أَعِكرِمَ إِن غَنَّيتِ أَلفَيتِ نادِباً

فَلا تَتَغَنّي في الأَصائِلِ عِكرَما

Ikrima, if you sing, you will find me a mourner,

So do not sing sweetly in the late evenings, Ikrima.

بِنَظمٍ شَجا في الجاهِليَّةِ أَهلَها

وَراقَ مَعَ البَعثِ الحَنيفَ المُخَضرَما

With poetry that stirred in the times of ignorance those people,

And was pleasing along with the upright orthodox Islam.

وَقَد هاجَ في الإِسلامِ كُلَّ مُوَلِّدٍ

وَأَطرَبَ ذا نُسكٍ وَآخَرَ مُجرِما

In Islam every innovator has raged,

And another corrupted has become euphoric.

لَكِ النُصحُ مِنّي لا أُغاديكَ خاتِلاً

بِمَكرٍ وَلَكِنّي أُغاديكَ مُكرِما

My advice to you is sincere; I do not cheat you

With deceit, but I advise you with honor.

إِذا ما حَذِرتِ الصَقرَ يَوماً فَحاذِري

أَخا الإِنسِ أَيّاماً وَإِن كانَ مُحرِما

When you areware of the falcon someday, so beware

Of the brother of mankind for days, even if he is forbidden.

يَصوغُ لَكِ الغاوي قِلادَةَ هالِكٍ

مِنَ الدَمِ تُخبي وَجدَكِ المُتَضَرِّما

The misguided one makes for you a fatal necklace

Of blood that hides your fervor that is accumulating.

وَكَم سَحَتَت كَفّاهُ مِثلَكِ في ضُحى

شَبيبَتِها إِذ لَم تَرَ الدَهرَ مُهرَما

And how many like you have his hands lead astray in the morn

Their youth, when they did not see fate as broken down.

وَراعَ بِقَهرٍ مِن جَناحَكِ آمِناً

فَظَلَّ عَلى الريشِ النُهوضُ مُحَرَّما

And it lived safely by the might of your wing,

So rising above the plumage became forbidden.

وَقَد يُبرِمُ الحَينَ القَضاءُ بِناشِئٍ

يُراوِحُ خَيطاً شَدُّهُ بِكِ مُبرَما

And the destiny may soon determine for a youth

That will ply a thread that binding you is obligatory.

كَما قَيَّدَ السُلطانُ حِلفَ جِنايَةٍ

لِيَقتَصَّ مِنهُ أَو لِيُغرِمَ مَغرَما

As the sultan has chained the pact of a crime

To take vengeance from it or to fine the fined.

فَزوري وَبارَ القَفرِ مِن كُلِّ وابِرٍ

وَإِلّا فَرومي خَلفَ ذَلِكَ مَخرَما

So visit and spend the night in every desolate place,

Otherwise, settle behind that frustrated.

بِحَيثُ تُوافينَ الصَحابِيَّ مُعوزاً

مِنَ الناسِ وَالماءَ السَحابِيَّ خِضرِما

Where you will meet the needy companion

And the rainwater fresh and green.

وَحِلّي بِقافٍ إِن أَطَقتِ بُلوغَهُ

فَأَفني لَدَيهِ عُمرَكِ المُتَصَرِّما

And adorn yourself with a belt, if you can attain it

Then before it waste your life that is passing away.