1. ما إِن تُعَرّي المَنونُ مِن أَحَدِ

    لا والِدٍ مُشفِقٍ وَلا وَلَدِ

    Death spares no one at all,

    neither a loving father nor a child.

  2. أَخشى عَلى أَربَدَ الحُتوفَ وَلا

    أَرهَبُ نَوءَ السِماكِ وَالأَسَدِ

    I fear deadly fates for Arbad, but do not

    dread the rains of al-Simak and al-Asad.

  3. فَجَّعَني الرَعدُ وَالصَواعِقُ بِال

    فارِسِ يَومَ الكَريهَةِ النَجُدِ

    Thunder and thunderbolts bereaved me of the

    valiant horseman on the day of battle,

  4. الحارِبِ الجابِرِ الحَريبَ إِذا

    جاءَ نَكيباً وَإِن يَعُد يَعُدِ

    the raider who restores the plundered man, when he

    comes stricken; if he returns, his help returns.

  5. يَعفو عَلى الجَهدِ وَالسُؤالِ كَما

    أُنزِلَ صَوبُ الرَبيعِ ذي الرَصَدِ

    He gives beyond hardship and entreaty, just as

    spring rain was poured down, shower after shower.

  6. لَم يُبلِغِ العَينَ كُلَّ نَهمَتِها

    لَيلَةَ تُمسي الجِيادُ كَالقِدَدِ

    The eye was not granted all it craved

    on the night the steeds became like strips of hide.

  7. كُلُّ بَني حُرَّةٍ مَصيرُهُمُ

    قُلٌّ وَإِن أَكثَرَت مِنَ العَدَدِ

    All a freeborn woman's sons are destined

    to dwindle away, however many she bore.

  8. إِن يُغبَطوا يُهبَطوا وَإِن أَمِروا

    يَوماً يَصيروا لِلهُلكِ وَالنَكَدِ

    If they are envied, they are brought low; and if they grow numerous,

    one day they come to ruin and misery.

  9. يا عَينُ هَلّا بَكَيتِ أَربَدَ إِذ

    قُمنا وَقامَ الخُصومُ في كَبَدِ

    O eye, why did you not weep for Arbad, when

    we rose, and our opponents rose in bitter contention?

  10. وَعَينِ هَلّا بَكَيتِ أَربَدَ إِذ

    أَلوَت رِياحُ الشِتاءِ بِالعَضَدِ

    And, O eye, why did you not weep for Arbad, when

    winter winds wreaked havoc on the tree-browsing camels,

  11. فَأَصبَحَت لاقِحاً مُصَرَّمَةٍ

    حينَ تَقَضَّت غَوابِرُ المُدَدِ

    so the pregnant ones were left milkless,

    when the remaining spans of time had run out?

  12. إِن يَشغَبوا لا يُبالِ شَغبَهُمُ

    أَو يَقصِدوا في الحُكومِ يَقتَصِدِ

    If they stir up strife, he heeds none of their strife;

    or if they are fair in judgment, he is fair.

  13. حُلوٌ كَريمٌ وَفي حَلاوَتِهِ

    مُرٌّ لَطيفُ الأَحشاءِ وَالكَبَدِ

    Sweet and noble, yet within his sweetness

    bitter, with delicate entrails and liver.

  14. الباعِثُ النَوحَ في مَآتِمِهِ

    مِثلَ الظِباءِ الأَبكارِ بِالجَرَدِ

    He who sets the mourning women astir at his funeral gatherings,

    like virgin gazelles on the bare plains.