وقالوا فُقيمٌ قيّمُ الماءِ فاستَجِز

عُبادَةَ إنَّ المستجيزَ على قُترِ

They said, "O caretaker of the water, do your best

In serving it, for the one who serves it depends on a water skin."

فبينا عُميرٌ طامِحُ الطَّرفِ إذ رأى

عُبادةَ إن واجهتَ أضجمَ ذا خَترِ

While ‘Umayr, with expectant glances, saw

‘Ubādah - if you meet a frowning hater of virtue,

شنِئتُكَ اذ أبصرتُ جَهرَك سيّئاً

وما غيّبَ الأقوامُ تابعةَ الجُهرِ

I dislike you since I saw your ugly face openly.

The people do not hide the traits of the open-faced.

وقد كنتَ تُدعى عبدَ ياسوعَ مرةً

فأخلفتَ والإخلافُ من سيَّىء الذَّكرِ

Once you were called the servant of Jesus,

But you were treacherous, and treachery is an ugly reputation.

واعييَتَ قيساً إن تجيءَ كضربهِ

وما كُلُّ ذي عِرقٍ ولو يستوي يجري

You have wearied Qays, even if he comes like an onslaught.

Not everyone with lineage, even if they are equal, runs the same.

وباتت لقاحي بالقريِّ كأنما

تجاوبُ ثكلى من عَوانِ ومن بِكسرِ

My two milk-sheep stayed the night bleating in Ruqayy,

As if two bereaved mothers were calling in ‘Awān and Biksar.

وما ضَرَّها إن لم تكن رَعَتِ الحِمى

ولم تَطلُبِ الخيرَ الملاوِذَ من بِشرِ

It did not harm them that they did not pasture in the preserve,

Or seek good grazing grounds safe from harm.

وَرَدنَ مُدلاَّتِ وأصدَرنَ ذُبَّلاً

وقد لاحتِ الجوزاءُ في مَطلَعِ الفَجرِ

They came in the morning yielding milk, and went out dripping it,

While the Pliades appeared at first light of dawn.

فلو كان حوضُ ابنِ السليلِ تعَطّنت

أصابَت بلا شُربٍ قليلٍ ولا كَدرِ

If the basin of Ibn Salīl became putrid,

It would be unaffected, with little or no murkiness.

أُولاك البهاليلُ الأُلى يُهتدى بهم

إِلى اليوم فارحَل عن مُقاوَلةٍ زهرِ

Those are the exemplars whom one is guided by

To this day. So cease interfering in what is not your concern.

فوارسُ بُسطامٍ عليك لأمِّهِ

بنو الشَّمس أدَّت بالسّعودِ من البَدرِ

The horsemen of Bustām are upon you for their mother -

The sons of the suns have inherited nobility from the full moons.

وكنتُ اذا قَومٌ جَفَوني رَميتُهُم

بداهيةٍ شنعاءَ قاصمةِ الظَهرِ

Whenever a people spurned me, I pelted them

With a hideous invective that broke their backs.