لا تَعظمَنَّ علَيكَ مِدحَةُ خادِمٍ

لا تَعظمَنَّ علَيكَ مِدحَةُ خادِمٍ

إيّاكَ يقصرُ عنْ مَداكَ مَديحُهُ

إيّاكَ يقصرُ عنْ مَداكَ مَديحُهُ

Do not find a servant’s praise hard to accept—

Do not take it amiss if a servant praise fall short of your merits;

praise of you, though his praise falls short of your stature.

His eulogy fails to reach your high rank's extent;

فالظُّفْرُ وهو أخَسُّ أجزاءِ الفتى

فالظُّفْرُ وهو أخَسُّ أجزاءِ الفتى

يَشفي بِحَكٍّ جِسمَهُ فَيُريحُهُ

يَشفي بِحَكٍّ جِسمَهُ فَيُريحُهُ

For the fingernail, though the lowliest of a young man’s parts,

For valour - though it be the meanest part of manhood -

soothes his body by scratching and brings him relief.

Yet it salves the body's wound and brings it solace.