عَلَيك أَبا الغر الكِرام سَلام

فَأَنتَ لِكُل الخائِفين سَلام

Peace upon you, O father of eminent generosity

For you are peace for all the fearful

أَلَم تَرهم عَن قَصد غَيرك أَمسَكوا

كَما أَنَّهُم عَن زاد غَيرك صاموا

Have you not seen them abstain from any purpose but you

As if they fasted from any provision but you

فَأَنتَ لَهُم غَيث إِذا شح غَيثهم

وَأَنتَ إِذا انجابَ الغَمام غَمام

You are their abundant rain when their rain is scarce

And you are their cloud when the clouds pour

وَأَنتَ لَهُم هاد إِذا جَدَ جدهم

وَلَولاك في وادي الضَلال لَهاموا

You are their guide when their struggle intensifies

And without you they would wander in the valleys of loss

إِذا سَهِروا مِن طارق قُمت دونه

فَلاذوا كَما لاذَ الصَبي وَناموا

When they stay up at night fearing an intruder, you stand in his way

So they find refuge and sleep like a child

بِكَ انتَظَم الملك الرَفيع وَحكمه

وَلَولاك لَم يَظهر عَلَيهِ نِظام

Through you the sublime kingdom and its rule are organized

Without you, no system would be imposed on it

تنور مِن آرائك البيض خطبه

لِأَنك نور وَالخطوب ظَلام

Your views illuminate the pure white of his speeches

Because you are light and calamities are darkness

وَإِن جمح الأَمر الخَطير رَدَدته

لأَنك لِلأَمر الجَموح لِجام

And if a grave matter gets out of hand you subdue it

For you restrain any rampant issue

فَكُل إِمام أَنتَ عَيبة سره

وَأَنتَ لَهُ في الحادِثات إِمام

So every leader, you are the confidant of his secret

And for him, in events you are the leader

سَبَقت الأُلى فازوا بِكُل كَريمة

فَأَنتَ لِكُل السابِقين أَمام

The excellent ones raced ahead, winning every generosity

For you are ahead of all the outpacing

عَلَوت وَلَكن مَن يُداينك في العُلى

وَهَل منصب البَدر التَمام يُسام

You ascended, but who can compete with you in ascension?

And can the position of the full moon be envied?

عَلَيك الوَرى أَثنَت وَعَن غَيرك انثَنَت

فَإِن شذ فَرد ما عَلَيهِ ملام

The people of the land praised you and turned away from others

So if one strays, repeal what is blamed on him

بَصير وَلَكن تَعتريه غَشاوة

نشوق وَلَكن يَعتريه زُكام

Insightful but overtaken at times by blindness

Yearning, but afflicted at times by cold

وَماذا عَسى الشاني وَإِن جَد جده

يشين بدور التم وَهيَ تَمام

What can the critic achieve, however intensely he tries,

To diminish the perfect full moons?

تَزاحم أَقوام لإِدراك شأوهم

فَقصر عَنهُ غارب وَسَنام

Some people crowded to attain their status

But the declining sun and fading stars fell short

هُم عَلِموا حَقاً وَعَنهُ تَجاهَلوا

وَهُم أَبصَروا شَمس الضُحى وَتَعاموا

They knew the truth yet ignored it

And they saw the dawn sun then pretended to be blind

فَبرقهم في الناس أَصبح خلباً

وَغَيمهم بَين العباد جهام

So their lightning among people has become an ember

And their cloud among worshipers is lost

تَحلوا بِحلي الغانيات فَإِن بَدا

لَهُم صارخ أَرخوا الستور وَناموا

They adorned themselves with the jewelry of singing girls, so if

A screaming herald exposed them, they dropped the curtains and slept

وَلَو دامَت الدَولات كانوا كَغَيرهم

رَعايا وَلَكن ما لَهُن دَوام

And if dynasties lasted, they would be like others,

Subjects, but alas, they do not last

وَكَيف يَفوت المَجد من كانَ كَفه

طَعاماً وَأَما عرفه فحسام

And how can glory elude him whose palm is

Food, while his honorable nature is a sword?

يَهب نَسيم الجود مِن روح كَفه

وَمِن عَزمه للناكِثين حمام

The breeze of his generosity blows from his palm

And from his resolve comes a hot wind for oath-breakers

إِذا أَقبَلت سود الكَتائب وَانبرت

وَثار عَلى بيض الوجوه قتام

When the black regiments advance and move forth

And darkness covers the white faces

يُعانق مَفتوق الغرارين مصلتاً

وَيَأبى عِناق البيض وَهوَ يرام

He embraces the parted with compassion

And refuses to embrace the whites, though they beckon

حَنانيك يا ابن الراثشين لِمَن أَتى

وَمَن هُم لِجَيش الناكثين سهام

Your tenderness, O son of ash-dust, is for those who come

While for the army of oath-breakers you have arrows

أَبوك الَّذي قَد زين البيت حمير

وَعَمك كَهلان وَجدك سام

Your father who adorned the house, Bugheer

And your uncle Kelhan, and your grandfather Saam

إِلى تبع تعزى إِلى هود تَنتَمي

عَلَيهِ صَلاة جَمة وَسَلام

You trace your lineage to Tubba and descend from Hood

Upon them many prayers and peace

فَهُم تُحفة المُحتاج لِلّه درهم

وَمنها جَهم لا يعتريه ظَلام

They are a precious coin for one needing provision from God

With it is no darkness overcoming gloom

إِذا غاب مِنكُم ماجد قامَ ماجد

أَمام حسام فاصل وَهمام

When one glorious one among you passes away, another stands

Ahead of the decisive and protective swords

تَواطأت الدُنيا بِكُم وَتَمهدت

فَما دُمتُم فيها فَلَيسَ تُضام

The world has agreed with you and smoothed itself

So as long as you are in it, it will not be constricted

فَكَم بَلَد قَد حاوَل السَير أَهله

وَلَكنهم لَما رأوك أَقاموا

Many a country whose people attempted to travel

But when they saw you, they stayed

فَلا البَصرة الفَيحاء لَولاك مَسكَناً

وَلَولاك ما دارَ السَلام سَلام

Neither would Basra the fragrant be a dwelling without you

Nor would the abode of peace be peaceful without you

قَدمت فَيا خَير الوَرى خَير مقدم

بِهِ الحيف يُجلى وَالكِتاب يُقام

You came, so O best of creation, best arrival

With whom falsehood is exposed and justice is served

وَجئت فيا أَهلاً وَسَهلاً وَمَرحَباً

بِنير مجد ما عَلَيه غمام

You came, so welcome, hello, greetings

With an aura of glory no clouds overcast

بِكَ الربع ربع وَالدنا مُستنيرة

بِكَ الدار دار وَالمقام مقام

Through you this land became a land

Through you this house became a home and this stay became a stay

لَكَ العزة الغَراء وَالهمة الَّتي

لَها الدَهر عَبد وَالزَمان غُلام

For you is the sublime honor and the aspiration

Which time is slave to and eras are boy to

فَلا خَلَت الزوراء منكَ مَدى المدى

فَكَأنَّها في بَحر جودك عامرا

Zawraa will never lack you for ages upon ages

It is as though it floats in the sea of your generosity

وَلا بَرحت أَقمار مَجدك تَرتَقي

إِلى فلك الأَفلاك وَهِيَ تَمام

The moons of your glory do not cease rising

To the sphere of spheres, reaching perfect fullness

وَلا زالَ طَير السَعد فيكَ مكرراً

عَلَيك أَبا الغُر الكِرام سَلام

The birds of bliss do not stop circulating around you

Peace upon you, O father of eminent generosity