مَدَحتُ يَزيدَ بنَ عَبدِ المَدانِ

مَدَحتُ يَزيدَ بنَ عَبدِ المَدانِ

فَأَكرِم بِهِ مِن فَتىً مُمتَدَح

فَأَكرِم بِهِ مِن فَتىً مُمتَدَح

I praised Yazid ibn Abd al-Madan.

I praised Yazid son of Abd al-Madan

And how noble he is—a youth worthy of praise!

So honor him, for he is a man worthy of praise

إِذا المَدحُ زانَ فَتى مَعشَرٍ

إِذا المَدحُ زانَ فَتى مَعشَرٍ

فَإِنَّ يَزيدَ يَزينُ المِدَح

فَإِنَّ يَزيدَ يَزينُ المِدَح

When praise adorns a young man of a clan,

When praise adorns a man of noble company

then Yazid himself adorns praise.

Indeed, Yazid beautifies praise

حَلَلتُ بِهِ دونَ أَصحابِهِ

حَلَلتُ بِهِ دونَ أَصحابِهِ

فَأَورى زِنادِيَ لَمّا قَدَح

فَأَورى زِنادِيَ لَمّا قَدَح

I lodged with him, not with his companions,

I singled him out among his companions

so he made my fire-sticks spark when he struck them.

So I lit my fires when he sparked the flame

وَرَدَّ النِساءَ بِأَطهارِها

وَرَدَّ النِساءَ بِأَطهارِها

وَلَو كانَ غَيرُ يَزيدٍ فَضَح

وَلَو كانَ غَيرُ يَزيدٍ فَضَح

And he returned the women with their chastity intact;

He defended the honor of women

had it been anyone but Yazid, he would have disgraced them.

While another in his place would have disgraced them

وَفَكَّ الرِجالَ وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ

وَفَكَّ الرِجالَ وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ

إِذا أَصلَحَ اللَهُ يَوماً صَلَح

إِذا أَصلَحَ اللَهُ يَوماً صَلَح

And he freed the men; and every man,

He freed both men and each man

when God sets him right one day, becomes upright.

When God reforms a time, it is reformed

وَقُلتُ لَهُ بَعدَ عِتقِ النِساءِ

وَقُلتُ لَهُ بَعدَ عِتقِ النِساءِ

وَفَكِّ الرِجالِ وَرَدِّ اللِقَح

وَفَكِّ الرِجالِ وَرَدِّ اللِقَح

And I said to him, after the women were freed,

And I said to him after freeing the women

and the men released and the milch camels returned:

And releasing the men and restoring propriety

أَجِر لي فَوارِسَ مِن عامِرٍ

أَجِر لي فَوارِسَ مِن عامِرٍ

فَأَكرِم بِنَفحَتِهِ إِذ نَفَح

فَأَكرِم بِنَفحَتِهِ إِذ نَفَح

“For my sake, grant protection to horsemen of Amir.”

Grant me some horsemen from the tribe of Amir

And how noble his gift when he bestowed it!

And honor me with his breeze when it blows

وَما زِلتُ أَعرِفُ وَجهَهُ

وَما زِلتُ أَعرِفُ وَجهَهُ

بِكَرّي السُؤالَ ظُهورَ الفَرَح

بِكَرّي السُؤالَ ظُهورَ الفَرَح

And I kept discerning in his face,

I still recognize his face

as I repeated my request, the appearance of joy.

With my continual asking and his joyful presence

رَأَيتُ أَبا النَضرِ في مَذجِحٍ

رَأَيتُ أَبا النَضرِ في مَذجِحٍ

بِمَنزِلَةِ الفَجرِ حينَ اِتَّضَح

بِمَنزِلَةِ الفَجرِ حينَ اِتَّضَح

I saw Abu al-Nadr among Madhhij,

I saw Abu Nadhar in pitched battle

like dawn when it shines clear.

In the position of dawn when it becomes clear

إِذا قارَعوا عَنهُ لَم يُقرَعوا

إِذا قارَعوا عَنهُ لَم يُقرَعوا

وَإِن قَدَّموهُ لَكَبشٍ نَطَح

وَإِن قَدَّموهُ لَكَبشٍ نَطَح

When they fought on his behalf, they were not beaten;

When they collide with him they are not collided with

and if they put him forward against a ram, he butted it.

And if they charge him, he is a butting ram

وَإِن حَضَرَ الناسُ لَم يُخزِهِم

وَإِن حَضَرَ الناسُ لَم يُخزِهِم

وَإِن وازَنوهُ بِقَرنٍ رَجَح

وَإِن وازَنوهُ بِقَرنٍ رَجَح

And if the people were present, he did not put them to shame;

If people gather he does not humiliate them

and if they weighed him against a rival, he outweighed him.

And if weighed against any, he prevails

فَذاكَ فَتاها وَذو فَضلِها

فَذاكَ فَتاها وَذو فَضلِها

وَإِن نابِحٌ بِفَخارٍ نَبَح

وَإِن نابِحٌ بِفَخارٍ نَبَح

So he is its noble youth and the bearer of its excellence,

Such is their young man, and the one of their superiority

even if a barker barks boastfully.

Even if a snarling slanderer snarls