عِش بَخيلاً كَأَهلِ عَصرِكَ هَذا

وَتَبالَه فَإِنَّ دَهرَكَ أَبلَه

Live miserly as the people of your time,

And bear it patiently, for your age is decadent.

قَومُ سوءٍ فَالشِبلُ مِنهُم يَغولُ اللَي

ثَ فَرساً وَاللَيثُ يَأكُلُ شِبلَه

An evil people, so the cub amongst them preys on the old lion at night,

Then the lion eats its cub in the morning light.

إِن تُرِد أَن تَخُصَّ حُرّاً مِنَ النا

سِ بِخَيرٍ فَخُصَّ نَفسَكَ قَبلَه

If you wish to favor one of the people with kindness,

Then favor yourself before all others.

بَعِدَ الشَربُ قَرَّبوا أُمَّ لَيلى

لِتَعيرَ اللِسانَ في اللَفظِ خَبلَه

After drinking, they brought Umm Layla close,

To shame the tongue with babbling speech.

أَورَدوكَ الأَذى لِتَغرَقَ فيهِ

وَأَروكَ الخَنى لِتَعرِفَ سُبُلَه

They led you into harm that you might drown in it,

And showed you spite that you might learn its ways.

وَجَدوا مِشمِشاً ثَقيلاً يُريدو

نَ بِهِ مَن يَنَم يُنَبَّه بِقُبلَه

They found the apricots too heavy,

Wishing to wake those asleep with their kisses.

وَأَراني مَرمى لِصِرفِ اللَيالي

يَحتَذيني فَلَستُ أَعدَمُ نَبلَه

And they made me the target of passing nights,

Assailing me, but I do not lack for arrows.

هَل تَرى ناعِباً كَعَنتَرَةَ العَب

سِيِّ يَبكي عَلى مَنازِلِ عَبلَه

Do you see a weeping elegist like 'Antara,

Crying for the encampments of 'Abla?

أَو خُفافٍ يَرثي رِجالَ سُلَيمٍ

أَو سُحَيمٍ يَحدو مَعَ الرَكبِ إِبلَه

Or a swift runner eulogizing the men of Sulaym,

Or Suhaym reciting poetry with the camel drove?

لا تَهَبهُ وَلا سِواهُ مِنَ الطَي

رِ فَما يَتَّقي أَخو الُبِّ تَبلَه

Do not give him or any other bird your love,

For the brothers of hyenas do not avoid filth.