لا تَقْصِدنَّ لحاجةٍ

لا تَقْصِدنَّ لحاجةٍ

إلا امرأً فَرِحاً بنفسِهْ

إلا امرأً فَرِحاً بنفسِهْ

Do not seek anyone for a need

Do not seek out someone in need,

except a man delighted with himself.

Except for a man happy with himself,

أنَّى يُسَرُّ بمدحه

أنَّى يُسَرُّ بمدحه

من لا يُسر بضوء شمسِهْ

من لا يُسر بضوء شمسِهْ

How can praise of him gladden

For how can one who finds no joy in his own light,

one not gladdened by his own sun's light?

Be gladdened by your praise?

أم كيف يهتز امرؤٌ

أم كيف يهتز امرؤٌ

غَرِضٌ بمهجته وعِرسه

غَرِضٌ بمهجته وعِرسه

Or how can a man be stirred

Or how can a man shake

who is weary of his soul and wife?

Who is steadfast in his pleasure and honor,

نكَّب هُدِيتَ من الرجا

نكَّب هُدِيتَ من الرجا

ل يُوقَّ جدُّك جُلَّ تعسه

ل يُوقَّ جدُّك جُلَّ تعسه

Avoid—may you be guided—among men,

If you turn away the gift of hope -

so your fortune is spared most of its misery,

His seriousness will not diminish his wretchedness.

مِمراضَهُمْ وذميمَهم

مِمراضَهُمْ وذميمَهم

وقريبَهُم من وِردِ رمسه

وقريبَهُم من وِردِ رمسه

their sickly and their despicable,

Keep away from their diseases and their disgrace,

and the one among them close to entering his grave.

And those close to the blossoms of mercury,

وعلى ذوي عاهاتهم

وعلى ذوي عاهاتهم

يوم يدمرهم بِنحسه

يوم يدمرهم بِنحسه

And upon those with their afflictions

And upon those with their own afflictions -

may there come a day that destroys them with its ill luck,

On a day when misfortune destroys them.

ومُشَهّريهم في الأنا

ومُشَهّريهم في الأنا

م بظلم آملِهم وبخسه

م بظلم آملِهم وبخسه

and their notorious ones among the people,

And their informants in gossip -

for wronging their hopeful petitioner and cheating him.

With the injustice of their hopes and their stinginess.

سخِطَ الإله على أُولَ

سخِطَ الإله على أُولَ

ئك إنهم من شر غرسه

ئك إنهم من شر غرسه

May God be wrathful with those—

God is angry with those people -

they are among the worst of His planting.

Indeed they are from the worst of His creation.

وعدا الزمان عليهم

وعدا الزمان عليهم

طُراً فألحقهم بأمسه

طُراً فألحقهم بأمسه

And may Time assail them

And time has turned against them -

all together, consigning them to its yesterday.

Sending them back to their past.

فهمُ الألى ما منهمُ

فهمُ الألى ما منهمُ

أحد يمس ندىً بخمسه

أحد يمس ندىً بخمسه

For they are those among whom

They are the lowest, none among them

not one touches bounty with his five fingers.

Can touch a bit of dew with their palms.

لَلْنجم أقربُ منهمُ

لَلْنجم أقربُ منهمُ

من كف ملتمسٍ ولمسه

من كف ملتمسٍ ولمسه

Surely the star is nearer than they

The stars are closer to them

to a petitioner's palm and touch.

Than the palm of a beggar and his touch.

ومتى كسوتهمُ الهجا

ومتى كسوتهمُ الهجا

ء فإنه بَهجٌ بلُبسِه

ء فإنه بَهجٌ بلُبسِه

And whenever you clothe them in satire,

And when they are clothed in disgrace, it is a joy in their garb,

it rejoices in being worn.

They are accustomed to touching disgrace, so they care not for its touch.

قد عُوّدوا مسَّ الهوا

قد عُوّدوا مسَّ الهوا

ن فمالهم حَفلٌ بمسه

ن فمالهم حَفلٌ بمسه

They have been inured to humiliation's touch,

They sell out to any flatterer -

so they pay no heed to its touch.

Who has not strained his beggar with a frown.

يفدون كل سمَيْدعٍ

يفدون كل سمَيْدعٍ

لم يَشْق سائله بعبسه

لم يَشْق سائله بعبسه

Let them be ransom for every noble lord

Like Abu Al-Muhannad, he is

whose petitioner has not suffered from his frown.

Surely the hope and intuition of his suitor.

كأبي المهند إنه

كأبي المهند إنه

كيقينِ راجيه وحدسه

كيقينِ راجيه وحدسه

Like Abu al-Muhannad: he is

A king who hastens to gift

as his hopeful petitioner knows and imagines him.

