أَبانَ لَنا من درِّهِ يَومَ وَدَّعا

عُقوداً وَأَلفاظاً وَثغراً وَأَدمُعا

He showed us his generosity on the day he bid farewell

With promises, words, a smile, and tears

وَأبدى لنا من دَلِّه وَجَبينِهِ

وَمَنطَقِهِ مَلهىً وَمرأىً وَمَسمَعا

And he revealed to us from his affection, forehead,

And speech, entertainment, sight, and hearing

فَقُلتُ أَوجه لاح من تحت بُرقُعٍ

أَم البَدرُ بِالغَيمش الرَقيقِ تَبَرقَعا

So I said, does the full moon shine from under a cloak

Or is it the full moon shimmering through delicate clouds?

أَصَم منادي بينَهُم حينَ أَسمَعا

وَرَوَّعَ قَلباً بِالفِراقِ مُروَّعا

A deafcaller among them when they listened

And it startled a heart alarmed by separation

شجاع إِذا لاقى كَميّاً مجرَّدا

جَبانٌ إِذا لاقى غَزالاً مُقَنَّعا

Brave when facing a drawn sword

Cowardly when facing a cloaked gazelle

رَعى اللَهَ قَلباً بِالحِجازِ عَهِدتُهُ

وَإِن كُنتُ لا أَلقاهُ إِلّا مُودِّعا

May God guard a heart I entrusted in the Hijaz

Though I did not find him except bidding farewell

أُحِبُّ النَوى لا عَن قِلىً غَيرَ أَنَّني

أَرى أُم عمروٍ وَالنَوى أَبَداً مَعا

I love An-Nawa except not for roasting

For I see Umm Amr while An-Nawa is always with me

يُوفّي هَواها حَقَّهُ فَيَصونَهُ

وَلَيسَ يَطيب الحُبُّ إِلّا مُمَنَّعا

It fulfills her love rightly so it protects it

Love is not pleasant unless forbidden

وَفيها وَفي أَترابِها ليَ مَنظَرٌ

هُوَ العَيشُ لَو صادفت في الرَوضِ مَربعا

For her and her friends I have a sight

Which is life if I met it in a garden

حُجبنَ فَما يُبدين إِلّا لِنيَّة

بِنَفسي شُموس تَجعَل الغَرب مَطلعا

Veiled, so they do not show

Except to my soul, suns that make the west a rising place

وَلَمّا أَتَينَ الرَوض يَنشُرُ بَزَّهُ

تَضَوَّعن مِسكاً خالِصاً وَتَضَوَّعا

And when they came to the garden, spreading its carpets

They diffused pure musk and they diffused

وقدَّت كمام الزَهر عنه فخلته

عُيوناً وخلت الطَل مِنهُنَّ أَدمعا

The flowers' veils fell from it, so it was

Eyes, and it diffused tears from them

لَقَد خلقت عَيناه لِلسَّحرِ مَعدِناً

كَما خُلق الطَيموم للجودِ مَنبَعا

Indeed, his eyes were created as a mine for sorcery

As al-Taymum was created for generosity as a spring

وَما أَبدَع الشَمل المُشَتَّت بَينَنا

وَلَو جمع الشَمل الشَتيت لأَبدَعا

What a wonderful reunion between us

If the disunited group reunited, it would be wonderful

سَأَقلَع غَرسَ الحُبِّ قَبلَ عُسوِّهِ

فأعجله من قبل أَن يَتَفرَّعا

I will uproot the plant of love before it becomes strong

So I hurried it before it branched out

وَأَورِد أَمالي الصَواديَ مِن يَدي

أَبي غانِمٍ بَحراً مِنَ الجودِ مُترعا

And I present my hopes to the generosity

Of Abi Ghanim, a sea of generosity overflowing

سَحاباً إِذا استَسقيت جاد إِجابة

وَإِن لم تَرِد سُقياهُ جاد تَبَرُّعا

A cloud, if I asked it for rain, it would generously give

And if you did not want to water it, it volunteered to give

وَبَحراً إِذا ما غُصتَ لقّاك دُرَّهُ

وَإِن لَم تغص أَلقى لك الدُرَّ مُسرِعا

And a sea, if you dived in, its pearls would meet you

And if you didn't dive, it would hastily cast pearls to you

نَدى الوجه من فرط الصَرامَة كُلَّما

جَرى الماءُ في صِمصامَةٍ كانَ أَقطعا

The brightness of his face from excessive severity

Whenever water flowed in a waterskin, was more cutting

وَلَولا العَطايا أَنَّها سُنَّة لَهُ

لما قال لِلدُنيا إِذا عثرت لَعا

And were it not for gifts being a sunnah for him

He would not say to the world if it stumbled, "rise"

