تَميمَ بنَ زَيدٍ قَد سَأَلتُكَ حاجَةً

تَميمَ بنَ زَيدٍ قَد سَأَلتُكَ حاجَةً

لِتَجعَلَهُ مِن بَعضِ ما كُنتَ لي تُهدي

لِتَجعَلَهُ مِن بَعضِ ما كُنتَ لي تُهدي

Tamim son of Zayd, I have asked you a favor,

Tamim, son of Zayd, I have asked a favor of you

that you may count it among the gifts you used to give me.

To make him one of those gifts you used to bestow on me

وَكانَ تَميمٌ لي إِذا ما دَعَوتُهُ

وَكانَ تَميمٌ لي إِذا ما دَعَوتُهُ

أَجابَ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

أَجابَ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

And Tamim, whenever I called upon him for help,

And Tamim was, whenever I called him,

would answer like a sword blade drawn from its sheath.

Responsive as a sword drawn smoothly from its sheath

فَما بِتُّ إِلّا بَيَّتَت أُمُّ عارِضٍ

فَما بِتُّ إِلّا بَيَّتَت أُمُّ عارِضٍ

عَلى عارِضٍ تَبكي مُشَقَّقَةَ البُردِ

عَلى عارِضٍ تَبكي مُشَقَّقَةَ البُردِ

So I never passed a night but ‘Arid’s mother came by night,

Yet I stayed not but in the abode of Umm ‘Aridh

weeping over ‘Arid, her cloak torn.

Weeping for ‘Aridh, shivering in the cold

فَهَب لي اِبنَها فيما وَهَبتَ فَرُبَّما

فَهَب لي اِبنَها فيما وَهَبتَ فَرُبَّما

وَهَبتَ طَريفاتِ العَطاءِ مَعَ التُلدِ

وَهَبتَ طَريفاتِ العَطاءِ مَعَ التُلدِ

So grant me her son among what you have granted, for often

So grant me her son in your generosity

you have given newly acquired gifts along with inherited wealth.

For often you have granted fine gifts along with the common