حسدوا الفتى إذ لم ينالوا سعيه — أبو الأسود الدؤلي

حَسَدوا الفَتى إِذ لَم يَنالوا سَعيهُ

فَالقَومُ أَعداءٌ لَهُ وَخُصومُ

They envied the youth because they could not match his striving;

So the people are his enemies and adversaries.

كَضَرائِرِ الحَسناءِ قُلنَ لِوَجهِها

حَسداً وَبَغياً إِنَّهُ لَدَميمُ

Like a beauty's co-wives, who said of her face,

Out of envy and malice, “It is indeed ugly!”

وَالوَجهُ يُشرُقُ في الظَلامِ كَأَنَّهُ

بَدرٌ مُنيرٌ وَالنِساءُ نُجومُ

Yet her face shines in the darkness as though it were

A radiant full moon, while the women are stars.

وَتَرى اللَبيبَ مُحسَّداً لَم يَجتَرِم

شَتمَ الرِجالِ وَعَرضُهُ مَشتومُ

And you see the discerning man envied, though he has never

Insulted men, while his honor is reviled.

وَكَذاكَ مَن عَظُمَت عَليهِ نِعمَةٌ

حُسّادُه سَيفٌ عَليهِ صَرومُ

Likewise, whoever receives a mighty blessing—

His enviers are a keen-edged sword against him.

فاِترُك مُحاوَرةَ السَفيهِ فَإِنَّها

نَدمٌ وَغِبٌّ بَعدَ ذاكَ وَخيمُ

So abandon debate with the fool, for it brings

Regret, followed by a grievous aftermath.

وَإِذا جَريتَ مَع السَفيهِ كَما جَرى

فَكِلاكُما في جَريهِ مَذمومُ

And if you run with the fool as he runs,

Then both of you are blamed for running his course.

وَإِذا عتِبتَ عَلى السَفيه وَلُمتَهُ

في مِثلِ ما تأَتي فَأَنتَ ظَلومُ

And if you reproach the fool and blame him

For the very things you do, then you are deeply unjust.

لا تَنهَ عَن خُلُقٍ وَتَأتيَ مِثلَهُ

عارٌ عَلَيكَ إِذا فَعَلتُ عَظيمُ

Do not forbid a practice while doing the same;

A great disgrace upon you, if you do so.

ابدأ بِنَفسِكَ وَانَها عَن غِيِّها

فَإِذا انتَهَت عَنهُ فَأَنتَ حَكيمُ

Begin with your own soul, and restrain it from its waywardness;

Then, when it abandons that error, you are wise.

فَهُناكَ يُقبَل ما وَعَظتَ وَيُقتَدى

بِالعِلمِ مِنكَ وَيَنفَعُ التَعليمُ

Then your admonition is accepted, and guidance is taken

From your knowledge, and teaching proves useful.

وَيلُ الخَلِيِّ مِنَ الشَجِيِّ فَإِنَّهُ

نَصِبُ الفُؤادِ بِشَجوِهِ مَغمومُ

Woe to the carefree from the sorrowful, for the latter is

Weary at heart, burdened by his sorrow.

وَتَرى الخَليَّ قَريرَ عَينٍ لاهياً

وَعَلى الشَجيِّ كَآبَةٌ وَهُمومُ

And you see the carefree, glad-eyed and amusing himself,

While gloom and cares weigh upon the sorrowful.

وَتَقولُ مالَك لا تَقول مَقالَتي

وَلِسانُ ذا طَلق وَذا مَكظومُ

And you say, “Why do you not say what I say?”

Yet this one's tongue is free, and that one's is stifled.

لا تَكلَمَن عِرضَ ابنِ عَمِّكَ ظالِماً

فَإِذا فَعَلتَ فَعِرضُكَ المَكلومُ

Do not unjustly wound your cousin's honor;

For if you do, it is your own honor that is wounded.

وَحَريمُهُ أَيضاً حَريمُكَ فاحمِهِ

كي لا يُباعُ لَدَيكَ مِنهُ حَريمُ

And what he holds sacred is sacred to you too; protect it,

Lest anything sacred to him be sold in your presence.

وَإِذا اِقتَصَصتَ مِن ابنِ عَمِّكَ كَلمَةً

فَكُلومُهُ لَكَ إِن عَقِلتَ كُلومُ

And if, in revenge, you inflict a wound on your cousin,

Then his wounds are wounds to you, if you have sense.

وَإِذا طَلَبتَ إِلى كَريمٍ حاجَةً

فَلِقاؤُهُ يَكفيكَ وَالتَسليمُ

And if you ask a noble man for a favor,

Then meeting him and offering a greeting are enough.

فَإِذا رَآكَ مُسَلِّماً ذَكَرَ الَّذي

كَلَّمتَهُ فَكأَنَّهُ مَلزومُ

Then, when he sees you greeting him, he remembers what

You spoke to him about, as though bound by an obligation.

وَرأى عَواقِبَ حَمدِ ذاكَ وَذَمِّهُ

لِلمَرءِ تَبقى وَالعِظامُ رَميمُ

And he sees that the effects of praise and blame for that deed

Remain with a man even when his bones have crumbled.

فارجُ الكَريمَ وَإِن رَأَيتَ جَفاءَهُ

فالعَتبُ مِنهُ والكِرامِ كَريمُ

So place hope in the noble man, even if you see his coldness,

For reproach from him and from the noble is noble.

إِن كُنتَ مُضطَرّاً وَإِلّا فاِتَّخِذ

نَفَقاً كَأَنَّكَ خائِفٌ مَهزومُ

If you are in dire need; otherwise, make yourself

A tunnel, as though you were frightened and defeated.

وَاِترُكهُ واحذَر أَن تَمُرَّ بِبابِهِ

دَهراً وَعِرضُكَ إِن فَعَلتَ سَليمُ

And leave him, and beware of passing his door

Ever; if you do so, your honor is safe.

فَالناسُ قَد صاروا بَهائِمَ كُلُّهُم

وَمِنَ البَهائِمَ قائِدٌ وَزَعيمُ

For the people have all become beasts,

And among the beasts are a leader and a chief.

عُميٌ وَبُكمٌ لَيسَ يُرجى نَفعُهُم

وَزَعيمُعُم في النائِباتِ مُليمُ

Blind and mute—no benefit can be hoped from them;

And their chief is blameworthy in calamities.

وَإِذا طَلَبتَ إِلى لَئيمٍ حاجَةً

فَأَلِحَّ في رِفقٍ وَأَنتَ مُديمُ

And if you ask a base man for a favor,

Then insist gently, keeping at it.

وَاِسكُن قِبالَةَ بَيتِهِ وَفِنائِهِ

بِأَشَدِّ ما لَزِمَ الغَريمَ غَريمُ

And settle opposite his house and courtyard,

With the utmost tenacity of a creditor clinging to a debtor.

وَعَجِبتُ للدُنيا وَرَغبَةِ أَهلِها

وَالرِزقُ فيما بَينَهُم مَقسومُ

And I marveled at the world and its people's craving,

Though sustenance is apportioned among them.

وَالأَحمَقُ المَرزوقُ أَعجَبُ مَن أَرى

مِن أَهلِها وَالعاقِلُ المَحرومُ

And the fool who is provided for is the most astonishing person I see

Among its people, and so is the wise man left deprived.

ثُمَّ اِنقَضى عَجَبي لِعلميَ أَنَّهُ

رِزقٌ مُوافٍ وَقتُهُ مَعلومُ

Then my wonder ceased, for I knew that it was

Provision that will arrive, its time known.