ألا يا لِقومي للرّسُومِ تَبِيدُ

ألا يا لِقومي للرّسُومِ تَبِيدُ

وَعَهْدُكَ مِمّنْ حَبْلُهُنَّ جَدِيدُ

وَعَهْدُكَ مِمّنْ حَبْلُهُنَّ جَدِيدُ

Ah, my people—alas for the vanishing dwelling-traces!

Alas, O my people, the customs are perishing,

And you recall women whose bond is still fresh.

And your covenant is from those whose rope is new.

ولِلدّارِ بعدَ الحيّ يُبْكِيكَ رَسْمُها

ولِلدّارِ بعدَ الحيّ يُبْكِيكَ رَسْمُها

وما الدّارُ إلا دِمْنَةٌ وصَعِيدُ

وما الدّارُ إلا دِمْنَةٌ وصَعِيدُ

The dwelling's traces make you weep after its people have gone,

And the abode after life makes its mark weep,

yet the dwelling is only a dung-stained site and bare earth.

And the abode is but a pile of dust.

لقد زادَ نفسي بابنِ وَرْدٍ كَرَامَةً

لقد زادَ نفسي بابنِ وَرْدٍ كَرَامَةً

َلَيَّ رِجالٌ في الرّجالِ عَبيدُ

َلَيَّ رِجالٌ في الرّجالِ عَبيدُ

Indeed, my esteem for Ibn Ward has been heightened

Indeed my soul has gained nobility through the son of Ward,

by the stalling of men who are slaves among men.

Men who among men are slaves come to me.

يَسُوقونَ أموالاً وما سَعِدُوا بها

يَسُوقونَ أموالاً وما سَعِدُوا بها

وهمْ عندَ مَثْنَاةِ القِيامِ قُعُودُ

وهمْ عندَ مَثْنَاةِ القِيامِ قُعُودُ

They drive herds, yet find no happiness in them,

They lead riches, but were not made happy through them,

and when the moment comes to rise, they remain seated.

And they are seated at the appointed time of rising.

ولاسوَّدَ المالُ اللئيمَ ولا دنا

ولاسوَّدَ المالُ اللئيمَ ولا دنا

لذاك ولكنَّ الكريمَ يَسودُ

لذاك ولكنَّ الكريمَ يَسودُ

Wealth has not made a base man a lord, nor come close

Wealth does not blacken the miserable one, nor come near him,

to that; rather, the noble man becomes a lord.

But the generous one it makes black.

وكائِنْ رأينا من غَنيٍّ مُذَمَّمٍ

وكائِنْ رأينا من غَنيٍّ مُذَمَّمٍ

وصُعْلوكِ قَومٍ ماتَ وهو حميدُ

وصُعْلوكِ قَومٍ ماتَ وهو حميدُ

And how many a rich man we have seen reviled,

And we have seen a wealthy man, despised,

and a poor tribesman who died praised.

And rags of a people who died while noble.

وليس الغنى والفقرُ مِن حِيلةِ الفتى

وليس الغنى والفقرُ مِن حِيلةِ الفتى

ولكنْ أَحَاظٍ قُسِّمتْ وجُدُودُ

ولكنْ أَحَاظٍ قُسِّمتْ وجُدُودُ

Wealth and poverty do not spring from a man's resourcefulness,

And wealth and poverty are not of the cunning of the youth,

but from shares allotted and strokes of fortune.

But fortunes allotted and generous.

وما يكسبُ المالَ الفتى بجلادِه

وما يكسبُ المالَ الفتى بجلادِه

لديه ولكنْ خَائِبٌ وسَعيدُ

لديه ولكنْ خَائِبٌ وسَعيدُ

Nor does a man gain wealth through his mettle

And the youth earns no wealth by his striving,

in pursuing it; rather, one fails and another is fortunate.

For him there is only loser and gainer.

إذا المرءُ أَعْيَتُه المروءةَ ناشِئًا

إذا المرءُ أَعْيَتُه المروءةَ ناشِئًا

فَمَطْلَبُها كَهْلاً عليه شَدِيدُ

فَمَطْلَبُها كَهْلاً عليه شَدِيدُ

If manly virtue proves beyond a man in his youth,

When manliness wearies the youth at first,

then seeking it in middle age is hard for him.

Then seeking it when aged is difficult.