رأيتك سعد الدين أكرم منتمٍ

رأيتك سعد الدين أكرم منتمٍ

نجاراً وأبناهم لمجدٍ مؤثَّل

نجاراً وأبناهم لمجدٍ مؤثَّل

I found you, Saʿd al-Din, the noblest scion,

I saw you, Sa'd al-Din, honored and respected

in lineage, and their finest builder of firmly rooted glory;

As a carpenter, and his sons glorified

وأثبت مَن إن قال قولا وفي به

وأثبت مَن إن قال قولا وفي به

على كل خطبٍ في العظائم معضل

على كل خطبٍ في العظائم معضل

and the most steadfast of those who, when they give their word, keep it,

You proved, if one spoke fairly, perplexing

despite every intractable ordeal among great calamities.

In every grand affair and knotty problem

أتهدمُ ما شيّدتَ من بعض توبة

أتهدمُ ما شيّدتَ من بعض توبة

تخفِّف من ذنب عليك مثقَّل

تخفِّف من ذنب عليك مثقَّل

Do you demolish what you built with some repentance,

Will you destroy what you built in some repentance

which lightens the burden of a sin weighing heavily upon you?

To alleviate from yourself a heavy guilt?

وقد كنت أرجو منك أن تستتِّمها

وقد كنت أرجو منك أن تستتِّمها

مكمَّلةً تأتي بأجرٍ مكمَّل

مكمَّلةً تأتي بأجرٍ مكمَّل

And I had hoped you would complete it,

I had hoped you would complete it

perfected, bringing a perfect reward.

Perfectly, bringing ample reward

فإياك والدنيا الغرور متاعُها

فإياك والدنيا الغرور متاعُها

لكل جهول ممهلٍ غير مهمل

لكل جهول ممهلٍ غير مهمل

So beware the world: its enjoyment is deception

So beware the deceitful world, its joys

for every fool given respite, but not overlooked.

Are on loan to every fool, unforgotten

ولا تنخدع عنها بقالٍ معجَّلٍ

ولا تنخدع عنها بقالٍ معجَّلٍ

فتُشده عن تحصيل باقٍ مؤجَّل

فتُشده عن تحصيل باقٍ مؤجَّل

And do not be deceived about it by hasty talk,

Be not fooled by hasty comfort

and so be distracted from attaining what endures, though deferred.

Distracting you from lasting truth

ألا إنَّ لذات الليالي وخيمةٌ

ألا إنَّ لذات الليالي وخيمةٌ

وأوخمها ما كان غير محلَّل

وأوخمها ما كان غير محلَّل

Take heed: the pleasures of the nights are ruinous,

Know the nights' joys are fleeting

and the most ruinous of them are those that are unlawful.

And bitterest what is not made lawful

وما أنا في وعظيك إِلا كمفلسٍ

وما أنا في وعظيك إِلا كمفلسٍ

يُمخرق بالجدوى على متموّل

يُمخرق بالجدوى على متموّل

And in admonishing you, I am only like a bankrupt man,

In advising you, I am like a bankrupt man

who makes a hollow show of generosity before a wealthy man;

Lecturing the wealthy on thrift

وتاركِ ما يعنيه من أمرِ نفسه

وتاركِ ما يعنيه من أمرِ نفسه

كثيرِ التواني بالفضول موكَّل

كثيرِ التواني بالفضول موكَّل

and like one who neglects what concerns him in his own affairs,

Neglecting his own affairs

given to much sloth, engrossed in needless matters,

Lost in fruitless meddling

رأى نَفسه أهلاً لارشاد غيره

رأى نَفسه أهلاً لارشاد غيره

وليس لارشادٍ لها بمؤهَّل

وليس لارشادٍ لها بمؤهَّل

who deemed himself fit to guide others,

He found himself fit to guide others

yet is unfit to guide his own soul.

Yet has no qualification to guide himself