إِذا مِسمَعٌ أَعطَتكَ يَوماً يَمينُهُ

إِذا مِسمَعٌ أَعطَتكَ يَوماً يَمينُهُ

فَعُدتَ غَداً عادَت عَلَيكَ شِمالُها

فَعُدتَ غَداً عادَت عَلَيكَ شِمالُها

If one day Mismaʿ's right hand gives to you,

If a generous person gave you with their right hand one day,

And you return tomorrow, its left gives to you again.

But you returned the next day, their left hand would give to you.

شِمالٌ مِنَ الأَيمانِ عادَت عَطِيَّةً

شِمالٌ مِنَ الأَيمانِ عادَت عَطِيَّةً

يُهانُ وَيُعطى في الحَقائِقِ مالُها

يُهانُ وَيُعطى في الحَقائِقِ مالُها

A left hand among right hands, bestowing a gift anew,

A left hand returning generosity after the right -

Its wealth is held cheap and given away in weighty matters.

Humility receives while arrogance owns what is its due.

لَها سورَةٌ كانَ المُعَلّى بَنى لَها

لَها سورَةٌ كانَ المُعَلّى بَنى لَها

مَكارِمَ ما كانَت يَدانِ تَنالُها

مَكارِمَ ما كانَت يَدانِ تَنالُها

It has lofty standing; al-Muʿallā had built for it

To it belongs a chapter for which the Exalted One built,

Noble honors no pair of hands could attain

Noble qualities which only righteous hands could accrue,

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا مِن قُرَيشٍ وَدارِمٍ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا مِن قُرَيشٍ وَدارِمٍ

إِذا سَبَقَ الأَيدي القِصارَ طِوالُها

إِذا سَبَقَ الأَيدي القِصارَ طِوالُها

Among men, save those of Quraysh and Dārim,

From mankind except for Quraysh and the Darim,

When their long hands outstripped the short.

When short hands surpassed in greed the generous hands' virtue.

أَعِد لي عَطاءً كُنتَ عَوَّدتَني لَهُ

أَعِد لي عَطاءً كُنتَ عَوَّدتَني لَهُ

جَدا دَفقَةً كانَت غِزاراً سِجالُها

جَدا دَفقَةً كانَت غِزاراً سِجالُها

Give me again the gift you had accustomed me to:

Prepare for me a gift you had accustomed me to,

A gushing bounty whose bucketfuls were abundant.

Flowing heavily, its pouring forth profuse.

وَرِثتُم عَنِ الجارودِ قِدراً وَجَفنَةً

وَرِثتُم عَنِ الجارودِ قِدراً وَجَفنَةً

كَثيراً إِذا اِحمَرَّ الشِتاءُ عِيالُها

كَثيراً إِذا اِحمَرَّ الشِتاءُ عِيالُها

You inherited from al-Jārūd a cooking-pot and a great bowl,

You inherited from Al-Jaroud temperance and restraint,

With many dependents when winter turns red,

Abundant when the winter reddened the cheeks of its youth.

مِنَ السودِ يَحمِلنَ اليَتامى كَأَنَّهُم

مِنَ السودِ يَحمِلنَ اليَتامى كَأَنَّهُم

فِراخٌ عَلى الأَوراكِ زُغبٌ حِصالُها

فِراخٌ عَلى الأَوراكِ زُغبٌ حِصالُها

Among black women carrying orphans, as though they were

Of the black ones who carry the orphans as if they were

Chicks on the women's hips, their tufts downy.

Chicks upon the nests - downy are their body hair and down.

تَرى النارَ عَن مِثلِ النَعامَةِ حَولَها

تَرى النارَ عَن مِثلِ النَعامَةِ حَولَها

لَها شُطَبٌ تَطفو سِماناً مَحالُها

لَها شُطَبٌ تَطفو سِماناً مَحالُها

You see the fire around it, a pot like an ostrich;

You see fire circling them like the ostrich,

It holds strips of meat, its fat-laden vertebrae floating.

It has marked thighs that float with fat plump.

لَهُ راحَةٌ بَيضاءُ يَندى بَنانُها

لَهُ راحَةٌ بَيضاءُ يَندى بَنانُها

قَليلٌ إِذا اِعتَلَّ البَخيلُ اِعتِلالُها

قَليلٌ إِذا اِعتَلَّ البَخيلُ اِعتِلالُها

He has a white palm whose fingertips are moist;

It has a white rest on which its fingers relax,

Few are its excuses when the miser makes excuses.

Measured when the miser is stricken with miserliness' malady.

فَدونَكَ هَذي مِن ثَنائي فَإِنَّها

فَدونَكَ هَذي مِن ثَنائي فَإِنَّها

لَها غُرَّةٌ بَيضاءُ باقٍ جَمالُها

لَها غُرَّةٌ بَيضاءُ باقٍ جَمالُها

So take this from my praise, for it

So this is my praise for you, which will remain

Has a white blaze whose beauty endures.

With an eternal radiance and brilliant beauty.

وَأَنتَ لِعَبدِ القَيسِ سَيفٌ تَسُلُّهُ

وَأَنتَ لِعَبدِ القَيسِ سَيفٌ تَسُلُّهُ

عَلى مَن يُعاديها وَأَنتَ هِلالُها

عَلى مَن يُعاديها وَأَنتَ هِلالُها

And for ʿAbd al-Qays you are a sword she draws

And you are to Abd al-Qays a sword he draws

Against those who oppose her, and you are her crescent moon.

Against those who oppose her while you are her crescent moon.