تخْشىfear الصَّوارمُthe sharp swords بأسَهُhis might
تخْشى الصَّوارمُ بأسَهُ
ويَهابُand dreads حُجَّتَهُhis argument الخَصيمُthe adversary
ويَهابُ حُجَّتَهُ الخَصيمُ
The sharp swords fear his might,
The swords fear his might,
and his adversary dreads his argument.
And the opponent dreads his argument.
ويَوَدُّand covets لُطْفَthe gentleness خِلالِهof his qualities
ويَوَدُّ لُطْفَ خِلالِه
ماءُthe water الغَمامَةِof the cloud والنَّسيمُand the breeze
ماءُ الغَمامَةِ والنَّسيمُ
And the gentleness of his character is coveted
The cloud's water and the gentle breeze desire his gentle ways.
by the cloud's water and the breeze.
The sea of virtues and bounties,
بحْرُa sea الفَضائلِof virtues والفَواضِلِand benefactions
بحْرُ الفَضائلِ والفَواضِلِ
جُودُthe bounty لُجَّتِهِof his depths عَميمُall-embracing
جُودُ لُجَّتِهِ عَميمُ
A sea of virtues and benefactions,
His generosity is boundless.
the bounty of his depths embraces all.
He revives the ignorant with his grace,
يحْياcomes to life بهthrough him الفَدْمُthe dull-witted man الجَهولُutterly ignorant
يحْيا به الفَدْمُ الجَهولُ
ويُوسِرُand becomes wealthy المُقْويthe destitute man العَديمُpenniless
ويُوسِرُ المُقْوي العَديمُ
Through him the dull-witted ignoramus comes to life,
And enriches the destitute.
and the destitute, penniless man grows wealthy.
His prayers are abundant blessings,
فصِلاتُهُfor his gifts الوفْرُabundant wealth الجَزيلُample
فصِلاتُهُ الوفْرُ الجَزيلُ
وفيand among بنيthe sons of الجَهْلِignorance العُلُومُbranches of knowledge
وفي بني الجَهْلِ العُلُومُ
For his gifts are abundant riches,
And his knowledge enlightens the ignorant.
and knowledge among the sons of ignorance.
The living and the wise favor him,
فَيُقِرُّthus acknowledges بالتَّفْضيلِthe superiority خِرْقُthe shrewd man
فَيُقِرُّ بالتَّفْضيلِ خِرْقُ
الحَيِّof the tribe والحَبْرُand the learned scholar الحكيمُwise
الحَيِّ والحَبْرُ الحكيمُ
Thus his superiority is acknowledged by the shrewd man
A truthful, pure-natured man of dignity.
of the tribe, and by the learned sage.
When the stars grow dark,
دَجْنٌa raincloud صَدوقُtrue to expectation الشَّيْمِwatching lightning for rain سَّحَّاحٌpouring torrents
دَجْنٌ صَدوقُ الشَّيْمِ سَّحَّاحٌ
إذاwhen خَوَتِfail to bring rain النُّجومُthe stars
إذا خَوَتِ النُّجومُ
A raincloud that fulfills the rain-watcher's hopes, pouring torrents
He waters the land, so it bears fruit, not thorns.
when the stars fail to bring rain.
He shows his care and gives his aid in secret,
يَسْقيwaters البِلادَthe lands فنَبْتُهُso his crop الأعْمارُlifespans
يَسْقي البِلادَ فنَبْتُهُ الأعْمارُ
لاnot الثَّعْدُtender shoots الرَّهيمُmoistened by drizzle
لا الثَّعْدُ الرَّهيمُ
He waters the lands, and his crop is lives,
While valiant heroes and warriors fear his sword.
not tender shoots moistened by drizzle.
The covetous feel misery because of him
يُبْديmakes known حِماهُhis protection ونَصْرَهُand his aid
يُبْدي حِماهُ ونَصْرَهُ
ولجودِهِand as for his generosity مُخْفٍa concealer كَتومُvery discreet
ولجودِهِ مُخْفٍ كَتومُ
He makes his protection and aid known,
While the fortunate enjoy his bounty.
but keeps his generosity hidden and secret.
Merciless when lances clash,
وتخافُand fear غَرْبَthe keen edge حُسامِهِof his sword
وتخافُ غَرْبَ حُسامِهِ
حُمْسthe fierce among الفوارسthe horsemen والقُرومُand chieftains
حُمْس الفوارس والقُرومُ
And the keen edge of his sword is feared
Yet kind when granting victory.
by fierce horsemen and chieftains.
