برِمتُ بما ألقاه مِمَّنْ أُوَامِقُ

برِمتُ بما ألقاه مِمَّنْ أُوَامِقُ

وأوذِيتُ حتّى لا أرى من أُصادقُ

وأوذِيتُ حتّى لا أرى من أُصادقُ

I have grown weary of what I suffer from those I love,

I bear patiently what faults I meet from those I fondly greet,

I have grown weary of what I encounter from those I cherish,

and been hurt until I see no one whom I might befriend.

And though I'm hurt, till none are left I'm free to go and meet.

And I have been harmed until I see no one left to call a friend.

إذا ما اِمرُؤ أصفيته الودَّ واثقا

إذا ما اِمرُؤ أصفيته الودَّ واثقا

بخُلّته لم تصفُ منه الخلائقُ

بخُلّته لم تصفُ منه الخلائقُ

Whenever I sincerely give a man my affection, trusting

When I think one sincere, and give him love without a fear,

Whenever I offer a man pure affection, trusting

in his friendship, his character proves impure.

His stinginess will never let good men think well of him.

In his brotherhood, his character never remains pure toward me.

فيا ليت شِعري هل إلى الناس كُلِّهِم

فيا ليت شِعري هل إلى الناس كُلِّهِم

أنا مذنبٌ أم ليس فيهم مُوافقُ

أنا مذنبٌ أم ليس فيهم مُوافقُ

If only I knew: toward all mankind

I wonder, are they all to blame, or am I not the same?

Oh, how I wish I knew—regarding all people—

am I at fault, or is there none among them compatible with me?

I find no one who will agree with all I say and see.

Am I the guilty one, or is there not a single compatible soul among them?

فلا أنا مسرورٌ بمن هُوَ واصلي

فلا أنا مسرورٌ بمن هُوَ واصلي

حِذَاراً ولا آسي على من أُفارِقُ

حِذَاراً ولا آسي على من أُفارِقُ

Thus I neither rejoice in one who keeps faith with me,

I'm pleased by none who visits me, and none I visit he,

So I find no joy in the one who seeks my company, out of caution,

out of caution, nor grieve for one from whom I part.

I'd like to find someone who says 'You speak the truth' to me,

Nor do I grieve for the one I leave.

ودِدْتُ بأن أَلْقى من الناس مُنصفاً

ودِدْتُ بأن أَلْقى من الناس مُنصفاً

إذا قلتُ حقّاً قال لي أنت صادقُ

إذا قلتُ حقّاً قال لي أنت صادقُ

I wish I could meet among mankind a fair-minded man:

And if I err, will not concur, but show me what should be.

I have longed to find a just man among the people,

if I spoke truth, he would tell me, “You are truthful”;

The people are but two kinds: fools defending without minds,

Who, when I speak the truth, tells me, "You are right."

وإن قلتُ غيرَ الحقِّ لم يرضَ لي به

وإن قلتُ غيرَ الحقِّ لم يرضَ لي به

وأَوْضَح للفكر الّذي هُوَ لائقُ

وأَوْضَح للفكر الّذي هُوَ لائقُ

and if I spoke other than truth, he would not approve it of me,

Or knowledgeable hypocrites with poisoned honeyed lines.

And if I speak untruth, he would not accept it from me,

but would make clear to my mind what is fitting.

Of those I thought were friends, I hear backbiting ends,

But would clarify to my mind what is fitting.

ولكنّهم صنفان فِيَّ فجاهلٌ

ولكنّهم صنفان فِيَّ فجاهلٌ

يدافعُ حقّاً أو عليمٌ منافِقُ

يدافعُ حقّاً أو عليمٌ منافِقُ

Yet toward me they are of two kinds: an ignorant man

They say, behind my back, what face to face offends,

But regarding me, they fall into two types: the ignorant,

who disputes the truth, or a learned hypocrite.

Thus do I act with foe who vies, till pressed by straitened sides.

Who resists the truth, or the knowledgeable hypocrite.

أنا لِيَ عمّن كنتُ أطوي ودادَهُ

أنا لِيَ عمّن كنتُ أطوي ودادَهُ

مقال إلى الشنآن والحقد سائقُ

مقال إلى الشنآن والحقد سائقُ

As for me, I have words about one whose affection I once cherished—

No swift runner, making haste, do watchers say has paced,

I have, concerning the one whose friendship I used to cherish,

words that drive toward hatred and rancor.

But when the pack presses in, his skill and speed are traced.

Words that drive towards hatred and malice.

يَقولُ بِظهرِ الغيبِ ما ليس قائلاً

يَقولُ بِظهرِ الغيبِ ما ليس قائلاً

لدَيَّ إذا اِشتدّتْ عليه الطرائقُ

لدَيَّ إذا اِشتدّتْ عليه الطرائقُ

Behind my back he says what he would never say

Yet I give each man his due, and when true proofs accrue,

He says behind my back what he would never say

in my presence, when every avenue closes hard upon him.

I judge my foe impartially, as justice would pursue,

To my face, when circumstances press hard upon him.

كذلك دأبي حين ألقى مُنازعاً

كذلك دأبي حين ألقى مُنازعاً

أجاريه حتّى تحتوِيهِ المضائقُ

أجاريه حتّى تحتوِيهِ المضائقُ

Such is my own habit when I meet an adversary:

If stubborn foe contends, woe to him, heaven descends.

