تَميمَ بنَ زَيدٍ قَد سَأَلتُكَ حاجَةً

لِتَجعَلَهُ مِن بَعضِ ما كُنتَ لي تُهدي

Tamim, son of Zayd, I have asked a favor of you

To make him one of those gifts you used to bestow on me

وَكانَ تَميمٌ لي إِذا ما دَعَوتُهُ

أَجابَ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

And Tamim was, whenever I called him,

Responsive as a sword drawn smoothly from its sheath

فَما بِتُّ إِلّا بَيَّتَت أُمُّ عارِضٍ

عَلى عارِضٍ تَبكي مُشَقَّقَةَ البُردِ

Yet I stayed not but in the abode of Umm ‘Aridh

Weeping for ‘Aridh, shivering in the cold

فَهَب لي اِبنَها فيما وَهَبتَ فَرُبَّما

وَهَبتَ طَريفاتِ العَطاءِ مَعَ التُلدِ

So grant me her son in your generosity

For often you have granted fine gifts along with the common