The crown of kings, the best
تَشْقىsuffer بهِthrough him الكُومُhigh-humped she-camels العِشارُten months pregnant
تَشْقى بهِ الكُومُ العِشارُ
وحَظُّand the lot عافيهِof his petitioner النَّعيمُbliss
وحَظُّ عافيهِ النَّعيمُ
The high-humped she-camels, ten months pregnant, suffer through him,
Of benevolence, resolute in the past.
and his petitioner's lot is bliss.
Loyalty, not fickleness,
قاسٍharsh إذاwhen اشْتَجَرَinterlock الرِّماحُthe spears
قاسٍ إذا اشْتَجَرَ الرِّماحُ
وعندand when نُصْرَتِهِhe lends his aid رَحيمُmerciful
وعند نُصْرَتِهِ رَحيمُ
Harsh when the spears interlock,
No weakness and no gloom.
and merciful when lending his aid.
Generous whether in ease or wrath,
تاجُthe crown المُلوكِof kings وأحْمَدُand most praiseworthy
تاجُ المُلوكِ وأحْمَدُ
الخَيْراتِgood deeds والماضيand decisive العَزومُresolute
الخَيْراتِ والماضي العَزومُ
The crown of kings, most praiseworthy
And forgiving when angry.
for good deeds, decisive and resolute.
A raging storm when resolved
ثَبْتُsteadfast المَوَدَّةِin affection لاnot القَطوعُone who severs ties
ثَبْتُ المَوَدَّةِ لا القَطوعُ
ولاnor المَلَولُeasily bored ولاnor السَّؤومُeasily wearied
ولا المَلَولُ ولا السَّؤومُ
Steadfast in affection, not one who severs ties,
Yet gentle in deliberation.
neither easily bored nor easily wearied.
Devils in human form are shamed by him
فيin حالِthe condition of عُسْرَتِهِhis hardship الجَوادُgenerous
في حالِ عُسْرَتِهِ الجَوادُ
وعندand during غَضْبَتِهِhis anger الحَليمُforbearing
وعند غَضْبَتِهِ الحَليمُ
In his time of hardship, generous,
When customs are ignored.
and in his anger, forbearing.
If an arrogant demon rises up
فيin العَزْمِresolve عاصفَةُa gale الهُبوبِblowing
في العَزْمِ عاصفَةُ الهُبوبِ
وفيand in تأنِّيهِhis deliberation يَسومُMount Yasum
وفي تأنِّيهِ يَسومُ
In resolve, a gale in full blast,
His argument's fire reduces it to ash
and in his deliberation, Mount Yasum.
The Almighty protects his elite
تَخْزىare shamed شَياطينُthe demons الكُفاةِthe capable men
تَخْزى شَياطينُ الكُفاةِ
بهِby him إذاwhen جُهِلَare not understood الرُّسومُthe established rules
بهِ إذا جُهِلَ الرُّسومُ
The demons among able men are put to shame
Whether he fasts or breaks his fast.
by him when the established rules are not understood.
His long life has made him weak,
فإذاso if تَطاوَلَgrows overbold مارِدٌa rebellious demon
فإذا تَطاوَلَ مارِدٌ
فشِهابُthen the meteor حُجَّتِهof his argument رَجومُa pelting missile
فشِهابُ حُجَّتِه رَجومُ
So if a rebellious demon grows overbold,
No morning or evening left.
then the meteor of his argument pelts him.
All the tribes desire him
فَحَمىso may protect نَقيبَتَهُhis soul المُهيْمنُthe Guardian
فَحَمى نَقيبَتَهُ المُهيْمنُ
حينَwhen يُفْطِرُhe breaks his fast أَوor يَصومُhe fasts
حينَ يُفْطِرُ أَو يَصومُ
So may the Guardian protect his soul,
Each has longstanding pride.
whether he breaks his fast or fasts,
They envy the minister's glory—
وهَناهُand may it gladden him طُولُthe length بَقائِهِof his life
وهَناهُ طُولُ بَقائِهِ
ماas long as حانَarrives صُبْحٌdawn أوor صَريمُnight
ما حانَ صُبْحٌ أو صَريمُ
and may his long life bring him joy,
For they are all Tamim.
as long as dawn or night arrives.
وَدَّwished القَبائلُthe tribes كُلُّهاall of them
وَدَّ القَبائلُ كُلُّها
ولِكلِّهاand each of them has فَخْرٌglory قَديمُancient
ولِكلِّها فَخْرٌ قَديمُ
All the tribes wished—
though each has ancient glory—
حَسَداًout of envy علىfor مَجْدِthe glory الوزيرِof the minister
حَسَداً على مَجْدِ الوزيرِ
بأنَّthat كُلَّهُمُall of them تَميمُTamim
بأنَّ كُلَّهُمُ تَميمُ
out of envy for the minister's glory,
that they were all Tamim.
Partial English translation: 39 of 44 Arabic lines translated.