أَيا سارِحاً في الجَوِّ دُنياكَ مَعدِنٌ

يَفورُ بِشَرٍّ فَاِبغَ في غَيرِها وَكرا

O you who roam the air, your world is a mine

Brimming with evil, so seek goodness elsewhere.

فَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَملِك وَشيكَ فِراقِها

فَعِفَّ وَلا تَنكِح عَواناً وَلا بِكرا

If you don't soon leave it behind,

Then refrain, wedding neither spinster nor widow.

وَأَلقاكَ فيها والِداكَ فَلا تَضَع

بِها وَلَداً يَلقى الشَدائِدَ وَالنُكرا

Your parents cast you into it, so bear

No children who'll meet with woes and disgrace.

سَمِعنا وَشاهَدنا البَدِيَّ وَحَسبُنا

مِنَ العَيشِ أَن فُهنا لِخالِقِنا شُكرا

We've seen and witnessed the ugly and foul, and found

Our life is to thank our Creator.

إِذا ما فَعَلتَ الخَيرَ فَاِنسَ فِعالَهُ

فَإِنَّكَ ما تَنساهُ أَحيا لَهُ ذِكرا

When you do good, forget what you've done -

For if you remember, you've ruined its grace.

وَحاذِر مِنَ الصَهباءِ فَهيَ عَدُوَّةٌ

مِنَ الصُهبِ مَشَّت في مَفاصِلِكَ السُكرا

Beware pretty girls, for they're enemies

Who with their charm in your joints spread the rot.

وَلا خَيرَ في المَمكورَةِ الخَودِ أَضمَرَت

لَكَ الغِلَّ وَاِمتارَت جَوانِحُها مَكرا

No good is the shy little thing, when inside

She harbors deceit and is plotting your lot.

إِذا صَحَّ فِكرُ المَرءِ فَما يَنوبُهُ

مِنَ الدَهرِ لَم يَشغَل بِحادِثَةٍ فِكرا

When a man's thoughts are sound, nothing can come

From fate to distract him or trouble his care.

وَتَغلِبُ كانَت سَيفَ بَكرٍ وَرُمحَها

فَأَمسَت تُرامي عَن حَرائِبِها بَكرا

And the sword and spear of Taghlib would overcome,

Yet now from their tents they are fleeing in fear.

كَرَيتُ عَنِ الشَهرِ الكُرَيتِ وَجُزتُهُ

فَما لِيَ أَكرى عَن زَماني إِذا أَكرى

The months I have shunned and paid them no mind,

So why should I care about time when it's passed?