لا زالَ سَعيُكَ مَقروناً بِهِ الرَشَدُ

وَطُولُ عُمرِكَ مَعموراً بِهِ الأَبَدُ

Your endeavor remains guided by wisdom

And the length of your life populated by eternity

يا بَحرَ جُودٍ إِذا جادَت غَوارِبُهُ

فَكُلُّ بَحرٍ سِواهُ في النَدى ثَمَدُ

O ocean of generosity, when its waves surge

Every other ocean pales in bounty

كَم مِن يَدلَكَ عِندَ المَجدِ قَد غَرَسَت

مَكارِماً ما لِمَخلوقٍ بِهِنَّ يَدُ

How many noble traits your hand has planted

That no other creature could have planted

يَنتابُكَ الناسُ أَفواجاً فَتُصدِرُهُم

عَن مَورِدٍ غَيرِ مَذمومٍ إِذا وَرَدُوا

People come to you in droves and you send them off

From a pristine spring when they arrive

وَيُصبحُ القَومُ يَهدِي مِن حَدِيثِهمُ

إِلَيكَ حَمداً بَعيداً كُلَّما بَعُدُوا

And people begin their day attributing

Distant praise to you the further they go

أَمُّوا نَداكَ ففازُوا بِالَّذي طَلَبوا

وَفُزتَ مِنهُم بِما أَثنَوا وَما حَمَدوا

They came to you for help and attained what they sought

While you gained from them what they praised and lauded

مِن كُلِّ مُجتَهدٍ يُثني وَأَنتَ لَهُ

فيما بَذَلتَ مِنَ الإِحسانِ مُجتَهِدُ

Every diligent man who praises you

For the benevolence you have shown is diligent

مَنَّت عَلَيكَ بِهِ البَيداءُ وَاِبتَدَأَت

فِعلاً جَميلاً إِلَيهِ العِرمِسُ الأُجُدُ

The desert blessed you and was first

To undertake this fine deed, so very generous

وَفِتيَةٍ أنجَدَت في المُقفِراتِ بِهِم

عَرامِسٌ طالَ مِن إِنجادِها النُجُدُ

And children you rescued in desolate places

Whose rescue by them was most outstanding

أَسرَت يُغَمِّضُ طُولُ السَيرِ أَعيُنها

وَطالَما كَفَّ عَن أَبصارِها الرَمَدُ

Traveling wearied their eyes so that they closed

And for long their vision was clouded by mucus

تَلقى السِياطَ بِأَقرابٍ مُلَحَّبَةٍ

مِثلَ السِياطِ مِنَ الوَخدِ الَّذي تَخِدُ

They endured whips alongside beloved kin

Like the blows of whips on an affectionate cheek

مَجهولَةُ البِيدِ لَم يُمدَد بِها طُنُبٌ

مِنَ الغَريبِ وَلَم يُضرَب بِها وَتِدُ

The unknown desert where no tent pegs were hammered

By strangers and no poles were pegged

كَأَنَّما الآلُ فيها حينَ تَنظُرُهُ

يَمٌّ وَمَوّارُها مِن فَوقِهِ زَبَدُ

As if its dunes, when you observe them

Are roaring seas with foaming foam above

ضَلُّوا بِها فَهَداهُم في الدُجى مَلِكٌ

جَبِينُهُ مِثلَ نُورِ الشَمسِ يَتَّقِدُ

They lost their way so a king guided them in the darkness

His forehead shining like the blazing sun

أَغَرُّ لا يَقصِدُ القُصّادُ نائِلَهُ

إِلّا وَيَغمرُهُم مَعرُوفُ مَن قَصَدُوا

Most noble, no archers can hit their target

Unless overwhelmed by the benevolence of those they sought

مِن آل مِرداسَ خَيرِ الناسِ إِن رَحَلَوا

وَإِن أَقامُوا وَإِن غابُوا وَإِن شَهِدُوا

Of the family of Mirdas, the best of people, whether they leave

Or stay or are absent or attend

تَلقى النَدى وَالرَدى فيهم فَقَد عُرِفُوا

بِالصِدقِ إِن أَوعدُ وَاشَرّاً وَإِن وَعَدُوا

They meet praise and grace, their repute is known

For their truthfulness whether they promise or make a vow

شُمُّ العَرانينِ في آنافِهِم أَنَفٌ

عَنِ القَبيحِ وَفي أَعناقِهم صَيَدُ

The scent of meadows in their nostrils is a nose

That spurns disgrace and their necks bear prey

إِن تَلقَهُم تَلقَ مِنهُم في مَجالِسِهِم

قَوماً إِذا سُئِلُوا جادُوا بِما وَجَدُوا

If you meet them you meet people who, when asked,

Give freely of what they can afford

نالُوا السَماءَ وَحَطّوا مِن نُفوسِهِم

إِنَّ الكِرامَ إِذا اِنحَطُّوا فَقَد صَعَدُوا

They attained heaven and climbed down from their souls

For the noble, when they descend, have climbed up

مُحَسَّدُونَ وَلَو لَم يَعلُ قَدرُهُم

عَن قَدرِ كُلِّ جَليلِ القَدرِ ما حُسِدُوا

Envied, even if the extent of their worth

Was not known to exceed all people of worth

بَنى المُعِزُّ لَهُم غَيطاءَ مُشرِفَةً

في العِزِّ لَم يَبنِها مِن قَبلِهِ أَحَدُ

Al-Muizz built Ghyta'a for them, lofty

In honor - none before had built it

يا عُدَّةَ الدَولَةِ القِرمُ الَّذي فَعَلَت

أَفعالَهُ الغُرُّ مالا تَفعَلُ العُدَدُ

O mainstay of the state, the hero who has accomplished

Deeds the valorous cannot accomplish

جُزِيتَ مِن والِدٍ خَيراً عَلى نِعَمٍ

حَصَّلتَها فَتَلَقّى دَرَّها الوَلَدُ

You were rewarded by a parent for blessings

You acquired, and the son reaps their harvest

وافى لِيَنعَمَ فيما قَد كَسِبتَ لَهُ

وَالشِبلُ يَأكُلُ مِمّا يَفرِسُ الأَسَدُ

Loyally enjoying what you gained for him

For the cub eats from the prey the lion hunts

فَاسلَم لَهُ وَلِثَغرٍ بِتَّ تَكَلأُهُ

مِنَ العَدُوِّ كَلاكَ الواحِدُ الأَحَدُ

So make peace with him and with a border through which he

Fends off the enemy, biting as one

وَلا خَلا مِنكَ لا سَمعٌ ولا بَصَرٌ

وَلا سَريرٌ وَلا قَصرٌ وَلا بَلَدُ

You cannot be without him - no hearing, sight,

Throne, palace or city