أَلَم تَرَ انّي وَالتَكرُّمُ شيمَتي

أَلَم تَرَ انّي وَالتَكرُّمُ شيمَتي

وَكُلُّ امرىءٍ جارٍ عَلى ما تَعَوَّدا

وَكُلُّ امرىءٍ جارٍ عَلى ما تَعَوَّدا

Have you not seen that I—nobility is my nature,

Did you not see that generosity is my trait

and every man follows what he is accustomed to—

And every man goes on as per his habit

أُطَهِّر أَثوابي مِنَ الغَدرِ والخَنا

أُطَهِّر أَثوابي مِنَ الغَدرِ والخَنا

وَأَنحو إِلى ما كانَ خَيراً وَأَمجَدا

وَأَنحو إِلى ما كانَ خَيراً وَأَمجَدا

cleanse my garments of treachery and obscenity,

I cleanse my clothes of betrayal and deceit

and seek what is better and more glorious?

And incline towards what was best and most glorious

وَشاعِرِ سوءٍ يَهضِمُ القَولَ كُلَّهُ

وَشاعِرِ سوءٍ يَهضِمُ القَولَ كُلَّهُ

إِذا قالَ أَقوى ما يَقولُ وَأَسنَدا

إِذا قالَ أَقوى ما يَقولُ وَأَسنَدا

Many a wretched poet does all verse injustice:

And an evil poet who distorts everything he says

whenever he recites, he spoils rhyme-vowels and the sounds before them.

When he utters the strongest words he can defend

صَفحتُ لَهُ بَعدَ الأَناةِ فَرُعتُهُ

صَفحتُ لَهُ بَعدَ الأَناةِ فَرُعتُهُ

بِحَرباءَ لَم يعلم لَها كَيفَ أَرصَدا

بِحَرباءَ لَم يعلم لَها كَيفَ أَرصَدا

I pardoned him after patient deliberation, then startled him

I forgave him after hesitation so I tamed him

with a chameleon-like satire he knew not how to counter.

With wariness he did not know how I could aim at

وَإِنّي لَذو حِلمٍ كَثيرٍ وَإِنَني

وَإِنّي لَذو حِلمٍ كَثيرٍ وَإِنَني

كَثيراً لأُشفي داءَ مَن كانَ أَصيَدا

كَثيراً لأُشفي داءَ مَن كانَ أَصيَدا

I am indeed a man of great forbearance, yet I

Indeed I have abundant patience and yet

often cure the disease of whoever is haughty.

I cure many an illness of the one who was struck

أَعودُ عَلى المولى إِذا زَلَّ حِلمُهُ

أَعودُ عَلى المولى إِذا زَلَّ حِلمُهُ

بِحِلمي وَكانَ العَودُ أَبقى وَأَحمَدا

بِحِلمي وَكانَ العَودُ أَبقى وَأَحمَدا

I return to my kinsman, when his forbearance falters,

I repay the Master if His patience slips

with my own; renewed kindness is more lasting and more praiseworthy.

With my patience and repayment is best and blessed

فَكُنتُ إِذا المَولى بِداليَ غِشُّهُ

فَكُنتُ إِذا المَولى بِداليَ غِشُّهُ

تَجاوَزتُ عَنهُ واستَدَمتُ بِهِ غَدا

تَجاوَزتُ عَنهُ واستَدَمتُ بِهِ غَدا

So whenever my kinsman's deceit became plain to me,

So if the Master's ignorance deceives Him about me

I would pardon him and preserve our bond for the morrow,

I overlook it and befriend Him tomorrow

لِتُحكِمَه الأَيامُ أَو لِتَردَّهُ

لِتُحكِمَه الأَيامُ أَو لِتَردَّهُ

عَليَّ وَلَم أَبسِط لِساناً وَلا يَدا

عَليَّ وَلَم أَبسِط لِساناً وَلا يَدا

so that the days might make him wise, or bring him back

So days may judge Him or make Him return to me

to me, without my having lashed out with tongue or hand.

And I do not stretch out tongue or hand