لا أَرى أَنَّ بِالقَتيلِ قَتيلاً

عامِرِيّاً يَفي بِقَتلِ دَوابِ

I do not think that killing a killer

Is the deed of 'Amir, he who slew the beasts.

لَيسَ مَن لاعَبَ الأَسِنَّةَ في النَقْ

عِ وَسُمِّيَ مُلاعِباً بِأَرابِ

'Amir is not Ibn Tufayl's son, 'Amir,

Rather he is the life of every mongrel cur!

عامِرٌ لَيسَ عامِرُ بنُ طُفَيلٍ

لَكِن العَمرَ رَأسُ حَيِّ كُلابِ

That one whom I struck down with my blade

And with whom I solaced the eyes of my friends.

ذاكَ أَن أَلقَهُ أَنالُ بِهِ الوَتْ

رَ وَقَرَّت بِهِ عُيونَ الصِحابِ

Or will you tempt me, when I have been forestalled

By afine, polished blade and the grief of my anxious tribe?

أَو يَفُتني فَقَد سُبِقتُ بِوَتَرٍ

مَذحَجِي وَجَدِّ قَومي كِئابِ

For the phantoms I have donned the guise of men,

And I have been too noble for shedding their blood.

قَد تَقَنَّصتُ لِلضَبابِ رِجالاً

وَتَكَرَّمتُ عَن دِماءِ الضِبابِ

We obtained men from the lonely one,

But my close comrades did not relish my drink.

وَأَصَبنا مِنَ الوَحيدِ رِجالاً

وَنَفيل فَما أَساغوا شَرابي