للناس فيما يكْلَفُونَ مغارمٌ

للناس فيما يكْلَفُونَ مغارمٌ

عند الكرامِ لها قضاءُ ذِمامِ

عند الكرامِ لها قضاءُ ذِمامِ

People bear costs in what they devote themselves to;

People bear burdens in what they are tasked,

the noble owe their repayment as a debt of honor.

With the noble, it must be settled.

ومغارمُ الشعراءِ في أشعارهم

ومغارمُ الشعراءِ في أشعارهم

إنفاقُ أعمارٍ وهجرُ منام

إنفاقُ أعمارٍ وهجرُ منام

And the poets' costs in their poetry

And the poets' burdens are in their poetry -

are lifetimes spent and sleep forsaken,

Spending lifetimes and forgoing sleep.

وجفاءُ لذَّاتٍ ورفضُ مكاسبٍ

وجفاءُ لذَّاتٍ ورفضُ مكاسبٍ

لو خُولفتْ حُرِستْ من الإعدام

لو خُولفتْ حُرِستْ من الإعدام

and pleasures shunned and earnings renounced—

Shunning pleasures and refusing gains -

had those sacrifices been reversed, one would have been shielded from destitution.

If left alone, protected from harm.

وتشاغلٌ عن ذكر ربٍّ لم يزل

وتشاغلٌ عن ذكر ربٍّ لم يزل

حسنَ الصنائعِ سابغَ الإنعام

حسنَ الصنائعِ سابغَ الإنعام

And distraction from remembering a Lord who has ever been

Preoccupied from mentioning a Lord who never ceased

gracious in His deeds and lavish in His bounty.

Bestowing beautiful favors and blessings.

مَنْ لو بخدمته تشاغَلَ مَعْشرٌ

مَنْ لو بخدمته تشاغَلَ مَعْشرٌ

خدموكُمُ أجدى على الخُدّام

خدموكُمُ أجدى على الخُدّام

The One who, had a company devoted itself to His service—

If a group were busy serving you,

men who served you—would have benefited those servants more.

Serving them is more beneficial than servants.

أفما لذلك حُرمة مَرْعية

أفما لذلك حُرمة مَرْعية

إنَّ الكرامَ إذاً لغيرُ كرام

إنَّ الكرامَ إذاً لغيرُ كرام

Has this, then, no claim deserving respect?

Should that not be an inviolable pasture?

Then the noble are surely not noble.

The noble then would not be noble.

لم أحتسِبْ فيكَ الثوابَ بِمدْحَتِي

لم أحتسِبْ فيكَ الثوابَ بِمدْحَتِي

إيّاك يا ابن أكارمِ الأقوام

إيّاك يا ابن أكارمِ الأقوام

I did not seek divine reward through praising you—

I did not expect reward from you for my praise,

you, O son of the noblest among peoples.

O son of the most generous people.

لو كان مَدْحي حِسبةً لم أكسه

لو كان مَدْحي حِسبةً لم أكسه

أحداً أحقَّ به مِن الأيتام

أحداً أحقَّ به مِن الأيتام

If my praise were an act of piety, I could not clothe

If my praise were an expectation, I would not dress

anyone in it more deserving than orphans.

Anyone more deserving of it than orphans.

فاقبلْ مديحاً والقهُ بثوابِه

فاقبلْ مديحاً والقهُ بثوابِه

أوْ لا فدعْهُ لغارمِ غنّام

أوْ لا فدعْهُ لغارمِ غنّام

So accept praise and meet it with its reward,

So accept praise and reward it,

or else leave it to one who bears costs and reaps gains.

Or leave it to a despondent gambler.

لا تَقْبلنَّ المدحَ ثم تَعُقُّهُ

لا تَقْبلنَّ المدحَ ثم تَعُقُّهُ

وتنامُ والشعراءُ غير نيام

وتنامُ والشعراءُ غير نيام

Do not accept praise and then treat it ungratefully,

Do not accept praise then deny it

and sleep while the poets stay awake.

While poets remain sleepless.

واحذَرْ معرَّتَهُمْ إذا دانيتهمْ

واحذَرْ معرَّتَهُمْ إذا دانيتهمْ

فلهُمْ أشدُّ معرةِ العُرَّام

فلهُمْ أشدُّ معرةِ العُرَّام

And beware their harm when you draw near to them,

And beware their defiance when brought near,

for theirs is the worst harm that ruffians inflict.

For they have the most defiance of the naked.

واعلم بأنهمُ إذا لم يُنصَفوا

واعلم بأنهمُ إذا لم يُنصَفوا

حكموا لأنفسهِم على الحكامِ

حكموا لأنفسهِم على الحكامِ

And know that, if they are not treated justly,

Know that if they are not treated justly,

they pass judgment in their own favor against the rulers.

They will judge for themselves over rulers.

وظُلامةُ العادي عليهمْ تنقضي

وظُلامةُ العادي عليهمْ تنقضي

وعِقابُهمْ يبقى على الأيام

وعِقابُهمْ يبقى على الأيام

And the wrong their aggressor does them passes away,

The darkness of one hostile to them passes,

while their retribution endures through the days.

Yet their punishment remains through days.