ياO مَنyou whom مُلُوكُthe kings الدُنياthe world لَهُto him تَبَعُfollowers
يا مَن مُلُوكُ الدُنيا لَهُ تَبَعُ
مِثلَكَyour like ماnot أَبصَرُواthey saw وَماand not سَمِعُواthey heard
مِثلَكَ ما أَبصَرُوا وَما سَمِعُوا
O you whom the kings of the world follow,
O you whom the kings of this world follow
They have neither seen nor heard of your like.
None have seen or heard the like of you
سَخَوتَyou were generous حَتّىto the point that الغَمامُthe clouds مُفتَضَحٌput to shame
سَخَوتَ حَتّى الغَمامُ مُفتَضَحٌ
وَطُلتَand you towered حَتّىto the point that السِماكُal-Simāk مُتَّضِعُbrought low
وَطُلتَ حَتّى السِماكُ مُتَّضِعُ
You gave so freely that the clouds are put to shame,
Your generosity is so plain even the clouds are put to shame
And towered so high that al-Simāk is brought low.
Your nobility so evident even the lofty stars are humbled
مَناقِبٌvirtues تَزحَمُcrowd الكَواكِبَthe stars لاneither العَيal-ʿAyyūq (first part)
مَناقِبٌ تَزحَمُ الكَواكِبَ لا العَي
يُوقُal-ʿAyyūq (completion) نِدٌّan equal لَهاto them وَلاnor بُلَعُBulaʿ
يُوقُ نِدٌّ لَها وَلا بُلَعُ
Virtues that crowd the stars: neither al-ʿAyyūq
Merits that outshine the stars, no rhetoric can match
Is their equal, nor is Bulaʿ.
Caesar's reign fails short of them, as Tubba's generosity chases after yours
قَصَّرَfell short عَنهُنَّof them قَيصَرٌCaesar وَغَدَتand became
قَصَّرَ عَنهُنَّ قَيصَرٌ وَغَدَت
وَتُبَّعٌand Tubbaʿ فيin النَدىgenerosity لَهاto them تَبَعُa follower
وَتُبَّعٌ في النَدى لَها تَبَعُ
Caesar fell short of them, and now
The keen and glorious one set his eyes on you
Tubbaʿ too is their follower in generosity.
Neither foolish of heart nor timid
وَنُصبَand before عَينيَّmy eyes ماجِدٌa noble man فطنٌdiscerning
وَنُصبَ عَينيَّ ماجِدٌ فطنٌ
لاnot طائِشٌflighty لُبُّهُhis mind وَلاnor هَلِعُfainthearted
لا طائِشٌ لُبُّهُ وَلا هَلِعُ
Before my eyes stands a noble, discerning man,
His traits are munificence, bounty and integrity
Neither flighty in mind nor fainthearted.
His nature, piety, chastity and devotion
شِيمَتُهُhis disposition الجُودُgenerosity وَالنَدىand bounty وَسَجاand traits (first part)
شِيمَتُهُ الجُودُ وَالنَدى وَسَجا
ياهُhis traits (completion) التُقىpiety وَالعَفافُand chastity وَالوَرَعُand devout restraint
ياهُ التُقى وَالعَفافُ وَالوَرَعُ
His nature is generosity and bounty; and his
Pure of tent and dwelling, no blemish or greed
Qualities are piety, chastity, and devout restraint.
Like water in the white vessels when they are filled
مُطَهَّرُpurified الخِيمِcharacter وَالأَرُومَةِand lineage لاno عَيflaw (first part)
مُطَهَّرُ الخِيمِ وَالأَرُومَةِ لا عَي
بٌflaw (completion) وَلاnor وَصمَةٌa blemish وَلاnor طَمَعُgreed
بٌ وَلا وَصمَةٌ وَلا طَمَعُ
Pure in character and lineage, with no
Neither foam nor dregs
Flaw, blemish, or greed.
From a people whose faces shine radiant
كَالماءِlike water فيin أَبيَضِwhite الصَبِيرِthe massed cloud إِذاwhen اسgathers fully (first part)
كَالماءِ في أَبيَضِ الصَبِيرِ إِذا اس
تَوسَقَgathers fully (completion) لاnot زِبرِجُthin cloud وَلاnor قَزَعُscattered cloud-wisps
تَوسَقَ لا زِبرِجُ وَلا قَزَعُ
Like water in a white, massed cloud when it
As if they are candles after extinction
Gathers fully—not thin cloud or scattered wisps.
Goodness always converges when they unite
مِنfrom مَعشَرٍa people أَشرَقَتshone وُجُوهُهُمُtheir faces
مِن مَعشَرٍ أَشرَقَت وُجُوهُهُمُ
كَأَنَّهاas though they were بَعدَafter مَوهِنٍa late hour of night شَمَعُcandles
كَأَنَّها بَعدَ مَوهِنٍ شَمَعُ
From a people whose faces shone,
And merit always comes together when they meet
As though they were candles deep in the night.
A people who, when they battle, have battled
يَأتَلِفُcomes together الخَيرُgoodness كُلَّماwhenever اِئتَلَفُواthey come together
يَأتَلِفُ الخَيرُ كُلَّما اِئتَلَفُوا
وَيُجمَعُand is gathered الفَضلُexcellence كُلَّماwhenever اِجتَمَعُواthey gather
وَيُجمَعُ الفَضلُ كُلَّما اِجتَمَعُوا
Goodness comes together whenever they come together,
And if they incline to peace, they have brought benefit
And excellence is gathered whenever they gather.
