تَبَيَّنتُ ما فيهِ بِخَفّانَ إِنَّني

تَبَيَّنتُ ما فيهِ بِخَفّانَ إِنَّني

لَذو فَضلِ رَأيٍ في الرِجالِ سَريعِ

لَذو فَضلِ رَأيٍ في الرِجالِ سَريعِ

I discerned what was in him at Khaffan; indeed, I

I discerned the excellence in him with keen insight; truly, I am a man of sound judgement and quick wit regarding men.

possess excellent, swift judgment of men.

When the riding camels stretched their necks and excelled one after the other,

إِذا دَقَّ أَعناقَ المَطِيِّ وَأَفضَلَت

إِذا دَقَّ أَعناقَ المَطِيِّ وَأَفضَلَت

نُسوعٌ عَلى الأَكوارِ بَعدَ نُسوعِ

نُسوعٌ عَلى الأَكوارِ بَعدَ نُسوعِ

When the riding camels’ necks were worn thin, and there was slack

And when it circulated among the people, I made clear that they were

in strap after strap upon the camel saddles.

Young she-camels freed in the enclosure of a pasturing ground.

وَلَمّا جَرى في القَومِ بَيَّنتُ أَنَّها

وَلَمّا جَرى في القَومِ بَيَّنتُ أَنَّها

أَجارِيُّ طِرفٍ في رِباطِ نَزيعِ

أَجارِيُّ طِرفٍ في رِباطِ نَزيعِ

And when he ran among the people, I showed these to be

They set out at dawn with the daughters of the stallion, fearful and cautious,

the ways of a noble steed in a stud of foreign stock.

And a herd that had been muddied with dung.

غَدَوا بِبَناتِ الفَحلِ رَهبى رَذِيَّةً

غَدَوا بِبَناتِ الفَحلِ رَهبى رَذِيَّةً

وَكَوماءَ قَد ضَرَّجتَها بِنَجيعِ

وَكَوماءَ قَد ضَرَّجتَها بِنَجيعِ

They set out at dawn with the stallion Rahba’s daughters, worn out,

We traveled at night, and when we arrived in his lands,

and a high-humped she-camel you had drenched in blood.

We stayed and grazed in the best pasture.

سَرَينا فَلَمّا أَن أَتَينا بِلادَهُ

سَرَينا فَلَمّا أَن أَتَينا بِلادَهُ

أَقَمنا وَأَرتَعنا بِخَيرِ مَريعِ

أَقَمنا وَأَرتَعنا بِخَيرِ مَريعِ

We journeyed by night; then, when we reached his lands,

He saw glory and permanence being built for his children, so he built

we stayed and pastured our mounts amid rich, luxuriant bounty.

In the shade of a lofty, high-reaching structure.

رَأى المَجدَ وَالدَفّاعُ يَبنيهِ فَاِبتَنى

رَأى المَجدَ وَالدَفّاعُ يَبنيهِ فَاِبتَنى

إِلى ظِلِّ بُنيانٍ أَشَمَّ رَفيعِ

إِلى ظِلِّ بُنيانٍ أَشَمَّ رَفيعِ

He saw glory as al-Daffaʿ built it, and built for himself

I examined him for virtue when I met him,

in the shade of a proud, towering edifice.

Because he had inherited from his fathers no wasted inheritance,

تَفَرَّستُ فيهِ الخَيرَ لَمّا لَقيتُهُ

تَفَرَّستُ فيهِ الخَيرَ لَمّا لَقيتُهُ

لِما أَورَثَ الدَفّاعُ غَيرَ مُضيعِ

لِما أَورَثَ الدَفّاعُ غَيرَ مُضيعِ

I discerned goodness in him when I met him—

A young man, not frivolous, when touched by good fortune,

no squanderer of what al-Daffaʿ had bequeathed.

And in the setbacks of fate, not given to lamentation,

فَتىً غَيرُ مِفراحٍ إِذا الخَيرُ مَسَّهُ

فَتىً غَيرُ مِفراحٍ إِذا الخَيرُ مَسَّهُ

وَمِن نَكَباتِ الدَهرِ غَيرُ جَزوعِ

وَمِن نَكَباتِ الدَهرِ غَيرُ جَزوعِ

A young man not over-exultant when good fortune touches him,

Judicious, whenever he wished, forbearing and successful,

nor distraught by the calamities of time.

Though he be sharper than an Indian sword in combat.

وَقُسٌّ إِذا ما شاءَ حِلماً وَنائِلاً

وَقُسٌّ إِذا ما شاءَ حِلماً وَنائِلاً

وَإِن كانَ أَمضى مِن أَحَذَّ وَقيعِ

وَإِن كانَ أَمضى مِن أَحَذَّ وَقيعِ

And a Quss whenever he chooses forbearance and bounty,

The builder of glory built for you above an eminence,

though he is sharper than a swift-cutting, well-honed blade.

On the inaccessible mountain peaks.

بَنى لَكَ باني المَجدِ فَوقَ مُشَرَّفٍ

بَنى لَكَ باني المَجدِ فَوقَ مُشَرَّفٍ

عَلى مُصعَبٍ يَعلو الجِبالَ مَنيعِ

عَلى مُصعَبٍ يَعلو الجِبالَ مَنيعِ

The builder of glory built for you above a lofty height,

For that is a young man who, if you come to him for help

upon a rugged, impregnable peak rising above the mountains.

To his wealth, you will not come to him through an intermediary.

فَذاكَ فَتىً إِن تَأتِهِ لِصَنيعَةٍ

فَذاكَ فَتىً إِن تَأتِهِ لِصَنيعَةٍ

إِلى مالِهِ لا تَأتِهِ بِشَفيعِ

إِلى مالِهِ لا تَأتِهِ بِشَفيعِ

That is a young man: if you come to him for a favor,

seeking his wealth, you need bring no intercessor.