1. طَرَقَ النَعِيُّ عَلى صُفَينَةَ غُدوَةً

    وَنَعى المُعَمَّمَ مِن بَني عَمروِ

    The death herald came to Sufayna one morning,

    and announced the death of the turbaned man of Banu Amr—

  2. حامي الحَقيقَةِ وَالمُجيرَ إِذا

    ما خيفَ حَدُّ نَوائِبِ الدَهرِ

    defender of honor, and giver of refuge whenever

    the sharp edge of time's calamities was feared.

  3. الحَيُّ يَعلَمُ أَنَّ جَفنَتَهُ

    تَغدو غَداةَ الريحِ أَو تَسري

    The clan knows that his serving bowl

    goes forth on a windy morning, or travels by night.

  4. فَإِذا أَضاءَ وَجاشَ مِرجَلُهُ

    فَلَنِعمَ رَبَّ النارِ وَالقِدرِ

    Then, when he lit the fire and his cauldron seethed,

    how fine a master of fire and cooking pot he was!

  5. أَبلِغ مَوالِيَهُ فَقَد رُزِئوا

    مَولىً يَريشُهُمُ وَلا يَشري

    Tell his clients, for they have been bereaved of

    a patron who enriched them and never grew angry.

  6. يَكفي حُماتَهُمُ وَيَمنَحُهُم

    مِئَةً مِنَ العِشرينَ وَالعَشرِ

    He provides for their defenders and grants them

    a hundred out of twenty and ten.

  7. تُروي سِنانَ الرُمحِ طَعنَتُهُ

    وَالخَيلُ قَد خاضَت دَماً يَجري

    His thrust slakes the spearhead's thirst,

    while the horses have waded through flowing blood.

  8. قَد كانَ مَأوى كُلِّ أَرمَلَةٍ

    وَمُقيلَ عَثرَةِ كُلُّ ذي عُذرِ

    He was indeed a refuge for every widow,

    and one who pardoned the misstep of anyone with an excuse.

  9. تَلقى عِيالَهُمُ نَوافِلُهُ

    فَتُصيبُ ذا المَيسورِ وَالعُسرِ

    His gifts reach their dependents,

    and so reach the prosperous and the needy.