لِغَيرِ العُلا مِنّي القِلى وَالتَجَنُّبِ

وَلَولا العُلا ما كُنتُ في العَيشِ أَرغَبُ

For others than the eminent, be sparing of blame and blame-avoiding,

Were it not for the eminent, I would not covet life.

مَلَكتُ بِسَيفي فُرصَةً ما اِستَفادَها

مِنَ الدَهرِ مَفتولُ الذِراعَينِ أَغلَبُ

By my sword I seized an opportunity of which the feeble-armed

Got less advantage from Time.

لَئِن تَكُ كَفّي ما تُطاوِعُ باعَها

فَلي في وَراءِ الكَفِّ قَلبٌ مُذَرَّبُ

If my palms fail to obey their wont,

Yet behind the palm is a heart full of resolution.

وَلِلحِلمِ أَوقاتٌ وَلِلجَهلِ مِثلُها

وَلَكِنَّ أَوقاتي إِلى الحِلمِ أَقرَبُ

Forbearance has its seasons, and so has ignorance,

But my season is more inclined to forbearance.

أَصولُ عَلى أَبناءِ جِنسي وَأَرتَقي

وَيُعجِمُ فيَّ القائِلونَ وَأُعرِبُ

I am noble to my tribesmen, and climb high;

The slanderers talk rubbish about me while I speak sense.

يَرونَ اِحتِمالي عِفَّةً فَيَريبُهُم

تَوَفُّرُ حِلمي أَنَّني لَستُ أَغضَبُ

They see my patience as cowardice, which makes them wonder

That my great forbearance prevents me from becoming angry.

تَجافَيتُ عَن طَبعِ اللِئامِ لِأَنَّني

أَرى البُخلَ يُشنا وَالمَكارِمَ تُطلَبُ

I have turned away from the nature of villains, for I see

Meanness as shameful and magnanimity called for.

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ الجودَ في الناسِ شيمَةٌ

تَقومُ بِها الأَحرارُ وَالطَبعُ يَغلِبُ

I know generosity in people is a quality

Upheld by the free, the nature that prevails.

فَيا اِبنَ زِيادٍ لا تَرُم لي عَداوَةً

فَإِنَّ اللَيالي في الوَرى تَتَقَلَّبُ

O Ibn Ziyad, do not seek enmity with me,

For nights in the world go round and round.

وَيالِزِيادٍ إِنزَعوا الظُلمَ مِنكُمُ

فَلا الماءُ مَورودٌ وَلا العَيشُ طَيِّبُ

And O Ziyad, if oppression were removed from you

There would be neither water nor sweet life.

لَقَد كُنتُمُ في آلِ عَبسٍ كَواكِباً

إِذا غابَ مِنها كَوكَبٌ لاحَ كَوكَبُ

You were stars in the family of 'Abs when

If one star set another star rose.

خُسِفتُم جَميعاً في بُروجِ هُبوطِكُم

جَهاراً كَما كُلُّ الكَواكِبُ تُنكَبُ

You have all sunk into the houses of your setting

Openly, like all stars that go down.