1. We have read life line by line,
And witnessed its ups and downs.
١. قَدْ قَرَأْنَا الْحَيَاةَ سَطْرًا فَسَطْرًا
وَشَهِدْنَا صُرُوفَهَا أَلْوَانَا
2. We saw the valiant rise to glory,
Not satisfied with anything less than the stars.
٢. وَرَأَيْنَا الْمِقْدَامَ يَسْمُو إِلَى الْعِـ
ـزِّ وَلَا يَرْتَضِي النُّجُومَ مَكَانَا
3. And by his side we saw people,
Killed in humiliation, dying in disgrace.
٣. وَلَمَحْنَا بِجَانِبَيْهِ أُنَاسًا
قُتِلُوا ذِلَّةً وَمَاتُوا هَوَانَا
4. True merit lies in the man himself,
Not in his lineage or pedigree.
٤. إِنَّمَا الْمَنْصِبُ الْكَرِيمُ بِمَنْ فِيـ
ـهِ، وَلَيْسَ الْقَنَاةُ إِلَّا سِنَانَا
5. We withheld praise from the unworthy,
More deserving our poetry of protection.
٥. قَدْ حَبَسْنَا الْمَدِيحَ عَنْ كُلِّ مُسْتَا
مٍ، وَأَجْدِرْ بِشِعْرِنَا أَنْ يُصَانَا
6. Necklaces do not adorn a neck
That was not beautiful before them.
٦. لَا تَزِينُ الْعُقُودُ جِيدًا إِذَا لَمْ
يَكُ، بِالْحُسْنِ قَبْلَهَا مُزْدَانَا
7. Many a precious pearl met
Its match in an open chest.
٧. رُبَّ دُرٍّ لَاقَى مِنَ الصَّدْرِ دُرًّا
وَجُمَانٍ فِي النَّحْرِ لَاقَى جُمَانَا!
8. Had we praised those undeserving of praise
Poetry would have recoiled in shame from us.
٨. لَوْ مَدَحْنَا مَنْ لَا يَحِقُّ لَهُ الْمَدْ
حُ لَوَى الشِّعْرُ رَأْسَهُ فَهَجَانَا
9. The noble Messenger inspired Hassan,
Else there'd have been no Hassan among us.
٩. الرَّسُولُ الْكَرِيمُ أَنْطَقَ حَسَّا
نًا، وَلَوْلَاهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ حَسَّانَا
10. Ibn Hamdan taught Al-Mutanabbi
The subtleties of praise among the Hamdan.
١٠. وَابْنُ حَمْدَانَ لَقَّنَ الْمُتَنَبِّي
غُرَرَ الْمَدْحِ فِي بَنِي حَمْدَانَا
11. Poetry rings true when people are true,
And sings joyfully in praising them.
١١. يَصْدُقُ الشِّعْرُ حِينَمَا يَصْدُقُ النَّا
سُ فَيَشْدُو بِمَدْحِهِمْ نَشْوَانَا
12. But when noble deeds grow rare,
It bows its head in silent shame.
١٢. وَإِذَا عَزَّتِ الْمَكَارِمُ وَلَّى
مُطْرِقَ الرَّأْسِ وَاجِمًا خَزْيَانَا
13. It laments the days that are gone,
The chivalrous heroes and glittering spears.
١٣. وَمَضَى يَشْتَكِي الزَّمَانَ وَيَبْكِي
دَارِسَاتِ الطُّلُولِ وَالْأَظْعَانَا
14. So if you want me to be another Zuhair,
Help me, and bring me his like from among you.
١٤. فَإِذَا شِئْتَ أَنْ أَكُونَ زُهَيْرًا
فَأَعِنِّي وَهَاتِ لِي ابْنَ سِنَانَا