وَلَوَ اِنَّ ما يَأوي إِلَيـ

ـيَ أُصابَ مِن ثَهلانَ فِندا

If only the refuge I seek

Were struck by Tha'laban's sword

أَو رَأسَ رَهوَةَ أَو رُؤو

سَ شَوامِخٍ لِهُدِدنَ هَدّا

Or Ruhawah’s head was there

Or the lofty peaks to be razed

خَيلي وَفارِسُها لَعَمـ

ـرُ أَبيكَ كانَ أجَلَّ فَقدا

My steed and its rider would stay

Though your father’s death was so dire

فَضَعي قِناعَكِ إِنَّ رَيبَ

مُخَبِّلٍ أَفنى مَعَدّا

Unmask yourself, for my Lord

Destroys the mighty warriors

مَن حاكِمٌ بَيني وَبَيـ

ـنَ الدَهرِ مالَ عَلَيَّ عَمدا

Who judges between me and

Fate that has wronged me for long

أَودى بِسادَتِنا وَقَد

تَرَكوا لَنا حَلَقاً وَجُردا

And destroyed our chiefs of repute

Leaving us with shackles and want

وَلَقد رَأَيتُ مَعاشِراً

قَد جَمَّعوا مالاً وَوُلدا

I've seen groups who gathered wealth

And children but wandered astray

وَهُمُ زَبابٌ حائِرٌ

لا يَسمَعُ الآذانُ رَعدا

Deaf to the thunder's great roar

So live by your ancestors' creed

فَاِنعَم بِجَدٍّ لا يَضِر

كَ النُوكُ ما أُعطيتَ جَدّا

No harm comes from goodness and grace

Like an ostrich knows what to feed

عِش بِالجُدودِ فَما يَضرِ

الجَهل ما أَوتيتُ

The ignorant cannot annoy

Those endowed with wisdom and faith

فالنوكُ خَيرٌ في ظِلا

لِ العَيشِ مِمَّن عاشَ كَدّا

For the ostrich fares better in shade

Than one who toiled all his days

هَل يُحرَمُ المَرءُ القَوِيُّ

وَقَد تَرى لِلنّوكِ رُشدا

Can a strong man be denied

When the ostrich shows prudence and care?