إذَا نَظَمَتْ سُمُوطُ الْجَمْعِ قَوْماً

هُمُ في النَّاسِ كَالدُّرِّ الْفَرِيدِ

When the assembly of plentiful brings together a people,

They are among mankind like unmatched pearls,

يُفيضُونَ الْحَديثَ بِغَيْرِ وِزْرٍ

عَلَى نَمَطِ منَ التَّقْوَى سَديدِ

They converse effortlessly with the utmost piety,

Matching each point with care and gentility,

وجاؤوا بالنَّظِيرِ إلى نَظِيرٍ

بِلاَ لَغَطٍ وَلاَ لَدَدٍ لَدِيدِ

To me that is better than a book

That tells of events now past and no longer new,

فَذَاكَ لَدَيَّ أَوْلى مِنْ كتابٍ

حَكَى ما قَدْ مَضَى دُونَ الْجَديدِ

For a book, though of value, lags behind

Prattle scattered without purpose or tradition,

وإلاّ فالكِتابُ أَجَلُّ قَدْراً

من الْهَذْرِ الْمُعَثَّر والتَلِيدِ

As for a gathering of jesters, leave it be

And dwell in distant solitude instead,

وأَمّا مَجْلِسُ الثُّقَلا فَدَعْهُ

وكُنْ في قَفْرِ بَلْقَعَةٍ بَعيدِ

Just so, a gathering that slanders

Has an odor like that of carrion rotting,

كَذَلِكَ مَجْلِسٌ فيه اغْتِيابٌ

لَهُ رِيحٌ حَكَى ريحَ الصَّديدِ

Sleep is better for a man than sitting

Cursing Amr or Zayd for no reason.

ونَوْمُ الْمَرْءِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قُعُودٍ

عَلَى شَتْمٍ لعَمْرٍو أَوْ لِزَيْدِ