أَرَسماً جَديداً مِن نَوارَ تَعَرُّفُ

تُسائِلُهُ إِذ لَيسَ بِالدارِ مَوقِفُ

A new drawing I make of strips for recognition

I ask it, though at home there is no reception

تَبَغَّ اِبنَ عَمِّ الصِدقِ حَيثُ لَقيتَهُ

فَإِنَّ اِبنَ عَمِّ السَوءِ إِن سَرَّ يُخلَفُ

Seek your cousin of truth wherever you find him

For the evil cousin, if he seems good, will disappoint

إِذا ماتَ مِنّا سَيِّدٌ قامَ بَعدَهُ

نَظيرٌ لَهُ يُغني غِناهُ وَيُخلِفُ

When one of our leaders dies, after him

A peer arises, providing his bounty and office

وَإِنّي لَأَقري الضَيفَ قَبلَ سُؤالِهِ

وَأَطعَنَ قِدماً وَالأَسِنَّةُ تَرعُفُ

And I feed the guest before he asks

And step forth though tongues may stammer

وَإِنّي لَأَخزى أَن تُرى بِيَ بِطنَةٌ

وَجاراتُ بَيتي طاوِياتٌ وَنُحَّفُ

I'm ashamed for my belly to be seen

While my neighbors' homes bend and lean

وَإِنّي لَأُغشي أَبعَدَ الحَيَّ جَفنَتي

إِذا حَرَّكَ الأَطنابَ نَكباءُ حَرجَفُ

I cover the farthest eye that winks

When the winding paths roil the blink

وَإِنِّيَ أَرمي بِالعَداوَةِ أَهلَها

وَإِنِّيَ بِالأَعداءِ لا أَتَنَكَّفُ

I hurl enmity on its people

And I do not recoil from enemies

وَإِنّي لَأُعطي سائِلي وَلَرُبَّما

أُكَلَّفُ ما لا أَستَطيعُ فَأَكلَفُ

I give to those who ask, and sometimes

I take on what I cannot do, so I undertake

وَإِنّي لَمَذمومٌ إِذا قيلَ حاتِمٌ

نَبا نَبوَةً إِنَّ الكَريمَ يُعَنَّفُ

I'm blamed when called Hatim

He prophesied, the generous are rebuked

سَآبى وَتَأبى بي أُصولٌ كَريمَةٌ

وَآباءُ صِدقٍ بِالمَوَدَّةِ شُرِّفوا

I'm inspired by noble roots

And fathers of honesty ennobled by affection

وَأَجعَلُ مالي دونَ عِرضِيَ إِنَّني

كَذَلِكُمُ مِمّا أُفيدُ وَأُتلِفُ

I make my wealth less than my honor, for I

Am such, benefitting and harmonizing

وَأَغفِرُ إِن زَلَّت بِمَولايَ نَعلَةٌ

وَلا خَيرَ في المَولى إِذا كانَ يُقرِفُ

And I forgive if my friend's foot slips

No good in the friend who nips

سَأَنصُرُهُ إِن كانَ لِلحَقِّ تابِعاً

وَإِن جارَ لَم يَكثُر عَلَيَّ التَعَطُّفُ

I'll help him if he follows truth

Though if he wrongs, he rarely shows me warmth

وَإِن ظَلَموهُ قُمتُ بِالسَيفِ دونَهُ

لَأَنصُرَهُ إِنَّ الضَعيفَ يُؤَنَّفُ

And if they oppress him, I stand with sword for him

To help him, for the weak are cared for

وَإِنّي وَإِن طالَ الثَواءُ لَمَيِّتٌ

وَيَعطِمُني ماوِيَّ بَيتٌ مُسَقَّفُ

Though safety be long in coming, I'm a dead man

In a leaning, crumbling home enclosed

وَإِنّي لَمَجزِيٌّ بِما أَنا كاسِبٌ

وَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ رَهنٌ بِما هُوَ مُتلِفُ

And I'm rewarded for what I earn

For each man is hostage to what he collects