1. اليَأسُ مِن طولِ الثَواءِ رَواحُ

    وَالمُكثُ فيهِ تَثَبُّتٌ وَنَجاحُ

    Despair at a long stay leads to departure;

    And remaining there brings steadfastness and success.

  2. وَفي التَعَفُّفِ عَن مسائِلَ جَمَّةٍ

    تُزري بِصاحِبِها حَياً وَفَلاحُ

    And in refraining from many requests

    That demean their asker lie modesty and success.

  3. لا يُلبِسَنَّ أَخٌ أَخاهُ مَواعِداً

    خُلُفاً كَما لَبِسَ السَرابَ رُماحُ

    Let no brother clothe his brother in promises

    That fail, as Rumāḥ clothed itself in mirage.

  4. إِنَّ القَصائِدَ خَيرَها وَشِرارَها

    مِثلُ المَناهِلِ عَذبَةٌ وَمِلاحُ

    Indeed, poems—the best and worst of them—

    Are like watering places: some sweet, some briny.

  5. فَسَلِ الجَوادَ إِذا تَبَرَّعَ بِالنَدى

    وَذَرِ البَخيلَ فَإِنَّهُ أَنَاحُ

    So ask the generous man when he freely bestows bounty,

    And leave the miser, for he is ever groaning.

  6. لا يَستَوي ذو بَسطَةٍ نالَ العُلا

    وَمُقَصِّرٌ وَهنُ القُوى دَحداحُ

    Not equal are a man of ample power who attained eminence

    And a laggard, weak in strength and squat.

  7. المُشتَري حُسنَ الثَناءِ بِمالِهِ

    فَلَهُ بِذاكَ مَزِيَّةٌ وَرَباحُ

    The man who buys fine praise with his wealth—

    He thereby gains distinction and profit.

  8. وَالجَهلُ ما لَم تَخشَ يَوماً ذِلَّةً

    غَيٌّ وَعاقِبَةُ الحُلومِ صَلاحُ

    And rashness, unless one day you fear humiliation,

    Is error; the outcome of forbearance is good.

  9. فَاِنفَع صَديقَكَ ما اِستَطَعتَ وَلا تَخِم

    إِن جَدَّ وَعاقِبَةُ الحُلومِ صَلاحُ

    So help your friend as much as you can, and do not flag

    If he is earnest; the outcome of forbearance is good.

  10. وَالمَرءُ يُدرِكُ في الأَناةِ بِحِلمِهِ

    وَيُضامُ وَهُوَ مُدَرَّبٌ مِلحاحُ

    And a man achieves his aims through deliberation and forbearance,

    Yet he is wronged though seasoned and insistent.

  11. وَمِنَ الفُحولِ أَبٌ يَزينُ وَشائِنٌ

    وَمِنَ الطَروقَةِ رِشدَةٌ وَسِفاحُ

    And among sires is a father who lends honor, and one who disgraces;

    And among female mates are lawful unions and fornication.

  12. وَالوَعدُ مِنهُ مُنجَزٌ وَخِلابَةٌ

    وَمِنَ النُفوسِ سَخِيَّةٌ وَشِحاحُ

    And of promises, some are fulfilled and some deceit;

    And among souls are the generous and the miserly.

  13. وَالعَيشُ شَتّى شَربَتانِ فَمِنهُما

    مَحضٌ يُعاشُ بِطَعمِها وَضَياحُ

    And life is varied—two draughts; of the two,

    One is pure milk that sustains by its taste, and one diluted milk.

  14. أَفنى القُرونَ وَجَذَّ كُلَّ قَبيلَةٍ

    دَهرٌ يُقَلِّعُ غَرسَها مُجتاحُ

    Generations have been destroyed, and every tribe cut down

    By ravaging time, which uproots their planting.

  15. يُبلي الجَديدَ وَيَعتَقي أَيدَ الفَتى

    لَيلٌ يَكُرُّ عَلَيهِمُ وَصَباحُ

    The new is worn out, and a young man's strength sapped

    By night returning over them, and by morning.

  16. حَتّى يَعودَ مِنَ البِلى وَكَأَنَّهُ

    قَدَحٌ تَثَّلَمَ ناحِلٌ رَحراحُ

    Until, through decay, he becomes as though he were

    A chipped cup, thin, broad, and shallow.

  17. وَلَهُ حِفافٌ ما يُواري قَملَةً

    خَزئ النَباتِ كَأَنَّهُ رُبّاحُ

    And he has a fringe of hair that cannot hide a louse,

    Scant in growth, as though he were a monkey.

  18. ثُمَّ المَنايا لَيسَ عَنها مَزحَلٌ

    بَل لَيسَ دونَ سِهامِهِنَّ وِجاحُ

    Then come the fated deaths; there is no escape from them;

    Nay, no barrier stands before their arrows.

  19. وَلَقَد سَمِعتُ بِطائِراتٍ في الدُجى

    شُرُدُ النَهارِ وَما لَهُنَّ جَناحُ

    And I have indeed heard of things that fly in darkness,

    Fugitives by day, though they have no wings.

  20. بَل لَيسَ يَخفى فاجِرٌ مِن رَبِّهِ

    كِنٌّ يَكونُ بِهِ وَلا بَرواحُ

    Rather, no sinner is hidden from his Lord,

    Whether in a shelter he inhabits or out in the open.

  21. وَنَوافِذٍ خَلَّ القُلوبَ سِهامُها

    ما إِن تُرى لِكُلومِهِنَّ جِراحُ

    And of piercing things whose arrows have transfixed hearts,

    No gashes at all are seen from their wounds.

  22. وَلَقَد دَعاني لِلبَطالَةِ رَبرَبٌ

    هِيفٌ نَواعِمُ كَالظِباءِ صِباحُ

    And indeed a herd of beauties called me to idle pleasure—

    Slender-waisted, delicate, like gazelles, fair of face.

  23. يَبسِمنَ عَن بَرَدٍ كَأَنَّ غُروبَهُ

    مِسكٌ يُخالِطُ عَرفَهُ الفُقّاحُ

    They smile, revealing hail-white teeth, whose moisture seems

    Musk whose scent is mingled with blossoms.

  24. تَهوى مُواصَلَتي وَتَرضى شِيمَتي

    بِيضٌ وَأُدمٌ في الفَريدِ مِلاحُ

    They desire my company and are pleased with my character—

    Fair and dusky women, lovely in their pearls.

  25. فَأَجَبتُهُنَّ بِلا جُناحٍ رابَهُ

    يَكفي الفَواحِشَ رِيبَةٌ وَجُناحُ

    So I answered them without a sin to arouse his doubts;

    For indecencies, suspicion and guilt suffice.