إِذا قَنِعَ الفَتى بِذَميمِ عَيشٍ

وَكانَ وَراءَ سَجفٍ كَالبَناتِ

If a young man is content with a squalid life

And resides behind walls like maidens

وَلَم يَهجِم عَلى أُسدِ المَناي

وَلَم يَطعَن صُدورَ الصافِناتِ

And does not attack the lion of death

And does not stab the chests of horsemen

وَلَم يَقرِ الضُيوفَ إِذا أَتَوهُ

وَلَم يُروِ السُيوفَ مِنَ الكُماةِ

And does not host guests when they visit him

And does not quench swords from the scabbards

وَلَم يَبلُغ بِضَربِ الهامِ مَجداً

وَلَم يَكُ صابِراً في النائِباتِ

And does not achieve glory by striking the neck

And is not patient in calamities

فَقُل لِلناعِياتِ إِذا نَعَتهُ

أَلا فَاِقصِرنَ نَدبَ النادِباتِ

Then say to the wailing women when they mourn him

Do not prolong your wailing and crying over him

وَلا تَندُبنَ إِلّا لَيثَ غابٍ

شُجاعاً في الحُروبِ الثائِراتِ

Only mourn a vanished valiant lion

Brave in raging wars

دَعوني في القِتالِ أَمُت عَزيزاً

فَمَوتُ العِزِّ خَيرٌ مِن حَياةِ

Let me die honored in battle

For honorable death is better than life

لَعَمري ما الفَخارُ بِكَسبِ مالٍ

وَلا يُدعى الغَنِيُّ مِنَ السَراةِ

By my life, pride is not earned by gaining money

Nor is the wealthy called noble

سَتَذكُرُني المَعامِعُ كُلَّ وَقتٍ

عَلى طولِ الحَياةِ إِلى المَماتِ

Adventures will remember me at all times

Throughout life until death

فَذاكَ الذِكرُ يَبقى لَيسَ يَفنى

مَدى الأَيّامِ في ماضٍ وَآتي

That remembrance remains, it never perishes

Over days, past and future

وَإِنّي اليَومَ أَحمي عِرضَ قَومي

وَأَنصُرُ آلَ عَبسَ عَلى العُداةِ

Today I protect my people's honor

And help the clan of Abs against enemies

وَآخُذُ مالَنا مِنهُم بِحَربٍ

تَخِرُّ لَها مُتونُ الراسِياتِ

And take our money from them by war

That shakes the foundations of firm mountains

وَأَترُكُ كُلَّ نائِحَةٍ تُنادي

عَلَيهِم بِالتَفَرُّقِ وَالشَتاتِ

And I leave every wailing woman crying over them

Of separation and diaspora