وَفي الظَعائِن وَالأَحداجِ أَحسَنُ مَن

حَلَّ العِراقَ وَحَلَّ الشام وَاليمنا

The loveliest of all in tents and in vales am I,

Who Iraq, Syria, and Yemen traversed have and gone by.

جَنيَّةً مِن نِساءِ الأنسِ أَحسَنُ مِن

شَمسِ النَهارِ وَبَدر اللَيلِ لَو قُرِنا

Of all the fair ones of mankind most fair is she I've ta'en,

Brighter than sun at noon, or moon of night that just doth wane.

مَكتومَة الذِكر عِندي ما حييتُ لَها

وَقَد لَعَمري مَلِلتُ الصَرَمَ وَالحَزنا

While life remains she still is hid who garreth me lament.

Of grief and cheerless days, forsooth, I've wearied me and faint.

وَصاحِبِ السوء كَالداءِ العياءِ إِذا

ما اِرفَضَّ في الجِلدِ يَجري ها هنا وَهنا

A comrade evil is like leprosy that striketh skin

And spreadeth here and there what while it crawleth deep within.

يَبدي وَيخبرُ عَن عَوراتِ صاحِبه

وَما يَرى عِندَهُ من صالِحٍ دَفَنا

He will reveal his fellow's faults and nakedness detect,

Yet aught of good he witnesses he carefully will check.

كَمهر سَوءٍ إِذا رَفَّعتَ سيرَتَهُ

رامَ الجِماحَ وَإِن أَخفَضته حَرَنا

A worthless horse, if thou desire his points to recognise,

Urge him to speed, or firmly rein him in, he straightway flies.

إِن يَحي ذاكَ فَكُن مِنهُ بِمعزلةٍ

أَو ماتَ ذاكَ فَلا تَشهَدُ لَه جَنَنا

If still that fellow lives, hold thou aloof from him afar;

Or, should he die, frequent thou not his tomb, nor burial mar.