يَشقى المُعيلُ بقلبٍ ضيقٍ كَمَدا

فلا أرى أنْ يُسمّى صدْرُه بَلدَا

The miserly man leads a wretched life with a narrow heart,

So I do not see that his chest can be called a country.

ما قرطت أذْنَ زنبيلٍ بنانُ يَدي

لو كنتُ أملكُ للدهرِ الظّلومِ يَدا

The handle of my bucket has never been grazed by the building of my hands.

If I had power over this unjust world, it would have been in my grasp.

وكنت أحسُد من لم يتّخذ ولداً

لولا قضاءُ الذي لم يتّخذْ وَلدا

And I used to envy the man who did not take a son,

Except for the decree of Him who did not take a child.

لا خيرَ في كبد تمشي إذا دَجَنتْ

في القلب منه سموم تصدعُ الكبدا

There is no good in a liver that walks when it is gloomy,

Poison oozes from it that cracks the liver.

إنْ كنتَ أهلَ بناءِ المَجد فاجتنب ال

بناءَ بالأهلِ وابغِ المجدَ مُتّحدا

If you are worthy of building glory then avoid

Building with family, and seek glory in solitude.

فتلكَ بالشرِّ كالرمَّان مُكتنزاً

دعْها وإن كانَ كالرمّان ما نَهدا

For they are like a pomegranate tree laden with evil fruit,

Leave it be, even if it appears laden like a pomegranate.

وإنْ أتَوكَ وقالوا ثَغرُها برَدٌ

فاحزم فكم بَرَدٍ قد أحرقَ البَلَدا

And if they come to you saying her mouth is cold,

Be resolute, for how much cold has set the country ablaze.

فالظهرُ منكَ بحمل مُوقرٌ أبداً

والبطنُ منها بحمل مثقلٌ أبدا

For to bear them on your back is an eternal burden,

While to bear them in your belly is an eternal burden.

وإن يَطشْ وَتدٌ ما بينَ فخذِكَ فاشْ

ججهُ فقدماً أذاقوا الشجّةَ الوَتدا

And if an aroused, firm spear is between your thighs, pull

It out, for they have tasted the agony of poles.

والقوسُ إذا زوّجوها السهمَ شاكيةٌ

تُرِنُّ والسيفُ بَسّامٌ إذا انْفَردا

When the bow is paired with the arrow, it whimpers,

And the sword sings when it is unsheathed.