ما بحريثٍ نال ابنُه الكرما

لكن بما قد أباحنا الحُرما

No son of a generous man ever attained generosity

Except through violating the unlawful and making it lawful

جادَ بأشياءَ لا يجادُ بها

لشيمةٍ فيه بذَّتِ الشيما

He gave generously with things one would not usually give generously

For the sake of his values, though they were shameful values

كلُّ جوادٍ في ملْكه حَرَمٌ

وليس شيءٌ في مِلكهِ حَرُما

Every generous man regards his possessions as unlawful

And nothing he owns remains forbidden to give

أصبحَ قُدَّامَ من تقدَّمه

جوداً وإن همْ تقدموا قِدَما

He has surpassed those who preceded him in generosity

Though they preceded him in time

يا أيها العائبون شِيمتَهُ

ضعوا المقاييسَ بيننا حَكما

O you who criticize his values

Set the scales of judgment between us

أسمحُ من تعلمونَ حاتِمُكُم

وإنما كان يمنح النَّعما

He is more tolerant than your legendary Hatim

Who only bestowed favors

فمَنْ سختْ نفسُهُ بحرمته

فهْو الذي ليس بعدهُ كرما

So one whose soul is hardened by its sanctity

Is not generous after it becomes hardened

ثلاثةٌ يُعرفُ السَّخاءُ بها

فقوِّموها ورتِّبوا القِيما

Generosity is known through three things

Appraise them and arrange their worth

المالُ والنفسُ وهْيَ تَفْضُلُهُ

والحُرُماتُ التي تَفِي بهما

Wealth, life, and the greater of the two

And the sanctities that accompany them both

وذاك أن النفوس تخطر عن

هنَّ وتستمطرُ السيوفَ دما

For souls can transcend

Them, and swords can rain blood

واللَّهِ أنْ لو رآه حاتمُكُمْ

وكعبُكُم ألقيا له السَّلما

By God, if your Hatim saw him

And your Ka'b, they would make peace with him

أُثني عليه ببعضِ نعمَتِه

فأرغم الله أنف من رَغِمَا

I praise him for some of his bounty

And so spite those who spite him

والحمد لله لا شريك له

من لَم يَقُلها فنفسه ظلما

And praise be to God with no partner

One who does not say it wrongs himself