And does not consider delaying his bounty,

ملكٌ يعجّل بالعطا

ملكٌ يعجّل بالعطا

ء ولا يرى إعمالَ حبسه

ء ولا يرى إعمالَ حبسه

A king who hastens to give,

And in action he inclines to the noble, not the lowly,

and does not consider holding it back.

He builds on his foundation,

وإلى الأجلِّ من الفعا

وإلى الأجلِّ من الفعا

ل تراه يجنح لا أخَسِّه

ل تراه يجنح لا أخَسِّه

And toward the noblest of deeds

And the stability of a building is in its base.

you see him incline, not toward the basest.

He has thrown his love to honesty -

يبني على آساسه

يبني على آساسه

وَقِوامُ بنيانٍ بِأُسِّه

وَقِوامُ بنيانٍ بِأُسِّه

He builds upon his foundations;

They are the children of his own kind.

and a building's stability rests on its foundation.

And when his nobility is provoked,

ألقى هواه على البريْ

ألقى هواه على البريْ

يةِ إنَهم أبناء جنسه

يةِ إنَهم أبناء جنسه

He cast his love upon humankind—

The lion encounters the equipment of his horse.

for they are children of his own kind.

He embraces his executioner

ومتى استُثير عُرامُه

ومتى استُثير عُرامُه

لقي الأسود جهيزَ فَرسه

لقي الأسود جهيزَ فَرسه

And whenever his fury is roused,

Before the flogger - and his flogger before his subjugator.

he meets the lions, swift in killing his prey.

And his assailant before the struggle -

قبلَ الجِلادِ عناقُهُ

قبلَ الجِلادِ عناقُهُ

وجلادهُ من قبل دعسه

وجلادهُ من قبل دعسه

Before swordplay comes his embrace,

That passes the length of his guarding.

and his swordplay before his spear-thrusts,

So you see the lions fleeing

وطعانهُ قبل النضا

وطعانهُ قبل النضا

ل يُمرُّ ذلك طولَ حرسه

ل يُمرُّ ذلك طولَ حرسه

and his spear-thrusts before archery;

From him when his bells are rattled,

he maintains this throughout his life.

And when he is free of a stubborn,

فترى الليوثَ هوارباً

فترى الليوثَ هوارباً

منه إذا نذِرتْ بجرسِه

منه إذا نذِرتْ بجرسِه

So you see the lions fleeing

Huge lover - that is his day of humility,

from him when they become aware of his sound.

And when he abstains early from his praise -

وإذا خلا من مَغرمٍ

وإذا خلا من مَغرمٍ

ضخمٍ فذلك يومُ وَكسه

ضخمٍ فذلك يومُ وَكسه

And when he has no expense

That is his wedding day.

of great size, that is his day of loss.

God has placed over him

وإذا اجتلى من مَدْحه

وإذا اجتلى من مَدْحه

بِكراً فذلك يومُ عُرسه

بِكراً فذلك يومُ عُرسه

And when he beholds, among praises of him,

A protection that guards him like his dominion,

a virgin, that is his wedding day.

And has turned to him from the Caliph

جعل الإله عليه وا

جعل الإله عليه وا

قيةً تقيه مثلَ باسه

قيةً تقيه مثلَ باسه

May God set over him a shield

A face of enjoyment and charm.

to protect him from might like his own,

For they are his love and concern,

وثنى إليه عن الخلي

وثنى إليه عن الخلي

فة وجهَ ممتاح وعَنْسِه

فة وجهَ ممتاح وعَنْسِه

and turn toward him, away from the caliph,

And his imam from before his knowledge.

the faces of a bounty-seeker and his sturdy she-camel.

His effects whispered to me

فهما هواه وهمُّه

فهما هواه وهمُّه

وإمامه من قبل درسه

وإمامه من قبل درسه

For those two are his love and his concern,

Of his skill before his whisper.

and his guide, before he ever studies.

Like the singer, his melodies

همَسَتْ إليَّ بفضله

همَسَتْ إليَّ بفضله

آثارهُ من قبل همسه

آثارهُ من قبل همسه

His excellence was whispered to me

Spoke of his dexterity from the plucking of his strings.

by his deeds, before his own whisper.

One whose praise is reflected -

مثل المغني أنبأتْ

مثل المغني أنبأتْ

عن حذقه نغماتُ جَسِّه

عن حذقه نغماتُ جَسِّه

As with a singer, tidings were given

Then the praise in him is without reflection.

of his skill by the notes of his testing touch.

Let not the owners of heights boast -

من كان يُعكَس مدحُهُ

من كان يُعكَس مدحُهُ

فالمدح فيه بغير عكسه

فالمدح فيه بغير عكسه

Though others' praise may be reversed,

For boasting is the crown of his head.

praise of him admits no reversal.

لا يفخرنَّ ذوو العلا

لا يفخرنَّ ذوو العلا

إن المفاخرَ تاجُ رأسه

إن المفاخرَ تاجُ رأسه

Let those of lofty standing not boast:

for glories are the crown upon his head.