ما جَبَلا طَيء بِأَمنَع مِن

زادِ عَليّ زَميلِ صِقلابِ

No mountain of Tay' is more impregnable

Than 'Ali, the polished sword blade of Allah.

ذاكَ اِمرُؤ إِن أَرَدتِ كِسرَتَهُ

جادَت لَنا عَينُهُ بِتَسيابِ

That man, if you want to break him

His eyes rain curses on you.

النَّاسُ أَصحابُهُ فَإِن ذَكَروا ال

خُبزَ فَلَيسوا لَهُ بِأَصحابِ

People are his friends. But if they mention no

Bread, they're no friends of his.

مَن يَشتَري اللَّحمَ ثُمَّ يُدخِلُهُ الت

تَنورَ وَالرِفقُ باب أَبوابِ

Who buys meat, then puts it in the

Oven, gentleness is the door of doors,

حَتّى إِذا بَلَّ حَرفَ كِسرَتِهِ

مِن دَسَمٍ جامِدٍ وَمُنسابِ

Until it's cooked to the point of breaking

Into juicy, congealed fatness,

خاصَمَ في اللَّحمِ كَي يَصِحَّ لَهُ الر

رَدّ قَنوعاً بِريح جَواذِبِ

Disputes over the meat, so as to justify

Taking it back, satisfied with a whiff of aromas,

مِن لُؤمِهِ أَنَّهُ إِذا مَنَعَ النَّا

سُ لَوى شِدقَهُ بِإِغرابِ

In his villainy, that if people withhold

Anything, he twists his lip in estrangement.