فَتىً عُزِلَت عَنهُ الفَواحِشُ كُلُّها

فَتىً عُزِلَت عَنهُ الفَواحِشُ كُلُّها

فَلَم تَختَلِط مِنهُ بِلَحمٍ وَلا دَمِ

فَلَم تَختَلِط مِنهُ بِلَحمٍ وَلا دَمِ

A young man from whom all foul deeds have been kept apart,

A youth from whom all vice is estranged

so they have mingled with neither his flesh nor his blood.

No flesh or blood in him intermingled

كَأَنَّ زُرورَ القُبطُرِيَّةِ عُلِّقَت

كَأَنَّ زُرورَ القُبطُرِيَّةِ عُلِّقَت

عَلائِقُها مِنهُ بِجِذعٍ مُقَوَّمِ

عَلائِقُها مِنهُ بِجِذعٍ مُقَوَّمِ

As though the buttons of his Coptic linen tunic were hung,

As if bangles of Kibt were suspended

their fastening-loops upon him as upon a straightened tree-trunk.

From his straight and slender wrists

عَمَلَّسُ أَسفارٍ إِذا ما إِستَقبَلَت لَهُ

عَمَلَّسُ أَسفارٍ إِذا ما إِستَقبَلَت لَهُ

سَمومٌ كَحَرِّ النارِ لَم يَتَلَثَّمِ

سَمومٌ كَحَرِّ النارِ لَم يَتَلَثَّمِ

A hardy traveler: when there comes against him

A parchment of travels when met

a scorching wind, hot as fire, he does not veil his face.

With flames hot as fire unflustered

إِذا ما رَمى أَصحابَهُ بِجَبينِهِ

إِذا ما رَمى أَصحابَهُ بِجَبينِهِ

سُرى لَيلَةِ الظَلماءِ لَم يَتَهَكَّمِ

سُرى لَيلَةِ الظَلماءِ لَم يَتَهَكَّمِ

When he turns his brow toward his companions,

When his friends strike his brow in the dark night

during a pitch-dark night's journey, he does not sneer.

He smiles not with jest or bitter humor

كَأَنَّ قُرادَي زَورِهِ طَبَعَتهُما

كَأَنَّ قُرادَي زَورِهِ طَبَعَتهُما

بِطينٍ مِنَ الجَولانِ كُتّابُ أَعجَمِ

بِطينٍ مِنَ الجَولانِ كُتّابُ أَعجَمِ

As though his chest's two tick-like knobs had been stamped

As if bracelets of his arms had sealed them

in clay from the Golan by a foreigner's scribes.

With clay from Golan, mute and obscure

إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَلقى فَتى النَأسِ وَالنَدى

إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَلقى فَتى النَأسِ وَالنَدى

وَذا الحَسَبِ الزاكي التَليدِ المُقَدَّمِ

وَذا الحَسَبِ الزاكي التَليدِ المُقَدَّمِ

If you wish to meet a young man of [valor] and generosity,

If you wish to meet the ideal man, genteel and noble

and one of pure, ancestral, preeminent nobility,

Of pure lineage and precedent, time-honored

فَكُن عُمَراً تَأتي وَلا تَعدُوَنَّهُ

فَكُن عُمَراً تَأتي وَلا تَعدُوَنَّهُ

إِلى غَيرِهِ وَإِستَخبِرِ الناسَ وَإِفهَمِ

إِلى غَيرِهِ وَإِستَخبِرِ الناسَ وَإِفهَمِ

then let Umar be the one you approach, and never pass beyond him

Be Omar, whom none can transcend

to another; inquire of the people, and understand.

To any other, ask people and understand