رأيتك شبَّهْتَ الضمير وحفظَهُ

رأيتك شبَّهْتَ الضمير وحفظَهُ

حَسائكَهُ بالحوض في حفظه الشَّربا

حَسائكَهُ بالحوض في حفظه الشَّربا

I saw you liken the mind and its keeping

I saw you resembling conscience and its preservation

of its grudges to a basin's holding of drinking water.

Its perceptions in the basin preserving drinking

وقرَّضتَ منه أن يصادَف حِفْظُهُ

وقرَّضتَ منه أن يصادَف حِفْظُهُ

كحفظ حياض المورد الملحَ والعذبا

كحفظ حياض المورد الملحَ والعذبا

And you praised it because its retention was found

And you borrowed from it that its preservation would coincide

to match the watering-place basins' holding of salt water and fresh.

With the preservation of mouth basins, salty and sweet

ألا كان كالغربال يَنْفِي زُؤانَهُ

ألا كان كالغربال يَنْفِي زُؤانَهُ

وما كان من قَصْرٍ ويحتبسُ الحَبَّا

وما كان من قَصْرٍ ويحتبسُ الحَبَّا

Why was it not like a sieve, casting out its darnel

If only it was like a sieve that strains its bran

and whatever chaff there was, while retaining the grain?

And did not withhold any shortcomings or loved ones

ألا كان مثل القِدْرِ تنفي غُثاءها

ألا كان مثل القِدْرِ تنفي غُثاءها

وتَقْنَى عُرَاقَ اللحمِ والمرقَ العذبا

وتَقْنَى عُرَاقَ اللحمِ والمرقَ العذبا

Why was it not like a pot, casting off its scum

If only it was like a pot that strains its scum

and keeping the meaty bones and the savory broth?

And purifies the broth of meat and sweet gravy