If they excel, they give copiously and if they carry,
قَومٌa people إِذاwhen حارَبُواthey wage war فَقَدthen indeed حَرَبُواthey despoil
قَومٌ إِذا حارَبُوا فَقَد حَرَبُوا
وَإِنand if هُمُوthey سالَمواmake peace فَقَدthen indeed نَفَعُواthey bring benefit
وَإِن هُمُو سالَموا فَقَد نَفَعُوا
A people who, when they wage war, despoil,
They endure, and if you seek shelter with them, they accommodate
And when they make peace, bring benefit.
The clan of Mirdas, a noble folk
إِنif أَفضَلواthey bestow أَوسَعُواthey give abundantly وَإِنand if حَمَلواthey provide mounts
إِن أَفضَلوا أَوسَعُوا وَإِن حَمَلوا
سَرُّواthey gladden وَإِنand if تَستَسِرهُمُyou confide in them وَسِعُواthey have ample room
سَرُّوا وَإِن تَستَسِرهُمُ وَسِعُوا
If they bestow, they give abundantly; and if they provide mounts,
Instilled with the excellent trait of generosity
They bring joy; and if you confide in them, they have room for your secrets.
They said and never went back on their word
وَآلُand the house of مرداسَMirdas مَعشَرٌa people نُجُبُnoble
وَآلُ مرداسَ مَعشَرٌ نُجُبُ
عَلىfor جَميلِfine الفَعالِdeeds قَدindeed طُبِعُواthey were fashioned
عَلى جَميلِ الفَعالِ قَد طُبِعُوا
And the house of Mirdas is a noble people,
And kept up their bounty, never severing
Fashioned by nature for noble deeds.
If asked, they excelled as was their wont
قالواthey spoke فَماso not أَخلَفُواthey broke مَقالَهُمُtheir word
قالوا فَما أَخلَفُوا مَقالَهُمُ
وَواصَلُواand they continued بِالنَدىwith bounty فَماso not قَطَعُواthey cut off
وَواصَلُوا بِالنَدى فَما قَطَعُوا
They spoke, and never broke their word;
And if called on about something, they listened
And they continued giving bounty, never cutting it off.
O most generous of people, when they are generous
إِنif سُئِلواthey are asked أَفضَلُواthey give generously كَماas أَلِفواthey are accustomed
إِن سُئِلوا أَفضَلُوا كَما أَلِفوا
وَإِنand if يُنادَواthey are called لِحادِثٍfor a calamity سَمِعُواthey heed
وَإِن يُنادَوا لِحادِثٍ سَمِعُوا
If asked, they give generously, as is their wont;
And bravest of people when they are brave
And if summoned for a calamity, they heed the call.
You have ennobled a people you sit amongst
ياO أَكرَمَmost generous of الناسِpeople إِنif هُمُوthey كَرُمُواare generous
يا أَكرَمَ الناسِ إِن هُمُو كَرُمُوا
وَأَشجَعَand bravest of الناسِpeople إِنif هُمُوthey شَجُعُواare brave
وَأَشجَعَ الناسِ إِن هُمُو شَجُعُوا
O most generous of people, when they are generous,
Never devoid of your bounty however much they sought
And bravest of people, when they are brave!
Neither your excellent kinship nor
شَرَّفتَyou honored قَوماًa people جَلَستَyou sat بَينَهُمُوamong them
شَرَّفتَ قَوماً جَلَستَ بَينَهُمُو
لاmay not عَدِمُواthey lack مِنof نَداكَyour bounty ماwhat شَرَعُواthey came to drink
لا عَدِمُوا مِن نَداكَ ما شَرَعُوا
You honored a people among whom you sat;
Your good deeds forwent your relatives and followers
May they never lack what they draw from your bounty.
For you are their inviolable protection
لاmay not عَدِمَتbe deprived بِرَّكَyour kindness الجَميلَgracious وَلاnor
لا عَدِمَت بِرَّكَ الجَميلَ وَلا
مَعرُوفَكَyour beneficence الأَقرِباءُthe kinsfolk وَالشِيَعُand the followers
مَعرُوفَكَ الأَقرِباءُ وَالشِيَعُ
May they never lack your gracious kindness, nor
And their honest recourse when they repair
Your beneficence—kinsfolk and followers alike.
People cannot debase what you have raised up
فَإِنَّماfor indeed أَنتَyou عِصمَةٌa safeguard لَهُمُfor them
فَإِنَّما أَنتَ عِصمَةٌ لَهُمُ
وَمَنجَعٌand a pasture صادِقٌreliable إِذاwhen اِنتَجَعُواthey seek grazing
وَمَنجَعٌ صادِقٌ إِذا اِنتَجَعُوا
For you are indeed their safeguard,
Nor can anyone raise up in place of what you have lowered
And a sure pasture when they seek grazing.
لاnot يَضَعُlower الناسُpeople ماwhat رَفَعتَyou raised وَلاnor
لا يَضَعُ الناسُ ما رَفَعتَ وَلا
يَرفَعُraise خَلقٌanyone مَكانَthe station of ماwhat تَضَعُyou lower
يَرفَعُ خَلقٌ مَكانَ ما تَضَعُ
People cannot lower what you have raised, nor
Can anyone raise the station of what you lower.
Partial English translation: 37 of 40 Arabic lines translated.