شِبل القَساورِ من أبناءِ مزوارِ

شِبل القَساورِ من أبناءِ مزوارِ

ومَن يُفَدَّى بِأسماعٍ وأبصَارِ

ومَن يُفَدَّى بِأسماعٍ وأبصَارِ

A cub of lions, one of Mazwar's descendants,

The cubs of Kesker come from the sons of Mozwari

And one for whom ears and eyes are given in ransom,

And who can be ransomed with hearings and sights

ومن تَعاظمَ قَدراً في سماءِ عُلاً

ومن تَعاظمَ قَدراً في سماءِ عُلاً

ومَن سَرى صيتُه مَسيرَ أنوار

ومَن سَرى صيتُه مَسيرَ أنوار

And one whose stature has grown in the sky of glory,

And who has greatly esteemed himself in the sky of glory

And one whose renown has spread as light spreads.

And whose fame has spread like the light of stars

أعظِم به سيِّداً لاحت سِيادَتُه

أعظِم به سيِّداً لاحت سِيادَتُه

فَطبَّقَ الذِّكرُ منه كلَّ أقطار

فَطبَّقَ الذِّكرُ منه كلَّ أقطار

How great a lord he is, whose lordship has shone forth!

With him I extol a master whose mastery has shone

So his renown has filled all lands.

So talk of him has spread in every region

قد زانَ أخلاقَه المُثلَى طلاقَتُه

قد زانَ أخلاقَه المُثلَى طلاقَتُه

فالطبعُ منه كمثلِ السلسلِ الجاري

فالطبعُ منه كمثلِ السلسلِ الجاري

His affability has graced his exemplary character,

His excellent morals have adorned his eloquence

And his nature is like sweet, flowing water,

So his nature is like an ongoing chain

أو كهُبوبِ نسيمٍ هبَّ في سَحَرٍ

أو كهُبوبِ نسيمٍ هبَّ في سَحَرٍ

مِن روضةٍ بوكرَت بالغيثِ مِعطار

مِن روضةٍ بوكرَت بالغيثِ مِعطار

Or like the wafting of a breeze that blew before dawn,

Or like the blowing of breeze at dawn

From a fragrant garden visited early by rain.

From a garden watered by fragrant rain

كم من أخي حاجةٍ كفاهُ أسعدُنا

كم من أخي حاجةٍ كفاهُ أسعدُنا

فاليُمنُ يُمناهُ واليُسرى لإِيسارِ

فاليُمنُ يُمناهُ واليُسرى لإِيسارِ

How many a needy man has our most fortunate one provided for!

How many dear needs has he fulfilled for us

For good fortune is his right hand, and his left brings prosperity.

Good omens are his blessings and facilitation is his sign

للَّهِ لِلهِ إبراهيمُ تُبصرُه

للَّهِ لِلهِ إبراهيمُ تُبصرُه

يَنهَى ويَامرُ في ناهٍ وأمَّارِ

يَنهَى ويَامرُ في ناهٍ وأمَّارِ

By God, by God! You behold Ibrahim,

For God, for God is Ibrahim whom he makes insightful

Forbidding and commanding among forbidders and commanders.

He guides and commands calmly and patiently

تَرى حصافةَ رأيٍ في بداهةِ حُك

تَرى حصافةَ رأيٍ في بداهةِ حُك

م في فِراسةِ ذِهنٍ ساطِعٍ وارِ

م في فِراسةِ ذِهنٍ ساطِعٍ وارِ

You see soundness of counsel in immediate judg-

You see the precision of opinion in the clarity of his wisdom

ment, in the intuition of a radiant, glowing mind.

In the perspicacity of a bright and pure mind

لم يخفَ عن فِكرِه أسرارُ باطنِهم

لم يخفَ عن فِكرِه أسرارُ باطنِهم

كأنما فكرُه في كلِّ أفكار

كأنما فكرُه في كلِّ أفكار

The secrets within them have not been hidden from his mind,

The secrets of their essence were not hidden from his thoughts

As though his thought were within every thought.

It's as if his mind comprehends all ideas

يزيدُ هيبتَه إشراقُ طلعَتِه

يزيدُ هيبتَه إشراقُ طلعَتِه

إنَّ السَّنا والسناءَ طَبعُ أقمار

إنَّ السَّنا والسناءَ طَبعُ أقمار

The radiance of his face increases the awe he inspires.

His ascent adds awe to his splendor

Indeed, radiance and grandeur are the nature of moons.

For brilliance and praise are the nature of moons

وكيف لا وهو فرعُ الأصلِ مِن رَجُلٍ

وكيف لا وهو فرعُ الأصلِ مِن رَجُلٍ

قد فاقَ قدرُه قَدرَ كلِّ مِقدار

قد فاقَ قدرُه قَدرَ كلِّ مِقدار

And how could it be otherwise, when he is a branch from the stock of a man

How could it not be when he is a branch of origin from a man

Whose worth has exceeded the measure of all measures?

