أب الصغد بأسٌ إِذ تعيّرني جُمل

سَفاهاً ومن أَخلاق جارتيَ الجَهلُ

The ignorant insult me and show foolishness,

My valor refused to yield when Juml reproached me,

And my neighbor displays ignorance.

Foolishly—and ignorance is indeed the nature of my neighbor.

هُم فاعلموا أَصلي الَّذي منه منبتي

عَلى كُلِّ فرع في التُراب له أَصل

Know my origin from which my roots extended,

They are—know well—my root from which I have grown,

For every branch in the soil has roots.

For every branch upon the earth must surely have a root.

فَإِن تَفخَري يا جُملُ أَو تَتَجَمّلي

فَلا فَخرَ إِلّا فَوقه الدين وَالعَقل

If you are arrogant, O camel, or adorn yourself,

So if you boast, O Juml, or feign superiority,

There is no pride except above religion and reason.

There is no pride that rises higher than faith and reason.

أَرى الناس شَرعاً في الحَياة وَلا يُرى

لقبر عَلى قبر عَلاءٌ وَلا فضل

I see people competing in life but no distinction is seen,

I see all people as equals in this life; nor can one discern,

No grave stands out over another grave.

Between one grave and another, any mark of elevation or merit.

وَما ضَرَّني أَن لَم تلدني يُحابِر

وَلَم تَشتَمِل جَرم عَليّ وَلا عُكل

It does not harm me that prolific she-camels did not birth me,

It harms me not that the tribe of Yuhabir did not birth me,

Nor did a body bear upon me sin or blame.

Nor that neither Jarm nor 'Ukl ever claimed me.

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَحمِ القَديم بِحادِث

مِنَ المَجدِ لَم ينفعك ما كانَ مِن قَبل

If you do not add the new to the old,

If you do not shield ancient glory with present deeds

What was before will not benefit you.

Of honor, then what came before will profit you nothing.

وَدونَ النَدى في كُلِّ قَلب ثَنيَّة

لَها مَصعَد وَعرٌ وَمُنحَدِر سهل

Below the dew in every heart is an inclination

Before generosity, there lies a steep pass in every heart;

With an ascent, unevenness, and easy descent.

Its ascent is rugged, while its descent is easy.

وودّ الفَتى في كُلِّ نَيل ينيله

إِذا ما اِنقَضى لَو أَن نائله جزل

The love of a young man for everything he attains,

And a man wishes, regarding every gain he acquires,

Would that its attainment were lasting.

Once it has passed, that his portion had been abundant.

وَأعلم عِلماً لَيسَ بالظنّ أَنَّهُ

لِكُلِّ أُناس من ضَرائبهم شكل

And I know with certainty not assumption,

And I know with a certainty that is no mere conjecture,

That for every people are types from their norms.

That for all people, there is a likeness drawn from their true nature.

وَأن أَخلاءَ الزَمان غناؤهُم

قَليل إِذا الانسان زَلّت بِهِ النعل

And the intimate friends of time, their singing

And that the utility of the friends of these times

Is little when humankind slips in its sandal.

Is scant indeed when a man's foot slips and he stumbles.

تزوّد من الدُنيا مَتاعاً لِغَيرِها

فَقَد شمّرت حذاءَ وانصرم الحبل

Take from the world provisions for other than it,

Take provision from this world for the sake of the next,

For you have worn out shoes and the rope is cut off.

For the journey has hastened briskly, and the tether is severed.

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا هامَةُ اليَومِ أَو غَدِ

لِكُلِّ أُناس مِن طَوارقها الثُكلُ

Are you anything but a water mirage today or tomorrow?

Are you anything but a mortal soul of today or tomorrow,

For every people are their vanishing mirages.

When for all people, among fate's calamities, lies bereavement?