أَبا حاتِمٍ ما حاتِمٌ في زَمانِهِ

أَبا حاتِمٍ ما حاتِمٌ في زَمانِهِ

وَلا النَيلُ تَرمي بِالسَفينِ غَوارِبُه

وَلا النَيلُ تَرمي بِالسَفينِ غَوارِبُه

O Abu Hatim—neither Hatim, in his own age,

O Abu Hatim, neither Hatim in his day,

nor the Nile, whose depths toss ships,

nor the Nile, whose wave-crests toss ships,

بِأَجوَدَ عِندَ الجودِ مِنكَ وَلا الَّذي

بِأَجوَدَ عِندَ الجودِ مِنكَ وَلا الَّذي

عَلا بِغُثاءٍ سورَ عانَةَ غارِبُه

عَلا بِغُثاءٍ سورَ عانَةَ غارِبُه

was more bountiful in giving than you—nor that river

is more generous in giving than you, nor the one

whose crest, laden with flood-scum, overtopped the wall of ʿĀna.

whose crest, bearing flotsam, rose above Anah’s wall.

يَداكَ يَدٌ يُعطي الجَزيلَ فَعالُها

يَداكَ يَدٌ يُعطي الجَزيلَ فَعالُها

وَأُخرى بِها تَسقي دَماً مَن تُحارِبُه

وَأُخرى بِها تَسقي دَماً مَن تُحارِبُه

Your two hands: one gives lavish gifts—such is its wont;

Your two hands: one whose deeds bestow great gifts,

with the other you make those you fight drink blood.

and another with which you make those you fight drink blood.

وَلَو عُدَّ ما أَعطَيتَ مِن كُلِّ قَينَةٍ

وَلَو عُدَّ ما أَعطَيتَ مِن كُلِّ قَينَةٍ

وَأَجرَدَ خِنذيذٍ طِوالٍ ذَوائِبُه

وَأَجرَدَ خِنذيذٍ طِوالٍ ذَوائِبُه

Were all you have given counted—every singing-girl,

Were all you have given counted—every singing slave-girl

and every sleek, noble thoroughbred with long mane-locks—

and sleek, noble stallion with long-flowing mane—

لِيَعلَمَ ما أَحصاهُ فيمَن أَشَعتَهُ

لِيَعلَمَ ما أَحصاهُ فيمَن أَشَعتَهُ

جَميعاً إِلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ حاسِبُه

جَميعاً إِلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ حاسِبُه

to ascertain what was tallied among those to whom you spread it,

to learn its sum, what you distributed among its recipients could not be counted

its reckoner would count it all until the Day of Resurrection.

in full by its reckoner, even by the Day of Resurrection.

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ لا نايِلُ اليَومِ مانِعٌ

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ لا نايِلُ اليَومِ مانِعٌ

مِنَ المالِ شَيئاً غَدٍ أَنتَ واهِبُه

مِنَ المالِ شَيئاً غَدٍ أَنتَ واهِبُه

You are a man whom no gift bestowed today can keep

And you are a man whose giving today does not withhold

from giving away some wealth tomorrow—you will give it.

any of the wealth you will bestow tomorrow.

وَما عَدَّ ذو فَضلٍ عَلى أَهلِ نِعمَةٍ

وَما عَدَّ ذو فَضلٍ عَلى أَهلِ نِعمَةٍ

كَفَضلُكَ عِندي حينَ عَبَّت عَواقِبُه

كَفَضلُكَ عِندي حينَ عَبَّت عَواقِبُه

No man of merit among a people blessed with plenty has ever counted

And no benefactor ever reckoned a favor to those he favored

a favor like yours to me, when its consequences came surging.

like your kindness to me, when its effects came surging.

تَدارَكَني مِن خالِدٍ بَعدَما اِلتَقَت

تَدارَكَني مِن خالِدٍ بَعدَما اِلتَقَت

وَراءَ يَدي أَنيابُهُ وَمَخالِبُه

وَراءَ يَدي أَنيابُهُ وَمَخالِبُه

You rescued me from Khalid after

It rescued me from Khalid after they had closed together—

his fangs and claws had closed behind my hand.

his fangs and claws—behind my hand.

