1. أَلَم تُكسَفِ الشَمسُ وَالبَدرُ وَالـ

    ـكَواكِبُ لِلجَبَلِ الواجِبِ

    Were not the sun, the full moon, and the

    stars eclipsed for the fallen mountain?

  2. لِفَقدِ فَضالَةَ لا تَستَوي الـ

    ـفُقودُ وَلا خَلَّةُ الذاهِبِ

    For the loss of Fadalah—not alike are the

    losses, nor the character of the departed.

  3. أَلَهفاً عَلى حُسنِ أَخلاقِهِ

    عَلى الجابِرِ العَظمِ وَالحارِبِ

    Alas for the goodness of his character,

    for him who mends bones and restores the despoiled,

  4. عَلى الأَروَعِ السَقبِ لَو أَنَّهُ

    يَقومُ عَلى ذِروَةِ الصاقِبِ

    for the splendid, towering man—were he

    to stand on the summit of al-Saqib,

  5. لَأَصبَحَ رَتماً دُقاقَ الحَصى

    كَمَتنِ النَبِيِّ مِنَ الكاثِبِ

    it would surely become shattered rubble, fine gravel,

    like the ridge of al-Nabi by al-Kathib.

  6. وَرَقبَتِهِ حَتَماتِ المُلو

    كِ بَينَ السُرادِقِ وَالحاجِبِ

    And for his awaiting the irrevocable decrees of

    kings, between the pavilion and the chamberlain.

  7. وَيَكفي المَقالَةَ أَهلَ الرِجا

    لِ غَيرَ مَعيبٍ وَلا عائِبِ

    And he undertakes the speaking for the company of

    men, neither blamed nor finding fault.

  8. وَيَحبو الخَليلَ بِخَيرِ الحِبا

    ءِ غَيرَ مُكِبٍّ وَلا قاطِبِ

    And he bestows on his friend the best of

    gifts, neither lowering his head nor frowning:

  9. بِرأَسِ النَجيبَةِ وَالعَبدِ وَالـ

    ـوَليدَةِ كَالجُؤذُرِ الكاعِبِ

    with a fine-bred she-camel, a male slave, and the

    budding-breasted slave-girl, like a wild-ox calf;

  10. وَبِالأُدمِ تُحدى عَلَيها الرِحا

    لُ وَبِالشَولِ في الفَلَقِ العاشِبِ

    and with white camels urged on by song beneath their

    saddles, and with dry she-camels in the grassy hollow.

  11. فَمَن يَكُ ذا نائِلٍ يَسعَ مِن

    فَضالَةَ في أَثَرٍ لاحِبِ

    So whoever has bounty, let him follow

    Fadalah along a clearly marked trail.

  12. هُوَ الواهِبُ العِلقَ عَينَ النَفيـ

    ـسِ وَالمُتَعَلِّي عَلى الواهِبِ

    He gives prized possessions, the choicest of

    precious things, and surpasses other givers.

  13. نَجيحٌ مَليحٌ أَخو مَأقِطٍ

    نِقابٌ يُحَدِّثُ بِالغائِبِ

    Successful, handsome, a man of battle,

    keenly discerning, he speaks of things unseen.

  14. فَأَبرَحتَ في كُلِّ خَيرٍ فَما

    يُعاشِرُ سَعيَكَ مِن طالِبِ

    So you excelled in every good, and no

    aspirant attains a tenth of your striving.