إِن أَدع مسكيناً فما قصرت

قدري بيوت الحي والجدرُ

If I call a poor man, I do not fall short

My prosperity, the houses of life and walls

ما مَسَ رحلي العَنكَبوت ولا

جدياته من وضعه غيرُ

No spider has touched my belongings and no

Termites from where it was placed, another

لا آخذ الصبيان أَلثمهم

وَالأَمر قد يغري به الأَمرُ

I do not take the children to kiss them

And the matter may tempt him matter

ولرب يوم قد تركت وما

بيني وبين لقائه سترُ

And maybe one day I left and what

Between me and meeting him is a veil

وَمخاصم قاومت في كبدٍ

مثل الدهان فكانَ لي العذرُ

And an adversary I resisted in the liver

Like paint so I had the excuse

ما علتي قومي بنو عُدس

وَهم المُلوك وَخالي البشرُ

Not my people, the sons of Udays

And they are the kings and my folks are human

عمي زُرارة غير منتحل

وأَبى الَّذي حُدثته عمرو

My uncle Zurarah is not pretentious

And my father, whom I told, Amr

في المَجد غرتنا مبينة

للناظرين كأَنَّها البَدرُ

In glory, we were tempted by a bright sight

To the beholders as if it were the full moon

لا يرهب الجيران غدرتنا

حَتىّ يواري ذكرنا القَبرُ

The neighbors do not fear our betrayal

Until our mention buries the grave

لسنا كأَقوام إِذا كلحت

إِحدى السنين فجارهم تمرُ

We are not like people, if one of

The years tricked them, their dates are ripe

مَولاهم لحم على وضم

تَنتابه العقبان وَالنسرُ

Their lord is meat on the preserve

Which the eagles and vultures swoop down on

ناري ونار الجار واحدة

وَإِليهِ قبلي تُنزل القدرُ

My fire and my neighbor’s fire is one

And to him before me the pot is brought down

ما ضَرَّ جاري إِذ أَجاوره

أَن لا يَكون لبيته سترُ

My neighbor did not harm me when I settled next to him

That his house has no veil

أَعمى إِذا ما جارتي خرجت

حتىّ يواري جارتي الخدرُ

I am blind when my neighbor goes out

Until the wall hides my neighbor

وَيصم عما كان بينهما

سَمعي وَما بي غيره وقرُ

And deaf to what was between them

My hearing and none other but tranquility