حُلَلُ الشّبِيْبَةِ مُسْتَعَارَهْ

فَدَعِ الصِّبَا واهْجُرْ دِيَارَهْ

The follies of youth are borrowed garments

So leave youth and abandon its dwellings

لا يَشْغَلْنَكَ عن العُلاَ

خَوْدٌ تُمَنِّيْكَ الزِّيَارَهْ

Let not empty pleasures distract you from greatness

Alluring glances that adorn their arms with bracelets

خَوْدٌ تُطَيَّبُ طِيْبَهَا

وَيَزِيْنُ ساعِدُهَا سِوَارَهْ

The beginnings of love are sweet

But its ends turn bitter

تَحْلُو أوائِلُ حُبِّهَا

وتَشُوبُ آخِرَهُ مَرَارَهْ

What excuse for one like you, having discarded

In the drunkenness of pleasure, his modesty

ما عُذْرُ مِثْلِكَ خالِعاً

في سُكْرِ لَذّتِهِ عِذَارَهْ

After having tied the waist-wrap tightly

When youthfulness flourished in his time

من بَعْدِ ما شَدَّ الأَشَدْ

دُ عَلَى تَلاَبِيْهِ إزَارَهْ

What pride that a young man awakes

With a huge frame and bulging muscles

مَنْ سَادَ في عَصْرِ الشَّبَا

بِ غَدَتْ لسُؤْدَدِهِ نَضَارَهْ

Preoccupied with drinking wine

Known for romancing maidens behind curtains

ما الفَخْرُ أن يَغْدُو الفَتَى

مُتَسَبِّعاً ضَخْمَ الجُزَارَهْ

His sitting room abandoned; no guests visit his house

The pride is that a young man angers his enemies

كَلِفً بِشُرْبِ الرّاحِ مَشْ

عُوفاً بِغِزْلاَنِ السِّتَارَهْ

And honors his neighbor

And protects his reputation

مهجورَةً عَرَصَاتُهُ

لا يقرَبُ الأضيافُ دَارَهْ

And rages against the slanderer like fire

And strives either for leadership

الفَخْرُ أن يُشْجَى الفَتَى

أعداءَهُ وَيُعَزُّ جارَهْ

Or for the ministry and governance

Competent in writing, discourse and eloquence

وَيَذُبُّ عَنْ أعراضِهِ

ويَشُتَّ للطُّرَّاقِ نَارَهْ

With resolute determination, avoiding disgrace

As if, from his shrewdness and penetration, he is

ويَرُوحُ إما للإما

رَةِ سعيُهُ أو للوِزَارَهْ

A spark that is feared and hoped for

And seen as noble and eminent

فردُ الكتابَةِ والخَطَا

بَةِ والبَلاغَةِ والعِبَارَهْ

In a revered procession, as if

The night had clothed him in a cloak

مُتَيَقَّظُ العَزَماتِ يَجْ

تَنِبُ الكَرَى إلاّ غِرَارَهْ

Tribes boast of him, the dust scattering

From their shoulders when he nods

وكأنّه من حِدّةٍ

ونفاذِ تدبيرٍ شَرَارَهْ

And the sons of the deserted encampments

Prolong their watching for his caravans

حتى يُخَافَ ويُرْتَجَى

ويُرَى له نَشَبٌ وشَارَهْ

So strive for new or old glory

And raise its minaret high

في موكِبٍ لَجِبٍ كأن

الليلَ أَلْبَسَهُ خِمَارَهْ

And build for yourself through greatness a condition

And be of beautiful character

تُزْهَى بِهِ عُصَبٌ تُنْفْ

فِضُ عن مناكِبِهَا غُبَارَهْ

And establish for it a market that spends on it

And brings it trade

ويُطِيْلُ أبناءُ الرَّغا

ئِبِ في مسالِكِهِ انتظارَهْ

Do not live uselessly and avoid

That which the noble fear its shame

فادْأَبْ لمجدٍ حادِثٍ

أو سالِفٍ تُعْلِي مَنَارَهْ

And if the best foods are unavailable to you

Then eat stones

واعمُرْ لِنَفْسِكَ في العُلاَ

حَالاً وَكُنْ حَسَنَ العِمَارَهْ

وأقِمْ لها سُوقاً تُنَفْ

فِقُها وَتَأْخُذُهَا تِجارَهْ

لا تَغْدُ كَلاًّ واجْتَنِبْ

أمْراً يَخَافُ الحُرُّ عارَهْ

وإذا عَدِمْتَ مِن المآ

كِلِ خَيْرَهَا فكُلِ الحِجَارَهْ