1. يمينك أندي العارضين سحابا

    وعزمك أمضى الضاربين ذُبابا

    Your right hand showers more lavishly than any rain-cloud;

    And your resolve has the keenest sword-tip among strikers.

  2. وانت أعَمُّ الناس طولا وسؤدداً

    وأطيبهم جُرثومة ونِصابا

    And you are the widest-reaching of men in bounty and lordliness,

    And the purest of them in origin and lineage.

  3. وأشرَعهم يوم اللقاء أسِنَّةً

    وأمرعهم يوم العطاءِ جنابا

    And the foremost of them in leveling spearpoints on the day of battle,

    And the one whose domain is lushest on the day of giving.

  4. شهادة برٍّ لا يُحابي بمثلها

    إلا رُبّما كان السحابُ محابي

    An upright man's testimony, showing no favoritism with such words—

    Save that perhaps the cloud has shown favoritism.

  5. حللتَ بدار الملكِ ثم قطنتها

    كما قطن الليث الغضنفر غابا

    You settled in the abode of kingship, then made it your home,

    As the fierce lion inhabits a forest.

  6. وانشبتها بالسمهرية والظبا

    طعاناً نفى عنها العدا وضرابا

    And you secured it with stout spears and sword-edges,

    With thrusts and blows that drove the enemy from it.

  7. وفجرت فيها للنضار جداولاً

    وسطرن فيخت للسماح كتابا

    And you unleashed streams of pure gold within it,

    And they inscribed [unclear word] a book of generosity.

  8. يقولون إن المزن يحكيك صَوبُهُ

    مجاملةً هاقد شهدت وغابا

    They say the rain-cloud's downpour resembles you,

    Out of courtesy: behold, you were present while it was absent.

  9. وكم أزمةٍ عَمَّ البريَة بؤسها

    فهل ناب فيها عن نداك منابا

    And many a crisis spread its misery over all creation—

    Did it ever take your bounty's place in such times?

  10. هَمَت ذهبا فيها يَداك عليهم

    وضنّت يداه أن تَرُشّ ذهابا

    Your two hands rained gold upon them amid that distress,

    While its hands begrudged a sprinkling of light rain.

  11. ولو كان للأسياف عزمك ما نبت

    ولا ناط بالخصر النجاد قرابا

    And if swords possessed your resolve, they would never glance off,

    Nor would a sword-belt hang a scabbard at the waist.

  12. تغار من المجد المعالي وتنتمي

    إلى إسمك صَبّات القلوب طرابا

    Lofty honors envy glory and trace their lineage

    To your name, love-struck and joyous at heart.

  13. وما زلت تُرضي الله في نصر دينه

    بمألُكَةٍ تُرجى الأسود غضابا

    And you have never ceased pleasing God in defense of His faith,

    With a missive through which raging lions are hoped for.

  14. إذا ُطوِيَت كانت وغي وقساطلاً

    وإن نُشرت كانت ظُبا وحرابا

    When folded, it is battle tumult and clouds of dust,

    And when unfolded, it is sword-edges and spears.

  15. وما أنت إلا مطعم النصر أينما

    أغرت على نَهبٍ رُزِقتَ نهابا

    And you are none but one fed on victory: wherever

    You raid for plunder, plunder is granted you.

  16. وكم نِعَمٍ خوّلته لم تشلّه

    بخيلٍ ولم توجف عليه ركابا

    And many a blessing was granted you, which you did not carry off

    With cavalry, nor spur riding camels in pursuit of it.

  17. وأبلج ميمون النقيبة لو دعا

    إلى نصره وحش الفلا لأجابا

    And a bright-faced man of auspicious nature: if he called

    The desert's wild beasts to his aid, they would answer.

  18. أجَلُّ ملوك الأرض من ظلّ لاثماً

    ترابا علتهُ رجله وركابا

    The greatest of earth's kings is he who keeps kissing

    Dust his foot has trodden, and his stirrup.

  19. سقى حَلَباً من جود كفك ماطرٌ

    إذا لم تَصُب فيه المواطر صابا

    May a rain-cloud from your palm's bounty water Aleppo,

    Pouring there whenever the rain-clouds fail to pour.

  20. علوتهم بالمرهفات كأنما

    قددت عليهم بالبروق سحابا

    You rose above them with keen-edged swords, as though

    You had slashed clouds above them with lightning.

  21. واطلعت سُحبا من بنانك ثَرَّةً

    تفيض عليهم نائلاً وعقاباَ

    And you brought forth rain-abundant clouds from your fingertips,

    Pouring bounty and punishment upon them.