يا أَيُّها الزاجِرِي عَن شيمَتي سَفَهاً

عَمداً عَصَيتُ مَقالَ الزاجِرِ الناهي

O you who rebuke me for my noble traits in ignorance,

I have intentionally disobeyed the words of the prohibiting chider.

أَقصِر فَإِنَّكَ مِن قَومٍ أَرومَتُهُم

في اللُؤمِ فَاِفخَر بِهِم ما شِئتَ أَو باهِ

Be brief, for you are from a people whom I have raised

In villainy, so boast of them as much as you wish or desire.

يُزَيِّنُ الشِعرُ أَفواهاً إِذا نَطَقَت

بِالشِعرِ يَوماً وَقَد يُزري بِأَفواهِ

Poetry adorns mouths when they speak it

One day, while it may disgrace other mouths.

قَد يُرزَقُ المَرءُ لا مِن فَضلِ حيلَتِهِ

وَيُصرَفُ الرِزقُ عَن ذي الحيلَةِ الداهي

One may be granted sustenance not by his cunning,

And sustenance may be diverted from the cunning schemer.

لا شيمَتي تُجتَوى يَوماً وَلا خُلُقي

وَلَيسَ حَبلي لِمَن صافَيتُ بِالواهي

My traits will never be corrupted, nor my manners,

Nor is my rope for one who has abandoned me for delusion.

لا بَل أَبيحُ صَديقي مَحضَ خالِصَتي

وَلَستُ عَن نَفعِهِ ما عِشتُ بِالساهي

Rather, I make lawful for my friend my pure sincerity,

And I do not forget his benefit as long as I live.

لَقَد عَجِبتُ لِقَومٍ لا أُصولَ لَهُم

أَثرَوا وَلَيسوا وَإِن أَثرَوا بِأَشباهي

I am amazed by people who have no ancestry,

Who became wealthy but are not, even if they resemble the wealthy.

ما نالَني مِن غِنىً يَوماً وَلا عَدَمٍ

إِلّا وَقَولي عَلَيهِ الحَمدُ لِلّهِ

I have never attained, in wealth or poverty,

Anything but that I say for it: Praise be to God.