ما في شجاعة ذى السخا من شك

البخل جبن عن زوال الملك

There is no courage in the stingy despite their doubts,

Stinginess is cowardice against the fall of the kingdom,

لو جاد بالأموال فأحذر قربه

يوم النزال فإنه ذو فتك

If he is generous with money, beware of his nearness,

On the day of battle he is surely deceitful,

إن الشجاعة من يقين كالسخا

والذل والبخل نتيجا الشك

Courage is certainty like generosity,

And humiliation and stinginess are the result of doubt,

ولقد علمت بأن رزقا قد قضي

للمرء ما هو عنه بالمنفك

I knew that provision is already decreed,

For man whatever is inseparable from him,

لم تخش إقلالا بما أنفقته

لما قطعت الشك قطع الشك

You did not fear scarcity with what you spent,

When you cut off doubt you cut off doubt itself,

من قال إن كجود يحيى قد جرى

في الناس كذبناه فيما يحكى

Who said generosity flows,

In people we denied him in what is narrated,

لو أبصروك مؤرخوا كرمائهم

ندموا وقالوا من لنا بالترك

If your chroniclers saw your generosity,

They would regret and say who can surpass us?

ضحك الملوك وحق من عاصرته

ورأى حقارة قدره أن يبكي

The kings laughed in truth whoever lived with him,

And saw the lowness of his worth should weep,

أبناء آدم كلهم من طينة

لكن يحيى طينه من مسك

All the sons of Adam are from clay,

But Yahya’s clay is made from musk,

شهم فول سبك الرجال جميعهم

رجلا لما كافوه بعد السبك

Generous, pure metal, the best of all men,

A man, though they matched him after refining,

الطاره ابن الأشرف الملك الذي

بالجود أصبح آية في الملك

Al-Tare son of Al-Ashraf the king who,

Became a sign in the kingdom through his generosity,

الشح في أبناء آدم شيمة

والجود تكليف كمثل النسك

Stinginess is a trait among the sons of Adam,

While generosity is an obligation like fasting,

وطباع يحيى الجود لو لاطفته

ليشح خاف الشح خوف الشرك

And Yahya's nature is generosity, if it were refined,

He would fear stinginess like the fear of idolatry,

جمع المحاسن فيه من أطرافها

منظومة فكأنها في سلك

He combines all virtues from their edges,

Arranged as if threaded on a string,

يعطي وأن تشكر يزدك فتستحي

من شكره والحك داعي الحك

He gives and if you thank him he gives you more,

So you are shy to thank him, though gratitude calls for gratitude,

راع المعالي منه جود لم يزل

يمرى دما أمواله بالسفك

The guardian of glory, his generosity never,

Ceased to flow, shedding his wealth in outpouring,

كثرت عطاياه على أمواله

فوجمت مما نالها من هتك

His gifts increased over his money,

So I was silent about what reached them of disclosure,

وهممت أترك بعضها لكنه

يعطي سواى فلم يفدني تركى

And I thought to leave some of it but he,

Gives independently so my leaving did not benefit me,

يا رب يحيى قد علمت بأنه

بعطاه وسع كل عيش ضنك

O Lord, I knew that Yahya,

With his gifts, eased every straitened life,

يارب أنت بحب من هو دونه

في الجود فاضمنه ضمان الدرك

O Lord, you love those below him,

In generosity, so guarantee him the security of paradise,

وأدم له منك البقا في نعمة

وأبد عداه وعمهم بالهلك

And perpetuate his blessings and expand them,

And destroy his enemies with perdition,

وانصره وانصر كل جيش جره

واكشف به داجي الخطوب الحلك

And aid him, and aid every army he marched,

And repel with him the darkened afflictions,