حِجىً لِحِمى البَطالَةِ مُستَبيحُ

وَقَدرٌ لِلمَكارِمِ مُستَميحُ

A refuge for the vice of idleness to revel in,

And a measure for virtues to aspire to.

فَلا قَلبٌ قَريحٌ قَلَّبَتهُ

نَوىً قَذَفٌ وَلا جَفنٌ قَريحُ

So no inspired heart stirred,

By a purpose cast, nor wakeful eyelid stirred.

وَلَكِن هِمَّةٌ شَطَطٌ وَهَمٌّ

بِهِ في المَجدِ يَغدو أَو يَروحُ

But an ambition gone astray and a delusion

With which in glory, he sets out at dawn or returns at eve.

سَأَعتِبُ عُتبَةً بِمُقَفَّياتٍ

سَواءٌ هُنَّ وَالصابُ الجَديحُ

I shall blame a white threshold with rhymed prose,

Alike if they or the fresh north wind be stirred.

تَبيتُ سَوائِراً وَتَظَلُّ تُتلى

قَصائِدُها كَما تُتلى الفُتوحُ

They pass the night chanting, and remain to be recited,

Their poems, even as tales of conquest are recited.

بَنو عَبدِ الكَريمِ نُجومُ عِزٍّ

تُرى في طَيِّئٍ أَبَداً تَلوحُ

The clan of Abdelkarim, stars of glory

Which in Tai are seen for ever to hover.

فَلا حَسَبٌ صَحيحٌ أَنتَ فيهِ

فَتُكثِرَهُم وَلا عَقلٌ صَحيحُ

So no sound lineage you in which

You multiply them, nor sense sound.

إِذا كانَ الهِجاءُ لَهُم ثَواباً

فَأَخبِرني لِمَن خُلِقَ المَديحُ

If satire of them is reward,

Then tell me for whom was praise created.

أَتُبغِضُ جَوهَرَ العَرَبِ المُصَفّى

وَلَم يُبغِضهُمُ مَولىً صَريحُ

Shall I hate the essence of Arabs refined

When no sincere patron hated them.

وَمالَكَ حيلَةٌ فيهِم فَتُجدي

عَلَيكَ بَلى تَموتُ فَتَستَريحُ

And you have no stratagem against them of use.

Indeed you shall die and be at peace!