وَأَرضُ شِلبٍ وَما شِلبٌ وَإِن وَلَدَت

غِمارَ ناسٍ فَناسٌ غَيرُ أَغمارِ

The land of Shalib, though Shalib is naught,

If it bore throngs of men, the men are not the land.

عُرفُ التَحاوُرِ مِن تِلقاءِ أَلسُنِهِم

كَأَنَّما نَشَأوا في غَيرِ أَمصارِ

Their converse betrayed their gentle nurturing,

As though they grew up not in settlements.

يُلقُونَ بِالقَولِ مَوزُوناً وَما قَصَدوا

كَأَنَّ ذلِكَ مِنهُم عَقدُ إِضمارِ

They speak composed verse, though unintentional,

As though it were their habit to speak in riddles.

إيهٍ وَهَل مَعَ إيهٍ يا أَبا عُمَرٍ

مِن تُحفَةٍ غَيرِ إِعظامٍ وَإِكبارِ

Alas! Along with my sigh, O Abu Umar,

Is there any gift but esteem and honor?

وَغَيرِ عَقدِ صَفاءٍ قَد قَسَمتُ لَكُم

مَعينَهُ بَينَ إِعلانٍ وَإِسرارِ

Other than the bond of purity I have shared with you

Its spring, overt and covert.

عَجِبتُ مِن مَعشَرٍ تُمطي مَآثِرَهُم

مِنَ الثَناءِ عَلَيها ظَهرَ طَيّارِ

I'm astonished at a people whose merits

Are obscured by praise of them the winged rumor carried.

ما بالُهُم رَقَدوا في لِينِ عَيشِهِمُ

عَن جارِهِم وَهوَ مَحبوسٌ بِإِقتارِ

Why did they slumber in the softness of their lives

To their neighbor who is shackled in poverty?

ما كانَ أَقدَرَهُم أَن يَأخُذوا لَكُمُ

عَلى البَديهِ مِنَ الأَيّامِ بِالثارِ

How could they not avenge you

Against the vicissitudes of time?

وَالحُرُّ أَكثَرُ ما يُزري بِحاجَتِهِ

تَوَسُّطٌ مِن خَبيثِ النَفسِ خَوّارِ

The freeman is frequently debased by his need

For mediation from the mean and treacherous.

صَونُ الفَتى وَجهَهُ أَبقى لِهِمَّتِهِ

وَالرِزقُ جارٍ عَلى حَدٍّ وَمِقدارِ

The young man’s dignity preserved augments his zeal,

While sustenance flows in measured portions.

قَنِعتُ وَاِمتَدَّ مالي فَالسَماءُ يَدِي

وَنَجمُها دِرهَمي وَالشَمسُ ديناري

I sufficed and my money stretched, so the heavens are my hand

And its stars my dirham and the sun my dinar.