Such is my custom when I encounter an adversary:

I keep pace with him until the narrow straits enclose him.

My tongue when speaking is a sword that cuts opposing words.

I play along with him until the straits encompass him.

وليس الّذي يعدو بِتيهٍ وحِدَّةٍ

وليس الّذي يعدو بِتيهٍ وحِدَّةٍ

يقول له الراؤون إنّك سابقُ

يقول له الراؤون إنّك سابقُ

The man who races with swagger and fury is not necessarily

If I speak wisdom, it takes wing among the old and young.

It is not the one who charges with arrogance and fury,

the one whom onlookers tell, “You are ahead”;

I'm not as those who say one thing, then hold their honeyed tongue,

To whom the onlookers say, "You are the victor."

ولَكن إذا ما لزّهُ القرنُ في الوغى

ولَكن إذا ما لزّهُ القرنُ في الوغى

فأربى عليه فهو يقظانُ حاذقُ

فأربى عليه فهو يقظانُ حاذقُ

rather, when his rival presses him in the fray,

To those who'd undermine me, I give courtesy.

But rather, when an equal presses him hard in the fray,

he outstrips him—for he is alert and skilled.

And those who'd friendship find in me, find sincere amity.

And he prevails over him—he is the vigilant, the skillful.

على أنّني لا أبخسُ المرء حقّه

على أنّني لا أبخسُ المرء حقّه

وأنصف خصمي حين تأتِي الحقائقُ

وأنصف خصمي حين تأتِي الحقائقُ

Nevertheless, I never deprive a man of his due,

I humble myself before a friend, though proud if foes offend,

Yet, I never deny a man his due,

and I deal justly with my adversary when the facts emerge.

My people, have I harmed? Or spoken as I should defend?

And I treat my foe with justice when the truth is revealed.

إذا أبرَمَ الخصمُ المعاندُ برمةً

إذا أبرَمَ الخصمُ المعاندُ برمةً

فيا ويحه صُبَّتْ عليه الصواعقُ

فيا ويحه صُبَّتْ عليه الصواعقُ

But when the stubborn adversary contrives a scheme,

God refuses lies be told, hearts hold deceit untold.

But if the stubborn opponent weaves a plot,

alas for him—the thunderbolts come pouring down upon him!

The truth He raises. False trails He in souls effaces.

Then woe to him! Thunderbolts shall be poured upon him.

وإن لسانِي حين ينطق صارِمٌ

وإن لسانِي حين ينطق صارِمٌ

حسامٌ لهامات المُباين فالقُ

حسامٌ لهامات المُباين فالقُ

Indeed, whenever my tongue speaks, it is a keen-edged

For my tongue, when it speaks, is a sharp blade,

sword, cleaving the skulls of those who oppose me.

A cutting sword that cleaves the heads of dissenters.

إذا قلتُ قولاً طارَ في الناس ذكرُه

إذا قلتُ قولاً طارَ في الناس ذكرُه

وسارَ بهِ في الخافقَيْنِ الفُرانِقُ

وسارَ بهِ في الخافقَيْنِ الفُرانِقُ

Whenever I utter words, their fame flies among the people,

When I utter a word, its fame takes flight among the people,

and a herald carries them across East and West.

And couriers carry it across the East and the West.

ولستُ كمَنْ إن قال يوماً مقالةً

ولستُ كمَنْ إن قال يوماً مقالةً

يُطوِّقُها فِي جيده ويعانِقُ

يُطوِّقُها فِي جيده ويعانِقُ

I am not like one who, if one day he makes a pronouncement,

I am not like one who, having spoken a verse one day,

hangs it about his neck like a collar and clings to it.

Must wear it like a collar around his neck and embrace it alone.

وإنِّي لِمَنْ يبغي اِنتقاصي لقانعٌ

وإنِّي لِمَنْ يبغي اِنتقاصي لقانعٌ

وإنِّي لمن يبغي ودادِي لوامِقُ

وإنِّي لمن يبغي ودادِي لوامِقُ

I am well content to do without whoever seeks to diminish me,

And towards the one who seeks to belittle me, I am content,

and I am loving toward whoever seeks my affection.

And towards the one who seeks my affection, I am loving.

أذلُّ مراراً للصديق تواضُعاً

أذلُّ مراراً للصديق تواضُعاً

وأسطو على من يعتدي وأراهقُ

وأسطو على من يعتدي وأراهقُ

Time and again I humble myself before a friend, out of modesty,

I humble myself repeatedly to a friend out of modesty,

but I assail whoever transgresses and press him hard.

But I storm against the aggressor and press him hard.

فهل أنا في ذا يا لقومِيَ ظالِمٌ

فهل أنا في ذا يا لقومِيَ ظالِمٌ

أم الحقُّ بادٍ فِي الذي أنا ناطقُ

أم الحقُّ بادٍ فِي الذي أنا ناطقُ

In this, O my people, am I unjust,

So am I, in this, O my people, unjust?

or is the truth manifest in what I utter?

Or is the truth manifest in what I speak?

أبَى الله أن يلقى سوى الحق سامياً

أبَى الله أن يلقى سوى الحق سامياً

وأن تَتَوارى في القلوب المخارقُ

وأن تَتَوارى في القلوب المخارقُ

God will not suffer anything but truth to be found exalted,

God has refused that anything but the truth should reign supreme,

nor falsehoods to remain hidden within hearts.

And that deceptions should remain hidden within hearts.