يا ابن الدوامي الذي مثّلت

يا ابن الدوامي الذي مثّلت

كفّاه في بذل الندى مثلا

كفّاه في بذل الندى مثلا

O son of al-Dawami, whose

O son of al-Dawami, who represented

two hands set an example in dispensing bounty;

His palms in giving dew as an example

لا زلت بحرا للسماحة مو

لا زلت بحرا للسماحة مو

رودا وبدرا للعلى كملا

رودا وبدرا للعلى كملا

may you ever remain a sea of generosity,

You are still a sea of generosity that is

sought out, and a moon of glory, grown full;

Visited, and a full moon of highness that is looked at

متنفلا في لمكرمات يرى

متنفلا في لمكرمات يرى

أمواله لعفاته نفلا

أمواله لعفاته نفلا

freely bestowing gifts through noble deeds, he regards

Strolling through honors, he sees

his wealth as bounty for those seeking his generosity.

His money as gifts he distributes

بعزيمة كالنجم ثاقبة

بعزيمة كالنجم ثاقبة

وصريمة تستخدم الأجلا

وصريمة تستخدم الأجلا

With resolve as piercing as a star,

With a will like a penetrating star

and firm determination that makes death serve it.

And a firmness that makes use of opportunities

لما أتى شرف الزمان على

لما أتى شرف الزمان على

ريح الكبيس يكبس الحلالا

ريح الكبيس يكبس الحلالا

When Sharaf al-Zaman came upon

When the honor of time came over

the scent of pressed dates, raiding the encampments,

The wind of misfortune to press on the lawful

ترك المحوَّل بعد رمتها

ترك المحوَّل بعد رمتها

والجمع ظلاّ كان فانتقلا

والجمع ظلاّ كان فانتقلا

he left al-Muhawwal after its decay [reading uncertain],

He left the transformed after hitting it

and the gathering a shadow that had been, then vanished.

And the group that was a shadow so he moved

كم غارة شعواء شنَّ وكم

كم غارة شعواء شنَّ وكم

من فعلة في أهلها فعلا

من فعلة في أهلها فعلا

How many savage raids he launched, and how many

How many plundering raids he waged and how

deeds he perpetrated among its people!

Many acts he did to its people

فبقاء من يبقى بها عجب

فبقاء من يبقى بها عجب

من بعد ما قاسى الذي قتلا

من بعد ما قاسى الذي قتلا

So the survival of whoever survives there is a marvel,

So the survival of whoever survives it is strange

after what the one who was killed endured.

After what the killed suffered

ولقد رأيت ولا كرويته

ولقد رأيت ولا كرويته

حمل بن يد يتبع الحملا

حمل بن يد يتبع الحملا

I have indeed seen—nothing like the sight of him—

And I saw, I do not lie to him

Haml ibn Yad following the load.

Hammal bin Yad follows the burden

ولقد رأيت ابناً له حدثا

ولقد رأيت ابناً له حدثا

فلقيت منه فارسا بطلا

فلقيت منه فارسا بطلا

And I have indeed seen a young son of his,

And I have seen a son of his, a young man

and found in him a knight, a hero.

I found him a brave knight

يجلو الموائد وهي مترعة

يجلو الموائد وهي مترعة

شلت يمين الفارس ابن جلا

شلت يمين الفارس ابن جلا

He clears the tables while they are brimming;

He relieves the set tables while they are grazing

may the right hand of the knight Ibn Jala be paralyzed!

The right hand of the brave knight Ibn Jalla is paralyzed

والله لولا تخمة عرضت

والله لولا تخمة عرضت

أكلاك في ضمن الذي أكلا

أكلاك في ضمن الذي أكلا

By God, had indigestion not intervened,

By God, if not for the obstruction that prevented

the two would have eaten you along with what they ate.

You from including in those who ate

هي شقوة كانت عليك وقد

هي شقوة كانت عليك وقد

زالت وقطع كان فارتحلا

زالت وقطع كان فارتحلا

It was misery upon you, and it has now

It is adversity that was upon you and has

gone; a disruption was here, then departed.

Passed, and the cut was so it healed