قَد قُلتُ عَن نُصحٍ لِبِرذَونَةٍ

تُصانُ أَن تُسرَجَ أَو توكَفا

I have given sincere advice to Burdawana

That she be saddled or stopped awhile.

إِذا اِستَوى الراكِبُ في ظَهرِها

طامَنَتِ المَتنَينِ كَي تُردِفا

When the rider sits firmly on her back,

She calms her tossing that she may ride behind.

أَو وَقَفَ العَيرُ عَلى بَولِها

أَنعَمَ أَن يَستافَ أَو يَكرُفا

Or when the caravan halts at her urine,

It pleases her to stand or bend her knees.

أَشهَدُ بِاللَهِ لَقَد قارَبَ ال

باحِثُ عَن عَيبِكَ أَو أَنصَفا

I swear by God, the critic seeking your faults

Has all but attained the utmost justice and fairness.

إِن كُنتَ لاتُدفَعُ عَن أُبنَةٍ

فَلَيسَ عَيباً بِكَ أَن تَحلِفا

If you are not to be turned from an attack,

It is no disgrace for you to swear falsely.

أَبرِ صُدورَ القَومِ مِن شَكِّها

فَقَصرُ مَن يَجهَلُ أَن يَعرِفا

Relieve the hearts of the people from doubt,

For one who does not recognize is excused from knowing.

لَو عَلِموا مابِتَّ نَصباً لَهُ

أَصبَحتَ دُبّاً عِندَهُم أَكشَفا

If they but knew the adversity you have endured,

You would become to them a shaven camel.

شَأنُكَ إِن أَخطَأَكَ الحَظُّ أَن

تَخرُصَ في السُلطانِ أَو تُرجَفا

Your way, if fortune has wronged you, is to

Trot humbly before the Sultan or shake with fright.

أَصابَكَ اللَهُ بِشَرٍّ فَما

أَشأَمَ مَكفولاً وَما أَحرَفا

May God protect you from evil, for you have not

Deviated from what is guaranteed or just.

يَحيى اِبنُ يَعقوبَ وَأَصحابُهُ

عَفَّيتَ مِن آثارِهِم ماعَفا

Yahya ibn Ya'qub and his friends—

You have outmatched them in noble deeds.

ماكُنتُ في تَقطيعِ أَسبابِهِم

بِالأَمسِ إِلّا الصارِمَ المُرهَفا

I was not yesterday, in cutting off their resources,

Other than a keen, piercing sword.