أَلا أَبلِغا عَنّي زِياداً رِسالَةً

أَلا أَبلِغا عَنّي زِياداً رِسالَةً

فَقَد يُبلِغُ الحاجَ الرَسولُ المُغَلغِلُ

فَقَد يُبلِغُ الحاجَ الرَسولُ المُغَلغِلُ

Listen, you two: convey a message from me to Ziyad;

Oh deliver on my behalf a message to Ziyad

For a far-traveling messenger may convey one's need.

For the messenger may convey to the robed pilgrim

بِآيَةِ أَنَّ الوَلعَ مِنكَ سَجِيَّةٌ

بِآيَةِ أَنَّ الوَلعَ مِنكَ سَجِيَّةٌ

لَهِجتَ بِها فيما تَجِدُّ وَتَهزِلُ

لَهِجتَ بِها فيما تَجِدُّ وَتَهزِلُ

By this token: lying is second nature to you,

The sign that passion for you is my nature

A habit you indulge in earnest and in jest;

I have professed it in jest and sincerity

وَأَنَّكَ تُعطي بِاللسانَ وَلا يُرى

وَأَنَّكَ تُعطي بِاللسانَ وَلا يُرى

مَتاعُكَ الّا مِن لِسانِكَ يَفضُلُ

مَتاعُكَ الّا مِن لِسانِكَ يَفضُلُ

And you give with your tongue, yet no one sees

You give with your tongue but in reality

Your bounty overflow from anywhere but your tongue.

Your possessions are naught but from your tongue

لِسانُكَ مَعسولٌ فَأَنتَ مُمَزَّجٌ

لِسانُكَ مَعسولٌ فَأَنتَ مُمَزَّجٌ

وَنَفسُكَ دونَ المالِ صابٌ وَحَنظَلُ

وَنَفسُكَ دونَ المالِ صابٌ وَحَنظَلُ

Your tongue is honeyed, so you are a blend,

Your tongue is sweet but you are fickle

But your soul, guarding wealth, is bitter sap and colocynth.

And without wealth you are stingy and spiteful

تَقولُ فَمَن يَسمَع يَقُل أَنتَ فاعِلٌ

تَقولُ فَمَن يَسمَع يَقُل أَنتَ فاعِلٌ

وَمِن دونِهِ بابٌ مِنَ الشُحِّ مُقفَلُ

وَمِن دونِهِ بابٌ مِنَ الشُحِّ مُقفَلُ

You speak, so whoever hears says, 'You will act';

You speak and whoever hears says you will act

Yet before it stands a locked gate of miserliness.

Yet behind it is a door of stinginess shut fast

نَعَم مِنكَ لا مَعروفَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّها

نَعَم مِنكَ لا مَعروفَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّها

تَغُرُّ ويَرجوها الضَعيفُ المُغَفَّلُ

تَغُرُّ ويَرجوها الضَعيفُ المُغَفَّلُ

Your 'yes' is a well-known 'no,' except that it

You have kindness yes but it is such

Deceives, and the weak, gullible man pins his hopes on it.

That it seduces the unaware innocent as such

فَقُل لا وَلا تَعرِض بِها أَو نَعَم وَلا

فَقُل لا وَلا تَعرِض بِها أَو نَعَم وَلا

تَقُل لا إِذا ما قُلتَ إِنّي سَأَفعَلُ

تَقُل لا إِذا ما قُلتَ إِنّي سَأَفعَلُ

So say 'no,' and do not merely hint at it; or 'yes,' and do not

So say no and make no gesture of perhaps or yes

Say 'no' once you have said, 'I shall do it.'

And do not say I will when you say no

وَبِالصِدقِ فاستَقبِل حَديثَكَ إِنَّهُ

وَبِالصِدقِ فاستَقبِل حَديثَكَ إِنَّهُ

أَصَحُّ وَأَدنى لِلسَّدادِ وَأَمثَلُ

أَصَحُّ وَأَدنى لِلسَّدادِ وَأَمثَلُ

And begin your speech with truth, for it is

And with truth face your discourse for it is

Sounder, nearer to what is right, and better.

More proper, nearer righteousness and most apt

وَأَجمِل إِذا ما كُنتَ لا بُدَّ مانِعاً

وَأَجمِل إِذا ما كُنتَ لا بُدَّ مانِعاً

فَقَد يَمنَعُ الشيءَ الفَتى وَهوَ مُجمِلُ

فَقَد يَمنَعُ الشيءَ الفَتى وَهوَ مُجمِلُ

And be gracious if you must withhold,

And if you must refuse then do it with grace

For a man may withhold a thing and still be gracious.

For a man may refuse yet gentle in his case

وَلا عِندَنا خَيرٌ إِذا كُنتَ باخِلاً

وَلا عِندَنا خَيرٌ إِذا كُنتَ باخِلاً

وَأَروَحُ مِن قَولٍ نَعَم ثُمَّ تَبخَلُ

وَأَروَحُ مِن قَولٍ نَعَم ثُمَّ تَبخَلُ

And 'no,' in our view, is better if you are miserly,

And we have no good if you are miserly

And easier to bear than saying 'yes' and then withholding.

Better the words yes then you become stingy

فَإِن ثَقُلَت لا وَهيَ غَيرُ خَفيفَةٍ

فَإِن ثَقُلَت لا وَهيَ غَيرُ خَفيفَةٍ

عَلَيكَ فَلَلأُخرى أَشَدُّ وَأَثقَلُ

عَلَيكَ فَلَلأُخرى أَشَدُّ وَأَثقَلُ

For if 'no' weighs heavily—and it is not light—

If no is hard on you and not easy to say

Upon you, the other is surely harder and heavier,

The other is harder and weighs more in its way

إِذا هيَ لَم تُنفَذ بِصِدقٍ وَلَم يَكُن

إِذا هيَ لَم تُنفَذ بِصِدقٍ وَلَم يَكُن

إِذا اختُبِرت إِلّا الضَلالُ المُضَلِّلُ

إِذا اختُبِرت إِلّا الضَلالُ المُضَلِّلُ

If it is not honestly fulfilled and proves,

If it is not said with truth and there was none

When tested, to be nothing but delusion that leads astray.

When tested it is but misleading confusion