يَأتي الرَدى وَيُواري إِثلَبٌ جَسَداً

فَاِفعَل جَميلاً وَجانِب كُلَّ ثَلّابِ

The vicissitudes come and cover a worn-out body,

So do good and avoid every backbiter.

وَالناسُ كَالخَيلِ ما هُجنٌ بِمُعطِيَةٍ

في مَريِها كَعَطايا آلِ حَلّابِ

People are like horses not noble without generosity,

So be generous like the family of Hallab.

فَاِسمَع كَلامي وَحاوِل أَن تَعيشَ بِهِ

فَسَوفَ أَعُوِزُ بَعدَ اليَومِ طُلّابي

Listen to my words and try to live by them,

For I will soon miss my students.

اِستَغفِرِ اللَهَ وَاترُك ماحَكى لَهُمُ

أَبو الهُذَيلِ وَما قالَ اِبنُ كَلّابِ

Ask God for forgiveness and leave what

Abu Al-Hudhayl and Ibn Kallab said.

فَالدينُ قَد خَسَّ حَتّى صارَ أَشرَفُهُ

بازاً لِبازَينِ أَو كَلباً لِكَلّابِ

Religion has declined until its best

Is a falcon for falconers or a dog for dog trainers.

وَالظُلمُ عِندي قَبيحٌ لا أُجَوِّزُهُ

وَلَو أُطِعتُ لَما فاؤُوا بِأَجلابِ

Oppression seems ugly to me, I do not allow it,

If I were obeyed, they would not wear rough clothes.

إِنَّ السَوادَ لَجِنسٌ خَيرُهُ زَمِرٌ

فَقِس بَني آدَمٍ مِنهُ عَلى اللابِ

Black people are a good kind, the best of them perform music,

So judge the children of Adam accordingly.

لا تُنبِتُ الحَرَّةُ المَرعى وَلَو سُقِيَت

بِعارِضٍ لِمِياهِ البَحرِ حَلّابِ

Thorn bushes do not grow vegetation even if watered

With streams from the sea of Hallab.

لا يَكتَسونَ قَميصاً في دِيارِهِمُ

كَالأَرضِ لَم تُكسَ مِن نَبتٍ بِأَسلابِ

They do not wear shirts in their lands

Like barren land not covered with plants.

دَهري قَتادٌ وَحالي ضالَةٌ ضَؤُلَت

عَمّا أُريدُ وَلَوني لَونُ لِبلابِ

My fate is losing my way, my state is confusion

Distracted from what I want, my color the color of mourning.

وَإِن وَصَلتُ فَشُكري شُكرُ بَروَقَةٍ

تَرضى بِبَرقٍ مِنَ الأَمطارِ خَلّابِ

If I arrive somewhere, my gratitude is the gratitude of lightning

That is satisfied with a drizzle from rainy clouds.

فَدارِ خَصمَكَ إِن حَقٌّ أَنارَ لَهُ

وَلا تُنازِع بِتَمويهٍ وَإِجلابِ

Support your adversary if truth gives light to him

And do not dispute with deception and force.

وَحُبُّ دُنياكَ طَبعٌ في المُقيمِ بِها

فَقَد مُنيتُ بِقِرنٍ مِنهُ غَلّابِ

Loving your world is innate in one who dwells in it,

So I have been afflicted with a horn of it that gored me.

لَمّا رَأَيتُ سَجايا العَصرِ تُرخِصُني

رَدَدتُ قَدري إِلى صَبري فَإِغلابي

When I saw the morals of the time permit me,

I redirected my destiny to my patience, so patience subdues me.