وَأَرضُ شِلبٍ وَما شِلبٌ وَإِن وَلَدَت

وَأَرضُ شِلبٍ وَما شِلبٌ وَإِن وَلَدَت

غِمارَ ناسٍ فَناسٌ غَيرُ أَغمارِ

غِمارَ ناسٍ فَناسٌ غَيرُ أَغمارِ

And the land of Shilb—what a place Shilb is! Though it has borne

The land of Shalib, though Shalib is naught,

throngs of people, they are no ignorant folk.

If it bore throngs of men, the men are not the land.

عُرفُ التَحاوُرِ مِن تِلقاءِ أَلسُنِهِم

عُرفُ التَحاوُرِ مِن تِلقاءِ أَلسُنِهِم

كَأَنَّما نَشَأوا في غَيرِ أَمصارِ

كَأَنَّما نَشَأوا في غَيرِ أَمصارِ

The customary manner of conversation springs naturally from their tongues,

Their converse betrayed their gentle nurturing,

as though they had grown up outside cities.

As though they grew up not in settlements.

يُلقُونَ بِالقَولِ مَوزُوناً وَما قَصَدوا

يُلقُونَ بِالقَولِ مَوزُوناً وَما قَصَدوا

كَأَنَّ ذلِكَ مِنهُم عَقدُ إِضمارِ

كَأَنَّ ذلِكَ مِنهُم عَقدُ إِضمارِ

They utter metrical speech without intending it,

They speak composed verse, though unintentional,

as though it were an inward resolve of theirs.

As though it were their habit to speak in riddles.

إيهٍ وَهَل مَعَ إيهٍ يا أَبا عُمَرٍ

إيهٍ وَهَل مَعَ إيهٍ يا أَبا عُمَرٍ

مِن تُحفَةٍ غَيرِ إِعظامٍ وَإِكبارِ

مِن تُحفَةٍ غَيرِ إِعظامٍ وَإِكبارِ

'Go on!' And with that 'go on,' O Abu Umar,

Alas! Along with my sigh, O Abu Umar,

what gift is there but reverence and veneration,

Is there any gift but esteem and honor?

وَغَيرِ عَقدِ صَفاءٍ قَد قَسَمتُ لَكُم

وَغَيرِ عَقدِ صَفاءٍ قَد قَسَمتُ لَكُم

مَعينَهُ بَينَ إِعلانٍ وَإِسرارِ

مَعينَهُ بَينَ إِعلانٍ وَإِسرارِ

and a bond of pure affection? I have shared with you

Other than the bond of purity I have shared with you

its clear-flowing waters, both openly and in secret.

Its spring, overt and covert.

عَجِبتُ مِن مَعشَرٍ تُمطي مَآثِرَهُم

عَجِبتُ مِن مَعشَرٍ تُمطي مَآثِرَهُم

مِنَ الثَناءِ عَلَيها ظَهرَ طَيّارِ

مِنَ الثَناءِ عَلَيها ظَهرَ طَيّارِ

I marveled at a people whose noble deeds you set

I'm astonished at a people whose merits

on the back of a flying mount fashioned from praise of them.

Are obscured by praise of them the winged rumor carried.

ما بالُهُم رَقَدوا في لِينِ عَيشِهِمُ

ما بالُهُم رَقَدوا في لِينِ عَيشِهِمُ

عَن جارِهِم وَهوَ مَحبوسٌ بِإِقتارِ

عَن جارِهِم وَهوَ مَحبوسٌ بِإِقتارِ

Why have they slept amid the ease of their lives,

Why did they slumber in the softness of their lives

heedless of their neighbor, held captive by poverty?

To their neighbor who is shackled in poverty?

ما كانَ أَقدَرَهُم أَن يَأخُذوا لَكُمُ

ما كانَ أَقدَرَهُم أَن يَأخُذوا لَكُمُ

عَلى البَديهِ مِنَ الأَيّامِ بِالثارِ

عَلى البَديهِ مِنَ الأَيّامِ بِالثارِ

How easily they could have exacted for you

How could they not avenge you

vengeance from the days, on the spur of the moment!

Against the vicissitudes of time?

وَالحُرُّ أَكثَرُ ما يُزري بِحاجَتِهِ

وَالحُرُّ أَكثَرُ ما يُزري بِحاجَتِهِ

تَوَسُّطٌ مِن خَبيثِ النَفسِ خَوّارِ

تَوَسُّطٌ مِن خَبيثِ النَفسِ خَوّارِ

And what most disgraces a free man's plea

The freeman is frequently debased by his need

is mediation by a base-souled weakling.

For mediation from the mean and treacherous.

صَونُ الفَتى وَجهَهُ أَبقى لِهِمَّتِهِ

صَونُ الفَتى وَجهَهُ أَبقى لِهِمَّتِهِ

وَالرِزقُ جارٍ عَلى حَدٍّ وَمِقدارِ

وَالرِزقُ جارٍ عَلى حَدٍّ وَمِقدارِ

A young man's safeguarding his face better preserves his resolve;

The young man’s dignity preserved augments his zeal,

and sustenance flows within a fixed limit and measure.

While sustenance flows in measured portions.

قَنِعتُ وَاِمتَدَّ مالي فَالسَماءُ يَدِي

قَنِعتُ وَاِمتَدَّ مالي فَالسَماءُ يَدِي

وَنَجمُها دِرهَمي وَالشَمسُ ديناري

وَنَجمُها دِرهَمي وَالشَمسُ ديناري

I was content, and my wealth grew vast: the sky is my hand,

I sufficed and my money stretched, so the heavens are my hand

and its star is my dirham, and the sun my dinar.

And its stars my dirham and the sun my dinar.