إِعصِ العَواذِلَ وَاِرمِ اللَيلَ عَن عُرُضٍ

إِعصِ العَواذِلَ وَاِرمِ اللَيلَ عَن عُرُضٍ

بِذي سَبيبٍ يُقاسي لَيلَهُ خَبَبا

بِذي سَبيبٍ يُقاسي لَيلَهُ خَبَبا

Defy the reproaching women, and plunge into the night wherever you will,

Shun the fair maidens and cast night aside,

On a horse with flowing mane and tail, enduring its night at a trot,

For one whose youth contends with night in guile.

أَقَبَّ لَم يَثقُبِ البَيطارُ سُرَّتَهُ

أَقَبَّ لَم يَثقُبِ البَيطارُ سُرَّتَهُ

وَلَم يَدِجهُ وَلَم يَرقُم لَهث عَصَبا

وَلَم يَدِجهُ وَلَم يَرقُم لَهث عَصَبا

Lean-bellied, its navel never pierced by the veterinarian,

The healer’s probe has not yet pierced his cloak,

Nor bled by him, nor its sinews cauterized [wording unclear],

Nor did languor subdue or fray his zeal’s threadbare state,

حَتّى يُثَمِّرَ مالاً أَو يُقالَ فَتىً

حَتّى يُثَمِّرَ مالاً أَو يُقالَ فَتىً

لاقى الَّتي تَشعَبُ الفِتيانَ فَاِنشَعَبا

لاقى الَّتي تَشعَبُ الفِتيانَ فَاِنشَعَبا

Until he amasses wealth, or it is said: 'A young man

Until it yields wealth or “a fine young man” is said -

Met her who sunders young men, and was himself sundered.'

He who splits the valiant youths and they split in two.

لا خَيرَ عِندَ فَتىً أَودَت مَروءَتُهُ

لا خَيرَ عِندَ فَتىً أَودَت مَروءَتُهُ

يُعطي المقادَةً مَن لا يُحسِنُ الجَنَبا

يُعطي المقادَةً مَن لا يُحسِنُ الجَنَبا

No good lies in a youth whose manly honor has perished,

No good in a man whose manliness lays waste

Who yields the reins to one who does not know how to lead.

Who yields his stirrups to one unfit to ride.