ما يُحسِنُ المَرءُ غَيرَ الغِشِّ وَالحَسَدِ

وَما أَخوكَ سِوى الضُرغامَةِ الأَسَدِ

Man is skilled in nothing but deceit and envy,

And your brother is none but a roaring lion.

لا خَيرَ في الناسِ إِن أَلقوا سِيادَتَهُم

إِلَيكَ طَوعاً فَخالِفهُم وَلا تَسُدِ

There is no good in people if they give you

Leadership willingly, so oppose them and do not comply.

فَلَيسَ يَرضَونَ عَن والٍ وَلا مَلِكٍ

وَلَو أَتَوا بِالأَماني في قُوى مَسَدِ

For they are not pleased with any ruler or king,

Even if they come with wishes in strongholds.

جَاوُوا الفَخارَ بِأَموالٍ لَهُم نُفُقٍ

وَلَم يَجيئوا بِأَخلاقٍ لَهُم كُسُدِ

They sought pottery with wealth they spend,

But did not come with morals they fortify.

وَإِن تَكُن هَذِهِ الأَرواحُ خالِصَةً

فَهُنَّ يَفسُدنَ في أَرواحِنا الفُسُدِ

If these spirits are pure,

They are corrupted in our souls full of corruption.

وَقَد رَأَينا كَثيراً بَينَنا جَسَدا

بِغَيرِ رَوحٍ فَهَل رَوحٌ بِلا جَسَدِ

We have seen much among us a body

Without a soul, so is there a soul without a body?

تَطَهَّرَت بِنَبيذِ التَمرِ طائِفَةٌ

وَقَد أَجازوا طُهوراً بِالدَمِ الجَسَدِ

A group purified themselves with date wine

And they allowed purification with blood of body.

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ ما نَفسي بِساميَّةٍ

وَلا بَناني عَلى أَيدي العُفاةِ سَدِ

So praise be to Allah, my soul is not noble,

Nor was I raised at the hands of chaste ones.