وَكَم أَدرَكَت أَسبابَ حَبلَكَ مِن رَدٍ

وَكَم أَدرَكَت أَسبابَ حَبلَكَ مِن رَدٍ

عَلى زَمَنٍ باداكَ وَالمَوتُ كارِبُه

عَلى زَمَنٍ باداكَ وَالمَوتُ كارِبُه

How often the strands of your rope have caught someone back from ruin,

And how many a doomed man your rope’s cords have rescued,

amid an age that openly assailed you, with death drawing near him.

at a time when he came before you, death closing in on him.

مَدَدتَ لَهُ مِنها قِوىً حينَ نالَها

مَدَدتَ لَهُ مِنها قِوىً حينَ نالَها

تَنَفَّسَ في رَوحٍ وَأَسهَلَ جانِبُه

تَنَفَّسَ في رَوحٍ وَأَسهَلَ جانِبُه

You stretched strong strands of it to him; when he grasped them,

You stretched some strands out to him; when he grasped them,

he breathed freely in relief, and his distress eased.

he breathed in relief, and his lot grew easier.

وَثَغرٍ تَحاماهُ العَدُوُّ كَأَنَّهُ

وَثَغرٍ تَحاماهُ العَدُوُّ كَأَنَّهُ

مِنَ الخَوفِ ثَأرٌ لا تَنامُ مَقانِبُه

مِنَ الخَوفِ ثَأرٌ لا تَنامُ مَقانِبُه

And a frontier stronghold the enemy shuns, as though,

And many a frontier the enemy shunned, as though it were,

for fear of it, it were a blood-feud whose cavalry never sleeps;

in their terror, blood-vengeance whose squadrons never sleep.

وَقَومٌ يَهُزّونَ الرِماحَ بِمُلتَقىً

وَقَومٌ يَهُزّونَ الرِماحَ بِمُلتَقىً

أَساوِرُهُ مَرهوبَةٌ وَمَزارِبُه

أَساوِرُهُ مَرهوبَةٌ وَمَزارِبُه

held by men who brandish spears where battle meets,

And men brandishing spears at a meeting-ground

its armored champions and fierce fighters held in dread.

whose cavalrymen and strongholds inspire dread.

تَرى بِثَناياهُ الطَلايِعِ تَلتَقي

تَرى بِثَناياهُ الطَلايِعِ تَلتَقي

عَلى كُلِّ سامي الطَرفِ ضافٍ سَبايِبُه

عَلى كُلِّ سامي الطَرفِ ضافٍ سَبايِبُه

Through its passes you see the vanguards meet,

You see the scouts meeting in its passes,

each astride a lofty-gazing steed, its mane-locks flowing full,

on every lofty-gazing steed with abundant, flowing locks.

كَأَنَّ نَسا عُرقوبِهِ مُتَحَرِّفٌ

كَأَنَّ نَسا عُرقوبِهِ مُتَحَرِّفٌ

إِذا لاحَهُ المِضمارُ وَاِنضَمَّ حالِبُه

إِذا لاحَهُ المِضمارُ وَاِنضَمَّ حالِبُه

as though the tendon of its hock were set aslant

As though the sinew at its hock were slanting,

when training has pared it lean and its flank has drawn in.

when the training-course has made it lean and its flank draws tight.

لَهُ نَسَبٌ بَينَ العَناجيجِ يَلتَقي

لَهُ نَسَبٌ بَينَ العَناجيجِ يَلتَقي

إِلى كُلِّ مَعروفٍ مِنَ الخَيلِ ناسِبُه

إِلى كُلِّ مَعروفٍ مِنَ الخَيلِ ناسِبُه

It has a lineage that, among noble thoroughbreds, joins

It has a pedigree among noble steeds, leading back,

every renowned horse whose pedigree its genealogist knows.

for whoever traces it, to every renowned horse.

رَكِبتُ لَهُ سَهلَ الأُمورِ وَحَزنَها

رَكِبتُ لَهُ سَهلَ الأُمورِ وَحَزنَها

بِذي مِرَّةٍ حَتّى أُذِلَّت مَراكِبُه

بِذي مِرَّةٍ حَتّى أُذِلَّت مَراكِبُه

For it you rode both the easy and rugged courses of affairs,

I rode for it through the smooth and rough of affairs,

with unyielding strength, until its mounts were subdued.

on a mighty steed, until its riding-paths were subdued.