بنداك أصبحَ حاتمٌ في قبرهِ

بنداك أصبحَ حاتمٌ في قبرهِ

حسداً يئنُّ وما لهُ تأساءُ

حسداً يئنُّ وما لهُ تأساءُ

At your largesse, Hatim has begun, there in his grave,

Your generosity has left Hatim, in his grave,

to groan with envy, with no consolation.

groaning with envy, with no consolation.

ولأنتَ بين أولي المكارم مفردٌ

ولأنتَ بين أولي المكارم مفردٌ

شهدت بفرط سخائهِ الاعداءُ

شهدت بفرط سخائهِ الاعداءُ

Among the masters of noble deeds, you alone are peerless—

And among the noble you are indeed a man without equal,

a man to whose surpassing generosity even enemies testify.

to whose immense generosity even enemies have borne witness.

قد مثلَّوك ببحرِ ماءٍ زاخرٍ

قد مثلَّوك ببحرِ ماءٍ زاخرٍ

لكنّهم في ذا المثال اساؤا

لكنّهم في ذا المثال اساؤا

They likened you to a sea of surging water,

They have likened you to a sea brimming with water,

but in that comparison they erred.

but in this comparison they have erred.

فالبحر ملحٌ لا يطاق وجودك

فالبحر ملحٌ لا يطاق وجودك

الطامي زلالٌ فيهِ ثمَّ شفاء

الطامي زلالٌ فيهِ ثمَّ شفاء

For the sea is salt and cannot be borne, while your bounty—

For the sea is salty and unbearable, while your generosity,

overflowing—is sweet water, with healing in it besides.

overflowing, is sweet, pure water, with healing in it besides.

والبحرُ يمسك طامعاً ما عندهُ

والبحرُ يمسك طامعاً ما عندهُ

وغناكَ مبذولٌ بهِ إثراءُ

وغناكَ مبذولٌ بهِ إثراءُ

The sea, covetous, withholds whatever it has,

And the sea greedily holds on to what it has,

whereas your wealth is freely bestowed, enriching others.

while your wealth is freely given, bringing prosperity.

ما انتَ بحرٌ دام يجمع مُذخراً

ما انتَ بحرٌ دام يجمع مُذخراً

بل أنتَ وادٍ سال عنهُ الماءُ

بل أنتَ وادٍ سال عنهُ الماءُ

You are no sea forever gathering up a hoard,

You are no sea that keeps gathering and hoarding;

but a valley from which the water has flowed forth.

rather, you are a valley from which the water has flowed away.