يا أَيُّها الزاجِرِي عَن شيمَتي سَفَهاً

يا أَيُّها الزاجِرِي عَن شيمَتي سَفَهاً

عَمداً عَصَيتُ مَقالَ الزاجِرِ الناهي

عَمداً عَصَيتُ مَقالَ الزاجِرِ الناهي

O you who foolishly bid me abandon my ways,

O you who rebuke me for my noble traits in ignorance,

I deliberately disobeyed the words of the one who rebukes and forbids.

I have intentionally disobeyed the words of the prohibiting chider.

أَقصِر فَإِنَّكَ مِن قَومٍ أَرومَتُهُم

أَقصِر فَإِنَّكَ مِن قَومٍ أَرومَتُهُم

في اللُؤمِ فَاِفخَر بِهِم ما شِئتَ أَو باهِ

في اللُؤمِ فَاِفخَر بِهِم ما شِئتَ أَو باهِ

Desist, for you are of a people whose roots

Be brief, for you are from a people whom I have raised

Lie in baseness; so boast of them as you wish, or vaunt them.

In villainy, so boast of them as much as you wish or desire.

يُزَيِّنُ الشِعرُ أَفواهاً إِذا نَطَقَت

يُزَيِّنُ الشِعرُ أَفواهاً إِذا نَطَقَت

بِالشِعرِ يَوماً وَقَد يُزري بِأَفواهِ

بِالشِعرِ يَوماً وَقَد يُزري بِأَفواهِ

Poetry adorns some mouths when they speak

Poetry adorns mouths when they speak it

In verse one day, yet it may also bring disgrace upon mouths.

One day, while it may disgrace other mouths.

قَد يُرزَقُ المَرءُ لا مِن فَضلِ حيلَتِهِ

قَد يُرزَقُ المَرءُ لا مِن فَضلِ حيلَتِهِ

وَيُصرَفُ الرِزقُ عَن ذي الحيلَةِ الداهي

وَيُصرَفُ الرِزقُ عَن ذي الحيلَةِ الداهي

A man may be granted sustenance, not through his superior ingenuity,

One may be granted sustenance not by his cunning,

And sustenance is withheld from the shrewd, resourceful man.

And sustenance may be diverted from the cunning schemer.

لا شيمَتي تُجتَوى يَوماً وَلا خُلُقي

لا شيمَتي تُجتَوى يَوماً وَلا خُلُقي

وَلَيسَ حَبلي لِمَن صافَيتُ بِالواهي

وَلَيسَ حَبلي لِمَن صافَيتُ بِالواهي

My disposition is never detested, nor is my character,

My traits will never be corrupted, nor my manners,

Nor is my cord frail for those I have sincerely befriended.

Nor is my rope for one who has abandoned me for delusion.

لا بَل أَبيحُ صَديقي مَحضَ خالِصَتي

لا بَل أَبيحُ صَديقي مَحضَ خالِصَتي

وَلَستُ عَن نَفعِهِ ما عِشتُ بِالساهي

وَلَستُ عَن نَفعِهِ ما عِشتُ بِالساهي

No—rather, I freely give my friend my unalloyed affection,

Rather, I make lawful for my friend my pure sincerity,

And as long as I live, I am not heedless of his welfare.

And I do not forget his benefit as long as I live.

لَقَد عَجِبتُ لِقَومٍ لا أُصولَ لَهُم

لَقَد عَجِبتُ لِقَومٍ لا أُصولَ لَهُم

أَثرَوا وَلَيسوا وَإِن أَثرَوا بِأَشباهي

أَثرَوا وَلَيسوا وَإِن أَثرَوا بِأَشباهي

Indeed I have marveled at people who have no roots:

I am amazed by people who have no ancestry,

They grew wealthy, yet—even though they grew wealthy—they are not my equals.

Who became wealthy but are not, even if they resemble the wealthy.

ما نالَني مِن غِنىً يَوماً وَلا عَدَمٍ

ما نالَني مِن غِنىً يَوماً وَلا عَدَمٍ

إِلّا وَقَولي عَلَيهِ الحَمدُ لِلّهِ

إِلّا وَقَولي عَلَيهِ الحَمدُ لِلّهِ

Neither wealth nor want has ever come upon me

I have never attained, in wealth or poverty,

Without my saying in response to it: “Praise be to God.”

Anything but that I say for it: Praise be to God.