أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الجودَ أَرسَلَ فاِنتَقى

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الجودَ أَرسَلَ فاِنتَقى

حَليفَ صَفاءٍ وَأَتلى لا يُزايلُه

حَليفَ صَفاءٍ وَأَتلى لا يُزايلُه

Have you not seen how generosity went forth and chose

Do you not see how generosity has sent forth and chosen

an ally of pure friendship, and pledged never to leave him?

A friend of purity and recited that which does not abandon him

تَخَيَّرَ أَسماءَ بنَ حِصنٍ فَبُطِّنَت

تَخَيَّرَ أَسماءَ بنَ حِصنٍ فَبُطِّنَت

بِفِعلِ العُلى أَيمانُه وَشَمائِلُه

بِفِعلِ العُلى أَيمانُه وَشَمائِلُه

It chose Asma ibn Hisn, and so were filled

He preferred the names of Ibn Hisham so his oaths were clothed

with lofty deeds his right and left hands.

With the actions of the Most High, his right hand and left

وَلا مَجدَ إِلّا مَجدُ أَسماءَ لَو جَرى

وَلا مَجدَ إِلّا مَجدُ أَسماءَ لَو جَرى

وَلا جَرى إِلّا جَريُ أَسماءَ فاضِلُه

وَلا جَرى إِلّا جَريُ أَسماءَ فاضِلُه

No glory could rival Asma's glory in a race,

And no glory except the glory of Asmaa if it flows

nor has anyone raced but Asma's stride outstrips him.

And nothing flows except the bounty of Asmaa its superior

وَمُحتَمَلٍ ضِغناً لأَسماءَ لَو جَرى

وَمُحتَمَلٍ ضِغناً لأَسماءَ لَو جَرى

بسَجلَينِ مِن أَسماءَ فارَت أَباجِلُه

بسَجلَينِ مِن أَسماءَ فارَت أَباجِلُه

And many a man nursing rancor toward Asma—were he to race

And bearing resentment towards Asmaa if it flows

with two brimming buckets from Asma, his veins would seethe.

With two registers from Asmaa so its trails overflow

عَوى يَستَجيشُ النابِحاتِ وَإِنَّما

عَوى يَستَجيشُ النابِحاتِ وَإِنَّما

بِأَنيابِه صُمُّ الصَفا وَجنادِلُه

بِأَنيابِه صُمُّ الصَفا وَجنادِلُه

He howled, mustering the barking dogs, but only

The howler arouses the wailing women but rather

solid rock and its boulders lie at his fangs.

With his fangs the deaf lip and the arguing

وَأَقصَرَ مِن مَجراةِ أَسماء سَعيُهُ

وَأَقصَرَ مِن مَجراةِ أَسماء سَعيُهُ

حَسيراً كَما يَلقى مِن التُربِ ناخِلُه

حَسيراً كَما يَلقى مِن التُربِ ناخِلُه

And his striving fell short of Asma's course,

And his endeavor falls shorter than the orbit of Asmaa

spent, yielding no more than a sifter finds in dust.

Wretched as the motes find from dust its sifter

وَفَضَّلَ أَسماء بنَ حِصنٍ عليهم

وَفَضَّلَ أَسماء بنَ حِصنٍ عليهم

سَماحَةُ أَسماءَ بن حصنٍ وَنائِلُه

سَماحَةُ أَسماءَ بن حصنٍ وَنائِلُه

And Asma ibn Hisn was raised above them

And Asmaa son of Hisham preferred over them

by Asma ibn Hisn's generosity and bounty.

The generosity of Asmaa son of Hisham and its attainments

فَمَن مِثلُ أَسماءَ بن حِصنٍ إِذا غَدَت

فَمَن مِثلُ أَسماءَ بن حِصنٍ إِذا غَدَت

شآبيبُه أَم أَيُّ شَيءٍ يُعادِلُه

شآبيبُه أَم أَيُّ شَيءٍ يُعادِلُه

Who, then, is like Asma ibn Hisn when forth come

So who is like Asmaa son of Hisham when

his morning showers? Or what could equal him?

His youthful sprigs, or what thing equals him?

وَكُنتُ إِذا لاقيتُ منهم حَطيطةً

وَكُنتُ إِذا لاقيتُ منهم حَطيطةً

لَقيتُ أَبا حَسّانَ تَندى أَصائِلُه

لَقيتُ أَبا حَسّانَ تَندى أَصائِلُه

And whenever I met with meanness among them,

And I was, whenever I met a mean person from them

I found Abu Hassan, his evenings dewy with bounty.

