اجعل لنفسك بين قومك مذهبا

حسنا تجده لقدرك المقياسا

Make for yourself among your people a doctrine

Good you will find it by your standard

ضمن السيادة والرضى في أهله

من عاش فيهم بالصنيع وواسى

Ensure sovereignty and contentment among its people

Who lived among them with grace and consolation

والجد أمثل ما يوقر طامحاً

والهزل أسهل ما يدك أساسا

And seriousness is the best that honors an ambitious one

And jest is the easiest that demolishes a foundation

واستطلع الآباء في أبنائهم

فالعرق كان بطبعه دساسا

And inquire from the fathers about their sons

For lineage was by its nature penetrating

وتبين الأعذار من مستعذرٍ

فالحر من وزن الأمور وساسا

And clarify excuses from one who makes excuses

For the free man is from weighing matters and founding

ولرب عيب خلف ظهرك غامض

وعليه سلط شانئ نبراسا

And there is perhaps a hidden flaw behind your back

Upon which an enemy unleashed a sword

فإذا علا صوت الأراذل فانتبه

نبح الكلاب ينبه الحراسا

So if the voices of evildoers rise up then beware

The barking of dogs alerts the guards

قست الأمور وقد نصحت وإن يكن

نبذ القياس اليوم بات قياسا

Matters have become hard even though I have advised and even if

Casting reason aside has become reason today

فعسى يفيق البعض من غفواتهم

فنرى على وجه البسيطة ناسا

Perhaps some will awake from their slumber

And we see on the face of the earth people