ثمار العلا تجني بحث الدلائث

لَدى الكران المجد في كف ضابث

The fruits of eminence are reaped by urging swift she-camels onward;

at the charge—indeed, glory lies in the hand of one who grasps it.

ثبات الفَتى يوم الهياج فَضيلة

وَقَد نالَها من قبل نضر بن حارِث

A young man's steadfastness on the day of battle is a virtue,

and Naḍr ibn Ḥārith attained it before.

ثياب المَعالي لا تَنال بحيلة

الى أَن تَرى في موقف غير رائث

The robes of high distinction cannot be attained by a stratagem,

until you are seen taking a stand, without delay.

ثمام الحنا سهل لَدى كل قاطِف

وَزهر العلا يحمي بأيد عوابث

The thumam grass of the hollows is easy for every gatherer,

while the flowers of eminence are guarded by havoc-wreaking hands.

ثنيت عنان الخصم فرداً بحدَّتي

وَلَيسَ صَرير السهم مثل المثالث

Alone, I turned back my opponent's reins with my fierceness,

and an arrow's hiss is not like the sound of lute strings.

ثغور الردى لا يَستَطيع سدادها

سوى كف قرم هيئت للحوادث

None can seal the breaches of death

except the hand of a champion, made ready for calamities.

ثمين عقود الفضل يَبدو لدى الوَغى

عَلى جيد شخص بالظبا غير كارِث

The choicest of excellence's necklaces appears amid battle,

upon the neck of someone untroubled by sword blades.

ثقاة من الاخوان قد أَبرزت لَنا

نَصائح لَم يظفر بها كف باحِث

Trustworthy men among our brothers have brought us

counsels no seeker's hand had obtained.

ثوى فيها ما حام حمى بعض ما به

بياناً وَلَم تطمح له عين يافث

Within them dwelt what circled the sanctuary of part of what it held [sense unclear],

in clear expression; nor did Japheth's eye aspire to it.

ثلبنا حِبال القصد من كل منعم

سِوى ماجد فيه الندا غير حادِث

We scorned the cords of seeking favor from every benefactor,

except a noble man in whom generosity is nothing new.

ثمال اليَتامى أَحمد الناس رتبة

فَما عَنتر فنكا وَما بطش حارِث

The orphans' refuge, the most praiseworthy of men in rank—

what, then, is 'Antar's tenacity, and what is Ḥārith's might?

ثَبير اذا ما عدد الحلم وَالنهي

وَلَكِن كَبَحر في الجدا المتلاطث

He is Thabīr when forbearance and reason are reckoned,

but in bounty he is like a surging sea.

ثلوج نداه بردت حر فاقد

واظماء محتاج وغلة لاهث

The snows of his bounty cooled the heat of the bereft,

and the needy man's thirst, and the panting man's burning thirst.

ثَقيل ندا كفيه لكن كرّه

خَفيف لتفريج الخطوب الكَوارِث

Heavy is the bounty of his two hands, but his charge

is swift to ease disastrous woes.

ثلمنا غرار الحادِثات ببأسه

فَلَم نَكتَرِث بين الانام بحادِث

We blunted calamities' sharp edges with his might,

so we were untroubled by any calamity among mankind.

ثرمنا به للروع ثغراً فَلَم نزَل

بأمن وَلَم تلف بنا بعض باعث

Through him we broke the teeth of terror's mouth, and have remained

in safety; nor did you find any instigator among us.

ثمان بحار السبع مع جود كفه

وَطلعته للنيرين كثالِث

The seven seas number eight with the bounty of his hand,

and his countenance is like a third beside the two luminaries.

ثوى الخطب مصروعاً مخافة بطشه

وَقد كانَ قدماً بين عاث وَعائِث

Calamity lay felled in fear of his might,

though formerly it was among ravagers and wreakers of havoc.

ثَقيف وطىّ كلهم لَو تجمعوا

بيوم الردى بدعوهم كالكثاكث

Thaqīf and Ṭayy—were they all to gather

on death's day, [perhaps: he would leave them] like fine rubble.

ثَرى الأَرض لَو امسى نضاراً وَكفه

يجود به ابصرته غير لابث

Were the earth's soil to become pure gold, and his hand

to give it away, you would see it never linger.

ثبوا نحوه يا طالبين واسرعوا

فَما المال الّا عنده غير ماكِث

Leap toward him, you seekers, and hasten,

for only with him does wealth fail to linger.

ثخان جراحات العداة اذا سطا

ببيض رقاق هيئت للمثامث

Deep are his enemies' wounds when he strikes

with slender, gleaming swords made ready for clashes.

ثملنا بخمر من سلاف مديحه

فمن أَجله أَفكارنا في مباحث

We grew drunk on wine from the choicest vintage of his praise,

so, for his sake, our thoughts are occupied with inquiry.

ثنينا عَلى علياه في نظم شعرنا

بعقد كليات الحسان الدمائث

We praised his lofty station in the weaving of our verse,

with a necklace of the 'universals' of lovely, gentle women [sense unclear].

ثنينا عهود المدح عن وصف غيره

وَعَهدي له بالمدح ليسَ بِناكِث

We turned the pledges of praise away from describing anyone else,

and my pledge of praise to him remains unbroken.

ثَناياه تَبدو الموفود تألفا

فَللبشر دون الناس أَمسى كوارِث

The host's front teeth show in friendly welcome [syntax unclear],

so he has become, apart from other men, like an heir to cheerfulness.

ثبتنا مدى الأَزمان ننثى مدائحا

لديه كسحر العاقدات النوافث

We remained steadfast through the ages, spreading praises

before him, like the magic of women who tie knots and blow upon them.

نججنا نياق القصد في موقف الندا

واحرمنا عَن فعل الخنا وَالخبائث

We sacrificed the she-camels of our quest at bounty's station [reading uncertain],

and consecrated ourselves against obscenity and vile deeds.

ثَناياه بالاقبال والعز عمرت

مدى الدهر ما ذاعت ضوف الاحادث

His passes flourished with good fortune and honor,

for all time, as long as [unclear word] of events spread abroad.