يا مادِحَ القَومِ اللِئا

يا مادِحَ القَومِ اللِئا

مِ وَطالِباً رِفدَ الشِحاحِ

مِ وَطالِباً رِفدَ الشِحاحِ

O praiser of ignoble men,

O you who praises evil people

O you who praise a base and ignoble crowd,

and seeker of the misers’ bounty,

And seeks provision from the miserly

And seek a gift from the tight-fisted,

أَشغِل قَريضَكَ بِالنَسي

أَشغِل قَريضَكَ بِالنَسي

بِ وَبِالفُكاهَةِ وَالمُزاحِ

بِ وَبِالفُكاهَةِ وَالمُزاحِ

devote your verse to love poetry,

Occupy your poetry with forgetfulness

Occupy your poetry with amorous verse,

and to wit and jest.

And with jest and fun

And with humor and lighthearted jest,

حَدَثَت وُجوهٌ لَيسَ تَأ

حَدَثَت وُجوهٌ لَيسَ تَأ

لَمُ غَيرَ أَطرافِ الرِماحِ

لَمُ غَيرَ أَطرافِ الرِماحِ

Faces have appeared that feel no

New faces have appeared that do not feel

For faces have appeared that feel no pain

pain save from the tips of spears;

Anything but the tips of spears

Save from the sharp tips of spears,

وَأَكُفُّ قَومٍ لَيسَ يُن

وَأَكُفُّ قَومٍ لَيسَ يُن

بِطُ مائَها إِلّا المَساحي

بِطُ مائَها إِلّا المَساحي

and men’s palms—nothing draws forth

And I refrain from people whose water

And palms of a people that yield no water

their water but mattocks.

Can only be obtained through purchase

Unless it is drawn out by shovels;

ما شِئتَ مِن مالٍ حِمىً

ما شِئتَ مِن مالٍ حِمىً

يَأوي إِلى عِرضٍ مُباحِ

يَأوي إِلى عِرضٍ مُباحِ

Wealth in any amount you wish is kept inviolate,

Whatever wealth you want protected

Whatever guarded wealth you might desire

sheltering in honor open to abuse.

Finds refuge in freely offered honor

Resides within an honor free for all to violate.