1. I have spent in toil what you have spent in play,
And tasted in sleep what indeed I have tasted in fatigue.
١. أَفْنَيْتُ في الِجدِّ مَا أَفْنَيْتَ في اللَّعِبِ
وَذُقْتَ في النَّوْمِ مَا قَدْ ذُقْتُ في التَّعَبِ
2. While your belly was a worry you made no friend
But for its sake, and my worry is companionship with books.
٢. وَكَانَ بَطْنُكَ هَـمًّا مَا اتَّـخَذْتَ أَخًا
إلَّا عَلَيْهِ، وَهَمِّي صُحْبَةُ الْكُتُبِ
3. Far apart are what my concerns are and the concerns from you..so leave
My war for you are no equal to me to be enamored with me.
٣. شَتَّانَ مَا هِمَّتِـي وَالْـهَمُّ مِنْكَ..فَدَعْ
حَرْبِـي فَلَسْتَ بِنِدٍّ لِـي لِتُولَعَ بِـي
4. Between me and you lies an insurmountable wall
Though you be among Gog and Magog of noble lineage.
٤. بَيْنِـي وَبَيْنَكَ سَدٌّ لا تُطِيقُ لَهُ
رَدْمًا.. وَلَوْ كُنْتَ في يَأْجُوجَ ذَا نَسَبِ
5. So your infatuation with me will not lower my nobility,
Nor will any barking from you detract from my status.
٥. فَمَا وُلُوعُكَ بي يُدْنِيكَ مِنْ شَرَفِي
وَمَا يَحُطُّ نُبَاحٌ مِنْكَ مِنْ رُتَبِـي
6. When God destines to raise me above you in rank,
I care not what you scheme or plot.
٦. إِذَا قَضَى اللهُ رَفْعِي عَنْكَ مَنْزِلَةً
فَمَا أُبَالِـي بـِمَا تَحْتَالُ عَنْ كَثَبِ
7. A free man is tested by the base persons, never
And the worst tester is he who adds no dignity to a father.
٧. وَالْـحُرُّ مُـمْتَحَنٌ بِالأَرْذَلِينَ أَبًا
وَشَرُّ مُـمْتَحِنٍ مَنْ لَـمْ يُضَفْ لِأَبِ
8. If his past is clouded without clarity,
Deception with a son of lowly lineage cheats him.
٨. مَنْ شَابَ مَاضِيهِ مِنْ دُونِ الوَرَى كَدَرٌ
أَغْرَتْهُ بِابْنِ صَفَاءٍ خِسَّةُ الْحَسَبِ
9. And he harbored hatred who was never hateful,
Until he rivals what was difficult in distress.
٩. وَشَبَّ في حِقْدِهِ مَنْ لَـمْ يَكُنْ كَدِرًا
حَتَّى يُسَاوِيَهُ مَا عَزَّ في الكَرَبِ
10. Cowardice kept him from raiding, so if he sees him
He is raided and helped upon by every usurper.
١٠. نَأَى بِهِ الْـجُبْنُ أَنْ يَغْزُو.. فَإِنْ يَرَهُ
يُغْزَى أَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ كُلَّ مُغْتَصِبِ
11. Away from me..for I do not see one who
Lives on nobility he buys with scraps.
١١. إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي.. فَإِنِّي لَسْتُ مُبْصِرَ مَنْ
يَعِيشُ مِنْ شَرَفٍ يَشْرِيهِ بِالنَّشَبِ
12. And I have excused you, I do not duel with one
Who is blamed for an error in previous eras.
١٢. وَقَدْ عَذَرْتُكَ إِنِّـي لا أُبَارِزُ مَنْ
يُعْزَى إِلَـى خَطَأٍ في سَالِفِ الْحِقَبِ
13. We are not equal in knowledge, lineage,
Battle, forbearance, or manners.
١٣. لَسْنَا مَثِيلَيْنِ في عِلْمٍ وَلا نَسَبٍ
وَلَا قِتَالٍ ولاَ حِلْمٍ وَلَا أَدَبِ
14. And if I were killed by your sword, if bearing it
Sufficed you, you would not be harmed by me.
١٤. وَلَوْ قُتِلْتُ بِسَيْفٍ مِنْكَ إِنْ عَرَفَتْ
كَفَّاكَ تَحْمِلُهُ مَا كُنْتَ تُغْرَم بِـي
15. My opponent disgraces you, he who throws you where he sees
Valor as stupidity..so he calls all who are in sin.
١٥. خَصْمِي مُذِلُّكَ مَنْ يَرْمِيكَ حَيْثُ يَرَى
الإِقْدَامَ حُمْقًا .. فَيَدْعُو كُلَّ ذِي ذَنَبِ
16. If called to evil, he who called him precedes, but if
A caller calls to the most high, he does not respond.
١٦. إِنْ يُدْعَ لِلشَّرِّ يَسْبِقْ مَنْ دَعَاهُ وَإِنْ
نَادَى الْمُنَادِي إِلَى العَلْيَاءِ لَـمْ يُـجِبِ
17. He repents in a day for what the debasing hand has not attained
In seventy rounds..and does not satisfy his hand, fool that he is.
١٧. يَتُوبُ في الْيَوْمِ عَمَّا لَـمْ تُصِبْ
سَبْعِينَ شَوْطًا.. وَلاَ يُرْضِي يَدُهُ الْمُذِلَّ غَبِـي
18. My opponent wants you as an ally to strangle him
If they fear through you the people's fire, you have not seen me.
١٨. خَصْمِي مُرِيدِي شَبِيهًا مِنْكَ يَـخْنُقُهُ
إِنْ يَتَّقُوا بِكَ نَارَ الشَّعْبِ لَـمْ تَرَنِـي
19. Leave my path..for I am busy from you
So he does not rage, powerless in anger.
١٩. فَدَعْ طَريقِي.. فَإِنِّي عَنْكَ فِي شُغُلٍ
فَلَا يَثُورُ.. عَدِيمَ البَأْسِ في الغَضَبِ
20. Busy with the wound, not the cause,
With the one who fed you with my money then deceived you about me.
٢٠. كَالنَّاسِ مُنْشَغِلاً بالْـجُرْحِ عَنْ سَبَبِ
بِمَنْ غَذَاكَ بِـمَالِـي ثُـمَّ غَرَّكَ بِـي