إِذا مِسمَعٌ أَعطَتكَ يَوماً يَمينُهُ
فَعُدتَ غَداً عادَت عَلَيكَ شِمالُها
If a generous person gave you with their right hand one day,
But you returned the next day, their left hand would give to you.
شِمالٌ مِنَ الأَيمانِ عادَت عَطِيَّةً
يُهانُ وَيُعطى في الحَقائِقِ مالُها
A left hand returning generosity after the right -
Humility receives while arrogance owns what is its due.
لَها سورَةٌ كانَ المُعَلّى بَنى لَها
مَكارِمَ ما كانَت يَدانِ تَنالُها
To it belongs a chapter for which the Exalted One built,
Noble qualities which only righteous hands could accrue,
مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا مِن قُرَيشٍ وَدارِمٍ
إِذا سَبَقَ الأَيدي القِصارَ طِوالُها
From mankind except for Quraysh and the Darim,
When short hands surpassed in greed the generous hands' virtue.
أَعِد لي عَطاءً كُنتَ عَوَّدتَني لَهُ
جَدا دَفقَةً كانَت غِزاراً سِجالُها
Prepare for me a gift you had accustomed me to,
Flowing heavily, its pouring forth profuse.
وَرِثتُم عَنِ الجارودِ قِدراً وَجَفنَةً
كَثيراً إِذا اِحمَرَّ الشِتاءُ عِيالُها
You inherited from Al-Jaroud temperance and restraint,
Abundant when the winter reddened the cheeks of its youth.
مِنَ السودِ يَحمِلنَ اليَتامى كَأَنَّهُم
فِراخٌ عَلى الأَوراكِ زُغبٌ حِصالُها
Of the black ones who carry the orphans as if they were
Chicks upon the nests - downy are their body hair and down.
تَرى النارَ عَن مِثلِ النَعامَةِ حَولَها
لَها شُطَبٌ تَطفو سِماناً مَحالُها
You see fire circling them like the ostrich,
It has marked thighs that float with fat plump.
لَهُ راحَةٌ بَيضاءُ يَندى بَنانُها
قَليلٌ إِذا اِعتَلَّ البَخيلُ اِعتِلالُها
It has a white rest on which its fingers relax,
Measured when the miser is stricken with miserliness' malady.
فَدونَكَ هَذي مِن ثَنائي فَإِنَّها
لَها غُرَّةٌ بَيضاءُ باقٍ جَمالُها
So this is my praise for you, which will remain
With an eternal radiance and brilliant beauty.
وَأَنتَ لِعَبدِ القَيسِ سَيفٌ تَسُلُّهُ
عَلى مَن يُعاديها وَأَنتَ هِلالُها
And you are to Abd al-Qays a sword he draws
Against those who oppose her while you are her crescent moon.
