دَعَتْ أُمُّ عَمْروٍ وَيْلَها ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَتْ

تُؤَنِّبُني وَالصُّبْحُ لَمْ يَتَنَفَّسِ

'Amr's mother cried "Woe!" and turned towards me,

Rebuking me while dawn had barely drawn breath,

وَتَعْجَبُ مِنْ بَذْلِي لِكُلِّ رَغيبَةٍ

وَجُودِي بِمَا أَحْويهِ مِنْ كُلِّ مُنْفِسِ

And wondering at my granting every wish,

My open-handedness with all I possess;

وَتَعْلَمُ أَنِّي مِنْ بَقِيَّةِ مَعْشَرٍ

نَماهُمْ إِلى العَلْياءِ أِكرَمُ مَغْرَسِ

And knowing I'm of a family

Whose nobility the loftiest genealogy stressed,

هُمُ مَلَكُوا الأَعْناقَ بِالبَأْسِ وَالندى

وَعِزٍّ مُعاوِيِّ المَباءَةِ أَقْعَسِ

Masters of men by valor and munificence,

And the glory of generous, towering Ma'add's race;

وَقَدْ وَلَدَتْهُمْ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ سَراتُها

على نَمَطَيْ بَيْضاءَ مِنْ سِرِّ فَقْعَسِ

Who were born to Quraysh ladies delicate

Of dazzling fairness and lightly-dimpling face;

فَقُلْتُ لَها كُفِّي وَغاكِ فَأَعْرَضَتْ

وَفي خَدِّها وَرْدٌ يُطِلُّ بِنَرْجِسِ

So I said "Forbear, enough!" but she turned away,

On her cheek a rose peeping from narcissus' place.

أَبُخْلاً وَبَيْتِي مِنْ أُمَيَّةَ في الذُّرا

وَعِرْقِي بِغَيْرِ المَجْدِ لَمْ يَتَلَبَّسِ

Am I miserly? - my tribe traced back to Umayya

Never with fame unmingled has been obsessed;

وَما أَنَا مِمَّنْ يَأْلَفُ الضِّحْكَ في الغِنى

وَإِنْ نَالَ مِني الفَقْرُ لَمُ أَتَعَبَّسِ

Nor am I one who finds the smiles of wealth agree,

If poverty should come to me, I won't acquiesce.

فَفي العُسْرِ أَحْياناً وفي اليُسْرِ تَارَة

يَعيشُ الفَتى وَالغُصْنُ يَعْرَى وَيَكتَسي

A man may live at times in wealth, at times distress,

While branches now are leafless, now in leaf dressed.'