أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ القَولَ يَخلُصُ صِدقُهُ

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ القَولَ يَخلُصُ صِدقُهُ

وَتأبى فَما تَزَكوا لباغٍ بواطِلُهْ

وَتأبى فَما تَزَكوا لباغٍ بواطِلُهْ

Have you not seen that the truth in speech emerges pure,

Do you not see that the truthfulness of words purifies them,

And a wrongdoer's falsehoods resist and do not flourish?

While lying mouths refuse to become pure?

ذَمَمتُ امرَأً لم يَطبَعِ الذَمُّ عرضَهُ

ذَمَمتُ امرَأً لم يَطبَعِ الذَمُّ عرضَهُ

قَليلاً لَدى تَحصيلِهِ مَن يُشاكِلُهْ

قَليلاً لَدى تَحصيلِهِ مَن يُشاكِلُهْ

I censured a man whose honor censure had not stained,

I blamed a man whom blame did not stain,

Whom few can match when he is assessed.

For few can equal him in merit and worth.

فَما بالحِجازِ مِن فَتىً ذي إِمارَةٍ

فَما بالحِجازِ مِن فَتىً ذي إِمارَةٍ

وَلا شَرَفٍ إِلّا ابنُ عمرانَ فاضلُهْ

وَلا شَرَفٍ إِلّا ابنُ عمرانَ فاضلُهْ

For in the Hijaz there is no young man of authority

In all Hejaz no man of rank and honor,

Or noble standing but Ibn Imran is his superior:

Except the virtuous son of Imran can be found.

فَتىً لا يَطورُ الذَمُّ ساحَةَ بَيتِهِ

فَتىً لا يَطورُ الذَمُّ ساحَةَ بَيتِهِ

وَتَشقى بِهِ لَيلَ التَمامِ عَواذِلُهْ

وَتَشقى بِهِ لَيلَ التَمامِ عَواذِلُهْ

A youth—blame never approaches the courtyard of his house,

No blame can mar the precincts of his house,

And the women who reproach him suffer because of him through the longest night.

Though nights of completion beset its thresholds.