أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الجودَ أَرسَلَ فاِنتَقى

حَليفَ صَفاءٍ وَأَتلى لا يُزايلُه

Do you not see how generosity has sent forth and chosen

A friend of purity and recited that which does not abandon him

تَخَيَّرَ أَسماءَ بنَ حِصنٍ فَبُطِّنَت

بِفِعلِ العُلى أَيمانُه وَشَمائِلُه

He preferred the names of Ibn Hisham so his oaths were clothed

With the actions of the Most High, his right hand and left

وَلا مَجدَ إِلّا مَجدُ أَسماءَ لَو جَرى

وَلا جَرى إِلّا جَريُ أَسماءَ فاضِلُه

And no glory except the glory of Asmaa if it flows

And nothing flows except the bounty of Asmaa its superior

وَمُحتَمَلٍ ضِغناً لأَسماءَ لَو جَرى

بسَجلَينِ مِن أَسماءَ فارَت أَباجِلُه

And bearing resentment towards Asmaa if it flows

With two registers from Asmaa so its trails overflow

عَوى يَستَجيشُ النابِحاتِ وَإِنَّما

بِأَنيابِه صُمُّ الصَفا وَجنادِلُه

The howler arouses the wailing women but rather

With his fangs the deaf lip and the arguing

وَأَقصَرَ مِن مَجراةِ أَسماء سَعيُهُ

حَسيراً كَما يَلقى مِن التُربِ ناخِلُه

And his endeavor falls shorter than the orbit of Asmaa

Wretched as the motes find from dust its sifter

وَفَضَّلَ أَسماء بنَ حِصنٍ عليهم

سَماحَةُ أَسماءَ بن حصنٍ وَنائِلُه

And Asmaa son of Hisham preferred over them

The generosity of Asmaa son of Hisham and its attainments

فَمَن مِثلُ أَسماءَ بن حِصنٍ إِذا غَدَت

شآبيبُه أَم أَيُّ شَيءٍ يُعادِلُه

So who is like Asmaa son of Hisham when

His youthful sprigs, or what thing equals him?

وَكُنتُ إِذا لاقيتُ منهم حَطيطةً

لَقيتُ أَبا حَسّانَ تَندى أَصائِلُه

And I was, whenever I met a mean person from them

I met Abu Hassaan, his nobilities glistening

تَضيَّفُه غَسّانُ يَرجون سَيبَهُ

وَذو يَمَنٍ أَحبوشُهُ وَمَقاوِلُه

Ghassan entertains him hoping for his release

And the Yemeni Ahbasho his confidant and ally

فَتىً لا يَزالُ الدَهرَ ما عاشَ مُخصِباً

وَلَو كانَ بالموماةِ تَخدي رَواحِلُه

A knight, time does not cease to be fertile whilst he lives

And if he were with barrenness, his paths would be desolate

فَأَصبَحَ ما في الأَرضِ خَلقٌ عَلِمتُهُ

مِن الناسِ إِلّا باعُ أَسماءَ طائِلُه

So I found what is on earth of creatures I knew

Amongst people, none but the vendor of Asmaa his assets

تَراهُ إِذا ما جِئتَهُ متَهَلِّلاً

كَأَنَّكَ تُعطيهِ الَّذي أَنتَ سائِلُه

You see him when you come to him wavering

As if you give him that which you are asking of him

وَلَو لَم يَكُن في كَفِّهِ غَيرُ رَوحِهِ

لَجادَ بِها فليتَّقِ اللَهَ سائِلُه

And if he had nothing in his palm but his soul

He would give it, so let his asker beware of God

تَرى الجُندَ وَالأَعرابَ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

كَما وَردت ماءَ الكُلابِ نَواهِلُه

You see the soldiers and bedouins crowding his door

As the she-camels streamed to the water their calves

إِذا ما أَتوا أَبوابَهُ قالَ مَرحَباً

لِجوا البابَ حَتّى يَقتُلَ الجوعَ قاتِلُه

When they come to his doors he says welcome

Crowd the door even if hunger kills its killer

تَرى البازلَ البُختيَّ فَوقَ خِوانِه

مقطَّعةً أَعضاؤُهُ وَمَفاصِلُه

You see the unlucky, crippled above his bowls

His limbs severed and joints

إِذا ما أَتوا أَسماءَ كانَ هُوَ الَّذي

تَحلِّبُ كفاهُ النَدى وَأَنامِلُه

When they come to Asmaa it is he who

His palms drip with bounty and fingers

تَراهُم كَثيراً حينَ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

فتسترهم جُدرانُه وَمنازِلُه

You see them numerous when crowding his door

So his walls and dwellings shelter them