I met Abu Hassaan, his nobilities glistening

تَضيَّفُه غَسّانُ يَرجون سَيبَهُ

تَضيَّفُه غَسّانُ يَرجون سَيبَهُ

وَذو يَمَنٍ أَحبوشُهُ وَمَقاوِلُه

وَذو يَمَنٍ أَحبوشُهُ وَمَقاوِلُه

Ghassan seeks his hospitality, hoping for his bounty,

Ghassan entertains him hoping for his release

and Yemen's people—its gathered bands and its chiefs.

And the Yemeni Ahbasho his confidant and ally

فَتىً لا يَزالُ الدَهرَ ما عاشَ مُخصِباً

فَتىً لا يَزالُ الدَهرَ ما عاشَ مُخصِباً

وَلَو كانَ بالموماةِ تَخدي رَواحِلُه

وَلَو كانَ بالموماةِ تَخدي رَواحِلُه

A young man ever rich in plenty, as long as he lives,

A knight, time does not cease to be fertile whilst he lives

even were he in the desert, his mounts striding on.

And if he were with barrenness, his paths would be desolate

فَأَصبَحَ ما في الأَرضِ خَلقٌ عَلِمتُهُ

فَأَصبَحَ ما في الأَرضِ خَلقٌ عَلِمتُهُ

مِن الناسِ إِلّا باعُ أَسماءَ طائِلُه

مِن الناسِ إِلّا باعُ أَسماءَ طائِلُه

So there is no creature on earth that I have known

So I found what is on earth of creatures I knew

among men whom Asma's reach does not surpass.

Amongst people, none but the vendor of Asmaa his assets

تَراهُ إِذا ما جِئتَهُ متَهَلِّلاً

تَراهُ إِذا ما جِئتَهُ متَهَلِّلاً

كَأَنَّكَ تُعطيهِ الَّذي أَنتَ سائِلُه

كَأَنَّكَ تُعطيهِ الَّذي أَنتَ سائِلُه

You see him beaming whenever you come to him,

You see him when you come to him wavering

as though you were giving him what you ask of him.

As if you give him that which you are asking of him

وَلَو لَم يَكُن في كَفِّهِ غَيرُ رَوحِهِ

وَلَو لَم يَكُن في كَفِّهِ غَيرُ رَوحِهِ

لَجادَ بِها فليتَّقِ اللَهَ سائِلُه

لَجادَ بِها فليتَّقِ اللَهَ سائِلُه

Even if his palm held nothing but his soul,

And if he had nothing in his palm but his soul

he would give it freely; so let his petitioner fear God.

He would give it, so let his asker beware of God

تَرى الجُندَ وَالأَعرابَ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

تَرى الجُندَ وَالأَعرابَ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

كَما وَردت ماءَ الكُلابِ نَواهِلُه

كَما وَردت ماءَ الكُلابِ نَواهِلُه

You see soldiers and Bedouins thronging his gate,

You see the soldiers and bedouins crowding his door

as its thirsty herds come to the water of al-Kulab.

As the she-camels streamed to the water their calves

إِذا ما أَتوا أَبوابَهُ قالَ مَرحَباً

إِذا ما أَتوا أَبوابَهُ قالَ مَرحَباً

لِجوا البابَ حَتّى يَقتُلَ الجوعَ قاتِلُه

لِجوا البابَ حَتّى يَقتُلَ الجوعَ قاتِلُه

Whenever they come to his gates, he says, “Welcome!

When they come to his doors he says welcome

Enter the gate, till hunger's slayer slays it.”

Crowd the door even if hunger kills its killer

تَرى البازلَ البُختيَّ فَوقَ خِوانِه

تَرى البازلَ البُختيَّ فَوقَ خِوانِه

مقطَّعةً أَعضاؤُهُ وَمَفاصِلُه

مقطَّعةً أَعضاؤُهُ وَمَفاصِلُه

You see the full-grown Bactrian camel upon his table,

You see the unlucky, crippled above his bowls

its limbs and joints cut into pieces.

His limbs severed and joints

إِذا ما أَتوا أَسماءَ كانَ هُوَ الَّذي

إِذا ما أَتوا أَسماءَ كانَ هُوَ الَّذي

تَحلِّبُ كفاهُ النَدى وَأَنامِلُه

تَحلِّبُ كفاهُ النَدى وَأَنامِلُه

Whenever they come to Asma, he is the one

When they come to Asmaa it is he who

whose two palms and fingertips drip with bounty.

His palms drip with bounty and fingers

تَراهُم كَثيراً حينَ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

تَراهُم كَثيراً حينَ يَغشَونَ بابَهُ

فتسترهم جُدرانُه وَمنازِلُه

فتسترهم جُدرانُه وَمنازِلُه

You see them in great numbers as they throng his gate,

You see them numerous when crowding his door

then his walls and dwellings conceal them.

So his walls and dwellings shelter them