آليتُ أهجو كريماً عند نبوته

آليتُ أهجو كريماً عند نبوته

ولا لئيماً وإنْ أكدى وإنْ شتما

ولا لئيماً وإنْ أكدى وإنْ شتما

I have sworn not to lampoon a generous man when he rebuffs me,

I was determined to satirize a generous man for his prophecy,

Nor a base man, even if he gives nothing, even if he insults me.

Not a mean man, even if he were aggressive and abusive.

أنِفْتُ من أنْ يقولَ الناسُ لي كَلِبٌ

أنِفْتُ من أنْ يقولَ الناسُ لي كَلِبٌ

وبصَّرْتني صروفُ الدَّهرِ بعد عَمَى

وبصَّرْتني صروفُ الدَّهرِ بعد عَمَى

I was too proud to have people call me rabid,

I disdained that people would call me a dog,

And time's vicissitudes gave me sight after blindness.

And the vicissitudes of fate gave me insight after blindness.

وقوَّمَتْني يد من سيِّدٍ حَدِبٍ

وقوَّمَتْني يد من سيِّدٍ حَدِبٍ

بل شيمةٌ منه أعْدَتْ شيمتي كرما

بل شيمةٌ منه أعْدَتْ شيمتي كرما

And a caring lord's hand set me straight—

The hand of my noble lord of curved nose straightened me.

Rather, a trait of his infected my character with generosity.

In fact, his reprimand made my manners honorable.

فلن أرى ما تولاني به تِرةً

فلن أرى ما تولاني به تِرةً

بل نعمةً تستحق الشكرَ بل نِعَما

بل نعمةً تستحق الشكرَ بل نِعَما

So I shall not regard his treatment of me as a wrong,

So I will not see what has come upon me as harm,

But as a blessing deserving thanks—indeed, many blessings.

But a blessing deserving thanks, even bounties.

للَّهِ دَرُّ ثِقافٍ مِنْهُ قوَّمني

للَّهِ دَرُّ ثِقافٍ مِنْهُ قوَّمني

لئن لَؤُمْتُ لقد أبقى وما لؤُما

لئن لَؤُمْتُ لقد أبقى وما لؤُما

God bless his spear-straightening tool, which set me straight!

Praise be to God for wholesome chastening from Him correcting me.

If I was base, he certainly spared me and was not base.

If I were deviant, He made me upright and not crooked.

ما زال يرفُقُ في تقْوِيمِه أودي

ما زال يرفُقُ في تقْوِيمِه أودي

حتى تقوَّم لي عُودي وما انحطما

حتى تقوَّم لي عُودي وما انحطما

He kept acting gently as he straightened my crookedness,

He kept gently correcting me in His straightening

Until my shaft became straight for me, without breaking.

Until my bent wood was straightened and did not break.