أَلا قُل لِمَن أَرهَقَتهُ الذُنوبُ

أَلا قُل لِمَن أَرهَقَتهُ الذُنوبُ

وَخافَ مِن الدَهرِ خَطباً جَسيما

وَخافَ مِن الدَهرِ خَطباً جَسيما

Come, tell the one whom sins have burdened,

Listen: tell whoever is weighed down by sins

who fears some grave calamity from Time:

and fears a grave calamity from fate:

عَلَيكَ الهَدِيَّةَ إِنّي رَأيتُ

عَلَيكَ الهَدِيَّةَ إِنّي رَأيتُ

لَها عِندَنا اليَومَ شَأناً عَظِيما

لَها عِندَنا اليَومَ شَأناً عَظِيما

Resort to the gift—for I have seen

Take to gift-giving; indeed, I have seen

it hold among us today a mighty place.

how great its standing is among us today.

تُجِيرُ لِذي الحُمقِ أَنّى أَرا

تُجِيرُ لِذي الحُمقِ أَنّى أَرا

دَ حَمقاتِهِ وَتُعِزُّ اللَئيما

دَ حَمقاتِهِ وَتُعِزُّ اللَئيما

It grants the fool safe-conduct in whatever folly he de—

It protects the fool wherever he wishes

—sires, and lends the base man honor.

to commit his follies, and exalts the ignoble.

وَتبري السَخائِمَ حَتّى ترِيـ

وَتبري السَخائِمَ حَتّى ترِيـ

ـكَ أَعدى عَدُوٍّ وَلِيّاً حَميما

ـكَ أَعدى عَدُوٍّ وَلِيّاً حَميما

It heals old grudges until it makes you—

And it heals rancor until it shows

—see your bitterest enemy as a close, devoted friend.

you your bitterest enemy as a close friend.

وَأَيسَرُ شَيءٍ يَحُلُّ العُقودَ

وَأَيسَرُ شَيءٍ يَحُلُّ العُقودَ

وَيُصبِحُ مُهديهِ مُوسى الكَلِيما

وَيُصبِحُ مُهديهِ مُوسى الكَلِيما

The slightest gift can undo every bond,

And the slightest thing unties the knots,

and turn its giver into Moses, the one who spoke with God.

and its giver becomes Moses, who spoke with God.

فَبالشاةِ يَصفَعُ زَيدٌ أَخا

فَبالشاةِ يَصفَعُ زَيدٌ أَخا

هُ في مِصرِنا وَيُفَرّي الأَديما

هُ في مِصرِنا وَيُفَرّي الأَديما

Thus with a sheep Zayd can slap his broth—

So, for a sheep, Zayd slaps a brother

—er in our town and rend his very hide.

of his in our town, and rends the skin.

وَيُضحي الَّذي أَنفُهُ في التُخُومِ

وَيُضحي الَّذي أَنفُهُ في التُخُومِ

يُطاوِلُ مَن يَتَمَطّى النُجُوما

يُطاوِلُ مَن يَتَمَطّى النُجُوما

And one whose nose was sunk in the depths

And he whose nose lies in the earth's depths

will rise to rival one who stretches toward the stars.

comes to rival one who stretches up to the stars.

فَكَم مِن بُطَيطِيخَةٍ بَرَّدَت

فَكَم مِن بُطَيطِيخَةٍ بَرَّدَت

لَوافِحَ مِن قَبلُ كانَت سُمُوما

لَوافِحَ مِن قَبلُ كانَت سُمُوما

How many a little melon has cooled

For many a little watermelon has cooled

scorching gusts that once blew as poison winds;

scorching blasts that once were deadly hot winds.

وَكَم حُلَّةٍ عَمَّرَت مَنزِلاً

وَكَم حُلَّةٍ عَمَّرَت مَنزِلاً

وَأَبقَت مَنازِلَ قَومٍ رُسُوما

وَأَبقَت مَنازِلَ قَومٍ رُسُوما

and how many a robe has made one household flourish

And many a robe has made a house flourish

while leaving a people’s dwellings mere ruins.

and left a people's homes as mere traces.

فَلا تَحقِرَنَّ قَليلَ الرُشا

فَلا تَحقِرَنَّ قَليلَ الرُشا

فَريحُ الدَواءِ تُحيطُ الكُلوما

فَريحُ الدَواءِ تُحيطُ الكُلوما

So never scorn even the smallest bribe:

So never disdain small bribes,

the very scent of medicine envelops wounds.

for the scent of medicine envelops the wounds.