فإِن يَلبِس الدُنيا فَلِلجودِ لا لَها

وَإِن هَجَرَ الدُنيا فَعَنها ترفُّعا

So if he wore the world’s garment, it would be for generosity, not for it

And if he shunned the world, it would be disdain for it

يقطِّع آناء النَهارِ عَلى الطَوى

صِياماً وآناء الظَلام تَضَرُّعا

He breaks the vessels of daylight with fasting

And the vessels of darkness with prayers

يُراقِبُ إِحياء المَسا لِورودِهِ

إِذا راقَبَ المَرءُ المَساءَ ليَهجَعا

He anticipates the arrival of evening for its stillness

If one anticipates the evening, it is to sleep

إِذا كانَ حِفظُ الدينِ ما أَنتَ صانِع

فَلست تَرى في الناسِ إِلّا مضيعا

If preserving the religion is what you do

Then you don't see in people except wasting it

وَكَم قائِل لي كَيف مدحك هَكَذا

فَقُلتُ صِفوه إِنَّ لِلحَقِّ مُقنِعا

And how often it was said to me, "Why praise him this much?"

So I said, "Describe him, for the truth is convincing"

إِذا ما مدحت ابن الحسين بِوَصفِهِ

أَو البعض منه جِئتُ بِالمَدح أَجمعا

If I praised the son of Al-Hussein with his traits

Or some of them, I would have given comprehensive praise

كَريم إِذا عاداكَ لَم تَر مغنماً

مِنَ الذَمِ إِلّا أَن تَقول وَيَسمعا

Noble, if an enemy insults you, you do not see

In insult except to say, and he hears it, an advantage

تُتَبِّعُ نعماه بروق ابتسامِهِ

كَما أَتبع الغيث البروق تتبُّعا

You follow his blessings with the lightning of his smile

As rain follows lightning closely

وَتُمطِرُ لِلعافينَ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

برويتهم يَسقي الرَحيق المُشَعشِعا

And you rain upon the healthy as if

By watering them you watered glowing neon

وَلَو أَنَّ إِنساناً لعظمِ مَحلِّهِ

ترفَّع عَن قدر الثَناءِ تَرَفَّعا

And if a human, for his great status

Rose above the level of praise, it would be disdain

فَتىً ماله لِلوافِدين وَإِنَّما

يُضاف إِلَيهِ في الكَلامِ توسّعا

A young man whose wealth is for visitors, yet

He is only added to speech for politeness

وَلَيسَ يُعَدُّ الجود جوداً لأَنَّهُ

يَرى ما أَتاهُ واجِباً لا تَبرُّعا

Generosity is not considered generosity since

He sees what came to him as obligatory, not voluntary

إِذا شرعت أَقلامه في كِتابَةٍ

رأَيت العَوالي في الكَتائِبِ شُرَّعا

When his pens set out to write

You see the high parts in notebooks unleashed

وَإِن صدعت أَنيابهن بِمُديةٍ

رَأَيتُ لَها شمل الحَديد مصدَّعا

And if their fangs were bared with a smile

You would see their iron mass shattered

تَخِرُّ غداة الرَوعِ في الطِرسِ سُجَّدا

فَبيضٌ كَبيضِ الهِندِ في الهامِ رُكَّعا

Bashful in the morning at the sight of the pillows bowed down

So white like the whiteness of Indian swords bowed down

تظلُّ سُيوف الهِندِ عِندَ صَريرِها

يُتَبِّعها فيما أَرادَ تَتَبُّعا

The Indian swords, when they clatter, follow

What he wants them to follow closely

وَلَو مَسَّ أَنبوب اليَراعِ رأَيته

يُلَبي أَنابيبَ الرِماحِ إِذا دَعى

And if he touched the spear shaft you would see it

Respond to the spearheads when he called

وَما أَحَدٌ في كتَبةٍ أَو كَتيبَةٍ

بأَسجَعَ مِنهُ في الكِتابِ وَأَشجَعا

And no one in a writers' brigade or army brigade

Is more eloquent in writing and courageous

فَصيح إِذا ما جال لَم ير مغنماً

مِنَ العَيشِ إِلّا أَن يَقول وَيَسمعها

Articulate, so when warring he sees no advantage

In living except to say and be heard

سَعى لِلعلى حَتّى إِذا ما أَصابَها

أَتَتهُ العُلى تَسعى إِلَيهِ بِما سَعى

He sought the heights until when he attained it

The heights came seeking him for what he sought

وتحرز ما تغنى بِهِ فَكَأَنَّما

تخال الفَتى مثل الغناء مُرجَّعا

And it protected what it sang of him, so it was as if

The young man was like singing echoing

وترقص أَطراف القَنا عن جبينه

إِذا ما اعتَرى يَومَ الهياجِ أَو ادَّعى

And the edges of his spears shook about his forehead

Whenever the day of excitement or claim came

إِذا ما دَعى الداعوَ حيَّ عَلى النَدى

وَحيَّ عَلى الهيجاء أَقبل مسرعا

If the caller called, "come alive for fervor!

