دَعِ الذُّلَّ في الدُّنْيَا لِمَنْ خَافَ حَتْفَهُ

فَلَلْمَوْتُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ حَيَاةٍ عَلَى أَذَى

Leave humiliation in this world to those who fear death,

For death is better than a life of disgrace.

ولا تَصْطَحِبْ إِلَّا امْرَأً إِنْ دَعَوْتَهُ

لَدَى جَمَرَاتِ الْحَرْبِ لبَّاكَ وَاحْتَذَى

Only befriend a man if you call him

To face the embers of war, steadfast and tested.

يَسُرُّكَ عِنْدَ الأَمْنِ فَضْلاً وحِكْمَةً

ويُرْضِيكَ يَوْمَ الرَّوْعِ نَبْلاً مُقَذَّذَا

In times of peace he pleases you with excellence and wisdom,

And on the day of clamor, he satisfies you with refined valor.

فَيَا حَبَّذَا الْخِلُّ الصَّفِيُّ وهَلْ أَرَى

نَصِيباً مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِذَا قُلْتُ حَبَّذَا

Blessed is the pure companion! But will I ever see

A share in this world when I say “blessed”?

لَعَمْرِي لَقَدْ نَادَيْتُ لَوْ أَنَّ سَامِعاً

ونَوَّهْتُ بِالأَحْرَارِ لَوْ أَنَّ مُنْقِذَا

By my life, I called out as if someone was listening,

And summoned the noble as if a savior was coming,

وَطَوَّفْتُ بِالآفَاقِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّنِي

أُحَاوِلُ مِنْ هذي الْبَسِيطَةِ مَنْفَذَا

I roamed the horizons as if I

Was seeking a way out of this wilderness.

فَمَا وَقَعَتْ عَيْنِي عَلَى غَيْرِ أَحْمَقٍ

غَوِيٍّ يَظُنُّ الْمَجْدَ في الرِّيِّ وَالْغِذَا

Yet my eyes fell on none but fools

Who think glory lies in satiety and food.

إِذَا مَا رَأَيْتُ الشَّيءَ فِي غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ

وَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ رَدَّاً طَرَفتُ عَلَى قَذَى

When I see something in unworthy hands,

And cannot correct it, I avert my gaze as if blinded.

فَحَتَّى مَتَى يَا دَهْرُ أَكْتُمُ لَوْعَةً

تُكَلِّفُ قَلْبِي كُلْفَةَ الرِّيحِ بِالشَّذَا

How long, o fate, can I conceal the anguish

That burdens my heart like the wind does the branches?

أَلَمْ يَأن لِلأَيَّامِ أَنْ تُبْصِرَ الْهُدَى

فَتَخْفِضَ مَأْفُوناً وَتَرْفَعَ جهْبذَا

Has not the time come for the days to see the light

And debase the undeserving and raise the sublime?

إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ بِالدَّهْرِ خَبْلٌ لَمَا غَدَا

يَسِيرُ بِنَا في ظُلْمَةِ الْجُورِ هَكَذَا

If there were no defects in fate, it would not

Lead us in the darkness of tyranny like this.