شُرَيحُ لا تَترُكَنّي بَعدَما عَلِقَت

حِبالَكَ اليَومَ بَعدَ القِدِّ أَظفاري

Do not leave me, oh Sharīḥ, after your ropes

Have clung today to my mature nails

قَد طُفتُ ما بَينَ بانِقيا إِلى عَدَنٍ

وَطالَ في العُجمِ تِرحالي وَتَسياري

I roamed between Banīqiyā and Aden

My wandering and traveling was long among foreigners

فَكانَ أَوفاهُمُ عَهداً وَأَمنَعَهُم

جاراً أَبوكَ بِعُرفٍ غَيرِ إِنكارِ

The most faithful of them in keeping a covenant and

The most impregnable neighbor was your father through customary accord without refusal

كَالغَيثِ ما اِستَمطَروهُ جادَ وابِلُهُ

وَعِندَ ذِمَّتِهِ المُستَأسِدُ الضاري

Like rain whose downpour they begged for, he was generous and pouring

And with his guaranty, the fierce attacking lion

كُن كَالسَمَوأَلِ إِذ سارَ الهُمامُ لَهُ

في جَحفَلٍ كَسَوادِ اللَيلِ جَرّارِ

Be like the high clouds when the courageous souls set out for it

In a group dark like the blackness of flowing night

جارُ اِبنِ حَيّا لِمَن نالَتهُ ذِمَّتُهُ

أَوفى وَأَمنَعُ مِن جارِ اِبنِ عَمّارِ

Ibn Ḥayyān's neighbor, for one whom his guaranty reached

Is more faithful and impregnable than the neighbor of Ibn 'Ammār

بِالأَبلَقِ الفَردِ مِن تَيماءَ مَنزِلُهُ

حِصنٌ حَصينٌ وَجارٌ غَيرُ غَدّارِ

His abode at Abalaq al-Fard in Taima’ is a fortress, a stronghold

And a neighbor without betrayal

إِذ سامَهُ خُطَّتي خَسفٍ فَقالَ لَهُ

مَهما تَقُلهُ فَإِنّي سامِعٌ حارِ

When Khussat directed me to him, he said to him

Whatever you say, I am a listening protector

فَقالَ ثُكلٌ وَغَدرٌ أَنتَ بَينَهُما

فَاِختَر وَما فيهِما حَظٌّ لِمُختارِ

So he said, "unfaithfulness and betrayal, between them you are

So choose, and there is no share for the chooser between them"

فَشَكَّ غَيرَ قَليلٍ ثُمَّ قالَ لَهُ

اِذبَح هَدِيَّكَ إِنّي مانِعٌ جاري

He doubted for a while, then said to him

"Slaughter your sacrifice, I am the protector of my neighbor"

إِنَّ لَهُ خَلَفاً إِن كُنتَ قاتِلَهُ

وَإِن قَتَلتَ كَريماً غَيرَ عُوّارِ

"He has relatives if you kill him

And if you kill a generous man not given to shame

مالاً كَثيراً وَعِرضاً غَيرَ ذي دَنَسٍ

وَإِخوَةً مِثلَهُ لَيسوا بِأَشرارِ

With much wealth, and honor without blemish

And brothers like him who are no evildoers

جَرَوا عَلى أَدَبٍ مِنّي بِلا نَزَقٍ

وَلا إِذا شَمَّرَت حَربٌ بِأَغمارِ

They flowed with good manners from me without misery

Or when war stirred with overflowing

وَسَوفَ يُعقِبُنيهِ إِن ظَفِرتَ بِهِ

رَبٌّ كَريمٌ وَبيضٌ ذاتُ أَطهارِ

And if you gain victory over him, a Lord, Generous,

And chaste women will inherit me

لا سِرُّهُنَّ لَدَينا ضائِعٌ مَذِقٌ

وَكاتِماتٌ إِذا اِستودِعنَ أَسراري

Their secrets are not lost with us, tasted,

And secret keepers when entrusted with secrets"

فَقالَ تَقدِمَةً إِذ قامَ يَقتُلُهُ

أَشرِف سَمَوأَلُ فَاِنظُر لِلدَمِ الجاري

So when he stood to kill him, he said as an offering

"Noble Samaw’al, look at the flowing blood of the neighbor"

أَأَقتُلُ اِبنَكَ صَبراً أَو تَجيءُ بِها

طَوعاً فَأَنكَرَ هَذا أَيَّ إِنكارِ

"Shall I kill your son with patience, or will you bring her

Willingly?" He refused this with refusal

فَشَكَّ أَوداجَهُ وَالصَدرُ في مَضَضٍ

عَلَيهِ مُنطَوِياً كَاللَذعِ بِالنارِ

His intestines were wrenched and his chest was in pain

Folded over him like branding with fire

وَاِختارَ أَدراعَهُ أَن لا يُسَبَّ بِها

وَلَم يَكُن عَهدُهُ فيها بِخَتّارِ

He chose his arms that he not be insulted by them

And he had no skill in them as a chooser

وَقالَ لا أَشتَري عاراً بِمَكرُمَةٍ

فَاِختارَ مَكرُمَةَ الدُنيا عَلى العارِ

And he said, "I will not buy shame with an honor"

So he chose the honor of the world over shame

وَالصَبرُ مِنهُ قَديماً شيمَةٌ خُلُقٌ

وَزَندُهُ في الوَفاءِ الثاقِبُ الواري

And patience from him was an old trait, a nature

And his heroism in unwavering loyalty was piercing and protective