أَلا إِنَّ زَيدَ اللاتِ يَومَ لَقيتُها

عِلاقَةُ سَوءٍ في إِناءٍ مُثَلَّمِ

Lo! Zayd of the tribe of Lat, when I met him

Was a man of ill repute in a cracked vessel.

قُبَيِّلَةٌ ما يَغدِرونَ بِذِمَّةٍ

وَلا يَظلِمونَ الناسَ مِثقالَ دِرهَمِ

A tribe who would not betray a covenant

Nor wrong people even the weight of a dirham.

وَلا يَرِدونَ الماءَ إِلّا عَشِيَّةً

عَلى طولِ أَظماءٍ وَوَجهٍ مُلَطَّمِ

Who would not refuse water, save at nightfall

To mouths gaping with thirst on dust-covered faces.

هُوَ العَبدُ يُجبى كُلَّ يَومٍ ضَريبَةً

مَتى تُلزِمِ العَبدَ المَذَلَّةَ يَلزَمِ

The slave from whom a tax is extracted each day –

When you afflict a slave with humiliation, he complies.