جَناني شُجاعٌ إِن مَدَحتُ وَإِنَّما

جَناني شُجاعٌ إِن مَدَحتُ وَإِنَّما

لِسانِيَ إِن سيمَ النَشيدَ جَبانُ

لِسانِيَ إِن سيمَ النَشيدَ جَبانُ

My heart is bold when I compose praise; it is only

My soul is courageous if I praise, yet

My tongue that is timid when called upon to recite.

My tongue, if the anthem flows, is a coward.

وَما ضَرَّ قَوّالاً أَطاعَ جَنانَهُ

وَما ضَرَّ قَوّالاً أَطاعَ جَنانَهُ

عِندَ إِذا خانَهُ المُلوكِ لِسانُ

عِندَ إِذا خانَهُ المُلوكِ لِسانُ

And what harm befalls a poet who obeys his heart

And no harm in a sycophant who obeys his soul

If his tongue betrays him before kings?

When kings' tongues betray him.

وَرُبَّ حَيِيٍّ في السَلامِ وَقَلبُه

وَرُبَّ حَيِيٍّ في السَلامِ وَقَلبُه

وَقاحٌ إِذا لَفَّ الجِيادَ طِعانُ

وَقاحٌ إِذا لَفَّ الجِيادَ طِعانُ

And many a man is shy in greeting, yet his heart

And many a lively man in greetings, whose heart

Is bold when spear-fighting entangles the steeds.

Is insolent when the steeds wrap the spears.

وَرُبَّ وَقاحِ الوَجهِ يَحمِلُ كَفُّهُ

وَرُبَّ وَقاحِ الوَجهِ يَحمِلُ كَفُّهُ

أَنامِلَ لَم يَعرَق بِهِنَّ عِنانُ

أَنامِلَ لَم يَعرَق بِهِنَّ عِنانُ

And many a brazen-faced man's hand bears

And many an insolent-faced man whose palm

Fingers in whose grasp no rein has ever sweated.

Bears no calluses that the reins rubbed.

وَفَخرُ الفَتى بِالقَولِ لا بِنَشيدِهِ

وَفَخرُ الفَتى بِالقَولِ لا بِنَشيدِهِ

وَيَروي فُلانٌ مَرَّةً وَفُلانُ

وَيَروي فُلانٌ مَرَّةً وَفُلانُ

And a young man's glory lies in his verse, not his recitation;

And the youth boasts in speech not in his poem

And so-and-so recites it at one time, and so-and-so at another.

While so-and-so and so-and-so narrate.