1. ليسَ شيءٌ عَلَى المَنُونِ بِخَالِ

    لا عَديمٌ ولا مُثمِّرُ مالِ

    Nothing is exempt from death,

    neither the destitute nor one who makes wealth grow.

  2. ليتَ شِعري عنِ الهُمَامِ ويَاً

    تيكَ بخُبرِ الأنباءِ عَطفُ السؤالِ

    Would that I knew about the noble lord; and

    renewed questioning brings you word of events.

  3. أينَ عنَّا إخطارُنا المالَ وال

    أَنفُسَ إذ ناهَدُوا لِيومِ نَوالٍ

    Where now is our risking wealth and

    lives, when they advanced for a day of bounty?

  4. ونِضالي في جَنِبكَ النَّاسَ يَر

    مُونَ وأَرمي وكُلُّنا غيرُ آلِ

    And my archery at your side against the people, who

    shoot while I shoot, none of us sparing effort.

  5. فأَصَبتُ الَّذي تُريدُ بلا غَب

    نٍ وأُربي عليهمُ وأُوالي

    So I hit what you desired, without

    loss, outdoing them and pressing on.

  6. يومَ لا أَتَّقي بكفِّي طَوالَ الدَّ

    هرِ أنصارَهُ بغيرِ أحتِيالِ

    On a day when I do not shield myself with my palm, throughout

    time, against his supporters without stratagem.

  7. وبعينيكَ كلُّ ذاكَ تَخَطَّا

    كَ وتخطيكَ نَبلُهُم في النِّضالِ

    And before your eyes all that passed

    you by; their arrows miss you in the archery contest.

  8. ليتَ أَنِّي أَخَذتُ حَتفي بكفَّ

    يَّ وَلم أَلقَ مِيتَةَ الأَقتالِ

    Would that I had taken my death in my own

    hands, and had not met the death of the slain.

  9. مَحَلُوا مَحلَهُم لِصَرعَتنا العا

    م فقد أَوقَعُوا الرَّحَى في الثِّقَالِ

    They worked their plots to bring us down this

    year; they have brought the millstone down among the heavy weights.

  10. قد بلَوتُ الأنصارَ في الجدِّ فاس

    تَثَبتُّ منهم وكعبُكَ اليومَ عالٍ

    I have tested the supporters in earnest, and

    made certain of them; your ankle stands high today.

  11. ما رَجائي في اليافِعاتِ ذواتِ ال

    يَهيجِ أَم ما صَبري وكيفَ احتيالي

    What hope have I in the lofty ones, endowed with

    [unclear word]? Or what patience have I, and how can I contrive?

  12. جاعِلٌ هَمَّكَ التُّخومَ ولا أَح

    فِلُ اقَولَ لوُشاةِ والأَنذالِ

    You make the borderlands your concern; I do not

    heed the sayings of slanderers and the base [reading uncertain].

  13. وأُناجي نَفسي وأُشعِرُكَ ال

    وُدَّ بِلاَ نَبوَةٍ ولا إملالِ

    I commune with myself and make you feel

    affection, without estrangement or tedium.

  14. ولقد قُدتَني كثيراً فوَجَّه

    تُ بما خيَّبَت عليكَ شَمالِ

    Often indeed you led me, so I turned

    toward what a north wind had thwarted for you.

  15. معَ صِهرٍ كانَ الرَّجاءَ فأَدَّي

    تُ حبيباً صاحَبتُه بجَمالِ

    With an in-law who was the hope, I then delivered

    a dear one whose company I kept with kindness.

  16. كانَ ثوباً لَبستُه ما أَعانَ الدَّ

    هرُ منهث وكلُّ ثَوبٍ بِبالِ

    He was a garment I wore, so long as

    time lent help through him [ending unclear]; every garment wears out.

  17. فلَئِن كنتُ قد رضيتُ لَقَد أُنس

    يتُ في مُبتَلَى ودَهرٍ طَوالِ

    So if I have been content, I have indeed been made

    to forget amid trial and a long stretch of time.

  18. لا تَهُن خَطبنَا فإِن يَثبُتِ ال

    يَجريُ تَذَكَّر قَولي وَصدرُكَ عالِ

    Do not belittle our plight; for if

    [the unclear subject] holds firm, remember my words, your breast rising above

  19. مِن خُطُوبٍ تَسعَى إليكَ ولا تَأ

    لُوكَ شَرّاً والهَديُ عندَ الآلِ

    afflictions that hasten toward you and

    spare you no evil; guidance lies by the mirage.

  20. كيفَ تَرجُو رَدَّ المَغيضِ واقداً

    حِرزَ قِدحَيكَ في بياضِ الشَّمَالِ

    How can you hope to restore what has ebbed away, ablaze [syntax unclear],

    the safeguard of your two lot-arrows in the whiteness of the left hand?

  21. فاذا فاذا قُمتَ نادِماً تَنفُضُ الكَفَّ

    ينِ مِن حَسرَةٍ فَقُل لا أُبالي

    Then, then, when you rise remorseful, shaking your two

    hands in grief, say, 'I do not care.'

  22. وَليَكُن حَظُّكَ السَّلامَةَ والرُّشد

    دَ وخِصباً في الَجدبِ والإِمحالِ

    And may your portion be safety and right judgment,

    and fertility amid drought and barrenness.

  23. وتَبَيَّنَ لَدُن بَلَغتَ مِنَ السِّ

    نِّ كثيراً بالنَّاصحِ العَمَّالِ

    And seek clarity, now that you have reached

    many years of age, through the diligent counselor,

  24. ضامِناً لِلكِبارِ خايَفَكَ الأَه

    بلُ كثيرَ العَدُوِّ ناشي العيِالِ

    standing surety for the great; fearful of you is the

    fool, with many enemies and young dependents [final wording uncertain].