1. وَلَيسَت بِشَوهاءَ مَقبوحَةٍ

    تُوافي الدِيارَ بِوجهٍ غَبِر

    And she is not misshapen and ugly,

    coming to the dwellings with a dusty face.

  2. فَذَر ذا وَعدِّ إِلى غَيرِهِ

    فَشَرُّ المَقالَةِ ما يُعتَسرَ

    So leave this, and move on to something else;

    for the worst speech is that which is forced.

  3. وَما البَغيُ إِلاَّ عَلى أَهلِهِ

    وَما الناسُ إِلاَّ كهذي الشَجَر

    And wrongdoing rebounds only upon its perpetrators;

    and people are only like these trees:

  4. تَرَى الغُصنَ في عُنفُوانِ الشَبا

    بِ يَهتَزُّ في بَهَجاتٍ خُضَر

    you see the branch in the prime of youth,

    swaying amid green splendors,

  5. زَماناً مِنَ الدَهرِ ثُمَّ التَوى

    فَعادَ إِلى صُفرَةٍ فاِنكَسَر

    for a span of time; then it bent,

    turned yellow, and broke.

  6. وَكَم مِن أَخِي عَليَةٍ مُقتِرٍ

    تَأَتَّى لَهُ المالُ حَتّى اِنجَبَر

    And many a man in need, impoverished,

    wealth came to him until his fortunes were restored.

  7. وَآخرَ قَد كانَ جَمَّ الغِناءِ

    رَمَتهُ الحَوادِثُ حَتّى اِفتَقَر

    And another had once possessed abundant wealth;

    misfortunes struck him until he became poor.

  8. وَكَم غائبٍ كانَ يَخشَى الرَدى

    فَآبَ وَأَودَى الَّذي في الحَضَر

    And many a man away from home who feared death

    returned, while the one at home perished.