1. Has not the time come for the thirsty to be watered,
And the scattered flock to be brought together by the herder?

2. If tears have flowed from the zealous, though they have flowed,
Yet soft cheeks have been watered by them.

3. He would forget the pact with the thirsty at the water-skins,
But the doves reminded him of it upon themselves.

4. Passion awakened in the heart of one not passionate,
So say in the breast smitten by it, while it is passionate:

5. It has a melody – no tears - so if elevated tones sound,
They have gone where tears cannot go, hastening.

6. By my father, were she to see me, she would be certain
Of long passion from which resolution wavers.

7. She saw charms which gained their radiance from her,
The twilight of night and the gloaming are her fellow revellers.

8. And the waving of bodies beneath which
Are hearts in which the winds of passion are tempests.

9. The youth gains from his life while still ignorant,
And the youth is branded in his time while learned.

10. If livelihoods flowed to the needy,
Then the ignorant beasts would certainly perish for their ignorance.

11. May God reward a hand filled with happiness
Which was generous in destroying wealth while the money slept.

12. East and West have not been brought together for one who seeks,
Nor glory in the hand of any man along with coins.

13. I have not seen rights called for good deeds
To be losses among people while they are spoils.

14. Nor heights unless poetry saw among them,
Like the land in blindness with no landmarks.

15. It is but words flowing wantonly,
Having deceptions in faces and seasons.

16. Deemed wisdom though there is none in it, while it is jest,
And judges with what it judges while it is unjust.

17. To Ahmad the praiseworthy our companions have inclined,
Does gently in the open space of the plain and headlands too,

18. Protective friends who wrong the wrongdoer when he transgresses,
And guard his father’s horse from lightning that threatens.

19. Beauties who were once beautiful, whether from bitterness
Or their mothers were beautiful.

20. To Salim, good of manners, from every critic,
And he has no wealth over generosity that is safe.

21. Worthwhile that money not be worthy to remain with him,
Worthwhile that it remain though he owe debts in the land.

22. It is not manifested to the heights by anyone’s behaviour
Though he be eminent and for money a destroyer.

23. From his support is the pinnacle of glory wherever
It occurred, and from him construction and pillars.

24. A people, if they set out to frighten, their swords
Do not make peace, neither skulls.

25. Sons of every loose-sleeved, when swords clash,
The arms of heroes bend while they grip.

26. When his sword rules heads,
Pardoning issues from it while it rules the sword.

27. You have grasped the shoulders of the noble Arab and eyes
Cast down, wearied, and skulls bowed.

28. So that from intense love they have become,
If able, fearful charms hung upon you.

29. If Ud and Ya’rub perceived,
Those bleached bones would then happily stir.

30. The living have met you in every
Majestic assembly and eagles lived in your islands.

31. It has reached you – surely favors are fingers –
And surely the adornments of poetry are rings in them.

32. If you do not preserve it, it would be no innovation
Nor wonder that the non-Arabs have wasted it.

33. So the train has waved its forearms hoping
For your justice since injustice came to you.

34. If not for habits the poetry produced, the shirkers
Of dew would not know whence nobility comes.