مِن كُلِّ جِلفٍ لم يَكُن مُصَرَّمَا

جَعدٍ يُرَى منه التصنُّعُ رَيثَمَا

Of every rough lout who was not destitute

Curly-haired, in whom affectation is momentarily seen

لَم يَتَجَشَّأ مِن طَعَامٍ بَشَمَا

ولَم يَبِت من فَترَةٍ مَوَصَّمَا

He never belched from the gluttony of food

Nor did he spend the night aching from weakness

يَغمِزُ صُدغَيهِ ويَشكُو الأعظُما

إذا أجَاعَ بَطنَهُ تَحَزَّمَا

He presses his temples and complains of his bones

If he starves his belly, he binds it tight

لَم يَشرَبِ الماءَ ولَم يَخشَ الظَّمَا

يَكفِيهِ مِن قَارِصَةٍ مَا يَمَّمَا

He did not drink water nor fear thirst

Suffices him whatever sour milk he aimed for

وَخَلَّهِ مِن قَارِصَةٍ مَا يَمَّمَا

وخَلَّةٌ مِن قَارِصَةٍ مَا يَمَّمَا

And his need is but the sour milk he aimed for

And a habit of sour milk is what he aimed for

أصابَ مِنه مَشرَباً ومَطعَما

لا يَعقِرُ الشارفَ إِلاّ مُحرِمَا

He found in it both a drink and a meal

He does not slay the old camel unless bound by rite

ولا يَعَافُ بَصَلاً وسَلجَمَا

يَوماً ولَم يَفغَر لبطِّيخٍ فَمَا

And he does not disdain onions or turnips

Not for a day did he open his mouth for a melon

فَهو صَحِيحٌ لا يَخَافُ سَقَما

اسوَدُ كالمِحراثِ يُدعَى شَجعَمَا

So he is healthy, fearing no sickness

Black as a plowshare, called a bulky brute

صَمحمَحٌ مِن طُولِ ما تَأثَّما

لَم يَبل يَوماً سَورَةً مِنَ العَمَى

Stout and strong from long years of transgression

He never suffered a day of blinding confusion

ولَم يَحُجَّ المَسجِدَ المُكَرَّمَا

ولَم يَزُر حَطِيمَهُ وزَمزَمَا

And he did not make Hajj to the Honored Mosque

Nor did he visit its Hatim wall or Zamzam

ولا تَراهُ يَطلُب التفهُّمَا

لو لَم يُرَبَّ مُسلِماً ما أسلَمَا

Nor do you see him seeking understanding

Had he not been raised Muslim, he would not have submitted

ما عَبَد اثنَانِ جَميعا صَنَمَا

عاتٍ يَرَى ضَربَ الرِّجَالِ مَغنَمَا

No two have ever worshipped an idol together

A tyrant who deems striking men a gain

إذا رَأى مُصَدِّقاً تَجهَّمَا

وهَزّ في الكفِّ وأبدَى المِعصَمَا

If he sees a tax-collector, he scowls grimly

And shakes in his hand, baring his wrist

هِرَاوَتَينِ نَبعَةً وسَلَما

يَترُكُ ما رَام رُفاتاً رِمما

Two heavy clubs of Nab' and Salam wood

Leaving what he strikes as crushed remains

وإن رأى إمَّرَةً تَزَعَّمَا

لَم يُعطِه شَيئاً وإن تَرغَّمَا

And if he sees command, he usurps it

He gives him nothing, even if he insists

وإن قَرَا عَهداً له مُنَمنَمَا

هَان عليه شَقُّ ما قَد رَقَّمَا

And if he read to him an embellished decree

It matters little to him to tear what was written

وأن يَدُقّ طِينَه المُخَتَّمَا

صَمصَامُه ماضٍ إذا ما صمَّمَا

And to pulverize its sealed clay

His sword is sharp when he is determined

إذا اعتَرتُه عِزَّةٌ ثم انتَمَى

في ثَروةِ الحَيّ إذا مايَمَّمَا

If pride seizes him and he claims his kin

Among the tribe's wealth when he sets forth

ظَلَّ يَرَى حُكمَاً عليه مُبرَما

أَن يَظلِمَ النَّاسَ وألاّ يُظلَمَا

He continues to see a binding judgment upon him

That he should wrong people, but not be wronged