إِرفَع مِجَنَّكَ أَو ضَع لِلفَتى قَدَرٌ
يُلِمُّ بِالنَفسِ دونَ الدَرعِ وَالتُرُسِ
Raise or lower your vessel for the young man has a fate
That makes him endure without armor or shield
إِنَّ الرِئاسَةَ وَالرَيسَ اللَذانِ هُما
أَصلُ الحُقودِ فَلا تَرأَس وَلا تَرِس
For leadership and the leader are both
The origin of grudges, so do not lead or shield
كَم عاذِلٍ جَرسُهُ في اللَيلِ فائِدَتي
بِهِ كَفائِدَةِ الحُرّاسِ بِالجَرَسِ
How often does the bell of the slanderer benefit me
Like the benefit of guards with bells
لا تودِعِ السِرَّ مِزماراً فَيوعلِنهُ
بِجَهلِهِ بَعدَ طولِ الصَمتِ وَالخَرَسِ
Do not entrust a secret to a flute that will divulge it
With its ignorance after long silence and muteness
فازَ اِمرُؤٌ باتَت الأَقدارُ تَحرُسُهُ
وَّإِن مَدَدتَ إِلَيهِ كَفَّ مُحتَرِسِ
A man has triumphed as the fates stand guard over him
And if you extend a palm to him, a vigilant hand will meet it
أَحسِن إِلى الناقَةِ الوَجناءِ تَبعَثُها
فيما تَشاءُ وَأَكرِم عِشرَةَ الفَرَسِ
Treat the old camel well, it will transport you
Wherever you wish, and honor the ten horses
وَاِردُد عَصاكَ عَنِ السَوداءِ ماهِنَةً
وَاِرفِق بِعَبدِكَ في المِصطافِ وَالقَرَسِ
Hold back your stick from the docile black one gently
And be kind to your servant at the station and stable
وَالحَيُّ لِلأَرضِ أَن يَهلِك فَطُعمَتُها
وَإِن يَعِش يُحيِ بَعضَ الأَربُعِ الدُرسِ
It is best for the land that he dies so it can feed on him
And if he lives he will revive some of the four ruins
أُمٌّ لَهُ أَكلَتُهُ طالَما بَذَلَت
لَهُ مَآكِلَ مِن زَرعٍ وَمُغتَرِسِ
A mother who has eaten him as long as she spent
On him morsels from crops and plantations
تَمَسَّكَت بِحِبالِ العُمرِ مُهجَتُهُ
وَالوَقتُ بِالمَرِّ يوهي قُوَّةَ المَرسِ
He clung to the ropes of life, worn out,
And time with bitterness weakens the rope’s strength
وَالدَهزُ أَنحى عَلى ذي مارِنٍ أَرجٍ
بِطيبِهِ وَعَلى ذي مارِنٍ وَرِسِ
Swaying over the one with fragrant camel hair
With its scent, and over the one with coarse camel hair
دُنياكَ تُضحي إِذا جادَت مُذَمَّمَةً
أَدالَتِ الضَأنَ مِن لَيثِ الشَرى المَرِسِ
Your world becomes worthless when it is stingy
Like sheep fleeing a predatory wolf of evil
مازالَ يَفتَرِسُ الأَعناقَ مُعتَدِياً
فَالآنَ أَصبَحَ فَرّاساً كَمُفتَرَسِ
He kept ambushing necks aggressively
And now he has become a horseman like an ambusher
هِيَ العُروسُ أَبانَت عَن سَماجَتِها
فَلا يَغُرُّكَ مِنها لَيلَةُ العُرُسِ
She is the bride who showed her foolishness
So do not be fooled on her wedding night
وَاِحذَر مَقالَ أُناسٍ كانَ مُنقَبِضاً
يَلقى العُفاةَ بِوَجهِ العابِسِ الشَرِسِ
And beware the words of people that were withdrawn
Who meet the chaste with a cruel and fierce face
