أَنوَكُ مِن عَبدٍ وَمِن عِرسِهِ

مَن حَكَّمَ العَبدَ عَلى نَفسِهِ

More foolish than a slave and his spouse,

Is he who lets the slave rule his own house.

وَإِنَّما يُظهِرُ تَحكيمُهُ

تَحَكُّمَ الإِفسادِ في حِسِّهِ

For his empowerment only makes clear,

The corruption of sense that governs him here.

ما مَن يَرى أَنَّكَ في وَعدِهِ

كَمَن يَرى أَنَّكَ في حَبسِهِ

He who sees you bound only by his word,

Is not like the one who holds you interred.

العَبدُ لا تَفضُلُ أَخلاقُهُ

عَن فَرجِهِ المُنِتنِ أَو ضِرسِهِ

The slave’s nature never rises higher,

Than his fetid loins or his gut's desire.

لا يُنجِزُ الميعادَ في يَومِهِ

وَلا يَعي ما قالَ في أَمسِهِ

He fulfills no promise made in his day,

Nor heeds the words he spoke yesterday.

وَإِنَّما تَحتالُ في جَذبِهِ

كَأَنَّكَ المَلّاحُ في قَلسِهِ

You only manage to drag him by guile,

Like a sailor hauling a hawser a mile.

فَلا تُرَجِّ الخَيرَ عِندَ اِمرِئٍ

مَرَّت يَدُ النَخّاسِ في رَأسِهِ

So hope for no good from any man,

Whose head the slave-trader’s hand did scan.

وَإِن عَراكَ الشَكُّ في نَفسِهِ

بِحالِهِ فَاِنظُر إِلى جِنسِهِ

And if regarding him doubt clouds your face,

Look to his state, then look to his race.

فَقَلَّما يَلؤُمُ في ثَوبِهِ

إِلّا الَّذي يَلؤُمُ في غِرسِهِ

For one is rarely base in his attire,

Save he who is base in his root and sire.

مَن وَجَدَ المَذهَبَ عَن قَدرِهِ

لَم يَجِدِ المَذهَبَ عَن قَنسِهِ

He who finds an escape from his Fate,

Finds no escape from his lineage’s gate.