And come alive for excitement!" he came rushing

وَجَيشٍ كَأَنَّ الشَمسَ قَد لَبِسَت بِهِ

مِنَ النَقعِ وَالطَيرِ الحَوائِمِ بُرقُعا

And an army as if the sun had dressed itself in it

With ostriches and wild birds patching it

شققت إِلى أَبطالِهِ الصَفَّ مِثلَما

شققت بِنصفين الرِداء الموشَّعا

It tore through its heroes, just as

It tore the patterned cloak in two

بِأَبيَض يفري كل درعٍ وَجِنَّة

فَلَيسَ يُحاشي حاسِراً أَو مدرعا

With white that made each coat of mail and shield glisten

So it did not avoid one with mail or armor

وَلَم أَرَ كالطَيمومِ إِلّا أَبا النَدى

كريمين مِن أَصلٍ كَريم تفرَّعا

I did not see one like at-Taymum except Abu an-Nadaa

Two noble ones from a noble origin that branched out

لِكُلِّ بهاءٌ مِنكُما غير أَنَّني

رأَيتكُما أَبهى إِذا كُنتُما معا

For each of you there is glory except I saw you

More glorious when you two were together

لَو أَنَّكُما بَعد التَأزُرِ مُتما

تضعضع رضوى أَو شرورى تضعضعا

Together, you two are like two shining jewels

And a light, and like the Pair when joined

مَعاً أَنتُما كالنَيِّرينِ مَحلة

وَنوراً ومثل الفرقدين تجمعا

Abu Hasan, you revived Hatim with generosity

And Luqman with wisdom and Tubba with kingship

أَبا حسن أَحيَيتَ بِالجودِ حاتِماً

وَبالحُلُمِ لُقماناً وَبِالمُلكِ تُبَّعا

You were predisposed to the religion of nobility so you gained it

So you attained the heights predisposedly and affectedly

فُطرتَ عَلى دينِ النَدى فاكتسبته

فَحُزتَ المَعالي فِطرَةً وَتَصَنُّعا

And you positioned it above the heavens in rank

So no greed remained for others in generosity

ورتَّبته فَوقَ السَموات رُتبَةً

فَلَم يَبقَ في جودٍ لغيركَ مَطمَعا

You blocked the people of the world, the assembly of powers

And truly, you had blocked them before that as infants

لَقَد سُدتَ أَهل الأَرضِ مُجتمع القوى

وَقَد سُدتَّهم من قبل ذَلِك مُرضعا

If the first of calamities befell you with its stab

Then do not hope for the last of it to drive away harm

إِذا أَول الخُطيِّ أَخطاك طعنه

فَلا ترج في أَخراهُ لِلضَّيمِ مدفعا

When the path of praise was too narrow for a person

I saw the path of praise to you spacious

إِذا ما طَريق المَدحِ ضاق عَلى امرىءٍ

رأَيتُ طَريق المَدحِ نَحوَكَ مهيعا

So if I said a lion, you would be the bravest protection

And if I said a rain, you would be the most beneficial place

فَإِن قُلتَ لَيثاً كُنتَ أَشجَع مَدفَعا

وَإِن كُنتَ غيثاً كُنتَ أَنفَع موقعا

And if I said a sea, you would be the sweetest spring

And if I said a full moon, you would be the furthest rising

وَإِن قلت بَحراً كُنتَ أَعذَب مورداً

وَإِن قُلتُ بَدراً كُنتَ أَبعَد مطلعا

You celebrated this present feast which is present

And you celebrated a thousand like it anticipated

فَهُنِّيتَ ذا العيد الَّذي هوَ حاضِرٌ

وَهُنيتَ أَلفاً مثله مُتَوَقَّعا

Your era is feasts and you celebrated the like

And I do not single out today except to unite them

زَمانكَ أَعياد وَهُنِّيت مثلها

ولست أَخُصُّ اليَومَ إِلّا لأَجمَعا

You disliked the company of money out of generosity so

Its owner only sees your treasuries bidding farewell

كرهتَ جوار المالِ من كَرَمٍ فَما

يَرى مالُك الخَزّانِ إِلّا مودِّعا

He is humble due to extreme composure, that

When something high is weighed, it is haughty

تَواضَعَ من فَرطِ الرَجاحَةِ أَنَّهُ

إِذا وزن الشَيء الرَفيع ترفَّعا

God has dressed the country and its people

With your character, a crown studded with heights

لَقَد أَلبَسَ اللَهَ البِلادَ وَأَهلَها

بِشخصلك تاجاً بِالمَعالي مرصَّعا

You remained for the lifetime, hoped for and feared

So life is but that you harm and benefit

بَقيتَ بَقاء الدَهرِ تُرجى وَتُتَّقى

فَما العَيشُ إِلّا أَن تَضُرَّ وَتَنفَعا