Whose destiny surpassed the extent of all measures

نجلُ التهامي العِصاميِّ البعيدِ مَدىً

نجلُ التهامي العِصاميِّ البعيدِ مَدىً

فخرِ الأفَارقةِ الحامي حِمى الجارِ

فخرِ الأفَارقةِ الحامي حِمى الجارِ

Son of al-Tihami, the self-made man whose reach extends far,

Grandson of the ambitious and high-reaching Tahami

The pride of Africans, protector of his neighbor's sanctuary.

Pride of Africans, protector of neighbors

والشبلُ إذ يَقتَفِي الآسادَ لا عَجَبٌ

والشبلُ إذ يَقتَفِي الآسادَ لا عَجَبٌ

وماءُ زهرٍ ألم يَطِب مِنَ أزهَارِ

وماءُ زهرٍ ألم يَطِب مِنَ أزهَارِ

And no wonder the cub follows in the lions' tracks;

And it is no wonder the lion cub trails the lions

And has not flower-water gained its fragrance from flowers?

And is not spring water sweetest from flowers?

لم أنسَ إذ عَادني في السُّقمِ عائِدُهُ

لم أنسَ إذ عَادني في السُّقمِ عائِدُهُ

فزالَ عن إثرِه سُقمي وأضراري

فزالَ عن إثرِه سُقمي وأضراري

I have not forgotten when his visitor called on me in sickness,

I will not forget when he came to me in sickness

And in his wake, my sickness and afflictions vanished.

Removing my pains and harms by his presence

لم أنسَ قولتَه لي حينَ أبصَرني

لم أنسَ قولتَه لي حينَ أبصَرني

مُسَلِّياً مُبدياً أخلاقَ أحرارِ

مُسَلِّياً مُبدياً أخلاقَ أحرارِ

I have not forgotten his words to me when he saw me,

I will not forget his words to me when he saw me

Offering comfort and displaying the character of noble men.

Showing beautiful manners of free men

حاشا لمثلي جميلَ الصنع يُنكِره

حاشا لمثلي جميلَ الصنع يُنكِره

فليس يُنكَر إلا عندَ أشرَارِ

فليس يُنكَر إلا عندَ أشرَارِ

Far be it from one like me to deny a gracious deed;

It is not fit for the likes of me to reject a good deed

For it is denied only among the wicked,

Rejection is only among the wicked

مَن خَبُثَت منهمُ لُؤماً نُفوسُهمُ

مَن خَبُثَت منهمُ لُؤماً نُفوسُهمُ

فليسَ تغسِلُها مِياهُ أنهار

فليسَ تغسِلُها مِياهُ أنهار

Those among them whose souls have grown foul with baseness,

Those whose souls have been corrupted with meanness

So the waters of rivers do not wash them clean.

Cannot be cleansed by waters of rivers

قد أطلَقوا في الأديبِ سمَّ ألسُنِهم

قد أطلَقوا في الأديبِ سمَّ ألسُنِهم

ولم يُزاحمهم في جَمعِ دينار

ولم يُزاحمهم في جَمعِ دينار

They have unleashed their tongues' venom against the man of letters,

They let loose their tongues' poison at the poet

Yet he has not competed with them in gathering a dinar.

Yet he does not vie with them in gathering dinars

مع كلِّ ذي نِعمةٍ هذاكَ دابُهُمُ

مع كلِّ ذي نِعمةٍ هذاكَ دابُهُمُ

فإنهم ما نَسَوا أيامَ إعسار

فإنهم ما نَسَوا أيامَ إعسار

With all who enjoy good fortune, such is their habit,

This is their way with all who have grace

For they have not forgotten the days of penury.

For they forget not days of poverty

ما دمتَ تُسدي إليهم مِن صَنيع يَدٍ

ما دمتَ تُسدي إليهم مِن صَنيع يَدٍ

إلا وزادَ الحشا ناراً على نارِ

إلا وزادَ الحشا ناراً على نارِ

As long as you bestow on them favors from your hand,

As long as you do good to them with your hands

Their hearts only grow more fiery, fire upon fire.

You only add fire to their fire

فاسلَم ودُم يا أبا الخيراتِ مُكتَنفاً

فاسلَم ودُم يا أبا الخيراتِ مُكتَنفاً

مُحصَّناً في حِمى المُهيمنِ الباري

مُحصَّناً في حِمى المُهيمنِ الباري

So remain safe and endure, O father of good deeds, sheltered,

So be safe and continue, O father of benevolence

Fortified in the sanctuary of the Guardian, the Creator.

Sheltered in the protection of the Eternal Lord