1. لَستُ مِن عَدنانَ إِن لَم تَرَها

    كَذِئابِ القاعِ يَرعَينَ اللُّجُم

    I am not of Adnan if you do not see them

    Like wolves of the plain, grazing on their bridles.

  2. كُلُّ نَشوانَ يُبادي عِطفَهُ

    غُصنُ البانَةِ وَالرُّمحُ الأَصَم

    Every intoxicated one's flank is rivaled

    By the bān-tree branch and the solid spear.

  3. قَد أَغاروا فَحَووا ما بِالفَنا

    مِن تَمام وَقَوام وَهَضَم

    They have raided and seized what the courtyard held

    Of perfection, graceful stature, and slenderness of waist.

  4. يا بَني قَيلَةَ لا تَخدَعُكُم

    هَجمَةُ اللَّيثِ إِذا اللَّيثُ هَجَم

    O sons of Qayla, do not be deceived

    By the lion's charge when the lion charges.

  5. إِنَّ أَسيافَ نِزارٍ طُبِعَت

    لِطلاكُم وَعَراقيبِ النِّعَم

    Indeed, the swords of Nizar were forged

    For your necks and the hamstrings of livestock.

  6. رُبَّ خِلٍّ طَمَحَ الغَيُّ بِهِ

    فَوَهَبنا اللُّؤمَ فيهِ لِلكَرَم

    Many a friend whom waywardness carried away—

    So we pardoned his baseness for the sake of his nobility.

  7. وابنِ عَمٍّ قَد بَلَونا سِرَّهُ

    فَلَبِسناهُ عَلى ما قَد كَتَم

    And many a cousin whose hidden nature we have tested—

    So we clothed ourselves in him, despite what he had concealed.

  8. وَنَديم عَبَّها في لَيلَةٍ

    غَطَّ فيها الكأس جِلبابَ الظُّلَم

    And many a drinking companion who gulped it down one night,

    When the cup drowned the cloak of darkness.

  9. كُلَّما حارَبَنا ضَوء الضُّحى

    حالَفَ الصُّبحُ عَلَينا وَابتَسَم

    Whenever the light of forenoon waged war on us,

    Dawn joined forces against us and smiled.

  10. إِن تُريني بِمُضِلاتِ الغِنى

    أحمِلُ الجودَ عَلى ظَهرِ العَدَم

    If you see me amid the pitfalls of wealth,

    Bearing generosity on the back of poverty,

  11. فَأَبِيُّ النَّفسِ عَن ذُلِّ المُنى

    وَخَفيفُ الظَّهرِ عَن حَملِ النِّعَم

    Then I am proud in spirit, above the abasement of wishes,

    And light of back, free from the burden of favors.