فرطت لا تنحرف عن منهج الادب

فرطت لا تنحرف عن منهج الادب

واحفظ مقامات اهل المجد والحسب

واحفظ مقامات اهل المجد والحسب

You have gone too far—do not stray from the path of proper conduct.

You have been remiss; do not stray from the path of decorum.

Respect the stations of those endowed with glory and noble lineage.

And respect the stations of those with glory and ancestral honor.

وقف مع الدين لا تذهب على غلط

وقف مع الدين لا تذهب على غلط

تنغط بالغي بين الجد واللعب

تنغط بالغي بين الجد واللعب

Stand with the faith; do not proceed in error,

And stand with the faith; do not proceed in error,

nor wallow in waywardness, whether in earnest or in play.

Plunging into waywardness between earnestness and play.

تروى السيادة ان صحت فانت بها

تروى السيادة ان صحت فانت بها

اخطأت منهاج غر السادة النجب

اخطأت منهاج غر السادة النجب

Lordship is ascribed to you; if the report is true, then it is yours.

You profess nobility; if it is genuine, then with it you

Yet you have missed the path of the radiant, noble lords.

Have missed the path of the illustrious, noble lords.

وافطن فانى امروء من سادة شرفت

وافطن فانى امروء من سادة شرفت

احسابهم وعلوا بالفضل والنسب

احسابهم وعلوا بالفضل والنسب

Take heed: I am a man descended from lords whose lineages

And take heed, for I am a man descended from lords of noble

were ennobled, and who rose through merit and ancestry.

Ancestral honor, who rose through merit and lineage.

الكل منهم عصامي له شيم

الكل منهم عصامي له شيم

تجثو لها سادة الدنيا على الركب

تجثو لها سادة الدنيا على الركب

Every one of them was self-made, a man of virtues

Each of them is self-made, with noble traits

before which the lords of this world kneel.

Before which the lords of the world fall to their knees.

تخوض بالشعر تستجلي قوافيه

تخوض بالشعر تستجلي قوافيه

وانت تعلم اني اشعر العرب

وانت تعلم اني اشعر العرب

You wade into poetry, seeking to unveil its rhymes,

You wade into poetry, seeking to discern its rhymes,

though you know that I am the foremost poet of the Arabs.

And you know that I am the finest poet of the Arabs.

هون عليك فان الفضل ارث ابي

هون عليك فان الفضل ارث ابي

والماء ماء ابى والبئر بئر ابي

والماء ماء ابى والبئر بئر ابي

Easy now: excellence is my father’s legacy;

Calm yourself, for merit is my father's legacy;

the water is my father’s water, and the well my father’s well.

And the water is my father's water, and the well my father's well.

لولا مآثر آبائي الذين خلوا

لولا مآثر آبائي الذين خلوا

في الشام لم ينجذب بيت على طنب

في الشام لم ينجذب بيت على طنب

Were it not for the glorious deeds of my forefathers who passed away,

Were it not for the glorious deeds of my forefathers, now gone,

not a tent in al-Sham would be drawn taut upon its ropes.

In al-Sham, no tent would have been drawn taut on a guy-rope.

قاموا بسمك العلا اقمار مفخرة

قاموا بسمك العلا اقمار مفخرة

على شياطين اهل البغي كالشهب

على شياطين اهل البغي كالشهب

They rose to the heights of glory, moons of pride,

They stood in glory's heights, moons of pride,

against the devils among the people of aggression, like meteors.

Against the devils of the wrongdoers, like shooting stars.

بين الوصي امير المؤمنين وبي

بين الوصي امير المؤمنين وبي

ن السيف خالدهم كالعسكر اللجب

ن السيف خالدهم كالعسكر اللجب

Among them is the Legatee, Commander of the Faithful, and among—

Between the designated successor, Commander of the Faithful, and

—them is the Sword—their Khalid—like a clamorous army.

The Sword, their Khalid, they are like a clamorous army.

علوا بدين واخلاق مورثة

علوا بدين واخلاق مورثة

لا كالذين علاهم سرقة الذهب

لا كالذين علاهم سرقة الذهب

They rose through faith and inherited virtues,

They rose through faith and virtues handed down,

not like those whom stolen gold raised high.

Not like those whose eminence comes from stealing gold.

العز بالله والدنيا مولية

العز بالله والدنيا مولية

والمجد بالفضل لا بالمال والنشب

والمجد بالفضل لا بالمال والنشب

Honor comes through God, while the world turns away;

Honor comes through God, while the world turns away,

and glory comes through excellence, not through money and possessions.

And glory comes through merit, not through wealth and possessions.