بُنَيَّ إِذا السلطانُ خَصَّك فاعتمِدْ

نزاهَةَ نفسٍ تملِكُ العِزَّ أغيَدَا

My son, if the sultan favors you, rely

On the integrity of a soul that possesses the most glorious honor.

ووفِّر عليهِ كلَّ مَا مَدَّ عينَهُ

إليهِ ولا تمدُدْ إِلى ما رأى يدَا

And provide him with everything his eye desires,

But do not extend to what his hand has seen.

ألم ترَ أنَّ الذئبَ طَيَّرَ رأسَهُ

مزاحمةُ الضِّرغامِ فيما تَصَيَّدا

Have you not seen that the wolf frightened its head

From the harassment of hyenas while hunting?

رأى نفسَه بالصيدِ أولَى فدقَّهُ

بلَطْمةِ مُسوَدِّ الذِّراعين أصيدَا

He saw his soul as worthier of the prey, so he knocked it

With the black-armed hyena's blow, a hunter.

فلما أحسَّ الثعلبانُ ببأْسِهِ

تعلَّمَ منه قِسمةَ الصيدِ جيِّدَا

So when the two foxes felt his might,

They learned from him a proper division of prey.

وآثرَهُ بالصَّيْدِ صَوْناً لنفسهِ

وكان مُعَاناً في الأمورِ مُؤَيَّدَا

And they preferred him in hunting to protect themselves,

And he was a helper in matters, well-supported.

كذا ضربَ الأمثالَ من كان قبلَنا

وأورثَنا المجدَ الرفيعَ المُشَيَّدَا

Thus the examples were set by those before us,

And they left us the glorious elevated heritage.