أَلا قُل لِابنِ مَعنٍ ذا ال

لَذي في الوُدِّ قَد حالا

Oh say to the son of Ma'n, he who

Has become accustomed to affection

لَقَد بُلِغتُ ما قالا

فَما بالَيتُ ما قالا

I have been told what they said

Yet I did not do what they said

وَلَو كانَ مِنَ الأُسدِ

لَما راعَ وَلا هالا

And if he were of the lions

He would neither have feared nor recoiled

فَصُغ ما كُنتَ حَلَّيتَ

بِهِ سَيفَكَ خَلخالا

So listen to what you had adorned

Your sword's scabbard with

فَما تَصنَعُ بِالسَيفِ

إِذا لَم تَكُ قَتّالا

What will you do with the sword

If you are not a killer?

وَلَو مَدَّ إِلى أُذنَي

هِ كَفَّيهِ لَما نالا

And if he stretched to his ears

Both his palms, he would not attain it

قَصيرَ الطَولِ وَالطولِ

فَلا شَبَّ وَلا طالا

Short of height and height

So neither a youth nor fully-grown

أَرى قَومَكَ أَبطالا

وَقَد أَصبَحتَ بَطّالا

I see your people as heroes

While you have become idle