أَلا أَبلِغ عُوَيمِرَ عَن زِيادٍ

أَلا أَبلِغ عُوَيمِرَ عَن زِيادٍ

فَإِنَّ مَظِنَّةَ الجَهلِ الشَبابُ

فَإِنَّ مَظِنَّةَ الجَهلِ الشَبابُ

Hark! Convey to ʿUwaymir word from Ziyād:

Should I not tell ‘Uwaimir about Ziyad,

For youth is where folly is to be expected.

For youth is the abode of ignorant conceit,

فَإِنَّكَ سَوفَ تَحلُمُ أَو تَناهى

فَإِنَّكَ سَوفَ تَحلُمُ أَو تَناهى

إِذا ما شِبتَ أَو شابَ الغُرابُ

إِذا ما شِبتَ أَو شابَ الغُرابُ

For you will grow forbearing, or restrain yourself,

You will become wise when you grow up,

when you go gray—or the raven goes gray.

Or the crow’s feathers whiten with age,

فَكُن كَأَبيكَ أَو كَأَبي بَراءٍ

فَكُن كَأَبيكَ أَو كَأَبي بَراءٍ

تُوافِقكَ الحُكومَةُ وَالصَوابُ

تُوافِقكَ الحُكومَةُ وَالصَوابُ

So be like your father, or like Abū Barāʾ;

Be like your father or like Abi Bara’,

judgment and rightness will attend you.

Then propriety and wisdom will suit you,

وَلا تَذهَب بِحِلمِكَ هافِياتٌ

وَلا تَذهَب بِحِلمِكَ هافِياتٌ

مِنَ الخُيَلاءِ لَيسَ لَهُنَّ بابُ

مِنَ الخُيَلاءِ لَيسَ لَهُنَّ بابُ

And let no foolish impulses carry away your forbearance,

Let not your patience be carried away,

born of arrogance, with no door for them.

By vanity which has no door,

فَإِن يَكُ رَبُّ أَذوادٍ بِحِسمى

فَإِن يَكُ رَبُّ أَذوادٍ بِحِسمى

أَصابوا في لِقائِكَ ما أَصابوا

أَصابوا في لِقائِكَ ما أَصابوا

For if there is a lord of camel herds at Ḥismā,

If the Lord of the troops of the Thowr,

they gained what they gained in meeting you;

Met you they got what they came across,

فَما إِن كانَ مِن نَسَبٍ بَعيدٍ

فَما إِن كانَ مِن نَسَبٍ بَعيدٍ

وَلَكِن أَدرَكوكَ وَهُم غِضابُ

وَلَكِن أَدرَكوكَ وَهُم غِضابُ

for he was not of distant kin,

It was not because of distant lineage,

but they overtook you while angry.

But they came upon you while still angry,

فَوارِسُ مِن مَنولَةَ غَيرُ ميلٍ

فَوارِسُ مِن مَنولَةَ غَيرُ ميلٍ

وَمُرَّةُ فَوقَ جَمعِهِمِ العُقابُ

وَمُرَّةُ فَوقَ جَمعِهِمِ العُقابُ

Horsemen from Manūlah, not wavering,

So beware of a camp not your own,

and Murrah, the eagle above their host.

And a flock of eagles over their gathering.