian sword, tied and bound,

له الدهر عبدٌ والسعود مساعد

له المجد دارٌ والثناء مجاور

For him is fate a slave, and fortune a supporter,

For him is glory a home, and praise a neighbor.

ولست بدار الضيم أبقى وإن يكن

فمقدار قولي يا غلام نسافر

And I will not remain in the land of injustice, even if

The extent of my words, O boy, is that we should depart.

فما لي عن الأوباش لم أُمسِ قافلاً

وأبعد عن أهل الخنا وأُهاجر

So why should I move away from the wicked, and not

Distance myself from deceitful people, and emigrate?

جفاني أقوام لئام زعانف

وأنكر أفضالي قرود أزاعر

Vile people estranged me, they were unjust,

And base monkeys denied my merits.

ولم يبق لي خِلٌّ صديق وبم يكن

بهم غير عبد الله للحقّ ناصر

And no sincere friend remained for me, nor was

There anyone among them except Abdullah as my defender for truth.

يميني إذا بان الكمين من العدى

حامي الذي عند الردى أنا شاهر

My right hand, when ambushes appear from the enemy,

Is my protector, who in times of adversity I unsheathe.

مشيري إذا جَلَّت خطوبٌ فوادح

معيني إذا قَلَّت ليوث نواصر

My advisor, when great tribulations occur,

My supporter, when fierce lions are few.

همام فلم تأخذه لومة لائم

على الحقّ ماضي العزم ناهٍ وآمر

They are men whom no blame of a blamer seizes

Upon the truth, resolute in purpose, proceeding and commanding.

له زاجر من عقله سوى العلى

وليس له عن وارد الجود زاجر

He has a deterrent from his reason other than highness,

And he has no deterrent from the incoming genrosity.

إذا الوفد جاؤوا يستميمون نائلاً

عشاءً على الأعتاب والجو ماطر

When delegations come seeking hospitality

In the evening at the thresholds while the sky is raining,

هنالك يكفي حاتم بعض حشده

ويُبصِر منه البحر بالعين زاخر

There Hatim is sufficient for some of his army

And the sea sees his generosity through the eye as abundant.

شجاع إذا اسودَّ القتام وزمجرت

غيوم الوغى كانت لديه الزماجر

Valiant, when darkness intensifies and the clouds

Of turmoil thunder, he holds the reins.

فيرصع رصعاً رمحه وهو ناظم

ويصرع صرعاً سيفه وهو ناثر

So he strikes with his spear again and again

And fells with his sword scattering blows.

فترجع عنه الخيل كلمى شوارداً

نكوصاً على أعقابها تتدابر

The horses then turn back from him as if fleeing,

Retreating backwards on their heels in disarray.

لديه رنين القوس نغمة شادنٍ

لديه صليل السيف في الهام زامر

For him is the hum of the bow singing joyfully

For him is the ringing of the sword in battles clamoring.

كريم السجايا طيب النَّجر شامخ

شريف المزايا معدن الفخر طاهر

Noble in character, good in lineage, towering,

Distinguished in traits, the essence of pride is pure in him.

فصيحٌ إذا أملى كتاباً فكاتب

بليغ إذا أنشأ قريضاً فشاعر

Eloquent, if he dictates a letter the scribe

Articulate, if he composes a poem the poet

يقر له بالسبق من هو أول

ويغبطه للفضل من هو آخر

Admits his precedence, whoever is first,

And the last envy him for his merit.

إذا أنشدَ الأبيات خلت بلفظه

سُلافاً لأرباب العقول تخامر

When he recites verses, his words prompt

A saliva in the minds of rational people to stir.

أديب اريب لوذعي كأنه

لدى الظنّ يدري ما تجنّ الضمائر

Learned, intuitive, it's as if he knows

What lurks in conscience when suspected.

ذكي له توضيح كل عويصة

إذا خَطَرت واستشكلتها الخواطر

Brilliant, he clarifies every obscure matter,

When it crosses the mind and makes thoughts perplexed.

له العلم دأبٌ والمباحث ديدنلا

وفي كل ما يدري من العلم ماهر

Knowledge is his habit, dialectics his way,

And in all he knows of knowledge he is skilled.

من اللائي قد شادوا البيوت على السها

وحلوا مكان النسر والنسر طائر

As for those who built edifices on the winds

And settled in the place of eagles while the eagles fly,

وكان لهم نهر المَجرَّة مورداً

لهم وارد منهم عليه وصادر

And for them the river of Majarra was a watering place,

With water coming and going from it,

بنو هاشم عمرو الذي ساد قومه

قريشاً بجورٍ فهو كالبحر زاخر

It was the Bani Hashim, Amr who excelled his people,

The Quraish, with tyranny, so he is like a sea teeming,

قليل إذا عُّدوا كثيرون في اللقا

جبال إذا شَدَّوا ليوث زوائر

Few when counted, but many during the encounter,

Mountains when firm, fierce lions wandering.

فيا ابن الكرام الكاتبين بمجدهم

على صفحات الدهر أن لا يفاخَروا

So O son of the generous, those who write their glory

On the pages of time, let them not boast,

ويا ابن الألى مات الندى بانتقالهم

وأنت له دون البرية ناشر

And O son of the exalted, their charm died when they passed away

While you in the wilderness spread it.

ويا أبن الأُلى ماتوا ورام جميلهم

له أبداً حي مدى الدهر ذاكر

And O son of the exalted, they died but their beauty

For him forever alive throughout time remembers.

ويا أبن الأُلى ما دمت حياً بحيهم

أناضل في وريّ لهم وأناظر

And O son of the exalted, as long as you live through their life

I will struggle in a passionate zeal for them and engage.

لك العذر إني ذو فؤاد مشيّع

وقد درست للهمِّ مني السرائر

You are excused, I have a heart escorting

And the worries have erased my secret thoughts,

فلو كان لي مثل الأنام مرارة

هلكتُ ولكن دون هميّ مرائر

For if I had bitterness like other people, I would have perished,

But above my worries are those who console.

وإن بقائي للمصائب عرضة

تباكر في منها خطوب بواكر

And my survival is prone to misfortunes

That come one after another, with the first heralding the next.

كأني وايدي النائبات تنوشني

صريع وعى صلَّت عليه الكواسر

It is as if the hands of troubles drink me down

A slain man on whom the breakers have prayed.

فطوراً لحفظ الروح يرفع رجله

ليدفعها عنه وطَوراً تكاشر

At times to preserve himself he lifts his leg

To fend them off, and at times they converge.

فيدركه منها حداة برائن

ويدركها منه حراكٌ وزاجر

So cutting swords reach him in sudden blows

And he reaches them with movement and resistance.

فكيف ومن ذا الحالُ أصبح حاله

على نظم شعرٍ مفلق وهو قادر

How can I then, in this state, compose

Splitting poetry verses when I'm able?

ولكن ولائي حثني ومحبتي

لكم وادّكاري العيش والعيش غابر

But my loyalty and love for you all

Have made me forget what is with me, and life is fleeting,

فأُنسيتُ ما عندي فبضَّت قريحتي

بهذا وقبلاً ماء فكري غائر

So I forgot what was within me, and my mind gushed forth

With this, while before my thought was immersed.

فلا زلتُ أهلاً للجميل ومنشداً

بمثل فخاري فليجئني المُفاخر

I still deserve favors and yearn to chant,

With my poetry let the boastful come to me.