1. صَبراً فَما الفايزُ إِلّا مَن صَبَر

    إِنَّ اللَيالي واعِداتٌ بِالظَفَر

    Be patient: none triumphs but one who endures.

    The nights indeed promise victory.

  2. لا بُدَّ أَن يَمضي بِما فيهِ القَدَر

    يَلقى الفَتى مِن دَهرِهِ خَيراً وَشَر

    What destiny holds must come to pass.

    A young man meets both good and evil in his lifetime.

  3. لا بُدَّ أَن يَنهَضَ جَدُّ مَن عَثَر

    قَد يَنضُبُ الخِلفُ العَزيزُ وَيَدُرّ

    The fortune of one who stumbles must rise again.

    The reluctant teat may run dry, then yield milk.

  4. وَرُبَّ عَظمٍ هيضَ حيناً وَاِنجَبَر

    أَخوكَ مَن كانَ مَآلاً وَوَزَر

    And many a bone was once broken, then knit again.

    Your brother is he who is a haven and a refuge,

  5. إِذا نَحا الدَهرُ بِنابٍ وَعَقَر

    لَيسَ الَّذي إِن جانَبَ الخَوفَ اِنحَسَر

    When time strikes with a fang and maims.

    Not one who shrinks back if he comes near fear,

  6. أَقبَلَ في الأَمنِ وَوَلّى في الحَذَر

    أَبلِغ مَقالي ذَلِكَ العَضبَ الذَكَر

    Coming forward in safety and turning away in alarm.

    Convey my words to that keen, well-tempered sword,

  7. ذا العُنُقِ الأَغلَبِ وَالوَجهِ الأَغَرّ

    لَولاهُ ما لاقَوا بِعودي مِن خَوَر

    He of the thick, strong neck and radiant face.

    But for him, they would have found no weakness in my timber;

  8. وَلَو تَعاطاني العَدُوُّ ما قَدَر

    وَكانَ لِلخُصومِ عَنّي مُزدَجَر

    And had the enemy tried to seize me, he could not have;

    And a deterrent would have kept adversaries from me.

  9. حُرِمتُ حَظّي مِنهُ مِن دونِ البَشَر

    خُصِصتُ بِالغُلَّةِ مِن ذاكَ المَطَر

    I alone, of all mankind, was denied my share of him.

    From that rain, I alone was allotted burning thirst,

  10. وَقَد سَقى البَدوَ وَطَبَّقَ الحَضَر

    عَسى الَّذي ساءَ قَريباً أَن يَسُرّ

    Though it watered the nomads and drenched all the townsfolk.

    May he who grieved me soon bring me joy.

  11. فَليسَ ظَنّي فيهِ كاذِبَ الخَبَر

    وَلا رَجائي بِبَعيدِ المُنتَظَر

    For my confidence in him will not prove false,

    Nor is the fulfillment of my hope far away.

  12. قَد زادَهُ اللَهُ عَلى عُظمِ الخَطَر

    مَكارِماً ذاتَ حُجولٍ وَغُرَر

    God has indeed granted him, beyond his lofty station,

    Virtues with white stockings and forehead blazes.

  13. فاتَ بِها كُلَّ جَوادٍ وَطِمِرّ

    سَبقاً إِلى غايَةِ كُلِّ مُفتَخِر

    With these he has outstripped every noble steed and fleet courser,

    Racing ahead to the goal of all who vaunt their worth.

  14. فَاللَهُ يُعشي عَنهُ ناظِرَ الغِيَر

    ما طَلَعَ النَجمُ وَأَورَقَ الشَجَر

    So may God blind adversity's eye to him,

    As long as stars rise and trees put forth leaves.