1. يا سَعدَ كُلِّ فُؤادٍ في بُيوتِكُمُ

    مِثلي تَحَكَّمَ فيهِ الظَلمُ وَالشَنَبُ

    O bliss of every heart within your homes,

    ruled, like mine, by the gleam and cool sweetness of teeth!

  2. إِنّي لَأَكرِمُ نَفسي أَن يُقالَ جَنى

    عَلى الفَتى العَرَبيِّ الخُرَّدُ العُرُبُ

    I honor myself too much to have it said: “Harm was done

    to the Arab youth by bashful, amorous maidens.”

  3. إِنّي عَلى شَغَفي بِالحُبِّ مُعتَذِرٌ

    مِن أَن يُقالَ شُجاعٌ فَلَّهُ الوَصَبُ

    For all my passion for love, I seek to be spared

    the words: “A brave man whom sickness has broken.”

  4. إِنّا مَعاشِرُ لا تَبلى مَطارِفُنا

    إِلّا وَهُنَّ لِطُلّابِ النَدى سَلَبُ

    We are folk whose fine cloaks never wear out

    save as spoils for seekers of generosity.

  5. مُوَقَّرونَ وَأَيدي الحِلمِ طائِشَةٌ

    وَالجِدُّ يُنقِصُ مِن أَطرافِهِ اللَعِبُ

    We remain dignified while the hands of forbearance flail,

    and play erodes the edges of earnestness.

  6. فَالآنَ تَغصِبُنا الدُنيا غَضارَتَها

    ظُلماً وَتَأخُذُ مِن أَيّامِنا النُوَبُ

    So now the world robs us of its abundance,

    unjustly, and calamities steal from our days.