لا تَزجُرِ الفِتيانَ عَن سوءِ الرِعَه

يا رُبَّ هَيجا هِيَ خَيرٌ مِن دَعَه

Do not chide the youths for their mischief,

For, my lord, their vigor is better than stillness.

يا اِبنَ المُلوكِ السادَةِ الهَبَنقَعَه

أَنا لَبيدٌ ثُمَّ هَذي المَنزَعَه

O son of lords, chieftains, people of renown,

I am Labid, then this inspired speech.

في كُلِّ يَومٍ هامَتي مُقَزَّعَه

قانِعَةً وَلَم تَكُن مُقَنَّعَه

Every day my resolve is torn asunder,

Content, though never contented.

نَحنُ بَنو أُمِّ البَنينَ الأَربَعَه

وَنَحنُ خَيرُ عامِرِ بنِ صَعصَعَه

We are the sons of the mother of four sons,

And we are the best of the tribe of Sa'sa'ah.

المُطعِمونَ الجَفنَةَ المُدَعدَعَه

وَالضارِبونَ الهامَ تَحتَ الخَيضَعَه

Who feast the famished, the needy,

And strike with the sword beneath the armpits.

يا واهِبَ المالِ الجَزيلِ مِن سَعَه

سُيوفُ حَقٍّ وَجِفانٌ مُترَعَه

O giver of abundant, copious wealth,

Swords of truth and hands generous of gifts.

إِلَيكَ جاوَزنا بِلاداً مُسبِعَه

إِذِ الفَلاةُ أَوحَشَت في المَعمَعَه

To you we passed through lands seventy in number,

When the desert turned desolate and confused.

يُخبِركَ عَن هَذا خَبيرٌ فَاِسمَعَه

مَهلاً أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ لا تَأكُل مَعَه

One who knows this will inform you, so listen,

Gently, man, refuse not food you share.

إِنَّ اِستَهُ مِن بَرَصٍ مُلَمَّعَه

وَإِنَّهُ يُدخِلُ فيها إِصبَعَه

Verily his condition results from mange dispersed,

And he inserts in it his fingers,

يُدخِلُها حَتّى يُواري أَشجَعَه

كَأَنَّما يَطلُبُ شَيئاً ضَيَّعَه

Inserts them until he hides his armpits,

As though seeking something he had lost.